From Ryan:
Day 1
We arrived in Malaysia on April 2 and were excited to go into port. Our ship was not able to dock in port, so they had to lower the life boats to transport us to and from the shore. We used this method for our whole stay in Malaysia. So we get off the boat and are welcomed by a hot, humid, and very sunny day. We had a few hours until we needed to catch our flight to Kuala Lumpur so we walked around the waterfront area. Within walking distance was both Little India, and China Town. We went out with Jenny, Julie, and Sami, and looked around the Indian shops, but we had just come from India so we did not need to buy anything. We ate at an Indian restaurant and took it easy until we had to leave. We then caught two taxis to the airport and were on our way to Kuala Lumpur, a major metropolis. We were planning on staying at the Ritz Carlton, but it was the same price to stay at the Mandarin Oriental, which was right next to the Petronas twin towers, which are the most amazing buildings I have ever seen before. Split between everyone we shoved in the room it was very cheap. That night we all got dressed up, I wore my Kuta, the dressy Indian wear. We went to a huge mall and ate at an awesome Thai place. We then went out to a main street that had about 10 different clubs lining it. We stopped at club Aloha, one of the more expensive ones, but got in for free. There they had a DJ, live band, and lots of dancing and TV’s. After awhile of dancing, we met back up with the people we came with, and they got us into a free VIP underground section of the club. Juan and Eddie were able to get two tables inside the club that were covered in a coral looking structure. It was our private little party, but we also got down on the dance floor. After that we went back to the hotel and ended up ordering some very tasty room service.
Day 2
We planned to wake up early and see the Batu Caves, Lake gardens, and place where the King resided, but ended up leaving the room at around 12. Thus, we went out in the town to shop and see some locals. Since we were in the city area there was also a China town, and Little India. In China town we found a shop that had many different things we were looking for, like ping pong balls for the ship, and arts and crafts things for Erika’s Ambassador’s Ball thing. They also had hand made Chinese art, and we ended up buying a piece for very cheap. It then started to rain in the afternoon and the locals said that it usually does that, but stops in the evening. They were right. Later that night we went to the shopping area at the bottom of the twin towers, and ended up splitting away from our group to have dinner and a movie. By the way, to go to the movie theatre only cost 2 US dollars, and they are just like the ones in the US, with stadium seating. We saw a movie that my roommate had seen in India and recommended. It was called “Namaste London” and was cool to see a different cultures style in movies. We then ate and went back to the hotel. We were able to get a little sleep, but the rest of our group did not show up till 4 am, again. This time we did manage to wake up and get an early start.
Day 3
We all woke up and headed out for the Batu Caves. There we say a huge statue of the Deity Shiva, a Hindu God. We then saw a bunch of Hindu architecture and were amazed at its intricacy, and wide array of colors. As we made our way up the 220 steps to the top to see the Temple, monkeys were surrounding us and looking at what we had in our hands. I was not able to get pictures and video till after it happened, but one of the monkeys stole our friend Sami’s purse, emptied it out, and stole her children’s books she just bought. It then climbed a post and threw them down after reading and biting them. She got all her things back, but was terrified of the monkeys and had me carry her bag when we went back down the steps. It made for good entertainment. Next we made our way to the Lake Gardens were we went to a butterfly farm. There were thousands of butterflies and I was able to hold a lot of them. There were also turtles, fish, and frogs there. Inside we were able to see a lot of different butterflies and exotic insects and bugs from around the world. It might sound lame, but I actually had an awesome time. We then made our way to a palace, I forget what it is called, but it is where a Kinglike person lives and it is guarded by two soldiers on horses with guns. They were like the soldiers in London, and were not able to move. We took pictures with them, and their horses. After that we went shopping some more and then made our way back to the air port. After flying back to Penang we went back to the boat and went straight to bed.
