I don't know where to start. I don't think words can describe everything that I've been going through and witnessing here in India. This country is far crazier in every respect than I ever expected. Every other place I have traveled in the world, even the slums in Kenya and Cambodia, have nothing on this place. The level of dirt, poverty, and harrassment are exponential.
Right now I am in Varanasi, which is considered to be one of the holiest Hindu cities in India. Many people do pilgramages to here because it is thought that if one dies here, they are released from the cycle of re-incarnation. You would think that because this place has such religious meaning that it would be less mental, but it is quite the opposite, it may in fact be the craziest place I've been so far. It is really interesting though. Varanasi is on the Ganges River which is considered very very holy. The river is supposed to have spiritual and healing power, so many people bathe in it, and pray in front of it. When people die here, before their bodies are burned, they are doused in the river. They are then burned in public, on the river banks at places called ghats. I watched many bodies being burned yesterday which was a very strange experience. There is a certain science it seems to creamating the dead, calculating the exact amount of wood it takes to burn one body. Also, if you are of higher class, you can be burned with better wood-sandle wood is the most expensive. The cremations are performed by people of the lowest caste (I learned that they were called the "untouchables" because no one wants to touch them on account of their handling dead bodies).
I've been told that the 3 worst places in India for harrassment are Delhi, Agra, and Varanasi, and I have now been to all 3, so I am hoping (praying) that everything else in India will be easier than this first week. I think I mentioned that I've cried a lot since I've been here. Yesterday was no exception. You should have seen how out of line my behaviour was yesterday. It's so hard to keep your cool though. I can handle people haggling me for money. I understand that. I'm white, I'm a tourist, they see me, they see dollars. But the disgusting men, I just can't handle! Train rides are the worst. I've taken 2 overnight trains since I've been here, but you can't sleep on them because I'm the only woman on the car, surrounded by Indian men, who just stare at me all night long. Sounds relaxing doesn't it? They even try and sneek photos of you on their cell phones. Its so strange their obsession with Western women, and tyhis obsession makes Indian women not very friendly either. Everyone is so shocked to see a bare arm, but walking down any busy street, you see men pissing and doing other not so pleasant things, but that is considered okay. Sigh, oh India.
Yesterday, while walking down by the Ganges, I met a British guy Duncan, who I tagged along with for the rest of the day. That has become my new M.O. I am "the tag-along." Honestly, I've never been that kind of traveler, but since being here, everytime I see I white face, I siddle up to them and find a way to tag along. It is SO much easier being with another person/people than it is to be on my own. When I arrived in Agra, I jumped in a taxi with a French man I didn't know. When I arrived in Khajaraho, I jumped in a rickshaw with a French couple, traveling to Satna and Varanasi, I tagged along with a German couple and British couple, and then yesterday, I was with Duncan. I have become the traveler that I hate! haha!
It's good to meet other travelers though just to have someone to laugh with, because honestly, when I'm not raging at men, or bursting into tears out of frustration, I am laughing my ass off. Everything is SO absurd here, that you just have to laugh. Example: yesterday I was shit on by a cow! I'm glad I was with Duncan, so that someone else witnessed that! Apparently, it is supposed to be good luck, but I'm not so sure...
Tomorrow I head to the Nepalese border and then to Kathmandu. I'm really excited for Nepal. Tony Pringle's friend just came back from living there for a while, and his gf is still there. She's a teacher in Kathmandu and has offered to put me up and help me find a volunteering gig. I think I'm going to help out at a charity for physically disabled children for a while before I head off and do a trek in the Anapurnas. I think Nepal will help me chill out before returning to India for part 2. I'm still not totally sure about where I'm going to go, but I might check out Rishikesh in Northern India which is where the Beatles went in the 60s, and then head down to Pushkar in Rajistan before heading further south to Mumbai and Goa, and then ultimately Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the far south. Tim stayed with a guru near Channai when he was here a few years ago so I may go and check that out, try and deal with some of the rage! Its worth a try!
Anyway, this has been a sort of disorganized ramble, which is exactly how my brain feels! I'll update once I get to Nepal where hopefully things will be a bit less nutso.
Cheers!
Right now I am in Varanasi, which is considered to be one of the holiest Hindu cities in India. Many people do pilgramages to here because it is thought that if one dies here, they are released from the cycle of re-incarnation. You would think that because this place has such religious meaning that it would be less mental, but it is quite the opposite, it may in fact be the craziest place I've been so far. It is really interesting though. Varanasi is on the Ganges River which is considered very very holy. The river is supposed to have spiritual and healing power, so many people bathe in it, and pray in front of it. When people die here, before their bodies are burned, they are doused in the river. They are then burned in public, on the river banks at places called ghats. I watched many bodies being burned yesterday which was a very strange experience. There is a certain science it seems to creamating the dead, calculating the exact amount of wood it takes to burn one body. Also, if you are of higher class, you can be burned with better wood-sandle wood is the most expensive. The cremations are performed by people of the lowest caste (I learned that they were called the "untouchables" because no one wants to touch them on account of their handling dead bodies).
