04/01/09 - 05/01/09:The only thing more difficult than trekking up a mountain or enduring long cold bus rides to obscure mountain villages was getting to Varanasi.
The train pulled into Varanasi Junction in the dead of the night, in thick fog that would challenge even the most experienced of drivers. The 4 of us, including Hugo and Marilyna, cramped into an autorickshaw for 80Rs and headed straight for Shanti guesthouse as recommended by Lonely Planet, but not without hassling from our driver who was adamant on checking us in to his. We insisted on the river side lodging and navigating the streets of old Goudalia in perpetual darkness was no joke – the streets were simply too narrow for any forms of vehicle except for the occasional motorbikes or bicycles. Unfortunately, Shanti was full for the night, or so our driver said. Suspecting the driver had turned the owner against us, we insisted again on Ganga Yogi Lodge, there are sure to be vacancies in this one since it was recommended to us by Saii Palace back in Agra. As expected, a round of arguments broke out based on 2 accounts, the owner of Ganga Yogi let us in and our driver demanded for more than the agreed price. Interested in getting a good rest after endless hours in the train, we gave the driver a piece of our mind and retired to our rooms promptly. We put up a stern fight and were rewarded with a good sleep thereafter.
As it was our only day in Varanasi, we were determined to take in as much of this Hindu mecca as possible. We started off late, at 11.30am, but it was just perfect as the fog would have lifted. The maze of back alleys to the river front threw us off at first. Many wron turns later, we made it to Apsara Restaurant for a good lunch before taking in the sights of the very photogenic ghats. If you had thought Agra was bad, the poverty and spirituality of Hinduism’s most sacred site was even more humbling. Throngs of pilgrims descended upon this city to seek enlightenment and cleanse their sins in Ganga’s heavily polluted waters, and for some, to await death. Manikarnika Ghat was the site of this gruesome scene where dead bodies were partially submerged in the Ganges and then later carried off for burning in stacks of firewood, all in full view of everyone present. It was too much to take at first but once you’ve ingested what was going on, you’d probably be able to understand that it was part and parcel of Varanasi’s daily life.
The better part of the day was spent just strolling from one ghat to another. We capped the long walk with a boat ride back to Dasaswamedh Ghat at sunset, the city’s main spiritual stage. It was here that we got ourselves an open-air massage just before embarking on our tour. Before heading for dinner just opposite the Apsara, we caught the brilliantly-staged puja by the river, a national day parade of sorts, complete with loudspeakers, live telecast and a good crowd of devotees and curious onlookers, mostly foreigners.
It was too short a stay at Varanasi – we reckoned that there would so much more to see and do – but alas, the lure of Nepal was too great and to stay any longer would have meant that we would not make the border in time as it would take 2 whole days of traveling to get to Pokhara including a night’s stay at Belahiya. We left India with a heavy heart and were deeply thankful for Varanasi as it captured India in the best and worst lights. It would be a matter of time before I plan for a return here.
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