posted a day late. internet here is wayyyy questionable

Im over two weeks into my journey and I've been in Varanasi for 4 days now. The rest of my time in Rishikesh was magical due to an insane battle with a guard and a well fought for falling upon a locked up abandon ashram. where the Beatles stayed to write the white album. the energy in this room was beyond explainable and the psychedelic paintings revealing different lyrics and pieces of so many songs, hand prints, and secrets inside of secrets let your imagination run wild as to what really went on in this room. It was the perfect end to my stay. I am officially having Bikram yoga with drawls though. The yoga in Rishikesh was poor but the chanting and mediation was beautiful. The view of the Ganga and brisk clean air created the perfect atmosphere for full mind manipulation. Still beyond enjoyable.
Another agonizing journey to Agra to see the Taj Mahol. Though this winnibego style bus we took had some definite upgrades from out last, it still was quite the scary ride. Another 40 year old means of transportation matched with an angry bus driver and fog you couldn't see you hand in makes for a very iffie bus ride. Especially when its 35 degrees and in a sleeper bunk i could fall right out of while traveling over non existent roads. This trip made us decide it was time to move more south. the taj mahol was great.. i guess. I couldn't see it due to the intense fog and was a bit of a downer. my bones have not had a break from the cold in over 5 days and it was starting to get to my brain. Not even spending a night in Agra we bought our train tickets to Varanasi and boarded our second 24 hour train.
It's definitely intense here. It has the people of Mumbai smashed into a more rural type village city deal. we arrived the last three days of the festival of the goddess of music and these celebrations are nothing compared to that of western culture. Mass drumming through the allies and streets, fireworks going off 2 feet in front of you that just sound like bombs, sending shrines off into the river, screaming and chanting, loud music at all hours. just to name a few. I would imagine being a child here would be anything but boring.
Two very unexpected things have happens our last two days here. Erica and i were leisurely walking down the ghats where a holy man covered in the ashes of the diseased caught eyes with us and motioned to have us join him and his friends. We were not about to turn that opportunity down and joined him around the 24 hour flame for a smoke and some dinner that another traveler he invited over was cooking up. We sat and talked for hours, well the holy man BaBa G, he just motioned and made noise (he doesn't speak) but we chatted and ate and stayed warm by the fire. Other westerners would pass and stop to take pictures and probably wonder what these whities were doing round the fire with these crazy homeless folks but Baba wouldn't allow it. He would stand and shake the bell that he had attached to his penis at them (oh he was naked the whole time) and make them leave or give him money for pictures. Good business man. It was and experience like no other. Following this holy man we stumbled accross a member of the agori tribe. A cannibalistic tribe of wanderers who worship shiva and live a solitary life. He invited us to meet him across the river where he welcomed us on a cloth where two human skulls sat. Here we took pictures and used and interpreter to ask him questions about his life style and his people. As parting gifts Erica and i got a set of human teeth and half a human skull. for my next task...figure out how to smuggle this into the states. Anyone have any ideas or know anything about customs into the Americas? need some help...
Today i leave for Kalkuta where there is more yoga to be had and some warm air waiting for me. Til next time...