Varanasi!

This morning I woke up at the same time even though I knew I would feel a bit rushed; it was also pouring rain.  I finished typing up my final blog and got ready for a days trip to Varanasi!  I got all my things packed on time as well as printed out my boarding ticket and went for breakfast, never have I eaten so much food in so little time; I had an omelet, milkshake, pakora thing, toast, naan and fruit!  Wasn’t too sure when I would eat next so I ate as much as I could before I left for my flight.

My driver Vinny came and picked me up but before we went to the airport we went to get my Wi-Fi stick sorted out before it was too late.  I stayed for 15 minutes and Vinny was getting impatient… he thought I would miss my flight.  Even though there was a very good chance of me not making it in time I told him everything would be fine.  The people couldn’t get the stick working so I told them to call me when they have it fixed and then I left for the airport.  The whole ride there Vinny talked about all the traffic and the rain and how there is going to be a parade tomorrow and the streets are blocked making traffic worse.  I told him all would be fine and meditated while we drove through the rain.  Before I knew we were at the airport on time… I couldn’t help but say ‘I told ya so’ to him and laughed.  I shook his hand goodbye and was escorted inside to get everything organized.  The only thing that took time was paying extra for my fat bag and going through the female section of security, it still makes me laugh having to go through a FEMALE scanning room.  Now you’re probably tired of hearing about my problems with technology problems but I promise this is the last.  I couldn’t get the Wi-Fi stick to work again because I couldn’t get signal on my phone!  After much frustrating work and bad English I finally got it activated and working!  I was so relieved and it came just in time because my flight was boarding.  It was still raining but I was so hot from stressing out that I was just wearing a tank top… felt so nice, I loved having the cold rain and air cool me down.  The flight was just like any other flight… nothing interesting except you had to pay for drinks… I didn’t get anything.

When we landed in Varanasi I was warned it would be very cold but it was 22 degrees outside, very different to what I was told.  I got my luggage and headed outside to meet my driver right away, I also met one of my Dads friends named Dan.  He is from California and we became friends right away… I was so happy to make a friend.  When we finally made it to the hotel I changed right away and took a rikshaw to an ATM, the man who drove it was very nice and owned a silk shop, he told me to stop by and would give me special deals.  Not sure if I will go but it is always nice meeting someone so friendly.  Back at the hotel I was late for my first tour because I lost track of time ordering samosas… you can never go wrong with food.  I finally got to meet one of my Dads friends named Krishna; he will be my guide for today and tomorrow.  He took Dan and I to a silk weavers store that was just around the corner of my hotel.  I got to see the weird and incredible machines that are still used to make beautiful works of art made from silk, silver and gold thread.  Dan took so many pictures with his massive camera and then we were off to the showing room where all the final products are.  We were shown bedding and tapestries but when the scarves, wraps and sari’s came out I volunteered as the model!  I pretty much got to try everything on, I also helped Dan pick out a beautiful green wrap for his wife that matched the emerald pendant and earrings he got for her.  And at the very end of the showing the gentleman asked if I would like to try a sari on… I jumped with joy and could only squeak as my answer.  I was so excited that I finally got to try one I almost died from happiness!  It was time to leave sadly enough and I had to part with the gorgeous sari.

Where the silk weavers work.

How amazing are the colours... all done by hand

The first model machines used

Can't believe the colours...

So amazing!

My first Sari!!

Dan and I had dinner at a Kebab restaurant in the hotel and it was surprisingly really good food.  The menu was preset so I was given all vegetarian dishes and Dan ate the meat ones.  We stuffed ourselves until we couldn’t move and then ate dessert; the Indian Popsicle was probably my favorite… I don’t know what was in it but it tasted amazing!

 Now I’m chilling in my room with a food coma and can’t wait for tomorrow… I get to go swimming on the Ganges!

Last day

Didn’t have to wake up early today, in fact I got to take as much time as I wanted.  I had a lovely breakfast but the only thing that was wrong with my use of time was that I spent it all on downloading the pictures from the CD to a computer then to a zip stick and then to my computer.  This process seemed to take forever and before I knew it I had to be downstairs and ready to go see new things around Delhi.

My guide was running a bit late due to traffic so the driver and I waited patiently for him to arrive.  When he finally did we headed off to Meenakshi Amman temple… the largest temple in India.  The moment I saw it, it looked like something from a different era.  Even though it was new the way all the designs and Gods were put into the rock made it look old.  Inside was all white marble carved so perfectly it didn’t seem real.  I could not believe that you could make rock look so beautiful.  I walked around the inside in bare feet and read what I could about each painting on the wall, no pictures allowed in the temple.  When I was done on the inside I stepped outside to the middle floor and walked around admiring each different God carved into the walls.  Ganesha was carved all the way around.  On the bottom layer were all the different carvings of elephants and the different parts they played in history; like with Buddha and his mother.  All the carvings had notes written below them like how to paint elephants and that honoring them with flowers is the simplest but most powerful way.  The elephants were so well carved they almost looked real.  As I left the temple I was thinking about how nice it would be to see an elephant and how I cant wait to get to Africa, just when I thought that I saw a working elephant on the side of the road.  That was the first elephant I have seen in my life and it was amazing to see one so close.

