I decided to wake up early today to get a feel for the morning routine in Varanasi. What better place to do this than the river. At 5 am, I woke up and started heading to Asi ghat, which is closest to the Nirman Center, only to realize that I was about one hour too late. A lot of people were already at the river! I made sure to make a mental note that Indians are early risers...of course, the sun starts shining at 6 am and goes non-stop until 6pm. So, I missed the beginning, but was determined to observe for the remaining 1-2hrs.
It took me about one hour to walk from Asi ghat to the ghat at Godolia Market, and the experience was unlike any other. Yards upon yards of brightly colored and patterened saris lines the steps as individuals of all ages made their way to bathe in the river, unaware of the curious looks from tourists passing on boats. In front of one of the ghats, children lay flat on the ground as a man preached to them from a microphone and an ashened saddhu carried out a ritual. Drums beat in the background of cricket games, India's all-time favorite sport, and women walked in single-file to wash clothes in the river.
For two hours, I walked in a trance, taking in all I could of this normal routine, thankful that I can take par.
It sounds amazing there Ana! I can't wait to hear about how your teaching experiences and the Indian education system compare with the US's. Thinking of you often,
ReplyDeleteErin
Hi Ana! I keep trying to send you mail, but I
ReplyDeletem technically challenged. I can't remember what my password was! Is it safe to walk alone? What an adventure you are having!
Hija no sabia que tambien tenias una familia en india? Jummmm, estas tan lejos y te extrano mucho, pero que emocionante que tenas esta experiencia y que la estes tomando tan maduramente.
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