It's taken me a while to catch my breath. Sorry for the silence but I needed to let my last week in India wash over me. It is intoxicating and irresistible to me, though I know some might disagree I truly feel that this is the most inspiring and rewarding country on earth.
I arrived back in Bombay feeling slightly smug that I'd made it around India without catching what most travellers succumb to. You've heard the horror stories I'm sure. I had a gorgeous welcome back girlie eve with Emma, (Cam is still working like a dog, but has made leaps and bounds with his missions here and is rightfully proud, as am I), and laid down on my bed aching for sleep. A few short hours later I was awoken by a volcano in my belly and spent the whole night trying not to pass out on the floor of the bathroom. You get my drift.
When I wobbled out of my room at 7am, white as a sheet, Cam laughed and said, "Your trip wouldn't have been complete without getting properly sick!" True perhaps, but not ideal with Tomer making his way to Bombay to meet me that afternoon and a nice hotel all booked. Hmmmm.
Hallelujah for the Ayurvedic medicine that a kind friend recommended. For anyone who travels in India, leave your western medicine behind and go straight to an Ayurvedic doctor. I had recovered (mostly) by the time Tomer and I met up. And we've just had a gorgeous end to both our trips to India. I'm writing this from an internet cafe in Churchgate and I have about 6 hours left of my time in India.
Varanasi (Benares) has had a HUGE affect on me. Perhaps it's because I saved it for the last stretch of my trip, or because by the time I arrived I'd heard so many amazing stories and had already given myself over to the rhythmn of India. But nothing can prepare you for this ancient, mystical, dark city.
So many times during my time there (too short) me, and the travellers I met, tried to put into words how we were feeling about Varanasi. Without fail, the conversation would trail off into a sort of stunned, shared silence. The best way I can describe it (physically) is like Jerusalem crossed with Venice. It truly feels like time stands still there, like it has for centuries. It is known as Kashi, the city of light, with good reason.
It is a brutal place. Death does a constant dance right in front of you. In your face. There are bodies burning, right on the banks of the river. But the beauty and the sacred depth of the place do outweigh the filth, the decay and the seething underbelly. The people I met there were incredible. The emotions I felt there were deep. It cut through me and then sewed me back up again.
Despite moving abodes twice when I last wrote to you, I decided to move one more time back to the previously full guest house that had been recommended to me by Nichole. When I returned to check it out, Ashish insisted I move in. He gave me a room for 180 rupees (two pounds fifty) that overlooked the Ganga. Though small and extremely basic, it was a true haven.
Bizarrely, when I went to visit him for tea, Tomer called and said I must go and stay at Kedar Ghat. When I told him that I was sitting at Shiva International Lodge in Kedar, he replied that his guest house was the one directly on top of it. That clinched it. I returned to Vishnu, packed by bag for the gazillioneth time and made my way along the Ganga dodging touts and the detritus that will catch you unawares, if you don't look down.
At Shiva, I met a gaggle of Frenchies, Israelis, Brits, Brazillians, Russians and a Greek guy. Most speak at least 3 languages and play at least 3 instruments. Humbling to say the least. We had some heavenly music sessions. Just outside the guest house door was the best bead maker in Varanasi, Bandu, and a chai stand run by Ravi.
I had a glorious few days exploring the town, in particular the day that I met my new friend, a talented fashion designer called Nichola who is from Canada and lives in Italia. He introduced me to his wonderfully bright and mischievous guide Kishore and we spent an incredible day exploring the back streets of Varanasi. I just don't have the energy to describe the whole day right now, but the highlight has to be the wrestlers we went to visit, who were visibly shocked to have a woman in their compound. I hope you like the photo of me and the guys (to come)!!!
I arrived back in Bombay feeling slightly smug that I'd made it around India without catching what most travellers succumb to. You've heard the horror stories I'm sure. I had a gorgeous welcome back girlie eve with Emma, (Cam is still working like a dog, but has made leaps and bounds with his missions here and is rightfully proud, as am I), and laid down on my bed aching for sleep. A few short hours later I was awoken by a volcano in my belly and spent the whole night trying not to pass out on the floor of the bathroom. You get my drift.
When I wobbled out of my room at 7am, white as a sheet, Cam laughed and said, "Your trip wouldn't have been complete without getting properly sick!" True perhaps, but not ideal with Tomer making his way to Bombay to meet me that afternoon and a nice hotel all booked. Hmmmm.
