India: The Passion [Part Two]

Undoubtedly one of the most holy and sacred cities in the world, Varanasi draws millions of Hindus from across the world. The search: Nirvana. The cycle of life and death is sought to be escaped. Enlightenment is the goal. Though, enlightenment cannot be a goal; for that is contradictory. Regardless, it is accepted in Hindu culture within India that if one’s ashes are thrown into the Ganges River, Nirvana is reached.

Perched several stories above from the roof ledge of a vacated building, we inhaled the deprived smoke that ascended from beneath us. This was not a typical smoke; a body burned beneath us. One of the most divine procedures in Hinduism, the cremation of the corpse below us on the riverside ghat was the final step in preparation to toss the ashes into the Ganges. This experience was surreal as you can imagine. Climbing the stairs to the rooftop, we slowly passed several elderly people curled against the walls. With death imminently approaching, each still released a slight smirk towards us. Varanasi was their final destination.

Claiming to be a volunteer, the young man that had led me atop the building softly demanded that I buy one of the aging women ten kilos of wood for her cremation. The problem: this would equate to about $35! I opened my wallet and willingly obliged to donate Rs 500 (or $10) because of his helpfulness to me. Slowly coming up the stairs, the woman crept up towards me. Kneeling, I gave her 500 rupees. Placing her palm on my head, she gave her blessing to me and my family. As I departed this remarkable experience, the young man urged me to come back in the evening to watch the cremations – and to pay the remaining 1000 rupees to the aging woman. I loosely scoffed that I would “try to return.”

Upon first walking down to the Ganges River earlier in the day, I was met by a kind young man. Expecting ulterior motives, I shied from his friendliness. Eventually, my restrictiveness began to ease as he spoke with me. My entire time in Varanasi was spent with him ushering me around! After spending much of my time discovering the passion-filled streets in Varanasi, we hopped into a small paddle boat at dusk to watch the Ganges fade from the light and into the vibrancy of the night.

Unfortunately, the young man from the cremation ghat made his way into our boat as we set off. Because of his previous friendliness, I did not think twice about this, expecting only a guilt trip if anything. Indeed, as we paddled by the cremation ghat, it began. Pressing with a slightly forceful tone, he insisted that I “donate” Rs 1000 more. As previously, I insisted that I would only be contributing Rs 500. He pushed further. His frustration began to elevate. His demands quickly changed as he asserted that I must pay a “service charge.” Instructing the paddle man to drop the guy off, I was sure to get him off when we docked. Getting off the boat, he angrily yelled, “If I see you again tonight, I will kill you!” The anger was legitimate. I was hopeful that the threat was not! Thankfully, I never had to find out.

Catching the 10 p.m. overnight train to Agra, I ended one of the most unique and extraordinary days of my life! Arriving early, I departed across town to the Taj Mahal. It was closed. However, my eye caught its beauty from a rooftop restaurant view nearby. It is a most amazing structure of majestic fortitude. Still, it is just a building in its simplest form, in my opinion. Only spending several hours in Agra, I boarded the four-hour train to Delhi. Sleeping near the airport, I was prepared to catch my early morning flight to Bangalore. My itinerary called for three hours in Bangalore – just enough time to gain a feel for the city, I figured. Delayed two hours because of morning fog, my plane arrived late and reduced my time to one hour in Bangalore.

Reading an Indian business magazine on my flight, I read an article on one of India’s top real estate developers. The short writing of his success mentioned that he officed in Bangalore while also stating the “posh” street that his office was located on. Immediately after touch down, I hopped into a taxi and instructed the taxi driver to the street. After a short search, we found the office. Enthusiastically walking into the nice reception area, I placed disregard to my unshaven face, shower-less stench, and inappropriate clothing for such an undertaking. My enthusiasm overshadowed such attributes. Unfortunately, Mr. Mantrini was out of the office until the late afternoon, so I was unable to meet with him. Regardless, this was yet another exciting adventure during my time in India!

From multi-million dollar executives to impoverished individuals, India covers the entire spectrum of social living. Separating India from many other third-world countries is the vastness of these spectrums. Big business is apparent. Very apparent. Though, poverty is striking. Very striking. This contrast and the scale at which it occurs are fascinating and regrettable. My experience encompassed these observations as I visited with a couple of large business owners while traveling by air and spoke with many common citizens while on the railways and in the towns. As we observe the evolving process of globalization in the coming years, it will be interesting to watch the disbursement of capital within countries such as India. If India allots a considerably greater portion of its finances to rural education, I am convinced that the country will rapidly gain worl- powerhouse status. If they disproportionately allocate their finances, this process will take considerably longer. Though, from my viewpoint, India will inevitably become a world powerhouse. The question is simply, “How long?”

