Week 4 - India

If you wanted to experience Indian culture and could only visit one city, I would recommend Varanasi. Many travellers proudly proclaim it as their favourite place, while still others describe it as "overwhelming". I am sympathetic to both view points. On the one hand it is immensely intriguing; being the birthplace of Buddhism (530BC approx), the holiest of pilgrimage cities for Hindus and supposedly the oldest living city in the world (3000 years) all at once. 

A cruise on the Ganges provides a view of the prettily named Puja ceremony

On the other hand, Varanasi is an assault on the senses. As you walk through the dusty streets, heat pricks your skin, acrid fumes burn your throat and the sound of a hundred horns deafen you. Everywhere there is colour and movement. Your nose might delight at the scent of a sweet pastry one moment and the next revile at that of rotting rubbish. It is a strange moment when you realise the sweetest scent of all is that of a passing perfumed corpse.

One of the few streets without fear of being run over

Most of the sites lie along the River Ganges. The most obtrusive of which is perhaps the Naga Sadhus - the naked holy men. There were more genitals than you could shake a chapati at! Followed closely by the cremation sites where bodies were burning for all to see. I found myself strangely calm as I gazed upon a charred foot.

This lady squashes poo for a living - let no man or women ever complain about a Monday morning again!

A mercifully distant shot of the cremations

In the evening the city comes alive (as if it weren't already!) with lights and boats and music. 

It's kinda like Glastonbury Festival really - loud, smelly and lots of weed everywhere

I was waiting for a song I knew to join in...

After the hectic atmosphere of Varanasi nothing could be more welcome, or more different than the quaint town of Darjeeling. There are magnificent views of Kangchenjunga and Everest on a clear day. It was not a clear day when I did the 4.30am pilgrimage to watch the sun rise... Still there was tea a plenty to console me afterwards. 

I have now had the world's best tea (apparently) - they sell this stuff to Harrods

Let's just say that's Everest in the background

So that's it, one hectic month in India almost over. A month ago I would scarcely have believed how diverse, beautiful or infuriating India could be. As much as I have enjoyed my trip and will no doubt laugh when recalling its difficulties, I must confess I am now looking forward to some relaxation in Thailand!

Trip Stats

Distance Covered: 4100km

Places Visited:10 (Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Darjeeling, Kolkata)

Chunder Count: 0

Delhi Belly Count: 0 (sort of)

Scams fallen for: 2

Scams avoided: literally dozens