3/24/08

Tonite I'm in Kajaruho, India. I just arrived here after an all day drive from
Varanasi. It's about 9 PM. We started at about noon. It's been a very long
day. I've hired an air conditioned car and driver for the next 4 days bacause
I really didn't feel like dealing with bus stations, train stations, taxis etc.
This was pretty expensive, but it's too hot here to be dealing with aggravation.
The car just make things very easy. India is a very strange place - the less hassles,
the better at this point.

Arrived in Varanasi from Kathmandu on Saturday. This was an interesting place to
see. This is the holiest city in India. Formerly called Benares, it is on the Ganges
River, another sacred site. Hindu people are supposed to come here at least once
in their life to bathe in the river to get purified. It is also where they come 
to be creamated and have their ashes spread into the river. Last night I took a 
boat ride up the river to see the funeral pyres burning. There is a large area on
the steps going down to the water, there were about 10 fires burning. Because it
was dark, you really couldn't see anything, so they just looked like big bonfires
- not like in Kathmandu, where I watched the ceremony, then the whole creamation.

Now, I'm in Kajaruho. There are some ancient temples here that I've come
to see that are supposed to be pretty spectacular. I'll find out in the morning.

As I said before, I'm finding India to be a very strange place. So far, I'm
really not too crazy about it. This is the filthiest place I've ever seen. There
are beggars everywhere, and everywhere you go people want your money. Don't 
EVEN think about driving here! 

I love the tour guides. They come up to you and start walking and talking with you
like they're your best friend, telling you all about the place, how much they
like your hair, Where are uou from, I have cousins in New York (yeah-OK!), then 
when you're done, they hit you up for money. I had one today. As soon as he 
came up to me, I told him - NO GUIDE! He says, I'm not guide - I'm local
person. Now, I already know his game, so I let him go through his routine like clockwork,
all the time ignoring him. when He tells me to go this way, I look at him and tell
him - Hey, I'm taking pictures here! Anyway, he stuck to me like glue, talking,
talking, talking - understood about 1/4 of what he was saying. Finally I went back
to the car with my "guide" one step behind me. When I stopped he asked
me what I thought. I said I thought it was OK - but I knew what he was really getting
to. You give me some money? - he asks me  - I said to him - I told you I didn't
want a guide. I didn't ask for you. You took it upon yourself. I said no. And
NO I'm not giving you money, not get away from me. These people have been everywhere
I've travelled, but here in India they've been the most irritating.

I don't have much time to spend here, so I hope I find some of the great places
everyone has told me about. So far all I've seen is a very depressing, sad place.


Incredible India?? 



Show me.......




One life - LIVE IT!