TS

India: Essence of Diversity [Part One]

One billion people. Imagine! A culture that cannot be defined as a culture as there are too many individual cultures within the people of India. Persisting, the people search for a sense of national identity; or, often times they resist such a thing from developing. The diversity of India is matched by few places in the world, if any.

My time in this most unique country was phenomenal! Truly, it was one of the more amazing experiences of my life. Limited to five days in a country that demands months of travel from its visitors, my itinerary packed with adventure and life-long stories!

Prepared to disembark the ship, I waited anxiously as time was in demand. My flight was at 1:40 p.m. The customs clearance process in India for SAS has been known to take hours. Luck was on my side. I was off the ship by 11:00 a.m. as the gate officer informed me that the ship was clear. The official announcement of the ship’s clearance, and when everyone disembarked, did not happen until nearly two hours after I had stepped foot on Indian soil! Connecting in Delhi, I arrived shortly after 10:00 p.m. in the “most dangerous large city in India.” I was unaware of this when I booked the flight. As I would have been subjective to a cab driver’s morality, I was thankful that I had met a friendly businessman on the plane who willingly drove me to my hotel. As we passed through the fiercely dangerous-looking streets of Patna, I decided on which hotel I was hopeful of staying at. Availability was a prayer. Hitting the streets in search of another place to stay in the encroaching darkness of this “most uncivilized” city was not enticing.

Sleeping soundly in my bed of first choice, I arose with the goal of venturing to Bodhgaya. My desire was to take the bus. This was shot dead when my taxi driver, whom had seemed to understand “bus station,” took me to a large, deserted office building. It seemed that drug transactions and murders would be common in such a place! After excruciatingly directing my drivers to the train station, I arrived and was in Bodhgaya several hours later.

As I sat meditating under the infamous Bodhi tree, I finally reached enlightenment. This was of tremendous satisfaction to me as Siddhartha had done the same over 2500 years ago! Does this mean that I am now the Buddha? Nevertheless (and back to reality), I stood amongst Buddhist believers from across the world observing the place in which Buddhism once originated. On both sides of the tree, groups led chants of worship and bowed in unison. It was fascinating.

Sleeping four hours in a $5 dollar hostel, I was quick to awaken to my 1:30 a.m. alarm; I had a train to catch! With nearly 20 hours of train travel ahead of me, I began my trek to Delhi. The first stop: Varanasi. Thankfully, I was traveling through Varanasi. Semester at Sea had prohibited all travel to Varanasi just three days prior because of two terrorist bombings that resulted in 28 deaths (one was located in the train station that I would pass through).

TS

Mauritius: Tropics of Reflection

The calamity of the ocean’s waves eased my mind into a restful state as I relaxed on this beautiful Caribbean-like island. Venturing away on the small island in the Indian Ocean, I was hopeful spend time in reflection, both spiritually and mentally. An all day adventure, my journey crisscrossed me around the island. Finally, my day’s traveling came to an end at a small beach-front guesthouse in the southeastern part of the island. Actually, all my traveling while in Mauritius came to a stop at this guesthouse! The serene atmosphere rapidly lured me in as the surrounding beach fronts were calm in nature. My room faced directly upon the white sand and coral reef of the Indian Ocean. It was wonderful!

Much of my second day was spent on the computer as I researched my upcoming travels in India. This was time consuming but also enjoyable. Later that evening, I enjoyed an incredible steak dinner. Soundly sleeping, I arose the next morning and set out to snorkel. It was a beautiful experience! By midday, it was time to bus back to the ship on the other side of island. My several days in Mauritius ended sooner than desired, but India is to come!

As is the simplicity of this entry, my time in Mauritius followed with the same simplicity. It was nice.

TS

South Africa: The Truth

No, South Africa is not majestic. Inequities persist. Upon porting in Cape Town, I was shocked to find that we had just docked in an “American city.” From our viewpoint, the city was modern, beautiful, and trendy. Indeed, this was the case. Though, this was not the real case. For I knew that we were missing something.

