Varanasi, India - celebrating Holi

Happy Holi - the children chime as I pass in the street.

Happy Holi - the adults greet with enthusiasm and grabbing your hand to shake, smiling all the while.

And this is 2 days before the festival. 

Holi is full of colour and appears to be a cross between Christmas and Halloween and Bonfire Night all thrown together. It's about family, friends, community, welcoming outsiders, religion, colour, happiness, and a lot of face paint. I had been warned in Varanasi that it is the most vibrant place to experience Holi - and potentially aggressive.

The day before celebrations kicked off, I purchased a cream linen top to make the most of the impending colour. Whilst walking the alleyways children approached me hands-clapsed with coloured powder decorating my face and dusting my hair. These vibrant blues, greens, reds, pinks, purples are aluminous.

By nightfall the parties commenced, by 10pm it was time for me to call it a night. Most the men were stoned or drunk and the party was getting a little out of hand for my liking. So I looked forward to an early start of the next day’s festivities.

Early on Holi the event starts wet! No more dry powder, it's now become coloured water bombs, water pistols filled and barrels line the streets containing buckets of colour. I set off, as midday approaches I was advised to stay away, this is when the adults become a little drunk, stoned and overly excited. But In my experience walking alone is not safe! Try to avoid it at all costs.

I walked a long the Ghats and was colour-attacked several times by young children, to me this seemed reasonably quiet. Becoming brave, I decided to head into the alleyways - here it was calm and infact rather empty. Hidden in some corners were children ready for attack. I headed for the Main Street for the sunlight and feel more secure, I didn’t need any more hidden colour-attacks. It was eerie, some people gathered in the streets and children played. I walked, taking it all in - no cars, no bikes, no rickhaws, nothing - just people! The hectic markets of the day before had vanished. It was like 28 Days Later, or visiting London during Christmas Day. Then suddenly, from out of nowhere a group of 20 kids start throwing paint bombs at me and firing cannons of coloured water. At this point, I ran and escaped, just a few hundred feet later  to encounter a group of 15 teenagers charging towards me. Suddenly my fear envelops me, they are not just firing coloured bombs this time but also aggressively demanding money, pushing me into a corner and touching up my pockets.  Sense of survival prevailed, as I ran to escape, losing my treasured Vietnam cap in the instance.

At this point it was time to turn back. I headed to return to the Sahi Riverview Guesthouse, I didn't feel safe, I felt alone, I felt vulnerable.

On returning to the guesthouse I met a group of pristine white tourists ready to head out. I warned them of the dangers as they excitedly invited me along, not one to be out done and the option of being part of a pack of 5 made the prospect more appealing.

That was it! 5 against the world…well not quite. It was time to Rock! Holi. We had a wicked time - exploring the city, becoming absolutely soaked to the bone in colour staining our bodies with reds, purples greens and yellows. We danced with holy men, and partied with the locals, and you could easily feel the mood of the atmosphere change as more of the men became aggressive. Being sensible we all concurred to head back to the hotel to shower and attempt to remove this dye from our bodies.

20 minutes of scrubbing and I still have colour stained on my skin - purple back, pink neck, red eyebrows, purple finger nails, yellow calves. I give up and sit in the sun to dry . 

Lunch at Lotus Lounge and we then set out across the now quiet neighbourhood of Varanasi - much is closed and it’s suddenly a different city again - a peaceful place. By 5pm we wander the alleyways coming across families emerging from afternoon religious ceremonies; all clean, wearing their pressed “Sunday finest”. It's a different world to the mess we were confronted by earlier in the day.

We make our way to Lotus Lounge, a rooftop overlooking the Ganges. Here we watch sunset and dine lounging on cushions and exchanging friendly banter. I then head back to the guesthouse to for a taxi to catch my train to Agra.

Varanasi - the holy city - the city of lights

The guidebooks tell you, photography shows you but you will never know until you visit. It's its own world - separated from the rest of India driven by the flow of the Ganges, living in its historical belief system with immense strength and dignity. Though its much more complex than that.

