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So. The train to Varanassi (the "Ganga Express"... serious) was an interesting experience. It was a packed train, with a 600 person waiting list! Finding our bunks was a bit of an annoying experience... try walking through several packed train cars with giant backpacks and bags, with everyone else trying to get through, too... in the heaaaat. aaah! The ride was 16 hours, and we got the top bunks. Luckily, we shared an area with an Australian... she frequently visits India, and helped us out a bit. Almost everyone who visits India has some sort of train horror story... we were a bit afraid of getting robbed, as soooo many people do. Crafty theives, here! Anyways, the rise wasn't that bad... we had some Quebecer come sleep on our floorspace (he couldn't book a bed), and some Indian dude wanted, and for a short time, succeeded in sharing the bed with Evan. haha.
We arrived in Varanassi unrobbed, which was nice... and Mirabai, the Australian gal, showed us to a nice guesthouse, which was good - that way we avoided the commission rickshaw drivers. Sooo... our place is BASIC. It's filled with people staying long-term, to learn indian musical instruments...
Which sounds pleasant, but really sucks when you're awoken at 7 am to the anoying screeches of beginner flute players. gah. And theres no electricity most of the time. Blackouts are very very often. That means no fan... ughh. Not nice in 45 degree weather. Water runs out a lot, too.
Sooo... our first day, we walked around the Ganges river. If yoiu've seen the movie "water", it looks quite like that... except the colours are a lot less intense, there is a lot more dust in the air, and many fewer people bathing in the river. Varanassi is a holy city, where people come to die, so that they may escape the cycle of rebirth, and go to... heaven? So, at any given moment, there are bodies, with wood piled around them, burning along the river. Sooo many gorgeous old buildings, that look like parts of rotting old castles line the river, also. Water buffalo and people go to the Ganges to bathe every day... and do laundry. This is also a city for weddings... we've seen and heard (indians loove their loud wedding techno-ish music) a few of them so far.
The city is extremely hot...
even the locals prefer to stay inside right now. Walking around gets exhausting, but there's really nowhere to cool down. The touts get pretty aggrivating... you cannot walk down the riverside without getting hassled every few seconds. Evan got a handshake, which quickly turned into an aryuvedic massage by several rather dirty men... Sarah (I) got followed by a little girl, who painted my hands with designs, and coaxed me into purchasing some paints. haha. But really, no one leaves you alone. Getting followed, and stared at all the time gets a tad aggrivating.
Varanassi is a very wonderful place though... everywhere you look, you see something amazing or interesting... navigating the tiny alleyways is like finding you way through a maze.. gorgeous, rotting old buildings, so many steps... it's so cool. And watching the burning ghats is acually really cool... the families of the dead are laughing and having a great time as the faces on the dead bodies melt and char, as they know their loved one is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. The temples are neat, too... very mysterious and eerie... we were guided through one. It was kinda like a cave, with
old men lying down everywhere, candles burning, people praying and... then we heard a cellphone ring. Yess... you can never escape those things! But it's a very interesting place. Eye-opening... theres a lot of poverty, sickness, and everything is just covered in dirt. But we're glad we made it here...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SARAH!
For my b-day, we ordered a vanilla cake, which was delivered on mooootorbike! We ate it on the roof, played a few games of chess, then chilled on the river for a bit (if you go to the quiter places it's a while before you get hassled). Soooo, once we were discovered by a chai/silk/whatever salesman, we walked around the town, looked for a mosque that wasn't easy to find, then quit and came here. Not a lot to do, here... you can't go out at night, and theres only one restauant within a close distance to our hotel. And we don't love it. Cake for dinner? I'm 19!!! Wahooo!!!
Tommorow, we head to Mumbai. Might be a tad cooller there.
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OH MY GOODNESS!
I am really at a loss for words when I read and hear about all the "adventures" you two are encountering. I absolutely cannot fathom being on a train in that kind of heat. I guess there's no strapping yourselves to the roof this time, although from the sounds of things it quite possible could be safer than traveling with individuals lying in wait for you to nod off and slip away with your valuables. You need to sleep in shifts and keep watch. Well, it won't be too much longer and you can dip your toes into the pool while you munch on Thirsty Cactus chicken wings and ice tea and reflect on your tremendous journey.Evan, I felt very guilty eating my roast beef last night, that I didn't really even fancy, knowing you're starving for a good hunk of protein. Hope the rest of your Indain journey is all that you hope for and take care of each other. Hope you don't run out of toilet paper! Missing you, love the family in G-ville