Varanasi

Namaste.
Our dearest family and friends!We have been in India only a week and a half, but the thick air and yellow sun has already colored our skin. The vivid smells and sights of the streets have absorbed us, leaving our clean bodies and clear minds feeling like a distant recollection. We are now in Varanasi a city on the banks of the great and holy Ganges River. Varanasi is a paradox between the sacred and the profane. There is an adverse reaction when one is experiencing both at the same time. It is a strangeness that the mind cannot quite understand at first, for example how on the banks of Ganga G, there will be a sacred burning ceremony happening while someone relieves himself 20 feet away. The ultimate display of the raw human reality verses the spiritual. There is a current that runs through this city that has both invigorated us and weakened us. In the literal sense, a few of us have been suffering from sickness. A little flu here, some upset stomachs there, but we are lucky enough to have our very own Nurse Stacey. Who has, despite herself being sick, taken very good care of us. Today we met as a group for a surprise field trip; little did we know it was a group intervention. A fashion intervention. As stylish and cute as we may look in the states here our white tees and jeans scream foreigner, or angrez (white people). As reluctant as we were to pack away our western clothes, a decrease in attention and cat calls from the locals was a welcome idea. We were whisked away by our fashion guru Pinku G, to a local Indian store for our makeovers. Pinku G also happens to be our Hindi teacher, and although his passion for fashion was a secret until now, we had ALL noticed his cardigan. While here we have been spending our time in the varying internships we had chosen to participate in. This has been a really interesting process, of digging deeper and becoming more a part of the Indian culture. Most experienced a least a couple sessions of the yoga internship that took place in a beautiful garden overlooking the Ganges. Though very sore and exhausted the next day the yoga helped ground us in this city, as well as allowed us to experience the very rare still moments. The cooking internship was taught by Pinku G's very beautiful wife Nitya, who not only taught us the utter importance of a spice box, but was very patient when our chapatis refused to puff up while being held over the open flame. I don't believe we ever truly mastered the art of Chapatti making but we experienced much humbling laughter as we tirelessly struggled. Laura, the only one of us brave and determined enough to take the fire dancing internship gave us an impressive rooftop show, which included the amazing breath of fire. Made all the more risky and exciting by her long flowing blonde hair and tribal face paint. The other internship that captured many of our group was jewelry making. Almost every evening they would return late, discussing the complexity of the craft and giggling about how many mini saws they broke trying to cut the metal. The rest of us were genuinely surprised and impressed when they returned the last evening with perfected Om necklaces and beautiful silver ring made with their very own hands. Varanasi has been an exploration deeper into the traditions and spirituality of the culture. As we are developing our eyes and hearts as travelers, rather than tourists we are carving a space in ourselves for India that will only become deeper and more filled as our journey continues. We miss you All. Love from this beautiful Country.
~Rozzi