And on to Varanasi

Gause and Jesse walking through the narrow alleys of the old city.

Varanasi is pretty much perfectly what I had envisioned India to be like before I arrived- people, cows, cycle-rickshaws, narrow streets and alleyways, celebrations of life and death, the Ganga (Ganges); this city has it all. I witnessed a marriage ceremony withing the first 15 minutes of arriving in Varanasi's old city- a groom and bride making the ceremonial walk with their bridal clothes tied together (if you don't know what I'm talking about you should watch Monsoon Wedding). We also witnessed more funerals than we could count, since many families bring their deceased family members to be cremated on the banks of the Ganga.

A typical sight in the alleyway.

Nothing special, I just liked the blues.

DAYTIME: The burning ghat as seen from the balcony of our guest house. If you look closely you can see the spot of fire where a body is getting cremated. on the banks of the Ganga.

NIGHTTIME: The dead are cremated around the clock (notice the blue smoke).


Jesse, walking down the steps of our ghat, Schindhia Ghat (the water is just beyond the bottom of the stairs.

DAYTIME: Unfortunately, the Ganga was too flooded at this time for us to safely go on a boat ride and view Varanasi's many ghats from the water. And yes, that is the peak of the rooftop of a submerged building.


NIGHTTIME



Views from the cycle rickshaw--

Schindhia Ghat bathers at sunrise.