Monthly Archives: December 2007

New York girls tour Varanasi

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I had the pleasure of working with two American girls, Maria and Olena, as their tour guide in Varanasi. They contacted me through my apartment listing on Craigslist. This was my first time arranging a tour, and I was thrilled because I had always wanted to work in the tourism sector. Both Maria and Olena were from New York—Maria was studying Public Relations at New York University, and Olena was pursuing a law degree. They were very interested in experiencing real Indian life, so I arranged for them to stay at my place. With only two days to explore Benares, I wanted to make the most of their time.

We started their tour as soon as they arrived, heading first to BHU (Banaras Hindu University). After a brief rest at home, we visited the Dashashwamedh Ghat for the evening Aarti. They were captivated by the Aarti and impressed by the dedication of Hindus who spend over an hour daily praying to the Ganges. Despite their amazement, they understood that to non-Hindus, Ganga is just a river. Afterward, we visited the Bull Shop, which turned out to be one of their favorite experiences. The next morning, we embarked on a boat ride. Following the ride, we went to Sarnath, but unfortunately, the Buddha Temple was closed by the time we arrived.

However, Maria particularly enjoyed the Sarnath Museum. After Sarnath, we visited Lali Baba, which was a highlight as always. We spent almost an hour there, watching him wear his 350 necklaces, play with skulls, and perform puja. Our day continued with visits to the Kina Ram Monastery, Tulsi Manas Temple, and Sankat Mochan Temple (the Monkey Temple). At dinner, Maria and Olena asked me about Hijras, which was an unusual topic for me to discuss with them. We spent nearly an hour exploring this subject. Both Maria and Olena were keen on Indian cuisine, so I invited them to spend some time in my kitchen with my wife.

They even cooked pasta with Parmesan cheese, which was a delight for them, and I was pleased to see the cheese being used in Benares. Overall, arranging this tour was an amazing experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would love to do it again. After their time in Benares, Maria and Olena went to Goa to celebrate the New Year.

Sex industry in Varanasi

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I had a tenant named Nick Chang from Washington, DC. Nick was Taiwanese but held a green card for the USA. He worked as a software engineer and was a Buddhist interested in visiting several Buddhist sites in India. He particularly wanted to visit Sarnath, so I suggested he hire an auto-rickshaw for a round trip. However, Nick was uncomfortable with this idea because he worried he wouldn’t be able to meditate if someone was waiting for him. Knowing the hassle foreigners can face with auto-rickshaw drivers, I decided to arrange a trusted driver, Raju, to take Nick to Sarnath. Raju dropped him off and returned as planned.

On the way back, Nick hired another auto-rickshaw, which turned out to be quite expensive compared to Raju’s fare. Nick claimed he had reserved the entire auto, but the driver let other passengers join. This was inconvenient, but the situation soon deteriorated. The driver made a stop at a railway station to buy something and returned with a young girl who then sat next to Nick in the auto. The driver started making inappropriate suggestions, asking Nick if he would like to spend time with the girl.

Nick firmly refused, but the driver persisted, first asking for Rs. 5000, then Rs. 4000, Rs. 3000, and finally Rs. 1000 for an hour. When Nick continued to refuse, the driver even asked for Rs. 500 just to spend a little time with the girl in the auto. Despite Nick’s continuous refusals, the driver was insistent. Realizing that Nick was not going to agree, the driver then stopped the auto about 3 kilometers from where Nick needed to go, claiming the vehicle had a problem. He told Nick that Assi, his destination, was just a short 3-minute walk away. Trusting the driver, Nick disembarked, only to find that the walk took him over 30 minutes to reach my home.

Nick was understandably distressed after his first day in Varanasi, and I was shocked to witness this new form of exploitation in my hometown. While I had heard about prostitution near railway stations, I never realized how deeply integrated it could be with local services, including auto-rickshaw drivers acting as intermediaries.

Traveling girls drop in

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A girl named Erin from Colorado reached out to me to arrange a meeting in Varanasi. She was a friend of Krista, with whom I had previously worked. Erin came with her friend Katerina, who was from Czechoslovakia. Erin was a social activist working with an NGO focused on homelessness, while Katerina was a student. They wanted to stay at my place as paying guests, but I couldn’t accommodate them due to ongoing renovation work. Instead, they stayed at a guest house near Shivala Ghat.

The owner of the guest house brought them to my place to introduce them. Erin and Katerina were interested in taking a boat ride on the Ganges, and the guest house owner quoted them a very high price. I managed to arrange a boat ride for them at a fraction of that cost—five times less, in fact. Erin had brought a bottle of whiskey as a gift for the guest house owner, but he was upset that they had asked me for help instead of him. He refused to accept the whiskey, telling Erin to give it to me because he considered me a better friend. It was clear he was very displeased with me, and I decided it was best not to meet him again.

Eventually, Erin moved to a different guest house closer to my home. We explored Varanasi together, enjoyed my friend’s wedding, and used the whiskey that Erin had bought to gift the previous guest house owner. Roli did henna work on their hands, and Bunti helped them dress in sarees. They looked beautiful and embraced the local culture, dancing a lot at Babalu’s wedding party. I advised them to return to their hotel before it got too late for their safety. However, when we returned around midnight, the hotel gate was locked, and no one responded to our knocks.

With no other options, I invited them to stay at my house. Although my house wasn’t ideally set up for guests at the time, it was the only solution. They stayed at my place for the night, and we continued to explore Varanasi together. Erin later left for Amritsar alone, while Katerina stayed behind but never reached out to me again. I’m not sure where she went after that.