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Published: October 20th 2012
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Varanasi, was to be one of the highlights of the trip. It's home to the Ganges river and approximately 1.2 million people. It's a busy place, loads of horn blowing, a lot of motorbikes, cars, rickshaws and cows, many cows. We got there after a 12 hour overnight train, sleeping through 90% of the journey.
We had a walk down all of the ghats, starting at the first of 88. The ghats are a series of steps leading down to the Ganges, each one with a different name. Hundreds of people were jumping in, bathing and having a wash. It was quite an experience, one that none of us were willing to try. The water was too dirty, there were dead dogs, cows and people in there along with all the sewerage of Varanasi. We headed towards the las Ghat, named the Burning Ghat, which was where the deceased were brought to be burned in their own fires. It was seen as the most holy way and best way to leave the human world. You could see everything in the mist of the flames. We headed back towards the Assi ghat or the first ghat and boarded a long boat
Varanasi Harbour
Where we took the sunset and sunrise boat trips from to cruise off into the Ganges for a candlelit procession. We lit over a hundred candles and let them drift away into the river, it looked quite special. They also hold a ceremony to bless the river, done on a daily basis, every day of the year and bringing in thousands of people.
So after a sunset boat ride we had a sunrise boat ride. The same sort of thing but without the ceremonies. We saw all the people at the end of their pilgrimage taking the dip in the Ganges for the first time. Further down was the main burning ghat, burning over 300 people a day with each taking 3 hours to burn. It is a very open service, no grieving and a real celebration of life until that point. We didn't feel out of place by being there one bit. We did find out about one kind of holy man, the Aghori, often with dreadlocks and orange clothing. The different thing about these guys was that they eat the ashes of the dead with the belief that it gave them supernatural powers.
Now in the the afternoon, Laura was about to become a cropper to
Laura's Rug
This is it! Laura contemplating pretty hard the textile trade. We went to a silk and cotton outlet. It was all genuine products at a fraction of the price, a silk scarf for 20-30 pounds. But Laura saw a throw, with very fine hand woven patterns and ended up buying it and sending it home. It cost though as much as what we have spent in our time in India. You will see it when we get back, if it makes it! The wonder also gave us an I depth lesson on how to test for real silk and cashmere, after learning that the cashmere turban I bought was not cashmere but probably a polyester blend.
The old town where we were was a higgledey-piggledey sort of place, small nooks and crannies all over and dead bodies being carted down towards the ghats, I don't think you would find this anywhere else and we became accustomed to seeing the stretchers being carried around. We had seen most of the things that Varanasi had to offer, the only thing we missed which was the Well. So we occupied the rest of the day with the cinema and a film called Barfi. Good film, a must watch in
An Aghori
This is one o the infamous Aghori! 30 rupees for his photo England! It'll be there soon. Guaranteed. And McDonald's too.
A day later and both Laura and I had come to the end of our Diarrhoea Dodging escapade. We had been struck down by it. Not in the worst way, but not the best either. The morning a relaxed one and the afternoon we went on the search for Aghori men, Kenny and Trine were trying to get a good portrait so we joined in. Ad we did get a few good ones too. People more often than not give the star of the photo some money. If it had been the same for us, getting paid every time people took a photo, we would have had a free trip! We had another overnight train back to Delhi to finish off the trip, a 13 hour one, but this time a much more uncomfortable ride than the last.
We had two days in Delhi to conclude the trip. The first with the group and the second without. In the end we spent both days pretty much on our own or at least independently of the group. We ventured off to the Lotus temple, one dedicated to no religion and
Back to Delhi
The last of the overnight trains in India, roll on Vietnam more about uniting them all. The building from the outside looked awesome, a big white lotus flower shaped building and the inside was one vast open space. No statues. No colour. Just a big open space. We went to the Lodi Gardens later, a big open space with trees and a lake and lacking the noise of the city and horns. It was so good to get away from the city even for a bit and relax. It was filled with chipmunks, red kites and parrots. This is the side of India that we haven't see a lot of, the upper class, more prosperous areas, completely different to the old towns. We also took the metro as a means of transport, similar to the tube in London and just as busy. This was the first time we had properly had to get around independently, and if we can get from a to b here, we can anywhere.
The evening we were all back together as a group, going out for our last meal in a place we had been to at the start of the trip. It was one of the best meals we had had, in terms of atmosphere and food. And then we all parted our ways and fingers crossed we will see quite a few on the way, we've planned to.
Saturday we moved out of the hotel and into the first of many hostels, out in the middle of nowhere costing 5 pounds for the two of us for one night. Bargain, and its closer to the station too! We had gotten the hang of the metro now, so getting our big bags on board was easy and we got there this time with no confusion. One thing the Indians aren't good at is queuing, as soon as the train doors open there is a herd of people going on met by a ton coming off! We went back to Lodi gardens for the rest if the day to write this and get ready for Vietnam! Next time I write a blog it will be in Vietnam! Bring it on!
Laura and James
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grandma & grandpa
non-member comment
got lost!!!
dont know where we have been James. Missed this chapter altogether!!!!!any way it all sounds fantastic!!!! Love you Grandma xxxx