Blogs from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia - page 3

Varanasi was not what I was expecting after seeing the Sue Perkins program on The Ganges, they must have sought out the worst and smelliest places just for effect. Granted, I wouldn't want to go for a swim in the river, and you did have to step over cow dung and cows on occasion, but it was not that bad.The ghat where they do the cremations seemed a lot less dignified here than that in Kathmandu, although it is one of the most prestigious places, just very chaotic. Seems if you can't afford the wood here, they just shove the body into the river, sometimes in bits! On the river side was a hot air ballon, thetherd, that was giving people a quick trip up to about 50 feet and then back down, it was like ... read more

Day 10 Monday 11thDecember 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 ... read more

Even the poorest women you see on the streets of India wear the most beautiful, colourful saris. That was the main thing I noticed as I sat in my Uber, having underestimated Kolkata's traffic, which was a pretty stupid thing to do. Watching the local women in their saris, I was starting to get a little nervous about making my train but it all turned out well in the end. And lucky it did because for once, my train was actually on time! Perhaps surprisingly, this was only my second overnight train in two-and-a-half months in India. I've kinda been avoiding them - also, they are often booked out - and taking buses where possible because I get paranoid about where to leave my stuff. As I look to dump my stuff and settle into my ... read more

Missing my friends and family today so I thought a little blogging to connect might help:) Varanasi has been an incredible way to start this journey. It has given me some real insight into Indian culture and Hindu religion. I've been really lucky to meet a few Indian residents who have explained many of the customs in detail for me. I was also very lucky in that my first hostel bunk mates were exceptionally friendly and welcoming, so I had a lot of fun exploring with them. They were two Australian women and a man from New Zealand, we had a great time swapping stories and experiencing the intensity of Varanasi together. The funniest part of staying in this city is that it seems people never sleep. All through the night you can hear traffic horns, ... read more

As we head back home, 17+ flying hours, I thought for the sake of my memory, I'd put together what we did the last 2 days. The pace definitely slowed down after the Ganges experience. That same day we spent the afternoon in Sarnath, place where Buddha gave his first sermon 2500 years ago and where there is a stupa on that spot, and excavated ruins from Buddhist temples. This was the center of Buddhist learning under the emperor Ashoke. We went into a Buddhist temple that is currently in use. Kapil talked about the history of Buddhism and some of the beliefs. We also drove around the Varanasi Banaras University, the largest residential university in India. Wherever we drove we saw children flying kites, part of the festival day. There are competitions where they try ... read more