The last stop on this 3 week adventure through India is Varanasi, The spiritual holy land. As we left the airport it looked different from the rest of India. The grounds were green with palm trees and the atmosphere was quiet and tranquil. We were so excited. That lasted 4 minutes. As soon as we left the airport we realized we were still in India. Horns, smells and chaos. As we approached our hotel the taxi driver tried the same trick we have seen before, where they tell you cars can’t go any farther and we would have to walk. Usually they drop you off 5 feet from their friends tuk-tuk so if you can’t carry your bags you can pay him. It’s just an excuse to not have to deal with traffic in the busier areas and over charge tourists. I demanded he continue and with an attitude he complied. Ordering taxis are the same way. Whatever price they say is usually double the real price. We have learned that Uber is the only trusted price here. Everything we had planned in Varanasi was based around the river so we got a hotel on the banks of the Ganges right next door to one of the main Gahts. We spent the first day just being lazy and getting some work done. The second day we set out to explore the banks of the river by foot. We walked from gaht to gaht watching life on the river come alive. In the daytime it is all locals going about their normal rituals. Sleeping on the steps, urinating on the steps and begging on the steps. We watched people bathing in the river as dead cows floated past. At one point we were approached by some men in suites who saw us filming. They said they were with the tourism board and sat on the steps with us for 10 minutes just giving us a history lesson. At this point things got real interesting. We were outside the main gaht where they do the cremation ceremonies and we knew we couldn’t film inside so we were getting what shots we could from outside when a young man approached us explaining that he worked as a volunteer at the gaht and could get us permission to go inside if we wanted. He explained that we still couldn’t film unless we got the permission of the family and as well as the gaht manager. They both agreed it would be ok to take a few pictures. It takes around 650 pounds of wood to burn a body, an expense many families can’t afford so as a sign of appreciation I offered to pay for the families wood, a gesture they really appreciated. Our new friend took us to where they keep the 3500 year old flame that is used to ignite each body then we learned about the different caste levels and where each was cremated.
He explained how woman couldn’t participate in the ceremony because they cry and if you cry the soul won’t leave this plane. We also saw the hospice houses behind the gaht where the sick and elderly come by doctors order before they die so when they do pass they can be cremated right away. We watched dozen of bodies burning, a process that goes on 24 hours a day. When the fire burned out whatever bones were left simply got swept into the river. By the time we left we were at a loss for words. We ended sitting on the steps watching fires burn and just reflecting on the once in a life experience we just happened to stumble into. A lot of times we hear from our friends back home how we are crazy for how far off the tourist trail we go sometimes but more times than not it pays off. We saw no other tourists today and got to experience something no tour can give you. We wandered into real life with an open mind and now have a memory we will never forget. What many outsiders will only read about we lived today. As we walked back home I saw a little girl with her face painted blue wearing a traditional dress with a fake monkey and snake on it. I approached for a picture and she ended up painting a blessing on my forehead. Turns out that she was dressed as the God Shiva.
Back in reality things were worsening for us. With only 3 days left in India, a government strike had led to the power being rationed everywhere. So many places are closed or not offering full menus ect. No ice cream or expresso machines. Hot water is limited. Luckily our hotel has a small generator so we have the basics. Just enough to keep us from running to the airport.
To finish our day off we hired a boat to take us along the Ganges at sunset so we could see the Gahts all lit up and experience another Hindu Devotion Ceremony from the river. I didn’t think the show was as good as the one in Rishikesh and there wasn’t the same festive atmosphere with dancing and singing but it was cool to see it from the water with 100’s of other boats. I think by now we have seen all that we came to Varanasi to see and we have definitely had enough of India for awhile. The plan now is to spend the last couple of days relaxing, working and planning our next stops in Bangkok and Vietnam. My leaving India blog is coming soon and it’s sure to be a raw honest western review on the pros and cons of taking a trip to India. Whatever tone that story takes, India has been an adventure I will never forget and maybe the hardest country to put into words.
