Arriving in Varanasi, we were thrust back into the masses, which only amplified the heat and humidity that made my shirt seem like a soaked rag after only two minutes. Eventually, we found our way to a taxi stand which was able to take us only half-way to our hotel because the streets of the old city are very narrow (more narrow than Venice), and we continued on through the labyrinth of streets slowly melting like the wicked witch in the Wizard of OZ until we fou...

Special Report. On the train from Delhi to Varanasi, we actually had the incredible fortune of moving up to first class; where we were placed in a cabin with the President of the Indian Justice Political Party (IJP), Dr. Udit Raj. After seeing the movie Darjeeling Limited, I was pretty un-impressed with the real first class, which was not much more than two sets of bunk beds in a cabin with some carpet and a sliding door. However, having the President's body guar...

The saying goes that "if you can drive in India, then you can drive anywhere." I whole-heartedly agree…that is after giving myself an electric shock to restart my heart after taking a ride in an Indian rickshaw! The rally driving that goes on here is incredible, and I am always impressed with the darts of faith among the drivers who skim disaster not by inches but by millimeters. So, I decided to blend a couple of my rides in rickshaws to give an idea...