You Can Call Me Nathuram Godse By The Way I'm Dropping Ghandis

Just kidding, I've got nothing but respect for the Mahatma.  India was actually the cheapest country I've been to so far, but Ghandi is on every note.   As I enter the 5th month of this trip, it'll definitely be helpful to manage the overall finances. 

I’m reporting from Sri Lanka now.  There were other parts of India that I would’ve liked to see, but nothing really made sense logistically.  So, I came here instead.

Now that I’ve left India, I can safely say that I’m happy I went.  It was a tough go at the beginning, but by the end I started to “get it” (or, at a minimum, much more comfortable and loose) and had a very fun and amusing last few days in Varanasi.

India is not for the faint of heart.  Its beauty is internal, and at odds with much of what I experienced there.  The crowds, the smells, the sounds (the constant expectorating, the constant honking, et. al.), the staring and, of course, the trash/filth all weighed on me heavily.

But it is a fascinating place.  Everything is out in the open and opposite to life back home.   I can safely say it is the most “different” place I’ve ever been.

I can’t say they were the easiest 23 days of my trip so far, but they were more than worth it.  If/when I come back to India again, I’ll stick to the north (Amritsar, Dharamsala, McLeod, Darjeeling, etc).

And now that I’ve left, I guess I should update you on what turned India around for me.

After taking the train to Delhi, with two new friends that I had travelled from Jaipur to Agra with, we stopped by the Akshardam.  One of only two in the world (Don’t worry, Americans, they’re building #3 in New Jersey now.), it was a cool thing to see.  They don’t allow cameras, but you can view the gallery here.

It is as ostentatious as any religious building I’ve ever seen, even more so because it was built in the 21^st century. (I couldn’t help but take a point off for craftsmanship that would make the Romans cry though).  I can’t help but think that a greater good would’ve been served by putting that money into the poorest communities of India, or even just Delhi, but I know that’s not how this stuff works. 

My last two days, I explored the rest of Delhi. 

In truth, it is just another big city.  So I’ll share the standard Monument/Ruin shots below for those that are interested.   But I found it a welcome respite from the previous two weeks.  It was clean(er).  I wandered through markets, through parks, and a few neighborhoods. And, for once, was able to do it without using a taxi, tuk-tuk or walk a ridiculous distance, thanks to the Delhi Metro.

The Lotus Temple

Qutub Minar - the largest stone structure in India.  Glad I can cross that off my bucket list!

The Iron Pillar of Delhi

The Red Fort

For less than the cost of a NYC Subway ride, I went everywhere.  It was fast, clean, and comfortable.

Before I left India, I went to Varanasi.  A few of my friends had been there, so I had heard a lot about it.  And I knew I couldn’t leave India without seeing the Ganges.  (Sorry, no swimming.  Can’t risk the rash again!) So, emboldened by my few days in Delhi, off I went.

A taste of the street life

It was the best, and most insane, place I visited in India (well, most insane anywhere for that matter).  I’m not sure why I started really feeling comfortable in the most aggressive place I found in India.  I mean just getting to the Ganges and back was enough to induce a panic attack and wandering the alleys/backstreets and along the Ghats was like being transported to a different world. But for whatever reason it happened there.

The Ghats

Varanasi is the spiritual heart of Hinduism and Jainism.   Families and people travel great distances to come here to bathe in the Ganges to wash away their sins and to cremate their loved ones.  They perform these rituals from the Ghats that border the Ganges here.  And in some places, those rituals literally take place side by side.  

Morning on the Ganges

the scene at 630am

Unbeknownst to me, it was Kumbh Mela (note: I’m sure you’ve heard about it in the news as the people who died in Allahabad - 120k away - were visiting the same festival there.), and there was considerable spillover into the streets of Varanasi.  Not quite the amount in Allahabad, but there were tons of people nonetheless.

Random Bits and Bobs from India –

• I love the Indian Head Wiggle/Wag greeting.  It’s so weird and funny and cool.  I can’t do it, but I smiled every time it was delivered.
• Random Pop Culture Tidbit: Before seeing “David”, we ate in a Bowling Alley (true story) and I couldn’t help but take note of one of the animations on the electronic scoring.  After a strike, the Death Star blew up and “strike” flashed on the screen (in Faux-Lucas Font). I, of course, was up in arms.  I mean, that doesn’t even happen in Empire.  Jeez.
• The first rule of the road here in India is that there are no rules.  Upon being told by a cab driver that he needed to take the “long way” (ie more expensive) to drop me off because of one way streets.  I responded by saying “I didn’t think there were one way streets in India”.  (Ba-Zing!)
• The Indians are prodigious spitters…  And shitters (I saw 16 before I stopped counting on the train from Agra to Delhi)
• One night there was a gent in the room next door that snored so loud I was certain it was Roy. (it wasn’t)
• I didn’t see Race 2, but I did see Vishwaroopam a film that is presently banned (or so I’m told) in the United States.  I can’t say it paints Americans in a great light, and at one point shows the protagonist in the Tora Bora hills with Osama Bin Laden (Bollywood reenactment of course).  It all ended well enough, but certainly some discomfort at moments being an American and watching it.
• Thumbs Up – India’s Cola Brand.  I give it one thumb.  The plural is just a bit presumptuous.
• My rash/reaction is almost gone/gone and I only had one day of back end performance issues. I guess I should consider myself lucky?
• The swastika.  I’m not sure how many people know this.  I only had a passing understanding that it actually stood for something different.  But, when I saw it EVERYWHERE here.   I obviously went to Wikipedia for more info.

• Every night I was in Varanasi the skies were filled with hundreds of Kites.  All the pictures came out looking like a bunch of black dots in the sky, and no night was as good as the first night, but it was really cool to see. 

I'm sure there's more, but I really just needed to get a new thing up for you all to read vs. that ridiculous Kindle rant. 

More from Sri Lanka soon.