Bananas and Biscuits

Hello everyone!

I hope this post finds you all happy, healthy, and loving life!  I am writing to you from Agra-the city of the Taj Mahal!  We are excited to be here and are looking forward to seeing the famous monument tomorrow.  The air is clean here which is such a treat.  The wifi is not great, but I will take unpolluted air over a fast internet connection any day.  We had a classic Indian experience when we arrived here.  The room we had booked on booking.com was a steal of a deal at $18 CAD dollars a night.  However, when we arrived they showed us that the room that is pictured on the website is actually $50 CAD.  The room we booked does not have AC, proper bedding, towels, or toilet paper.  We also can only have a hot shower when we go to the reception desk, get a bucket of hot water from them, and use it to bathe.  Their strategy is to show people the upgraded room and hope that in comparison to what they’ve booked, they will change their mind and pay the higher price.  However, Dad and I are both stubborn and chose to stay in the cheap room…It’s going to be interesting to shower tonight, but I’m embracing it.  The good news is, on the way here from Delhi, we stopped at a Starbucks!  Talk about a lovely surprise!  A caramel macchiato never tasted better.

Before we move forward with the trip, I have to write about our last two days in Varanasi because they were very eventful.  Varanasi is located right along the River Ganges and is “the holy city”.  Varanasi is believed to have been inhabited by people for over 5,000 years.  The river is the heart of the city and the main reason for Indians to visit.  People usually come to bathe in the Ganges as the water is said to purify the soul and bring good karma.  Some people bathe every day.  Others travel from all over India to bathe once in their life.  It is a major pilgrimage site and even as a tourist, I can appreciate the deeply rooted cultural history of the city.  In addition to bathing, people also come to the city to bury their loved ones.  Relatives bring the deceased body and watch for hours as it is burned along the river.  Afterwards, the ashes and bones are taken and dropped in the river.   The Hindus believe that if a deceased person’s body is buried in the Ganges, they will escape the cycle of rebirth and go directly to heaven instead. Some people even travel to Varanasi in their old age to die.  This way they can ensure a cremation at the Ganges.

The highlight of our time in Varanasi was the sunrise boat ride we took on Thursday.  Our guide, Rumi, picked us up at 5:30 AM and we walked down to the Ganges in complete darkness.  The city was (relatively) quiet as we walked along the Ghats and boarded a small row boat.  There were only a few boats on the river, and it was clear we were about to witness the regular morning routines of Varanasi residents.  Before the sun came up, we saw a group of students doing yoga, men meditating, and of course, people bathing in the river.

As the sun began to rise, we made it to the Ghat where the bodies are burned.  We stayed far enough away that we were able to be respectful while also being permitted to take pictures of the process.  The following day, Dad sat and watched from the shoreline, but watching from the river was enough for me.  After awhile, more boats were on the river.  Some were carrying people who had brought the ashes of their relatives, others were holding fishermen, and of course, by the time it was 7:00 AM there were a lot more tourists out.  I am thankful we were able to be on the river before everyone else and got a front row seat to a typical morning at the river in Varanasi.

Sunrise over the Ganges

The rest of the day we spent visiting the Banaras Hindu University campus, the largest residential university in Asia.  While on campus, we visited the Temple of Shiva and then drove through some chaotic traffic to see the Temple of Durga.  Next up was the Mogul District which is where the majority of silk is woven in Varanasi (in what looked like sweatshop conditions right out of the 80s).  We went to a man’s shop and I bought a green scarf.  It was probably a rip off, but I wanted to buy something in Varanasi so I am happy with my decision.  We ended the evening with dinner along the river.

That moment when the person taking the picture gets down on one knee and you know it's going to be a terrible angle, but it's going to be the only picture you have so you have to use it...This was the temple of Shiva, everyone!  

The new scarf I bought!

And the guy who (may have) made it...

Temple of Durga

Dinner overlooking the Ganges

The next day was relatively relaxing.  My plan was to go to a coffee shop and work on my blog, but Dad wanted us to go to the Golden Temple first.  This turned out to be very tricky to find and after about an hour of walking through narrow streets filled with people, and cows, and motorcycles, and cyclists, we found out that you couldn’t go in with a backpack of any sort.  So, I waited for Dad outside with all the stuff while he enjoyed his temple experience.  I think it is more overwhelming standing still in India than continually moving.  As soon as you stand still, you become a target for beggars, people selling things, and in my case, my feet became the perfect spot for people to spit.  Not sure why, but needless to say I was happy when Dad came out.

I just feel like people don't understand how many cows just hang out on the streets here.

Laundry washed and the dried along the Ganges

Afternoon walk by the river

The rest of the day was pretty chill until we went out for dinner.  We had spent quite a bit of time walking and couldn’t find a decent place to eat.  By the time we got to the “Red Rose Café” we decided to just go in and eat because our options were dwindling quickly.  I cannot describe in words the randomness of this place and our experience there.  I am happy I was able to sneak a few pictures to show you all at home!

The kitchen

The "Dining Room". I would also like to point out the fake astro turf that was the flooring.

The table next to us

Dirty dishes for decoration

The man packing while Dad tries to eat!

Firstly, the kitchen was in the FRONT of the building along with an office, and the tables where patrons are supposed to eat was in the BACK of the building.  I don’t understand the logic there.  The “dining room” looked pretty rough and was covered in dust.  However, we were embracing the Indian experience and just going with it.  We were served water with no glasses so Dad and I just had to both drink out of the bottle.  Refrigeration seems to be an issue for people here so they just don’t refrigerate anything.  It is so difficult to get a cold drink!  Anyway, in the middle of our meal, the owner just starts yelling like crazy.  I said to Dad that he sounded pretty emotional (obviously, we couldn’t understand anything he was saying), but then he comes into the “dining room” (I have to keep putting it in quotes because it was not really a dining room) yelling at a younger guy.  The young guy opens a cabinet and starts pulling out household items, toothbrush, clothes etc. and begins packing a bag.  I don’t know if this guy was sleeping on the floor, if there was a room attached to the building or what, but the owner was kicking him out.  The owner just kept yelling louder and louder and the young guy was packing as slowly as possible to tick him off.  Meanwhile, Dad and I were literally right next to them trying to act cool and eat.  Eventually I couldn’t hold it in anymore and started laughing.  Overall, an unforgettable experience.

Unfortunately, the food didn’t sit well with Dad and he was very sick the next day.  We ended up extending our stay at the hotel because Dad was too sick to really do anything.  We made it to the train station that evening and made it to Delhi without any issues.  He is feeling a bit better, but we are both still trying to navigate the food here and how to avoid getting sick while also realizing that we have to eat.  The fact that they don’t really have hot water and they don’t refrigerate things makes it difficult to say the least.  However, we have gone a few days now surviving on bananas and biscuits (little digestive cookies) because we know they are both safe to eat!  I am hoping that the body continues to adjust and Dad gets back to feeling 100%!  Until then, we’ll just keep trucking!

Love,

A