Varanassi may or may not have been the best introduction to India because even now, 1 month later it still is the most overwhelming place we have visited in the country. It's filthy, smelly the streets are full of cow shit and the rickshaw drivers and street sellers are relentless. It probably didn't help that we managed to pick a guesthouse with staff who we suspect had been recently released from a mental institution... and who should probably be sent back. Immediately. In the 3 days that we stayed there, not one conversation with the staff made sense, which was partly due to the fact that the manager answered questions with questions or a cat's meow... no joke. The closest one to somewhat sanity was the owner, he repeatedly told us "India is funky" and unfortunately he had produced a giant half Indian / Japanese baby with the ugliest head we had ever seen and who we believe would be the sole survivor of a nuclear winter (along with the cockroaches). The meowing manager did impart one pearl of wisdom on us when he said, "India is not polite - I'd rather you kill me than bore me" It turns out, in a number of situations, we've found this to be true.
In Varanassi, we gained a wonderful travel companion, our dear British friend we met in Korea, Paul.... woo hoo! After just a few days as two girls in traveling in India we realised having a male around would be somewhat of an asset in deterring Indian men.
The three of us - in our Korea days... and in Paul's defense at the end of Movember
Set on the banks of the Ganges, Varanassi is one of India's holiest cities and many Indians make their final journey here to be cremated at the burning ghats. Dead bodies wrapped in colourful fabric are paraded down the street to the river where they are publicly cremated. Walking along the Ganges we witnessed a few of these ceremonies and we were surprised at the contrast between the Indian attitudes towards death, compared to our own... exemplified by a kid drying his undies in the heat coming from the cremation fire and the fact that no one seemed concerned by the pair of legs sticking out of said fire... or when one of these legs fell off. We weren't allowed to take photos, but that's kind of irrelevant, given those images are forever burned into our minds - pun intended.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of Varanassi for us, was the sunrise boat cruise along the Ghats. The early morning light really added to the vibrancy of the women's saris, the buildings and what seemed like the entire cities laundry being washed and dried along the banks. More than anything, these scenes demonstrated that every facet of Inidian life can be (and often is) played out in public - bathing, laundry, funerals, praying, sleeping, and even going to the toilet are common place public events.
Aside from this boat trip and a pleasant afternoon exploring the backstreets of the old city, Varanassi was a confronting, overwhelming and chaotic place that everyone going to India should see, but we're certainly not in a hurry to re-visit.
In Varanassi, we gained a wonderful travel companion, our dear British friend we met in Korea, Paul.... woo hoo! After just a few days as two girls in traveling in India we realised having a male around would be somewhat of an asset in deterring Indian men.
The three of us - in our Korea days... and in Paul's defense at the end of MovemberUndoubtedly, the highlight of Varanassi for us, was the sunrise boat cruise along the Ghats. The early morning light really added to the vibrancy of the women's saris, the buildings and what seemed like the entire cities laundry being washed and dried along the banks. More than anything, these scenes demonstrated that every facet of Inidian life can be (and often is) played out in public - bathing, laundry, funerals, praying, sleeping, and even going to the toilet are common place public events.
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