The last time I left you all we were heading out to Varanasi - the holiest of the holy cities for Hindu people. We ended up staying right at the end of the huge ghat area at 'Assi ghat' and we could see the Ganges from our hotel's roof top. The view of the Ganges was perfect and looking at it from high above (safe from all the hustle down below) it seemed really solemn - everything that a sacred place should be really. Yet when you get to the edge of the ghats you can see the REAL Ganges. It's extremely dirty but I think thousands of people must wash in the river everyday. I just couldn't get over the fact that none of them were going to get sick. The water has dead cows and bodies floating in it for goodness sake! Anyway, that evening we went on a sunset boat ride down the Ganges where we all got the chance to light a candle/say a prayer for family or friends and float them down the river. It was a really sweet ceremony and made me think lots about the people I love most! Then we went further down the river to watch the Puja ceremony...lots of incense, bells chiming, chanting, fire...all the usual commotion we've come to recognise as part of India experience on this trip. I was feeling pretty yuk after the boat ride so didn't get up for the next morning for the sunrise boat ride. I did however hear lots of stories of what the other saw. In the morning the tradition is to burn the bodies of loved ones that have recently passed away on the edge of the ghats. Some of the group saw body parts sticking out from the flames and animals sniffing around the burning bodies. The most shocking thing that I learnt though was that the closest member of the family to the person who has died has to light the fire to burn their body. You couldn't even imagine having to do that...

After Varanasi we had a brief afternoon in Kolkata and it was the last point on our Northern journey of India. Lots of Britishness about this place especially the buildings. There isn't much else to say apart from the fact that we had a nice farewell dinner for some of the people on the tour who were leaving us at this point. The next day some of us caught flights out to the South of the country. We arrived in Chennai late afternoon, had a quick orientation of the place and had food. That was basically the routine for Chennai!

So now I'm on the Southern part of the India tour and already there is such a difference! The pace of life seems to have been put on pause and everyone and everywhere is so much more relaxed. BUT....this hasn't been the case in the evenings of the past few days because it is Diwali here. The Festival of Light A.K.A The Festival of Fire crackers being exploded in your face as you walk down the street! Literally everyone came out to light fireworks in the street (yes...in the street!!). It was two nights of explosions going off until about 1 in the morning... I did see some really pretty ones though! Thankfully Diwali is now over and I can go out for a meal without worrying that my eardrums are going to pop.

And now to the bit that's meant to make you all jealous...we've been staying in the beach resort of Varkala for the past two days. The beach is beeeeaautiful...just perfect, I've been sunbathing, swimming in the sea, drinking cocktails, had a massage and a pedicure. It has been so awesome after the madness of the North. So I won't harp on anymore about how wonderful it is here but be assured it's definately in my top 5 highlights so far!