I went down, down, down with a cold and exhaustation after the festival. I'm sorry for my silence but I gave every ounce of myself and then danced like a maniac at the closing night party, forgot to eat dinner, drank too much champers and got a chill. Typical!
At least it was in style at the City Palace where the theme was black & red. Yes, my fave combination. It was by far the classiest festival closing I've ever been to. And the French/Algerian dj was such fun, as were his various dancers who whirled around the perfect lawn with the turban-ed waiters attending our every need. Gosh it was gorgeous. And we were all so exhausted and elated, so we had a blast. Noone wanted to go home.
I can't wait to get the photos developed. There is still so much to tell you about the festival but I think I'll work backwards as I've got limited time.
I've just arrived at Varanasi. India's holiest city. Many proclaim it to be the oldest city in the world It runs a pigrimage line from and to Kanyakumari, where I spent the last full moon. It's where many people come to die or be re-born, there are burning bodies right on the Ganga. It's a staggering sight and experience, though they do camp it up for the tourists and follow you about mercilessly. It's a magical place.
After sleeping and snuffling the week away in Jaipur, missing my ride on an Enfield through Rajasthan to a Sufi festival and taking some time out at Krishna's wonderful guest house with all the colourful characters (more on them later, it's been like Days of Our Lives, seriously), I decided it was time to move yesterday.
It was hard to leave my new friends, but I had cabin fever. Just a quick word to the lovely lads in the photo. Adi is a brilliant Rajasthani musician and he introduced me to the wonderful Nichole and sorted out my guest house. Then came over for visits and played music for us, just as he's doing here while Rado (divine Slovenian who lives in Holland)is singing a folk song from home.
My god I nearly forgot to tell you about Nichole's and my lunch with the royalty of Jaipur. In short, I had left a bag at the closing night party and when I went back to pick it up, the Marketing Manager invited me and Nichole to come for lunch with the royal family. I dragged my cold ridden body out of bed and we got snazzied up and raced to the palace. We were greeted with flowers and musicians and given champagne. But no royalty appeared, turns out the Marketing Manager is a bit lonely after leaving London so he and his assistant hosted us for a delicious lunch. It was a slight let down, as we realsed we'd been lead up the garden path. But it was a beautiful, jewel laden path with a feast at the end. So we just giggled all the way home.
I tried to race to the railway station but only made it by midday. Everyone had said it was an overnight train leaving in the evening, so I didn't bother packing. Yup, the train was leaving at 3.30pm. I threw far too many things into my poor rucksack, ate lunch in record time (always know I'm better when I've got my appetite back) and made it onto the train having secured a nice sleeper. My first overnight train experience was pretty civilised, though I hardly slept a wink as it was lumpy as hell.
Pity the train terminated in Lucknow (capital of Uttar Pradesh) at 2.45am instead of going on to Varanasi as it was supposed to!! Most fortunately the lady sleeping below me, the gorgeous and wonderful Sushita, helped me and two London based nurses Liz (Brit) and Arik (Pole) get a car to take us on. We didn't fancy the shit fight of another train journey and the trip was entrancing, despite our tired eyes. I love watching India scratch its scrawny butt, yawn and then wake up with a groggy, colourful grin. People only really kick into gear at 10am.
Little did we know what was ahead of us in the car. For a few hours it was dark and easy going, except for the huge piles of stones that seemed to take up half the 'highway' and the massive trucks that kept coming head on. I was most glad not to be in the front and that I'd remembered to charge my iPod. Jeff Buckley continues to keep me company. I'll never tire of Grace.
We decided after a beautiful sunrise (blood red) and so many amazing sights (wild camels sauntering about in packs, monkeys abounding, groups of women wrapping themselves in vibrant colours, kids causing trouble) that we'd wait and have breakfast in Varanasi, as it was only 50km away. Ha! It took us many hours of circumnavigating the city to find our way to Liz and Arik's hotel. The relief. The view of the Ganges (Mother Ganga) that greeted us. It's beyond description. It made me realise why Rado had confided in me two nights ago, when I was trying to decide on one more stop in India before I head back to Bombay, "Dahhling, the Taj Mahal is beautiful but it's a dead monument and Agra is a pit, you can do it later, you haven't really done India until you've been to Varanasi."
For now I just want to let you know that I'm ok. There's so much I need to 'download' as my lovely new friend Nichole says. Unfortunately the hotel she recommended was full and I ended up being taken for a ride by a little boy (the touts here are uber professional) and ended up in some crappy overpriced place.
I've just had a shower, wandered along the Ganga, visited the fascinating Kedarnad temple (my forehead is covered in tika by Gita Tiwari) and found the perfect place. How am I going to get myself out of the hovel where I've just showered and strewn my clothes?!?!?
