I'm not sure what time I fell asleep or what time I woke up. When I did get up, the person above me was gone. So was the person above Sam and the dude that was watching me from across the aisle (adios, pervert). I slept in as long as I could before putting my bed down around 10 to turn the bunks back into seats.
The four of us hung out while the train drove on. I had chips and cookies and Kinder Joys for breakfast and listened to music or read a book while we waited.
The train stopped close to the station around 11 or 12 but we weren't allowed off until 1. It was over an hour and a half of just sitting there with no AC. Abhi (who was running between our car and the other groups), said our situation was a lot better. The other group had soldiers in their car with automatic weapons. They were transporting some ammunition and never went to sleep. At least they knew no one would fuck with them during the night.
We got off the train and got into some tuk-tuks which took us to the hotel. Sam and I shared one. We got to the hotel at 1:30. They served us Sprite while we waited to check in.
The rooms are nice. One weird thing is the shower has a glass window looking straight into the room. There's a curtain, but it's still weird.
We had free time until 5. I showered for like an hour. Everyone met up for lunch but I stayed in the room to get caught up on blogging. We have free wifi but it won't work on my awful phone. I ate all my cookies and ordered hakka noodles with chicken from room service.
They were spicy and I still ate them all.
We all met back up in the lobby at 5. We were going to the Ganges River! Someone said it was pouring rain there. You'd think it was acid rain by the way people were making a big deal about that it. I didn't bring a rain coat or umbrella. All I brought was a plastic baggie for my phone. Like I said, my mama didn't raise no bitch. I'm fine with rain.
We took tuk-tuks to the river. It was stressful. The drive was long and traffic was intense. It smelled like exhaust the entire times and cars never stopped honking their horns.
We drove by lots of clothing stores.
The tuk-tuks dropped us off a short walk from the river. There are cows everywhere in Varanasi too but these cows are much bigger and fatter. Someone said it was because it's a holy city so everyone does a better job at feeding the beasts. They're much more intimidating to me.
And then we're at the Ganges.
We arrive at 6 on the dot. There are big, stadium style stairs that lead to the water. We sat there. The steps are called ghats.
Abhi buys us all chai tea and a kid serves it to us in clay cups. Further away, close to the waters edge, there are several bonfires. People are being cremated.
It was a very peaceful moment. Bells were ringing, I was sipping my chai and hanging out with goats while I watched the fires burn.
20 minutes later, we get on a boat.
There were some young boys swimming in the river. Little shits splashed me. But the Ganges is holy water so I guess I just got blessed.
We drifted on the river. Abhi talked to us about the Ganges. A ton of fish and a couple different mammals live in the water. It has good bacteria in it. It's still polluted all to hell but it still considered sacred and holy.
I had fun. I'm drawn to water. It cooled off and we weren't dying from the heat and it didn't rain either. Perfect weather.
We had little paper boats filled with flowers and a candle to set on the river.
I was pretty excited about this and got myself one with pink flowers.
Abhi said to make a wish and set your boat free. I panicked and didn't know what to wish for. Money, love, health? They're all pretty basic and lame. I wished for happiness. I didn't specify that it had to be mine. It could be for my family or friends.
Then we drove by the main crematorium. The one we saw was a smaller one. We're not suppose to take pictures and I don't think I would have even if we were. They just looked like big campfires. You can't tell what's being burned. There are bodies wrapped up and waiting on the ghats. They're going to be washed in the river before being burned. From what I saw, no one was crying or mourning.
200 bodies are burned on the Ganges a day. You can't smell burning flesh. I could barely smell the fire. But people come to the holy city of Varanasi to die. It's not in a suicidal way.
Women aren't allowed at the crematorium because some jump in the fire to join their dead. Sometimes they don't jump in by their choice but die all the same. So it was easier to ban women than ban sati.
Cremation is how Hindu's deal with their dead. There are a few times when bodies aren't burned. Pregnant women aren't cremated because babies are pure and free of sin and don't need it. And people that die unnatural deaths like snake bites. They just get placed in the river to float off and hopefully picked up and reborn.
Abhi was talking about death and he made it sound so beautiful the way Hindus deal with it. It hit me right in the feels and I got a little choked up and teary eyed.
Then I banged my knee really hard on the boat. I was glad, the pain distracted my emotions.
We drifted off to the main ceremony. We're still on our boat and we bump into dozens and dozens of other boats of people and we all tie our boats together in the dark. On the ghats, there are these holy men with fire and they're moving in syncronization. Bells are ringing and people are chanting and it's not music but it's so beautiful it is music. I tried counting how many people were on the ghats. I gave up early on, there was over hundreds.
Those little paper boats with candles and flowers would drift by us and isn't that sweet that that's someones wish?
We parked there with all the boats and people surrounding us for about half an hour and watched. It was truly a special moment.
At 8 we got back to the docking ghat and got off our boat.
Everyone in our group was more quiet and peaceful. I don't think I was the only one fighting back tears.
We took tuk-tuks back to the hotel and I can't remember what I did the rest of the night. I think I was still in awe of the ceremony. It was hard to write about because words don't do the experience justice. It was a once in a lifetime moment. Like, I can describe the sights and sounds and smells but in the end I'm just going to end up saying "You had to be there."
The four of us hung out while the train drove on. I had chips and cookies and Kinder Joys for breakfast and listened to music or read a book while we waited.
We're being social
The train stopped close to the station around 11 or 12 but we weren't allowed off until 1. It was over an hour and a half of just sitting there with no AC. Abhi (who was running between our car and the other groups), said our situation was a lot better. The other group had soldiers in their car with automatic weapons. They were transporting some ammunition and never went to sleep. At least they knew no one would fuck with them during the night.
We got off the train and got into some tuk-tuks which took us to the hotel. Sam and I shared one. We got to the hotel at 1:30. They served us Sprite while we waited to check in.
The rooms are nice. One weird thing is the shower has a glass window looking straight into the room. There's a curtain, but it's still weird.
I took this pic from the shower (joking, but I could have)
We had free time until 5. I showered for like an hour. Everyone met up for lunch but I stayed in the room to get caught up on blogging. We have free wifi but it won't work on my awful phone. I ate all my cookies and ordered hakka noodles with chicken from room service.
Only 290 rupees!
They were spicy and I still ate them all.
We all met back up in the lobby at 5. We were going to the Ganges River! Someone said it was pouring rain there. You'd think it was acid rain by the way people were making a big deal about that it. I didn't bring a rain coat or umbrella. All I brought was a plastic baggie for my phone. Like I said, my mama didn't raise no bitch. I'm fine with rain.
We took tuk-tuks to the river. It was stressful. The drive was long and traffic was intense. It smelled like exhaust the entire times and cars never stopped honking their horns.
We drove by lots of clothing stores.
Fashion
The tuk-tuks dropped us off a short walk from the river. There are cows everywhere in Varanasi too but these cows are much bigger and fatter. Someone said it was because it's a holy city so everyone does a better job at feeding the beasts. They're much more intimidating to me.
And then we're at the Ganges.
Notice the fires
We arrive at 6 on the dot. There are big, stadium style stairs that lead to the water. We sat there. The steps are called ghats.
Abhi buys us all chai tea and a kid serves it to us in clay cups. Further away, close to the waters edge, there are several bonfires. People are being cremated.
It was a very peaceful moment. Bells were ringing, I was sipping my chai and hanging out with goats while I watched the fires burn.
20 minutes later, we get on a boat.
There were some young boys swimming in the river. Little shits splashed me. But the Ganges is holy water so I guess I just got blessed.
We drifted on the river. Abhi talked to us about the Ganges. A ton of fish and a couple different mammals live in the water. It has good bacteria in it. It's still polluted all to hell but it still considered sacred and holy.
I had fun. I'm drawn to water. It cooled off and we weren't dying from the heat and it didn't rain either. Perfect weather.
We had little paper boats filled with flowers and a candle to set on the river.
I was pretty excited about this and got myself one with pink flowers.
Abhi said to make a wish and set your boat free. I panicked and didn't know what to wish for. Money, love, health? They're all pretty basic and lame. I wished for happiness. I didn't specify that it had to be mine. It could be for my family or friends.
Letting go of my wish
Then we drove by the main crematorium. The one we saw was a smaller one. We're not suppose to take pictures and I don't think I would have even if we were. They just looked like big campfires. You can't tell what's being burned. There are bodies wrapped up and waiting on the ghats. They're going to be washed in the river before being burned. From what I saw, no one was crying or mourning.
200 bodies are burned on the Ganges a day. You can't smell burning flesh. I could barely smell the fire. But people come to the holy city of Varanasi to die. It's not in a suicidal way.
Women aren't allowed at the crematorium because some jump in the fire to join their dead. Sometimes they don't jump in by their choice but die all the same. So it was easier to ban women than ban sati.
Cremation is how Hindu's deal with their dead. There are a few times when bodies aren't burned. Pregnant women aren't cremated because babies are pure and free of sin and don't need it. And people that die unnatural deaths like snake bites. They just get placed in the river to float off and hopefully picked up and reborn.
Abhi was talking about death and he made it sound so beautiful the way Hindus deal with it. It hit me right in the feels and I got a little choked up and teary eyed.
Then I banged my knee really hard on the boat. I was glad, the pain distracted my emotions.
We drifted off to the main ceremony. We're still on our boat and we bump into dozens and dozens of other boats of people and we all tie our boats together in the dark. On the ghats, there are these holy men with fire and they're moving in syncronization. Bells are ringing and people are chanting and it's not music but it's so beautiful it is music. I tried counting how many people were on the ghats. I gave up early on, there was over hundreds.
Those little paper boats with candles and flowers would drift by us and isn't that sweet that that's someones wish?
We parked there with all the boats and people surrounding us for about half an hour and watched. It was truly a special moment.
At 8 we got back to the docking ghat and got off our boat.
Everyone in our group was more quiet and peaceful. I don't think I was the only one fighting back tears.
We took tuk-tuks back to the hotel and I can't remember what I did the rest of the night. I think I was still in awe of the ceremony. It was hard to write about because words don't do the experience justice. It was a once in a lifetime moment. Like, I can describe the sights and sounds and smells but in the end I'm just going to end up saying "You had to be there."
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