Unexpected Kindness

It seems that the elements are following us. Our last day in Varanasi, it rained a record breaking 295mm in 24 hr, which was enough to hem us into one section of the city because the main streets were full of rushing water up to people's knees and even waists! One big problem here is the city sewer system is inefficient and perpetually clogged, and so massive rains cause the sewers to overflow. Gross! We didn't think too much of it, but read in the paper the next day that in some areas it had caused sink holes, destroyed shops, and claimed lives.
We miss the serene side of Varansi. Watching a guru teach his disciples beside the water and inches from an entire herd of cows soaking in the river...Early morning chai vendors...Friendly chats with locals on rooftop restaurants.
On to Khajuraho. The small, traffic free town of Kamasutra temples. We rented bicycles yesterday and rode about 20 miles through the countryside to look at temples. I can't even describe how freeing it was to be on a bike! We checked out a cluster of Jain temples, and as we understand it, Jainism is a sect of Hinduism. The extremists renounce everything worldly, including clothes, for 12 years while they search for enlightenment. Then, after achieving this, they sit in the lotus position and starve themselves to death. Wow.
It seems in this town that we are magnets of attention. You walk out the door of the guest house, and are immediately asked if you need a rickshaw ride, or a want to give a child a pen or candy, or would like to have a cup of tea with someone. The repetition of it is about enough to drive you insane. Here's a typical conversation that we have about 30 times a day:

"Hello my friend"... "Hi"
"Where you from?"... "United States"
"Ah, America! I like to make some conversation with you"... "Okay"
"How long you coming?"... (a bit of confusion) "We are here for 3 days"
"Excuse me sir, what is your occupation?"..."I'm a nurse"/"I build houses"
"It's good. You are friends?"..."We are married"
"Oh! (varied responses from approval to shock) You like India, something like honeymoon!"..."Kind of"

And then they follow you around for as long as possible and usually have some motive. But then once in a while you meet someone like Bahli and his wife, Shauno. Bahli found us one day at a temple for sunset, and we had the standard conversation. Then he wanted to have us to his house for dinner. We said we had plans that night but maybe we would see him tomorrow. Sure enough, he was waiting for us the next day. So, with a bit of trepidation in our hearts, we went to his house for dinner. He and his wife and kids showed us how they make chai and dahl, showed us their garden and gave us seeds "so we could start our own in America". Painted my fingernails and gave us small gifts. They showed us their coin collection and artwork and schoolbooks. And we taught them some phrases in Spanish. (They have a whole phrase book they have been collecting from travellers for years). We went back today to say goodbye, and they fed us more food! All this and never a mention of money or even a hint of asking for anything. We were blown away. Never underestimate the generosity or the love that can come from strangers. It was a very good lesson that softened our hearts towards the people of India again.
So now...about to catch a bus to Satna, then train to Pipariya, then bus again to Pachmarhi. Foothills, cooler weather, and less tourism await us!

Cow patties, Hustlers, and the Best Lassi ever

We made it to Varanasi via two separate train rides, since we booked tickets late. Our first train was 2 hours late, so we missed our departure for the second train. But luck was on our side and our second train was just as late...and we made it! Classic. This train had our favorite array of trinkets for sale yet, from light up bouncy balls to hair straighteners. Yes...just what we need on a train in India. Also, this was the first train that lived up to it's legend, with the seats being overbooked and exploding with people who did not pay for a seat like you did. We sung the praises of the rail a bit too soon.
Varanasi is an extremely spiritual town, 60% Hindu and 30% Muslim. The streets are all about 5 feet wide and a total labyrinth of vendors, goats, and cows. Cow patties abound. Doors are purposefully small so that, traditionally, you have to bow your head in reverence as you enter a home. The town lies along the holy Ganges river lined with ghats (bathing steps). Our hotel is on the burning ghat, Manikarnika. Last night we were led right up to the temple area where the burning is taking place. We were stepping over bodies and right up against the fires. It was incredibly hot. The body is brought on a bamboo gurney with a processional through the winding streets.
The people here are friendly, but everyone has some kind of agenda or are part of some scam to get money. We were touted 3 times in just 2 hours. It was unbelievable. At every turn someone is asking to "help" you, and there is always strings attached. We had Hindi dots smeared on our foreheads, ceremony flowers shoved in our hands, asked to give a donation for cremation wood, and ushered into a silk shop to sit on pillows and be offered tea while tons of silks were tossed out before us.We were afraid of offending their culture by refusing to participate in things offered to us, but now we're more street-wise and 99% of the time they just want your money. It's sad, because it places a wedge between them and tourists, who become more and more wary and on-edge.
On our walk back to the hotel, we discovered the Blue Lassi. Lassi is a great drink made of homemade yogurt, ice, and flavoring. This is a little place just off the alleyway that has serves 29 flavors and serves them up in a ceramic pot with little garnishes on the top for just 30 rupees (about 60 cents)! The pot is handmade and smashed on the street after only one use! The drink and the sincerely friendly owners rejuvenated our spirits and we vowed to return there daily.
Our hotel has a man that will lead you around into all the different Hindu temples for tips. This was amazing and informative. We got to go into some places that we never would have known existed otherwise. Overall this place is vibrant and colorful. We plan to stay a few days, and learn a few new climbing moves from the monkeys that are always playing on the temple near our rooftop.

