Varanasi

Varanasi is the spiritual heart of India and the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism. After watching the travel documentary "Departures," it was the place I was looking forward to the most while visiting India.

Varanasi was a fascinating place, and the high points of the trip lived up to most of my expectations, but I still left a little disappointed. I realize Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world, and India is still a developing country, but the sewage, drainage, and sanitation of the city were failing before my eyes. I talked to many travelers and I heard the same recurring theme: Varanasi is really polluted. 

I'm a little conflicted about criticizing a place as an outsider. However, this is the holiest city in India. I couldn't help but think that the city, especially the Ganges, should be protected like the Taj Mahal. The river that runs along the city bank is worshipped like a goddess (Ganga). Hindus come from all over to bathe and wash themselves "clean" in the river. Spiritually, the river water is pure, but that can be a false and potentially dangerous assumption. 

I wouldn't want my rant to discourage anyone from visiting Varanasi because it's still a magical place. I just hope that future generations will also be able to visit such a holy and important city. 

1st Row: Varanasi is believed to be where Buddha founded Buddhism. 

2nd and 3rd Row: Life on the Ganges. The city has 87 ghats (access areas to the waterfront). Many celebrations, religious ceremonies, washings, and cremations happen at the various ghats. 

You'll see bodies being transported throughout the city. It's a scene I will never forget... A body held over the heads of family members, mourning and chanting. All the bodies are kept in a few large buildings by the waters edge until it'…

You'll see bodies being transported throughout the city. It's a scene I will never forget... A body held over the heads of family members, mourning and chanting. All the bodies are kept in a few large buildings by the water's edge until it's time for the cremation to occur. Hindus believe that this is a "rite of passage." It prepares their life for the afterworld. 

*Picture taken from Google Images because you're not supposed to take pictures while observing the cremations. 

There's an average of 80 cremations a day. It's a 24 hour a day process that is very intense to witness. The many families grieving their loved ones, the smell of burning flesh, it's a powerful scene that brought me to tears.  *Picture tak…

There's an average of 80 cremations a day. It's a 24-hour-a-day process that is very intense to witness. The many families grieving their loved ones and the smell of burning flesh made for a powerful scene that brought me to tears.  

*Picture taken from Google Images because you're not supposed to take pictures while observing the cremations. 

A picture of Manikarnika Ghat, "Burning Ghat". It's one of two cremation locations in Varanasi. I choose this picture because it shows the different hierarchies of the caste system, even in death. *Picture taken from google images because …

A picture of Manikarnika Ghat, "Burning Ghat." It's one of two cremation locations in Varanasi. I chose this picture because it shows the different hierarchies of the caste system, even in death. 

*Picture taken from Google Images because you're not supposed to take pictures while observing the cremations. 

Udaipur

If there's one place not to miss in India, I believe it's Udaipur. It may not be as recognized as the Taj Mahal, but in 2009, Travel + Leisure magazine voted Udaipur the best city in the world. Typically, top-ten lists are a sure bet to let you down, but I knew nothing about the city so I had no expectations. 

Like so many of my travel plans, the recommendation to go see Udaipur came from a random stranger. The stranger (a traveler turned entrepreneur) and I were chatting it up at The Bagel Shop in Mumbai. These conversations usually start out a little competitive.

Me: "Where have you been?"

Stranger: "Here, there, and one time I went skydiving." 

Me: "Wow, sounds amazing!"

(And then the questions are repeated while trying to outdo the other)

The conversation then shifted to where my next destination would be. I was telling her how Mumbai was too hot and too crowded for my liking. I rattled off a few ideas of where I might head to next. She heard me out and then kindly shot my plans down. Then she started talking about a little town in the heart of Rajasthan. It was surrounded by pristine lakes, mountains that could be trekked, and magical palaces that were still used by a king. I was sold!

Udaipur is known for its palaces, uniquely shaped windows, lakes, filming of Octopussy and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and of course the king! I was lucky enough to go to the annual Horse Worship Ball at City Palace.  

October is a special time to visit because it's the beginning of the festival season. It seemed like there were fireworks and revelry happening every night. 

I made a special connection with Udaipur, largely because of the kind people at the Greco House. I arrived as a solo traveler, but left with many friends. 

Above (1st, 2nd row): Krishna showing me the Sas Bahu Temple, teaching modeling poses, taking me to prayer, and of course, introducing me to the bhang lassi. 

Fact: Krishna was on The Bachelor (India) and made it to the top 5. It must have been destiny not to get selected because he and Juliana seem pretty happy now. 

Above (3rd row): Tinku, Juliana and the birthday girl. It's customary to smash cake in the face of the birthday person. 3rd picture from the left, Thali (traditional Indian dish). 4th picture, Hindu powder colors. You see them everywhere around temples and on the foreheads of the people who have prayed that day. 

Thank you to Krishna, Juliana, Tinku, Keshu, and the rest of the Greco team!

India - Mumbai (Bombay) + Bhopal

I was told by many travelers that India is the one country that can't be compared to any other. They say you can't really prepare yourself for your first visit and that I should expect the unexpected. I thought, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've had this country circled since day one. I've read Lonely Planet posts and Rough Guide articles. I know what to expect. I mean I've been traveling the world for months now. 

As soon as I stepped off the plane and into the streets of Mumbai, my world changed forever. It was sensory overload and I was having a difficult time trying to make sense of it. I think it was 100 degrees with 100% humidity. My shirt instantly soaked through. The smell was something I couldn't pinpoint and changed slightly depending on which way your nose pointed. One part diesel fuel, one part curry, two parts street sewage, a pinch of salt from the sea, and a generous cup of sweat. And then there's the sound of the horns. Forget the rush-hour sound you're used to. Between the motorbike, car, and tuk-tuk drivers, these guys put on a symphony of nonstop, ear-piercing noise. It's its own language. You can't really escape it, and there's nothing you can do to fight back because you don't have a horn to articulate your frustrations.

The amount of people in the city was staggering. No matter how you define city population, and there are many according to Wikipedia, Mumbai breaks into the top 10 in almost all of them. Even more impressive to me, it's the third-most densely populated city in the world (wiki). It's something you feel and can't seem to get out of. To put it in perspective, Mumbai is 17 times more densely populated than NYC.

India was unfamiliar and unpredictable, so I have to admit I was a little uncomfortable at times while traveling. It pushed my limits and tested my patience, but it also enticed my curiosity, stretched my imagination, and challenged what I thought was possible. India showed me what hope looks like, and what it looks like not to have any. It's an inspiring place that taught me a lot about myself and forced me to think differently. 

India is a country you could travel to a hundred times and realize you still know nothing about it and the way things work. That's why it will be cool to come back some day. 

Mornings were never the strongest part of my day. Many thanks to Greg for housing me while in Mumbai. It was nice to have a fellow traveler and someone who understood Indian culture in my corner. 

Mornings were never the strongest part of my day. Many thanks to Greg for housing me while in Mumbai. It was nice to have a fellow traveler and someone who understood Indian culture in my corner. 

Bhopal'n with my friend Dave from university. We joked that we haven't talked to each other in 10 years, and of all the places in the world, we decided to reunite in Bhopal. I had a great time catching up and telling old war stories. It was just like ol' times.

A special shout out to Peter from Sweden. He introduced us to the world-famous "Snake Guy". Correction, he introduced me. When the snakes came out Dave was nowhere in sight.