Varanasi sits in a blaze of heat from about 9am, a walk along the Ghats is an excellent way to begin understanding the lifestyle here: bathing in the Ganges, washing clothes, as children play and cows cool down. Debris of the previous night’s light ceremony drive in the water, and flower petals decorate the edges. A haze forms on the other side as the sun increases its mighty strength.

Become exposed to the holy ritual of burning dead bodies on the shoreline, three hours of burning and the body is reduced to ashes then scattered into the river. Bodies of children, the sick, and pregnant mothers are strapped to an almighty stone and dropped in the middle of the river. 

The hospice here supports all of those ready to die and widows waiting for life to be taken from them.

From here, get lost in the maze of the Old City. The Labyrinth. There's no easy way around nor easy way out. Here is the place to buy your goods, and to haggle hard. But the journey to escape into familiar territory or that documented in guide books can only occur once you have once again reached the river - good luck with that! But let the Ghats guide you!

The Main Street market is a hive of activity with an array of stores catering to fashion, clothes, sill and jewellery. Here - also enjoy the hustle of Varanasi life - people trading, selling and buying in a busy street with cycle rickshaws and moto rickshaws among bikes, carts and scooters weave between one another. 

Varanasi s not a clean place, it maybe holy and it has some excellent photo opportunities - read more on Varanasi - Holi Festival.

Kolkata to Varanasi

The driver lugged my backpack to the entrance of Howarth train station, the entrance was bursting at the seams as travellers fought their way in and out. Stepping over bodies of people casually waiting for tickets, I made my way into the huge waiting area, groups of Indians scattered around huge mountains of luggage - announcements shrieking over the tirade of chitter-chatter of patiently waiting passengers. The time was 5.30pm, my train departed at 7.10pm, I had time to kill!

 

Taking a seat I watched couples engrossed in conversation. Mothers trying to control their children and men trying to capture the attention - and affection - of lone women travellers. My train, number 13005 arrived - it was time to board. Making my way to the platform I fought the hundredss if not thousands of other passengers trying to grab their seat. I was booked, I has a reserved space (but only at last minute having been a little unaware how much in advance you need to book trains in India – 4 weeks!!!) my second class air conditioned sleeper carriage was awaiting me on coach B1. 

India has one of the largest train networks perhaps, only second to china, originally built by the British – and by all accounts very little has been added since the Brits colonial rule. Spanning the width and breadth of the country it is one of the most efficient ways to travel - my tickets - R850 - just over £10 for a 14-hour journey. Not bad at all!

In the section where I was positioned their were six beds, I crammed my six foot frame into the Top bunk that barely fitted within the confines of the bed. I spoke to a Chinese traveler and a local Indian before falling into a deep sleep. 7am I woke. How I managed a 10 hour-kip is beyond me…especially on a train.

The train pulled into Varanasi at 9.17am - just 5minutes delayed having traveled over 500km. Well done India! (I can travel only 13 minutes, one stop in London and be over 7 minutes delayed…at least this is one habit I see the Indian’s managed to shrug off from the British – but this is my first trip afterall).

Varanasi station was bustling but much calmer than Kolkata. A tout tried to encourage me to travel by motor tuk -uk with him. You need to be careful here, they will try to take you where you don't want to go. Fortunately, I had booked the Sahi River View Guest House in advance having read praise in Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor. 

I attended the tourist information desk at the station who confirmed the hotel booking by phone for me and then arranged a tuk-tuk to take me there. R150 - sure I overpaid but at less than £2 I wasn't complaining, it turned out to be a 20minute ride through the town.

It was a hive of activity. Markets strewn across streets, cows meandering at their own free will - feeding on food & trash - dogs slept in the shade. The smells kept changing: flowers, fruit, feces, piss, herbs and spices. Rubbish sprawled the sidewalks as children made their way to school. 

So this is Varanasi? 

This is what I've read! And what's expected! Time to explore! 

