 |
| View from the Gunga River |
When I last wrote we were on the way to a train we would
take to Varanasi. We were almost late for the train, and were rushing to get to
the station with time for the slow moving Indians to get on the train when we
get a call from the program administrative assistant, Sunder Ji. The train is
already delayed by 7 hours, and will not be leaving until 3:AM at the earliest.
(I now know that the train was cancelled in the end.) This is a common occurance
in India, and the train that Vidiya Ji, the program director took to meet us
took 33 hours instead of the seven it was supposed to. We made a last minute
choice to skip the train, go to a hotel, and fly in the morning. After going
through another bout of arguing with the driver we headed back to the YWCA Delhi,
checked in at 8pm, and were out the door before 7 am. Miraculously, we got out on time, and to the airport with
time to spare. It was good that we had that extra time, because the lines were
long, the Indians move slowly, and Virindra Ji, the Hindi teacher tried to
bring both a pocket knife and a water bottle through security. I don’t know how we would have dealt with the
amount of his confusion and disorganization throughout the whole trip if his
daughter had not been travelling with us.
 |
| Cremation ceremonies on the Gunga |
The flight took off time, was relatively uneventful. We made
it to Varanasi around noon and Sunder Ji and Nitish Ji, who both work for the
program, met us. They had marigold leis with them, and we had to put them on
the minute we left the airport. I am not quite sure the significance, but it has something to do with brides and welcoming.
We checked into our hotel (Hotel Haifa specializing in
vegetarian middle eastern, who knew that was possible?), had lunch and a quick
nap, and at 4:00 we headed out into Varanasi. We started at the Gunga/ Ganges
river, the most holy of rivers, and took a boat ride along the shore just
taking in the ghats (the banks of the river). The fog was so thick that a lot
of the color and details did not come through, and I would not call the dirty
and dusty place beautiful, but it was a taste of the semester to come. We even
saw 15 cremations going on at once by the part of the Gunga River that is used
for the ceremonies. I am sure I will learn more about that later. Fun fact: the
boat we were in was actually built by a student of the program a few years back
who took carpentry as his tutorial/elective. It was pretty impressive.
 |
| Ghats of the Gunga River |
Next we went to look at a slew of guesthouses that we can
choose to stay in for the next few months. They all we of similar set-ups, but
they were all had their unique qualities and personalities. One had a beautiful
rooftop patio, while another would allow you to witness sunrises and sunsets
over the Gunga. The next was not the best or cleanest space, and there are
dogs, but the family was very devout, and it would give me a chance to
experience Hindi ritual in an authentic way. The final one was not a good
living situation, but the couple who lived there was amazing. The man is an
incredible artists, photographer, poet, and Hindi language expert. They are
traditional southern Indians, and every morning they take time out of their day
to create folk art. Though neither Alex nor I are going to take their room, we
spent the longest time with them, being wowed again and again by this man’s
skill and imagination. It was only my utter exhaustion that made us finally
leave.
It has been SOOOO cold here, and Alex and I, though more
prepared than the Indians, who are running around in socks and sandals, cannot
seem get warm. No place is heated because this weather only last for a few
weeks, so we are in layers and jackets all of the time. The room we are
staying in only provided one light blanket, but I have one of those great
sleeping bags that roll up into nothing but are super warm, so I slept in that
and Alex attempted to cocoon herself with the blanket.
Right now we are off to the program house for the first
time.
- The amount of Hebrew. There is something called “The Bed” which is all around, and there is Hebrew on the signs. I also saw some sort of Hebrew Center, but I was not able to investigate.
- The stylish nature of socks and sandals. They even make special socks so that you can wear them with flip-flops.
- Tibetan monk in full costume with a Sperry backpack and a earphones on a passenger flight.
- The utter lack of winter clothes.
- The amount of poop. In the middle of the road. From the cows. From the dogs. From the goats. From the buffalos.
- The trash.
- Did I mention the poop?
No comments:
Post a Comment