http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , India , Uttar Pradesh , Varanasi en-us Thu, 10 Dec 09 07:06:33 +0000 Thu, 10 Dec 09 07:06:33 +0000 I'll have to go into some detail at some point but this place is so...muchincredible..will have a real problem describing it. For now I can just tell stories of the ghats and little Galis lanes.This is my home. I'm not sure what that can mean to you or if it's understandable but this is where I am at home. Other places are for making money or enjoying friends or chasing birds but this i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-457908.html We changed taxis at the border the area was totally chaotic and I'm sure a lot of smuggling goes on undetected there. The immigration desk was a table in the main street we didn't even see any customs officers. Totally crazy people and trucks loaded up with goods everywhere and absolutely no order at all. Our new driver spoke hardly any English. It was a long drive to Varanasi we could hav http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-448085.html Varanasi was the first place that sparked my interest in India. It seemed the epitome of all that was Indian religion ghats friendly people and a generally interesting culture and place. It is supposedly one of the oldest cities in the world and was founded by the Hindu god Shiva. Let's just say it did not meet our expectations.Of course an experience is always influenced by the arrival in th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-447815.html The very first thing that I ever learned about Varanasi had to do with Turtles. Varanasi is considered on of the oldest living cities on earth. It is a holy pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddists. Buddha himself is supposed to have given his first sermon at nearby Sarnath around 540 BC. Varanasi is known as the City of Light devout Hindus hope to die and be cremated there in order to esca http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-446655.html Herasin jo neljalta enka saanut unta. Paatin siis lahtea veneajelulle yksinani. Kavin nyt toisessa suunnassa kuin viimeksi. Tuli nahtya se ghat jossa poltetaan jatkuvasti ruumiita. Kavelin pikkukujia pitkin hotellille ja loysin korttelin paasta postitoimistonkin.Torkahdin vahan. Aamupalan jalkeen mentiin autoriksalla yliopistoalueen portille. Siita jatkettiin pyorariksalla katsomaan temppelia. Yl http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-445086.html NamasteWhen we left you last we were still in Ochra we are now over 600km NE at Varanassi. How we got here By sleeper train follwed by an adventure on the river ganges itself.We both had ideas of what to expect from the sailing trip but we couldn't have pictured what was the reality. Would it be motor powered Would it be a big cruiser we all sat in Would it be a canoe What we sailed in were http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-444584.html Leaving Lumbini early and heading to the IndianNepali border and on to Varanasi we drove along what has to be the best road in the country. I am guessing that it is supposed to give a good impression to people coming to Nepal but for Bob and I it was a good send off. Much like the border with China where we could have easily gotten in without getting a visa we could have just as easily walke http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-443659.html Tulimme yojunalla Varanasiin. Kaduilla nakyi enemman polkuriksoja kuin Gwaliorissa. Eras hotellin tyontekija esitteli meille lahikortteleita. Kavimme yhdessa temppelissakin. Katsoimme pimean tuntua rannassa valoseremonian joka kesti tunnin. Soin taas. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-442959.html So... this is the start of my 8 month trip first stop India... have been here a week now so slowly getting into travel mode.After a lot last minute room cleaning and shoving things in packs we made our way to the airport only to have the picadilly line delayed and no trains going to heathrow terminal 5 so we had to catch a replacement train and got to the airport an hour and 5 minutes before ou http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-441766.html Varansi aka Benares aka KashiAfter Agra and the Taj Mahal Ari and I hopped on a night train at 1100pm headed toward the holy city of VaranasiVaranasi is the holiest city in the Hindu religion and for good reason this place is amazing. Over 5000 years old and continually occuppied since man first walked this region. The Ganges river flows through this city and the Ganges is worshipped here beca http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-441273.html Looking over my last blog entries I realize how bitter and unthankful I sound. The opportunity given to me is an amazing one and I am thankful everyday for having been able to take advantage of it. I have a very distinctive lovehate relationship with Delhi and with India as a whole. Many parts are utterly incomprehensible to me and at times deeply troubling. These aspects of India convince th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-436343.html Back to Kathmandu wonders of a shower and everything the city could offer. Booked a bus pretty quickly to varanasi which should take 24 hours. Bought a wicked oil painting of the north face of everest probably my best buy so far and soaked up some city life in a cleanish city before heading to india and to varanasi.Pretty uneventful and easy to sleep changed bus at the border and just a l http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-429872.html It's been a while but I'm finally back in the states where i can upload photos...these are some of the photos of my experience in Northern India. I visited the cities of Delhi Jaipur Agra Varanasi Haridwar and Rishikesh.......enjoy http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-427711.html So a few of us from Sadhana embarked on an adventure to Varanasi to see the solar eclipse. It was a 41 hour train journey going over 2000 miles. Suprisingly the train ride was actually a great experience. We had beds and slept for most of the journey so it passed much faster than I imagined it to. Some of the scenery we saw on the way was beautiful too. It was so green which was really refreshin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-422200.html Varanasi the holy Hindu city lying on the banks of the mighty Ganges is said to be an auspicious place to die.A curious claim to fame it has to be said and in any case not the reason we were going.At least we sure as hell hoped not.To die here means cremation at the sacred burning ghats said to free one from moksha the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. Irsquod always presumed that reinca http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-418738.html India Amritsar Delhi Agra Lucknow VaranasiDay 32 Amritsar IndiaIndia a truly multidimensional metropolis that is overrun with eager touts and crush of mechanical and human traffic considered one of the world largest yet poorest countries.With intensions to acclimatise to the poverty ridden hectic way of life was an eye opening experience. The high birth rate a low literacy rate and an e http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-417356.html Took a short flight to Varanasi the sacred city of the Hindus aka city of light and so far I think it's one of my favorite places in India. Manageable and less crowded albeit that it's Sunday and there's not much traffic on Sundays.After we settled into our hotel and rested a little we headed out to the Ganges River to take a boat ride. Ghats of Ganga are perhaps the holiest spots of Varanasi. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-414194.html I have now arrived in Varanasi what used to be Benares one of the holiest cities in India. Many people come here to die because it sems that Lord Shiva promised that anyone who dies here within a certain radius will go to heaven. The place is sacred to Shiva the destroyer creator of the Hindu trinity. In addition just outside the town is the place where the Buddha preached his first t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-413213.html Koh Tao boat to Chumpon 4h night bus8h to bangkok hanging around for 18hours airport another hanging around for 7hours Mumbai hanging around for 12 hours trian to Varanasi 28hoursAnd...here I am now second day in Varanasi holy place Yes I saw dead bodies being burnt doesn not stick at all but they say they use special wood to avoid smell.Crows dust cows shits rubbish sle http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-413058.html I just had to write again because I am so thrilled about this city of Varanasi. Corey and I arrived here a few days ago somewhat frustrated with India but ever since we arrived things have been going so wonderfully.Varanasi is one of the holy cities of India. It is located on the Ganges River and every day you can see all sorts of people swimming around in the water bathing praying going on b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-411742.html