Day 4
In the morning we got up and went to a beach about 30 minutes away. Our driver was really cool and helpful telling us about Malaysia and things to do. I have his card if anyone reading this needs a good driver some day. It was a very nice beach, and there were many things to do there. It was a tourist area, with hotels, but it was not crowded on the beach. We saw people on sea doos in the ocean, horses walking up and down the beach, and ATV’s also going back and forth along the beach. We hung out, ate lunch, and bought a few things at the local market. After that, we had some time to kill, and some Ringotts we needed to spend, so we went horseback riding on the beach with Clair and Nicole, and then Erika and I went Sea Dooing. It was very cheap, and a lot of fun. Later, we split a cab with Erika’s roommate Grace and her friend Kelsey back to the ship. We got there early and had time to eat at a local place. The restaurant was cooking their food out front, and Erika saw a rat run by; and that’s when I knew the place would be really good. I got fried noodles and chicken, and it was amazing, and extremely cheap, maybe around 2 dollars. We then went back to the ship where we waited in line, got our bags checked, and took a lifeboat to the ship.
We had a great time in Malaysia, and met a lot of inspiring, and eye opening people. At one of the restaurants we met a family of three that were from the US, but now the dad is a teacher in Malaysia. He is a part of an awesome program, and it really opened our eyes even more to the realistic possibility of working abroad.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
India
India
I was looking forward to India the most of any port on this voyage. I was determined to make it to the Taj Mahal no matter what. We had a group set up that we were traveling with; Ryan, Dustin, Kevin, Clair, Jenny, and I were all planning on flying to Delhi, taking a train to Agra and back to Delhi, flying to Varanasi, and then flying back to Chennai. We were going to travel very extensively in only five days. We had tried to book all this in Mauritius but due to many different problems, were unsuccessful. A few days before, we were able to find an airline that we could book online called SpiceJet. We booked a flight to Delhi and to Varanasi but this particular airline did not fly directly to Chennai so we decided to wait and purchase our ticket at the airport. Risky I know but everything turned out amazing.
Day 1:
We arrived in Chennai and were able to get off the ship at 11 but since Ryan and I had an SAS trip at 1 pm we decided to just stay on the ship, pack for the next few days, and get some lunch. I was very excited for this trip because it was a service project to one of the poorest areas of Chennai to help improve the community. The people of this community are called the Dalits, also known as the untouchables and are part of the lowest caste system. So we took a bus to the area and as soon as we got off children swarmed us placing strings of jasmine over our necks and in our hair. They would ask us our name and want to take pictures with us. They were so giddy and excited to see us and absolutely adorable. We walked through the village to the school and were given a welcome ceremony with a traditional dance and music and were then put to work. Ryan and I were in a group of five that had the task of painting all the chalkboards in all the classrooms. The kids kept coming up to us and talking and taking pictures. I really liked the kids. After a few hours, we had to leave. But before we did an Indian reporter took pictures of us and we were in the next day’s newspaper. I haven’t seen it though. After saying our goodbyes, we went back to the ship and cleaned up since we were covered in paint, before finding Sami, Anna, Kevin and some others to go out to dinner. My first experience on a rickshaw was awesome. These tiny three- wheeled vehicles whiz you dangerously around the city while you’re hanging on for dear life. While driving, I saw many motorcycles with whole families of four riding them! I’ll have to show you guys pictures. Anyway, we went to this really nice hotel where they had live entertainment. We saw beautiful Indian dancers and musicians and a man with parakeets told our fortunes. Not to mention the food was awesome. Ryan said it was his favorite Indian food ever. We were given papadum, Indian crispy bread, with a bunch of different sauces including coconut, ginger, and cilantro. We had a bunch of different curries and masala, bread, and rice. Amazing. We really wanted desert after dinner so we found some chocolates for sale. We misread the price and thought they were extremely cheap so we were piling our plates but it turned out to be more expensive than we had hoped. We all had a good laugh. After our late dinner, we went back to the ship since we had to be up pretty early. Oh and this time, we fit all eight of us into one rickshaw, that was our record.
