Bad news from the Indian tech genius..

I am in Varansi and brought my camera and memory card to the resident tech genius in desperate hope that I will be able to recover my pictures from the Taj and my backwater tour in Kochin but no such luck   He is cleaning the memory card off but it seems there were some hidden files that were taking space up so as much as I wanted to share the pictures with you instead I will have to borrow from my friends….

I reached Varanasi yesterday afternoon after a 14 hour train ride from Agra.  UP has had a unusual cold streak and I was definitely feeling it on the train ride.  The class we were in did not give blankets and a group of Indian men kindly offered me one of theirs until we were able to pay a train worker to give us a few.  Even with the blanket completely covering me huddled in the fetal position I was very cold and reasoned with God that it would be unusually cruel to take my feet with frostbite…I’m not Job.  Luckily, God agreed and I successfully staved off hypothermia and arrived with all body parts still functioning.

One of the people at the Ashram that I will be visiting here kindly met us at the train station and arranged a lovely hotel for us.  After a long nap, I met up with Celine(whom I met in Kolkata), her friend Peggy and Shiyas and we ventured towards the main ghat.  I like Varanasi very much, its cool and less polluted but still has the hustle and bustle of a bigger city.

Varanasi is one of the holiest places for Hindus, Indians from around the country come to bathe in the Ganges and there are burning ceremonies to send loved ones into the next life(will explain more later.)  There are cows everywhere..every shape and size and I asked the stupid question why cows are holy…the matter of fact answer:  He is the ride for Lord Krishna.

Today we take a boat ride on the Ganga and explore more of the ghats…hopefully my newly clean memory card will allow me to take and save great pictures!!  Until later..