India - Varanassi (The Ganges)

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30th April-6th May

Varanassi & the Ganges.

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The truth for most Indians.

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A pilgrim seen sitting on the banks of the Ganges.

This morning we got up early to head off to the Chinese Embassy to see if we were yet able to obtain the VISA’s we understood had been arranged in England. After a disappointing series of phone calls and discussions we had to accept that as no advice had been sent to the Embassy that there was no hope of arranging a Visa, which was frustrating for us all as we’d spent a week travelling to and fro from Dehli especially for this purpose. That fiasco complete we returned to our Hotel for Breakfast and to a few tasks such as web updates. None of us enjoyed Dehli very much-it was very Hot, overcrowded and very noisy. People think nothing of holding down their horn at midnight for 20 seconds or so if somebody gets in their way or fixing their car at mid-night or, as happened to us, replacing the Hotel sign at 10:30pm-they were removing the old one with what sounded like a club hammer, and that is no exaggeration. So, with all this going on, plus three stomachs on the edge, where do you think we went for dinner ? - yes, that’s right a really busy, noisy and overcrowded McDonalds where they don’t sell beef burgers, just fish, chicken and Veggie burgers….and wonderful Ice cream !!!!!. The reason we chose it is that it was one of the cleanest places to eat and we all also found the food easy to eat and digest. It was phenomenally loud and we got through dinner and back to our Hotel without much thought for the evening. As we returned John asked at reception if they would prepare our bills for 06:30am so we could be away for 7am in the relative cool of the morning.

Up early again today, this time at 6am which was particularly painful for Sylvia and I as we’d chatted far too late but at least the sleep we did have was good quality. As an afterthought when passing reception on the way to the bike I checked if the bills had been made up-No but they could do them now. I’d haggled for discount when we arrived and asked reception to ensure that it was applied and that it was fairly applied. When we got our bills, it transpired that John had nearly all the discount and Sylvia and I had none !! John and I decided to sort it out between ourselves-It is so frustrating when you take such an effort to explicitly ask for these things, are assured, almost condescendingly that they have been done, only to find nothing you requested has been applied.

We left the Hotel not long after 7, all pleased to be away from the Hotel and Dehli. The traffic was far worse than we’d expected and we made slow-ish progress for the first 2 hours, only covering about 50 miles. We then stopped for breakfast and took off again. This time the traffic was much freer and we made some good time. Today we start on our way towards Varanassi (which will take 2 days riding), home to the River Ganges and some interesting Historical sights. We’d agreed that we’d have to cover it in two stints as it is about 500 miles from Dehli so we pushed on and onto some sort of ring-road around Agra(again) and found a reasonable Hotel at Etawah at a reasonable price. The heat and driving, and driving conditions are exhausting. We spent 9 hours, including breaks to cover about 250 miles so at 16:30 we retired to our Hotel rooms to rest and literally chill-out a bit until dinner in the evening.

