Oh yeah! We sucessfully crossed the boarder (easiest boarder crossing so far) into Nepal after 2 horrific and caustrophobic days of bus rides. I feel much better and we are loving Nepal.
First though, our last stop in India.
Varanasi is a holy city for hindu people as it is the site of the holy Ganges river and religious ghats (stairs/platforms to the river) line the bank. Many Indian people make a pilgramage to this city each year to bathe in the river, it is believed to wash one of all their sins and help them achieve Nirvana. The old city lies right along the river and there is a walkway along all of the ghats. There are hundreds if temples in this city as well.
Each ghat is special for its own religious reason and some date back thousands of years. As you walk along the ghats and river you can see many people bathing, making religious offerings or priests performing religious rites. I tell you the people watching is at its best here.
One especially bizaar ghat was Manikarnika where cremations are performed all day, every day. A worker told us that there are about 350 cremations done each day. As a foreigner, this is really a bizaar sight and strange to be standing there watching these proceedings. For Indians, this is the place to come and die. The most holy place and people come from all over India to spend their last days.
Another ghat has nightly Hindu ceremonies where people buy floating candels and orange marigolds to float down the river and the priests perform some religious songs/actions. The river lights up as hundreds of these candles float buy.
The river itself is said (by western scientists) to be dead, or septic; so polluted and dirty that it is shocking that people (by the hundreds) are bathing in it and drinking it. But the Hindus believe that it is holy and will cure ills, clean them physically, spiritually and emotionally. You can watch the bathers lined along the ghats and flintch as they wash their babies, rinse their mouth and swim across the water. They say that you may also see an occasional dead cow (or body) floating down the water, but luckily we didn't get to see this. People on land will be going the bathroom (not just #1) a few feet from the shore and raw sewage is another big pollution in the river. With my western conception of sanitation, it was hard to watch and we often had to cover our mouths and look away. It's hard not to pass judgement, this is their beliefs and way of living, and they have been making pilgramages here for thousands of years.
Each ghat is special for its own religious reason and some date back thousands of years. As you walk along the ghats and river you can see many people bathing, making religious offerings or priests performing religious rites. I tell you the people watching is at its best here.
One especially bizaar ghat was Manikarnika where cremations are performed all day, every day. A worker told us that there are about 350 cremations done each day. As a foreigner, this is really a bizaar sight and strange to be standing there watching these proceedings. For Indians, this is the place to come and die. The most holy place and people come from all over India to spend their last days.Another ghat has nightly Hindu ceremonies where people buy floating candels and orange marigolds to float down the river and the priests perform some religious songs/actions. The river lights up as hundreds of these candles float buy.
The river itself is said (by western scientists) to be dead, or septic; so polluted and dirty that it is shocking that people (by the hundreds) are bathing in it and drinking it. But the Hindus believe that it is holy and will cure ills, clean them physically, spiritually and emotionally. You can watch the bathers lined along the ghats and flintch as they wash their babies, rinse their mouth and swim across the water. They say that you may also see an occasional dead cow (or body) floating down the water, but luckily we didn't get to see this. People on land will be going the bathroom (not just #1) a few feet from the shore and raw sewage is another big pollution in the river. With my western conception of sanitation, it was hard to watch and we often had to cover our mouths and look away. It's hard not to pass judgement, this is their beliefs and way of living, and they have been making pilgramages here for thousands of years.
After a few mind-blowing days in Varanasai, we finally said farewell to India (good riddance) and headed into Nepal. It took two full days of train rides and horrifying bus rides to get to Pokara, 
Nepal where we dropped our things and stayed for 4 days. We are so happy to have some fresh air and mountain stuff to do (the trekking, rafting, hiking, yoga, climbing...possibilities are endless). We were feeling quite a bit out of sorts in India where there isn't much activity other than fighting off rickshaw drivers, eating, and coughing. We met a great couple from England on our last train in India and crossed the boarder together. 
They also had mixed feelings about India and we had many a great moments rehashing our crazy stories together. We really did see some great things, and man the stories to tell.... but it was a test of severe patience every day, and we are happy to be in the slower, friendlier, not so pushy northern neighbor now. Ahhhh (you can see my happiness in one of these pictures).
We have already done a couple of wonderful day hikes; one to a tibetan world peace pagoda which looks out over all of Pokara and the lake. We were escorted by some very good guides who kept us safe and entertained the whole way up.
Another hike was bright and early to a viewpoint at sunrise to watch the amazing, towering, close Annapurna range change from blue to pink to white, beautiful.
We are scheduled to fly to Jomosom tomorrow to start a 10 day trek among small Nepali villages and massive Himalayan peaks. So excited, but it is going to be freezing again. We will be out of internet range for the trek so we will update this blog when we get back to Pokara (not sure how long we will take maybe a little more than a week).
5 comments:
The Nepal border picture is the best thing I have ever seen. The happiness on your face is priceless! Have so much fun.
KEV
P.S. I,I,I,I want the knife...please.
We're glad we read the "I'm feeling much better" blog before the "pneumonia and coughing her lights out" one! We'll pass on India, you're commentary has put that country on the bottom of our list. You sound excited about Nepal and your trek. This will be after the fact, but stay safe and warm. Love & miss you both!
READERS WARNING....DO NOT CLICK ON fejar COMMENTS!!!! This is a virus. kele may be also.
i've just spent the last hour catching up on the blog. it is amazing and evokes so much emotion from even a readers perspective. i guess i am trying to imagine every moment merely because i wish i could be doing something as amazing. maybe next year....
the anonymous was me, shelley, guess i forgot to sign out! and i'm the smart one in the family!
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