Well have we been hopping around quite a bit. From Jaiper we went to the National Park of Ranthambhore to hunt for tigers. No luck on the tigers but we did see plenty of other game in the beautiful park. Braving the cold mornings did reward us with seeing some wild dogs that looked a lot like small wolves and travelling in a pack, pretty cool. We successfully purchased train tickets to Agra learning my fault in the last attempt on my own, there is a form that needs to be filled out and brought to the reservation desk. Obviously LOL.
The train ride was adventurous as we had just sleeper seats which were full on our arrival. Showing our tickets we claimed our seats although still cramped with sometimes two guys per bunk all staring at us. Always with the staring, it can get quite uncomfortable at times. When a couple with their two small children arrive to claim their seats as well it became apparently that there wasn't many people with proper tickets. When the conducter arrived to check only are tickets Kim commented on this fact to which he replied after a pause, you are right madame. And with a head bob back and forth (which as far as I can tell means anything from yes to no to maybe to I don't want to talk to you right now) he said all the others had been wait listed. Perfect. With a stowaway sitting on my feet and Kim stuck behind baggage I strike up a conversation with the man of the couple who has arrived. His name is Lokesh and they are also going to Agra, a quick call to his family there that they are visiting and he confirms we must get off at the stop after them. The train is full of different reactions to us three, from the uncomfortable stares and glares from the majority of men to the genuine, shy smiles from most of the women to middle class couples who seem to enjoy talking with us and discussing where we have travelled. Also imparting advice to us along the way.
The Taj Mahal is more magnificent then I had imagined. We spent a good chunk of time wandering around, amazed by the beauty of all the marble work. And amazed by all the people around, the line up wrapping around street corners and us opting to pay to skip said line. Built beside a bend in the river in the shape of a moon, the Taj stands out like a star. Not to be missed I'm glad we have stopped in Agra. Also we managed to find mutton here for Kim which is a bloody miracle.
Our other successful train ticket pruchase to Varanasi proves unsuccessful as we have tried for a/c and been wait listed. Our hotel arranged other transport delivering us to a nearby train station and we tumble onto an overnight train to a village near to Varanasi. Discovering we have been separated between two cars we double up, Kim and I to a bunk. Cozy. This time knowing where to get off is more difficult but Kim has the wesite on her phone that keeps telling us the train is delayed. Our nine hour train turns into fourteen with the last 30 min spent standing by the door making small talk with a couple who just happen to be doctors. Again great suggestions and interesting discussion about the difference in our cultures.
Varanassi is a beautiful place, riverside of the Ganges it is a very holy city where enlightenment can be achieved by death and burning of the banks of the Ganges and reincarnation is interupted. Ghats, steps leading down to the river, line the rivers edges repeating until I can't see anymore. Morning and evening people can be seen at the base of the stairs washing themselves clean body and soul in the water of the Ganges. The burning ghats are a sight unlike any other that I have seen with one male family member accompanying the body through a process of wrapping in bright colored clothes, dunking in the Ganges and burning the deceased on huges stoked fires. Different levels are apparent for the different castes and not all can afford the wood to achieve the proper send off. It's incredible how death is looked at as just another process of life and how tears are not allowed as the soul cannot be released if in the presence of sadness. There was a beauty to it that words cannot describe.
The weather in Varanassi has shifted, it's raining and the north has become very cold to us all of the sudden. Plane tickets are booked and we are headed off south, time to hit the beach for these travellers. My bday is coming up and I want to spend it in the surf and gorge on some seafood. Next stop, Varkala.
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