Day 2:
Ryan, Dustin, Kevin, Clair, Jenny, Tiffany, Tina and I all met at 5:15 to rake the train to the airport. It was so much cheaper and more fun than taking a taxi. Tiffany and Tina were going to Bombay but their flight was at the same time ours was. Our first order of business when we arrived at the airport was to find a flight back to Chennai. There were no direct flights so we ended up having to book a flight to Delhi and the Chennai. All of our flights together cost around $300 and we did the whole trip for over $400 which is less than a third of the SAS trip. I was pretty happy with that. Anyway, after we landed in Delhi, we made arrangements to leave for Agra, which is the city where the Taj is located. Since the train wouldn’t get us there before sunset, we hired a van along with four others to take us there, drive us around while we were there, and take us back to Delhi. It was less than $30 a person which turned out to be cheaper than the train, yay! We desperately tried to reach the Taj before sunset and our driver was weaving in and out of traffic to help get us there but no such luck. We just checked into a hotel, which by the way was really nice. We ate dinner downstairs and half of us had a buffet while the other half ate at the restaurant. The buffet was amazing. This was my favorite food of the whole trip. There were yummy salads and soups and so many different Indian dishes as well as Chinese dishes and the deserts were to die for. After dinner, we packed up our leftovers and gave them to people on the street outside the hotel. They were very nice and thankful. We then walked around the shops in the hotel and ended up talking to a guy that worked in the store for three hours! This guy thought I looked Indian which was weird because I kept getting this everywhere I went. Even when I got off the ship the Indian official asked if my parents were Indian. It was actually pretty cool. Anyway, Jenny, Ryan, and I learned so much about from this guy about pashminas and different scarves and carpet weaving it was actually very interesting. He told us about his life in Kashmir and working in Agra. His stories were amazing. He also told us of how he was dating a girl for eight years, never kissed her and then she broke up with him. This was four years ago and he is still very sad over it. Last time he went back to Kashmir he saw her with a baby and he has never been back. We also had discussions about God (he is Muslim) and peoples’ emotions and many other things. He was reading Jenny like a book but I won’t get into that. We all really enjoyed talking to him and before we knew it, it was past one in the morning. We said our goodbyes and exchanged contact info before heading to bed.
Day 3:
We met our drivers at 5:30 to go see the sunrise at the Taj. I was so excited I can’t even tell you. For those of you that don’t know, the Taj Mahal was built by an Indian leader for his wife when she died giving birth to her 14th child. He loved her so much he built her a magnificent tomb. The saddest part of the story is that he actually saw the Taj for the last time when he was in prison (he was put there by his own son). It felt so surreal when I first saw the Taj. We immediately began taking pictures. It was so beautiful. The white marble was so magnificent in the sun. We were definitely being silly and taking pictures while we were jumping and Ryan even did tucks in font of it. It was almost like a big photo shoot. Some guides were telling us very interesting things about the Taj. It is actually an Islamic structure, not Hindu as many people might think. So the gardens reflect that. The water and geometry of it is very Islamic. The minarets, or columns, of the Taj are actually tilted outwards in case of an earthquake; they will not fall on the main structure. There is also script written on the building that becomes larger the higher it gets and forms an optical illusion because it all looks the same size. The most interesting thing I learned was that all the workers that built the Taj, thousands of them, had both of their hands cut off upon completion so that they could not replicate it. This was confirmed by a few different guides but I still don’t want to believe it. After our morning at the Taj we were taken back to Delhi to catch our flight to Varanasi. We stopped and ate lunch at what was I’m sure a tourist trap because it was a big building with an eating area, little shops and restrooms in the middle of nowhere. Everything was so expensive but I did get a free bindi because again the guy thought I was Indian. Anyway, we arrived at the airport with plenty of time for our flight. However, we decided to order ice cream at the last minute and we barely made the plane. Everyone had boarded and we were still waiting on our ice cream and of course we couldn’t leave it! Now, it’s a little ridiculous. Also, the shuttle had to wait for Jenny because she did not have a tag on her bag and they wouldn’t let her on the plane without one. Very nerve wrecking but a funny story now. When we arrived in Varanasi, we found drivers for our stay. Our guy was kind of untrustworthy though. He was taking us to his friends’ shops to buy things but we didn’t. We found a crappy place to stay and ate dinner. Some of us decided to go shopping down this really busy street. By the way, there are cows everywhere. The streets are so crazy people and cars just let the cows and bulls stay in the middle of the road. So while we were walking down the street we often had to make our way around them. The cows were fine but the bulls definitely scared me. Anyway, Ryan and Dustin got Indian outfits and us girls got some shirts. Oh and Clair and I got the cutest red jeweled shoes. I’m pretty excited. After shopping, we went back to the hotel.
