Adventures in Varanasi

I don't know where to begin. I have been in Varanasi, India for 5 days now, and so much has happened in this short amount of time. The flight over from Kathmandu was only an hour long and the views below of Nepal and India were beautiful. After the usual hassle and annoyances of getting through customs in a new country, I eventually landed at a little guesthouse hidden in a mind boggling array of alleyways, situated right on the Ganges River. The alleyways are littered with trash, cow shit, cows, stray dogs, and random people milling around, and are easy to get lost in. The city feels ancient and holy, and I can't help but feel like I have been transported back in time. The streets are full of barefooted Indian men, bicycle rickshaws that serve as taxis (with the most annoying drivers that hassle you nonstop), old women wandering around in tattered saris on the way to the Ganges River for a daily bath, and tons of kids.

My first full day here I awoke early at 5:30am and took a river boat tour of the Ganges River and the ghats that line the rivers edge. My boat driver was a cute fifteen year old Indian boy who loved to talk and paddled me around the river for about two a half hours. I saw people bathing, praying, brushing their teeth, doing laundry, and just lounging by the holy Ganges River. I saw the cremation ghats where dead bodies are cremated while families and tourists watch, and I saw holy men flailing around and screaming prayers at the top of their lungs. I saw this great city at it's finest, with the beautiful sun rising in the background and the local people going about their day unfazed by anything at all. It was serene, it was surreal, it was amazing.

After the boat ride I visited some temples and eventually made my way back to the guesthouse for breakfast. After eating eggs and toast, I was feeling tired and decided to lay down for a little bit, only to be awoken an hour later with the unmistakable heavy feeling in my stomach, one that I came to know all too well in Nepal. I spent the rest of the day switching between sitting on the toilet and hovering over it, feeling miserable and lonely in my room. The next day I walked around a little but didn't go too far in fear of the sickness coming back to me.

Luckily, I have been feeling better for the last day and a half. Not 100% yet, but well enough to wander the crazy streets of Varanasi. Yesterday was a particularly memorable day, as I met a cool English guy and we decided to brave the city together. After a short walk down by the ghats and a quick lunch in a little cafe, we got the crazy idea to head over to an expensive hotel a bit outside of the city to indulge in it's swimming pool. On the ride over, our rickshaw driver, a cute Indian man named Poopa with the worst stained teeth I have ever seen, sung us Indian songs and tried to talk to us in his broken English (which mostly consisted of "no problem! and yes! yes!") The hotel was about 4 or 5km outside of the city, which is quite a long way on a bicycle rickshaw, and on the way, it started to rain. And then it started to pour. And the whole time, little old Poopa just kept singing along and smiling at us with his dirty teeth, seeming to be the happiest man in the world. Soon the streets were flooded, some parts a couple inches deep, and the city was a mess. But life went on, people splashed through the puddles and kids ran next to our rickshaw screaming in delight. It was super fun and a bit unreal. We saw a lot of the city on the ride, and eventually switched to a motorized rickshaw to get there faster. Eventually we arrived at the beautiful and overly priced hotel, paid a little bit of money, and swam in their pool for a couple hours, some of the time spent in the rain. After we had our share of swimming we splurged on a good meal at the restaurant (one that hasn't made me sick yet!), and eventually wandered outside in search of a rickshaw to take us back to our humble guesthouses, far away from the expensive hotels and rich white tourists.

Either today or tomorrow me and the English guy will be heading by train for the city of Agra, to see the famed Taj Mahal. About a year ago it would have bothered me immensely that at 10:30am I still don't know whether I'm taking the evening train today or tomorrow, but after eight months in Asia it doesn't faze me anymore. I hope to take it today, but if not, tomorrow will be fine. I'll get there eventually. I have no set plans between now and October 1, when I will meet my wonderful sister in Thailand. I can't wait!! Soon after that I will be making the long journey back to America, to the waiting arms of my family and friends!

Although the last couple days have been filled with puking, diarrhea and intense lonliness, they have also been filled with new friends, a new city, and another amazing experience that can hardly be described in words.

I'll try to update again soon, probably after I witness the wonder that is the Taj Mahal. I miss everyone like crazy, and I can't wait to see you all again. I hope everyone is well...much love.