Varanasi, for a lot of us has been a pretty independent time for all of us. So no matter how hard I try I will probably not be able to capture everyone’s emotions and feelings on our time in Kashi, a city full of roaming cows and the dung they leave behind.
October 1st…
Was no different from any other day in the luminous city, we started the morning off with internships, Hindi class, and then the delicious lunch at the waterless Amar Bharwan Guest House. After lunch the girls went out for a countless amout of hours to find THE perfect fabric for their customized panajbi suits. To be honest even thinking about the time they spent going from shop to shop exhausts me, so mothers I will let you email your daughters about their shopping experience.
What surprised me the most about the holy city was the availability of internet and the amount of tourists that we saw on our daily walks around the Gange and breakfast at the Ohm Cafe. I believe these hints that the western worl still existed cured a lot of the groups homesickness.
After Saturday’s daily routine of shopping internet, and laundry the girls decided to have a “Girls Night Out!!!!” at a Mediterranean restaurant, so it only seemed fair that the boys would have a even better “Boys Night Out!!!!!” in retaliation. Just kidding I am sure both dinners were equally as fun. Usually I find thing like “Girls Night Out” and “Boys Night Out” a little cheesy, but it was a nice break from all the estrogen. Ole, Ben, and I had a romantic rooftop dinner at a local restaurant call Karki’s. Both dinners were filled with gossip and jokes, but I am sorry friends and family the details of guy and girl night will remain confidential.
Everybody was extremely tired, and most of us could barely make it back to the guest house. However one of Varanasi’s biggest festivals, Rama-(something) Parade, was happening at 10:30 that night and we were told we could not miss it. By the way all of us sleep like senior citizens, 10:30 pm is really late, Hornsby and Erin passed out before we all made it to the festival. The rest of us however had a wonderful time, meeting up with Krishna, my and Kat’s fire spinning master, who is by far one of the coolest “dudes” on the planet. He walked us through the parade explaining all the different statues and scenes (hanging/posing children dressed up as different gods). Krishna surprised me and let me fire spin in front of hundreds of spectators all snapping pictures of the dancing white boy. Nevertheless it was one of the most awesome-ist (for our editor Kat) experiences of my life.
October 2nd…
Sunday was one of the slowest days we have had so far, last day of internships for most of us (besides Hornsby, Kat and Mariah) and our last Hindi class with out teacher, “The Boss ” Pinku, who I must not was one of the sweetest and helpful men that we have met in India so far. I hope someday he reads this blog post so he can know what a great teacher and man he was. I am truly grateful to have met him.
After lunch at the guest house, Ben, both Bris , Erin and I headed to Ashish Cafe (a inexpensive breakfast joint) where we just discussed life at home life in India. Besides the daily noise and energy of India keeping us on our nothing worth writing about happened on Sunday. Oh besides the hysterical Bollywood movie we watched and left half way through because we were lost in the ridiculous plot filled with songs and broken english.
October 3rd
Ben and I:
- Slept in and then took a Tuk-Tuk to Benares University where we ate and marveled at the humongous university.
- Had Chai with a couple store owners
- Floated my friend’s remembrance bracelet down the Gange with a couple of local kids who helped me clean my feet after I got stuck in the river’s muddy beach
- I went and tried to play cricket with the neighborhood kids, who had to help me out with the rules by physically moving me from position to position.
Hornsby, Mariah, and Kat:
- Stuck at their internships all day making up for lost time
Cobie:
- Did her thang at Guria(spell check?)
Erin:
- Caught up by journaling, shopped, and ran some errands
- Organizing something probably
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Simone:
- Explored the Ghats
- Met man from Lucknow
Ole:
- Did Ole. Nuff said
Group:
- Said goodbye to Pinku and family 🙁
- Packed for Bodhgaya
NAMASTE JAKE GLADING