holy crap and i missed my train

o.k. so bodhgaya didn't quite afford the peace i was seeking. i thought i had a volunteer opportunity set up but those hopes were dashed overnight, i was scammed by street kids (yes i knew better but was so affected by the poverty in kolcata i was vulnerable... i know i know), dodging potentially shady people and going deaf from the sounds of loud angry horns honking right as whatever the honker was, be it rickshaw or motor bike, went by in the narrow streets... so i decided to bust out after 2 days. i booked an overnight train to varanasi. the only one with available seating departs gaya at 4:15a.m. which meant leaving bodhgaya at 3:00a.m. but i was ready. was a bit shady going out at that time but i held onto my bags in the rickshaw and made it to the station in relatively good order. the computerized screen sent me to platform 4 at which i stood amongst families who call this home, sleeping on the dirty floor, and waited patiently for quite some time. i'm on india time here so i was concerned but not panicked when it was getting a bit late. anyway, a turbaned man approached me as i stood out like a sore thumb, asked where i was headed and then made a shooshing sound with gesture informing me that i had missed my train. he helped me to the station manager who, after excitedly rambling on about the election of obama, wrote a note on my ticket to allow me on the next train. however, this manager didn't tell me which train or where it was going (was too busy going on about our new prez obama), just "wait 15 min and get on the train at platform 1". so, this is what i did. however, my original ticket was for sleeper class and on this train i could find no seat. i went to 3ac and found a space and managed to sleep for a half hr or so before getting kicked out and sent back to the crammed sleeper section (i was stuck betw cars with my heavy packs feeling like my neck would break forever). i crammed in with some other people and arrived in varanasi around 1:00p.m. (originally to arrive at 8:00a.m.). so, that was a whole ton of no fun but now i'm in varanasi and WOW !!! this city has energy like i've never experienced! how to describe varanasi?! i think you have to witness firsthand but i'll try to paint a picture. it's just reality: life, death, spirituality, joy and sadness played out before you on the great ganga; no walls, no rules, no limits. there are cows bathing in the water next to people doing laundry, people bathing themselves, dung patties being handformed and dried next to laundry being dried on the ghat steps, kids playing at kite-cutting or cricket near wood being stacked and fires stoked for cremations, spiritual cremation ceremonies with drunken "social workers" scamming tourists claiming their money will help pay for wood for poor families, people praying, meditating, doing yoga, orange turbaned sarduhs and of course the touts and boats ... so many colors, so many sites (and so many smells) and this colorful ancient city full of hidden temples perched on the river's edge with spires emerging from the murky waters... it's absolutely incredible! and if you read the stats on the bacteria levels in this water, it's amazing watching people frolic in it and drinking it as they do! and i won't step foot in the charles!!! jaime, you would not do well here! (my sis the microbiologist :) ). step away from the ghats and you can lose yourself seemingly forever in the maze of narrow alleys lined with silk and clothing shops, jewelry shops, temples, tailories, sweet shops where trays upon trays and bowls upon bowls of colorful indian sweets are being spread, rolled, stacked and patted, small shops where huge steaming pans roast on flaming hot coals and men work dough into all shapes and sizes, cow stalls, veg stands, endless cha stalls and have i mentioned the cows? it's really difficult to process all that is going on in these alleyways while trying to dodge cows and their fresh patties, motorbikes (which will fit down only some of the alleys but i'm always amazed they manage to squeeze thru any of them and haul at ridiculous speeds), bicycles and pedestrians. you name it, it's all happening here. i always have a list of things to do but my eyes constantly pull me in different directions and i never come back having done what i set out to do.

in the evenings there's a huge puja ceremoney where thousands of people gather to give blessings to the goddess ganga. this week is yet another divali festival with fireworks, music and dance performers on top of the regular ceremony. guess i'm heading out just before the big day but i'm somewhat happy to be avoiding that crowd! i can't even imagine! so many people gather here as it is!
this a.m. 11/11 i dragged myself out of bed at 5:30a.m. to take the dawn river boat ride. we witnessed a cremation ceremony, the sun glowing red over the boatfilled river and dusty beach on the other side, pilgrims coming to the river to give blessing and bath, yogi's in training and so many other things i don't have the imagination to paint a picture for at this moment. this place has me on stimulus overload... i need to go and decompress. altho i must confess to a decompression dinner at a very tranquil, comfy lounge with candlelight, low tables and cushions and soothing tribal tunes overlooking the river. then i had to walk home thru the sea of "madame?!" "madame?!" "boat madame?!" "which country you from?!" "what's your name?" "you want hashish?" "beautiful smile!" i'll leave the rest out. aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!! with that, i'm ready to leave but this place will hold as one of my favorite cities on earth regardless of the hassles and pollution!
tomorrow a.m. i go to hardiwar via an 18 hr train ride and then to rishikesh via a bus ride. ugh! hope i don't miss this one!!! i'm hoping to join a girl on a short, easy trek out of rishikesh, check out redchilliadventure.com, chandershila trek. she was supposed to leave on the 13th which isn't possible for me so the company was going to try to see if she could change to the 14th. i pray she can! o.k. hope to get photos of varanasi up before too long but internet's really slow here and then i'll hopefully be trekking so may be awhile. until next time :)