Alahabad - Planet India
First, thanks to Janine for the positive comment! I'm really glad you enjoy this blog! I had kind of thought only my mom and my girlfriend were reading this thing . . .
I left Varanasi today and boarded the train for Alahabad, a town to the southwest about 100 kilometers. This was my first train experience in India and it was a good one! 46 Rs for a five hour train ride - - my ride to the train station cost more than that! 80 Rs for a 40 minute ride in an "autorickshaw," a motorized rickshaw that looks like a mutated Volkswagon Beetle with the doors removed and a handlebar in the middle of the dashboard to steer with. Another fantastic two-stroke engine product adding more goodness to the soup of pollution to inhale.
I bought a general boarding ticket since the ride was so short and got to hang out on the sweaty vinyl seats with the rest of the Indian passengers and stare out the open windows with grills over them at the countryside. It was nice to get out of the city, and we passed field after field of tall cultivated grass that was being cut by hand with scythes by women in saris or fields that had already been mown and had the grass tied in standing sheaves.
I met a fellow from Austria named Steiner Hanners who was on his way to Hampi, India. Those of you who care about these things will know this is a recently revealed boulering site that was brought to light by Chris Sharma in a movie he and a few other made there. He tried to convince me to come with him, but I have an engagement with a boat and a ride down the Ganges River to Calcutta . . . "what?," you say? My mom's high school friend, Martine, and her husband Julian are radio journalists who are working on a piece about the efforts to clean up Ganges, as well as to highlight to American listeners the differences of the Indian mindset in viewing science, religion and the such environmental efforts. They have already been travelling for over a month and by good fortune we were in in Varanasi at the same time (we knew of each otehr but weren't sure if we would connect). I invited myself along for the boat ride portion of this trip and they accepted my rather forward imposition - - if you don't ask, I guess you'll never know, though! It may not work out in the end due to space or whatnot, but it is a tentative "yes."
They are to stay in Varanasi for a time, however, and then drive to Calcutta (!) to drop off some gear they do not need and take a rest from the rigors of travelling - - they were camping and roughing it for some time, collecting interviews and seeing installations, before arriving in Varanasi. They will return to Patna, a city northeast of Varanasi and leave by boat for Calcutta (again . . .) on the 10th of December.
So, I am free to roam until that time! I will take a brief tour of the state of Uttar Pradesh, which will culminate with the viewing of the Taj Mahal, that quintessential object that most think of when they think of India. It is an exhorbitant fee to enter ($20 US plus some amount of rupees!), but I suppose I should see it. Indians are crazy about it, too. I think they pay 50 Rs or something to see it. Being Indian has its privileges.
Alahabad today and tomorrow, Lucknow the day after tomorow, a few days in Lucknow and then to Agra, where the Taj is located.
I actually felt a momentary pang of lonliness today when I finally found a hotel and was sitting by myself in my ghetto acomodations, contemplating where to go for dinner and the shabby room. Tim, Laura and Mike, who I met in Varanasi and was hanging out with quite a bit for the last week, were great people. I didn't get that bummed leaving the crew in Nepal, but perhaps that was because I was going to a new place, India. Now that I am here and simply moving from one city to another, which I found to be just as noisy and similar to the last one, minus the cool ghats and river, was probably a little disappointing. I got over it quickly after I stepped out onto the street and hopped in a rickshaw to find dinner, though. "Planet India," as Tim and I took to calling it, is still fascinating and fun to explore, even if you are sucking up the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day in fumes and dust. Writing this blog is strangely grounding, too. I keep waiting for the "breakdown" to occur one of these days where I simply just can't bear being here, or get really homesick. I think at that point I will go to the beach down south. These northern cities require a lot to be in!
Alahabad is the confluence of three rivers; the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati. This co-mingling is refered to as the Triveni Sangum by Hindus, and I will go see it tomorrow. Woo-hoo. Mixing rivers. A few forts and some parks and I think my visit to Alahabad will be complete. No need to stay much longer. Perhaps Lucknow will be worth more contemplation.
My last days in Varanasi saw another visit to the the university to explore the library, a few more concerts and then last night the craziness of the culmination of Ganga Mahatsov, the celebration that has been going on this week. Last night was the full moon and basically all of India came out to the ghats to walk by the river and looks at the lights. Okay, not all, but certainly most. It was packed. There were little clay bowls with wicks and oil in them everywhere - - on all the steps, arranged in patterns, on the walls. Many stages had been built and music and activities were happening on all of them. I think the music during the week was better, actually, since there were too many people and nowhere to sit to enjoy it all. As is the way of things in India and as it was in Nepal everything was over by ten at night, though. "Late nite," doesn't really happen around here.
Last night I was met with more excited people who wanted to talk to tourists. Not trying to sell things or scam you, just talking. This has been ongoing since I got here. People love to practive their English, and most of the time you feel like you are being run through the standard "learning a language" checklist of where you are from, your favorite vegetables (really!), favorite music and so on. People on the campus are particularly talkative. They also want to talk politics, ask you how you feel about India, where you are going, what you have thought. It actually requires a lot of work, and by the end of some days I have felt distinctly drained. I really enjoy it, and the friendliness is wonderful.
