it's good to be travelling again.. i was stagnant for far too long in khajuraho.. yesterday we left khajuraho for satna to catch the train to varanasi.. i wasn't feeling too well i've been having stomach pain from too much chappati, sabji, dal, etc. at the patni family abode. chappati paratha etc is very thick and heavy.. and boiling the vegetables takes a lot of the minerals out.. so i think my problem is i was left with intestines full of just heaviness.. and indian family custom is to fill the guest until he can't possibly eat anymore.. multiply that by 12 days and you know how i felt.. so slowly slowly i am trying to replace that with lighter fare.. anyhow on account of that and other factors we took a taxi (which wasn't too expensive) rather than the bus to satna.. then from satna to varanasi we were on the waiting list - nos 46 and 47.. and our chances of getting seats weren't very good.. but this is india and slowly i am learning its ways.. for example without any ticket at all one can board almost any train in india so long as one doesn't mind sleeping / sitting on the floor or crumpled into a ball on a small seat with 4 or 5 other people.. so we picked a cab (S5 in this case) and just sort of pushed our way in.. the TTE / conductor asked us if we were really in S5 and i said yes we were.. and that was that.. didn't show him a ticket the whole time (10 hours) and he was sitting there the whole time.. sometimes from what i hear it requires a little baksheesh .. maybe 10 or 20 rupia for indians.. maybe 50 or 100 for tourists.. but in this case we just sort of made our way on and this thing was packed.. it says max 72 people.. i think we had 150 in one cab.. (lea says she counted 27 people in one compartment intended for 8 - including the small children)and first we were standing, looking for a place to sit.. next lea was sitting with a small indian boy on her lap.. then all of a sudden our bags were taken care of under the seat and i was sitting on the floor .. and so on and so forth.. moving around.. everyone sitting leaning sleeping on everyone else.. eventually from 1am to 5am i slept marvellously on the floor with my legs under the seat atop the luggage and my head on my blanket.. and talking with everyone as best we could with our limited hindi skills..
then when we arrived varanasi we met a nice man who took us to a nice, cheap hotel by the ganga.. and the hotel provided a guide who took us to the river and showed us the cremation ghats where i saw one body burning and another being prepared for the same.. very regal looking.. and peaceful he was.. anyhow the guide was free b/c he led us to a silk shawl dealer but we didn't buy anything so c'est la vie.. although one piece would make a nice table decoration so i might go back for it if he reconsiders his price.. anyhow tonight there is a ceremony on the ganga and also tomorrow morning.. so we must go soon.. and tomorrow morning a boat ride at 5.30 am.. anywot.. cheers all and all my love..
