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Seriously, every bus ride I've taken in a developing country is like this: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wuypE6ISPag
I'm typically flopping around, while simultaneously folding myself up origami style, while the local next to me is serene and still. We woke up early to catch a local bus from Allahabad to Varanasi. With no a/c and apparently no shocks, it actually wasn't a bad trip.
The country side is really a sight to see, with most of those in rural India living in extreme poverty. It is really hard to wrap your mind around; the brick kiln towers, agricultural land, dirt floor houses with satellite dishes, just so much.
While travelling you tend to waver between complete culture shock and acceptance, often within the same day, the same hour. India seeps into your bones and just when you think you've gotten things figured out, she throws you something else. In the case of Varanasi, she throws you something amazing.
We arrived and after an interesting (read terrifying-ish) ride to our fabulous hotel we were able to catch a little nap and some great food. Then off on a sunset boat ride on the river Ganges. There have been a few minutes
during this trip where I turn to Elisa and ask her to pinch me, like this can't be real and I want to make sure I'm not dreaming. That's how I felt tonight.
The Ganges is truly remarkable, not only for its role in the everyday lives of locals, but its use in religious ceremonies as well. While on our boat ride, our guide expertly maneuvering through the murky water, we saw sights that I will carry with me. The Ganges is very low, waiting now for the monsoon season to swell her up, so we were able to see the ghats (massive sets of stairs leading down to the Ganges) that locals use for access to the water. Hundreds of men and boys were bathing in the river, which is so polluted I didn't even run my hands through its waters - a very un-me thing to do. Do a little research and you will see how this river is polluted to such levels I'm convinced these people just may be the strongest people on the planet, serious, they are nuke-proof, survivors.
We pulled up in front of a ghat where a Hindu ceremony in honor of
the dead was taking place. It was quite a sight. The river is believed to wash away the sins of thoSe bathed in it. To die and have your cremains released in the river is to release yourself from the cycle of rebirth. As you look at the pictures you will see the ceremony, swastikas (a peaceful, religious symbol co-opted by those nazi bastards) scenes from the river and us giving an offering to Mother Ganges, asking for help in return. I asked her to send me someone to love and who will love me, though I'm thinking maybe I should have asked for something easier, like world peace.
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patty
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WOW.
it is really strange to see such poverty in juxtaposition with such riches as pictured in the temples, and the Taj Mahal. What an amazing adventure.PJ