Day 4:
Today was another early morning because we had to wake up before sunrise to take a boat ride down the Ganga River. It was gorgeous; the sunlight on the temples was beautiful. It looked exactly like a postcard. Instead of explaining what I did, I am going to post an essay I wrote for my art and religion class that by the way I got 100% on! So here it is:
Sacred Ganga
I recently had the privilege of visiting the most sacred Hindu site in India; the Ganga river. I traveled to the city of Varanasi to view the ritual bathings and cremations that take place along the banks of the river. Many Hindus make pilgrimages here every year to bathe in the holy waters because it is believed that they will be absolved of their sins. Also, if one dies in the city of Varanasi and is cremated in the river, they are released from the cycle of rebirth. The highlight of my trip was a sunrise boat ride down the river. I was astonished at everything that I saw. In addition to the rituals that were taking place, I noticed many beautiful temples and sculptures lining the river. My time on the Ganga was eye-opening.
As I was floating down the river, I observed many different rituals. Many people trickle down the ghats, steps down to the river, at dawn to take a holy dip in the water. I saw people brushing their teeth with the water, washing clothes, and even swimming in the Ganga. One man was that was swimming near us passed a floating body seemingly without noticing. Our guide told us that the only people who do not get cremated are children, priests, and people who have been bitten by snakes. Rocks are tied to the bodies and they sink to the bottom of the river. After awhile, the rock becomes untied and the body will float to the top. It was shocking to me to see a body, and nobody else seemed to notice. Before long, we reached a cremation ghat. There was smoke rising to the sky and piles of firewood. There were many people witnessing the ceremony. I did not actually see any bodies because the part that was burning was partially hidden. There was a somber attitude from the people present and those of us that were merely observing. I knew about the sacred Ganga before I arrived but actually witnessing the rituals was astonishing.
There were also many temples and interesting statues lining the Ganga. The ghat that I walked down to start my boat ride was a good example of the river background. There was a long building painted with red and white stripes on top of red and white stairs. There was a temple on top of this structure painted teal, red, purple, and yellow. The architecture was very Indian, with decorative arches and round bulges at the top. Next to the temple were several hollowed out spaces with sculptures in them. Shiva was the focus of one of them but there were also cows, goats, and chubby men featured. It was very interesting to observe the art and architecture along the Ganga. Hinduism was evident even in the colors that were used. It made me think that the people that were participating in the ritual bathings could look up and have little reminders of their faith.
So many people travel to Varanasi every year and I also had the privilege to do so. I observed many different rituals that opened my eyes to another culture.
And here is a poem from Ryan that he wrote for his poetry class:
Ganga
I knew it was dirty
I knew there were bodies, both ashes and whole
I knew there was fecal
But I did not truly know
I saw the fires
I saw the shit
I saw the bodies
I think I felt sick
I don’t know how I felt
Or how I feel
It’s part of life
A life now made real
10 feet away
A back is exposed
Up and down but no where else to go
Day by day it’s only 10 feet away
Floating up and down, up and down
Till there is no more back to be found
Nothing that big to take it away
Only the tiny fish, and bacteria to decay
How long till it’s gone
I can’t believe it’s real
This life so different
How should I feel?
