Varanasi

March 4, 2013: Varanasi seems much busier and more crowded than anywhere else. Last night we walked through town from the hotel to the river. The streets were crazy. I want to try to video that later. There are cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, cows, and dogs all rushing down the street. Actually, the cows aren't in any hurry, but they just walk through the traffic - which is so bad that last night when the others were stopping to get water and I was going straight into the hotel, Binu took my hand and walked me across the street first like a little kid. Horns are constantly blaring. It's a wonder they don't wear them out.
Last night we went to the river to see a ceremony to Shiva. We got in a boat. He took us down in front of some cremations. You aren't allowed to take photos. There were about three fires going. On the steps (The steps at the riverbank are called ghat) there were several bodies waiting to be cremated. They were covered with cloth and yellow flowers, so you don't actually see the body - just the shape. If you're cremated in Veranasi you go straight to Nirvana. Then the boat rowed back to where the ceremony was. It was similar to what we saw in Rishikesh. People put flowers in the water We did, too. Priests dressed in yellow sang and held torches. There were MANY people. The riverbank was full and so were the boats. Binu says many people left the Kumbh Mela and now went to Varanasi It's always crowded but now it's more so. We left early to avoid the crowds. It took all my concentration to walk down the side of the street with all the
There's also another religious group. They are Hindus but are also fanatics. They are all men and they go around naked and cover their bodies with ashes. People give them money and they wear expensive watches. Binu said to stay away from them and not take any photos of them because they are totally uncontrolled. They can grab your camera and smash it on the ground and the police will do nothing.
Speaking of the police, there are many of them posted in the streets, which is good since there are also so many people. Apparently, Varanansi is much more crowded than usual. The G Adventures group that went before us had rain all the time. They couldn't take the boats down the river or camp. So the travel agent tried to book them into a hotel in Varanasi early but they were all full. They had to stay at the silk merchant's home. We met him yesterday when we went to buy scarves. Even going there, the touk-touk driver could only take us halfway because the streets were blocked. You know it's bad when an Indian driver can't get there. Next we go to Bodgaya where the Buddha sat under a tree and was enlightened.

We stayed at the Hotel Pradeep

Floating and camping on the Ganges

March 2 and 3, 2013: From Allahabad we drove in a van for a couple hours. Then we came to the boats we would ride. There are 3 boats - two to carry three of us plus 2 rowers in each plus a kitchen boat to cook our food. We would just lie in the boat and talk, read, or sleep. It was lovely. Every once in a while we would stop on the bank of the river to pee. When it was time for meals, they would hook all 3 boats together and pass the food. It's amazing what delicious food those guys can cook on a boat.
We got to our campsite around dusk. First the guys put up the toilet tent - which is a good thing since there were no bushes there. The toilet tent is a little square tent. with a pocket where the TP is kept. They dig a hole in the sand inside it. Then the guys put up our little dome tents - just pop-up tents. Some of the others had many bugs in their tents. You can hear every word that anyone says in the other tents. Gavin was working on swatting all the bugs in his tent and said it was ironic that he was killing bugs with Gandhi's autobiography. We all laughed. It was very beautiful at the campsite. So quiet and calm. We were looking at stars early in the night. When the moon came out, it was very light. You didn't need a flashlight.
In the morning we had chai and breakfast and then set out again on the boats. The other boat always kept their canapé on but Neil, Gavin and I really liked the sun, so we decided to keep ours off till lunch. Also, I was trying not to drink too much water because I didn't want to keep asking the rowers to stop on the bank so I could pee. Big mistake. When we stopped for lunch my head was spinning. I knew I was likely to faint in about 30 seconds so I lay down in the boat. Binu had the guys put the cooler in front of me so I could elevate my feet. Then they had me drink some rehydration salts. I felt better after that but stayed lying down for the remaining hour on the boat. Neil carried my backpack to the van when we got off the boat. (The rowers carry the bags). Still, the boats and camping were fabulous experiences. I am really ready for a hotel and hot shower though.
When I type the blog on my phone, it only lets me put photos at the end. So, here are the photos:
1: the cooking boat
2: the boat with the other half of our group
3: bathroom tent
4: sleeping tents
5: me on the boat