Up and packed we all speedily drank some Indian tea (Chai, which is a blend of milk, tea & sugar and sometimes cinamom) and were ready to leave for 7 am. The roads were quite good and the traffic was relatively low and so we found ourselves cruising at around 60-65mph for quite long stretches, which was a first for us in India. Somewhere along the lines I’d miscalculated the distance we had to do to get to Varanassi today, and instead of it being around 300km, we are informed by the first sign we see that it is over 400km so this added a bit of pressure to the day as we would have to drive through the hottest part of the day which is very energy sapping. We stopped for breakfast at a very basic looking café at 09:40 as our stomachs were knawing at us and we needed a rest. We were surprised to learn how little English(as was the case last night too) this part of India speaks-in general we have always found it relatively easy to communicate…so breakfast was a bit of a trial. Finally we managed to get some Fanta’s and Omlettes and chapatti’s which was enough to fill a hole, cool us down a bit and rest. After about 40 mins we were back on the road again and traffic continued to flow relatively smoothly for a while, with the odd slow periods through towns where buses, tractors, lorries, horse and Ox drawn vehicles all do their best to raise your blood pressure as they stop willy-nilly anywhere they fancy…maybe just to talk to a friend. We’d been riding for about 90 mins or so on a well made dual carriageway after breakfast when I realised that the diver in the outside lane had stopped without brake-lights and was turning right without any form of indication. Sylvia and I were doing about 50 mph and I had the ABS working full-time with even the smell of rubber being apparent to both Sylvia and I as I fought to bring us to a stop. We both thought we would collide but fortunately we stopped a few meters short. I went ballistic at the driver who hurridly switched his indicator on and looked bewildered. In the end I didn’t know what to do with him and he drove off. It took me a few miles to get my Indian driving confidence back which is that not everybody was homicidal and drove towards lunch. John was exhausted, both our rear-ends were very sore and all of us were hot. John and I both poured cold water over our heads from a jug we’d been given for drinking water and we all consumed a lot of liquid with our lunch. That over, we agreed to try for Varanassi today even though we were concerned about driving in the dark and/or arriving too late. As it turned out the slow-ish traffic we’d encountered for the 30 mins or so before lunch became quick again as we were now out of the local town. So back up to 60 mph the miles soon disappeared and barring one short detour over the Ganges we were in Varanassi for about 5 o’clock so we were pleased. However, getting to Varanassi and finding your Hotel are two completely different things. Varanassi is crazy-There are just so many many people here it is hard to comprehend it without seeing it. The main road through the town is literally choked with pedal-rickshaws, motorcycles and pedestrians. The heat was stifling and John and I were sweating profusely. We were sent up and down the high street to find our Hotel and I couldn’t believe we were actually doing it-Really really crazy. Finally we got to a corner which looked like we’d been directed to turn left at, and simultaneously picked up many offers of help. I agreed to one boy about 15 years old who offered to lead us so off he went. Within a kilometere we were led off the main road and into a series of perplexingly narrow and bewildering alley-ways where there were too many people and too many obstacles for a bike with 55 litre panniers. It was even hotter than the main road and John and I were sweating for England, we were exhausted and our concentration was fading fast. The worst combination for driving in these circumstances is the Indian attitude towards all obstacles-if they are loud and aggressive they give way, if they are passive and considerate, nobody waits for you so you just sit there ! So we had to make some speed, about 5mph to keep moving and I misjudged where the owner of a street food stall’s table ended and my pannier began and just caught it, taking the table over, thereby spilling boiling hot food over the owners body, arms and legs and breaking his table. I stopped the bike and went to see how he was-his friends had been fast to rush to his aid and he was stripped and having cold water being poured over him within a few minutes. I sensitively enquired as to how much his business would lose and about the cost of any medication to which I was told by his friend that “he was a poor man” which I assured him I already understood. I conferred with Sylvia as to what sum would be appropriate (in the first instance) and we agreed 1,000 Rupies, about £12. I asked one of his friends if this was appropriate to which he said this was fine. I felt very sorry for him and made sure he realised that I was sorry-he smiled and I shook his hand. It is impossible to explain how hot I was and how out of salts I was around this point and ended up having one of his friends pouring cold water over my head and I even briefly shared an ice pack with my poor “victim” which raised a smile on both of our faces.

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Gives you some idea of what the alleys are like...me turning off one and into another.

This event over we continued towards our hotel along even more alleyways until finally we arrived at our Hotel at another point in the maze of more buildings and alleyways. Initailly our host was quite receptive and then informed us only one bike would be able to be parked outside as they were too wide and would block his neighbours full-grown cow’s access(yes, even in the centre of the city where there is no grass). We were assured that there was somewhere else we could park, and in the middle of all this, we shown by our guide and another lad, to another Hotel which had secure parking. Initially I agreed to stay there but when I saw how far the bikes were going to be from the Hotel I changed my mind, aided in this by a less drained and still thinking Sylvia. We returned to our Hotel with still a resolute no to both bikes staying outside-It was now about 8Pm and we were all exhausted and drinking water as if it contained our only source of oxygen. John and I’s clothes were soaking. Eventually after some more discussion I managed to pursuade one of the staff to let us park our bikes as neatly as possible to demonstrate how small we could make them, minimising any obstruction to the cow or scooter user parked at the end of the alley. John and I stripped as much off the bikes as possible and moved the bikes close to the wall. The owner came back and said, after conferring with the cow’s owner, that the bikes were ok to stay. Phew, what a relief !!!, and it was a real relief-I’m not sure what we would have done if he’s said no. We bundled all the gear into Sylvia and I’s room and all took quick cold showers, meeting again for dinner 15 mins later.

