Varanasi

   Because we were in Varanasi and then moving into the guest houses it has made it a bit hard to get to post so I'm going to write a bit of a "catch up" talking about our trip in Varanasi.

12/31/11

      We woke up at about 5am to get picked up at our hotel.  From there we went through the winding roads and got dropped off by the Ganges river.  We walked through a long market where all the shops were still closed. There were a lot of people sleeping outside, the poverty in Varanasi was very prevalent.  We went down by the river where we were immediately swarmed by kids trying to sell us things.  We bought these little flower candle from cute little girls.  We went and got onto a boat that to go up and down the river.  It was probably one of the coolest parts of the trip so far.  The sun was rising behind us and the city was so amazing to look at it.  The architecture was unlike anything I’d seen before.  Our tour guide explained many different things to us about the structures.  We saw people bathing in the river and washing their clothes in the river.  When we were admiring the scenery there were people on boats trying to sell us random trinkets but we were more focused on what we were seeing.  We also got to light our candles we bought, put them in the river and make a wish.  Varanasi is known as the holy city. It is where many people come to get cremated.  Along the river we saw two crematories.  Our guide explained the processes and how it is very sacred to these people.  Once off the boat we wondered through skinning passages seeing various temples and shops.  It is so hard to believe that people truly live this way still.  We got to see a temple that was part Hindu and partly a Mosque. We couldn’t go inside because this temple was only for those practicing these religions but through the door we could see them.  After buying beautiful scarves we walked back towards were our van was and the market was coming to life as people were beginning to open their shops.

     From there we went to a University in Varanasi.  The difference in scenery was dramatic.  The university area was very nice and clean, looking more modern.  After the University we went back to the hotel for breakfast and were picked up again at noon.  We visited a variety of temples in the early afternoon.  It was very interesting to see people practicing their religion and to learn more about Hinduism.  The temples were all so beautiful.  We then went and visited a silk factory.  It was nothing like a factory though.. the shops were all within buildings and the buildings were connected by skinny paths.  We learned about how silk tapestries had to be made by hand and we were shown an area where about 100 different families lived and make these silk tapestries.  We were then shown these individuals making very unique designs by hand and they let some of us try it.  It was very intricate and we were told they only added on about an inch each day.  We then were shown a lot of different types of things created and we each bought a small piece of art.

  We also went and visited Sarnath, an ancient city that was now just ruins. Sarnath was the place where Buddha preached his first sermon.  We then visited the museum by the ruins which held on the ancient artifacts.  After this we saw this HUGE Buddha that we decided we had to take pictures by. 

      From there we stopped and grabbed some Indian food and headed back to the Ganges river.  To get to the river again we rode rickshaws.. which are basically a bike with a chariot thing behind it that 2 people can sit in.  With all the INSANE traffic in Varanasi riding the rickshaw was pretty scary at first but after about 10 minutes you get used to having cars 2 inches from you and knowing they won’t hit you (hopefully).  It was a lot of fun and we all laughed a lot.  Once by the river again we walked through the market which was now so full of life.  There were people literally EVERYWHERE.  Here Ashley and I used our first public toilet which we had to pay 5 rupees for.  Down by the river was a ceremony going on in honor of someone who died.  Our guide told us they do the ceremony every night.  It consisted of 7 priests doing their actions in unison.  They used incents and fire and preformed their sacred ceremony.

     In celebration of the new year our hotel had a buffet dinner, life music for a while, and then a DJ.  We all ate a lot and enjoyed bringing in the new year in a new country.