Day 35 Varanasi – 2nd Aug 09

As planned yesterday night, we will only wake up when we wake up.. No early curfews to wake up… Thought I will sleep in till about 1000 or 1100 as that night we slept about 0130hrs… Hmmm I woke up about 0800hrs !! That is too early, couldn’t go back to sleep.. Tried to on the tv but there wasn’t any channel available as the main power is cut off and if they use the generator for power they couldn’t get the cable it seems.. So turn on the laptop and update the blogs entries on words for 2 days ago.. As time goes on we seems to be getting lazier and shorter on our entries… Kekekekke

Before finishing the blog for yesterday, my stomach started growling and I had to wake Ramli up just to let him know if he isn’t hungry I will just go outside to order breakfast since the dining area is just outside our room.. But he asked to give him another 10mins and we will go together.. Headed out for breakfast after about 1000hrs… I had banana pancake and Ramli had banana porridge which is a little like oats but not.. But is tasty…

After we finish our breakfast we headed to the reception area to ask about our train tickets to Agra for 3^rd Aug, they guy said is too early only able to update at about 1230hrs.. So we headed back to our room to wait for the time than we will head out for some sight seeing.. Ramli was updating the pictures on the lap top and me just doze off… We only awoken about 1400hrs… Wahahahha got ready, went to the reception but still no news .. seems we have to ask someone else.. But this someone else was occupied with 2 Caucasian ladies arguing about a ticket that was promised 2 days ago which didn’t come… Hmm we were worried so headed to check on the internet for ourselves..

Log in Indian Rail to try book our tickets, yeah there is a train to Agra on 3^rd Aug at 1645hrs arriving about 0500hrs the next day.. We booked sleeper class again, arrange payment thru the net… And when we double checked to confirm the seats we realize we have actually bought 2 tickets that was on the waiting lists 17 and 18.. Alamak!!! Damn… What to do will try to check tomorrow morning if we have luck to get the tickets…

So we walked out to get some late lunch.. on the way here yesterday night we saw many Masjids and muslim men and women walking around so we thought we will get a big chance to get some Halal food here.. We walked thru the super smelly alleys which has cow dung and urine, human dung and urine to get to the main road.. I was holding my breath all the way and having the collar of my t-shirt up to cover my mouth and nose… It really stinks!! I don’t know how the locals could still tend to their shops in these small alleys… Yucks!! Finally after 10mins we got to the open, and it didn’t get better… Still you can smell the ammonia and dung and worst it is the road… and Road means HONKING!!!! Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

We just chose a direction and we walked and continued walking for about 15mins but only to see 90% of the shops closed… It is a Sunday so we guessed they are close for holiday… There was some festival going on as we could see many men in orange from top to toe carrying a nicely decorated bamboo walking around barefooted.. After another 10mins, we gave up and wanted to head back to where we started to try find some vegetarian restaurant instead.. While walking a rickshaw rider approach us and said Ganga? 10Rp … Since is so cheap we hopped on and told him we wanted to go to a restaurant… after 15mins of smooth cycling we came to a mini traffic jam. Jammed for about 5 mins and it cleared.. The driver was a old man maybe about 60yrs … but very strong, still able to cycle us around.. He kept smiling to us … He looks like a very nice man… after another 5 mins he dropped us off in front of a vegetarian restaurant.. So we headed upstairs..

Ramli ordered Special Dosa and Potato Paratha for me.. With 2 samosas and vegetable pakoda (like fritters).. The food came and it was tasty but too much for the 2 of us… wahahah as usual me and my craving for all kinds of food… The prayer procession was going on, they had loud music on trucks and the men in orange walking and shouting some prayer or something…

The oldest mosque on the right

Closer View

on the Ganga

We finished and headed towards Ganga River… While walking down the steps a few boat men approached us.. We just wave our hands and walked… A boy approached us asking the same so I just asked for the price .. He offered 300Rp I haggled for 150Rp.. He said no no now the river high tide is difficult.. I looked at the river and told him no is low tide cause I could see the shore at the other end.. He laughed… Ramli haggled with him for 100Rp… Wahahaha I think that is too low… after a while we gave in at 200Rp for 1 hr.. Walked towards the boat and saw a tourist is already waiting … hopped in and said hi to the guy who was on board… He is from ISREAL!! Young chap travelling for 7 mths already from Thailand, Laos, Nepal and India… He said he can’t wait to go home …

The boatman, Krishna started rowing the boat out where we could see the sun slowly setting. Than back near the shore towards the cremation section of the river.. there was already many tourists boats stopped there to view the burning of the bodies… Woa there is many bodies in queue.. Krishna said that this is the busiest time of the day here.. Before we stopped I happened to turn and look behind and guess what I saw !! I saw a boat about 100m away, a man was standing on the boat and I could see him holding a body and trying his bests to throw it into the river… the body was covered with a red and gold shiny cloth.. and I saw he threw the body head first then the legs… OH MY GOODNESS!! I didn’t just see that!! I still couldn’t believe it till now … We asked Krishna if I saw was really a body and yes it is!! He said should be a child as they don’t get burnt if they die.. Ish Ish Ish!!

We stopped near the shore to see the body in queue to be burnt.. Krishna told us that the colourful coverings is for female and male in white cloth only.. A while later a man hopped onto the boat with us supposedly working at the hospice for the aged just nearby… He explained to us about the burning procedures etc as the same as Pushipatinath guide… And told us that children, pregnant woman and holy men will not be burnt.. they will be thrown in to the river tied with a heavy stone to keep them down at the bottom.. I was like oh my goodness !! oh my goodness all the time!! To think that you are on a river with ashes and bones of dead people is bad enough.. But to think there are million of bodies below just makes me want to puke… Seeing the devotees bathing, brushing teeth, swimming, washing clothes in it… it is just incredible what the holy river means to them. Krishna told us for devotees to bath in the river it can remove 50% of the sins they have… So I guess for that no matter what they will do it..

The cremation area

Sunset

We moved on and pass a big tower adjoined with a bridge to a few small towers.. Ramli asked Krishna what is it for and he say is water filter… Dirty water from the Ganga filtered to provide clean water and dirty water from the land filtered and recycled into the river… Ermmm now I know where the hotel water comes from… Eewwwww!! Ramli just filled up a bottle of water yesterday night and dropped a water purifying tablet into it thinking to have it for drinking to save some money.. I already had doubts yesterday night about drinking but after what Krishna said I am just determined to spend money on bottled water instead…

The Ceremony going on

For Fun

We cruise a little more and 1 hour was up, Krishna asked if we want to continue for another hour to see the Puja bath or something… okay we went… saw some rituals being performed by a few men just at the stage near the river .. There was so many people on shore, so many people on boats waiting to see the ceremony… We don’t know what was this ceremony for so just sat and watch… after an hour everyone started moving off even the ceremony hadn’t finish yet… I guess to avoid the chaos later..

He dropped us off at the other side of the shore and asked if we wanted to go see sunrise on the boat tomorrow.. we agreed since we have nothing to do tomorrow and also we have not seen a good sunrise for a long time since our journey..

Walked back to the hotel, showered and solat…Then went outside to order dinner.. Vege and mushroom chowmein and a tomato salad as we were still quite full. Chowmein came was tasty but way too much oil.. I just wanted to use the serviettes to wipe the noodles.. wahahhaha.. when the tomato salad came we just looked at each other.. a small plate with sliced tomatos neatly placed on it.. and it is really literally tomato salad.. no greens or any sauces at all… hmmm okay now we know what their salad means..

Finished our dinner headed back to the room to rest and watch some tv on star movies…

Tomorrow will be a brand new day..