Well, it was an extra 200 rupees well spent, the first full nights sleep we've had since we arrived and the room was big and warm and with endless hot water which was a pleasant change. This hotel, even though the prices are relatively low is really nice, spacious modern rooms and a great rooftop restaurant (whats wrong with ground floor restaurants??!!!).

Today has been quite frustrating though, trying to find our way round the sites whilst scrimping and refusing to pay for rickshaws. We didnt find many sites, unless big roads and open sewers count. The people here dont seem that much friendlier either. I think this has a lot to do with this region being firmly on the tourist trail and many people have preconceptions about westerners. When you don't meet the rich guy wanting to buy tacky souvenirs/postcards stereotype then rudeness ensues. I think it was best summed up by our Indian chemistry professor friend, Ravi, on the train a few days ago. He said that in India there is very little sense of civic duty or belonging and as a result it becomes a case of every man for himself. As a tourist you very much have to make the experience your own. With the exception of Varanasi, you can't get caught up in a place and just lose yourself in the atmosphere which would be nice, instead you have to be proactive and make things happen which we intend to do tomorrow with a full day's site seeing (we're going to bite the bullet and get a ride) and then a film in the evening