Aug. 4, 2009

Hi all,

I've made it a month in India! Pete and I are taking a train back to New Delhi tonight so we can meet up with our parents and travel through the state of Rajasthan and then on to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. This last week, Pete and I toured Varanasi and Calcutta, two major highlights of the trip so far.

Rollin' on the River: Life in Varanasi revolves around the Ganges. People bathe in it, pray to it, light candles and give offerings. The best way to see all of those ceremonies is to take a row boat out at dawn, which Pete and I did on our first full day here. All along the river are thousands of Hindus praying, bathing and doing their laundry. I'm curious how clean the clothes actually get because this is how laundry is done: dunk clothing in the river, twist it and then use a stick to beat it against a rock. And, just as the river banks are lined with Indians, the water is lined with row boats stuffed with Western tourists, watching and photographing every moment.

This is Marketplace: Another major thing in Varanasi are the markets. Hidden behind the street in narrow alleys, there are stalls selling clothing, spices, bangles, toys, food, silks and offerings for a super secret temple in the middle of the chaos. I say super secret temple because it is surrounded by armed guards and non-Hindus are not allowed to go inside. Outside each entrance are signs that list items forbidden inside the temple: explosives, knvies, pens and coconuts. Seriously. I ventured into one bangle shop and did quite well ... about 20 bracelets for $1.50. Leaving the market we took our first (and only) ride in a bicycle rickshaw.

I didn't plan to visit Calcutta (Kolkata) on this trip but it was a 14 hour train ride away so I figured why not? And, as it turns out, it was one of the best places we've visited so far. It was (relatively) clean, based on Indian standards and compared to other cities. We walked through the city's park, visited the Victoria Memorial and saw Mother Teresa's grave. Most importantly (just kidding), we were able to do some shopping. I packed light for this trip -- four shirts and two pairs of pants. So, after wearing basically the same thing every day for a month, I now have two more pants and T-shirts. Big stuff.

Other highlights: We tried freshly squeezed sugar cane juice on the street. Delicious. Also, I was rejected from a pub for being a woman. "No ladies, no ladies!" Fantastic. And, we took a ride in a rickshaw pulled by a man in flip flops. Kind of a bumpy ride but well worth it for the experience.

That's it for now!

Love, Alice