Varanasi

Arrived at the Varanasi station by 5am and had a long wait until someone from our hotel came to pick us up. We were dropped off in a very busy part of town by the river and had to find our way down long narrow ally ways of Godaulia to Ganpati Guesthouse. These streets were crazy, very dirty and filled with loads of tiny shops, rubbish, people and mad animals from goats, monkeys, waterbuffulo and cows. A huge bull horned Cathys backpack which was terrifying. The hostel was Ok and sat right on the river Ganges so the view was spectacular. You could spend hours just watching all the pilgrims on the river ghats cleaning their clothes, swimming or just hanging out by the river. Many went on boats across to some strange sand island on the other side. The water itself stunk and was green in colour fill of rubbish, pollution, buffulo, bodies you name it and it was in there. However, it is so sacred to the Hindus that if they are cremated here they will imediantely go to their equivilant of heaven. Temperature was in the low 40's so had to spend most of the day around the hotel as all energy was drained by the heat. Went up the road to the burning ghats where you could watch bodies being cremated. The smoke always hung around the hostel. At night was some strange religous performance down at the main ghats which was an experience but we didnt like hanging around for long afraid we would be lost in the dark allys.
The first morning we were up at 5am for a row down the river ganges. Facinating watching children swimming right beside water buffulo and people doing their laundry beside the swimmers. This city is really an urban jungle. When I got up that morning I could see packs of monkeys scowling the roof tops and during the day dogs,cats, monkeys, buffulo, cows, goats, ferrets, squirrels, mice and rats could be seen everywhere. Not such a hot day today, only 35 degress so spent the day trying to look around the shop. Everyone wants to show you around and then take you to their shop which got really frustrating. The Indians are the most amazing business men.
Our last day in Varanasi was spent relaxing and sight seeing. Train to New Delhi left at 5pm - 14hr trip.

---

---