Sunrise on the Ganges…
Well we've finally made it to Bangalore after a flight to Delhi and the another south. The flights involved a "groundhog" day experience as we were repeatedly fed endless pre-packaged meals, finally arriving 3 hours late. They even ran out of stairs at the aiport so we couldn't get off the plane for 15 minutes. Both us are suffering dripping tap noses due to a delightful cold contracted in Varanasi. Hopefully it will clear with some sun. Shattered now, glad […]
The room we're staying in is all red and black décor, looking somewhat like a David Lynch movie. It does however have all mod cons, 24 hour hot water – unlike the "hot water provided in a bucket" solution of Agra – tell me why have a hot tap at all?? – and an endless procession of smiling men arriving at the door to supply things or take them away again. We've gone for the laundry option here. If someone […]
I'm sure you'll want to know about the filth. Well, maybe not, so if that's the case I'd skip this bit and wait for the next rose coloured spectacle account of India. It is basically filthy here. Howard Hughes would not have been a happy bunny. This is the third world after all. There doesn't seem to be any particular local consensus about which areas should be used as a lavatory so everyone pisses and shits where they like. It's […]
Weird thing this travelling, your surrounded by chaos for a few hours and then you duck into an internet cafe and you're back into air conditioned technological cosiness. This one is orange. The last one was blue. I don't think there is any significance to the colours. The routine is. Read guide book for next few destinations. Look at the map, consult the list of hotels, then email them. Then wait. A day later look for replies and if unsuccessful […]
Flaky internet connections require me to keep doing tests to see if I can post pictures. This is me doing a test! Pat almost burst a blood vessel last night trying to get this to work, so I’m trying to work it out myself! He’s currently in bed with a sore tummy… ahhh bless poor bunny! Anyway, for those wanting maps were here
They bring their dead here, bath them in the Ganges before building funeral pyres at the burning ghats to cremate them. The wood is weighed prior to the cremation to calculate the cost of the ceremony. Different types of wood cost different amounts, sandal wood being the most expensive. You feel like you have travelled back in time, perhaps this is what medieval times would have been like. A million souls arrive here, ready to depart this world for whatever […]
For those who have asked i'm using a combination of blogger, random internet cafes and my smart phone to create this blog. Using blogger in an internet café with the co-operation of a generally confused internet wallah allows me to upload images from my camera. If you are doing anything in an internet café here that isn't "typing an email" you generally get an audience. In fact doing anything at all in India creates an audience. When taking a photo […]
We took the sleeper train overnight to Varanasi home of the Ganges and the most relgious city in India. The sleeper is a little bit like a mobile school trip dormitory. Six bunks arranged into three tiers. You are provided with sheets and blankets and after some crashing around trying to arrange your bed – there isn't much head room it has to be said when you are on the top bunk – you can make an attempt at sleep, […]