Hello everyone,
It's been several months since I returned from India, but I'm just now getting around to writing about it.
My trip was to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, and back to Delhi before returning to Thailand.

Varanasi, the capital of the Kashi kingdom during the Buddha's time, is currently located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated at a distance from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi, a city that many Thais recognize as the city of the Ganges River, is referred to as "Ganga" in India. The pronunciation of Varanasi is "Varanasi." The actual age of this city is more than 4,000 years. Throughout these 4,000 years, the city has never been deserted, making it the longest continuously inhabited city in the history of the world.

Travel date 4 .......... January 2, 2018

Traveling to this destination by train requires purchasing tickets through a tour company called D.T.T.D.C., which charges exorbitant prices. Even after bargaining, the prices remain high. While booking tickets independently is preferable, this option was missed. Despite thorough research, this oversight is regrettable. To assist others interested in traveling by train, it is important to note that the railway station has a dedicated ticket counter for foreign nationals. Avoid unsolicited advice from individuals claiming that other locations offer lower prices or less crowded conditions. Ignoring such advice will prevent financial regret.

The journey began with a transfer from the accommodation in Agra to the train station. I was told to arrive three hours early, but why should I do that when your trains are typically delayed by three to four hours? I ended up sitting in the cold for hours!

The sentence is already in English and does not require translation.

Slept on the train. (P.S. The two photos below were taken with a mobile phone, so they may not be very clear or beautiful.)


We sat there for days and nights, from morning till evening of the next day. Throughout the day, there was Chai (pronounced "Chai" but sounds like "Chai" when spoken by the vendor), which is a very fragrant and delicious Indian tea. Try it! We drank a lot of it all day long and didn't have any stomach problems.

Many Thai people are afraid of Indian food, but some dishes are incredibly delicious. I ate a lot of it during my trip, and my stomach didn't get upset at all.

Many people visit Varanasi for various reasons, including religious pilgrimage, sightseeing, and cultural immersion. As someone who appreciates their civilization and culture, I was particularly drawn to the opportunity to capture the essence of life through photography. While life can be photographed anywhere, Varanasi held a special allure for me. The journey itself was an adventure, as I opted to travel by train. (Note: The following two images were captured on my mobile phone and may not be as sharp or aesthetically pleasing as professional photographs.)

To us, India doesn't smell bad. Some people say we are very protective of India, but we are not. We are just telling the truth. You can ask our friends who went with us, but they won't listen. It's like they have already made up their minds and are not open to hearing the truth. We feel that when we talk to foreign friends, we can exchange ideas and life experiences more than when we talk to Thai people. Not all Thai people are like this, of course. Some are open-minded and willing to listen and exchange ideas, but some are just impossible. They have never been there, but they are stuck in old images or things they have read without listening to new things.


It's difficult to say for sure, as these matters are subjective and depend on individual perspectives. If someone has a negative mindset, even confronting them with the truth might not change their view. However, an open mind and a willingness to learn and accept new information can lead to a shift in perspective, replacing negative preconceptions with a more accurate understanding.

We arrived in Varanasi in the late evening, around 7 pm. As we exited the station, we were immediately approached by rickshaw drivers. They eagerly asked us our destination and accommodation, vying for our business. We showed them our booking confirmation, and one driver agreed to take us. The fare was 100 rupees per person, which seemed reasonable given the distance to our hotel. After checking in and showering, we finally relaxed after our long journey. We had boarded the train at 10:30 pm on January 2nd and arrived around 7 pm on January 3rd. If we had known the train would be so delayed, we might have opted for a first-class ticket.

Travel date: January 3, 2018

Today, I woke up late. My usual wake-up time is between 8 and 9 am. After showering, it was almost 10 am. I went to find breakfast, but it turned out that this city doesn't open or do anything until 11 am. I was wondering how I was going to eat breakfast. Food is a big deal, you know. I walked around looking for a restaurant that opened early and found one that was preparing to open. I asked if they were open, and they said yes, so I went in and ordered food. Time passed, and I don't know how long it took, but the food was served around 11 am. I have to say that besides dosa, chicken curry, chicken biryani, this chili momo is also very delicious.

