Here’s a bad try:
A sense of taste that’s tasting the air – atmosphere …tired feet, a cut of the backpack on your shoulders – fleeting images pass by, nothing recording ...catching them just at the periphery of my vision…it doesn’t matter…nothing does… I’m glad for everything – a composition that’s whimsical. Whiff of masala tea and cigarettes in a haze around my head...from the last stop in a hippie café..
Oh well…its indescribable.
Another bad try. Shorter this time, though:
It’s a state of complete acceptance and happiness that’s perfect – dependent on nothing but just BEING. The continuum blows my mind.
Oh that sucks harder…. Now on to more constructive rambling…
Guess one of my favorite pointless travel locales will have to be Varanasi… The Eternal City of India, located on the banks of the Ganges. I love this city of holy men, musicians, silk saris, poets, tourists and seekers of Nirvana.
Imagine a city that is founded by an insane Sex-Drugs-Rock n Roll propounding God - the God of Destruction, Shiva – and open your eyes in Varanasi and its right there : just what you imagined. Picture perfect.
Ganga, Ghats and ganja…just walking in the sun, through little cobbled roads speckled with psychedelic shiva cafes, rubbing shoulders with Aghori babas and pot smoking saints, dead people and the not so occasional cow – old men playing chess on the side walks and some fantabulously amazing street food.
Really…. what more can you ask for…my hippie blood was baying that it had come home. Finally.
Recommendations...if any of you are in the mood for some generic gyaan:A trip to the burning ghats (Manikarnika) is super-surreal. The smoke lifts off the burning body and mingles with the air you're breathing...and suddenly all distinctions start to blur... at that point, step aside and and you tell yourself, 'Welcome to Varanasi'.
I recommend the boat ride to anyone – anytime of the day, anytime of the night. Early and late and don’t miss it during the Ganga aarti.
The café overlooking the Assi ghat ..where time just endless floats between some truly amazing hot apple pie topped with cold ice-cream… don’t miss that either.
Stay? Go for the guesthouses… I recommend Sindhia Guesthouse…lovely collection of books, lovely ganga view, great food and clean rooms.
Make sure you take good solid shoes and WALK. Everywhere. Or take the rickshaw. Or the boat. Or preferably…do all three.
Don’t forget your camera …more than 3 days off…and an open mind…that way its ready to be blown.
