Varanasi - on the Ganges
Trip Start
Jan 19, 2008
1
10
39
Trip End
May 2008
After our second overnight train journey we arrived very early in the morning in Varanasi - being on the Ganges, it is a very spiratual place for Hindus, and there are temples and ghats all along the river and the cremation grounds - It is a strange experience wathcing a cremation here, a body on the open fire amoung the dogs, cows and burning rubbish, kids playing cricket nearby and seemingly little respect. Walking along the riverside you are hassled like anywhere else to buy postcards etc, we sat on the steps to try and watch the people coming and going but were surrounding by hourds of kids and beggars so couldn't see anything! People come here to bathe in the river and worship. It is wonder they are still alive with the amount of rubbish in there, I read that for safe swimming water you hvae less than 500 bacteria per 100ml of water, where the Ganges has 1.5 million per 100ml.......! We went on a boat ride one evening and lit hundreds of candles and set them down the river - if the candle floats away then your wish will be fulfilled..... it was a bit eerie, the weather wasn't great and it was really misty and a new moon. We were meant to go on a sun rise boat ride as well but it was pouring with rain so we couldn't go - the roads turned to mud baths, my feet were a horrible sight!!!