World Pride 2012: All eyes on London

Contribution from Jon Fairbanks a Gay Travel Team member at www.gaytravel.com


The videos are my experience of London Pride as a proud British gay bloke.


All opinions below are of Jon Fairbanks:

Seriously, how gay can London get in 2012? If the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee isn’t queer enough, “The Old Smoke” is also playing host to WorldPride in June. 

WorldPride, created by InterPride, is a popular celebration of all things LGBTQ that attracts revelers from … yes … around the world. This is the third installment of WorldPride, the previous celebrations took place in Rome and Jerusalem.

While the past events drew hundreds of thousands of visitors, organizers anticipate more than one million people will flock to London to take part in the festivities thanks to the upcoming 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. What’s on tap for this year’s WorldPride? Theatre shows, debates, poetry readings and other events are planned but let’s get real, it’s all about the parade and parties.

Parade Day is July 7^th, at the end of WorldPride. This year the route will start on Baker Street and will run more than a half mile longer than usual, covering more of London’s iconic landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, where a Pride Rally will take place. Several of the UK’s brightest stars are scheduled to appear on the main stage in Trafalgar Square, including X Factor finalist Lloyd Daniels and pop-punk band Twenty Twenty. In addition to the musical acts, there will also be comedy shows and dancers. In Soho, partygoers will converge at the dance stage where they’ll be entertained by London’s hottest DJs. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you might find yourself hobnobbing with Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen or another A-lister who’s been known to attend London Pride.

Most of the action takes place in the heart of Soho, London’s gayborhood. The yellow brick road? Old Compton Street. A street lined with the city’s most popular gay bars, pubs, sex shops and restaurants. When you see the rainbow flags and cruisy blokes, you’ll know you’re home. The most popular venues in the West End include the spacious and stylish Ku Bar, G-A-Y Bar and The King’s Arms, catering to bears and the cubs who love them. Soho will also be closed to traffic on the day of the parade and many of the clubs will be open until 4am.

For gents who dig leather and fetish clubs, you’ll want to head to Vauxhall, a neighborhood south of the river. Crash is the hottest venue in the area on Saturday nights, Instinct is also a great spot if you love house and techno music. Horse Meat Disco/The Eagle London attracts a variety of gay patrons from bears to twinks. The bottom line, during pride, every visitor will find a bar or club to fit their individual preference.

Getting around London is incredibly easy thanks to the city’s great public transportation system. For less than £5 you can buy a daily travel card which gives you access to the London Underground (the tube) and buses. Route maps are also available at several locations throughout the city, so you should have little trouble getting from point A to point B.

Several high-profile companies are helping to underwrite this year’s festivities, including Smirnoff, Coca-Cola and Tesco, the UK’s largest private employer. Recently, some LGBT activists, including Hannah Dee, have criticized London Pride and its organizers for becoming a corporate sponsored event more interested in generating a profit than celebrating the achievements of the gay and lesbian community.

Despite the criticism, London Pride is still a great fundraiser for organizations that benefit LGBT organizations. This year Kaleidoscope Trust was selected as the official charity partner. Kaleidoscope International Diversity Trust is a nonprofit organization that campaigns for equality for gays and lesbians people around the world. For socially-minded Marys and ‘mos who want a break from the pride debauchery, there will also be a conference on gay rights featuring several renowned speakers.

England isn’t known for its great weather, but the summer months can be beautiful. Luckily, WorldPride happens at the beginning of the summer, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the local landscape. London’s premier gay cruising area is located in the northwest part of the city in an area called Hampstead Heath Ponds. It’s no South Beach, but it’s great if you want to check out some hot locals and out of towners and get a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. There’s a men’s bathing pond located here which gained worldwide notoriety when singer George Michael was photographed here. If you don’t have a number one hit song, chances are you can fly under the radar.

2012 marks the 40^th anniversary of the first London gay pride parade and this year’s event promises to be biggest yet. So if you’ve never had the opportunity to explore this sophisticated, thriving metropolis, now’s the time check out the city where you are encouraged to live like a Queen.