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Published: December 10th 2017
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Day 8 (Saturday 9
thDecember)
Varanasi We all had a lie-in today. Although we were woken by a monkey fight and loud parrot who squeeked! Better than car horns though and the air is much clearer (apart from cremation smoke of course). Our somewhat grotty rooms are bearable. Managed to squeeze an extra bed into the Reedies room (although they had an extra large double already, so now have very little space around the beds). Electrical sockets are hanging off the walls; I have a socket-hole near the floor which has a light fitting in it (2” from floor!) All our rooms are in a line and we each have small balconies enclosed by a strong metal grill (to keep the monkeys out). This morning we stood out there, talking to each other from the balconies. The local kids on the rooftops below us were shouting up “hello – what is your name?” the only phrase they know! (We are on the 3
rd floor).
Esmee has the runs! Rocco says he has stomach pains now! Shirl & I have thick head colds although I slept quite well.
We decided to
have a day off, but thought we should find our way from our hotel to the ghatts as if you get lost you can just head for the Gangies and find the temples near us. So Bill, Mal, Rocco & me set off downhill. We past some beggars but had no small change. A guy had a king cobra in a basket which looked plastic to me, Rocco was worried so we hurried past, the snake was real! We came to the Nepali temple here, related to the one at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Rs20 entry, the young lads running it were all from Nepal so I had a good chat with them. The Temple (to Shiva of course) was in typical Nepali style with pagoda roofs, and all the beams intricately carved with gods and animals. 2 Italian girls sat on the main entrance step, blocking anyone wanting to enter, but were asked to move. Then we went inside to see a large brass bowl filled with flowers hanging in the centre. In the gloom behind we could see a pair of legs sticking in the air!! These belonged to a transvestite who Mal had a good laugh with later.
We then went down some steep steps to the Ghat below – Lalita Ghat. It was here that we gained an unwanted guide, Mals fault although he didn’t ask for any money. We went to the nearby Cremation Ghat which we were told women could not enter as their crying spoilt the process by upsetting the gods. This was the Ghat for men who had died accidentally, others were for ones who died naturally, others for women with natural & accidental deaths too.
We looked for somewhere to get a chai but only shop was full so sat in the shade on a step. A guy started hassling Mal to buy hash, she didn’t, he persisted, she told him that if he didn’t f-off then she would throw him on the cremation fires. Her guide translated and he made a hasty exit… Rocco wanted to go back then and as we were ascending the stairs again he threw up, twice. At the hotel, Mal went with her “guide” to check out his shop, Bill & Rocco headed up to their room, I relaxed on a sofa in reception preparing myself for the 3 flights
of stairs (forgot to take my inhalers with me today!)
So that was our day really, not doing much, but I planned a quiet day at each place and this is the first break that we have really had. We all met in the restaurant about 7.30.
I had cheese & vedge momo’s the first I’ve seen & very nice (but took ages to prepare).
Early night for us all.
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Amy Friedman
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Atmosphere!
Your blog posts are really good at sharing the atmosphere of the locale! I am imagining ghat smoke now....