Row Row Row your boat

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Max had said that he'd maybe contribute to this blog, but i'm filling in for now. One of the "must dos" while in Varanasi is to take an early morning boat ride along the ganges. We rose before dawn and hired a guy from our hotel to row us along the length of the ghats as dawn broke over the water. It was glorious. Before the sun was even up, the people had risen. There were candles being set adrift into the water, bells clanging loudly, prayers being muttered. It was still dark when we climbed aboard our boat, and the water was still and peaceful. In the quiet of morning we rowed silently along and given a unique opportunity to observe life on the Ganges. Well, i thought it was unique at that point. By the time the sun had crept up over the water, row boats carting tourists by the dozen were fast filling the water. I can't really complain, seeing as i'm one of those tourists, but it is sometimes a little disheartening and embarassing to see a boat full of tourists totting cameras, gaping wide eyed as if the people were animals in a zoo. Again, the fact that there were only 4 in our boat does not exempt me from this "tourism" but sometimes it's an ugly thing to witness.
Aside from the tourists though, the morning was splendid. The sun rose in a big fat ball over the water and cast a warm glow over the stones and the people. It was a really great way to spend the morning.

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Photos

is he having fun?
....wait, i think i see a smile?!!