Allahabad and the Kumbh Mela

March 1,2013: The train arrived in Allahabad at 5am. A van was waiting to take us to our tents. Christine and Bridget (friends from Norway) are sharing. but since Neil and I each paid for our own room, the rest of us have our own tents. (Gavin gets his own without paying for it since there's no one left to share with)The tents are huge- 3 rooms plus a private bathroom with Western toilet behind. We were able to wash and brush our teeth right away - so nice after the sleeper train. Then we had buffet breakfast at a little place under a canapé: fried Indian pancakes, Indian potato curry, corn flakes, and white bread toast. Also coffee or chai. The chai is really good here- lots of cardamom.
After breakfast, we took a walk by the river. Then we were driven into town to see the home of Nehru. It wasn't nearly as interesting as the Gandhi museum, but it had a bookstore and i bought Gandhi's autobiography. My Kindle isn't working so i need a book to read on the boat tomorrow. I was annoyed because it's always impossible tp get change here. The book cost 45 rupees. I gave the man a 100 rupee bill. He said he had no change. Gavin was behind me and talking to me. The man told me to pay for mine and Gavin's so it would be 90 rupees. At least I got a 10 rupee note in change. (Good for tips-which you need constantly) We had lunch at a restaurant in town.
The weather was very cool in the morning, but got quite hot in the afternoon. We rested in the tents in the afternoon.
At 4:00 we walked over to the Kumbh Mela festival by the river. We are constantly passing stray cows and bulls who just wander the streets. People just ignore them. Today, one put his head down and went after me with his horns. I think it's because my jacket was dangling from my arm. I scooted away quickly. I think it may have looked worse from far away because I knew he didn't touch me, but Neil said, "Did you not feel that? He came after you" Then the bull was digging his horns down kind of angry. We walked away. At the Kumbh Mela, there were many people but the biggest crowds have left. There were families sitting on the ground. People swam in the Ganges. We got some nice photos. Then we walked back to have dinner (Indian buffet) At dinner everyone was laughing that I got chased by a bull on my birthday. It seems it looked more dangerous to them than it felt to me. 

We stayed in Ritz India tents.   

Taj Mahal and Agra Fort

February 28, 2013: This morning we went very early to the Taj Mahal. It was still dark when we got there. We were first in line to go in. That's good because it gets very crowded as the day goes on. The story of the Taj is that the emperor Shah Jahan loved his third wife Mumtaz tremendously. He married his other three wives for strategic alliances. So when Mumtaz died, he built the Taj as a tomb for her. It really is very impressive. It's very beautiful and much bigger than I expected.
Later we went to the Agra Fort. It's a fortified palace where Shah Jahan and Empress Mumtaz lived. It's not so beautiful because all gold and jewels have been stripped from it, but the tour was actually more interesting than the Taj because of all the interesting stories.
Then Gavin, Neil and I got lunch at Pizza Hut.
We just kind of hung around the hotel in the afternoon, then went to a restaurant and had a delicious dinner and got the sleeper train to Allahabad.

Going to Agra

The train to Agra is a sleeper train. We had to be ready to take the car to the train station in Haridwar by 4am, so I got up at 3. In the station, I bought a little bottle of milk flavored with cardamom. We went into town in Rishikesh last night to stock up on cookies, etc to eat on the train. The train left at 6 and then we all settled down to sleep a little. Every so often a man comes through selling chai. He puts a tea bag in a 4 oz paper cup and fills it from a thermos with a very sweet mixture of milk and water. Only 10 rupees (20c) and delicious. Later many people came selling lunch. Christine and I ordered lunch from one man but then accidentally bought from another man before the first brought our order! So we ended up with way too much food.
We arrived in Agra at around 4 pm and took the car to our hotel. It's lovely - and has a Pizza Hut next to it. ;)
We will go to the Taj tomorrow (VERY EARLY) but today we went behind it and saw it at sunset. Then we went to a very nice restaurant that served MEAT and beer - two things that were unavailable in Rishikesh. No one seems to drink wine or coffee in India.
This hotel charges for WiFi but I will probably pay it and post this. Tomorrow evening we sleep in a sleeper train and the following two nights are in a tent so I will be incommunicado until at least Sunday.

Beatles' Ashram

Today we walked to the place where the Beatles studied transcendental meditation with the Maharishi. On the walk there, I took some photos of the cows in the street and a monkey eating a kit kat with her baby holding on to her. The ashram where the Beatles stayed is now closed. We paid the guard and he let us go in anyway. There are domed areas where the Beatles wrote their music. Lots of stuff is painted on the walls all over the place. It was very interesting. (Rishikesh in general looks like hippie heaven and there are lots of whites here dressed in Indian clothes and very serious about the rituals.).
Going to bed early tonight because we have to leave at 4:30 am tomorrow to get the train to Agra (site of the Taj Mahal). We'll spend one day in Agra. Then we take a sleeper train to Allahabad where we will be in a tent for two nights. So, unless there's Internet in my Agra hotel, this will be my last post for a few days.

Whitewater rafting on the Ganges

This morning we had breakfast at a little German cafe - coffee and banana porridge. Then we got in the jeep that took us to our whitewater rafting spot. The weather is lovely here in Rishikesh-sunny and in the 70's during the day. So the river was cool, but very nice. The water here is pristine - just down from the Himalayas. The river was pretty calm. There were only two spots of rapids and they were never very rough. We got very wet but there was never any danger of falling out of the raft. Gavin even jumped in the river and swam a little. The trip was about 40 minutes. Then we got out of the raft and walked up the hill to our hotel.
We are having fun looking at all the cows wandering the streets. They are just everywhere. Tonight when we were going down some stairs to a restaurant for dinner there was a cow on the steps! There are also street dogs. They enjoy lying around in the sun. People must feed them because they're not too skinny. There are also monkeys in the trees.