Photos with captions of Varanasi, India
Flower detail in a temple
Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is the spiritual capital of India. Thousands of Hindus make a pilgrimage here to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges River and perform funeral pujas (ceremonies). It is believed that bathing in the Ganges (the 2nd most polluted river in the world) will wash away all of one’s sins. It is also believed that placing someone’s cremated ashes or body in the river will release them from the cycle of reincarnation (called ‘moksha’), thus avoiding returning to Earth in the next life as an Indian street dog. Rituals surrounding the cremation take place along the ghats all day, every day with up to 300 bodies being burned daily at the main ‘burning ghats’. If you stop and watch for a while, you’ll see body after body go into the pyres. You can observe people burn from as close as 30 feet away in some ghats. Bodies wrapped in orange and gold shrouds are carried down to the riverbed, dipped into the river, clothing is removed minus a white gauzy wrap, and then set onto the fire.
Technically I’ve been in New Delhi for 9 days, but it really feels like only three because I was cooped up in the hospital and then recuperating at my friend Ben’s place for so long. On Saturday (it’s Monday today), papa Ben gave me the okay to get out and see the city with my two Australian friends who were also in Delhi for the weekend. It was the first time in a week that I had spent more than 10 minutes outside and it felt GREAT.
Continue reading “The Super Specialty, super Indian “American” hospital”
Udaipur, Rajasthan is nicked named the “City of Lakes” or “Venice of the East.” City of Lakes is fair, but Venice of the East??? Yeah, not so much. It’s also called the White City because, well, there are a lot of white buildings. Rajasthan also has a Blue City, a Pink City, and a Gold City (all of which I missed because I ended up in the hospital; more on that in the next post).
My first few days in Udaipur were weird. I immediately got a strange vibe from the men there, all of whom were really aggressive in starting conversations. Every touristy area in India is full of vendors or touts that can be aggressive in trying to get you to buy something or come into their store or whatever. But this was different.
Continue reading “Udaipur, City of Lakes and Failing Health”
Animal Aid is an incredible place. The description on their website describes it as a “vital rescue center, hospital and sanctuary for injured and ill street animals in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India” that “rescues thousands of hurt and sick animals each year and provides sanctuary to those who need life-long care.” It was started by Jim Myers and Erika Abrams, an American couple who began living on and off in India in the early 90s. They felt sorry for all the street animals they saw and wanted to do something to help. In 2002 they founded Animal Aid Unlimited in Rajasthan.
The 5-hour bus ride from Cochin to Munnar was one of the most terrifying rides of my life. The first hour was city driving, but then we hit the mountains and for the next four hours I was just waiting to die. We were on a narrow two-lane road with skull-and-crossbone signs around every corner warning drivers to go slow. But I was on a bus with the world’s most aggressively maniacal driver who was making it his mission to piss off everyone on the road and scare the shit out of his passengers. Imagine, if you will, every single bad driving habit that exists (speeding, tailgating, illegally passing, driving in the wrong lane, slamming breaks, cutting people off, belligerent honking, yelling out the window, talking on a cell phone, etc). Now, most Indians do most of these things most of the time. But, this guy was doing all of them… all the time. He even yelled out the window at a traffic cop who was scolding him for driving in the oncoming traffic lane, which he did so that he could pass, like, three cars.
Continue reading “The Honking System (also: Crappy photos from a bus window)”
I cannot say enough good things about Munnar. Well, not Munnar town exactly, but the area around it which is comprised of the Western Ghats mountain range. This geographically-stunning area is suffused with lakes, rivers, waterfalls, tea plantations, rolling hills, and green, green, green everything. Everywhere you look is picture-perfect. It’s beautiful, clean, and chilled out. It also has Colorado-in-the-springtime weather, with days in the 70s and nights in the low 50s.
The World Is My Boyfriend 