Finally, I'm getting around to posting more pictures from India. These from Varanasi are unfortunately the last of the photos (both for Varansi and India) because my computer crashed a month ago and there is no place I can take to get it fixed around here. At least, Varansi is one of the oldest continually-inhabited cities in the world, so it will most likely be the same if I make it back someday.
From Kolkata we took a train up to Varanasi, then to Agra, then to Delhi. Since we didn't start planning our India trip until the night before leaving (not a strategy I'd recommend), we had to go buy train tickets at the ticket office in Kolkata. It worked out fine and the ticket seller was really nice. "As your elder," he said "Can I offer you some advice? People will try to make friendship with you and then offer you food or drink. Don't take it! It will make you senseless!" He was exactly right. On our train ride there, a man tried repeatedly to befriend us by telling us his daughter our age-- that he never lets out of the house alone and would never allow to travel as we are. Not the best tactic. He wouldn't leave us alone. We clearly didn't take any of the "special homemade food" he tried to force at us!
Otherwise, our 20 hour train ride to Varanasi was really nice, despite the fact that it was about 8 hours late. We learned later that there are different "priority" levels of trains, with the higher ones being kept on schedule. Here's LB in our sleeper car:
We got into Varanasi after dark, and found our way through the winding streets of the city to our hostel. The old part of the city is laid out like many "old cities", I guess. All the lanes are narrow, winding, and nonsensical (and all the more interesting!). Our hostel was on the bank of the Ganges, right in front of one of the ghats. The Ganges is a holy river for Hindus and hundreds of people bathe in it each morning at Varanasi. The dead are also cremated into the water at a special ghat, which we got to see. They are cremated on special, expensive logs. As we were wandering the narrow alleys of the city, we occasionally would turn a corner right into the middle of funeral procession. A body propped up on logs, and a procession of men (only, of course) following behind in a line. We also stumbled upon a lot of cows.
We took a boat trip in the morning, at sunrise, and watched people bathing in the river . . . it's one of those things that sounds fine before you go, but makes me feel really uncomfortable as a tourist! It is a special something that I can read about, but am not part of and shouldn't be watching...
From Kolkata we took a train up to Varanasi, then to Agra, then to Delhi. Since we didn't start planning our India trip until the night before leaving (not a strategy I'd recommend), we had to go buy train tickets at the ticket office in Kolkata. It worked out fine and the ticket seller was really nice. "As your elder," he said "Can I offer you some advice? People will try to make friendship with you and then offer you food or drink. Don't take it! It will make you senseless!" He was exactly right. On our train ride there, a man tried repeatedly to befriend us by telling us his daughter our age-- that he never lets out of the house alone and would never allow to travel as we are. Not the best tactic. He wouldn't leave us alone. We clearly didn't take any of the "special homemade food" he tried to force at us!
Otherwise, our 20 hour train ride to Varanasi was really nice, despite the fact that it was about 8 hours late. We learned later that there are different "priority" levels of trains, with the higher ones being kept on schedule. Here's LB in our sleeper car:
We got into Varanasi after dark, and found our way through the winding streets of the city to our hostel. The old part of the city is laid out like many "old cities", I guess. All the lanes are narrow, winding, and nonsensical (and all the more interesting!). Our hostel was on the bank of the Ganges, right in front of one of the ghats. The Ganges is a holy river for Hindus and hundreds of people bathe in it each morning at Varanasi. The dead are also cremated into the water at a special ghat, which we got to see. They are cremated on special, expensive logs. As we were wandering the narrow alleys of the city, we occasionally would turn a corner right into the middle of funeral procession. A body propped up on logs, and a procession of men (only, of course) following behind in a line. We also stumbled upon a lot of cows.
We took a boat trip in the morning, at sunrise, and watched people bathing in the river . . . it's one of those things that sounds fine before you go, but makes me feel really uncomfortable as a tourist! It is a special something that I can read about, but am not part of and shouldn't be watching...
Cows are sacred to the Hindus. So, there were lots of cows. After awhile they just blend in with the crowds.
Bathing on the banks of the Ganges:
Cows have this much coordination?
One of the ghats:
Cow dung is saved and dried out in cakes for use in fueling fires (you can see this all over Bangladesh as well):
Along the water:
Veggie market:
The ghat in front of our hostel. They made the monument too big, and it sunk in!:
Cow, taking in the view of the Ganges:
India = Colorful
We stumbled upon one of the famous temples in Varanasi, where a lot of people were heading to worship:
Busy streets! On our way back to the train station, rushing through the narrow lanes at night, we almost plowed over a cow. I think it got a little irritated. "Slowly, slowly!!" an Indian shouted at us.
Posts
How would a marshmallow taste if it was toasted over a cow dung campfire? We'll try it this summer....
ReplyDeletenice pictures! i always had heard that cows cannot walk down stairs. interesting to see this statement proved incorrect.
ReplyDelete