Wish me luck. More soon.
Lxxxxx
At least it was in style at the City Palace where the theme was black & red. Yes, my fave combination. It was by far the classiest festival closing I've ever been to. And the French/Algerian dj was such fun, as were his various dancers who whirled around the perfect lawn with the turban-ed waiters attending our every need. Gosh it was gorgeous. And we were all so exhausted and elated, so we had a blast. Noone wanted to go home.
I can't wait to get the photos developed. There is still so much to tell you about the festival but I think I'll work backwards as I've got limited time.
I've just arrived at Varanasi. India's holiest city. Many proclaim it to be the oldest city in the world It runs a pigrimage line from and to Kanyakumari, where I spent the last full moon. It's where many people come to die or be re-born, there are burning bodies right on the Ganga. It's a staggering sight and experience, though they do camp it up for the tourists and follow you about mercilessly. It's a magical place.
After sleeping and snuffling the week away in Jaipur, missing my ride on an Enfield through Rajasthan to a Sufi festival and taking some time out at Krishna's wonderful guest house with all the colourful characters (more on them later, it's been like Days of Our Lives, seriously), I decided it was time to move yesterday.
It was hard to leave my new friends, but I had cabin fever. Just a quick word to the lovely lads in the photo. Adi is a brilliant Rajasthani musician and he introduced me to the wonderful Nichole and sorted out my guest house. Then came over for visits and played music for us, just as he's doing here while Rado (divine Slovenian who lives in Holland)is singing a folk song from home.
My god I nearly forgot to tell you about Nichole's and my lunch with the royalty of Jaipur. In short, I had left a bag at the closing night party and when I went back to pick it up, the Marketing Manager invited me and Nichole to come for lunch with the royal family. I dragged my cold ridden body out of bed and we got snazzied up and raced to the palace. We were greeted with flowers and musicians and given champagne. But no royalty appeared, turns out the Marketing Manager is a bit lonely after leaving London so he and his assistant hosted us for a delicious lunch. It was a slight let down, as we realsed we'd been lead up the garden path. But it was a beautiful, jewel laden path with a feast at the end. So we just giggled all the way home.
I tried to race to the railway station but only made it by midday. Everyone had said it was an overnight train leaving in the evening, so I didn't bother packing. Yup, the train was leaving at 3.30pm. I threw far too many things into my poor rucksack, ate lunch in record time (always know I'm better when I've got my appetite back) and made it onto the train having secured a nice sleeper. My first overnight train experience was pretty civilised, though I hardly slept a wink as it was lumpy as hell.
Pity the train terminated in Lucknow (capital of Uttar Pradesh) at 2.45am instead of going on to Varanasi as it was supposed to!! Most fortunately the lady sleeping below me, the gorgeous and wonderful Sushita, helped me and two London based nurses Liz (Brit) and Arik (Pole) get a car to take us on. We didn't fancy the shit fight of another train journey and the trip was entrancing, despite our tired eyes. I love watching India scratch its scrawny butt, yawn and then wake up with a groggy, colourful grin. People only really kick into gear at 10am.
Little did we know what was ahead of us in the car. For a few hours it was dark and easy going, except for the huge piles of stones that seemed to take up half the 'highway' and the massive trucks that kept coming head on. I was most glad not to be in the front and that I'd remembered to charge my iPod. Jeff Buckley continues to keep me company. I'll never tire of Grace.
We decided after a beautiful sunrise (blood red) and so many amazing sights (wild camels sauntering about in packs, monkeys abounding, groups of women wrapping themselves in vibrant colours, kids causing trouble) that we'd wait and have breakfast in Varanasi, as it was only 50km away. Ha! It took us many hours of circumnavigating the city to find our way to Liz and Arik's hotel. The relief. The view of the Ganges (Mother Ganga) that greeted us. It's beyond description. It made me realise why Rado had confided in me two nights ago, when I was trying to decide on one more stop in India before I head back to Bombay, "Dahhling, the Taj Mahal is beautiful but it's a dead monument and Agra is a pit, you can do it later, you haven't really done India until you've been to Varanasi."For now I just want to let you know that I'm ok. There's so much I need to 'download' as my lovely new friend Nichole says. Unfortunately the hotel she recommended was full and I ended up being taken for a ride by a little boy (the touts here are uber professional) and ended up in some crappy overpriced place.
I've just had a shower, wandered along the Ganga, visited the fascinating Kedarnad temple (my forehead is covered in tika by Gita Tiwari) and found the perfect place. How am I going to get myself out of the hovel where I've just showered and strewn my clothes?!?!?
Wish me luck. More soon.
Lxxxxx
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