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After a 4 hour sleep on arrival early in the morning from 24 hours of overland border crossings, I get up, put on my poorly made but tres fashionable salwar kameez, walk outside and here we are back into the thick of it again. I walk about 2 blocks looking for an internet cafe but falls into too hard basket and I duck into a completely western-looking cafe instead, and run into the American couple I crossed the border with. Have my banana honey oatmeal porridge and chai and we make arrangements to meet at sunrise tomorrow morning for a row down the Ganges (it's what you do here). I then decide to head to the train station and just get a few things sorted, train-wise. To see what I want to see between now and 5 Nov when I meet Nadia & Kester I need to move and be a bit more organised than I usually am - so my plan was to book a ticket to Agra (Taj) for tomorrow night, overnight train it there, one night in Agra then on to Rajasthan and about 5 cities there until Delhi on the 5th.
Jump into a bicycle rickshaw - we negotiate 50 rupees to the train station (no doubt too much). This guy starts pedalling away and I take it all in. I silently think the mantra "please don't kill me, please don't kill me" as I have about 15 near-death experiences as the man negotiates motorcycles, bicycles, cycle rickshaws, autorickshaws, a tow truck (EEEEK), cows, goats, men pushing carts, pedestrians, cars, traffic circles, right-hand turns (left side of the road here)...Cows. Lots of cows - I mean, there were cows in Nepal wandering the streets, but here they are EVERYWHERE. Cows eating marigold garlands. Trash along the side of the road. Stray dogs, of course. Families piled in the back of jeeps (obviously had also not successfully negotiated the max passenger per vehicle agreement). Men staring at me (had sunglasses on, thank god). But it's this very eery hard stare not just casual "look at that westerner". Horns blaring. Men urinating. Vegetable vendors. Signs in English to study abroad or prep for SAT tests (my favourite - below a picture of a smiling Indian that was in charge of the prep centre "He has memorised the entire Oxford English Dictionary"). Rickshaw driver stops at the train station next to what I assume was a Urination Pit since it smelled of it and about 3 guys were in situ, if you will. He refuses money for the fare and says "I take you back after. No problem, no problem, pay later". At this point I become suspicious but Oooookay.
Back at the train station, stepping over hundreds of people sleeping on the floor with saris or pashminas pulled over their heads. Go to 'foreign tourist office' (thank GOD for one of those!) and join the queue with my dates in hand to travel. An hour or so later I'm booked on a train to Agra not tomorrow as hoped but the next day, not AC2 class as hoped but SL (6 beds not 4, not as nice but should be ok still*). Then booked on a 5 hour trip to Jaipur, then own arrangements till I go from Jodhipur to Delhi on the 4th of November.
*Famous last words of course
Bracing myself for a whirlwind tour of Rajasthan...
Jump back on the rickshaw "how much to assi ghat?" "oh, madam as you like" "ok , 50 rupees like to train station" "madam, 50 rupees was to different train station, much closer, this station much further...autorickshaw, it charges you 300 rupees from train station...blah blah blah" (please there was no question about which freakin' station and I'm almost certain there's only one). he continues: "we go and then you pay as you like, no problem, no problem <head wobble>". get into rickshaw without confirming price against better judgment. Offered a complementary (riiiiiiiight) tour of Muslim quarter and a visit to a silk shop (didn't just fall off the turnip travel truck yesterday, sunshine) but I decine and we make it to assi ghat. He wanted to wait here for me and take me back to hotel but I said I would walk back so no probelm, no problem. He wasn't upset with what I gave him (150 rupees, 100 for the fare, 50 for waiting/tip - too much but really he was a nice guy and not at all like the jeep driving a******).
*Reading this 3 weeks on before posting to the blog, I'm horrified!!!
Since I'm staying an extra night now in Varanasi I've booked myself into the Hotel Ganges view tomorrow night, which looks gorgeous for the 1200 rupees. Can't wait!
So! here I am...organised and ready for it. And...exhale.
It's overwhelming and amazing - get away from the touts and Indians are very pleasant to chat to and lovely people, full of life and energy and passion and drama. Varanasi itself is breathtaking...watching the ritual bathing, ghat-side yoga, puja (ceremonies), and saris in every colour of the rainbow, it's incredibly powerful. The colour and light (I hear pollution does great things for ambiance) show off the realities of life and death as cremations take place. All I can say is...wow.
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