Getting to the Heart of It

Varanasi – August 23, 2010

After a very long and somewhat wobbly train ride, we arrived in Varanasi. The train station was, of course, crazy and were relieved to find our pick-up for the hotel. We were going on 14 hours without much sleep, and no food, and that's enough to make anyone a little on edge. We jumped in an autorickshaw, which I have to say is really the way to get around in India, cars are far too big and just not as maneuverable. That said, in spite of our drivers' capable skills we were still stuck in a traffic jam for quite a while, due to a parade of sorts, and because of the festival that was going on (hence the parade) the rickshaw had to drop us about a 15 minute walk from our hotel. Under normal circumstances this would be fine, but seeing as Bart and I both looked like pack animals, with bags on both front and back, the guy leading us was walking at lightning speed and we were winding our way through a maze of 4 foot wide alleys, still dodging the normal numbers of people, cows, goats and of course, piles of poop, it felt like a taxing journey. But we made it, fairly unscathed, and only reasonably covered in mud (amongst other things, I'm sure), checked in, showered and immediately set out in search of sustenance.

We had decided we wanted to try one of the place suggested in our guidebook (not again, I know), but this one we chose because it detailed the fact that this restaurant is frequented by local people. True to its word, we arrived to an open-front cafe where all but one table were occupied by Indians munching on a variety of foods. We sat down and ordered – selecting our general choice when hungry, the thali. A thali is a fixed menu meal that usually includes rice, bread, dal and a couple of kinds of vegetable dishes. Bart has been ordering the “special” thali as of late for a couple of added bonuses like yogurt and an extra veg, but when our meals arrived yesterday it was out of this world! The amount of food brought to our table could have fed each of us for several meals. And the amount of butter atop the breads, curries and dal is probably more than I've consumed in the last several months. I have to say though, it was delicious. Satiated we found our way back to where we were staying and immediately fell asleep – full bellies seem to do that here, and everywhere I suppose.

After waking we headed out on our first real Varanasi adventure, making our way in the direction of Manikarnika, the main burning Ghat of the city, where cremations are performed round the clock and the ashes are auspiciously swept into the Ganges. It took a little negotiating but we did manage to find it, which if you could see the mostly unmarked passageways we're walking, you'd understand is no simple feat. On our way we met another group of lost travelers and between all of us we found a place where we could sit and watch for a while, as the final ceremony of life here was underway. Bodies are brought into Manikarnika, carried in procession through the alleys towards the Ghat, and then dipped in the Ganges before being placed on a well constructed pyre which then incinerates them. As we looked on a man (a priest we were told by a local) came out and threw things into the river. Though this is not an uncommon thing to see anywhere along the Ganges, what he was throwing was a little different. It seems that in the pyre not all of the bones will always burn, and those that don't are tossed whole, into the water. I think I had prepared myself to be more shocked by this entire process and being privy to it (and I'm talking covered in ash, privy), however after being here for a week it seems so fitting that this, along with everything else in India, is such a public thing. I'm not really sure how much the concept of privacy really translates into the Indian vocabulary.

After we'd seen enough at the Ghat our new local friend led us along the river to the Puja ceremony that they hold each evening on the bank of the Ganges. This hour long ritual of fire and dance brings luck to those in attendance as we make offerings of flowers and candles, the money spent to buy them bringing health to you and your family. The ceremony was incredibly beautiful, and I felt as if this was the India I'd been waiting for, as if I was seeing the heartbeat of a nation so large and diverse sending out the lifeblood of spirituality to all who live here.

We both agreed that today was one of the best days we've had here so far, and I think it's safe to say that I'm finally falling in love with India.

Varanasi – August 24, 2010

Woke up before dawn in order to join our new Spanish friends – Maria, Pedro and Arancha – on a daybreak boat ride down the Ganges. It was amazing to see the number of people out on the river at 5:00 a.m. doing all manner of things, from their morning bath, to laundry, to a ritual cleanse and “purifying” drink. There was a man performing a Puja ceremony, just like we saw last night, all on his own at one of the Ghats. The markets were already open and people were out buying their vegetables for the day, and the colours from the river were incredible – the patchwork umbrellas covering stalls, the women in the pink and purple and green saris, the orange flags marking the Hindu sacred sites, all set against the stepped bank of the river, the rows upon rows of hotels, temples and homes. The trip was wonderful and even when the sky opened and drenched us with the monsoon rains, I couldn't help but smile. Sadly for our friends, it was not so spectacular. The entire group is battling a terrible eye infection, and one of the girls, Arancha, seems to be having an adverse reaction to something she ate – and kept having to lean overboard to vomit. I have to say that I think one of the reasons we've yet to get sick (besides the weird bites/rash thing I have on my lower legs – beautiful, I assure you) is that we're taking antibiotics as our malaria prophylaxis, which, by the way, is interesting since we've seen only about 3 mosquitos since we arrived – though we have seen lots and lots of lizards.

