Well, the train trip wasn't too bad really, at least it arrived, and left reasonably on time. Had a bit of a mild panic when I couldn't find my carriage, the trains are very long, and there is usually a paper on the outside with the carriage name and list of names booked on that carriage, but I couldn't find it after asking people of course they couldn't speak English, one man kept pointing down the front of the train saying "join, join". However, an Indian man explained to me that they had to take away the front part of the train and replace it with the sleeping cars that were two platforms over, so that took a few minutes, and my seat was first double in carriage, so that was easy - so was the fact that the train wasn't fully booked, so no mad scrambling this time.
I had taken a shared Vikram, like an auto rickshaw only bigger, seating up to 10 people, all the way to Haridwar instead of to the bus stand, and then bus to station. At first I thought maybe not a good idea, but it was a really nice ride, and I had got there early so I could see something of Haridwar. We drove towards the setting sun, a huge orange ball in the sky, it was beautiful all the way, took nearly three quarters of an hour, and Haridwar looks lovely and so clean!!! The streets looked as though they had been swept - what a surprise. Had time to spare, so before I went into the station, sat at a little chai stand and watched a Bollywood movie, with my chai.
I had broken sleep, mainly because it got quite cold, and my warm shawl didn't quite cope - I think you can never have too many shawls in India! Anyway, I woke again at 3 and had to go to the toilet again - I prefer to use the squat toilets in the train, because the western ones can be pretty grotty with people not taking good aim. The squat ones aren't that crash hot either, but better option. I then pulled out a light shawl from my bag and wrapped it round my legs and apart from waking briefly at 5.30,didn't wake till 8.30, so not too bad.
I love the Indian trains with their ancient diesel engines and old carriages, the rocking is a nice relaxing way to travel, except when they go flat out (yes, they can!) then its a bit rough. In the later part of the trip this afternoon a group of men got on, and one of them sang a lovely song, without any music. I gave him the thumbs up,and they all clapped and looked happy, then started singing me songs, it was lovely. There was a group of young women as well, and apparently they are all teachers.
It was very frustrating to have the train sit so long, only going a couple of hundred metres occasionally then nothing. Half the train got out and walked, and it was less than half km. Welcome to Varanasi!!
No problems getting the prepaid auto rickshaw either - it was all too easy. Took over half hour to do that 5km though, in the heavy traffic.
The Hotel staff are all lovely, I was greeted by name when I walked in the door, I had my bags carried up the stairs after choosing my room. I could have had one for 450, a single room that was very small, but he showed me 2 others for 550 - both double which is what I've always had, plus the single that I chose because of the balcony with view and the fact the sun comes in the morning. I thought that although it is more than I like to pay, I didn't have to pay for last night or next Tues, so that will balance out.
Had a lovely shower with hot water - first real hot water for a week - and it was wonderful, then went up to the terrace for dinner. I was the only one there because it was early, and just as I was about to leave a group of 8 Spaniards came in, so at least I got my quiet dinner. A man named Mohan ( staff) came and chatted to me - the yoga is at 6.00am - don't know if I will make it tomorrow, I need a good nights sleep. I will book for a massage or two, its only 250rupees, and the body is a bit train sore. I felt during my dinner that the ground was moving a bit at times, but think it must be after the rocking of the train for all that time. At least I don't think it has anything to do with the mosquito bite I got during the early hours on the train. It had been stopped a while somewhere, as they do to let other trains use the line, and all of a sudden my hand was really itchy. I could see that it had got a really good vein on the back of my hand, and also a couple of times on the back of my wrist, then all up my arm was really itchy. I haven't had that kind of a reaction to a mozzie bite for years, and you can guess which arm it was on.... Anyway I got out the teatree oil and rubbed everywhere, and haven't noticed it since, so here's hoping.
Varanasi is considered to be the Holiest city in India, on the banks of the Ganga. Although it has existed many centuries, most of the building on the Ghats are apparently not much more than 150 years old, but as so many of them are crumbling and in some cases falling into the river it has a feeling of timelessness. There are many from the Mogul era, and I feel that they are quite beautiful, more so than the more function Hindu Temples and buildings. The city as also known because of its "burning ghats" where the funeral pyres are lit and the bodies burnt as they depart this world. It is something many Hindus aspire to do - and the body is dipped in the holy water of the Ganga before being sent on its way, as it were. I went on a boat ride up the River to orientate myself - the Ghats stretch for miles, but the main ones are concentrated in a area of about 5 kilometres, and it's possible to walk along the river from one to the other. The Ganga is not exactly clean here, and there have been some concerted efforts to clean it up, but it does look a bit "stewy". I saw the daily use - laundry being done on the steps and laid out to dry, a lot of it looked like it could be sheets etc from hotel, as well as the locals clothes - the bathing ritual, but in this case, the young men really preened themselves, and I can tell you there were some pretty gorgeous bodies there! Haircutting is also performed on the ghats, on one of my walks saw huge swathes of black hair tossed in piles (or not!) The bullocks also bathe amongst it all, and oh lovely, there are lots of beautiful goats everywhere! Mainly brown/black and white, and many little kids (quite a few calves as well) But the dogs don't look like they have much of a life here, most I saw had injuries, as though they had been in many fights, or hit by the traffic, and most really skinny, starving almost.
There are many old timber boats that ply the river, all looking for the tourist who wants "boat, boat?" most are quite small, and probably all are taken for the nightly aarti, which is much bigger than Rishikesh, but a bit more showy. As in Rishikesh, there is chanting in different areas for most of the day and night, it all sounds lovely. The weddings are a different matter....
