I took my first overnight train to Varanasi, 4 days ago. I rode what's called "3AC," meaning the 3rd tier with air conditioning. There are at least 2 classes above this and one below, though I was warned against the one below, "sleeper class," for safety reasons. I had my own bunk, a curtain, and a window. I loved it. I felt like I was in a cradle being rocked to sleep while we rolled 13 hours.
Immediately after getting off the train, the solicitors were waiting. Here, they are even worse than Delhi. Very pushy, very persistent. But you get used to it and just ignore them. Even saying "No, thanks" apparently gives them hope and attracts them. It's sad, because it basically means I can't acknowledge their existence without being harassed. I've been told by various people that 99.9% of them just want your money, despite whatever they say about not being guides, or how many times they call you friend. In the times I've let my guard down, I ended up finding the 99.9%. But that's the nature of tourism in countries like India. The money I make back home in a few days is what the average indian makes in a year. Knowing this, many try their best to pry just a tiny fraction of that from you using whatever means possible. For many of them, it's survival. I don't blame them. If anything, I view it as a luxury tax, paying more than the "Indian price" for food, transportation, etc. I'm lucky that I can afford it, and much more.
Before I traveled to Varanasi, I was aware of its status as a pilgrimage sit for Buddhists. Nearby is where the Buddha was enlightened, and where he gave his first teachings. I have read much about this over the years and was excited to see these places with my own eyes, to meditate where the buddha found his inspiration. Though I didn't get to see where he was enlightened, I did visit Sarnath, where he gave his teachings. I saw ruins of old monasteries and statues. It's crazy to think so many buildings were built to commemorate and continue his practice, but it was so long ago that they're all but gone. About 2,600 years of history. And yet his teachings are still going strong, albeit adulterated.
Much like in kathmandu, the Hindus burn their dead. My hostel is right next to the main burning "ghat," the place where this ceremony takes place. Again, I find myself very attracted to this process, this way of commemorating death. All except for dumping bodies in the Ganga, the holiest river in India, where Indians do pretty much everything: swim, bathe, fish, dump dead bodies, spill sewage, throw trash, wash clothes, drink, defecate... But the "purity" of the river, as far as I understand, explains away any potential problems with this apparently lethal combination of tasks.
Beside the river, I sit in hostel terrace. I hear cows mooing nearby, and see monkeys playing on the other roofs below. But what makes me smile big is all the small kites flying in the sky, dozens and dozens as far as I can see. You would think we were in a green park. But the kids play alone or with siblings on their own roofs.
One of the funniest and often most frustrating recurring experienced here is how impossible it is to get change. Say you eat a meal. It runs about 100 rupees. But all you have is a 500, since that's what the ATM's typically give (I won't even go into the 1000s). There's no way they have change for that. Right now, 500 is about $7-8. But rarely does an Indian carry that much. Usually the highest they have is a 50, maybe a 100 or two, and many 10s. This just speaks to what i said earlier about the average income. $8 is a ton of money. Sometimes even a 100 is hard to break. It still surprises me that even hostels that cater to Westerners operate in the same fashion, but that's just how it works.
Every day I write down 3 things I'm grateful for, in my journal. Yesterday, one was how grateful I am to live in a country that is much less corrupt than most, and holds moderately free and fair elections. If you know me and we've talked about politics, you know how critical I can be of the way the US government functions. It certainly has big problems. But when i compare it to what I've seen and read in India regarding its elections and "democracy," I consider myself incredibly lucky to live in such a place.
One last note. The next time you go to an Indian restaurant, if they have a "banana lassi," try it. You won't be disappointed.
Immediately after getting off the train, the solicitors were waiting. Here, they are even worse than Delhi. Very pushy, very persistent. But you get used to it and just ignore them. Even saying "No, thanks" apparently gives them hope and attracts them. It's sad, because it basically means I can't acknowledge their existence without being harassed. I've been told by various people that 99.9% of them just want your money, despite whatever they say about not being guides, or how many times they call you friend. In the times I've let my guard down, I ended up finding the 99.9%. But that's the nature of tourism in countries like India. The money I make back home in a few days is what the average indian makes in a year. Knowing this, many try their best to pry just a tiny fraction of that from you using whatever means possible. For many of them, it's survival. I don't blame them. If anything, I view it as a luxury tax, paying more than the "Indian price" for food, transportation, etc. I'm lucky that I can afford it, and much more.
Before I traveled to Varanasi, I was aware of its status as a pilgrimage sit for Buddhists. Nearby is where the Buddha was enlightened, and where he gave his first teachings. I have read much about this over the years and was excited to see these places with my own eyes, to meditate where the buddha found his inspiration. Though I didn't get to see where he was enlightened, I did visit Sarnath, where he gave his teachings. I saw ruins of old monasteries and statues. It's crazy to think so many buildings were built to commemorate and continue his practice, but it was so long ago that they're all but gone. About 2,600 years of history. And yet his teachings are still going strong, albeit adulterated.
Much like in kathmandu, the Hindus burn their dead. My hostel is right next to the main burning "ghat," the place where this ceremony takes place. Again, I find myself very attracted to this process, this way of commemorating death. All except for dumping bodies in the Ganga, the holiest river in India, where Indians do pretty much everything: swim, bathe, fish, dump dead bodies, spill sewage, throw trash, wash clothes, drink, defecate... But the "purity" of the river, as far as I understand, explains away any potential problems with this apparently lethal combination of tasks.
Beside the river, I sit in hostel terrace. I hear cows mooing nearby, and see monkeys playing on the other roofs below. But what makes me smile big is all the small kites flying in the sky, dozens and dozens as far as I can see. You would think we were in a green park. But the kids play alone or with siblings on their own roofs.
One of the funniest and often most frustrating recurring experienced here is how impossible it is to get change. Say you eat a meal. It runs about 100 rupees. But all you have is a 500, since that's what the ATM's typically give (I won't even go into the 1000s). There's no way they have change for that. Right now, 500 is about $7-8. But rarely does an Indian carry that much. Usually the highest they have is a 50, maybe a 100 or two, and many 10s. This just speaks to what i said earlier about the average income. $8 is a ton of money. Sometimes even a 100 is hard to break. It still surprises me that even hostels that cater to Westerners operate in the same fashion, but that's just how it works.
Every day I write down 3 things I'm grateful for, in my journal. Yesterday, one was how grateful I am to live in a country that is much less corrupt than most, and holds moderately free and fair elections. If you know me and we've talked about politics, you know how critical I can be of the way the US government functions. It certainly has big problems. But when i compare it to what I've seen and read in India regarding its elections and "democracy," I consider myself incredibly lucky to live in such a place.
One last note. The next time you go to an Indian restaurant, if they have a "banana lassi," try it. You won't be disappointed.
I'm so glad you noticed the kites, and I can't wait to swap stories about the kites. When I lived in Delhi, the kite flying meant a lot to me, marked some very memorable times for me. Have fun in Jaipur!
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