Hallelujah for the Ayurvedic medicine that a kind friend recommended. For anyone who travels in India, leave your western medicine behind and go straight to an Ayurvedic doctor. I had recovered (mostly) by the time Tomer and I met up. And we've just had a gorgeous end to both our trips to India. I'm writing this from an internet cafe in Churchgate and I have about 6 hours left of my time in India.
Varanasi (Benares) has had a HUGE affect on me. Perhaps it's because I saved it for the last stretch of my trip, or because by the time I arrived I'd heard so many amazing stories and had already given myself over to the rhythmn of India. But nothing can prepare you for this ancient, mystical, dark city.
So many times during my time there (too short) me, and the travellers I met, tried to put into words how we were feeling about Varanasi. Without fail, the conversation would trail off into a sort of stunned, shared silence. The best way I can describe it (physically) is like Jerusalem crossed with Venice. It truly feels like time stands still there, like it has for centuries. It is known as Kashi, the city of light, with good reason.
It is a brutal place. Death does a constant dance right in front of you. In your face. There are bodies burning, right on the banks of the river. But the beauty and the sacred depth of the place do outweigh the filth, the decay and the seething underbelly. The people I met there were incredible. The emotions I felt there were deep. It cut through me and then sewed me back up again.
Despite moving abodes twice when I last wrote to you, I decided to move one more time back to the previously full guest house that had been recommended to me by Nichole. When I returned to check it out, Ashish insisted I move in. He gave me a room for 180 rupees (two pounds fifty) that overlooked the Ganga. Though small and extremely basic, it was a true haven.
Bizarrely, when I went to visit him for tea, Tomer called and said I must go and stay at Kedar Ghat. When I told him that I was sitting at Shiva International Lodge in Kedar, he replied that his guest house was the one directly on top of it. That clinched it. I returned to Vishnu, packed by bag for the gazillioneth time and made my way along the Ganga dodging touts and the detritus that will catch you unawares, if you don't look down.At Shiva, I met a gaggle of Frenchies, Israelis, Brits, Brazillians, Russians and a Greek guy. Most speak at least 3 languages and play at least 3 instruments. Humbling to say the least. We had some heavenly music sessions. Just outside the guest house door was the best bead maker in Varanasi, Bandu, and a chai stand run by Ravi.
I had a glorious few days exploring the town, in particular the day that I met my new friend, a talented fashion designer called Nichola who is from Canada and lives in Italia. He introduced me to his wonderfully bright and mischievous guide Kishore and we spent an incredible day exploring the back streets of Varanasi. I just don't have the energy to describe the whole day right now, but the highlight has to be the wrestlers we went to visit, who were visibly shocked to have a woman in their compound. I hope you like the photo of me and the guys (to come)!!!
I made one daytrip to the incredible sacred Bhuddhist site of Saranath. This is where Bhuddha gave his very first lecture and is a special place. A real haven where you can breathe, only 20 kms away from the staggering mayhem and onslaught that is Varanasi. My companions were Sarah from England and Glem from Brazil, mates from the guest house. Can you believe that in the rick on the way there, Sarah asked me about my work and then realised that she'd seen me give a talk in Hackney about Filmaka? Too bizarre!
There was a Saraswati (god of education) festival on the weekend I arrived. Big gangs of young guys, (women are not so present in this city, it's deity is Shiva and it is truly a masculine place), were throwing red powder at each other and dancing in the streets to screeching music. They carried statues made of straw and clay and painted up like dolls down to the Ganga where they chanted, jumped in boats and then dropped them into the river. It was extraordinary.
This city has to be the noisiest place on earth. I'm so glad that I didn't realise that the piercing howls I heard every night were gangs of male dogs raping the females, until after I left. Though the sounds still haunt me. The air is heavy, but the Ganga countermands this. Although it's polluted (seriously you don't want to know) after a few days, you can see how seriously the people worship it and their rituals quickly becomes normal. I even stood in it when I did my first pooja (sacred offering) and let a holy man drip water on my hands. When in Rome!
