Shana Tova from Varanasi

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Hi All,

First post from my beloved India, words cannot describe the Varanasi experience. They say Varansi is all of India's madness just a hundred times more concentrated, and I just love it.
Too overwhelmed to write a lot - i will let the pictures do the talking.

Shana Tova to everyone!

Love,

Maya

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Photos

Flower for Ganga miss?
In the back you can spot our chai glasses waiting

Baby goats
I get to pet a lot of baby goats and cows - they are so cute!

Burning Ghat
The burning ghat works 24hrs a day. the bodies just keep coming in.

wood for burning bodies
Next to the burning ghat there are huge piles of wood guarded by a trained goat.
Did you know one dead body requires 300kg of wood to burn?!?

India Bezeq
Allways at your service

Moi on the boat
With Varanasi in the back

watching the evening puja
Every evening there is a big puja (religious ceremony) in the main ghat. Since its so crowded the best place to watch it is from a boat parked in front

showering in the Ganga
In the morning a lot of people come to shower in the ghat, and the women just go in with their saris.

Sadhu ceremony
This Sadhu perfomes a ceremony every morning in front of the Ganga

My first Masala Dosa!
Actually its my second. I was so excited when i got the first one i forgot about the picture and just ate it up.

Holy water anyone?
This guy sells holy Ganga water in little flasks.

Grrrr...
Being a holy city, Varanasi is full of cows that just walk around or take naps in the narrow streets. This one is enjoying some royal treatment, as every holy cow should.

Spot the tourist
We through the best way to take good pics would be just to sit in one of the street corners and watch the people going by. It worked well until suddenly a group of pilgrims decided to sit in the same corner and we found ourselves surounded. resistance was futile.

Cow cakes
Dried cow shit is used as a cheep substitue for fire wood. This woman is making these "cow cakes" and drying them on the wall.

Varanasi ambulance
Dont worry mom! If anything happens i'll just call the ambulance...

Ghat keeper
This nonchalant goat is just hanging out in the ghat, munching on the puja flowers.

A relaxed place in Varanasi???
Not really... this is a Budhist temple in Saranath, 10km from Varanasi, where we went to take a break from Varanasi's crowd.

Sugar cane Juice!!!
Best juice in the whole world!