So I don’t know what else to say about the Ganga. It was definitely one of my favorite places because it pushed me way out of my comfort zone. Varanasi in general was probably the highlight of my trip.
After the boat ride, we went to a silk shop that was awesome. Varanasi is known for silk. Anyway, we were taken into this guys house and we sat in a circle and were given chai tea. Then this man displayed many silk items from shawls to duvet covers and pillows, to sarees. Between everyone in our group, we spent almost 1000 dollars. It was really cheap and we got a lot for our money though. After our shopping spree, we went to the city of Sarnath, where Buddha made his first sermon. We visited a stupa, a Buddhist place of worship, and a Janist temple. After this, we made our way to the airport for our flight back to Delhi. For our only night, Clair, Ryan, and I decided to go out in the city in search of a true Indian experience, hookah, but we settled for dinner. Our driver took us to this shop and we learned the art of carpet weaving which was so interesting. We then went back to the hotel and passed out.
Day 5:
We had an early morning flight back to Chennai. After we arrived in Chennai, we stopped at the ship to drop our stuff off before going out for the day. This was the only day we could visit the St. Thomas church so Clair, Jenny, Ryan and I went. Thomas, the apostle of Jesus Christ, traveled to India in the later part of his life. He was actually buried in this church. It was very interesting to see women in sarees doing the sign of the cross and things that aren’t traditionally Indian. We even met some Indian people who were advocates for AIDS and they were so nice telling us about what they were doing. We exchanged emails and pictures and since then we have actually gotten emails from them. I’ll show you guys pictures of the church but for future SASers, it is definitely worth the train ride. The view is beautiful and if you are Christian or Catholic, very worth it. After this, we went shopping. I didn’t buy much at Spencer’s plaza but I did think I lost my credit card. It was not fun. It turns out a couple days later Ryan found it in his money pouch. I told him to check like five times and he swore he did. Whatever, I’m happy. We went back to the ship a few hours early but then got off again in search of Chai tea with no success. I also spent some time at a shop outside the ship and bought a couple more things for people. We were the last ones there because it was so close to on ship time and the guy gave us a pretty good deal because we were the last customers. We almost got dock time!
India was amazing and it was definitely life changing. I can’t even begin to express how I feel or what I think and how I’m changed. Many people fell in love with India not because of the beautiful Taj or the party city of Bombay, but the people, the culture, the food. India pushed people to the limits. And I really do love India.
I was looking forward to India the most of any port on this voyage. I was determined to make it to the Taj Mahal no matter what. We had a group set up that we were traveling with; Ryan, Dustin, Kevin, Clair, Jenny, and I were all planning on flying to Delhi, taking a train to Agra and back to Delhi, flying to Varanasi, and then flying back to Chennai. We were going to travel very extensively in only five days. We had tried to book all this in Mauritius but due to many different problems, were unsuccessful. A few days before, we were able to find an airline that we could book online called SpiceJet. We booked a flight to Delhi and to Varanasi but this particular airline did not fly directly to Chennai so we decided to wait and purchase our ticket at the airport. Risky I know but everything turned out amazing.
