The sights of Varanasi!

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We all woke up at 4.30am and babu came and collected us at 5.10am.

We drove for quite a while before we parked the car and walked the narrow and dirty streets (lots of cows to avoid!) to see the Sunrise ceremony on the ganges.

It was mostly men, young boys, and a few women who do this ritual washing in the ganges where they fully emerse themselves. It was very quiet and reflective. Alot of them were dressed in orange outfits. We decided to go on a boat another day.

We drove to the burning Ghats, where they were actually burning four dead bodies! We stood really close (within a metre) but it was too hot ( and a bit scary) so we left. Then we visited a widow house where there were loads of old women begging, it was sad.

We then drove through a huge university campus where we visited our first temple. We had to leave our shoes and socks in a locker room. It was quite quiet and we walked around and saw the different statues covered in fresh flowers. There was a shrine in the middle of the temple where people were chanting and praying.

Babu explained to us that people visit the temple if they have difficulty conceiving, have a bad sex life, or are yet to marry. They get blessed and receive some sacred milk.

After the temple we drove to the monkey temple, where we were frisked upon entering. The temple was really busy and there were lots of monkeys all over the place. It was very loud with people singing and chanting.

Babu got a call from the surya hotel to say there were rooms there so we went and booked for 3 nights and then went back to collect our stuff from the other hotel and had breakfast of toast there before leaving. We then returned to the Surya hotel.

We relaxed and slept for a few hours until Babu came and collected us at 4.30pm to go to the silk market.

We saw how they make all the garments including a room full of men hand sewing sequins on the garments. The man explained to us that it took 25 hours to complete 1 sari.

We left the silk market and on the way back noticed a pizza hut in a complex near the hotel. We asked to Babu to drop us there and we all had pizza which was really nice and our first proper meal in India.

We then walked back to the hotel and me (maz) janine and helen went for a beer in the hotel bar while kelly went to relax in the room.

After one beer, feeling a bit tipsy and discovering a rat scurrying around underneath our table we thought it was time for bed.

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