Afterthoughts of India trip

I would not recommend this trip to people unless you have seen everything else. Or Fly into India see the Taj Mahal , go to Varanasi and leave.
I am shocked by the garbage and lack of places to pee. Men were peeing against walls and everywhere. What do the women do? And how do they handle their periods? In an area of China, the women place a bark from a tree between their legs. The bark absorbs the blood. And they walk funny from it chaffing their skins.
The country does not have a workable government to solve its problems.
No hope for the country unless they deal with all the animals that roam the streets. And they think the cows are sacred so they will not move, kill or eat them. They will use the skin off a dead cow but not eat the meat. I saw a skinned cow on the road. Starving people and a dead cow rotting in the street. Dogs and goats , monkeys and rats everywhere. People sleeping anywhere, no shelter. They did have a few white tents in cities for the homeless to sleep in because of the cold.
One more country that the water is not safe and bottled water is a must. We never ate anything but where the tour took us. Still do not love Indian food. It is so spicy and hot. They do not do dessert. We would be given a round ball with a sweet sauce that was not good. We were given ice cream a few times. I really missed chocolate.
I need someone to explain the Hindu religion better. There are big and little temples everywhere. It seems a priest can set up a mosque on a raised platform and people pay him and pray.



Where does the money go? Does any of the money go back into the community? There is no minister giving a sermon asking the people to help their neighbor.
We had way too much free time with this tour. We would be in a hotel with large grounds and nothing around or out of the grounds to see. I can not believe there was not more to see in the cities. Some decent place to shop. Where do the middle class people live? Where do the wealthy live? I just did not see it. Do the wealthy slop around it that dirt? I did not come to India to have a manicure or swim. And it was too cold outside for walks. Too dangerous to go outside the grounds of the hotel.
The weather was colder than expected. The entire world was in a cold wave. At least three nights we were cold in our hotel rooms. They did not have heat or it did not work. So we were cold all the time. How can I complain when there were so many homeless people living in the cold wet streets and they are hungry. With no toilets. Only well water to bath or use for food. Doing laundry from the well water and putting it on the ground or walls to dry.
Our guide said that there is free education for all children up to the age of 12. But I have my doubts about the education for many of the kids. We were taken to the worst school possible. And we gave these dirty poor kids a small scarf or a cap. They needed shoes, food and school supplies. They had nothing to learn with. They are taught by rote. First there are the children in the farm and country. No good schools for them. Then how do you get homeless children in school. They can not afford the uniform. He said pink and red bikes are provided for the girls to ride to school. I did see some of the bikes. But very few girls ride bikes and certainly not the motorcycles. In the cities I saw kids going to school in uniforms. They looked clean and happy. They are the ones going to the private school.
I do not feel the need to buy things on my trips. I have two decorated homes. The items in these countries would not match my style. I enjoy going to,the different factories. But I am done seeing how a rug is made, inlaid marble done. I love looking a Jewerly but not interested in buying an expensive piece out of the country. Too many people have been cheated. Thinking you bought a stone and it turns out to be glass. My mother , the Merry Widow, as we called her, traveled the world and when she died and we divided up the Jewerly, it was not all real. She enjoyed the ring but the ruby but it was not that.
Jack and are are discussing our next vacation and think we need a very different experience. Maybe something active with hiking, rafting and beautiful scenery.

Location:Hilton Head Island,United States

Our Odyssey tour group. India

Location:India

Varanasi, cremations Jan 27-28

We flew to Varanasi. What a happening. Rashid said to stay in a line. Tons of security and rechecks. It ended up that we would be on a smaller plane. Even though, it was not our problem that the plane was smaller, we were made to check carry on luggage that they said was too large and pay for the over weight. And there was no changing their minds. Rashid argued and tried to work it out. They took one of our carry ons. We only paid $7 extra. But people paid as much at $60 extra dollars.



The plane was late and that got us into Varanasi late. We went straight to the Ganges river for a cruise. It was dark. The bus let us off and we had to walk quite a distance to the water. Past people everywhere. Selling candles with marigolds to float in the water. Children followed us and begged to sell something and money. For many of the trips off the bus, we were told to leave our purses on the bus. The kids were on top of us. It was 8:00 at night and these little kids are roaming the streets. When we were on the water, we went up and down the river. There were at least five cremations going on in one area. Not allowed to take pictures of it, but I snuck one shot in the morning. We went to an area where there was a ceremony for the water. Hundreds of people were on land and as many were in boats on the water. They were the tourist in the boats. They had torches and fans and did all kinds of things. Si Singing. This happens every night, all along the river.



These are the little girls that followed us down the streets and to the boats. They got on one of the tourist boats. They were trying to sell us the marigolds with candles. I feel they had something like pimps they worked for. When we were walking down the steps, I noticed two men. When were came back to shore later at night the men were standing there. I just did not like these little girls out at night. There were so many articles about rapes in the newspaper and no one to protect them.


We came back to the Ganges river at 6:00 AM. People and animals were sleeping everywhere on the streets. People were selling the flowers and containers to bring home water from the Ganges.



Cow sleeping


Person covered with blanket





Setting up him food station.





Sitting around a small fire to keep warm.



Water bottles


The steps to the river of Varanasi








This is the house of the priest of the area.


A Hindu is supposed to be cremated by six hours after they die. The men in the family will shave their heads. The family will dress in white and be in mourning for 13 days. No fancy foods. The dead person is wrapped in a gold cloth and put onto a bamboo ladder to be carried to the cremation sight. The oldest son or oldest male will be in charge of the event. He will get into the water to clean himself. Say some prayers. Then they put the dead person into the water to clean him. Take the gold cloth off him and place him on the fire. It takes about 3-5 hours to burn. The son will then have to crush the skull and throw the remains into the river. Women do not go to the river. But I saw some that looked like they were part of a funeral.
Just a little fog.





The sellers on boats would come up to our boat and not leave us alone.









Cremation area. You can see the smoke,from the fires. I saw an area with five cremations going.


Couple putting the marigold and candle in the water.

















Going into the water. Notice all the candles.


Bathing.












Bathing








This is laundry drying on the dirty hills.





Washing clothes and drying the saris











Bathing. Did I tell you, the water is DIRTY!














Laundry being washed and see the garbage.

















The same kids that were begging the night before.





We were a little cold on the boat. It is 7:00 AM our last day of the trip.


Laundry piled up.


This is the picture I took of a funeral. The fire tier is next to the water. Men are standing around the dead, I think woman. She is covered in the gold cloth. She had been put into the water and cleaned and as we left they were lifting she to the fire. Glad I missed that part of the funeral.





Some of the animals , here were dressed in sweaters.


Garbage and the dogs looking for food.


Food stands opening in the AM.





Homeless man, I guess with his belongings.


Goats for sale.


Apartment.










Milking the cow. You can drink the milk but not eat the meat of a cow as it is sacred.

Location:Varanasi , India