Last time i wrote was back in Mysore. I did manage to visit the Maharajah's palace (completed in 1912, replacing the previous, wooden palace which burnt down in 1897) before leaving.
Never seen so much stucco ornamentation on roofs and pillars, and so many elaborately carved or inlaid doors and door frames. Funny detail: i again overheard a guide stressing that all the mirrors and chandeliers are (made of) Belgian glass, and coming to think of it all other palaces along my way where they made mention of the glassware, they claimed it to be Belgian.
Honestly dunno if they just use an Indian, antiquated term for crystal or if all of it was actually made in Belgium. However, i did notice back in Haridwar on a restaurant mirror a sticker boasting its Belgian mirror making techniques of the highest quality standard (and something to do with copper?).
Oh, and forgot to mention that back in Gokarna i stayed at the most wonderful place: Namaste Farm Yoga (
spiritualland.com).
Because in three days the entire place was going to be occupied by a group of Russians for the coming two weeks, Oliver, the owner offered me
the most beautiful room for a bargain. He was never going to be able to rent it out for two nights anyway, since people normally stay for minimally a week to take part in the yoga classes included in the price.
Showing me the room i immediately went: Wow! A lava rock boulder making up the wall of the entrance and bathroom! And such a spacious room, with a raised platform surrounded by wood paneling opening out unto the green hills and the bay of Kudle beach below! Phew! Incredible! Too bad i'll never be able to afford this - way above my budget, i'm afraid.. But then he offered me the room that is normally 1200rs a night for just 500rs for two nights. Pretty hard to refuse such a sweet deal, ah! I just had to comply. :)
As promised and announced more than once, here, finally, it is: the completion of my Varanasi chapter.
The last day i spent with Prabhat, Kamal and family, they took me round to the Maha Devi temple. A minute after walking in the priests started ringing the solid temple bells in the inner courtyard and all other faithful soon joined in. Within seconds of being caught up in this auditory assault my inner voice echoed the line 'Ring out the bells for he is dead', reminding me of my grandfathers both of whom died while i was away on Erasmus exchange about four years ago, and as sudden i found myself struggling with all my might not to burst out in sobs. Peculiar, as i heard that line reverberating in my head i was convinced it was from WH Auden's Funeral Blues (which must of you will certainly also know from John Hannah's moving reading in Four Weddings and a Funeral). Only some days afterward i had a look at the poem and found out i was mistaken.
On New Year's eve i met Ilaria - Italian, from Torino, very relaxed person, great sense of humour (or was that just me? ;=) and with her very own way of expressing herself, which i found 'molto divertente'. I actually passed her by walking along the Ghats - she was sitting in an outside chai stall talking with 'her Baba', our eyes locked and i immediately felt drawn to go round and have a chat with her.
Then i reconsidered: i hadn't yet walked alongside the Ghats and i really didn't want the sun to go down in a bit before having done so. Anyway she most probably would come walking down in the same direction - only one way to go - in a while too. But then she didn't.
At the same chai stall on my way back i met a superbly nice Welshman, who spent the last two (or was it four? i can't recall) years in Darjeeling, and was now lost for direction what to do next apart from knowing he wanted to lead a more active/productive life. He informed me there was a small acoustic concert later on in an organic restaurant/coffee bar. We immediately hit it off. Just a few minutes after meeting me she already agreed to come along to Kajuraho with me.
Apart from that New Year's eve was a rather quiet affair: some pretty nice singer/songwriters performing at the coffee joint, and then round to my guest house's rooftop restaurant for a beer. (Cobra, the best beer in India so far, though Kingfisher blue might be as quaffable). Though i did manage to nearly get my head blown clear off by a bottle rocket. The kids in the street apparently enjoyed targeting our humble abode..
Oh, and another funny thing: apparently people in Varanasi like to dress goats in woolen pullovers on New Year's eve..
The next days Ilaria and i managed to always meet up along the Ghats and never a dull moment between us.. :)
Leaving Varanasi, at the railway station we met Ray, Mexican American from California and already working as a professor of literature in Seoul despite only being in his mid-thirties. (The train was only an hour or two late, which considering the fog - back then Delhi was almost entirely ground down to a gridlock for some days because of the dense fog - wasn't too bad.)
The three of us traveled together to Kajuraho..
Decided to stay at the same hotel..
Have dinner together..
Yada yada yada.. :)
And from Kajuraho the three of us got on a very early morning bus to Orcha..
And together decided to stay another day, since we all agreed the place was too darn beautiful.
God, looking back at the pictures - remembering the vultures perching on the cenotaph chatris (Mughal and Hindu term for a domed kiosk on the roof of a temple or tomb), walking along the riverbank - that first day was definitely one of the most beautiful days of my life as far as traveling goes, one stunning discovery after the other.
After Orcha Ray went on his way to Rajasthan, first stop Pushkar, and Ilaria and me traveled further down to Aurangabad to see the Ellora caves. And for the first time round we were not able to actually get the seats we booked (the Indian Railways have no problem with overbooking and putting people on waiting lists) so Ilaria and me spent one particularly interesting sleepless night.
The Ellora caves, and the Mount Kailash temple in particular, all hewn from massive rock surfaces, were absolutely stunning beating the Taj Mahal ten times over as a must see. If y'ask me, that is, of course. ;=)
Next: the Ajanta caves. They too were more than alright, but generally it was too dark to see much of the paintings (you're better off buying the book, i advise) and the caves themselves aren't as impressive as those in Ellora. But still no complaints here, i had a lovely day there.
Well, this is more than enough for now. At this rate - yesterday i spent 7 hours sorting through and uploading pictures, today another five on this - if i spend any more time blogging and uploading pictures i might as well get paid for it. ;=) What i do need to mention, though, is that i'll probably be back in Belgium somewhere late summer/early fall, for i'm expected to attend my sister's marriage, and delighted to do so! And i'll be leaving India on the 1st of March, when i'll be flying out to Bangkok from Calcutta.
Alright then. Next time round more on Kerala (i visited Kannur, Fort Cochin and did the backwaters), Madurai (where i'm writing from) and Pondicherry (my next stop).
Loadsa - Be my Valentine? :) - luv,
-hx.
