The Silk Weavers

We were spared an early start and will have our early visit to the river tomorrow. Breakfast was taken at a German bakery run as a charity to support a school for poor children. It was sitting on the floor with a low table again, fine for the young ones but a bit of a struggle for the oldies. The breakfast was great and the coffee not too bad. It was the first time we had french type bread for two weeks. Usually it is thin sliced for breakfast toast. It was a lovely start to the day and was followed by a visit to a family silk works.



After seeing the hand weaving looms and mechanical looms powered by electricity it was off to the sale room for masala tea and an entertaining sales pitch from a fellow who had spent time in Europe, particularly Germany. He had all the sales chat, "Asda price" and "lovely jubbly". Suffice to say that many items were purchased and the bags will be a bit heavier. It was by now 1.30 so no one had the energy to shop any more. The roof garden was very pleasant and we sat and chatted to a Dutch couple who were extensive travellers and were spending two months in India. Their philosophy was that they were healthy, their children and grandchildren were healthy so they travel, giving a bit of money to projects directly. They had been to visit someone who was working with "the untouchables", those who clean animal skins when they die and dispose of the carcasses. Their friends gave them money when they went anywhere, knowing it would go to a good cause.

4.30 was the roof terrace yoga class. No we didn't join in, but enjoyed watching those who did and the pain on their faces when they had their arms or legs moved by the yoga teacher.

Our evening meal was really cheap. We had one of our regular thalis, first introduced to us in a restaurant called Ann Purna in Edinburgh. We had passed political candidates earlier giving their speeches (there are currently state elections in Varanasi) but a noise outside turned out to be another wedding parade, a young man on a white horse collecting his bride from her house. As we wove our way home on a cycle rickshaw we came across several wedding parades, mostly with the groom on a white horse. The lighting for the parades were attached to a generator with open fluorescent tubes providing the light, something which didn't impress Tom. These parades continued into the night and some were woken at 4.00 by Hare Krishna chanting. We were getting up at 5 anyway to make our way back to the river for the classic dawn boat trip past the ghats.

Varanasi

Well the train to Varanasi wasn't too bad. We arrived at the station in plenty of time and were able to eat the snacks prepared by the hotel before boarding the train at 10.30. We were issued with sheets, blankets and pillows and allocated bunks, 3 deep with 6 in each compartment and two others on the opposite side of the corridor. We were lucky as six from our group shared a compartment, but some of the others shared with people who came off the train at different times in the night so they were more disrupted. We both actually slept reasonably well till 6 a.m. After four more hours we were in Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world and also one of the busiest. It was straight to the hotel then out for a meal before our rooms were ready. Everyone was so tired that the plans for the day were changed and we rested before the evening visit to a Hindu school and to the river to see the famous ghats and a river boat ride.


The Hindu school takes boys from the Brahmin caste from the age of about 8 or 9 for 4 years. They have an intense education, learning the Sanskrit language and the ceremonies of their religion. The caste system has been explained to us but does not always make sense or seem fair. It's such a priviledge to share these experiences and to meet people like this, certainly very well behaved boys but since they only accept 10 out of 200 applications each year then they certainly should be well motivated. They are dressed in saffron and have bare feet and only go out one day a week.

For Hindus Varanasi (previously Benares)is their most holy city. Hindus want to come to Varanasi to die and you see many old people along the banks. Cremations are carried out at two places along the banks of the Ganges, known as the burning ghats, and these go on 24 hours a day. There are huge piles of wood stacked up on the steps of the Ghats. There are too many interesting things about Varanasi to put on the blog so that will have to wait for the slide show. We took part in a candle flower ceremony where we could make a wish, one of the many occasions we have been invited to make a wish in India.

The boat took us down river to see the ghats and naturally we did not take pictures once we saw the funeral pyres close up. We were told that no one is sad as it is a great wish of Hindus to die and be cremated there. The boats then gathered opposite another ghat site to watch an evening ceremony, half prayers and half sound and light show. A cycle rickshaw took us miles to a restaurant well beyond our hotel. We were so sorry for the poor man taking us such a distance that after paying him 100 rupees (about one pound 30) we gave him the same again as a tip. Some people don't earn their tip but he certainly did. The policeman directing traffic caused us great amusement as he was using what looked like a light sabre in the dark. Sadly we didn't get a picture but then again we might have been arrested. The restaurant was very pleasant and we were pleased to sit down with food and drink after such a busy day.

