Blogs from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia - page 67

On our way to India, we stopped at Lumbini, the supposed birth place of Buddha. Then, for some reason, we decided to purchase bus tickets and train tickets for India on the Nepal side of the border. Not sure what I was thinking, but as you can imagine, once we finally made it into India, we got scammed and had to pay an additional $6 to get our tickets. To make matters worse, it was very hot, our bags were heavy, the bus was packed with people and it took 3 house to get to the train station. Tired, ticked off and hot, we then had to board a 12-hour overnight train to Varanasi. Needless to say, I was very uncomfortable and did not sleep on the train. Upon arriving in Varanasi, I was blown away ... read more

Hello again:-D After yesterday's craziness, I figured that for my well-being physically and mentally/emotionally, I better stay somewhere nice, pronto. Air conditioning was mandatory and that is only guaranteed, from what the gentleman at my old hotel told me, at two places: The Taj and Clarks. I ended up at Clarks, after a long-ride of yet another driver trying to take me to a "cheaper and better" hotel. He then wanted to be my driver for the day, which I declined, and he was very upset that I didn't want to make use of the half-day of shopping Clarks had included in the price of my room, since he knew the best shops for the highest quality and lowest prices. Of course. Just like everyone. You know, I don't mean to come off as jaded in ... read more

june 27 random thoughts by mbaade: the best lassis in all of india truly are fantastic. thick and cold, the curd having been laid on ice, topped off with rose water, and the whole lovely dairy product cupped in a clay pot that can be smashed against the wall when finished. we came to go to the bank, which is quite in the opposite direction from our latest silk shop. it's pouring now. like whitewater and thunder. so we ducked into an interweb place, but it's ghetto and the computers are wicked slow. still, it's only 15 RS per hour, which is half the price of everywhere else. i think i might have a cavity. i have a toothache. that is not a good thing to have while traipsing about india. cows are holy, apparently, because ... read more

had a terribly hard day today. ha! got up around noon. showered. went downstairs at our new guest house, the ganpati, to have breakfast in the courtyard shaded by a terrace full of trumpet vines. i had a spanish omlette. arielle had fries and an israeli salad. we continued to read our books while waiting. i'm enthralled with tolstoy's "anna kerenina" and arielle with the first two harry potter books which she hasn't read in years. had our breakfasts. with sweet lassis. then went to read out on the balcony in the wind. for a few hours. until we were hungry again. and then we ordered fruit salads with curd and honey. and continued reading. around 4:00 i was sleepy so we went to take a nap in our blessedly air conditioned room. then we got ... read more

as i just re-read my latest email/xanga entry i realized how incredibly spastic they are. it's hard to capture the essence of these places when there's just so much to say. i find that my thoughts are going about 50 mph too fast for my fingers and all of the thoughts that i'm having are not being aptly portrayed in my posts. my fingers cannot keep up with the multitude of feelings streaming through my mind. that last email simply did not do justice to the past 48 hours. but, honestly, i'm too hungry to bother to re-post anything. time for some food. -molly ... read more