Boat Ride & Bhang Lassi

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Day 10 Monday 11^thDecember



Boat Ride & Bhang Lassi



Bill, Shirl & kids do get up & go for the early boat ride, seeing the sunrise over the Gangies and going past the Dashashwarnedh Ghatt to other ghatts further on. A shame I missed this again, as I did last time I was here 30 years ago! I guess it’s my karma to not see sunrises from here…. Apparently both Rocco & Esmee helped row back to shore and they all said it was worth getting up very early.



We all had breakfast together, Esmee managing half a bowl of porridge with honey, finishing off Roccos chocolate pancake and the scrambled egg on the tiny square of toast which I had promised her if she ate most of her breakfast (she has been eating like a sparrow recently so this is all good).



Off we all went to the ATM where Shirl got some dosh out. Then on to the Blue Lassi where the kids had chocolate lassi’s, Bill, Shirl & I banana lassi’s, and Mal a special Bhang banana lassi (delivered in a very quite way).



The “streets” here are very busy, mainly with pedestrian traffic, but with the odd scooter or motorbike or cow plowing their way through. This makes walking as a group very hard (especially when Mal is waylaid at every other shop!) Esmee wanted the toilet, so we nipped into the Brown Bread Bakery for a quick drink. No chance. As is usual here even a cuppa can take up to 40 mins to appear! Also Esmee did not like the Indian squat toilet, but went eventually with Shirl to help.



We then tried to find the Dolphin Restaurant which gets good ratings, but on the way Mal missed a step down and went crashing to the ground behind me. Luckily she took the brunt of the fall on her thigh with a slight blow to the head (I thought the crack was her head!) She took a 5min break sitting on the step befor feeling ready to continue. Luckily we were near the Dolphin which turned out to be a very posh, up-scale place where we enjoyed pizza & coffee (both excellent). Mal was not too badly hurt, reckons the bhang helped her relax during the fall… bet she finds a few bruises tomorrow though.



On our way back to our hotel we passed the busy Golden Shiva Temple which always has huge queue waiting to enter, all holding flower offerings. Of course, just as we were passing this long line, a motorbike came from each direction, and just after they had passed, a cow charged through the crowd knocking people aside into walls and stalls. I saw about 6 women knocked into a doorway still clutching their offerings. Luckily no-one seemed hurt which was amazing as the cow had large horns! The gangs of policemenn who seem to hang around the temple entrance were simply amused (what could they do about this?) many of them saying hello to Esmee of course – our little diva!



Now back at hotel, half packed for 11am start tomorrow (porter, tuk-tuk, porter, train). Although our train is due at 12.20, it was 1hr 40mins late today & 7hrs 30mins late on Sunday, so need to check it’s progress befor we set off (possible on t’internet).



Typing this at 9pm in the rooftop retaurant and the whole city is ominously quiet…. Maybe they are recovering from the Islamic party that went on last night (even though I have not heard one call to prayer here, I have seen a mosque, so there must be some muslims around – our waiter is one!)

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[Alison Jarvis]

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