The sacred river Ganges & Varanasi

They say that Varanasi is the oldest city in the world. It has a population of 5 million, and two million pilgrims/visitors turn up every year. They arrive by plane, train, boat, car, coach, auto rickshaw, cycle rickshaw, man powered rickshaw, bike,horse and cart or on foot. Congestion is chronic, it took an hour to walk about 500 yards tonight. People stay in all sorts of accommodation. Those with no money who come to bathe for health reasons, stay in blanket halls, where for 10 rupees (10p) you can kip down with your fellow man in close harmony. No washing facilities provided, the river is just downstairs.  It must be a very unique experience in there - last night in our very nice hotel I hardly slept with all the Brahmin chantings, train whistles blowing, horns blowing, firecrackers going off, the at about 4am we got the Islamic call for prayer followed swiftly by our neighbours in 355 singing some religious songs - oh my life, I've heard it all, and himself purred happily beside me!

There are burning places where 24 hour cremations occur 7 days a week. Bodies are covered in ghee ( liquid butter) then dressed in their best clothes dipped in the river, to set the butter, the body then dries for a while in the sun. The family member then lights the pyre the body goes on and is stacked with special wood which absorbs the smell. The family then wash in the Ganges and take the ashes home.

All a bit grim, but that's life I suppose.

Lunch was nice tho a maharajas thali and a Shahi thali  (vegetarian) just £3.25 the lot.

Today we also went to Hindu, Buddhist  & Chinese temples, in fact it was a nine hour tourist marathon. I had hoped for a nice shower, G & T & bed, but alas this place never sleeps, the hotel is dry and there is a Valentine's fracas downstairs with fireworks, chanting and folk dancing.

 At a Hindu temple people were giving offerings, but the holy one was too busy, on his mobile!

We finished our day with another trip up the Ganges, it really is a remarkable place. Every nationality and creed are here, a melting pot of humanity. Cracking boat eh? Think we bought it.

The monkey spooked a cow in the street and a major incident nearly occured, cow hit rickshaw and people fell of bikes - disaster!

Tomorrow we hit the dusty road 30k back to the airport, they really do need to bring the airport closer to Varanasi. 

Was it all worth it - you bet. Such an amazing place, an assault on the senses, sight, sounds and smells - and there were lots of them.

Tomorrow we fly to Mumbai. Himself has written to the Grand Exec Chef at the Taj Mahal Hotel to arrange a meet, alas he hasn't replied. We're going for afternoon tea, he'd better show up! :)