Photos with captions of Varanasi, India
Flower detail in a temple
Varanasi: Just photos
Tag Backpacking
Varanasi, Where Bodies Burn
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.
The Honking System (also: Crappy photos from a bus window)
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)”
Munnar & South India’s hill stations
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 Kerala Backwaters
Perhaps the most famous attraction in the state of Kerala is the backwaters, a large network of lagoons, canals, and lakes that flow into the Arabian Sea. It adds up to more than 900 km of waterways that run up and down the length of the state and there are many cities and towns that are points of entry. You can rent a boat for a half day, full day, or even hire a houseboat and live on it for a week or more (which is very expensive!).
Fort Kochi, Kerala
Fort Kochi (also Fort Cochin) is the first city I visited in the state of Kerala. It’s really only known for the Chinese fishing nets that local fishermen use to catch a wide array of fish from the Indian Ocean, which they then sell whole to locals and tourists. After purchasing the fish, you can walk it a short distance and have it cooked at a nearby restaurant. Because these large, manually-operated nets are the #1 attraction in Lonely Planet, they have been turned into a bit of a tourist trap. If you walk near them, several fishermen will approach you and show you how the net works and allow you to operate it for a few minutes, and then turn around and ask you for a tip. Unfortunately, although Fort Kochi is a peninsula and therefore surrounded on three sides by water, there are no swimmable beaches in the city because they are all littered with either fishing nets or trash.
Victoria’s Unintended Lesson on Love
The other day I was roaming around Fort Kochi when I popped into a tiny art gallery and met Victoria. Victoria was the artist of all the paintings and owner of the gallery. I never got her age, but I imagine she is in her late 50s or early 60s. She introduced herself and immediately invited me to sit down and join her for a cup of chai and medu vada (a savory South-Indian snack that is made out of lentils and looks like a doughnut).
We talked for about 45 minutes, mostly about her artwork. She showed me a book that she had made of at least 25 pieces of her art, paintings and poetry. As I learned more about her art, I learned more about Victoria. And as I learned more about Victoria, I learned more about Indian culture.
The Indian toilet/Getting sick in India
All the advice online and in guide books for staying healthy in India says:
- Don’t eat street food
- Don’t eat anything that’s not steaming hot
- Don’t drink tap water
- Don’t consume drinks with ice
- Don’t eat fruits and vegetables that you don’t peel yourself
- Don’t brush your teeth with tap water
- Wash your hand often
- Only eat at busy restaurants
- Avoid salads and fruit juices
The Hampi Zoo
Just kidding. Hampi doesn’t have a zoo (and if it did, I wouldn’t go to it). But it does have tons of street animals. You literally cannot go down ANY street here without coming across the following types of creatures:
The Waterfall Adventure/Mishap
The Waterfall Adventure
The Lonely Planet guide book talks about these “waterfalls” in Hampi that are supposedly only a 2km walk away. Since it’s hotter than hell here, Maren and I decided to trek on over there the other day.
The World Is My Boyfriend 