from the bottom of the sea to the top of the world

After leaving my aunt at the airport and boarding a bus for 6 more hours on the road, I finally arrived in Haridwar.  It was 3am, and I was exhausted!  I checked into a hotel and slept through breakfast the next morning.  I had 1 goal in mind for that day - I HAD to buy a train ticket onwards to Varanassi for Sept. 30.  I learned that trains sell out fast in India, and the more advanced notice, the better.  The odds of finding a seat on a train the day before or the day of that you would like to travel is next to impossible.  I headed towards the train station to get my ticket.  I was shocked at how difficult the process was to make a purchase.  First off, after waiting in line for 20 minutes, I was told I needed to wait in another line... the line for women.  There was only one clerk available for women to buy tickets, all others were to service men only.  I was shocked to see this type of descrimination at a train station!  The line of women wasn't moving after waiting yet another 20 minutes, and I gave up and decided it was worth my paying the 5 dollar commission to get a travel agent to buy it for me.  I headed to an agent recommended by my guide book who made the purchase.  He explained to me that on the day I want to travel, there are 2 trains - one with a/c, one without.  I definately wanted the one with a/c.  This train was already sold out, however I could be put on the 'reserves' list.  This guaranteed me a spot on the train, though I might have to share my bed, as it was a sleeper/ overnight train, with up to 2 other people!  Are you KIDDING!  I was going to have to sit on a train for TWENTY hours and share a seat with 2 other people???  He told me that 4 people were on the waiting list ahead of me, and that since my number was 5th in line, the odds were pretty good that I would get a bed to myself, but that I wouldn't know for sure until the day of.  I decided to trust in the 'odds' and hope that 4 other people who currently have reservations would cancel their tickets, bumping me up to a private bed just for me.  I booked my ticket and headed off to explore my new destination.
The town of Haridwar is one of the most sacred cities in India.  The reason being that it is at the juncture of where the holiest river, the Ganges, travels south from Nepal and the Himalayan Mtns. and enters the foothills of the Indian border.  This is the sight of the start of the river in India.  Over the next 3 cities I would visit in India, I would be a witness to even more of the strange and inexplainable customs of the Indian people.  This is because from Haridwar, I was following the river southeast through India, with my final 2 stops in the country both being along the holy Ganges.  Indians treat the river as though it is a direct stairway to God, performing rituals from sacrifices to cremations on the banks, praying to the river every sunset, and bathing and drinking in its horribly polluted waters.
To get to the river from Haridwar, I walked through the city streets to the main market area, where one could buy anything from holy herbs and flowers to babys formula and clothes.  I wanted to start souvenir shopping, but everything I saw seemed to just be junk that would sit on a shelf and collect dust.  Nothing really spoke to me.  As I came upon the river and crossed over to the other side via foot bridge, I was surprised at some of the things I saw.  The river itself is quite wide, reminding me of the mighty mississippi, being the width of a football field across.  The water was rushing under the bridge at a speed that might cause one to loose their balance if they were to try standing in it.  In fact, at another section of the river, people frequently raft its rapids.  The water appeared thick and dirty, and despite my trying to see through it, couldn't find any translucency to it.  I'm told they fish from this river, but I can't imagine anything actually surviving in it.  On the other side of the river, the banks were lined with concrete slabs, or bathing ghats, where I watched the locals engaging in every sort of behavior.  From bathing with soap, to washing laundry, to going to the bathroom or giving their cow or child a bath, and even using the water for cooking and drinking.  It is also considered the holiest place to die, and dead bodies are cremated riverside or sunk into the river whole, but more on that process later.  Things frequently floated by in the waters, as the locals also used the rushing flow to take away their trash.  I walked up the ghats for a good mile before arriving at the next footbridge to cross back to the other side.  Thats when I found the main ghat where a holy ceremony is conducted every evening at sunset.  I was looking forward to seeing it that night.  On this main ghat, cows were roaming, people were praying, sick were brought to be healed, and it seemed everybody was approaching me asking for donations to some God or to purchase prayer beads or flowers for the river. 
