Varanasi
Ganges River and ghats
August 3, 2008
I woke too early again, at about 6:00am on the train when one of my cabin mates
decided to start praying with a very loud, almost shouting “auuummmm.” The sign
of a Hindu and on the way to Hinduism’s holiest city, Varanasi. As interesting a
cultural experience as it was, I wanted to sleep, but was prevented from doing so.
After he held his auuummmm for about ten seconds and repeated about ten times he
went silent for a minute (perhaps to catch his breath), then began a higher pitched
“hhhh-ayyyy.” This went on for another few minutes and afterwards I tried to get
back to sleep. But before I could do that, he then began with a song/chant/prayer
for about 10 minutes. I found it odd that he was so loud with so many people around.
After this, I slept on and off until we arrived two hours late.
The Varanasi train station has a higher percentage of scammers and cheats than perhaps
any place on earth according to what I've been told. I made my way to the auto
rickshaws and on my short trip was told the hotel, at which I have reservations
had burned down, was full, is bad, and is too expensive. Everyone here gets a kick
back for taking you to their friend’s hotel and everyone told me something bad about
my hotel. I finally found a driver who agreed to give me a decent price to the hotel,
but once I got in the auto rickshaw he asked where I was going again, then acted
surprised and said that’s a bad hotel and I can’t go there. Next thing I knew I
had a phone being held to my ear and was told this hotel was better. I said no and
told him to take me to my hotel. He then said the price doubled on my fare, so I
got out.
I finally found an auto rickshaw for a bad, but not horrible price so agreed. On
the way into town we got in an accident, which both drivers just ignored, and he
tried to pass a funeral procession. The procession of course got upset and started
hitting his auto rickshaw with sticks and metal poles so he stopped. While we waited
for the procession to pass I was mesmerized by the ceremony. It was led by a cattle
dressed up in a gown more ornate than most Indians can afford, covered with make-up
and it was pulling a cart with the body, covered of course. The procession was enormous
and took up the entire street
He dropped me off and gave me directions to the hotel, which he can’t take me to
since the streets are too narrow for auto rickshaws. I asked people where the hotel
was and no one had even heard of it. I wandered for about a half hour before finding
someone who had heard of the hotel and as I got close everyone knew the hotel and
had no problems getting there in the end, although all these streets feel like a
maze.
I spent nearly the entire day just relaxing on the hotel’s patio; it was great.
Varanasi
August 4, 2008
I woke at 4:30am to get a boat ride. I went to the Meer Ghat, where the price was
2000, then to Man Mandir Ghat where it was 1200 then finally to Dasaswamedh Ghat.
The area was chaotic, thousands of people in orange going down to the river to bath.
I also headed down as one of the crowd. The journey was difficult and as I approached
the water I was stopped by a man who told me I had to remove my shoes. I asked him
if I could take a boat, but he said they were closed due to a holy festival taking
place.
I headed back to the hotel and re-awoke at about 9:30 so got in line for the internet.
I got on at 10:10 and stayed on an hour for 35 rupees. I then spent the next hour
staring at the ground, exhausted… literally.
Shortly after noon I began my trek through town. Outside the hotel there are about
5-10 people constantly waiting for foreigners to exit. As soon as anyone leaves
all of them stand up and start talking to you. If you say “hi” they follow you for
4 or 5 blocks. If you ignore them, they only follow you for one block. In a way
it’s like Turkey in that everyone is trying to sell you something, but here it’s
a hard sell in Turkey only a soft sell. You can’t walk one block without at least
one person trying to stop you. If, however you actually ask them about themselves
they're taken back and the wall they place between you for their sales pitch
collapses.
My city tour began with the ATM machine, which didn’t work, then on to the Vishwanath
Temple. The cattle call lines in the streets head to this temple. The line was nearly
a half mile long in each direction. While passing this line in the street I saw
another funeral procession, this time the body was dressed in a very ornate red
cloth decorated with gold colored metallic objects. Also while walking this street
I felt a woman try to reach her hand into my pocket, but I grabbed her hand just
as she got it into my pocket, so I graciously helped her remove it; she quickly
disappeared into the crowd with nothing.
Throughout the day there were groups of men as small as 3 and as large as about
30 all in orange that return from the river chanting “Bol-ba” in a single file line.
These groups are never going in the direction of the river, only away from it and
the one in front first says “Bol-ba” then the rest of the group repeats “Bol-ba.”
They continue this pattern until they move quickly (fast-walk pace) out of sight.
It’s only men in these groups and typically they are young, between 18-30.
The amount of tobacco and other leafy products people chew in this country is disturbing.
People are constantly spitting; both men and women. Along with cow manure, the streets
of Varanasi are stained with tobacco spit, long since chewed.
On my way back from town a man stopped me and gave me an alright arm and hand massage,
then wanted to give me a head, neck, and shoulder massages for 10 rupees. I said
no so he lowered it to 5 rupees. I was trying to figure out if he was that desperate
for money or if he is trying to get me to a non-public place… I didn’t stick around
to find out, but felt bad for his plea to get some money.
When I returned to the hotel I was told there aren’t any boat rides taking place
because the water is too high due to monsoon. It seems like everyone at this hotel
is Spanish, plus a few Japanese, then the rest are Koreans, French, or British,
but only one American, me.
I’m running out of toilet paper and at time am ready to get off this island. The
doors to the hotel rooms are pad locked from the outside making it very easy for
someone to lock you in, bazaar.