Last night I was planing on having a nice, long lie-in. I read travel accounts of people getting up at sunrise to see people bathing themselves in the Ganga (Ganges) but I thought to myself I'd rather sleep-in because I didn't know how much sleep I'd get on the train on the way back to Delhi. Lo and behold what time should I wake up but 15 minutes before sunrise. I contemplated trying to sleep a bit longer but then said, what the heck, it's not every day that I'll be in Varanasi.
It took me 10 minutes to get ready and head for the door. Unbeknownst to me all the doors of the hotel were locked, and the caretaker was asleep. I paced up and down trying to find an exit and even entertained the idea of trying to squeeze myself through the metal grates of the window. Luckily I went to the caretaker's door and found some keys hanging beside it. I chose one and tried my luck with the lock and voila, I was out.
The hotel is literally on the river bank, so it took 30 seconds to get to the river. In Varanasi there are stairs that go from the city down to the river and these are called ghats. I went down one of the ghats and saw dozens of people in the river, washing themselves with the holy water. I read yesterday that there is more than 100 times the safe level of a bacteria known as fetal coliform in the Ganga - it's one of the five most polluted rivers in the World. This fact didn't seem to deter the Hindus in the water who were gargling, ducking and diving in the water in front of me.
I saw a bunch of tourists board a boat so I went along to ask how much it would cost. Technically its illegal for boats to be out on the river because it's monsoon season and the water level is very high and fast flowing.
I went to ask the boat man how much it'd cost me and he told me 150 rupees. Although I thought it was reasonable I decided to be irritating and get the price a little lower. The next few minutes were a bit of a confused blur for me.
A man behind me was trying to tell me something. The boat man who had told me 150 rupees heard what this older man had said and lunged off the boat towards the man's throat. A 5-minute fist fight ensued which was mainly the younger man pummeling the older man. I can't imagine what the older man had said to get the other one so angry.
I resumed my seat on the steps where I had been watching the Hindu bathers, a bit resentful that I was not on the boat and wishing I hadn't been so damn un-cooperative. A Hindu holy man (Sadhu) was sat just behind me. He kept saying 'photo, photo' to his friends. He was very sweet. When I eventually stood up to leave he seemed generally upset, as if our silent exchange, just sitting next to each other in front of the holy river Ganga was enough for us to consider each other friends.
I made my way up the ghat towards the Main Ghat, but I was stopped half way. A man was loading a boat with people and I was dragged along (willingly) with them.
The boat ride was pleasant enough. As we sailed along the bank we saw many colourful old palaces that have now become hotels. We made a stop at one of the principle ghats and the Hindu families that were aboard the boat with us got out and had a dip. Meanwhile the boat man gave me some very sweet Darjeeling tea, and now I think whenever I drink Darjeeling tea I will always remember that sunrise boat trip along the Ganga in Varanasi.
It took me 10 minutes to get ready and head for the door. Unbeknownst to me all the doors of the hotel were locked, and the caretaker was asleep. I paced up and down trying to find an exit and even entertained the idea of trying to squeeze myself through the metal grates of the window. Luckily I went to the caretaker's door and found some keys hanging beside it. I chose one and tried my luck with the lock and voila, I was out.
The hotel is literally on the river bank, so it took 30 seconds to get to the river. In Varanasi there are stairs that go from the city down to the river and these are called ghats. I went down one of the ghats and saw dozens of people in the river, washing themselves with the holy water. I read yesterday that there is more than 100 times the safe level of a bacteria known as fetal coliform in the Ganga - it's one of the five most polluted rivers in the World. This fact didn't seem to deter the Hindus in the water who were gargling, ducking and diving in the water in front of me.
I saw a bunch of tourists board a boat so I went along to ask how much it would cost. Technically its illegal for boats to be out on the river because it's monsoon season and the water level is very high and fast flowing.
I went to ask the boat man how much it'd cost me and he told me 150 rupees. Although I thought it was reasonable I decided to be irritating and get the price a little lower. The next few minutes were a bit of a confused blur for me.
A man behind me was trying to tell me something. The boat man who had told me 150 rupees heard what this older man had said and lunged off the boat towards the man's throat. A 5-minute fist fight ensued which was mainly the younger man pummeling the older man. I can't imagine what the older man had said to get the other one so angry.
I resumed my seat on the steps where I had been watching the Hindu bathers, a bit resentful that I was not on the boat and wishing I hadn't been so damn un-cooperative. A Hindu holy man (Sadhu) was sat just behind me. He kept saying 'photo, photo' to his friends. He was very sweet. When I eventually stood up to leave he seemed generally upset, as if our silent exchange, just sitting next to each other in front of the holy river Ganga was enough for us to consider each other friends.
I made my way up the ghat towards the Main Ghat, but I was stopped half way. A man was loading a boat with people and I was dragged along (willingly) with them.
The boat ride was pleasant enough. As we sailed along the bank we saw many colourful old palaces that have now become hotels. We made a stop at one of the principle ghats and the Hindu families that were aboard the boat with us got out and had a dip. Meanwhile the boat man gave me some very sweet Darjeeling tea, and now I think whenever I drink Darjeeling tea I will always remember that sunrise boat trip along the Ganga in Varanasi.
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