Safe in Varanasi...

Finally we escaped the hustle and bustle of Delhi!

After randomly running into our dear friend Robby, from the Deer Park Institute , and having lunch with him, Evrim and I boarded our all night train to Varanasi. The train ride wasn't too bad... I will say there were cockroaches in my bed and I probably didn't sleep all night but, when we awoke to the golden sun we had an amazing view of India that was unlike any we had seen before. Together we gazed out our window of the moving train onto the lives of so many different types of Indians and their daily activities. We passed many fields upon fields, one village after the next, women slapping together hundreds of cow patties leaving them to dry, cows grazing, peacocks running around, HUGE hogs on piles of trash, little babies dancing on their woven beds under their cob huts and some of the most amazing trees we have ever seen...this is the closest we've felt to rural India.

Arriving to Varanasi was the easiest arrival we have had yet in a train station. We were quickly greeted by our Rickshaw driver, Lakshmi, with a sign that read "Edrem and Mari". Lakshmi drove us through the busy streets and led us into the old alley ways, with colorful stucco walls, passing chai wallas smelling strong of cardamom and ginger, bread frying, sadhus chanting, and finally ending at our home sweet home... Shanti Guesthouse. So far we have only eaten breakfast on the rooftop here that overlooks the Manikarnaka Ghat, which is the main burning ghat. We are eagerly waiting to have a room and a shower!

Hope you are all doing well. We will write more soon.
Much love to all our readers!