Day 1:
We arrived in Chennai and were able to get off the ship at 11 but since Ryan and I had an SAS trip at 1 pm we decided to just stay on the ship, pack for the next few days, and get some lunch. I was very excited for this trip because it was a service project to one of the poorest areas of Chennai to help improve the community. The people of this community are called the Dalits, also known as the untouchables and are part of the lowest caste system. So we took a bus to the area and as soon as we got off children swarmed us placing strings of jasmine over our necks and in our hair. They would ask us our name and want to take pictures with us. They were so giddy and excited to see us and absolutely adorable. We walked through the village to the school and were given a welcome ceremony with a traditional dance and music and were then put to work. Ryan and I were in a group of five that had the task of painting all the chalkboards in all the classrooms. The kids kept coming up to us and talking and taking pictures. I really liked the kids. After a few hours, we had to leave. But before we did an Indian reporter took pictures of us and we were in the next day’s newspaper. I haven’t seen it though. After saying our goodbyes, we went back to the ship and cleaned up since we were covered in paint, before finding Sami, Anna, Kevin and some others to go out to dinner. My first experience on a rickshaw was awesome. These tiny three- wheeled vehicles whiz you dangerously around the city while you’re hanging on for dear life. While driving, I saw many motorcycles with whole families of four riding them! I’ll have to show you guys pictures. Anyway, we went to this really nice hotel where they had live entertainment. We saw beautiful Indian dancers and musicians and a man with parakeets told our fortunes. Not to mention the food was awesome. Ryan said it was his favorite Indian food ever. We were given papadum, Indian crispy bread, with a bunch of different sauces including coconut, ginger, and cilantro. We had a bunch of different curries and masala, bread, and rice. Amazing. We really wanted desert after dinner so we found some chocolates for sale. We misread the price and thought they were extremely cheap so we were piling our plates but it turned out to be more expensive than we had hoped. We all had a good laugh. After our late dinner, we went back to the ship since we had to be up pretty early. Oh and this time, we fit all eight of us into one rickshaw, that was our record.
Day 2:
Ryan, Dustin, Kevin, Clair, Jenny, Tiffany, Tina and I all met at 5:15 to rake the train to the airport. It was so much cheaper and more fun than taking a taxi. Tiffany and Tina were going to Bombay but their flight was at the same time ours was. Our first order of business when we arrived at the airport was to find a flight back to Chennai. There were no direct flights so we ended up having to book a flight to Delhi and the Chennai. All of our flights together cost around $300 and we did the whole trip for over $400 which is less than a third of the SAS trip. I was pretty happy with that. Anyway, after we landed in Delhi, we made arrangements to leave for Agra, which is the city where the Taj is located. Since the train wouldn’t get us there before sunset, we hired a van along with four others to take us there, drive us around while we were there, and take us back to Delhi. It was less than $30 a person which turned out to be cheaper than the train, yay! We desperately tried to reach the Taj before sunset and our driver was weaving in and out of traffic to help get us there but no such luck. We just checked into a hotel, which by the way was really nice. We ate dinner downstairs and half of us had a buffet while the other half ate at the restaurant. The buffet was amazing. This was my favorite food of the whole trip. There were yummy salads and soups and so many different Indian dishes as well as Chinese dishes and the deserts were to die for. After dinner, we packed up our leftovers and gave them to people on the street outside the hotel. They were very nice and thankful. We then walked around the shops in the hotel and ended up talking to a guy that worked in the store for three hours! This guy thought I looked Indian which was weird because I kept getting this everywhere I went. Even when I got off the ship the Indian official asked if my parents were Indian. It was actually pretty cool. Anyway, Jenny, Ryan, and I learned so much about from this guy about pashminas and different scarves and carpet weaving it was actually very interesting. He told us about his life in Kashmir and working in Agra. His stories were amazing. He also told us of how he was dating a girl for eight years, never kissed her and then she broke up with him. This was four years ago and he is still very sad over it. Last time he went back to Kashmir he saw her with a baby and he has never been back. We also had discussions about God (he is Muslim) and peoples’ emotions and many other things. He was reading Jenny like a book but I won’t get into that. We all really enjoyed talking to him and before we knew it, it was past one in the morning. We said our goodbyes and exchanged contact info before heading to bed.
