After a delayed flight from Kathmandu and then a superfast take off as Air India flights refuse to leave after 5pm due to the rubbish air traffic control in Nepal and so depend on sight for take off we arrived in Varanasi to see the famous Ganges or as Mark calls it the sewer.
We got to our guest house after trailing through the back alleys of Varanasi and wading through animal poo and past a few cows and a dead dog; all a very nice start to Varanasi. Luckily our guest house was decent with a nice garden and roof top to escape the madness. We dropped our bags then went to see the burning Ghats which Mark described as one of the most trippy experiences. Some "hospice volunteer" asked for donations for wood to burn the bodies he tried to con us out of about £50 each so we gave him £5 between us, I think we have our bad Karma back now, oh well. The burning bodies were like watching return of the Jedi when Luke burns Darth. It is pretty grim that people go bathing and wash there clothes and dishes downstream of this!! After a nights sleep we were up before 5am to go for a boat ride on the Ganges. Again some boat guy tried to con us out of more money, we still probably paid more than we should but at 5.30 in the morning you really cant be bothered. The boat set off when it was dark and it was nice and peaceful watching candles float past in the water and people bathing on the Ghats, Marks price to go in would be £20,000. The sunrise was lovely to see. We were then dragged to the monkey temple by our self appointed guide and then managed to ditch him to go back for a kip.
The rest of the day was spent trying to find an ATM and watching the world go by from the roof top of our hotel.
Up for sunrise again the next day but just from the hotel roof.
In the evening we set off on our next adventure; an overnight train to Agra. Enroute Mark got run over by a car and still has the tyre print on his shoe. The train was suprisingly ok apart from having an argument with the conductor and a passenger, they then started arguing with each other. We arrived in Agra only one hour late.
Checked into our really nice hotel (the Trident) which we would recommend especially if you have just been on an overnight train.
In the afternoon we went to Mehtab Bagh over the river from the Taj Mahal for a super view of the monument. It was pretty amazing to see such a world famous landmark in real life.
Up early yet again to go to the Taj, you lot are lucky to have lie ins before going to work or what ever.
The monument itself is spectacular, in the arly morning it was surrounded by mist and it had a bit of a spooky feel then when the sun came up the colours were beautiful. The marble carvings and patterns are cool.
We then headed off to Bharatapur just outside of Agra after a stop at an embroidary shop against our will where the pictures were revealed to us from behind a curtain in a showbiz fashion Janetried very very hard not to laugh in their faces. Needless to say we didnt buy anything.
Our hotel in Bharatapur is set around a lovely garden and is quite a tranquil place to stay in India.
Yesterday we took a trip to Fatepur Sikri an abandoned city just near-by. It was suprisingly tout free inside but not on the outside. The city itself had many nice structures and it was nice for a wander.
Mark tricked a kid who thought he was getting money but he got a used bus ticket instead, Mark 1 Kids 1 (the kid in Bhaktapur, Nepal).
We headed off to Jaipur and enroute we stopped at the Chand Baori step well in Abhaneri which is one of the most mental things we have seen. It is 20m deep with 11 levels of zigzaging steps. It was totally awesome but started to mess with your eyes after a bit. We would higly recommend a visit if you are on the Agra-Jaipur road. Some rude kid asked Mark for money when Mark declined the boy told him to get out and kept being rude to us (the well is free to visit), Mark threatened to decapitate him which soon made him run away. Mark 2 Kids 1.