Next place we headed to was a Lakshmi Temple, again I had to take my shoes off but I didn’t mind.  The guide took me around the temple and showed me all the different Gods and how you could pray for them.  By this point my feet were absolutely freezing from the hard cold marble but I was willing to see more.  I got to see a painting of Kali with the heads in her hands dripping with blood before we left; it was pretty cool.

The last place we stopped on my tour was another government store so I could finally get a pashmina; they are all from Kashmir.  I got the first one that I saw… even though the ones that were $500 were so much softer I stuck to my first choice.  It is soft and a natural light brown color and I just love it!

I parted my driver and guide and headed to my room to get some blogging done.  After that was finished I was starving and headed to the buffet before I headed out into Delhi. 

Delhi is very busy and crossing the roads is a nightmare; I had to cross with big groups of people to get where I was going.  When I finally got everything I needed I headed back to my room and rested… I mean blogged.  I started packing as well and this time it wasn’t as fun, it is starting to feel like I don’t have a permanent home anymore but I am sure as soon as I get to the orphanage that will change.  The whole night I packed, blogged, meditated and Skyped with my Dad.

I can’t believe that tomorrow I leave for Varanasi… another step forward on my giant adventure.

TAJ MAHAL!!!

This morning I woke up very early and left the hotel at 7 because today I am going to see the Taj Mahal!

I stayed awake most of the time as we passed through the country; it was all so beautiful, green and peaceful.  I did fall asleep though after we made a quick food stop along the way.  When we arrived in Agra the thing I noticed the most were all the animals, not just dogs but piggies, donkeys, monkeys and the beautiful Brahma cows.  The cows have got to be my favorite of all the animals that roam around the streets of India… they just look so relaxed and wise.

Out of the fog appeared the Taj… it looked like something out of a fairy-tale.  We took a tiny bus to get there and when I stepped through the gates the Taj Mahal seemed so perfect.  I got a photographer to take pictures of me all the Taj, it was just like a photo shoot and I was the model.  During the photo shoot a little Indian girl grabbed my hand and asked if she could take photos with her family and me, I wasn’t going to say no.  I sat down in the middle of her whole family on a bench and got the photo taken, I had the biggest smile on my face during that photo.  

Seventh Wonder of the World... and the Taj Mahal is in the photo too

So many photos!

After my photos were taken we continued with the tour and the story that is behind it…

The Mughal Emperor was walking through the markets one day and noticed the most beautiful girl sitting outside a jewelry shop, he asked her to marry him right there because he had never seen a more beautiful woman.  Soon enough they were married and the queen gave birth to 13 children, the Emperor and Queen were madly in love.  When giving birth to her fourteenth child the Queen died.  As she died the Emperor held her in his arms and asked if she had any last request; she told him that he may never marry again and to build the Taj Mahal to show his love for her.  It took 22 years, working day and night to complete the Taj Mahal.

AHHHHH!

The marble is amazing

Monkey...

So much detail

Stone inside stone

These are the flowers

You can actually feel the love he had for his wife as you look at the incredible Wonder of the World.  The architecture and marble flowers that are designed into the walls are just stunning; they almost look real.  This place honestly took my breath away.

I got my photos before I left and then headed for lunch… no doubt it was Indian food again.

After lunch we went to the home of the Mughal Emperor, it has the perfect view of the Taj.  Again the designs on the marble were extraordinary, I loved walking the halls of the palace.

Red fort

The library, no books though.

A prison for the Emperor

Can you see the Taj in the far left corner covered by fog?

Then we headed to a marble emporium and got to see men using the very same tools as they did on the Taj.  The techniques are past down from family to family, it looks like very hard work.

Hugh, I wish I could do this.

There is mother of pearl in this one, can you see it?

How beautiful.

Stopped at a sweet vender on the road before going home... I have yet to get sick.

Soon it was finally time to go home and the moment I put my seatbelt on I fell asleep… I don’t even remember closing my eyes.  I was so happy to get back to the hotel but my day wasn’t over yet… I still had to get my SIM card.  The guide and I went out on foot through Delhi to find a phone store.  It honestly seemed like the guide got lost a few times but he found his way eventually.  Getting the SIM card was a much faster process and it wasn’t long until I was back at the hotel showering and in warm jammies.  I got to Skype my parents again and watched a movie about the Buddha before I went to bed; I stayed up a bit later tonight because tomorrow touring starts at 10:30.

