Finding Enlightenment?

Varanassi, a holy place where the streets are slick with cow shit from days and days of Monsoon rain. It was a challenge trying to navigate the lanes, alleys, ghats, streets, markets, paths and crannies of this city. In fact, it's so difficult addresses don't even exist as they would be meaningless. Lifa and I explored for 3 days. Up the river, down the river, and up the river again. It was memorizing watching the colours of the women, children and men dip themselves into the waters to cleanse their souls. Not only do non-Indian tourists come here but many "cultural tours" of India make a stop to let all the people take a dunk. Laura braved her big toe and did a little splashing...but really, that river is just disgusting. Just watching what rolls into it from Varanassi alone is appalling, then add on the hundreds of other cities that use it as their dumping grounds... ew!

We spent a day about a half hour auto-rickshaw ride from Varanassi center, checking out some very old Buddist temples and fending off beggars. The beggars are something I'm getting tired of. There are just so many, and they are so aggressive a lot of the time you have to physically push them out of the way. We're not two weeks into it, I know, but India is just a beat you down until you can't take it any more country... totally utterly exhausting. But the plus side of all the rain in Very-Nasty was the fact that we didn't find it too hot to drink about 30 pots of Chai each. Not only is this Indian tea mind-blowingly wonderful but it also will keep you awake for hours on end which we learned one night...that turned into a very early morning. If only I had known this during exam time.

As the title of this blog suggests, Lifa and I went on a search for enlightenment and the obvious choice of places to go looking was Bodhgaya where, under an old Bodhi tree, Buddah found his. I tried, I swear. But with all the hustle and bustle around and millions of people staring out you it's just not an easy task. We concluded enlightenment was similar to a very cold Fanta, on a very hot day. Ahhhhhh!

In Bodhgaya I also picked up some sort of delightful throat infection (yet to be dealt with) and a leaf of the actual tree Buddah became enlightened under! Amazing! The multitudes of Buddist temples around the sight make a regular pilgrimage stop for many - although that is mainly in October to late November and we only saw one other whitey. However, the town, as poverty stricken as it is, has a quaint feel that gives you that enlightened feeling...oh that enlightened feeling...

As of now, I am sitting in the wonderful AC of the Hotel Windsor in Patena, a mere pit stop for a overnight train connection to NJP, which is another pit stop on the way to Darjeeling. Two haul ass days of travel, that is for sure. Rickshaw, bus, train, rickshaw, cycle, train, rickshaw, train, and toy train. chug chug chugging along here in India. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I want to tell it to shove it (like earlier today). It changes by the second and dependent on how many people are trying to rip me off at a time.

Sorry about the lack of photos, I will add them later. It has just not been in the cards lately. Hit or miss with the computers, hit or miss with the power. Hit or miss India!