After our boat ride we came quickly back to our room to change and grab my mat before we headed over to the Yoga Training Center – a tiny one room studio that fits about 8 yogis, where we took a wonderful class taught by Sunil Kumar and his wife Bharti. They provide yoga classes of all levels and integrate many different methods including Kundalini, Hatha, Iyengar and Ashtanga. It was a really well rounded class combining both gentle and intense stretching, pranayama, several variations on sun salutations, chanting, and strength work. Sunil and I chatted a little about Ashtanga and the fact that I was going to Mysore and then bonded over our common connection of having worked with David Swenson. He shared his philosophy on yoga with me, which resembles my own, which is that no one style is better than the others, we each just find our own path of yoga that is right for us, which is why he and Bharti strive to work with a blend of styles in the classes they teach. Bart and I both really enjoyed our experience, and are considering going back tomorrow if we've got time.

In the afternoon we took some time to explore the infinite number of shops in the Ghat area of Varanasi. Vendors sell everything from Rudraksh malas to wooden kitchen implements (Bart kept me away from those ones) and whatever it is you're searching for you can probably find in Varanasi. One of the things (okay several, but that's beside the point) that I've been looking for was indeed discovered today in a little shop above street level. There I picked out a very reasonable and pretty saree-to-be, and will be in search of a tailor over the next few days to sew the blouse and hem the actual saree for me.

After an afternoon rest for Bart we set out for dinner and ended up sitting on an outdoor terrace, just under cover, watching as the monsoon rains poured down on Varanasi. Down the river we could hear the bells and chants of the puja ceremony, the devout spending their evening getting completely drenched, and seeming to enjoy every minute of it.

Varanasi – August 25, 2010

I woke early this morning to the sound of boat men singing as they paddled down the Ganges. As I poked my head out onto our balcony to take a look I saw something wonderful – the sun!!! Immediately, I grabbed my mat and headed down to the terrace area to practice while Bart when back to bed. I saluted the sun as it rose over the river and felt wonderfully in sync this morning as my breath and body actually felt like partners in a dance. It was an amazing way to start the day, and a great experience that I'll never forget.

After a quick breakfast Bart and I again met up with our Spanish counterparts and headed out on a daytrip to Sarnath – the Buddhist pilgrimage city where the Buddha is reported to have given his famous sermon about the middle way. We were lead by Peter, a guide that our friends had employed the day that they arrived in Varanasi, and he and his friend took us over to Sarnath in their autorickshaws. We spent some time touring the famous stupa and ruins of an enormous monastery before heading on to several temples which comprise some of the different sects of Buddhism. However, all this beauty was overshadowed by Peter, who as it seems, got himself into quite a bit of trouble with the locals by harassing an old man begging at one of the temple gates. This resulted in several attempted street fights and Peter being followed by an entourage of angry men almost the entire morning, which set us all on edge. Determined to be rid of him as soon as we could to avoid any further trouble, we made up a story about being tired and needing to go back to the hotel, and so Peter returned us.

Thus began our food adventure! Our new friends are less than savvy about Indian cuisine and so Bart and I took it upon ourselves to help introduce them. We started with lunch at a local eatery where they all tasted a little of every dish we ordered, opening themselves up to dal, biryani, and channa. Afterwards we headed to the market alleys in search of “street sweets” as we took to calling them – our first attempt at street food and their first experience of Indian sweets. We got a bag full of different things which we all passed around and tasted, and I was quite proud of them for their willingness to try something different. Then, with a few quick shopping pit stops we made our way to the hotel where we hung out for the remainder of the evening, sharing stories and pakoras, lassis and language barriers. It was a truly enjoyable evening and we were sad to see it end, but Bart and I had to be off to the train station to catch our overnight train to Haridwar.

And if an evening can go from awesome to awful in a few short hours, ours did, as we sat on a rat-infested train station platform until 4:30 in the morning waiting for our delayed train. It was uncomfortable and awkward with a lot of homeless children sleeping in any variety of places and people with physical disabilities and ailments approaching us regularly for money. It was hard and heartbreaking, but also, it seems, a normal part of the India experience. The one thing that continued to make us laugh as we tried so hard not to fall asleep before the train arrived was the huge cow circling the platform every 45 minutes or so. How did that cow get onto platform 4? What train was he waiting for and was he, too, upset about a delay? Oh cows, you keep us laughing in all the interesting and unusual places we find you – you are part of the charm of India.