this amazing world

So, our last main stop in India was Varanasi. We were both so happy this amazing city was saved for last, as it proved to be a climax of sorts, requiring all our previous India experience to get the most out of this city. Mark Twain said about Varanasi, when he visited, something along the lines of "...older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together..." and while the buildings, painted over and built up for the hundredth time look similar to any other Indian city, you know there is something different about this place when you head to the river.

Anyone who has seen a lot of photography of traditional India would find this place familiar...towering ancient hotels and buildings hover over the banks of the river, always accessible by several steps leading down into it. There is a Hindu monastery with speakers which the monks take turns singing into so that there is constant singing 24 hours a day. We took a boat ride along the river...the Ganges is considered to be a holy pilgrimage site so at any given time there are hundreds of people from all over India who come to wash in the river. It was fascinating to watch the concentration of all these people performing their rituals in the water. There are also two cremation sites on the banks of the river that can house up to six cremations at any given time. Since watching a cremation in India is considered good karma, they are all public. In fact, Carmen and I were invited to watch one take place, which was interesting because we previously had come into close contact with a gold cloth-wrapped body as it was paraded through the streets during a funeral procession. Death in this city is considered to be a celebration because they are said to obtain "instant enlightenment" or salvation if a death takes place here.

Another memory we have from this city is that we were there to celebrate Diwali, which is essentially equivalent to the Indian Christmas and New Year- it is also called the festival of lights and so we saw the city all lit up in style. There were hundreds of explosions as fire crackers went off all over the city, it was interesting to watch it from our rooftop hotel.

After Varanasi we set out on a long drive to say goodbye to India, and head into Nepal.
At the border we got out of the vehicle and walked across. it was a nice way to enter the country, it really set in that we are starting something new and special. almost instantly the difference between the two countries became apparent. it was like India has this familiar background noise of honking and hooting that just disappeared. the streets were much cleaner, there were less people and what made the contrast even more apparent was that we drove right into the "bread and butter" area of Nepal, so as we drove we peacefully gazed into endless lush well kept fields of green....ahhhh....

We stopped in a small town to visit the birthplace of Buddha. Already we felt like we have learned a lot about the Hindu religion, a little about the Islamic religion, and this was the start of our look into Buddhism. It gives us a context for Christianity that we have never known before and we find it really fascinating, to compare them all, with a more educated view of these other world religions.

After another day's drive we found ourselves in Kathmandu, where we have since said goodbye to our tour group. It was bitter sweet, as we really connected with our new friends. But we are ready to do things on our own again!

We have not left the "tourist"area yet as we are still getting our bearing, and besides that there are SO many shops, bakeries, and delicious restaurants it makes our head spin. The most stressful thing about being here is deciding where to eat! It is wonderful!

We are savoring these last few days of laziness as we are getting ready to meet up with our Volunteer contacts, to settle down in Chitwan and do some work. Marcie is still nervous because the description of her position is totally vague...but it looks like Carmen will be building some toilets and he says that's just fine with him. The good Lord knows the world needs some more new toilets.

Before we get to the orphanage we are going to heat into the Annapurna region to a town called Pokhara to enjoy the mountains. we are SO jealous of all these outdoor enthusiasts who come here for serious trekking, kayaking, climbing etc. we are out of shape and have no gear so we will have to stick to the "well trodden path..." until the next time we visit Nepal!

Thanks everyone for keeping in touch. We love hearing things about life back home.

love carmen and marcie