Varanasi

I’ve been in Varanasi now for a week! Hard to believe! After a rough start, things are smoothing.

My luggage made its way to India, only 1 day late, got a good night’s sleep on the train and arrived at Varanasi train station rested and ready for the oncoming sauna. The humidity is astounding- truly. Temperatures are about like Austin 98 F 90% humidity. With power outages lasting from about 10-2pm hiding out inside under a fan is generally just not an option. That means that my clothes are constantly wet, often dripping and someone turned on a faucet that leaks from my face. I like to think of it as an intensive detox. If there were anything that could come out via the pores it is gone!!! Probably, it is a good checks and balances system to ward of the daily pollution that attacks my lungs and skin. It is funny, but I really do not remember pollution being so bad when I was here before. Maybe it just takes a little time to slip into a state of denial or develop a thick enough coating in your lungs so that you do not notice anymore. Hmmm…

The feeling when arriving back in the city is like I had never left, or rather that there was some sort of time shift and I had momentarily stepped into the USA dimension and then stepped back into the same space and time when coming back here. That is not quite true because the city does have a slightly different rhythm than 4 months ago. While I would hardly say that Varanasi is harmony with nature like a rural agricultural community is, it does have a relationship with the external environment that is much more in tune with and dependent on climate and seasons in a way that the West is not. It is evidenced in the produce available in the market, the hours that shops open, the seasonality of commerce. Not having electricity for 6-8 hours a day might have something to do with that.

Seeing friends has been good. Kids have grown, girlfriends are making it, guruji is looking more beatific after his major surgery this summer. Now I am just trying to settle in and get prepared for the coming adventure with the Dragons!

For those of you who do not know. I’ve taken a 3 month gig with a spectacular company called “Where There Be Dragons.” http://www.wheretherebedragons.com They organize learning experiences for 17 -21 year olds in India, West Africa, South America, Thailand, Nepal and China. I will be co-instructing their India Semester program: Visions of India. We pick up the kids in Delhi, take them up to Rishikesh, Garhwal Himalaya (2 week trek), journey to Varanasi (2 month stay), Bodhgaya (10 day Buddhist retreat) and then Kolkatta to finish up the trip. Should be intense and gratifying! I am looking forward to the experiences and the challenges!

So, the journey begins again…..

The pictures in this post are of my buddies Tanu and Srigan and a group of sweeper kids who gathered around a young man who was painting a watercolor of their slum. Digital cameras are great!!! Kids love to have their picture taken and then see it on the screen. Still not as quite as good as a Polaroid!!