Hotel Surya Varanasi

So I was now in Delhi airport probably still drunk and waiting for my flight to Varanasi! They would not let me on because I was missing a tag from security so I had to go back and get it which was a bit annoying!!

I eventually made it to Varanasi and got a good deal with a cab driver to take me into town. He had to drive me around quite a bit because I could not find a decent cheap hotel. I ended up deciding to spend a bit more but have a nice room so I stayed at the Hotel Surya.
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Varanasi (india elevado a 5 potencia)

Last night I had my last tabla lesson here in Varanasi, one which lasted for 4 hours. The lessons have sparked my interest in hand drums again and perhaps I will continue with lessons back home. This morning I had my last early morning walk in Varanasi. Each morning I walk past the same women picking up garbage and cleaning the streets and the same men sitting and drinking their morning chai. The Indian masala chai, a very sweet, milky tea, is the national drink that is consumed by all. For 5...

Hello! I am just going shopping for some more hippy tat so will let hubby update you and will come back and tell you all about what i have purchased for under 10p.................. Cripes, what a couple of days! It feels like ages since we were both in Delhi. I'll start from the very beginning (I've heard it's a very good place to start). We negotiated the train station with no problems and booked tickets to Haridwar - nothing direct so we planned to either stay a night there or push on to Ri...

The distance from Chitwan to Varanasi would back home be comfortably be travelled in a day as it is only 500kms, but in the traffic here we only travel around 20km an hour and we have a border crossing to negotiate where the truck could only get though during the day, so we plan to head off around midday and stay in the border town of Bhairawa where we could line up early for the crossing and head to Varanasi. In the morning the passengers disappointed at not seeing a Rhino, had a 2nd elephan...

With yet another pre-dawn start (getting used to them) to took Tuk Tuks to the Ganges where we took a boat that was rowed up and down the main streach of the Ghats along the rivers. This was an icon event for this section. The boat ride was good but did not meet my high expectations. From the boat we viewed people bathing, washing clothes, doing yoga and being cremated. Some of the scenes were picturesque, some were just of dumps. We viewed a Hindu shrine at the university, viewed the making ...

Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in India, was one of the most eye-opening places we have visited during our seven months of travelling. It is regarded by Indians as being one of the most auspicious places to die, as popping your clogs here means that one escapes the "samskara", i.e. the soul will be finally laid to rest instead of continuing on yet another tiresome reincarnation. For this reason, lots of people come to Varanasi especially to die. Apparently, there are "carparks" full of r...

Varanasi's main attraction for visitors are the gnats on the mighty and sacred Ganges. The gnats are ancient steps down into the water and provide an amazing spectacle of colour and humanity as Indians gather on the steps to bathe, pray and cremate their dead. To die in Varanasi and be cremated there is the ultimate for Hindus who believe that having the Ganges as their final resting place breaks the cycle of reincarnation. After a rather tiring trip on the night train in a 3 tiered sleeper (...

23rd November My train to Calcutta is at 16.25 and arrives at 07.00 tomorrow morning. I decide on a lie in and finally get up at 08.00. What shall i do today. Stay at the hotel, have a swim, read and relax or go out into the mayhem that is India. I decide on the former. Even when you are alone there are times when you just want to on your own. Hope that makes sense. Chilling out on the balcony reading the lonely planet when the doorbell goes. It's the boy who cleans my room. I know this becau...

Another long day on the truck.

Just chilling out, getting some Rupees and updating all of you this afternoon. Out for a group meal tonight and then early to bed ready for a 5.30am start tomorrow for a river Ganges boat trip and a full day of seeing the sights - all in Rickshaws (except the boat trip bit we assume).

We'll let you know what we saw in a few days.