Out the door by 8:30 am and off to a 3 hour public bus ride to Varanasi. It was an OK bus, although a little cramped in terms of leg room. The 3 hours went quickly and when we arrived, we took auto rickshaws to our new home, the Hotel Pradeep. We met for lunch down in the Poonam Restaurant. Binu recommended some rice and mutton (goat) dishes. We stayed safe and had butter chicken. Again.

After lunch, we went up to the beautiful rooftop garden, which is also a restaurant. Binu told us a little bit about staying safe in Varanasi. It was good advice - things we already knew about - but it certainly didn't hurt to be reminded not to trust everyone we meet, not to go with people who offer better views or experiences, and not to take pictures of people who are very serious about their religion. Apparently, tourists who don't follow this advice go missing every couple of months. Where do they end up? Cremated? Thrown in the river? Who knows!

We left the hotel at 3:00 pm and ended up on a bicycle rickshaw careening through congested Varanasi streets. How these drivers manage this job is beyond us to comprehend. We walked through the crazy market, which was jam-packed with Diwali shoppers. We saw very few tourists and enjoyed quick glances at the colourful shops and the vast array of wares. We ended up at the shop of a cotton businessman who explained the various dye processes and who had no trouble convincing most of us to buy some cotton products including tablecloths, shirts, skirts, and pants. Even Barry got into it and decided to buy himself a very nice looking cotton shirt.

We then caught some auto rickshaws to the river and the drive was beyond the wildest yet! We didn't know if they were racing or not, but once again, miraculously, we all survived. We boarded a long rowboat and were rowed out into the middle of the Ganges where Mr. Amreadra Jha, who had worked with Intrepid for many years, serenaded us. He and his young accompanist played the sitar and tabla, filling the Indian night with eerie tones and melodic riffs. We lit bowls filled with marigolds and set them adrift on the river, each carrying a wish with it. The candles strung out behind us on the water, creating a lovely effect.

Afterwards, we walked to the Haifa Hotel for supper and then called it a night, as we knew we had to be up by 4:30 am the next day for a sunrise boat tour of the ghats. The ride back to the hotel was just as…entertaining … but we all made it, hearts pounding and delighted with our authentic experiences!

November 8, 2007

Barry's alarm went off at 4:30 am and we found ourselves dragging tired bodies out of bed for a misty Varanasi sunrise. The shower was cold but the promise of a life changing experience awaited.

The auto rickshaw ride to the river was significantly calmer than the insanity of the night before, but even so, the early morning citizens were amazing to see. Chai was being poured on every street corner and many vendors were already opening their shops where small crowds had already begun to gather.

When we arrived at the Assi Ghat, our boat was standing ready. If the floating debris of the night before hadn't been unsettling enough, seeing it in the early morning was even more shocking. Our rowers quickly separated us from the shore and we coasted along. Binu pointed out the crematoriums. Hindu people want to die in Varanasi to escape the cycle of life, reach Nirvana and live with the gods. So they ask their relatives to cremate them in Varanasi and throw their ashes into the Ganges. This is done on the river shore with wood fires (sandalwood if you are rich). Only pregnant women and newborns aren't cremated, as the young are without sin. Instead their whole bodies are committed to the river, along with people who commit suicide by leaping off bridges into the river, and people who are murdered and dumped into the river. It seemed surreal to us Westerners, but the reality of it came crashing down on us when we actually saw a cremation fire burning and, later on, two corpses floating in the water.

As we sat, shocked by the sights, the people along the shore continued their rituals. Along the Ganges, some 60,000 Indians per day come down to do a ritual bathing in this holy river. The pollution, sewage and corpses do not deter them and they actually immerse themselves repeatedly, some people even swimming out to the middle of the river. Ironically, we saw people on the shore completely soaping themselves up, only to rinse off in the septic, fecal filled water. Binu said it is only the truly zealous people who do this, but it was quite a spectacle nonetheless. We stopped along the shore for tea and, after finishing our boat ride, returned to the Haifa Hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, most of the group decided to go shopping; but the Lewises, with backpacks already stuffed to capacity, went back to the hotel to sleep and relax.

Later that afternoon, Margaret went with some members of the group for a trip to Sarnath - the site of Buddha's first sermon - to visit a children's school and a Buddhist Temple and then out for lunch. They had a nice time, other than running over a man with the auto rickshaw they were in!

That night, we had our last supper together as a group, since Jennie was leaving to go on another trip to another part of India. Binu took us to a steakhouse called 'El Parador', run by a Nepali family. When we walked in, there was a huge picture of Jesus on the wall, explaining why the owner serves beef. We had a lovely meal and then called it a night.

November 9, 2007

The plan for the morning was shopping and since we weren't interested in stuffing even more into our backpacks, we declined and slept in, then spent the remainder of the morning checking E-mails, relaxing, and having lunch by ourselves.

When the group returned, we joined them for lunch in the market area. Because we'd already eaten, we decided to have banana splits that were absolutely brilliant! During lunch, Margaret was a little quiet. It turned out she was sad about not buying a tablecloth at the cotton shop a few days before. As it was close, it didn't take much persuasion to get her to go back! The rest of the group headed back to the hotel while Barry and Margaret went to look at the linen once more, but we didn't buy one piece; we bought THREE!!! They were just too beautiful not to buy, so we shipped them home.

That night, we got on a train to Delhi and had a totally different experience than the last train ride. Very few other people were on board because it was, of course, Diwali. It was great watching all the fireworks outside and seeing the houses decorated in lights. We played cards, discovering that Aussies and cards make for a very entertaining night. Kate won the first game of Blackout and then Ruth redeemed herself in Redeem, so it was a lot of fun. Later, a man came around with sheets and blankets, as it was an overnight train and we each had a sleeper berth. It was a little cold with the air-conditioning, but we all fell asleep quickly.