So I ended up meeting a group of nice guys and 2 Sweedish girls who were really lovely. I went on a sunset boat ride along the ganges with them where we actually saw some dolphins that live in the ganges!!!!!!! Incredible that these creatures can survive there!!!
I also hung out with this group just generally walking the ghats, taking photos and eating in places with good rooftop views. It was nice meeting this group cause it meant I had some nice people to hang out with on my birthday!! And it was actually kinda special cause my b'day happened to fall on this festival they have once a year in Varanasi on the ganges on the full moon - Dav Divali, which is another festival of lights and I think something which also celebrates the ganges. So the place ended up getting PACKED with Indian tourists who come for this festival and there are huge celebrations, LOTS of oil tealights - it is really beautiful!! And a really nice festive atmosphere! We sent off little tealights and flowers along the river - really nice :)
However, that night I happened to have a another VERY frustrating experience re Indian systems....of course!! I was trying to book flights to Goa for the next day and I'm on the right websites and the booking goes all the way to credit card details and then it continuously said that my booking failed!!!!!! And I'm stressing that my credit cards aren't working (I'm trying all of them and none of them are working) but what the website failed to actually inform me was that you cannot book tickets online once their offices close at 6pm!!!!!!!!!!! ANNOYING!!! Then I spoke to an Indian guy and asked him if he could book me a flight for the next day and he says he has a website that works all the time! So I say yay! Can you book my flight and he says only between 9 and 6. AGAIN ANNOYING!! So I tell him in a really annoyed way that I am trying to find a website where I can BOOK a flight.
I mean, imagine having a website that works all the way up until taking your credit card details but fails to make the booking and doesn't explain that it is because of actual office hours!! INDIA!!!!!!!!
Luckily in the end I found another website that worked AND I could book a ticket!!!
