We purposely flew into India a few days before any wedding activities would happen, so we could have a little R&R buffer before the relative overload and all the festivities begin. We also chose to stay at a Hilton on the other side of town from where relatives live, so we could be assured a bit of distance from any obligatory visits or task assignments related to the wedding.
Having never been in Varanasi, I didn't really have a frame of reference for how similar or different it would be from Bangalore. It didn't feel overly different, with the common street conditions, population, and traffic situation, but the weather this time of year was certainly glorious. Mid 50-60 degrees, light sun and wind. I loved it. In fact, in the morning and evening, it was downright chilly, which isn't something I minded at all.
We stayed at the Hilton Doubletree in Varanasi for the first 3 nights. The hotel grandly sits among the 'normal' city streets and garbage piles, but once you pull past the gates, it does appear as if you have left the country. Hotels like this in India are generally well run and clean, but typically have the Indian quirks I have mentioned before such as torn carpet, inconsistent amenities in each room (we had a hair dryer, the other room did not), and strange functionality (TVs that only work certain times of day, you have to call the front desk for hot water, etc). Our stay here was rather quiet, and we just shopped and relaxed, but shortly, it was time for us to move over to the wedding venue area.
Roy swears he told me we were staying at a 'lodge' during the wedding days, but I am certain if I had heard this word, I would have questioned more about what exactly this is. As with most things in India, familiar names are not what they mean back home. I pretty much knew I wasn't in for a mountain top rustic hotel overlooking ski slopes with a roaring fire; in fact, the only thing correct was the 'rustic' part. Not so much in a charming way, but more in a basic way. It turned out to be fine, and in fact was fun to occupy this entire place with family members, wedding rituals, and impromptu dance parties. The lodge is basically like a guest house or boutique hotel that you can rent a room in or the entire place (as we did), including the kitchen area and banquet hall. The 'catering' involved is hiring your own cooks and bringing in your own food for them to prepare on some type of schedule each day. The lodge had something like 10 actual rooms (with attached bathrooms), but many of the older relatives opted to sleep on mattresses kept around the perimeter of the banquet hall. Sleeping on the floor, and next to whomever you wind up next to, is really common here and doesn't seem to bother anyone much. I suppose if a room with a bed were available, they would take it, but in its absence, this seems to work just fine for the overflow folks.
The Lodge
Staircase to 2nd floor
3rd floor skylight?
Scenic terrace
Outside the lodge- I tried to tell Shivali this was her room after Roy and I went to preview. lol. I did see the hotel workers lounging back here. 😬
Bathrooms off the banquet hall area.
Where Shivali & I slept
It dud have AC and the power only went out a few times (I think we supplied a generator). I’m not sure if the tv worked as we never even attempted it.
Exploring outside. Not sure if this was someone’s house or what??
Our bathroom. Not great, but hot water!
Elder overflow.
There is a certain fun camaraderie that comes from staying like this for 4 days. Although cramped and more rustic than I would normally prefer, it worked out just fine and added to the fun of the occasion. As normal family gatherings occur, a few of the older uncles end up taking charge of the kitchen activities and help with picking up groceries, dictating the menu, and directing the kitchen workers on making tea and snacks. The first morning, I was asked what I wanted to eat or drink (they never seem to know or are quite sure if I will ever find food without them), and I asked if there was coffee. One of the in-charge uncles ran out for some, as most of the folks here drink tea. By the end of the 4 days, I was working directly with the kitchen folks, and they were experts in American-style coffee. They seemed to enjoy me showing up with my huge pink Stanley and knew exactly why I was there. In broken English/Hindi, we bonded over stories of home, food, and drinks.
I think I surprise people a bit by being so down to earth with anyone and everyone (India is still very 'caste' driven, and kitchen workers aren't considered very high tier). I don't have that upbringing, nor is it in my nature to treat anyone differently, so I never do. In fact, we had some of the most fun times with the drivers, cleaners, and hotel workers.
Saif, our personal chauffeur to Delhi- more on that later
Indian Eric, we tormented him for photos everyday to prove he resembled my cousin
The Lucky Charms guy who cleaned at the hotel.
Indian Eric again
Apparently you have to supervise these guys when they clean, which was super awkward.
The monkey hunter at the hotel. (It’s an air gun to scare them away- monkeys are very aggressive here. He wanted me to think it was a machine gun)
So, overall, I'm here to report back that if you find yourself in India and someone mentions you should stay at a Lodge, you don't need to run in the opposite direction, although I always highly advise scoping out the facilities before committing (this is common in India- even at big hotels). You'll probably be just fine with a bit of adjusting, some open-minded realism, and of course, my favorite trick of light-hearted, roll-with-the-punches attitude.
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