Varanasi

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OK Varanasi! I last blogged in Dehli and we were just about to get on an overnight train to Varanasi. So the train was fine, although we were sharing with an annoying pair of French women who insisted on going to sleep at 8pm, which meant that caz and I were banished to our top bunks for nearly 12 hours! very uncomfy! I soon woke them up with a bang in the morning!

So Varanasi was pretty amazing and pretty terrible all at the same time (pretty much like most of India!) We were staying quite away outside of the Old City in a really nice 5star hotel!! It was lovely, the best part was that it had a tub! which was clean! and there was enough water to fill it and the plug fit! I was in heaven!

So we got here on tuesday morning and just relaxed and had breakfast, had abit of a sleep and then decided to venture out. We had arranged to meet up with some of the people from our group at a resturant in the old city, we thought wed go in early and have a explore first! It was mad, iut took us 40mins to get there by rickshaw, just getting the rickshaw was a nightmare.

Once we got to the main street we managed to find a nice little cafe, where I managed to get one of the few decent cups of coffee ive had in the last 6 weeks!! After that we went for a stroll and got soo much hassel! It was the worst place ever for pervy comments and looks, poeple following you down the road, it just felt really seedy, and we managed to get ourselves abit lost in the tiny alleyways leading to the ghats! But we made it for dinner with the guys and said some more goosbyes that evening! very sad!

The next morning it was a sunrise boat trip on the Ganges, which was great, even if it feels like rush hour with all the tourist boats bobbing along! You just float on by watching people bathe, do their washing, practice yoga and lots of other things along the side of the river. Varanasi is the most holy place for a Hindu to pass away and be cremated - they burn the dead on the cremation ghats along the side of the river and you are quite welcome to watch, Caz and I didnt like it, although it done in a public place we both felt really intrusive being there.

From there it was a trip to the Sarnath just outside of Varanasi, this is the sight of the Buddha first sermon after reaching enlightenment and it really is beautiful. It was nice to somewhere green if only for a few hours!

That evening we went on a nightime boat ride and took part in a traditonal flower ceremony, making wishes as we placed candles and flowers into the Ganges.

From then on it went abit downhill! Food Poisening and an early flight back to Delhi!!

Cant believe I have less than a week left in India!!

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Photos

Flower Ceremony
You make a wish to Mother Ganges and place the flower and candle into the river