Well, I think I will now return to my lovely little hole in the wall hotel and read. Reading is a great escape that I am glad I have to indulge in!
I left Varanasi today and boarded the train for Alahabad, a town to the southwest about 100 kilometers. This was my first train experience in India and it was a good one! 46 Rs for a five hour train ride - - my ride to the train station cost more than that! 80 Rs for a 40 minute ride in an "autorickshaw," a motorized rickshaw that looks like a mutated Volkswagon Beetle with the doors removed and a handlebar in the middle of the dashboard to steer with. Another fantastic two-stroke engine product adding more goodness to the soup of pollution to inhale.
I bought a general boarding ticket since the ride was so short and got to hang out on the sweaty vinyl seats with the rest of the Indian passengers and stare out the open windows with grills over them at the countryside. It was nice to get out of the city, and we passed field after field of tall cultivated grass that was being cut by hand with scythes by women in saris or fields that had already been mown and had the grass tied in standing sheaves.
I met a fellow from Austria named Steiner Hanners who was on his way to Hampi, India. Those of you who care about these things will know this is a recently revealed boulering site that was brought to light by Chris Sharma in a movie he and a few other made there. He tried to convince me to come with him, but I have an engagement with a boat and a ride down the Ganges River to Calcutta . . . "what?," you say? My mom's high school friend, Martine, and her husband Julian are radio journalists who are working on a piece about the efforts to clean up Ganges, as well as to highlight to American listeners the differences of the Indian mindset in viewing science, religion and the such environmental efforts. They have already been travelling for over a month and by good fortune we were in in Varanasi at the same time (we knew of each otehr but weren't sure if we would connect). I invited myself along for the boat ride portion of this trip and they accepted my rather forward imposition - - if you don't ask, I guess you'll never know, though! It may not work out in the end due to space or whatnot, but it is a tentative "yes."
They are to stay in Varanasi for a time, however, and then drive to Calcutta (!) to drop off some gear they do not need and take a rest from the rigors of travelling - - they were camping and roughing it for some time, collecting interviews and seeing installations, before arriving in Varanasi. They will return to Patna, a city northeast of Varanasi and leave by boat for Calcutta (again . . .) on the 10th of December.
So, I am free to roam until that time! I will take a brief tour of the state of Uttar Pradesh, which will culminate with the viewing of the Taj Mahal, that quintessential object that most think of when they think of India. It is an exhorbitant fee to enter ($20 US plus some amount of rupees!), but I suppose I should see it. Indians are crazy about it, too. I think they pay 50 Rs or something to see it. Being Indian has its privileges.
Alahabad today and tomorrow, Lucknow the day after tomorow, a few days in Lucknow and then to Agra, where the Taj is located.
I actually felt a momentary pang of lonliness today when I finally found a hotel and was sitting by myself in my ghetto acomodations, contemplating where to go for dinner and the shabby room. Tim, Laura and Mike, who I met in Varanasi and was hanging out with quite a bit for the last week, were great people. I didn't get that bummed leaving the crew in Nepal, but perhaps that was because I was going to a new place, India. Now that I am here and simply moving from one city to another, which I found to be just as noisy and similar to the last one, minus the cool ghats and river, was probably a little disappointing. I got over it quickly after I stepped out onto the street and hopped in a rickshaw to find dinner, though. "Planet India," as Tim and I took to calling it, is still fascinating and fun to explore, even if you are sucking up the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day in fumes and dust. Writing this blog is strangely grounding, too. I keep waiting for the "breakdown" to occur one of these days where I simply just can't bear being here, or get really homesick. I think at that point I will go to the beach down south. These northern cities require a lot to be in!
Alahabad is the confluence of three rivers; the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati. This co-mingling is refered to as the Triveni Sangum by Hindus, and I will go see it tomorrow. Woo-hoo. Mixing rivers. A few forts and some parks and I think my visit to Alahabad will be complete. No need to stay much longer. Perhaps Lucknow will be worth more contemplation.
My last days in Varanasi saw another visit to the the university to explore the library, a few more concerts and then last night the craziness of the culmination of Ganga Mahatsov, the celebration that has been going on this week. Last night was the full moon and basically all of India came out to the ghats to walk by the river and looks at the lights. Okay, not all, but certainly most. It was packed. There were little clay bowls with wicks and oil in them everywhere - - on all the steps, arranged in patterns, on the walls. Many stages had been built and music and activities were happening on all of them. I think the music during the week was better, actually, since there were too many people and nowhere to sit to enjoy it all. As is the way of things in India and as it was in Nepal everything was over by ten at night, though. "Late nite," doesn't really happen around here.
Last night I was met with more excited people who wanted to talk to tourists. Not trying to sell things or scam you, just talking. This has been ongoing since I got here. People love to practive their English, and most of the time you feel like you are being run through the standard "learning a language" checklist of where you are from, your favorite vegetables (really!), favorite music and so on. People on the campus are particularly talkative. They also want to talk politics, ask you how you feel about India, where you are going, what you have thought. It actually requires a lot of work, and by the end of some days I have felt distinctly drained. I really enjoy it, and the friendliness is wonderful.
Well, I think I will now return to my lovely little hole in the wall hotel and read. Reading is a great escape that I am glad I have to indulge in!
posted by JAshby at 5:38 AM
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