For the rest of our time in Agra we spent upstairs in Yash Cafe overlooking the streets eating some great indian food, and taking some long naps. Wandered the streets for a bit to kill time before our 11:30pm train only to find that tourists are not really welcome in the back streets. We had kids yelling "HI!!! HI!!!", men telling us we were going the wrong way and "beware! dog rabbid!!" What with that and the consistent pointing and laughing at us by all the girls we passed we decided maybe we should stick to the tourist area.
Took my first sleeper class train last night. It was hot and sweaty until the air cooled but we met some very interesting Indian men who, when I pulled out my glamour to pass the time, lept with attention and asked to look at it. What an image of these men reading my Glamour magazine!
Had an embarassing blonde moment when I went to the bathroom on the train and locked myself inside. Panicked and started banging on the door for someone to let me out. I am sorry I did not know that the outside latch was connected to the inside latch! Doigt what a tourist I make!
In Varanasi we are staying at the Alka Hotel which is a very popular backpacker spot (we have already seen two couples which we had seen in Agra here). Went to the German Bakery for lunch and had some pizza (yeah yeah in India I should be eating Indian...but its a nice change of pace and it supports an NGO, helps the children and their workers, and the mothers, has tons of classes and brings in Organic foods from the Nepalese area). Great food, great atmosphere, great place. We got to lounge on the mats while we ate and relaxed inside away from the heat.
Quick stop here in Varanasi overnight and then it is off to Kolkata tomorrow!
Quick note as I am running out of time at this Internet Cafe...if we weren't already a focal staring point for all Indians I, it turns out, am even more so as everyone asks me "are you indian?" Funny that I have always thought of myself as half indian but here in India I considered my self white, yet the locals always see Indian. After my toilet incident I am sure they were quick to change their minds though. I have given up saying I am from Bermuda and have just started saying America so I can avoid having to explain over and over where and what Bermuda is.
Ok time is up!!
Ahhh! I feel like I'm reading an amazing storybook with a really interesting female lead. This stuff is good...you should take it to Penguin Books when you're done. Please don't stop writing. I cringe at all the "scary" parts...ie. being locked in the bathroom...oh no!...and smile at all the funny parts...you're white? I swore we were brown. Whatever gets you through India.
ReplyDeleteAnyways glad things are going so well so far. Keep up the blog...don't stop. Stay safe out there and have tons of fun!