Jaipurai Hotel Varanasi

... in that it’s such an interesting city with everything going on... but at the same time is an absolute dump. We’d decided to just spend a full day here so we could have a little more time in Nepal. We felt really lazy so booked a ‘tour’ with the hotel, still cheap but more expensive than arranging it ourselves. We figured the last week had been tough so we’d spoil ourselves. The tour included a boat sunrise and sunset ride past all the Ghats (river steps ...

... India, festival of light, so there were fireworks everywhere and it was just amazing. Also a lot of bangs (from the firework) by little kids. Looked like new year's eve. We went out onto the streets and just looked and experienced it all. It was great and I liked it all a lot! Next morning we went to a sunrise cruise (after two hours of sleep I may add) and saw some nice things.<br> <br><br>This was also the day were I said ...

... Wayne a thali and me tomato rice and an excellent coffee. Back on the street it was dark and we wound our way back towards the river where the puja ceremony was about to start so we left the crowds and wandered along the waterfront ghats where few people were now except little kids trying to sell postcards and flower offerings. The flower offerings are on a little cardboard plate with pretty red and yellow flowers and a tiny candle that when lit and set forth in the river ...

... with outside bars and a metal ventilated shutter to bring down at night. I was lying on the top bunk having got Issy and Ady into the opposite middle and lower ones with Liz on the top one also. Silk sleeping bag liners and rolled up fleeces as pillows we were set for the next ten hours. The odour of people and overriding smell of urine that wafts in every time the train slows down or stops will be one of our memories from the journey. This is from the ...

... at the Vishwanath Temple, which is the most popular Hindu temple in Varanasi. It is also called the Golden Temple because it has gold plating over the top which weights about 800kg! This was an odd experience. You have to go through security to the area around the temple, but only Hindu people are actually allowed into the temple so we could only view it from the outside. But Candice got called over by a local police officer and he asked her to sit ...

... great we sound and that she was drawn into the room. We nearly fell off our drums laughing but then it turned out she was looking for a yoga teacher and we had a business card from the Yoga centre where we were to attend class the next day. We invited her to join us. <br><br>We had further djembe lessons and found the drums to be fun to be learning together plus we can practise all the time like when we sit at restaurants tapping on the table and annoying other customers ...

... by the police straight into a traffic jam of trucks that aren&#8217;t allowed to drive into the city until after 10pm. By the time we got to our hotel it was after 11pm, and the thought of putting up my tent and sleeping in the sweltering heat with my newly developed chest pains and cough had reduced me to tears. Even the fact that our hotel had a swimming pool was not enough to lift my spirits. Adam and his kind soul let me kip in his air conditioned room, which ...

After staying another day in Delhi, we actually were starting to enjoy it a lot more. Now that we can somewhat find our way around, it is a lot nicer to be there.<br><br>After storing some of our stuff in Delhi we caught an overnight train to Varanasi. Varanasi is a very sacred place in India where people come from all over India to cremate the dead. This takes placing in open areas along the Ganges river. There are dozens of Ghats located along ...

... one of the most holy sites in India. This is where pilgrims come to wash in the Ganges. Also, this is the most auspicious place to die for Hindus as they believe it will break the cycle of reincarnation and free them to their version of nirvana. It is pretty sobering to watch bodies be burned... actually watch the cremations. The bodies are placed on a stack of wood, then more wood is piled on top...depending on how rich you are ...

... for our overnight train to Agra!<br> <br> Woke to find that Sue had been struck down by the dreaded 'Delhi Belly', so arranged to keep the room on until the last moment before we had to leave, then went for a late breakfast with Adam. Out for a short walk to a totally inappropriate marble and glass shopping mall, which had less people than staff in the whole building - nothing but vastly expensive, air conditioned designer shops (and a Pizza Hut) which none of the local ...