From the tranquility of Chitwan to the Chaos of Varanasi

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We have arrived safely in Varanasi, after an amazing few days in Chitwan, Day two in Chitwan was so much fun, and absolutely amazing, we began the day with an elephant safari through the park, where we were able to see three rhinos, firstly a mother and baby, which was amazing, we also saw wild deer, monkeys, birds and a crocodile. In the afternoon we took a somewhat scary canoe ride down the river, which was a dug out canoe, from here we saw several crocodiles, and although they were at least a metre away it was quite scary. We then followed this with a walk through the elephant breeding centre, where we saw many mothers and young elephants, including the highlight, 6 day old twins, they were so adorable, and very rare, it is the first set of twin elephants ever seen in Nepal.
Yesterday we said goodbye to Nepal and made our way by bust to the Indian border, where we lugged our bags over the border and onto a local bus, this was a bit of a nightmare, particularly as a man tried to get a commision out of us, but we stayed firm and didnt pay anything, we then went to Gorephore, to catch an overnight train to Varanasi, this was certainly an eye opening experience, India is far more developed than Nepal, but there was soooooo many people everywhere, and urinals on the street outside the main train station, and people sleeping all over the floors at the station, but we found our train, and at 11pm we were on our way to Varanasi, arriving at 4:40am, we were hearded over sleeping people and into a taxi, where we were taken to a dark little alley way, or the entrance to our guesthouse, most of the guesthouses around the ghats are in narrow alleys, assessable only by foot, from the top of our guesthose you can see fires burning, or at least the smoke, where they burn bodies next door at the main burning ghat, I have spoken to several people and they have seen bodies floating in the water bellow. This afternoon we had a walking tour where visit this ghat, which I was quite aprehensive about, from a viewing platform above we viewed the rituals that take place in burning the bodies, they explained the tiered system that takes place when burning bodies, and that the poor families and rich people a burnt in different areas with different types of wood, depending on what they can afford, we were witness to the cleansing of the cloth wrapped bodies, where they dip them in the ganges, we saw them laying the cloth drapped bodies upon the wood, and them lighting them, there was many many bodies burning in the one area, with only men there, apparently women dont go as they cry too much, and one woman threw herself on her burning husband and died herself many years ago, it was certainly an eye opening experience for both of us, and one that I am not sure I would ever need to see again, or as up close as some, whilst we watched from above some tourists stood close with the families. There are also people there explaining the rituals, and then asking for money for the people in waiting to donate wood for their funerals, one of these women in waiting blessed us as we left. It was also explained to us that animals, children, pregnant women, people killed by animals, people with small pox, lepers, and saddhus are not burnt, instead they are weighted down, and then thrown into the ganges, this is how it is common to see bodies floating down the river, the same river that people come to cleanse themselves with holy puja every day. We then took a walk through the narrow alley ways, visited temples, and a local market, the market was down a narrow alley and had many sari shops, jewlery stores and other places, many people including locals, Indian tourists and foreign tourists buy from there. Varanasi is a city where people want to die, and many old people come here and live in houses surrounding the ghats waiting to die here, as for a hindu person to die here is the ultimate, as we walked down a busy street along side cars, rickshaws, and millions of people we saw a body being carried passed, death is something that is certainly not feared here, as it is in western societies. I am not sure that I could or would want to spend more than a few days here, but it is certainly an experience that will remain with me forever. Tonight we will eat with some fellow Aussies, and tomorrow night we will go to the ceremony held here every night at the main ghat, on Sunday morning we will then take a boat down the ganges, which I am sure will be another experience in itself.

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