Day 3:
We met our drivers at 5:30 to go see the sunrise at the Taj. I was so excited I can’t even tell you. For those of you that don’t know, the Taj Mahal was built by an Indian leader for his wife when she died giving birth to her 14th child. He loved her so much he built her a magnificent tomb. The saddest part of the story is that he actually saw the Taj for the last time when he was in prison (he was put there by his own son). It felt so surreal when I first saw the Taj. We immediately began taking pictures. It was so beautiful. The white marble was so magnificent in the sun. We were definitely being silly and taking pictures while we were jumping and Ryan even did tucks in font of it. It was almost like a big photo shoot. Some guides were telling us very interesting things about the Taj. It is actually an Islamic structure, not Hindu as many people might think. So the gardens reflect that. The water and geometry of it is very Islamic. The minarets, or columns, of the Taj are actually tilted outwards in case of an earthquake; they will not fall on the main structure. There is also script written on the building that becomes larger the higher it gets and forms an optical illusion because it all looks the same size. The most interesting thing I learned was that all the workers that built the Taj, thousands of them, had both of their hands cut off upon completion so that they could not replicate it. This was confirmed by a few different guides but I still don’t want to believe it. After our morning at the Taj we were taken back to Delhi to catch our flight to Varanasi. We stopped and ate lunch at what was I’m sure a tourist trap because it was a big building with an eating area, little shops and restrooms in the middle of nowhere. Everything was so expensive but I did get a free bindi because again the guy thought I was Indian. Anyway, we arrived at the airport with plenty of time for our flight. However, we decided to order ice cream at the last minute and we barely made the plane. Everyone had boarded and we were still waiting on our ice cream and of course we couldn’t leave it! Now, it’s a little ridiculous. Also, the shuttle had to wait for Jenny because she did not have a tag on her bag and they wouldn’t let her on the plane without one. Very nerve wrecking but a funny story now. When we arrived in Varanasi, we found drivers for our stay. Our guy was kind of untrustworthy though. He was taking us to his friends’ shops to buy things but we didn’t. We found a crappy place to stay and ate dinner. Some of us decided to go shopping down this really busy street. By the way, there are cows everywhere. The streets are so crazy people and cars just let the cows and bulls stay in the middle of the road. So while we were walking down the street we often had to make our way around them. The cows were fine but the bulls definitely scared me. Anyway, Ryan and Dustin got Indian outfits and us girls got some shirts. Oh and Clair and I got the cutest red jeweled shoes. I’m pretty excited. After shopping, we went back to the hotel.
Day 4:
Today was another early morning because we had to wake up before sunrise to take a boat ride down the Ganga River. It was gorgeous; the sunlight on the temples was beautiful. It looked exactly like a postcard. Instead of explaining what I did, I am going to post an essay I wrote for my art and religion class that by the way I got 100% on! So here it is:
Sacred Ganga
I recently had the privilege of visiting the most sacred Hindu site in India; the Ganga river. I traveled to the city of Varanasi to view the ritual bathings and cremations that take place along the banks of the river. Many Hindus make pilgrimages here every year to bathe in the holy waters because it is believed that they will be absolved of their sins. Also, if one dies in the city of Varanasi and is cremated in the river, they are released from the cycle of rebirth. The highlight of my trip was a sunrise boat ride down the river. I was astonished at everything that I saw. In addition to the rituals that were taking place, I noticed many beautiful temples and sculptures lining the river. My time on the Ganga was eye-opening.
As I was floating down the river, I observed many different rituals. Many people trickle down the ghats, steps down to the river, at dawn to take a holy dip in the water. I saw people brushing their teeth with the water, washing clothes, and even swimming in the Ganga. One man was that was swimming near us passed a floating body seemingly without noticing. Our guide told us that the only people who do not get cremated are children, priests, and people who have been bitten by snakes. Rocks are tied to the bodies and they sink to the bottom of the river. After awhile, the rock becomes untied and the body will float to the top. It was shocking to me to see a body, and nobody else seemed to notice. Before long, we reached a cremation ghat. There was smoke rising to the sky and piles of firewood. There were many people witnessing the ceremony. I did not actually see any bodies because the part that was burning was partially hidden. There was a somber attitude from the people present and those of us that were merely observing. I knew about the sacred Ganga before I arrived but actually witnessing the rituals was astonishing.