Momochilly

Chicken Curry + Naan Bread

Doja Mascara

Mill Coffee

After that, we returned to our accommodation. The time we spent in Varanasi was quite relaxing. We went out to the ghat again at 3 pm to watch the sunset at Assi Ghat. That was all we wanted to do here. After a good rest, we left our accommodation and headed to Assi Ghat.

We continued to follow the route, and it was amazing. Initially, I thought it would be more dilapidated than what we encountered, but it wasn't. It's an incredibly charming city. I love it.

(I apologize if I accidentally captured you in the background of my photo. I was focused on the beautiful angle and didn't notice you standing by the wall. However, you are quite far away and not clearly visible, so I believe it should be alright to post the photo.)


Despite my initial desire to board the boat, I hesitated due to the recent removal of my knee brace. The fear of misstepping and dropping my camera into the water, causing a disruption to my work, outweighed any concerns about drowning. However, the persistent boatman and the eagerness of my companion to ride persuaded me to embark. The steep descent to the boat heightened my anxiety, fearing I might tumble into the water instead of gracefully entering the vessel.



After disembarking at the pier, there appeared to be some sort of ceremony taking place. We had not read about this beforehand, and the ceremony was scheduled to begin later in the evening. Therefore, we decided to grab something to eat. As we were walking, we came across a pizza restaurant and decided to have dinner there. We ordered a pizza with mushrooms, cheese, onions, and other ingredients that I cannot recall.

After finishing their meal, they waited until the ceremony began with the sound of a bell. It resembled the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand, but with a more mystical atmosphere.

After walking back to their room, they reflected on the advice they had received earlier to avoid walking alone at night due to safety concerns. However, they did not find the experience frightening at all. Instead, they encountered friendly and welcoming locals. During their walk, they accidentally crossed paths with someone who stumbled as a car approached. To their surprise, the person smiled at them instead of expressing annoyance or anger. Their companion had anticipated a scolding, but the person simply smiled (or perhaps muttered something under their breath, but it went unheard).

Depending on the context, we sometimes use the term "พี่" (older sibling) and sometimes "เพื่อน" (friend). The person who came with us was a fellow traveler, but they were older than us. There were two of them, a male and a female couple.

Travel date: January 4, 2018

The morning routine was the same as usual: wake up, shower, pack, check out, and leave our luggage. By the time we finished everything, it was almost noon. We went out to find something to eat and came across a cafe. We went up to eat, the food was ordinary, but the cafe was beautiful, so we forgave it. It was a coffee shop, so of course, our elephantine appetites weren't satisfied.

After arriving in Varanasi, the uncle who picked us up from the airport offered to take us on a car tour for a price of our choosing. On the first day in Varanasi, we canceled the uncle's offer once, but he still came back as scheduled. We felt that we were running low on money and wanted to cancel the uncle's service, leaving only the pick-up at the train station in the evening. However, the uncle insisted that the price was up to us and that he still wanted to show us around the city. Our friend emphasized to the uncle that we didn't have any money, but he said not to worry and that he would offer a special price, whatever we wanted. We couldn't shake him off, so we decided to go with it.

The trip unexpectedly turned into a pilgrimage, with my uncle taking me to a temple! I told him I didn't want to go, but I was too tired to argue, so I just went along. The price was up to me anyway! The scenery along the way in India was very charming for me. The life, the way of life, it was amazing. I love it.


We continued walking, and there was something there that I don't remember. It required an entrance fee, so we didn't go in. We said that we were running low on money and wanted to save it for souvenirs.


Then, they went to Sarnath Temple.

After graduating from the Thai temple, I went to the Chinese temple.


Continue to the Japanese temple.



Visited Korean and Hindu temples but didn't take photos, starting to get tired. Ended at the Tibetan temple.

Subsequently, we expressed our desire to purchase a blanket due to the frigid temperature on the train. We suggested stopping at a roadside market, believing it would be more affordable. However, the uncle insisted, stating, "I am the boss." (We were furious with him later.) He refused to let us stop and instead promised to take us to a factory outlet where we could find inexpensive blankets. Upon arrival, the price was 1,000 rupees, and he attempted to convince us that it was a bargain compared to the higher prices elsewhere. We remained skeptical and declined the offer. Ultimately, he admitted that he had not taken us anywhere and returned us to our accommodation.