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Our bikes parked and covered by our Hotel.....with the cows in the background !

John and I sat at dinner shifting from cheek to cheek as we just couldn’t get comfortable. Having been so long on the road without any real posterior problems we’ve been surprised just how sore our bums have become here. John thinks it may be to do with the extra heat and sweat we generate and I thought it may just be that we’ve knocked the stuffing out of seats. Either way they hurt us. At about 10 John leaves us for bed, and Sylvia and I move to the roof-top tables (we initially hadn’t realised were there) to drink a bottle of wine we’d bought in Corbett. Finally we could no longer stay awake, and they were shutting the area anyway!), and so we too retired to bed. What a day !!!!

We arranged to meet for breakfast at 10 this morning and we all arrived a bit the worse for wear, however our Hotel had museli which was actually nice and we all enjoyed it. Sylvia and I moved to a room with air conditioning and a TV which also had some windows which gave us light and raised both our spirits after what felt like a near-dungeon experience last night. We did little else during the day but agreed to go for an amble around the alleys later in the day. We set off for our amble and Sylvia was soon met by a “trainee” tour guide who told us of a Special ceremony for the cleansing and burning of the now-deceased Hindu pilgrims from the most Holy Manikarnika Ghat (Ghat is one of the places that lead you down to the river-side), so, after establishing that this really was a special ceremony, we agreed to go. We were led through many more alleys until we came to the area where we were led up to an old building where old pilgrims literally wait to come and die. The building was dark and dingy and very sparse. Apparently, many, if not all of the pilgrims cannot afford to be cremated as the cost of an average “funeral” is about $900-the major cost being the wood that is used for the fire which conceals any odours and burns to a very high temperature thereby reducing most of the body to ashes, making the whole creation about 3 hours long, apparently “cheaper” woods lead to a 6 hour cremation. The Pilgrims though that cannot afford the wood wait for donations from whoever wishes to improve their “Karma”, I.e. you sow what you reap. It is very tough though to see an old woman lying on a concrete floor without a bed or possessions….just waiting to die.

We were all still quite tired from our adventures the day before yesterday and so agreed to another late breakfast. We all took it easy again, John read a book whilst Sylvia and I did some domestic chores and I studied some German. We met for lunch and spoke of going for another amble around the alleys to take some photos-John preferred to read his book and so Sylvia and I took a stroll and some photos, meeting later for dinner.

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A rested and cheerful Sylvia "poses" outside our Hotel.

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Some of the sights on Sylvia and I's stroll....decorating Indian style.

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...looked like they'd fallen out !!

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What's for lunch ??

Saturday was our normal administration day and so the laundry was put in and a few web stories prepared for the next publication. John read a book we’d bought him for his Birthday most of the day and Sylvia and I wandered around town taking photos and looking at the many spectacles that can be seen. We met up with John again for dinner at an Indian restaurant we’d used for a few nights where there was a form of “Live” entertainment in the form of a young and very enthusiastic Tamba(drums) player and a considerably older Sitar player. It was like Cozy Powell meets Donovan…well, you get the picture. The food was reasonable which was our prime reason for returning.

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Some sights Sylvia and I saw on our second walk-about.

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We helped where we could see a genuine need....but there were others just looking for an easy life.

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Sylvia makes a new friend.

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Two typical views (above and below) of the alleyways around Varanassi.