There were also many temples and interesting statues lining the Ganga. The ghat that I walked down to start my boat ride was a good example of the river background. There was a long building painted with red and white stripes on top of red and white stairs. There was a temple on top of this structure painted teal, red, purple, and yellow. The architecture was very Indian, with decorative arches and round bulges at the top. Next to the temple were several hollowed out spaces with sculptures in them. Shiva was the focus of one of them but there were also cows, goats, and chubby men featured. It was very interesting to observe the art and architecture along the Ganga. Hinduism was evident even in the colors that were used. It made me think that the people that were participating in the ritual bathings could look up and have little reminders of their faith.
So many people travel to Varanasi every year and I also had the privilege to do so. I observed many different rituals that opened my eyes to another culture.
And here is a poem from Ryan that he wrote for his poetry class:
Ganga
I knew it was dirty
I knew there were bodies, both ashes and whole
I knew there was fecal
But I did not truly know
I saw the fires
I saw the shit
I saw the bodies
I think I felt sick
I don’t know how I felt
Or how I feel
It’s part of life
A life now made real
10 feet away
A back is exposed
Up and down but no where else to go
Day by day it’s only 10 feet away
Floating up and down, up and down
Till there is no more back to be found
Nothing that big to take it away
Only the tiny fish, and bacteria to decay
How long till it’s gone
I can’t believe it’s real
This life so different
How should I feel?
So I don’t know what else to say about the Ganga. It was definitely one of my favorite places because it pushed me way out of my comfort zone. Varanasi in general was probably the highlight of my trip.
After the boat ride, we went to a silk shop that was awesome. Varanasi is known for silk. Anyway, we were taken into this guys house and we sat in a circle and were given chai tea. Then this man displayed many silk items from shawls to duvet covers and pillows, to sarees. Between everyone in our group, we spent almost 1000 dollars. It was really cheap and we got a lot for our money though. After our shopping spree, we went to the city of Sarnath, where Buddha made his first sermon. We visited a stupa, a Buddhist place of worship, and a Janist temple. After this, we made our way to the airport for our flight back to Delhi. For our only night, Clair, Ryan, and I decided to go out in the city in search of a true Indian experience, hookah, but we settled for dinner. Our driver took us to this shop and we learned the art of carpet weaving which was so interesting. We then went back to the hotel and passed out.
Day 5:
We had an early morning flight back to Chennai. After we arrived in Chennai, we stopped at the ship to drop our stuff off before going out for the day. This was the only day we could visit the St. Thomas church so Clair, Jenny, Ryan and I went. Thomas, the apostle of Jesus Christ, traveled to India in the later part of his life. He was actually buried in this church. It was very interesting to see women in sarees doing the sign of the cross and things that aren’t traditionally Indian. We even met some Indian people who were advocates for AIDS and they were so nice telling us about what they were doing. We exchanged emails and pictures and since then we have actually gotten emails from them. I’ll show you guys pictures of the church but for future SASers, it is definitely worth the train ride. The view is beautiful and if you are Christian or Catholic, very worth it. After this, we went shopping. I didn’t buy much at Spencer’s plaza but I did think I lost my credit card. It was not fun. It turns out a couple days later Ryan found it in his money pouch. I told him to check like five times and he swore he did. Whatever, I’m happy. We went back to the ship a few hours early but then got off again in search of Chai tea with no success. I also spent some time at a shop outside the ship and bought a couple more things for people. We were the last ones there because it was so close to on ship time and the guy gave us a pretty good deal because we were the last customers. We almost got dock time!
India was amazing and it was definitely life changing. I can’t even begin to express how I feel or what I think and how I’m changed. Many people fell in love with India not because of the beautiful Taj or the party city of Bombay, but the people, the culture, the food. India pushed people to the limits. And I really do love India.
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