India's Holy City
Trip Start
Sep 04, 2006
1
14
87
Trip End
Aug 20, 2007
Varanasi,
India
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
An election was on the day we arrived and without warning, the city had closed for the day; no transport, all shops/offices closed and hence no way to get the 8km with our bags to our hotel! We found somewhere to stay and walked 90 minutes into town. The streets were virtually deserted except for armed police and a tension in the air.
We arrived at the Ghats, 80 access areas along the river, most used for bathing although there are several burning ghats where cremations take place 24 hours a day. Rather than being spiritual, these ghats are more like processing areas with wood piled high all around, 6 fires burning and stretchers lined up. There are giant scales to weigh the right amount of wood (there is a knack to using just the right amount for the job) and hence be charged for the wood used (prices vary by wood type with sandlewood the most expensive). Bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms and carried through the alleyways on a bamboo stretcher. The alleyways can be disorientating and too narrow for traffic, so this sight can help to find your way out to the river. On our way back to our hotel, we had to take a blind detour to avoid a stand-off between mobs and armed riot police. Great end to our first day in the holy city!
The next day and the town is back to normal and redeemed itself slightly during a sunrise boat-trip along the river. Our boatman was not the most atheletic, preferring to chat about cricket rather than actually row. There was so much colourful activity going on; bathing to wash away sins, praying and drinking of the holy river water next to others washing hair, doing laundry, not to mention the sewage outlets. In addition, dead bodies of babies and animals floating down the river and the cremation ash, rubbish and muck all make for a well-used waterway...enough to put you off an early morning swim! Sonia managed to see one of the rare freshwater Ganges dolphins (how they live in the water I don't know), whilst Chas' only brush with nature was when a bird poo-ed on him (as you can imagine it didn't go down too well!)
Varanasi was described in the guidebooks as a 'magical' and 'spirtual' place - think it's magic was lost on us. Needless to say, 2 days is enough and we're heading off early tonight to Nepal - think we are in need of some clean mountain air!