Village Life

Another late start, 11.30 this time and oldies first again for breakfast. We managed to catch up a bit with the blog after various technical hitches but are well behind. Most people opted for the jeep safari and first stop was the dam. It was an old dam on a river bordering two states but a new one was being built which would also generate power for both states.


Next stop was a village where the people make money by growing tobacco and selling it but also making cigarettes using leaves to roll them in. A couple of the young smokers tried them and found them quite strong. By now the whole village was surrounding us and we all laughed at our group's attempts to make a cigarette. They are evidently just as bad for your health but much cheaper than commercial ones. We were told that no-one is allowed to sell cigarettes within two kilometres of a school. The village seemed much cleaner and we soon found out why. There was a little cart and the man in charge of it was paying for plastic by weight. The Government then pays him at a waste site. Next we met a man on a bicycle selling various trinkets, balloons etc. You could pay for the goods in rupees but some of the girls were trading bundles of hair which will go abroad to be made into wigs.


We heard children in a school and to our delight were invited in. It was lunch time and the children were getting their free lunch of rice and dhal, a way of enticing children to attend school. They were all eating up the whole lot with no complaints. Some pupils were receiving English lessons so it was a chance to test them on their knowledge. The head teacher was a very nice man and we were all made very welcome. After a brief visit to a ruined palace we finally met a hand potter and a few had a go, not with much success.

It was back to the hotel for a late lunch and collect a packed snack for the train, first a 3 hour bus ride then 12 hours overnight on the train to Varanasi. No one was looking forward to that part of the journey.

Temples and Dancing

Funnily enough the only people to turn up for an early breakfast were the oldies, all seven of us. The day trip was to Khajuraho, one of the most popular destinations in India because of its temples. The journey was along a very bumpy road and we knew we had to return the same way in the evening. The temples were reminiscent of the ones in Angkor Wat, wonderful carvings on all sides. They are also famous for their Kama Sutra figures. By chance we arrived at the end of a 7 day classical dance festival, sponsored by the State Tourist Organisation. After an exceedingly cheap evening meal it was off to the open air theatre with temples in the background. First was a lady on her own, then two men acting out a legend with Sufi singing in the background. Last was a group of young girls with beautiful glittery costumes. We met them at the end and had our pictures taken with them. It was a different kind of entertainment. We were home by midnight and the power was put on for us to go to bed. Power is often put off for a few hours each night and there can be random power cuts even in the city.

Cookery Class

Monkeys were still in evidence this morning, though not quite so close, as well as Egyptian vultures roosting on the temples. For breakfast we headed back to the little cafe where we ate last night, and found a great variety of food on offer from Korean to Israeli. Our visit this morning, still in Orchha, was to a couple of 15th century palaces abandoned in the 1700's. In fact one of them took 80 years to build and was only ever occupied for one night. The frescoes here were exceptionally well preserved as they had never been exposed to direct sunlight.

Wider local rickshaws took us to an Indian cookery class run by a relation of our guide. She taught us how to make masala tea, vegetable curry and puris, a puffed up bread. Later we enjoyed lunch, a beautiful meal made by the two lovely ladies who were demonstrating.

The bus took us along increasingly bumpy roads to Alipura, a small town further east from Orchha. Our accommodation here was in another Heritage property, a palace owned by the present Rajah. The rooms were huge as were the bathrooms with lovely furnishings to match. We had a bit of a walk round the village, a very traditional place with few amenities but better houses than we have seen elsewhere. As usual our group attracted loads of children, practising their English.

Our main meal was taken in the hotel, a buffet with about 10 choices. The only beer was strong beer so after such a long and bumpy drive it wasn't a problem falling asleep. Our instructions were to catch up on sleep as the day trip wouldn't start till 12.00.