After doing some people watching for a good hour, I decided to check out another attraction in town, as the sunset ceremony was still several hours away.  I headed to the foot of a hill and caught a cable car ride to the top, where I was granted access to walk around a hindu temple.  By this point, I had seen several temples, but the general feel of this one was that it was a joke.  The gods and Goddesses are represented by cartoon-like figures that made it hard for me to take anything seriously.  The people who were working in the temple certainly did, as I was ushered to take off my shoes, and then the pleaing for donations began.  Around every corner was another donation table, and some holy man handing out prayers for those who contribute.  The Indians who were visiting the temple, some from very far off places in India, were very enthusiastic and ritualistic about bowing down to certain idols, crawling at times on their hands and knees, touching some and then kissing their fingers, walking around a statue 3 times, buying a handful of flower petals and seeds to lay at the idols feet, etc.  Still, after all the time I have been in India, I continue to be baffelled by the way the Hindu religion is participated in, and the extremes locals go through and the superstitions they believe in the hopes their soul will be reincarnated and saved.
I walked outside the temple to take in the views of the city below, and found I was surrounded by monkeys which were all watching me from the surrounding trees.  I enjoyed their company for a while before heading back down to the Ganges in time to catch the sunset ceremony.
When I had arrived at the Ghat I was at just hours before, I instantly noticed that the number of people who were there had significantly grown, as the whole town comes out and lines the river banks for the ceremony.  I also noticed the increase in security, as I was frisked and my bags checked before I was allowed entrance.  I had to hand my shoes over to the 'shoe keeper' (for some reason I wasn't even allowed to put them in my backpack or carry them in), and I found a place with a good view of the river 500 feet below me.  the crowds were thick and I was nervous about pickpockets as everyone crowded in for a view of the river.  As I waited for the service to start, I noticed i was getting alot of attention.  First off, Indians seem to be amazed by blond hair.  Several times I've had people touch my hair or ask me if it was natural.  2nd, I had my digital camera in hand, and Indians just LOVE having their picture taken!  I had already seen this from kids mostly, but continue to be amazed at how much the adults love it as well!  I had an old man that was standing next to me, watching me intently, causing me to feel uncomfortable.  Finally, he pointed to my camera.  Thinking that he was wanting me to hand it over so he could look at it, which is something I refuse to do, I instantly shook my head and said no in a rude tone, hoping he would back out of my personal space.  Again, he pointed at my camera, but this time made the motion of taking a picture.  Thats when I understood that he was asking for me to take HIS picture.  I obliged and showed him the picture of himself on the digital screen.  He stared at it in amazement for 5 solid minutes before bowing to me with a huge smile, saying 'namaste', or thankyou, and walking away.  Several times that evening, I had an adult ask me to take their picture, and then show it to them.  It was almost as though they've never seen an image of themselves before; they were so mesmerized by the screen.  I felt guilty erasing all the pictures of the locals that I had taken, so I tried to do that in privacy later in the night.
The ceremony began, as I watched several bonfires along the river get lit.  A ceremonial chant was recited over loud speakers, and then the 1000+ people who were there to bare witness broke out in the most beautiful song, all clapping their hands to the music with happiness and peacefulness.  They repeated the song continuously until the sun had set on the horizon.  While the song was being song, more individual candles were being lit.  The locals had bought little flower boats that they put their prayers into, and then lit a candle inside them as they watch their prayer boats go down the river.  It was a very moving ceremony, and every time I would see it thereafter, again and again, I would never tire of it.  Before setting their little prayer boats down stream, however, they would be passed around the crowd, hand over head, as everyone who touched the prayer boats waved their hands over the open flame and then ran their hands through their hair, as if they were washing themselves with the fire.  To see a massive crowd passing along these prayer boats and then casting them into the river was a beautiful site.  The bigger bonfires that were set were used for other purposes, as I watched a crowd of men line up to walk through the fire, shaking hands with those on the other side once they successfully passed through.  Within a half hour, the ceremony had ended, and those with prayer boats that were previously too far back from the waters to set them afloat were finally able to make their way through the crowds as people started to leave the riverside.  I wasn't able to stay too long after, though, because the 'shoe keeper' closed shop at exactly 7:pm, and the service ended 10 minutes prior to. So if I wanted my shoes back, I had to make a beeline through the crowds, and was in fact able to get there with just minutes to spare.  I wonder how many pairs of shoes he acquires every night!
