We had some students who were a little apprehensive about taking the night train. What would it be like? Would it be clean? Would they be able to sleep? And now we know. Our train car was in the first class section, with bunk-style beds curtained off from the hallway. There were sheets, small pillows, and some rather scratchy blankets. Each section had 6 beds, so students hopped from section to section to hang out with various friends at different times. I believe that some students made friends with a rather cute Indian young man. Other students went right to sleep. At about 9:00 PM, food was brought around for us on little metal trays. We had rice, chapatis, naan, and either tandoori chicken or lentil and potato dahl. It appears that even train food in India tastes pretty great. Most of us found it surprisingly easy to sleep on the train, and it was hard to wake up at 6:00 AM when we were moving into the city of Veranasi.
The last half hour of our train ride, when most of us were awake, was quite interesting. It is a rural area outside the city, and the train passed farms and fields and tiny little villages. We saw women hand-shaping cow dung into oval patties, which were laid out to dry in the sun and then stacked neatly into stupa-shaped piles. Everything here seems to be stacked up like the temple spires! We also saw a large number of cows, and goats were just about everywhere. The area here is very dusty and dry, and everything seemed to be a yellowish gray color, broken by the bright green of the trees and the neon-green of the algae covered reservoirs.
The train stations are buzzing with activity. As soon as our bus stopped, we were swarmed with red-shirted porters asking to carry our luggage. Most students opted to carry their own, but some engaged the porters. It was amazing to see it! The porters whipped out a piece of cloth, quickly twisted it, spiraled it onto their heads, and then lifted the bags--one, two, or even three!--up onto their heads with almost no effort at all. Then they started walking, fast. We could barely keep up, and these guys were carrying huge loads of luggage! On their heads! The Delhi train station was intense, with huge crowds, extremely pungent smells, road dogs, monkeys, hawkers, and a a lot of rather long stairways up and over to the tracks. We made it. But it was definitely an experience.
The Veranasi station is smaller, but definitely stinkier. And infested with cute little monkeys.
Our hotel is in a middle class area, with shops and restaurants and parks safely within walking distance. We changed our schedule so that we had a free morning for students to unwind, sleep, or explore. Some are out at a nearby "luxury" shopping mall, which I'm sure will be an interesting experience. Others are not feeling well and are staying in--we have 4 who have picked up some kind of stomach bug already. There is a traditional Indian massage spa at the hotel, and I think some students are considering trying it out. We leave soon for Sarnath, the place where Buddha first started preaching. We'll get to see the sunset aarti tonight from the Ganges, which should be amazing. I think Veranasi is going to be a powerful and amazing place to experience.
The last half hour of our train ride, when most of us were awake, was quite interesting. It is a rural area outside the city, and the train passed farms and fields and tiny little villages. We saw women hand-shaping cow dung into oval patties, which were laid out to dry in the sun and then stacked neatly into stupa-shaped piles. Everything here seems to be stacked up like the temple spires! We also saw a large number of cows, and goats were just about everywhere. The area here is very dusty and dry, and everything seemed to be a yellowish gray color, broken by the bright green of the trees and the neon-green of the algae covered reservoirs.
The train stations are buzzing with activity. As soon as our bus stopped, we were swarmed with red-shirted porters asking to carry our luggage. Most students opted to carry their own, but some engaged the porters. It was amazing to see it! The porters whipped out a piece of cloth, quickly twisted it, spiraled it onto their heads, and then lifted the bags--one, two, or even three!--up onto their heads with almost no effort at all. Then they started walking, fast. We could barely keep up, and these guys were carrying huge loads of luggage! On their heads! The Delhi train station was intense, with huge crowds, extremely pungent smells, road dogs, monkeys, hawkers, and a a lot of rather long stairways up and over to the tracks. We made it. But it was definitely an experience.
The Veranasi station is smaller, but definitely stinkier. And infested with cute little monkeys.
Our hotel is in a middle class area, with shops and restaurants and parks safely within walking distance. We changed our schedule so that we had a free morning for students to unwind, sleep, or explore. Some are out at a nearby "luxury" shopping mall, which I'm sure will be an interesting experience. Others are not feeling well and are staying in--we have 4 who have picked up some kind of stomach bug already. There is a traditional Indian massage spa at the hotel, and I think some students are considering trying it out. We leave soon for Sarnath, the place where Buddha first started preaching. We'll get to see the sunset aarti tonight from the Ganges, which should be amazing. I think Veranasi is going to be a powerful and amazing place to experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment