Blogs from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia - page 6

Day 35 - Move to Varanasi There are not many photos today as it has been a big travelling day! Last night at about 10.30pm, we got on the night train to Varanasi. I got on, and straight into sleep mode. Anna, Anu and I are in one carriage, Lisa and Bernie are in the next carriage. I have had a long sleep this afternoon, and into early evening. I have been up and around for an hour or so. I'm doing ok. I feel like there is a slow improvement the more sleep I have. After being on my feet for a couple of hours, I am so ready for the bed again! Anu had helped me by carrying my bag, which has been a great help. Quite honestly, I'm not sure I could have ... read more

Varanasi - oldest then any other still inhabited city in the world. Some believe, that death in Varanasi brings salvation. For me, Varanasi felt older then life. I was lucky, since the city was gentle and more than good to me. It allowed me to meet one of the nicest, wisest and funniest people I ever met. For that, I'm very much thankful. For a short time during this trip, I felt almost at home at Assi Ghat. If there is one place in India I'd like to come back to, it would be Varanasi and it's very special people I feel privileged to meet. I've been thinking what was that different from other cities in India (except Varanasi being - well - Varanasi). I realized, it's the people. We had the best guide ever - ... read more

Varanasi The train finally rolled into Varanasi at around 11pm. We walked across the road to the hotel which wasn't too far. Crossing the road was again an effort in itself, luckily Raghu is not also a tour guide but acts as lollipop man when required (which is much of the time!) the hotel was lovely, really clean. Raghu handed out the room keys, I figured I would sleep through anything tonight so wasn't too fussed about sharing with Molly brown. Raghu did say that I could have my own room for the rest of the trip for an extra £200 for the week. I did think about it. On one hand I hated sharing with Molly, but on the other, I was a bit peed off that that was money for my Everest flight and ... read more

Namaste « Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together » - Mark Twain à propos de Varanasi. Commencer avec une belle citation d’un auteur célèbre, ça fait toujours plus philosophique et introspectif. Mais commençons par le commencement, un petit vol domestique sur les ailes de IndiGo qui aurait dû prendre 70 minutes et qui a finalement été beaucoup plus long. Premièrement parce le vol a été retardé de deux heures, à coup de 30 minutes de la shot. Une fois parti, le vol allait relativement bien jusqu’à une sérieuse zone de turbulence. Puis, pour la première de ma vie, un pilote a « aborté » l’atterrissage à la dernière seconde parce qu’il ne voyait pas la piste. Il a ensuite repris de ... read more

When the lassi arrived it looked like a cocktail. Well Ajay (along with LP) had said that Blue Lassi was the best lassi in the whole of India. At that moment the long 24 hour train journey to Varanasi definitely seemed worth it. A steady stream of dead bodies being carried down the passageway outside the shop on bamboo stretchers wrapped in bright cloth just emphasised where we were, the most auspicious place for any Hindu to die. It certainly is all here in Varanasi. The ghats ('steps') stretch all the way up the side of the Ganges from the confluence with the Assi river. We spent the morning people watching and wandering up the river's edge. There were locals bathing, praying, washing, small boys skilfully flying square paper kites and, of course, the funeral pyres. ... read more