The next day, I took a local bus one hour upstream to the Yoga capital of the world... Rishikesh.  It received its nickname due to the amount of Yogis that reside and teach there, in addition to the fact that people come from all over the world to study yoga and meditation under their goru.  In fact, there are these places called Ashrams, which are like dormitories, where you can stay for free as long as you abide by the ashrams rules, which at some places are strictly enforced.  Rules may include attending 3 yoga classes per day (provided sometimes for free depending on teacher and location), starting at 6am, or engaging in meditation for a certain amount of time, or studying spirituality, etc.  They sometimes have a curfew, and accomodations are very basic, though you do get a private room with bathroom.  I did pop into an Ashram that a german guy I met was staying at, and sat through a yoga class with him.  It certainly peaked my curiousity about trying it out when I get back home, and I've met many who swear by its curitive powers. 
When I first arrived to Rishikesh, I hired a rigshaw to get me to the river side where all the action was.  One of the most popular sites in town is the giant suspension bridge that spans the river.  It was for pedestrians only, but once in a while a cow would wonder across, and monkeys seemed to consider it their playground as they swung across the top of it.  On the other side of the river were the majority of guest houses, ashrams, shops, and ghats, including the main ghat where they held their sunset ceremony.  I found Rishikesh to be the most peaceful place I had been in india.  The hassles were minimal in comparison to other places I had been, though they were still there.  Tourists were abundant, all walking around with their yoga mats and hippy clothing. I came to the main ghat, where I decided to sit by the river for a bit and people watch.  Within 10 minutes, while I was enjoying just relaxing and watching the strong waters flow by, an Indian family that was on vacation approached me and requested to take a picture with me.  I said sure and posed with the large family.  Then they got carried away, as I ended up posing for 10 more pics with each individual family member, from grandparents to 10 year old grand son.  Once I agreed to one pic, they became very aggressive, but not in a hurtful way.  They grabbed my hat and sunglasses off me and used them to pose in pictures, without first asking.  They hung all over me in the pics, put there arms around me, hugging me, touching and playing with my hair, grabbing the map out of my hands and the book I had been reading, etc.  I was shocked at how quickly it got out of hand, and how they totally invaded my personal space and took my things without asking for use in the pictures.  It was bizarre and finally I had to draw a line and rudely tell them to stop and no more pictures.  If that is what celebrities go through with their fans, I can understand why sometimes they snap at people and are rude.  Shortly there after, the family left and I was alone again.  I must say that to them and their culture, they probably don't think they did anything wrong, and they were pleasant enough about it, saying thank you to me afterwards and even asking me to stay with them in their house.  I felt a bit offended at how they kept shoving themselves around me, sitting on my lap, posing me, grabbing my personal items.  But that is my americanized view on personal space, and social rules about touching people and asking permission to borrow things, which are strictly a cultural value.  Not a universal one.
I spent the rest of the day lazily exploring the riverside and bathing ghats, observing the local culture, and checking out some temples.  I made it back to the main ghat to observe my second sunset ceremony.  This one was even more moving than the previous one.  It felt more intimate, even though there were tons of people there.  The ceremony went on for more than an hour rather than 30 minutes like the one in Haridwar.  People lit candles and joined in song and prayer, with the sound of the roaring river in the background.  prayer boats were once again sent downstream.  People were putting their arms around each other as they sang, rocking back and forth with the music.  There were tons of little kids at this one, who seemed to be given some responsibilities in assisting in the ceremony by singing into the microphone and playing drums and instruments to the music, as if they were in training.  Again, it was a beautiful experience to watch.
After the ceremony, I grabbed dinner at a local restaurant, and then headed back to the bus station and caught the bus to haridwar. 
