Traumatised!
And no access to alcohol to ease the stress, as it's a festival day (God bless Shiva).
"Why the trauma?" I hear you ask.
Well, I'm glad you asked. While sorting out a lack of hot water in the hotel room (now resolved), the hotel room phone rang and on picking it up, the whole thing came up with the handset, revealing a large bug underneath, which scuttled off onto the bed and under a pillow.
Now since being traumatised as a student with bed bugs in cheap digs, I have a phobia about sleeping in any room where I know there are potentially hungry bugs roaming free.
Mercifully, the thing came scuttling out, as the lad dealing with the hot water was there, who grabbed the hotel information folder and smashed it onto the escaping bug, killing it instantly and disposing of it into the hallway with a flourish.
So...... after calming my nerves with a very pleasant meal of pizza and pakora, 2 Sprites, apple pie and ice cream (be assured you'll be the first to know if there are any ramifications there) and an Americano (all for under £7) and jovial conversation with a retired German lawyer-cum-buddhist and 3 travelling Australians (an artist and a couple who run an organic olive farm) - you'll be wanting to know about Varanasi.
Spiritual pilgrimage site for buddhists as well as Hindus, coupled to one of the oldest living cities in the world (people have been living here and doing what they do for over 3000 years), it makes you pause and think.
Still the mad, noisy, smelly, dirty, delapidated atmosphere that all works, and like the Thames, the Ganges river flows serenely through it all, offering it's silent, salving solace.
And the Ganges - I was expecting the Thames and got the Solent! (see pictures)
An interesting question posed to me over dinner and one which I have pondered during the trip, and will share - "Was I in search of anything?"
The honest answer is no, I don't think so.
However, I am beginning to see that India is not your usual tourist holiday destination. It does things in a way that question and challenge your values, your perceptions, your way of doing things at a deeper level than other places. You can't help but engage (positively or otherwise) with the everyday happenings that confront you here.
Hmm. Let me come back to you on that one.
Certainly as a place, I have my guard up - ready for another assault of temples, traffic and touts, but I can sense by the river, something else - reverence, veneration, spirituality......
Let me come back to you on that one too.
Hope all's well with you and yours. I understand spring is calling.
You won't be pleased to know that it feels like Summer here - 30 degrees celsius and shorts and T shirt all day.
:-)
Until tomorrow.
xx
And no access to alcohol to ease the stress, as it's a festival day (God bless Shiva).
"Why the trauma?" I hear you ask.
Well, I'm glad you asked. While sorting out a lack of hot water in the hotel room (now resolved), the hotel room phone rang and on picking it up, the whole thing came up with the handset, revealing a large bug underneath, which scuttled off onto the bed and under a pillow.
Now since being traumatised as a student with bed bugs in cheap digs, I have a phobia about sleeping in any room where I know there are potentially hungry bugs roaming free.
Mercifully, the thing came scuttling out, as the lad dealing with the hot water was there, who grabbed the hotel information folder and smashed it onto the escaping bug, killing it instantly and disposing of it into the hallway with a flourish.
So...... after calming my nerves with a very pleasant meal of pizza and pakora, 2 Sprites, apple pie and ice cream (be assured you'll be the first to know if there are any ramifications there) and an Americano (all for under £7) and jovial conversation with a retired German lawyer-cum-buddhist and 3 travelling Australians (an artist and a couple who run an organic olive farm) - you'll be wanting to know about Varanasi.
Spiritual pilgrimage site for buddhists as well as Hindus, coupled to one of the oldest living cities in the world (people have been living here and doing what they do for over 3000 years), it makes you pause and think.
Still the mad, noisy, smelly, dirty, delapidated atmosphere that all works, and like the Thames, the Ganges river flows serenely through it all, offering it's silent, salving solace.
And the Ganges - I was expecting the Thames and got the Solent! (see pictures)
An interesting question posed to me over dinner and one which I have pondered during the trip, and will share - "Was I in search of anything?"
The honest answer is no, I don't think so.
However, I am beginning to see that India is not your usual tourist holiday destination. It does things in a way that question and challenge your values, your perceptions, your way of doing things at a deeper level than other places. You can't help but engage (positively or otherwise) with the everyday happenings that confront you here.
Hmm. Let me come back to you on that one.
Certainly as a place, I have my guard up - ready for another assault of temples, traffic and touts, but I can sense by the river, something else - reverence, veneration, spirituality......
Let me come back to you on that one too.
Hope all's well with you and yours. I understand spring is calling.
You won't be pleased to know that it feels like Summer here - 30 degrees celsius and shorts and T shirt all day.
:-)
Until tomorrow.
xx
The Ghats
The Ganges
The Milkmen
The Monks
I see you are entering a spiritual phase of your trip, either that or you've been on the spliffs
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