Wow. I am surprised to be utterly charmed by Varanasi. Everyone says how crowded and dirty it is, and how the streets in the old city are so small you have to squeeze past the cows, and if you touch the Ganges your hand will probably fall off. Not to mention that all the drinking water is fake, and that almost everyone gets sick . . .
All true, to some extent. But nobody mentioned how beautiful the Ganges is with the sunlight catching the ripples in the early morning, or the amazing energy of this town. I really do think you can feel the difference when somewhere is a place of pilgrimage.
We arrived yesterday, the day after Holi. Holi is a huge spring festival, with a lot of paint-throwing and partying. It was very quiet when we arrived, possibly because of the collective hangover. There are still violet and green and pink splatters everywhere, on people's clothes and the walls and the ground. We got a little bit of green paint on our forehead after a hospital visit (for the other two - I'm still feeling remarkably healthy), but that was all.
The train trip from Chennai (35 hours) was fun, with Meagan and Hikari playing the guitar to general acclaim. We met a lovely Buddhist monk on a pilgrimage from Sri Lanka. He read my palm and told me a lot of interesting things, including that I am under protection from the Divine - when I am getting into dangerous situations, it will get me out of them. So that's a relief.
Seriously, you all know that I am way cycnical. But if I have ever met anyone that I believe was psychic, it was this guy. He radiated beautiful energy.
We're staying at a lovely little guesthouse in the old town. It has a bright blue and green courtyard full of plants, and balconies overlooking the Ganges. We're planning to go on a boat down the river another morning at sunrise (well, maybe sunset, depending on laziness).
I am also now in full-on shopping mode. 7 shopping days to go . . .
I'm all indecisive about whether I'm ready to go home or not yet. A lot of people go to Nepal from here. Hmm. I'm still signed up for this meditation retreat in Bodh Gaya on the 16th March. Then I jump on a train back to Chennai, and arrive back in cold, gray London on April 2nd. What to do?
Incidentally, I won't be writing anything the 16-27th March, because I'll be on the retreat, and we're not allowed paper, let alone email.