even in India

At about 2:30 on Tuesday I headed down to Asi Ghat, the furthest south of the ghats in Varanasi and the closest to our program house. Asi Ghat is one of the most popular of the ghats -- popular with the locals but apparently even more popular among Western tourists and truth-seekers. This was where we began our morning boat ride down the Ganges a couple of days ago. That day, each of us spent a couple of hours on a ghat of our choosing, and later in the afternoon, we went on a scavenger hunt around the Asi neighborhood. But in both instances we had stayed primarily along the fringes of the city and had not ventured into the tall, dark, narrow alleys for which the old city is famous.

I made my way to Dasashvameda Ghat, a very popular bathing ghat and the place where Lord Brahma, the creator god, allegedly sacrificed ten horses. Turning in from the river I found myself on a rather busy, broad paved road, filled with motorcycles and their honk-happy drivers.

I came to a temple compound, and, curious, turned into a narrow alleyway beside it. I followed the alley to its end and found myself in another alley, much busier and not much wider. Really, it seemed like I was in a different world. Buildings rose three or four stories on each side, dilapidated and peeling -- but it was amazing the builder would have devoted any effort at all to its ornamentation, since in the twilight of the alley and the press of the crowd it was impossible to stop and appreciate it. Really, to "stop and smell the roses" was not an option here, first of all because what you would have smelled you probably would not described as rose-like, but mostly because the movement of people (and even the occasional motorcycle) was relentless, and you had to be attentive, lest you lose your personal belongings or your balance. Shops occupied the ground floor of these rickety buildings, selling clothing, DVDs, fruit, everything. Stores were squeezed into a sliver of space on the side of the alley, or built into the ruins of once-imposing structures -- a testament to the capitalist spirit, I suppose.

A few turns and dead ends later, and I realized I had no idea where I was. Lost in the maze, but not particularly alarmed, I imagined the conversation I would have with my mother when I finally got her on the phone ("I hope you didn't go into any dark alleyways, honey." "Mom, every street in Varanasi is a dark alleyway."). The diversity of people in the streets was remarkable: women in saris of all colors alongside women covered in black, head-to-toe, as well as many wearing Western clothing a decade or so out of date. I was the only white face for as far as I could see in either direction, but I did not feel the least bit scared. If I was lost, I could always find my way to the Ganges and figure it out from there.

Finally I emerged out onto another busy, sunny street. The sun -- perhaps that could be my method of navigation. It was late in the afternoon, so the sun would be setting in the west. Wait -- I was in India. Did the sun set in the west in India? Yes, I decided. Even in India the sun sets in the west.

I oriented myself southward, in the general direction of Asi, and started walking. I was offered rides in rickshaws, silk scarves "for your girlfriend or mother" -- one particularly eager salesman followed me for several blocks before he finally let up. I was trying to shake off a second silk salesman when I found myself staring at a large red-and-yellow dragon on a pale blue background.

I tapped her on the shoulder and Sylvie turned around. Sylvie, Anna, Lily, and Claire were in the neighborhood shopping for fabric so that a tailor could make them Indian clothing. We shared a couple of rickshaws back to Asi, and as I considered the odds of running into four people in a sprawling city of millions, I remembered what Slade said, about how Varanasi was like the biggest village in the world.

After a couple of hours meandering through downtown, I really appreciated coming back to the relative quiet and airiness of Asi. It's starting to feel like home.

(P.S. If you're curious, check out the Yak Yak board on the Where There Be Dragons website to see postings from the other 11 students on my semester. Go to www.wheretherebedragons.com, click "Yak Yak" at the top of the page, and then select "Visions of India Semester" from the drop-down menu on the left, and select "Show All" from the menu that appears below it.)