Namaste, Namascar, Hullo,
How is everyone, wherever you may be in the world?!?! I hope that you are well. Mich and I are happy and mostly healthy. We are in Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world, and the most important city, to Hindu people, in India. It is where life is celebrated and death is also, celebrated. So much has happened since I've last written, that I've been hesitant to write.
So, we left the land of maroon robes and mountains and ventured, by bus, to Amritsar to see one of the most beautiful man made sites that I have ever seen. We arrived in Amritsar and were instantly bombarded by the India that everyone learns to love and hate. The India that you hear about when you speak to people on travels around the world... the chaos and smells and people and hassling and haggling and dogs and poverty and dirt. We landed in a guest house that was just down the way from the Golden Temple, but unfortunately was lacking a few amenities, like an attached toilet seat that was clean. To our dismay, Mich and I had some interesting food and very much needed a toilet to perch upon. In order to escape from the room, and the chaos of the streets... we slipped into the gates of the Golden Temple. It is the largest pilgrimage site for people whom are Sikhs. We wandered around at the entrance, not quite understanding why half the people had shoes and the other half were bare foot. A little angel dressed in a purple sari, came up to us and gave us specific instructions in perfect English. We did as we were told, gave our shoes to men standing behind a counter that stood in front of what looked like a bowling alley rental room. They gave us a number in return. There was a small 'stream' of holy water that we walked through, before entering the pristine temple. It was to cleanse the 'dirtiest' part of our body... the tootsies.
We walked in and were in AWE at the gold building sitting amidst a pond sized body of water that was surrounded in walls and towers made of marble. People streamed in and streamed out, there was a hidden guru, somewhere amongst the white marble, singing into a microphone is his high pitched voice, holy words from sun-up to sun-down. Women in colorful sarees, and men in brightly colored turbans. People of all ages. Men dipping in the pond that was an elixir giving mortality.... it was amazing. Mich and I became something similar to celebrities... I think Indian people find white people funny looking, or odd, and more often than not, stare as if we have a booger hanging from our nose. It was funny. We find that if we smile and acknowledge people, they are often too intimidated to say anything, but smile back from ear to ear. It's just an interesting, daily activity for us and for them to partake in. That's probably the most guaranteed thing that will happen within a day, because, like at SUWS, you never know what each day will bring.
So, we stayed for one night... and that was enough....
We took a 22 hour train ride south to Jaipur. It was incredibly interesting, and surprisingly relaxing. We met a family from Jaipur and exchanged gifts, English and Hindi phrases, names and even email addresses. We left with an invitation to a wedding that hasn't been planned yet, for an arranged marriage that hasn't yet been arranged and they left with most of Mich's colorful pens, toy cars and jolly ranchers. It was quite the night and morning.
We found Jaipur to be quite intense, we did; however, find a psychic. Or, he found us. Through a long chain of people and after seeing the Amber fort which was amazing, we went to visit this man. He was incredible, for whatever his words were worth, he made us both think. And in fact, we are still thinking. All the mystics and spirituality, and astrology and superstition that we have experienced while in India has been quite the mind quandry coming from the intellectual, logic based west. Interesting.
We then went onto Jabalpur... which was not a part of our original India 'plans.' Thanks to some absolutely lovely people and a generous gift, we were able to see TIGERS in the wild!!!!!! I was trying to save that for last, but I'm soooo excited that I had to write about it first. So, we ventured to Madhya Pradesh which is a place that most tourists tend not to venture to, which turned out to be absolutely wonderful. There was little english that was spoken, but we have a bit, a very LITTLE bit of Hindi and body language.... which got us by. Plans didn't work out, quite as we had thought, but we pulled together. We arranged a taxi from JBP to the national Tiger Reserve called Bangavarh. While the roads are quite scarry to experience, it was well worth the 5.5hr ride. Bangavarh was our saving grace. The park is only 473km, and has somewhere between 27-50 Tigers. We stayed in, what must have been, some of the nicest accomadations in India. The food was fantastic, they brought tea and biscuits in the am prior to the safari ride (at 5:45am), the beds were soft and we got to sleep without our sleep shammies that we've been sleeping in, the shower was warm, they had WHITE towels and wash cloths... etc. We have a whole new appreciation for attached toilet seats ;)!
We woke up very early prior to day break. Got up, had tea, of course and went on our way. It was just Mich and I with our driver. It was slightly cold and I had not felt so free for quite some time. We were away from staring eyes, the stresses of the road and were able to delve into the trees. We were waiting in a line of safari vehicles for them to open the gates. As they did, another guide whom was the naturalist jumped in the vehicle... We were off, wind blowing through our hair, amidst NATURE! I know that it sounds cheesy... but it was SOOOOOOO wonderful. India doesn't have much nature to speak of. The gates opened at 6:30 and by 6:52 we had a tiger squatting just behind our vehicle as he were posing for our cameras. I will never foget the ROAR! One of the most invigorating things that I have EVER experienced. To see some of the most beautiful creatures in the world, wandering around free, was.... i'm not sure that I have words. Beautiful. I, now, have a whole new appreciation for reserves and large game.... It still gives me goose bumps. Throughout the course of the day, we saw six different tigers, but they couldn't even compare to that feeling of seeing that first tigers' whites in his eyes.
Anyhow, we are now in Varanasi, arrived late last night and now I must go. Dinner time!
So much more to tell, Varanasi is incredible.
--
"Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves." ~Buddha
|
