Varanasi

From time to time we all wonder the big question, "where did all the hippies go?". The answer is Varanasi. Its full of people trying really hard to be hippies and the decor of this particular hotel is laughable. A bright orange and green exterior, rooms with three large doors opening onto the balcony with views of the river. They even leave inscence in the room. How thoughtful.

That aside Varanasi has been one of the most amazing places to visit. Somehow the tourist market hasn't desctroyed what Varanasi is and the real Varanasi is still here, amongst the touts and junk stalls. The only real sight was the burning Ghats where people are cremated for up to three hours, then launched into the holy river, The Ganges. It was an amazing sight to behold. Seven faggots of wood belching flame and ash amongst holy men. Cows and goats moving amongst men observing, smoke in their eyes. There was something primitive about it. As though the ceremony hasn't changed in a thousand years, which is perfectly likely.

The body is wrapped in a white bedcloth, then draped in a colourful cloth before being carried through the crawling tracts of the city; beared by a bamboo strecher and four men. A small procession of men follow behind, chanting hindi prayers. The procession makes its way to the fire where the body is then placed. After three hours or so, depending on how much the family is paying for the cremation, the body is born by boat into the river where it is left to sink and rest on the bottom. After a few days it rises again and floats away. Sometimes not far at all but thankfully, we have managed not to find any unsightly charred and soaked corpses.

This is all very holy however dead bodies decaying in the river leads to explosive populations of Cholera, a rather nasty disease. I've read that the last count was recorded at over 1500 times the safe level. Not really all that funny, especially when you see people bathing and swimming.

The rest of the city is comprised of narrow alleys entwined into a huge mess. Cars and autorickshaws are too large to fit and even walking is a struggle. Often we get stuck behind a slow cow for minutes at a time. It is not without its rustic charm, which becomes even more noticeable when in a rush. It is amazingly easy to get lost with streets becoming dead ends or forcing you to walk even further in the wrong direction before offering a crossroad.

Varanasi turned out to be a great place to spend time. It doesn't really have any highlights as such, it's just a great place to mooch and soak up the rich atmosphere and culture. It will be a shame to leave tonight. Still, a new country is a good reason to run.


Nicholas&Kate





Night time boat cruise.











The Ghats during day, washing out to dry. You have to walk amongst it to get anywhere.












The ceremony is performed every night and lasts about an hour. Involves lots of flaming torches and bells.