As it now seems, I am contradicting myself. Yes, this is accurate. For South Africa also tends to be a nation of contradiction. Our second night in Cape Town delivered us a new perspective. Vicky’s B&B played host to me and three friends. Set in the midst of a township just minutes outside of the flourishing downtown Cape Town, Vicky began her B&B several years prior in an effort to give outsiders a better understanding of township life. It was shocking to see the disparity from our experience at the luxurious waterfront area just hours before and our current location. The visible effect that it triggered amongst my peers was exciting for me to witness as it seemed that they had never been exposed to such drastic inequalities. My time in Congo had developed my thinking in this way.

As awful as life in a township might seem, these people appeared to be quite happy. After all, they had one of the greatest treasures of life: community and friendship. In addition, these were a people in which their essential needs were being met. Interestingly, studies have shown that happiness does not find its basis in finances. Simply, the ability to be happy begins when our basic needs are met. Though, as I speak of happiness, I must contend that contentment is of such greater value. Within contentment is the recognition that there will be happy and unhappy times. This recognition and acceptance plays a strong role into reaching contentment. From there, it seems that happiness can be pursued to a greater extent.

Only tens years after the demise of the apartheid, South Africa visibly remained scarred by the 40-year time period during which the policy reigned supreme. This was a very interesting and eye-opening experience. Such an atmosphere causes me to wonder the similarities between the apartheid and the U.S. civil liberties movements. South Africa proved to be a memorable experience!

TS

South Africa: Adrenaline

Full of phenomenal adventures, South Africa delivered beauty upon excitement upon beauty unto me. With a stunning landscape, the southern part of South Africa boasts some of the world’s best wineries. Gorgeously situated amongst the greenery of the country side are mountains that bring remembrance of the Appalachians. Maintaining a solid infrastructure, South Africa gives way to partake in its beauty.

The adventure began upon our arrival in Cape Town! Departing from the ship four hours later than expected, our group of six remained committed to our Valentine’s Day hike of Table Mountain. Reaching the start of the trail at 5:00 p.m., we questioned if it would be wise to continue our vow. As I and two of the girls stopped to seek advice from several young South Africans, the other three of the group trotted along. Our advisors suggested that it would not be wise to hike the mountain this late as it is a 3-5 hour hike. Unable to find our three advancing friends, we were simply left to spend our time in the picturesque botanical gardens in hope that they would be astute in their decisions. They were not. Though, they did make it to the top safely and returned safely by cable car. As the weather could have easily changed on them or dark could have fell upon them, I consider them fortunate for their outcome. Yet, I must say that such challenges and risks are what can often come to define us.
Freefalling, I came to the realization that I had just jumped out of an airplane! Soaring over the Cape Town, Table Mountain, and the Atlantic Ocean was a surreal experience. Being a tandem jump, the flight allowed me to absorb the breathtaking views. Prior to skydiving, I had another first experience: sandboarding. Imagine… huge sand dunes + a snowboard. Surprisingly, it felt more similar to snowboarding than expected. It was fun until the trudge back to the top of the dune!

Overlooking the night’s splendor of the Indian Ocean, I was amazed as to my location. Catching a 700-mile flight east from Cape Town, we ventured to the surfer’s paradise town of Jeffery’s Bay. Known worldwide amongst the surfing community, Jeffery’s Bay boasts the infamous “tube waves” in which top surfers attempt to cruise under. African headquarters for many of the top surfing brands, the town of 14,000 thrives on the waves. Perched above the ocean from an elevated deck, I was amazed at what $11 had purchased me. Indeed, I was in a hostel, but this was no ordinary hostel. Sleeping in a small room of four, my two other guy friends were having a blast at sharing this experience. Rising up from my top bunk, the ocean was directly before me! In addition, the hostel boasted a bar accompanied by a laid-back backpacker’s style aura.

Diving at full speed, I neared the rocky stream winding its way through the deep valley! As I gained velocity, the thrill strengthened. The end was approaching. Rapidly, my downward momentum reversed as I headed skyward! Shooting upwards was short lived as I soon became overtaken by gravity. After several more bounces, I realized the extent of what I had just done. The world’s highest bungee jump had embraced me! From a beautiful bridge that overlooks a small stream merging into the Indian Ocean, I had made a leap of over 800 feet! Following our tear of adventure, we spent the following couple of days venturing back to Cape Town by bus, stopping in several small cities along the way.

From this perspective, my time in South Africa was phenomenal!