Writer Charles Graeber was given rather loose instructions for his Adventure story on India: Set foot on the subcontinent and let fate take over. To execute such an unwieldy assignment, he planned to begin in the city of Varanasi, considered to be the most auspicious place to die in the Hindu religion.
In this sacred city along the Ganges River, Graeber would consult fortune-tellers and piece together a mystical adventure based on their cryptic suggestions. Should his oracles fail, he would initiate a backup plan: From Varanasi, he would arrange a boat ride on the holy river and hire a few good boatmen as guides.
Luckily, his fortune-tellers offered no sage advice, and Plan B resulted in an unforgettable, eight-day journey up the Ganges. In the audio clips that follow, Graeber recounts the surprises of his river trip, and offers his on-the-fly travel advice.
—Nicole Davis
Read an excerpt of Graeber's article "Being the Boatman" >>
