India
Day 49: Towards Varanasi, India - 108 Days Across Eurasia by Martins Ate
The house I stayed for the night is a typical Indian village style home beautifully decorated outside with columns of marble. They continue treat me like I was a king. It is part of their culture to give guest the best they have. The food is excellent. Hosts are taking care of all my needs. Except the wi-fi I have everything!:) I could stay here for a weeks!:) I just need to contact somehow my French friends Leo and Margo as we decided to catch up in Varanasi. But as I don't have an e-mail access - don't know how much time I have got to get until Varanasi.
We draw back to Arrha and visited the family of my new friend. I took a small nap, we ate delicious food prepared by his wife and after we went to train station and my new friend - Avimash - bought me a ticket till Varanasi. Everybody is very welcoming and friendly. I found out that behind the annoying shouting "hello" on the streets deeper Indian culture is very kind and delicate towards guests. I'm happy I met Avimash not only because he helped me a lot but mostly because it is good to know good people all over the world. I believe I gain a new friend in India.
After spending around three hours sleeping in the train to Varanasi I waked up just before the bridge upon sacred river Ganga and after 15 minutes train stopped at Varanasi. The closer I got to the city the bigger mess was outside. Everything was stinking even in the train.
I get of at Varanasi and slowly walked until ISCON center - Hare Krishna ashram where I planed to stay at Varanasi for free. And after one and half hour walking through crowded city with constant refuse to rickshaw who where asking all the time to help me finding cheap hotels and dropping me there I finally reached ISCON.
It was like an oasis in the desert. Only instead of water I found peace here. Loss of crowded city noises in peacefulness with Hare Krishna servants. And what is more important - they allowed me to stay for five days. This is my maximum stay in Varanasi in hope this time will be enough to see the temples of one of the oldest cities of India, swim in river Gang, meet Leo and Margo and also after two days - my new friend from Arrha - Avimash, who told me he will come here to show me the city in two days.
Today is Tuesday. Avimash will come on Thursday. I need wi-fi internet access which I could not find in whole city to contact Leo and Margo and find out when are they coming to Varanasi. The commander of the Temple gave me a separate room. I laid in a bad after long trip so could not feel my stomach pain which lasts now for a whole day because of drinking water I used to drink on my way from road water pumps.
In these four days in India I understood that it will be very hard to travel through it without money. As even water suitable for drinking is possible get only for a money. But qt least for next five days I have a place to sleep and delicious Krishna kitchen food to eat. That is very good. :)
Hare Krishna!