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Punchie, John, Stu, Will, Nicole and myself decieded that a long drive from Agra to Varanasi in 40 degree heat would be best avoided by taking the train instead....not that we really needed an excuse to takea train...we are in India after all! It also gave us another day in Delhi while the rest of the group were sweating their little bottoms off on the truck! Managed to squeeze in a trip to the red fort in Old Delhi and another wander through the bazaars as well as a yummy slap up indian in a 'posh' place dressed in our scabby clothes!
After buying some nibblies (and vodka) we all headed for the train and were pleasantly surprised to find our berths for the night were cushioned....phew!!! So....for about 3 pounds we got a nice cushioned berth in second class....no air con for us.....if you take the train in India you wanna hang out the windows! It was great watching the world go by as the sun set....the other passengers thought it was great watching us....once more we felt like celebrities! After a very warm nights sleep we were awoken by the chai guys....chai....1 minute passes....chai chai chai chai....another minute passes....chai chai chai....who needs an alarm clock eh? We arrived in Varanasi 16 hours later to discover we were staying in a 5star(well compared to our normal) hotel...with pool and all! So after some brekkie and a little nap we descended on the pool and took possession for the rest of the day! I had one of my moments in that pool....imagine....playing in a swimming pool in India, drinking beer with your mates in the sunshine, music blaring, monsoon on it's way, thunder and lightening starts....the waiters are hiding under brollies and we are having jumping competitions....it all seems surreal sometimes! Treated myself to a neck, back and shoulders massage and thought the massuer was going to break my back! Felt good afterwards though!
Early rise the following morning for a sunrise boat ride on the ganges. It was a very peaceful ride as we all sat back and observed the goings on in the Ghats on the river banks. People from all over India come to varanasi to live out their last days and prepare for death. They are then cremated in the ghats and their ashes scattered in the river....although for those who are very poor it may not just be their ashes as they can't afford enough wood to burn their body completely. After visiting a few temples the pool was again the place to be to escape the heat.
India has been absolutley awesome(I know I use that word too much!) and I look forward to returning and exploring the south. The people are beautiful, the food is beautiful and the countryside is...well beautiful. I'll miss those cows!
Here we come Nepal!
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