We returned to our accommodation for a short break before venturing out for dinner. Our meal consisted of steamed rice, Indian-style rice with slender grains, vegetable curry (the name of the dish escapes me, but it resembled chickpea curry without the chickpeas, featuring vegetables instead), and spicy mushrooms. As I enjoy Indian beverages, I also ordered a milkshake.


After retrieving our belongings from the accommodation, we waited for our uncle to pick us up and take us to the train station. While we were waiting, a foreigner asked to join our ride, which turned out to be incredibly fortunate for us. Upon arriving at the station, the situation took an unexpected turn. Our uncle, who had initially stated that the price was up to us, suddenly demanded 1,000 rupees! We were taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor and exorbitant request. We explained that we did not have that much money, reminding him that he had said the price was up to us. If he had quoted a price from the beginning, we would not have agreed to the ride. However, our uncle remained insistent, demanding the full 1,000 rupees.

Despite a strong desire to engage in the fight, the individual's limited language proficiency necessitated relying primarily on their companion to handle the situation.

And what's even more amazing is that…


The uncle said he knew we had money because he saw us buying things. Damn! He was looking at the money in my wallet that closely? But we only have 1,500 baht left and the other person has 1,000 baht left. So, the uncle doesn't want us to use our legs to get back to Delhi?


We asked him what we would use if we gave it to him in Delhi. He looked displeased and appealed to the other Indians who seemed to be coming to our aid. However, since we didn't understand what he was saying to them, they just stood by and watched. Thankfully, the Westerner who had asked to join us helped out.

The foreigner tried to interject, saying, "But you said you didn't have any."

The uncle seemed increasingly displeased. He tried to tell the foreigner to stop interfering. We told him, "That's enough, take it or leave it. We're leaving." The uncle remained silent. However, since we couldn't completely refuse him, we opted to give him what we could afford. We placed the money on the car seat and left.

Our train was delayed by 10 hours, forcing us to wait until the next day. Unable to wait any longer, we sought alternative transportation. The tour operator who had sold us the tickets assisted us in finding a new train, and my Indian boyfriend also helped. We eventually boarded a new train, which was also delayed but still arrived in Delhi on time. To expedite our return, I called my boyfriend to pick us up. We were able to check in and board our flight just in time.

For those who plan to travel by train, Indian train delays are normal. I complained to my boyfriend why the train in your country is so slow and delayed. He replied, "Welcome to India, this is normal here!!!!" O..O My boyfriend is so funny.

To avoid any last-minute stress, consider allocating ample time for your journey. While first-class travel may be a more expensive option, it can significantly reduce travel time. If your budget allows, we highly recommend opting for first-class. However, if you're up for an adventurous experience, sleeper class can also be an enjoyable option.

Let me leave you with one last thought.


In terms of backwardness, we don't see it that way. You can't judge India by using Thailand as the center of the universe. Why? Because Thailand has absorbed every civilization and culture to the point where its own identity has almost disappeared. India, on the other hand, is the birthplace of civilization, religion, and culture. They have preserved their national identity and Indianness. The Indian people have united to preserve their Indian identity, no matter how much the British have tried to control them. They have managed to maintain their unique Indian identity, which we believe is more admirable than insulting or criticizing them.

Okay, we won't argue that India has fragrant lavender fields. However, not every place is dirty. It's not like the whole country stinks. It's not like you'll find poop every three steps and two steps. Do you have cows and pigs in Bangkok? Do you have buffaloes and cows in rural Thailand? When we go back to our hometowns, we see many areas where cows are raised, and there is a lot of manure, just like in India.

Some may perceive us as defending India.

Some people believe that having a partner leads to a positive outlook.


Let me tell you, we love India. We didn't say this before we had an Indian boyfriend. We're not asking you to believe us, but don't get attached to anything you haven't actually experienced. Don't judge them if you haven't proven anything yourself. That's all we want to say.


By Solo Traveler


Click here to see the travel posts for days 1 and 2 in New Delhi >> https://pantip.com/topic/37260309
Click here to see the travel posts for days 3 and 4 in Agra >> https://pantip.com/topic/37263717
Follow our other travel stories on our page, "แบกกล้องชิวเที่ยวคนเดียว", by clicking on this link >> https://www.facebook.com/chommy.travel.alone/
In this post, Chom will take you to visit Varanasi, a city with real life and real charm.

#varanasi#india#restaurant#architecture#india#india
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