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Today we were up to meet our guide for 05:30 am as this was the time to see the Hindu pilgrims take their “Holy” step into the Ganges-It is also a good time to take a boat trip and watch the sun-rise. All three of us were bleary eyed and we set off with our guide to one of the Ghats where we soon negotiated what we were prepared to pay for the privilege of having a boat to ourselves. It turned out to be quite an eye-opener to us all in various ways. Probably the most surprising was the lack of reverence for what is deemed to be a Holy place. A whole host of activities happen in the Ganges. There were people having their daily/weekly bath/shower, others were playing and swimming in it, others still were doing theirs or someone else’s laundry and cremated peoples ashes are dispersed in it.

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Welcome to the Ganges !!

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The day was spectacular in every way.

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Some shots along the Ganges.

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The Indian pilgrims/tourists we met were all very friendly.

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An example of the surprising lack of reverence for this "Holy" river.

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...however, not all were on a days outing to the "beach".

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...but some were !

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..whilst some did their washing...or others washing......

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...others found it a convienient time to brush their teeth !!


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Warp factor wasn't going to be incorporated into my turn at the helm !!!

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Very young for a heavy boat and oars.

We saw quite a few sights including a dead cow floating by which was being pecked by a bird and later a dead person wrapped up in cloth. You will have read above about the cremation process, but what I didn’t explain though was that children, pregnant woman, priests and animals are not burnt. Children, and I think the pregnant woman and priests too, are wrapped up and have a large stone tied to them. They are not burnt as the child, both born and unborn, along with the priest are deemed to be innocent/already Holy. Whilst any animals are just thrown in. The local sewage treatment towers reside on the banks of the Ganges too so once they’ve filtered out the water that is to be re-circulated back to Varanassi, the filtered garbage is fed into the river ! Fetch me my swimming trunks Sylvia ……….Hmm, yes-sir-ee !!

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Some of the poor housing that can be seen from the river.

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A market close to the river.

After our boat ride we took breakfast at a German bakery which was a vast improvement on the food our Hotel could be bothered to obtain or prepare for us. The only problem was they were very slow. After breakfast we were taken on a brief tour of some more alleyways and then to see the Golden Temple from the outside(as only Hindus are allowed in.) Apparently the Temple has 950kg of gold in its roof and not surprisingly is surrounded by soldiers and metal detection machines !! After that we all did our own thing until lunch and finally met up with our guide for 5pm to go for another boat ride and see a nightly spectacle put on for the Pilgrims who’ve come to Varanassi. The boat ride up stream was largely un-eventful but relaxing. That was until I was offered the chance to row. I rowed for 10-15 mins which I quite enjoyed until I managed to trap my thumb between the oar and deck of the boat…which hurt. Shortly after which I returned to my seat and watched our “professional” rower struggle a bit for a while as well. The evening spectacle was quite an event and had live singing and the various priests doing some sort of routine which looked surprisingly very chorographed but was still an interesting sight. As it was after sun-set there were many lights and noises and along with the large amount of boats and people made it all seemed a bit surreal. (For those of you who’ve watched Apocolypse now, it reminded me of the scene where the GI’s are taken by boat (I think) deep into the jungle to a crazy and wild party.- For those of you who haven‘t, I don’t recommend it !!!!) As we were to leave very early the next morning, on the bikes for 6 !, to avoid too many people in the alleyways we wanted to get back to the Hotel and sort our stuff out, have dinner and relax before going to bed so we asked the boat-man to take us back to our Ghat. We paid him a decent amount for his time but he still wanted more….a tip. I was a bit put-out as we’d paid him more than fairly and so I said no. He persisted some more and so I said no again. Eventually he gave up and our guide confirmed he already had a tip in the money we’d given him. This makes me angry as we were trying to do a good thing and people see it as weakness and try and abuse it. We quickly packed, retrieved our panniers from under a couples bed where we’d stored them on the first night we were there, paid our bill and took dinner at the German bakery again. The food was good again and a nice ending to a long and tiring day.

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Leaving Varanassi.

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Mike
 


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