We are back in Delhi. We have to wait 2 days to catch the train to Varanasi so here we go again. We have to say that we like it better this time but we still have to deal with the touts and the endless schemes to rip us off. Today when we arrived at the train station we were told by “official agent” (he had a badge and everything) that we were at the wrong place had that we had to go to this other office to get tickets. When we arrived at office they told us no tickets were available for a week but they could sell us a packaged deal to another destination of our choice, private driver, hotels, etc.. After much consideration and some argument between Jon and I, we decided to pass and return to the hotel we stayed at when we first arrived. We checked with the agent there about tickets and sure enough we were able to book a train ticket to Varanasi.
Over dinner Jon and I discussed our travel plans plans for the remainder of our trip. He was thinking that the organized tour sounded not so bad and perhaps we wouldn’t have to deal with all the hassles from people trying to rip us off and that having things organized for us would leave more time for relaxation and contemplation. I disagreed and said that I felt that the magic of travel is entirely about the journey and this can only be done on your own, not led to from safe point A to safe point B. For me it is about who you meet along the way, the element of surprise and spontaneity, the faith and freedom of choice.
So here we sit, slightly divided on our thoughts and plans for the future, and wonder what you think about this matter… I know everyone travels differently (mom) so we put the question out there?