The internet is the worst in India, I didn't know how good I had it in SEA with free wifi at every restaurant and speedy internet cafes on every corner. Anyway, heres a recap of my last two cities:
Khajuraho was a tiny town with pretty much nothing to do but we had a nice relaxing time there. Pretty much the only reason people go there are to see a bunch of temple built around 900 AD that have become know as the Karma Sutra temples due to a few erotic carvings. The temples were quiet beautiful, very reminiscent of Angkor Wat in some of their imagery and shape. They were all carved out of sandstone which made them look like they would crumble if you touched them but all the carvings had help up incredibly well. Frankly the erotic carvings were not such a big deal as people make it out to be. They are only a fraction of the carvings of people and animals and only a couple are actually dirty (beasteality). Anyway, since Danielle and I are now expert tourists we got the audio guide which we have discovered is pretty much the best way to learn a ton without putting any effort in. Its also ideal when its a million degrees out and trying to read anything makes you just want to go back to your room and curl up with the AC. So our visit to the temples was quite nice. Our second day there we hopped a fence into a lovely little garden and spent the day reading and hanging out.
We have also now ridden on two trains! As our first train from Agra to Khujaraho pulled into the station the first section you see is the lowest class and I am not kidding when I say that people were literally falling out the windows and doors. People were piled on top of each other and there didn't look like there was even enough room to breath. There is literally no way I could spend an entire night in that position. Just looking at it almost gave me a panic attack. Luckily we, along with all the other white people, get to ride in the princes section where we have AC, sheets, blankets and pillows. Sleeping on the train is no problem, the only problem is that you cant sit up in your tiny little bed but it could be worse.
So now we are in Varanasi which has been awesome. Pretty quiet city and lots of good people watching. Yesterday we walked all along the ghats (where people bath in the Ganges) and it was wonderful. We past one of the two burning ghats where people are cremated. When we were there there was one body that had been burning for a couple of hours and two bodies waiting to be burned. The waiting bodies were wrapped tightly in cloth and lying on bamboo stretchers. The bodies burn for 24 hours and then the ashes are scattered in the river. Pregnant women, children, holy men, and lepers are not burned because their bodies are already pure. Instead they are tied to a rock and dropped into the middle of the river. Last night we watch a ceremony that they do every night involving a lot of chanting and fire that was very beautiful. Many people take boats out and light candles so the river is beautiful. This morning we got up at 5 to take a boat ride on the river. We didn't see much that was new but it was beautiful light and very peaceful.
Next up is Bodhigaya which should be pretty chill as it is tiny. After that we will be done with our tour and head up to Kashmir!
Khajuraho was a tiny town with pretty much nothing to do but we had a nice relaxing time there. Pretty much the only reason people go there are to see a bunch of temple built around 900 AD that have become know as the Karma Sutra temples due to a few erotic carvings. The temples were quiet beautiful, very reminiscent of Angkor Wat in some of their imagery and shape. They were all carved out of sandstone which made them look like they would crumble if you touched them but all the carvings had help up incredibly well. Frankly the erotic carvings were not such a big deal as people make it out to be. They are only a fraction of the carvings of people and animals and only a couple are actually dirty (beasteality). Anyway, since Danielle and I are now expert tourists we got the audio guide which we have discovered is pretty much the best way to learn a ton without putting any effort in. Its also ideal when its a million degrees out and trying to read anything makes you just want to go back to your room and curl up with the AC. So our visit to the temples was quite nice. Our second day there we hopped a fence into a lovely little garden and spent the day reading and hanging out.
We have also now ridden on two trains! As our first train from Agra to Khujaraho pulled into the station the first section you see is the lowest class and I am not kidding when I say that people were literally falling out the windows and doors. People were piled on top of each other and there didn't look like there was even enough room to breath. There is literally no way I could spend an entire night in that position. Just looking at it almost gave me a panic attack. Luckily we, along with all the other white people, get to ride in the princes section where we have AC, sheets, blankets and pillows. Sleeping on the train is no problem, the only problem is that you cant sit up in your tiny little bed but it could be worse.
So now we are in Varanasi which has been awesome. Pretty quiet city and lots of good people watching. Yesterday we walked all along the ghats (where people bath in the Ganges) and it was wonderful. We past one of the two burning ghats where people are cremated. When we were there there was one body that had been burning for a couple of hours and two bodies waiting to be burned. The waiting bodies were wrapped tightly in cloth and lying on bamboo stretchers. The bodies burn for 24 hours and then the ashes are scattered in the river. Pregnant women, children, holy men, and lepers are not burned because their bodies are already pure. Instead they are tied to a rock and dropped into the middle of the river. Last night we watch a ceremony that they do every night involving a lot of chanting and fire that was very beautiful. Many people take boats out and light candles so the river is beautiful. This morning we got up at 5 to take a boat ride on the river. We didn't see much that was new but it was beautiful light and very peaceful.
Next up is Bodhigaya which should be pretty chill as it is tiny. After that we will be done with our tour and head up to Kashmir!
No comments:
Post a Comment