One of the strangest experiences I had, was witnessing a British guy make a bonfire and ceremoniously burn his little toe. Seriously. It had gone gangreneous the previous year and he'd kept it mummifying in a matchbox, brought it with him to Varanasi and then just next to where we were all sitting and making music, he gathered with a bunch of friends and burnt it ("It's fizzing!!". Before you get squeamish, imagine watching whole bodies being cremated in front of you. That happens every day on the banks of the Ganga. And sadly I hear, the horrendous fires in Australia have brought many innocent people and their homes to a premature cremation. I say a little prayer.
On my last night in Varanasi, the mist rolled in as we sat by the fire drinking tea, smoking and jamming. I was sat between two of the most exquisite guitar players (Nicholas and Oli) while Sagi jumped between the flute, the tabla and the guitar. I even sang a bit, joining the others. At one stage, we realised that the mist had come in so close that it simply melded into the Ganga, so it looked like we were sitting by an abyss. I had to keep pinching myself that it was real.
It was magical. I met a couple who were leaving to get married in Nepal (aforementioned Oli and his British bride Fiona) with 20 guests, was serenaded by a Tibetan devotee and made endless pots of tea with Sagi. We were sitting outside his room, which is where I watched every sunrise. In fact, I watched 5 sunrises in a row in Varanasi. It was only the last night that was sleepless, I was just so charged being there and wanting to experience every minute that I needed very little rest.
I have another roll of pictures to develop, so I'll put more photos up soon but I hope these suffice for now. I'm sorry but I have to leave it there. I'm heading to Singapore tonight to visit my divine friend Maddy and my goddaughter Charlotte, (plus her Daddy Harry and her sister Claudia), and then I'm on to Oz where I arrive on Friday the 13th!!!
It feels so good to be heading home. I can't wait to see everyone. I'm not sure when I'll be writing here again, but I promise to do my best to keep this up in some fashion. Thank you to everyone who has been reading. Please leave your comments. I'd love to hear from you.
Namaste.
This city has to be the noisiest place on earth. I'm so glad that I didn't realise that the piercing howls I heard every night were gangs of male dogs raping the females, until after I left. Though the sounds still haunt me. The air is heavy, but the Ganga countermands this. Although it's polluted (seriously you don't want to know) after a few days, you can see how seriously the people worship it and their rituals quickly becomes normal. I even stood in it when I did my first pooja (sacred offering) and let a holy man drip water on my hands. When in Rome!One of the strangest experiences I had, was witnessing a British guy make a bonfire and ceremoniously burn his little toe. Seriously. It had gone gangreneous the previous year and he'd kept it mummifying in a matchbox, brought it with him to Varanasi and then just next to where we were all sitting and making music, he gathered with a bunch of friends and burnt it ("It's fizzing!!". Before you get squeamish, imagine watching whole bodies being cremated in front of you. That happens every day on the banks of the Ganga. And sadly I hear, the horrendous fires in Australia have brought many innocent people and their homes to a premature cremation. I say a little prayer.
On my last night in Varanasi, the mist rolled in as we sat by the fire drinking tea, smoking and jamming. I was sat between two of the most exquisite guitar players (Nicholas and Oli) while Sagi jumped between the flute, the tabla and the guitar. I even sang a bit, joining the others. At one stage, we realised that the mist had come in so close that it simply melded into the Ganga, so it looked like we were sitting by an abyss. I had to keep pinching myself that it was real.
It was magical. I met a couple who were leaving to get married in Nepal (aforementioned Oli and his British bride Fiona) with 20 guests, was serenaded by a Tibetan devotee and made endless pots of tea with Sagi. We were sitting outside his room, which is where I watched every sunrise. In fact, I watched 5 sunrises in a row in Varanasi. It was only the last night that was sleepless, I was just so charged being there and wanting to experience every minute that I needed very little rest.
I have another roll of pictures to develop, so I'll put more photos up soon but I hope these suffice for now. I'm sorry but I have to leave it there. I'm heading to Singapore tonight to visit my divine friend Maddy and my goddaughter Charlotte, (plus her Daddy Harry and her sister Claudia), and then I'm on to Oz where I arrive on Friday the 13th!!!
It feels so good to be heading home. I can't wait to see everyone. I'm not sure when I'll be writing here again, but I promise to do my best to keep this up in some fashion. Thank you to everyone who has been reading. Please leave your comments. I'd love to hear from you.
Namaste.
Lxxxxx