When I arrived back at my hotel and turned on the lights in my room, I instantly noticed the herd of roaches that had made my bed their home, and was disgusted.  I had seen only 2 roaches in the room over the last 2 previous nights, which is pretty normal for here, so I didn't think anything of it.  But this had been a particularly humid day, and the hotels shut off the electricity to the rooms once you leave the key at the desk, so my A\C had been off all day.  I went to complain at the desk, and the guy told me that they would change the sheets.  I said I wanted a different room, but he told me there was only one other room available, and it didn't have a/c.  He followed me up to the room, but of course by this time the bugs had all gone into hiding, so I could tell he didn't believe me and thought I was being a stupid girl overreacting to 1 bug.  He humored me and brought someone in to change the sheets, though i still wasn't sastisfied.  I wanted a different mattress, as I suspected that they were in the crappy, old foam mattresses they use here.  He said ok, and when the mattress was lifted, the nest of roaches went scampering further into hiding.  I told him I refused to spend another night there, packed my bag, and said I'd be back for my pack once I found another hotel with a/c.  I walked up and down the street, but it was close to midnight by this point, and knew it would be a lost cause, as other hotels were more dirty than the one I was at.  I found one hotel with a/c room, but when I walked in to check out the room and turn on the lights, again the roaches went scampering, so I turned it down.
I went back to my hotel and negotiated a price cut in exchange for the room without a/c, he agreed, and so I moved rooms and got a crappy nights sleep b/c it was hot and humid, and I slept with one eye open expecting the attack of the killer roaches at any moment.
The following day was a waste for me, as I had a 10pm train ticket to wait around for.  I spent some time online updating my blogs, walked into the markets and bought some souvenirs, and relaxed in my hotel room until 9pm, as I had also negotiated a late check out for a small extra fee.  I learned later that day that I had been bumped up the wait list and actually was assigned a bed for the train, which was great news!  I was looking forward to a good nights sleep in 1st class accomodation, and learning that I wouldn't have to share my bed with anyone was the best thing I could've been told!
The train ride to Varanassi would take 20 hours via the express train.  We were expected to arrive around 4pm the following day.  I checked out of my hotel and made my way to the station, which was complete mayhem.  people were sleeping everywhere, including inbetween train tracks.  I couldn't get information about which track my train would be on, and no one seemed to have a clue as to who I should ask.  Finally, I found someother backpackers on the same train as me, and we banned together and figured it out.  When the train pulled in and I found my assigned bed, I was shocked at what my first class bed with a/c bought me. 
Once again, I was surrounded by roaches.  The coach was absolutely disgusting.  The smell was hard to take, and the A/C was hardly working.  There were food crumbs and trash all over the floor.  Sheets and a towel were provided on each bed, but as I later was witness to, they are never washed. Simply folded up again the next morning and left for the next customer to use.  Eeww!  The bed was small and barely long enough to stretch out on.  In my little room were 8 beds.  We were packed in like sardines, and I instantly was reminded of readings about the trains that took people to the concentration camps in WWII.  And did I mention the roaches??? Once again, I got no sleep, as roaches crawled all over the place.  On the walls next to my bed, on the bottom of the bed that was on top of me ( I was the middle of three stacked beds, and watched all night as I anticipated a roach falling on my face), they crawled over my bed sheets, which I had to tuck in tightly despite the heat in order to keep them off my skin.  I couldn't believe the conditions of this 1st class accomodation, and it left me wondering what the people were dealing with in the back coaches, that didn't pay for the a/c. 
When the morning came, I was thankful as the bugs went into hiding, people started waking up, and food was being brought around, though I was too scared to eat any of it considering the conditions on the train.  I munched on a bag of chips and resolved myself to staying hungry until we arrived at our destination.  We arrived at Varanassi an hour and a half later than scheduled, getting in at 5:30pm.  Walking off the train, I took a breath of air and was so thankful to be released from what felt like a jail cell.
Varanassi would be my final stop in India.  I would stay for 2 full days before heading to Nepal, my last destination of the trip.
As I would discover, Varanassi had its share of new shocks and strange rituals that would leave me scrambling to get out of India.