From Brahma to Buddha, Fall 2008

It's been a running joke for much of the trip that my name rhymes with "Sorry." Anything goes wrong, it's always, "Oh, sorry Ari.... WAIT! THAT RHYMES!" Then in Jaipur, my friends further proved their sharp-witted poeticism by changing Sorry Ari to Sari Ari. Kalamari and safaris were also mentioned.

So what else to do? I gave in and got myself a sari. Funnily enough, the only day where I didn't attract attention on the streets was when I was wrapped in five and a half meters of bright purple and silver fabric. I wore it for an entire day of sightseeing- the City Palace, Jantar Mantar, which is an 18th century observatory, and the Amber Palace, which had really treacherous stairs. It was loads of fun, but mentally exhausting, in the way that I knew I had everything tied and pinned in the right place, but there was always a lingering uncertainty of how stable the whole contraption was. Step on a fold, and the entire system could come crashing down. Luckily, I made it through the day without any mishaps. It probably takes practice, which I'm not sure I'll get, because now that we're out of Jaipur I don't have a homestay mom to dress me in the morning. It was fun while it lasted though.

We're in Varanasi now, with the Ganges right outside our door! We haven't had a chance to explore yet, as we only just stumbled off the train this morning (I'd forgotten how comfortable sleeper trains are.... not.) but keep posted for adventures, of which there shall be many! It's so cool to be in charge.