Ajay Guest House Varanasi

I woke up quite early to speak to Rita on Skype but as soon as we finished I went back to bed. The guys came to get me at around 12.30. We had a drink at the hotel and then went for a swim at the hotel swimming-pool. It was nice to spend the afternoon chilling.<br><br>The girls and I decided to go for some food while the guys stayed in the swimming pool. During that time, Momo got to talking to a French guy who was there and he was from Billé and had played for Bill ...

... in piles of wood. The next morning we returned to watch the sun rise over the river. Hundreds of pilgrims were bathing in the sacred (and very dirty) river.<br><br>For us, Varanasi was a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget!<br><br>From Rie:<br><br>Each Indian has four mothers:<br>Her/his own mother<br>Mother Ganges<br>Mother cow<br>Mother India<br>

... very astute (apart from this one case) in negotiating hard with the bicycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and taxis. Obviously they quote say 200 rupees, I say I paid 20 earlier in the day, they say 60, I say 25 and we settle on 30 to 40. Oh, I forgot that at some point I need to walk away towards another driver and show my back to my negotiating partner. It is only when you realise that all this effort is for saving around 10 pence that the famous, well it's a point ...

... a loved one is quite openly burnt by the river side, their flesh melting and crisping before the oogling onlookers and passers by. I remember with curious clarity just seeing a foot poking out from under the stack of pyre wood waiting to be lit and I wondered to myself, when it fell off who would be the unlucky relative that had to go and throw Granny's foot back on the fire.<br><br>I got lost more times than I care to remeber in Varanasi's claustrophic alleyways- the town ...

... the Sun behind the Moon. We consider ourselves lucky to have seen it because it was only possible to view the eclipse from within a narrow corridor that traversed half of Earth over a path up to 258 km wide. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow began in India and crossed through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. After leaving mainland Asia, the path crossed Japan's Ryukyu Islands where there was a nice but expensive to attend psy trance party happening at ...

... day we were on the ghats at 6am just after sunrise and were ready to get amongst Shiva fever it at the main ghat of Dasawamedth which is the liveliest one and full of life compared to Manikarnika Ghat further north which is the main burning ghat and well, full of death. Varanasi is said to be the beating heart of the Hindu universe, a crossing place between the spiritual and physical worlds and we could definitely feel the atmosphere of this in the morning when many ...

... but also life on the ghats-the Aarti (fire ceremony) in the evening, Pujas, yoga, laughing yoga, chanting, clothes laying out to dry. I enjoyed seeing the river at the different times of the day, as the water changes color as the light changes. <br><br>It is one of the most interesting places I have been to, although not the most pleasant. It was excruciatingly hot on top of everything else. My senses were overwhelmed by being there. <br><br><br><br>

... of various kinds put it over two hours behind schedule getting us in around 6.30p. To my surprise I stepped onto the train platform in virtual pitch darkness which, of course, was a bit unsettling with three bags in tow! The moment I departed from the train I was met by a few enterprising strangers offering rides to my hotel and even when I explained I am to be met by my tour rep at least one kept trying to convince me that my rep was running ...