Beautiful Varanasi

30 March 2009

We are loving India!

It was a bit of a shock at first, but you get into the swing of things very quickly. The food is lovely and the people are always entertaining. We’ve been treated greatly! We can’t get enough of the tea!

Driving has not been as bad as we expected. It is definitely a different style of driving, but easy to master. Simply keep your hand on the horn and use it liberally (ie, when overtaking, when being overtaken, when crossing a intersection, when turning...well, the only time you don’t honk is when no one else is in sight...and even then). Also, as Homer Simpson once said, “if I can’t see it it’s not illegal”, so anything goes as long as you watch out for others you can see. The ones you can’t see look out for themselves. And you must absolutely obey the “Big boat rule”. There is no “right of way” in India. The big boys will go first, and the little guys either move out of the way, or get trampled. Trucks will swing into your lane and force you off the road. Equally, though, the wombat is free to force rickshaws, motorbikes, cyclists and pedestrians off the road when it wishes. Don’t plan to drive over 50km/h, average. Oh, and of course, the cows are the King of the road. They move when they want, and you will stop for them...What we’re trying to say is: In India, anything goes! Frankly, it’s not always scary, it’s mostly fun.

We were planning to drive straight to Varanasi, but stopped in Bandhavgarh National Park. It was recommended to us by a fellow Toyota owner, while the Wombat was getting an oil change. We were not impressed with the state of the roads on the way to the park, but the experience made up for it! We saw many animals, and had a great time. It is quite an adrenaline rush to see a tiger in the wild! We shared our safari truck with two nice couples. It was great to chat with them, and have a laugh. We ate dinner together and traded photos. It was a lot of fun. (We hope to see you in Frankfurt and Brussels!)

So we had a good time driving North and have made it to Varanasi.

First, we checked into the hotel. We are paying a fee lower than their room rates to park in the back and use their facilities. The hotel is beautiful and worth it. Today, we took advantage of the pool and swam for a long while. We hadn’t been in a pool since Gaultier’s house in Bangkok and we had not swam since our second stop in Koh Lanta, so we were very glad.

Earlier today, we decided to go visit Old Town: the attraction. We thought about taking a rickshaw there but one thing led to another and we ended up walking the whole 5km to the burning ghats. We enjoyed seeing what the locals were up to. We stopped for a great lunch: a set meal with dahl, curd and another massala, as well as aloo-gobi, unlimited paratha and some rice! all Delicious! We also had tea, and we were intrigued to see that it was served in terra cotta cups that are only used once and thrown in the gutter. We agreed that it is a great idea! Indians drink a lot of tea, and the little plastic cups were piling up everywhere!

Later, we saw a parade supporting the Congress party. We had heard of the upcoming election (it messed up the Indian Premier League schedule!) and I was wondering if we would get to witness anything related to it. Anyway, the parade was wild! The traffic was insane and the people were very passionate! We looked on and took photos! We were happy to see that. After getting decked out in Congress Party attire thanks to a stranger, we walked on. We were stopped by a man all in white who asked us to come in his yard for a photo. It turns out that some politlicians were sitting around and saw us wearing the gear. They were very amused that foreigners would take part, and took the opportunity to tell us a little bit about the Congress party. We were happy to meet them.

We walked on through a series of tiny alleys stopping at every turn to ask where the Manikaranika Ghat was. The Manikaranika Ghat is the only traditional burning ghat in Varanasi. It is where bodies are cremated on a pile of wood (after a specific series of rituals) and the ashes put into the Ganges. Varanasi is the only place where a Hindu may leave the cycle of reincarnation and the soul be freed. Families come from all over India for this ceremony. Many ill or aged people come to Varanasi to die. Although it may sound morbid, it is a great thing to see. The respect and devotion displayed by loved ones toward their dead family members is quite moving. Out of respect, nobody takes photos of the burning Ghats. A photo would not show how touching the sight is, you need to experience it for yourself.

India is a place so rich in culture and tradition. We love that Indians readily share these things and are making our time here very special. There is still so much to see (and eat) we can’t wait!

MC