Eland Bronstein : Volunteer Relations Coordinator / India Tour Guide
One thing I am constantly reminded of on my journey is that everything that happens, happens for a reason. Sometimes we cannot understand this until much later after the fact, but sometimes the universe offers little signs to make us realize this much sooner. In this story I am about to share with you, the universe offered me many of these little signs.
The massage therapist, also spends half his time running an NGO that works in childhood education, growth and leadership. We got talking and it sounded like an incredible project. I told him that I would love to support him by bringing Canadians to volunteer. He was happy to have made the connection and we promised to stay in touch.
Only minutes after the massage I ran into my old friend from Australia who was also traveling India. It was awesome to see her again, something that would not have happened if our train wasn't thirty hours late.
Then to top it all off I received an email from the rickshaw driver (and his stepfather) from the day before. It said, it was nice to have met me and to please contact him if I needed help with organizing anything for the tours. I instantly called the contact number to see if there was time to meet him in person. We had an hour until we needed to leave to the train station and it worked perfectly to grab dinner together. We chatted about India and how wild it can be. He was able to share all kinds of important information with me about planning tours and working with locals in India. I thanked him and went on our way back to the train station once more.
This time when we arrived, the station manager told us that the train was delayed an extra six hours and to come back in the morning. I couldn't believe it, six more hours! Instead of going all the way back to the city we spent the night in an overpriced dingy hotel near the station, getting barely any sleep before going back to the train station for the third time in the morning. This time upon arriving we were informed the train was now over forty hours late. How this is possible, I don't know. We sat and contemplated our options for a few hours and finally decided we needed to just stay in Varanasi and stop trying to leave. Obviously something wasn't allowing us to go just yet. It was as if all the events in the last 24 hours (meeting the massage therapist, seeing my old friend, an getting to meet a person who could help with our tours) were all just small signs that were telling us not to leave. When we went back to Varanasi again this time was not like before. I was not frustrated about the train that may have never come or the heat. I could finally see the beauty of this crazy city.
That night we were exhausted but we decided to take a walk along the river because we found out it was a full moon. A man in a boat asked us if we wanted to paddle around for a while. I have been in India for 4 months and I have never stepped foot in the Ganga River before. I was waiting to be "called" into the holy river. That night was my calling. We lay down on the boat looking at the clear sky, the stars and the full moon. We could only hear the sounds of each paddle dipping into the water. Then I couldn't have planned it any better myself, fireworks began to go off in the distance behind the city's silhouette.
This was not only fireworks, this was sign from the universe saying; this is exactly where you need to be right now.
The universe is always offering signs to us, sometimes we just need a little silence so we can hear them.
One thing I am constantly reminded of on my journey is that everything that happens, happens for a reason. Sometimes we cannot understand this until much later after the fact, but sometimes the universe offers little signs to make us realize this much sooner. In this story I am about to share with you, the universe offered me many of these little signs.
It
was 48 degrees Celsius in Varanasi, the Holy City. We had been delayed
to leave by one day due to overbooking on the train, but now we had our
backpacks on and ready to go. After a long walk through the markets we
were approached by many auto rickshaw drivers (as one always is while
wearing a giant backpack). It's always a race to see which rickshaw
driver gets to the tourist first in India.
We finally settled on a price and were all set up to go with the man who got to us first. However, I had this strong feeling that we should go with this other driver who had showed up minutes later. I requested that we go with this driver specifically and he obliged.
We finally settled on a price and were all set up to go with the man who got to us first. However, I had this strong feeling that we should go with this other driver who had showed up minutes later. I requested that we go with this driver specifically and he obliged.
During our one hour drive to the train station I mentioned to the driver that I was planning tours to come to India.
He then told me his adopted father (who was living with him in India)
had been organizing tours from American to India for years and that we
must meet. Unfortunately, this was not possible because I was about to
get on the train to leave the city. However, I left him my card and said
we would be in touch.
We got to the
station only to find out that our train was somehow thirty hours (yes
30) late! We tried getting on another train, but it was just too full.
So we went all the way back, dreading the sweltering heat, to the Varanasi to stay another day.
The
next day, I went down the main ghat (steps leading down the Ganga River)
for the nightly ceremony to honor the sacredness of the Ganga. I was
offered a head massage by a local masseuse and I said, "of course!"
(Here is were the more obvious signs start to come into play).
 |
| Boats watching the evening Ganga Ceremony |
Only minutes after the massage I ran into my old friend from Australia who was also traveling India. It was awesome to see her again, something that would not have happened if our train wasn't thirty hours late.
 |
| I found my friend! |
Then to top it all off I received an email from the rickshaw driver (and his stepfather) from the day before. It said, it was nice to have met me and to please contact him if I needed help with organizing anything for the tours. I instantly called the contact number to see if there was time to meet him in person. We had an hour until we needed to leave to the train station and it worked perfectly to grab dinner together. We chatted about India and how wild it can be. He was able to share all kinds of important information with me about planning tours and working with locals in India. I thanked him and went on our way back to the train station once more.
This time when we arrived, the station manager told us that the train was delayed an extra six hours and to come back in the morning. I couldn't believe it, six more hours! Instead of going all the way back to the city we spent the night in an overpriced dingy hotel near the station, getting barely any sleep before going back to the train station for the third time in the morning. This time upon arriving we were informed the train was now over forty hours late. How this is possible, I don't know. We sat and contemplated our options for a few hours and finally decided we needed to just stay in Varanasi and stop trying to leave. Obviously something wasn't allowing us to go just yet. It was as if all the events in the last 24 hours (meeting the massage therapist, seeing my old friend, an getting to meet a person who could help with our tours) were all just small signs that were telling us not to leave. When we went back to Varanasi again this time was not like before. I was not frustrated about the train that may have never come or the heat. I could finally see the beauty of this crazy city.
That night we were exhausted but we decided to take a walk along the river because we found out it was a full moon. A man in a boat asked us if we wanted to paddle around for a while. I have been in India for 4 months and I have never stepped foot in the Ganga River before. I was waiting to be "called" into the holy river. That night was my calling. We lay down on the boat looking at the clear sky, the stars and the full moon. We could only hear the sounds of each paddle dipping into the water. Then I couldn't have planned it any better myself, fireworks began to go off in the distance behind the city's silhouette.
This was not only fireworks, this was sign from the universe saying; this is exactly where you need to be right now.
 |
| Paddle boat on the Ganga |
Namaste for now,
- Eland
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