(stacks of wood ready for the cremations)
I think the worst thing about Varanasi is that the Ganges river is the most polluted body of water I have ever seen. The water is actually considered septic in many areas, which means that it is so polluted that there is no oxygen in it. There is something like 24 places along the river that pump raw sewage into it. The government knowingly does this despite the river's spiritual qualities and despite the fact that people bathe in and drink the water. This sickens me. Something I've noticed in the 6 or so days I've been here is that Indians have no regard for their surroundings. Its strange, especially for a country that is so based on religion and respecting faith, they have no respect for their surrounding environment. Other poor countries I've traveled to obviously have pollution and littering problems as well, but normally when you talk to the people, they still have a sense of pride in their country. They are proud of how beautiful their homeland is, and they do make some sort of effort to keep it beautiful. It is not so here. I haven't been able to figure it out. It's like no one cares about anything here. I know that part of it is the sheer population, and part is the lack of infrastructure, but there is something else too, its like they just don't care about destroying their environment and making everything as dirty and disgusting as humanly possible.
I've been told that the 3 worst places in India for harrassment are Delhi, Agra, and Varanasi, and I have now been to all 3, so I am hoping (praying) that everything else in India will be easier than this first week. I think I mentioned that I've cried a lot since I've been here. Yesterday was no exception. You should have seen how out of line my behaviour was yesterday. It's so hard to keep your cool though. I can handle people haggling me for money. I understand that. I'm white, I'm a tourist, they see me, they see dollars. But the disgusting men, I just can't handle! Train rides are the worst. I've taken 2 overnight trains since I've been here, but you can't sleep on them because I'm the only woman on the car, surrounded by Indian men, who just stare at me all night long. Sounds relaxing doesn't it? They even try and sneek photos of you on their cell phones. Its so strange their obsession with Western women, and tyhis obsession makes Indian women not very friendly either. Everyone is so shocked to see a bare arm, but walking down any busy street, you see men pissing and doing other not so pleasant things, but that is considered okay. Sigh, oh India.
Yesterday, while walking down by the Ganges, I met a British guy Duncan, who I tagged along with for the rest of the day. That has become my new M.O. I am "the tag-along." Honestly, I've never been that kind of traveler, but since being here, everytime I see I white face, I siddle up to them and find a way to tag along. It is SO much easier being with another person/people than it is to be on my own. When I arrived in Agra, I jumped in a taxi with a French man I didn't know. When I arrived in Khajaraho, I jumped in a rickshaw with a French couple, traveling to Satna and Varanasi, I tagged along with a German couple and British couple, and then yesterday, I was with Duncan. I have become the traveler that I hate! haha!
It's good to meet other travelers though just to have someone to laugh with, because honestly, when I'm not raging at men, or bursting into tears out of frustration, I am laughing my ass off. Everything is SO absurd here, that you just have to laugh. Example: yesterday I was shit on by a cow! I'm glad I was with Duncan, so that someone else witnessed that! Apparently, it is supposed to be good luck, but I'm not so sure...
(after being pooped on)
(river ceremony)
(The Ganges at night)
Unfortunately, none of the computers here have SD card readers so I haven't been able to upload any photos (it seems that the USB cable that came with my new camera doesn't work, or I just totally don't know how to use it!) I really want to post some pics to go along with these stories, but I guess that will have to wait.Tomorrow I head to the Nepalese border and then to Kathmandu. I'm really excited for Nepal. Tony Pringle's friend just came back from living there for a while, and his gf is still there. She's a teacher in Kathmandu and has offered to put me up and help me find a volunteering gig. I think I'm going to help out at a charity for physically disabled children for a while before I head off and do a trek in the Anapurnas. I think Nepal will help me chill out before returning to India for part 2. I'm still not totally sure about where I'm going to go, but I might check out Rishikesh in Northern India which is where the Beatles went in the 60s, and then head down to Pushkar in Rajistan before heading further south to Mumbai and Goa, and then ultimately Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the far south. Tim stayed with a guru near Channai when he was here a few years ago so I may go and check that out, try and deal with some of the rage! Its worth a try!
Anyway, this has been a sort of disorganized ramble, which is exactly how my brain feels! I'll update once I get to Nepal where hopefully things will be a bit less nutso.
Cheers!
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