Day 90 (i think), Varanasi

As days go by in varanasi I capture more and more photos, but with the heat and humidity it makes it difficult to continue past noon. IV found myself waking up around 6am, and by the mid afternoon enjoying cafes in different parts of the city. I have also discovered that the visa that we purchased for India, which they told us lasts 1 month, is actually a 6 month Visa. I could stay here much longer, but my blood is flowing more eagerly. With the Nepal hiking season starting up from April-June 9th I can't stay in India, The himalayas are on my mind. Withing the week we'll be In Nepal, and in visual distance of the rooftop of the world. Iv buried my nose in a book "into thin air" (author of into the wild), which tells the first hand story of the everest disaster. The first half of the book is ascending to base camp, the hike we'll be doing when we enter Nepal. At 17,600 feet, with the oxygen levels half of what they are at sea level. IV been waiting for a new challenge.

Varanasi

Varanasi. One of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and the holiest place in India.

After arriving by train I made my way to a hotel, I explored, and found. Within a couple hours I met two friends from pushkar and also found some interesting people around my hotel. I met a man, shiva, who's offered me a nice place to stay, and is open to helping me with my photography. Many of the sadhus in varanasi are "fake" and not true sadhus. Meer beggars. Shiva is working on getting me a one on one with a Naga Sandhu.

There's a festival going on for the next nine days in varanasi for shiva (not the hotel man, the Hindu God..) which gives me great opportunity to get some shots. Varanasi is busy as all of India is, but I really like it. It's got a uniqueness to it unlike anywhere iv been before. Afterwards we will be taking the train and bus to Nepal.

Blog pause.

At the moment I'm in jodhpur, and leaving to Varanasi tomorrow. Wifi is hard to find so as a result I won't be posting as much. The plan is to spend the rest of my time in varanasi and then head to Nepal. Lucas is staying in jodhpur, and going to hampi next. He'll meet me in varanasi in a week

Desert trekking. Day 1-4

Day 1.

We started off by driving 20 kilometers or so outside of jaisalmer into the desert to meet up with our camels and guides. We met 2 people from Mylasia and trekked with them for the first day. Walking and walking, lunch, then more walking until dinner. The whole day was desert but there were small trees and bushes until we hit the dunes. The dunes were much nicer, and better to camp in, but they didn't go on for long. The entire thar desert is always changing from hard rocky desert, to small trees desert, to desert ocean dunes. Ones things for certain, it's hot. The night time consisted of camp fires, Chai tea, and a desert meal that the guides would make from hand. For breakfast it was always hard boiled eggs, toast and jam, and crackers. For lunch it was spices and vegetables with chapati, and for dinner it was rice, vegetables and chapati again. It was easy to get used to the desert at night. The stars are blistering out of the sky in every direction. We slept on blankets in the sand, and quickly had to get used to the desert night life. Beetles, scorpions, and snakes would be out at night. The scorpions and snakes were deadly poisonous, but the Beetles didn't bite. We spent the first night having Beetles snug under our blankets and walk over top of us. We awoke our morning to Beetle tracks all around and through our blankets.

Day 2

We split up from our friends since they were only doing a 1 day trek. Me, Lucas, and our guide, Piru went further on. We never really knew where we were going or where we were. We would come across wells, and after lunch was had, we came across a desert village where we had another guide join, Mango. Mango was quiet, but was always trying his best to make everyone happy. When we started the trek, Piru would have the camels and walk them to where we need to go, but by the second day we were in full control of the camels, which was good, except I had no idea where we were going. We eventually came across more dunes where we set up camp and spent the night.

Day 3

We spent day three making distance.
We came across 2 more villages where we got greeted by young children. They were so full of energy and we were completely exhausted, but they still made the day better. When we arrived at our 3rd village we met another guide and foreigner doing a 1 day trek so we decided to carry on together. We eventually made it out to more dunes, and started setting up camp again. We found a small hut in the dunes which had beds, or tables that gave us something to sleep on. Piru explained to me that we're in snake sands. Lots of snakes come out at night where we are. Don't go to the bathroom at night unless you have to. We survived the night, but unfortunately against our luck we got rained on. Not much you can do when you get rained on in the desert. The days were hot and the nights were cold, but it was great.

Day 4

We awoke with the daily routines, made Chai tea, hard boiled eggs, toast and jam, and crackers. We talked for as long as you can before it gets too hot and made our way. We walked until we found a road where we got picked up. 4 days was a good amount of time in the desert. Our guide Piru has been there for 20 years

Jaisalmer.

We took a night bus to jaisalmer from pushkar. all crazy bumps and madness for the whole night but we made it. Found Abu's safari, a hotel and camel trek guide who we arranged a 4 dey trek towards the Pakistan border. All about could tell us about the trek was "deep deep desert, very good". Tomorrow morning at 8 we will have the thar desert (the great Indian desert) to explore. It will be me, Lucas, our guide and our 3 camels.

We met up with our friend from Phong Nha, Tes, and spent some time seeing jaisalmer. The fort in jaisalmer is outstanding! Still with hundreds of people living in it. Jaisalmer is beautiful, but I'm interested in what lays beyond the city.

I won't be posting for 4 days. I'll be back with a story or two.

Rajasthan, pushkar.

We've spent the last couple days in pushkar, relaxing, and getting more involved in the Indian ways. Cows, monkeys, and dogs live here the same as any one else would, and they are treated the same. It's very common to be walking and have to make your way around bulls in the street, or to step in their poo. We've already become accustomed to this, bulls and monkeys are just part of a normal day.

We rented a motorcycle the other day and took it outside the city. There's not a lot out there but one thing I can say for certain is Indian drivers are the worst drivers I have ever witnessed.

We've witnessed a lot more of the culture here in pushkar, and also we've been apart of it. Today we bathed in the ghats. Tomorrow we will be leaving to jaisalmer. There we will take camels into the desert towards the Pakistan border. 4 days and 3 nights.

Pushkar

A long Tran ride. Local this time. Extremely crowded. After a 7 hour train to Ajmer we got off and hopped on a local bus to pushkar. We're in Rajasthan now and it's noticeably different. There's a strong middle eastern influence here, desert and mountains. After a bus journey through the mountains we arrived at pushkar. Extremely beautiful, and not big. A lot of tourists here. We're planning on renting bikes to explore our new playground tomorrow.