Dear All,
In the last three weeks I think I have been on every form of transport possible in India and numerous times at that!!! I have been travelling lots and have been on numerous domestic airlines, overnight trains, Auto taxi's and Cycle rickshaws. Trains in India are a real unique experience!!! The train stations are the most interesting of all!!!
So I have been travelling round most of North India and this week I get to go to Bangelore in the South.
I have met some very interesting people along my journey and some have shown great kindness to me. I have had a few moments where I am ready to snap. It seems that in India absolutely everyone wants to cheat you and con you out of money. It makes it worse being a white person but they even do it with Indian's. It is a daily struggle and all part of life in India!!!! But God always provides me with something or someone. For example this week when I was in Lucknow, I went to visit Imam Bara. This is a building that was built by the king during the famine as a way to provide jobs for people. Today it is a historical monument beside the Muslim Temple. I had already paid what I considered to be a bit much for an entrance fee into this building and then the tour guide wanted to charge me more than he is supposed to charge for the tour!!!!! I said forget it, I will do without the tour. I was walking around annoyed that I had paid so much money to get in and now I was just going to have to walk out having wasted my money as I didn't know what it was all about. Anyway an Indian man approached me and said would you like to share a tour guide with me? Not only was this company for me on the tour but it was a great idea as it halved the cost of the tour. It turned out this lovely man was called Sam and has lived in Toronto for 40 years and was a tourist in India!!! We had great fun together and really got to know each other as we walked and talked for the next hour and a half!!!
Since I last updated my blog I have been to Varanasi! I went there expecting not to like it but I have to say it turned out to be one of my highlights!!! This is the Hindu capital of the North and one of the oldest and most sacred cities in India. Walking along the Ghats of the river Ganga, day or night there is always a ceremony of some sort. And of course there are the cremations on the river. First thing in the morning, locals can be seen having their bath and washing their clothes. Being cremated at the River Ganges gives you the best chance of moving out of the cycle of reincarnation and moving on to heaven. People carry the body from up to 60km away to a cremation ghat where the body is piled on top of a pile of wood which is then set alight in a special ceremony and left burning overnight until it is just a pile of ashes and swept into the river. Needless to say I decided not to bathe there. Aside from the burning bodies, raw sewage is pumped into the river and they say it is actually septic!!!!
I have really enjoyed my time so far and have just had fun getting to know people from all over the world!!! India seems to attract a lot of westerners who are searching for something.......maybe some sort of spirituality...there is a huge focus on Yoga and meditation.
The food here has been amazing. While in Lucknow I had the privilege of staying with Usha and Jerusha! This was a real highlight and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them! I mention them under the food category as we shared some lovely meals together both in their home and at the Royal Cafe!!!
I constantly feel exhausted and am really looking forward to a whole week at the coast in Thailand where I can relax and unwind!!!!
In the last three weeks I think I have been on every form of transport possible in India and numerous times at that!!! I have been travelling lots and have been on numerous domestic airlines, overnight trains, Auto taxi's and Cycle rickshaws. Trains in India are a real unique experience!!! The train stations are the most interesting of all!!!
So I have been travelling round most of North India and this week I get to go to Bangelore in the South.
I have met some very interesting people along my journey and some have shown great kindness to me. I have had a few moments where I am ready to snap. It seems that in India absolutely everyone wants to cheat you and con you out of money. It makes it worse being a white person but they even do it with Indian's. It is a daily struggle and all part of life in India!!!! But God always provides me with something or someone. For example this week when I was in Lucknow, I went to visit Imam Bara. This is a building that was built by the king during the famine as a way to provide jobs for people. Today it is a historical monument beside the Muslim Temple. I had already paid what I considered to be a bit much for an entrance fee into this building and then the tour guide wanted to charge me more than he is supposed to charge for the tour!!!!! I said forget it, I will do without the tour. I was walking around annoyed that I had paid so much money to get in and now I was just going to have to walk out having wasted my money as I didn't know what it was all about. Anyway an Indian man approached me and said would you like to share a tour guide with me? Not only was this company for me on the tour but it was a great idea as it halved the cost of the tour. It turned out this lovely man was called Sam and has lived in Toronto for 40 years and was a tourist in India!!! We had great fun together and really got to know each other as we walked and talked for the next hour and a half!!!
Since I last updated my blog I have been to Varanasi! I went there expecting not to like it but I have to say it turned out to be one of my highlights!!! This is the Hindu capital of the North and one of the oldest and most sacred cities in India. Walking along the Ghats of the river Ganga, day or night there is always a ceremony of some sort. And of course there are the cremations on the river. First thing in the morning, locals can be seen having their bath and washing their clothes. Being cremated at the River Ganges gives you the best chance of moving out of the cycle of reincarnation and moving on to heaven. People carry the body from up to 60km away to a cremation ghat where the body is piled on top of a pile of wood which is then set alight in a special ceremony and left burning overnight until it is just a pile of ashes and swept into the river. Needless to say I decided not to bathe there. Aside from the burning bodies, raw sewage is pumped into the river and they say it is actually septic!!!!
I have really enjoyed my time so far and have just had fun getting to know people from all over the world!!! India seems to attract a lot of westerners who are searching for something.......maybe some sort of spirituality...there is a huge focus on Yoga and meditation.
The food here has been amazing. While in Lucknow I had the privilege of staying with Usha and Jerusha! This was a real highlight and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them! I mention them under the food category as we shared some lovely meals together both in their home and at the Royal Cafe!!!
I constantly feel exhausted and am really looking forward to a whole week at the coast in Thailand where I can relax and unwind!!!!
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