We love our new umbrellas!

Our 10 hour train ride to Siliguri was overnight and, surprisingly, very comfortable! We had top bunks on a sleeper car with plenty of space to stretch out. The sad bit of news was that to reach Darjeeling, we still had to endure a 4 hour jeep ride, squished in with 10 other people. We were unlucky and got the very back seats which were insanely bumpy, the least leg room, and close to the roof of the jeep. I don't know if what we traveled on could be called a "road", or more just a steep washbed of rocks and jagged cement.
Darjeeling inself is a great little tiered town with more winding roads than we can make sense of. Green moss covers everything, and it hasn't stopped raining much in three days, giving the place a very misty magical Jungle Book kind of feel. The few moments the fog has cleared rewarded us with phenomenal 360 degree views of the green valleys below and the distant Himalayas. You can see for miles and there are villages dotting the hills everywhere.
Yesterday evening we were strolling in the market and suddenly heard a huge rumble and felt the earth start to shake. It was like nothing we've ever experienced before. The normally subdued Darjeeling-ites started running around the streets in a panic. From the looks of most construction tactics around here, we expected a shower of concrete and bricks at any moment. The shaking went on for awhile and the electricity went out. The streets here are confusing enough, and we were far from our hostel...so the darkness totally disoriented us. We got lost, but after an hour or so of walking, some help from the locals, and the light of our UV water purifier (yes...it doubles as a light source! amazing!) we finally found our way back. We found that the concrete slab in our bathroom had snapped in half and one window was broken. We heard from the locals that the earthquake was a 6.9, the biggest in decades! The epicenter of the quake was not too far from here, in Sikkim. The electricity is still not on, but the town is using battery and generators. We are thankful to have avoided any danger, but it was definitely exciting to experience the earth move under our feet. 

Endless Sweating, Endless Chaos

We arrived in Kolkata and took a taxi to Sudder St., which is where most backpackers go. The 16 km took us a good 1.5 hours because traffic is ridiculous. The air is filled with nonstop honking and most of the time we could reach out and high-five the person in the next taxi over. Our hostel ended up a grubby little concrete cell with a ceiling fan and a barred window, with shared squatty toilet holes for everyone.
Within a few hours, we quickly realized that we wanted to get out of Kolkata as soon as possible, but still had a day to kill. Waking up at 5:00am, we took to the miraculously quiet streets. It was quite a sublime experience to walk the same sidewalks minus normal chaos. I don't think I realized just how many of the street vendors and rickshaw drivers slept on the streets. People everywhere were just waking up, and it was interesting to see them in this much more vulnerable state.
Tonight we head for Darjeeling, a much smaller mountain town, on the train. Even in India we find ourselves fleeing from the big cities. So far this place has far exceeded what everyone told us it would be in terms of in-your-face noise, crowds, and poverty. It has also overwhelmed each of our senses and given new thought to what is aesthetically pleasing. 
P.S. We also started using our UV light water purifier. Clay affectionately refers to it as his wizard's wand. It's kinda like birth control...you're not convinced it's working at first and just have to trust it and see what happens.  

Airport Apathy

Well, we don't have too much to report yet, but we happen to have all the time in the world right now. 14 hours of flying and 20 hours of layovers later, we have made it to Seoul, Korea. Yet to conquer are two more flights with another 12 hour layover in between. We have walked many miles of airport, Clay has already vomitted at least six times, and otherwise found entertainment in the smaller things of life. For example:

* Asian cop on a segway scooter wearing a bike helmet and patroling the food court
* Monks chillin' with Monster energy drinks
* walking the streets of L.A. with our packs, from the airport, just to find a good beer to sip.
* Asiana Airlines: all the normal amenities of international flights like personal movies, meals, and pillows...but ALSO slippers, toothbrush/paste, continual serving of coffe, tea, wine, & beer (free!), cheesecake for dessert, hot towels for your face/hands, and the happiest flight attendants we've ever seen.
* Seoul Airport: constant live music from opera, flute, strings, and even a "traditional" cultural parade that occurs every 4 hours. Sadly, we have seen every parade today. Plus, free computers with internet so we can blog our brains out.

Gearing up for the Big Trip!

Well friends and family...the time is nearly at hand for our voyage to Asia for the next 3 months. Due to a high demand from the peanut gallery for travel updates and emails of some kind, we've decided to try our hand at this thing called "blogging".  Never done it before. We cannot guarantee frequent or even entertaining updates while abroad, but we will do our best to make this blog an enjoyable experience for you to read. 

So, basically we leave on Monday, the 12th. We plan to fly into Bangkok, Thailand. Then we have a flight to Kolkata, India. We don't know how long our layover is, because there is no mention on the ticket of AM or PM. So we either will spend 2 hours in Bangkok, or 14.

Until then, we are honing our bricklaying skills in Carlsbad, NM with Massey Construction Crew!