I was so happy to get to bed. 

Day of Exhaustion

In the morning I woke up and packed everything as quickly as I could.  Didn’t take me long because I am so organized.  Right before breakfast I Skyped my dad and Karuna and him finally got to see each other.  It was hard hanging up but I had to eat breakfast and go, my morning was going by that quickly.  I gave Sunil I very big hug and thanked him… then I got into the car with Karuna and said goodbye to my new home.

The whole drive there Karuna and I linked arms, I thought about starting a new chapter of my adventure but knew that it wasn’t going to be the same without my new family.  When we got to the airport Karuna and I looked at each other and I almost started crying, the driver got me a trolley for my luggage and Karuna and I hugged.  It was so difficult saying goodbye and even now I am about to start crying because I miss her so much.  I left and rolled my luggage towards security and every time I looked back to see Karuna my eyes started to fill with tears.  I finally made it passed the ticket check and turned to wave a final goodbye to my second mother.

~

Karuna thank you so much for inviting me into your home and making me feel so welcome.  Meeting you made India a much more pleasurable experience for me and I hope that this isn’t the last time we meet each other.  I love you so much and thank you again!

~

I passed through the other ticket check and finally made it the counter.  My bag was 4kg over weight so I had to go back to the beginning of everything and pay extra for my bag, at least I didn’t have to wait in line again.  I went through the female security and had to wait as they scanned my things multiple times… they never found the hidden bomb in my bag thank goodness.  I headed upstairs and waited for 30 minutes and then I was informed my flight would be delayed another 40 minutes or so.  I continued to wait and finally it was time to line up, I waited at the back of a very long line.  The moment I got to the front the lady checking bags noticed I didn’t have a tag on my very small shoulder bag and asked me to go all the way back down stairs to go through security to get it checked again, I couldn’t even put it in another bag.  I rushed down stairs, got it scanned for the dangerous goods that weren’t inside it and then rushed back upstairs.  I finally made it to my seat and caught my breath and relaxed.  Plane ride was not interesting at all so no point in explaining that.

I landed and headed to the wrong exit to meet my driver… I figured it out fairly quickly though and don’t let myself get worried about these things anymore.  The gentleman I met was short and round with a very big smile on his face.  I got into the car and we headed off to pick up the guide for my first day of sightseeing.  Delhi is similar to Pune in ways but it felt more different than anything.

I met my guide outside the Qutb Minar, I cannot remember his name for the life of me but it was very long.  He told me the history of the tower and how it was built from gorgeous red sandstone but it was hard to pay attention when there were chipmunks running around everywhere.  I do recall that it was the Mughal Empire that built the tower and destroyed the surrounding Hindu buildings and statues.  I don’t remember the name of the next place I went to but the moment I stepped out of the car I saw I snake charmer roughly tap the head of a cobra to wake it up and then he started playing the flute.  I felt so bad for the snake that I had the urge to rescue it and take it with me, don’t think my tour guide would be happy about that.

The Pillar and archway.

How amazing is the sandstone!

So many inscribed pillars.

The iron pole, it is supposed to represent Shiva because it never rusts or changes.

An unfinished pillar.

So many chipmunks!

The place I forget the name of.

We got back in the car as quickly as we got out and then headed for dinner.  I had traditional Indian food at a traditional Indian restaurant with my guide.  The conversation wasn’t very stimulating and the only thing that caught my attention were the noises that came out of his mouth when he chewed with it open.  Even though I was using my fingers to eat I was still more civilized than that.

After dinner we went to a Kashmir government store and looked at all the fine carpets, jewelry and clothe.  I never knew that I could fall in love with a carpet the way I did when I saw one that could change colors.  There wasn’t any pressure to buy anything but I definitely felt it when they kept asking me that I could use my credit card and that shipping was free and all these other things.

Before we headed to my hotel we stopped to purchase a Wi-Fi stick and then a SIM card.  Never in my life have I had so much difficulty trying to get something from a store before.  I had to give them my passport so they could take a photocopy of my visa and picture, then I had to give them a passport sized photo of myself to glue on a very long piece of paper.  Thank goodness I had the picture on me or else I don’t think getting anything would have been possible.  I waited at the store for a good hour while they had m sign things and my tour guide had to give his information as well or I couldn’t get a Wi-Fi stick.  I had pretty well had it by the time they asked me to pay, I was going to say just screw it cause I was so angry but I needed that stick for later purposes in my trip.  By the time we finished it was 8 and all the stores were closed, which meant I finally got to head to my hotel.

After my guide checked me in, I started crying because I was so frustrated with the Wi-fi stick and relieved that I had finally gotten to my room.  I showered and Skyped my parents for a bit before going to bed.  Today was so mentally and physically draining, I hope tomorrow isn’t like that.