River Rafting

Another early start with no breakfast. Thank goodness for the travel kettle and some coffee granules. It was goodbye to our bus driver as we took the train from Agra to Jhansi, a two and a half hour journey. The train was on time, we had free water given to us, a hot breakfast was served airline style and we arrived on time - quite a contrast with our recent trip to London on the East Coast mainline. There was then another bus to Orchha, a tourist resort beside a river. The town dates back to the 16th century and there are many temples and palaces dotted around, mostly ruined but still impressive. Our hotel was right by the river and surrounded by ancient buildings. We actually stayed in luxury tents, complete with electric light, little gardens in front and en-suite plumbed-in facilities. This is glamping indeed. The group was very happy as we were served a lunch buffet for 300 rupees, about 4 pounds and there was a good variety of food for those tiring of curry. The afternoon was free to have a rest after all the travel, explore the town or catch up with the diaries.

Later most of us took up the option of a river rafting trip. We had already seen several rafts go downstream so knew what was in store. We were well kitted out with helmets and life jackets, six to a boat with a couple of guides who instructed us in going forward, back and how to stop. We set off downstream under a very low bridge then over what Tom decided were grade 2 rapids. It was scary enough for some! Occasionally in calmer waters there were photo stops with temples all along the banks, peacocks flying overhead and then another bigger rapid where everyone got soaked. When we landed a hot drink of masala tea and snack of bread and chips was brought to us - chip butties in fact. It was a different and exciting experience.

As we returned to the tents a huge langur monkey was sitting outside our tent and scared some of the girls. Luckily nothing had been left outside or it might have disappeared. Our evening visit was to a Hindu Temple, said to be the only one where the god Rama had worshipped. At 7.00 pilgrims were queueing up to see statues which were kept behind closed doors. When they were opened they all went forward to give offerings to the statues. Dushya is a Hindu and was able to explain what was going on. The group then adjourned to a small family run eating place, reccmmended in "The Lonely Planet". The food was cheap and good though some a little on the spicy side. Choc ices helped cool us down.

Taj Mahal

Saturday February 4th was Taj Mahal day. All was quiet after the noise and colour of last night. Thanks to the travel kettle we had a quick cup of coffee before setting out early to the Taj Mahal. It was a day of queueing thankfully not for too long as we arrived at 6 just as it was opening. There are 80,000 visitors every day so the queues can be huge. After getting our tickets we walked towards the walls of the mausoleum. We had to walk a long way from the ticket office and were then divided into Indians, visitors, men and women to go through very tight security. Luckily we had been told not to bring large bags as they were searched thoroughly. It was early in the day in Agra and very misty on the river so our first view was quite eerie with the Taj Mahal seeming to float on the mist. It is indeed a magnificent building not built from marble but covered in it with patterned inlays of semi-precious stones everywhere. The marble had been transported 300 kms over land and it was designed by architects from Persia and other places in the Middle East. What is most impressive is the setting, with water in front and lovely gardens round about, pleasantly litter free. After an introductory talk by the local guide we were free to wander round and admire the building inside and out. With such a large site it didn't seem too crowded. It was then back to the hotel to freshen up and at last have breakfast, believe it or not at Pizza Hut followed by Costa Coffee. It was really brunch and we did need sustenance by then.

The next stop was the Red Fort. We had a very entertaining local guide who told us all about the fortifications, the moat with crocodiles, the wall, the next moat which was dry and patrolled by Bengal Tigers, and finally the gates with spikes and the hill where stones would be rolled down or boiling oil poured. Luckily all this was in the time of the Moguls. It would make a great computer game though! The fort was more impressive than we would have thought from the outside. There were several large courtyards one of which had been a fishing lake but was filled in by the British so they could play croquet. From here we could see the Taj Mahal. The muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his favourite wife Mumtaz who had already borne him 14 children when she died in childbirth. At the end of his life Shah Jehan was imprisoned in a tower of the Red Fort by his son Aurangzeb, who also killed at least two of his own brothers - not a nice person we decided. However Shah Jehan did have an excellent view of his masterpiece from his prison.

Our surprise for the afternoon was the "Baby Taj" the first building to be faced with marble. It's also a mausoleum. It was very impressive for its delicate features, more like a wedding cake or a piece of lace with the most intricate carving. The inlaid decorations are Islamic in origin but very familiar if you relate them to some patchwork designs. What a day of culture and art we had! We finished with a buffet of mostly vegetarian food. There is very little meat used in food here and some places are totally vegetarian. Many dishes use paneer, which is really cottage cheese but it seems more like tofu, a new one to try at home.

We have been having difficulties with internet access this week, which explains why we are getting a little behind, and there are no recent photographs, but all should be resolved in the next few days - we hope!