that's right... varanasi.
this place ended up being one of my favorites, and it was my last city in india. i had initially planned to go on to kolkata from there, but plans change, and instead my kolkata experience was confined to a 6 hour layover in their lovely airport.
the thing that makes varanasi so special is the ganges river. the whole city, and really the whole country, comes to a standstill at the banks of the ganges, in reverence and respect. there's a calming quiet that large immutable bodies of water project. even amidst the chaos of an indian city (and trust me, they all have their own chaos) the river can be grounding and quieting. i loved it.
i stayed in a really wonderful place that i will shamelessly plug now: the sun rise lodge. the people who run the place were literally the nicest people i met in all of india. it was a shame to meet people that kind and genuine so late in my stay, but also wonderful because it completely erased all the shady scammers i had dealt with before. i couldn't recommend the sun rise lodge more, even if you just go to their restaurant. it's got a balcony overlooking the river, amazing food (indian and other), wifi, and a break from the chaos below.
i spent three nights in varanasi in a tiny room for $8 a night. it was exactly the indian experience i imagined. not glamorous, but not dangerous. i can do varanasi. i can't do delhi.
there are a million resources to explain all the cool things in varanasi. i won't do that here. i'll just explain the pictures and let you ascertain the rest. i will say one word of advice: as you are standing there looking at some tourist site, a person might walk up to you and very kindly start explaining what you are looking at. they will be very informative and friendly, and they will inadvertently become your tour guide. and it will be nice to learn so many things. and you will think "wow this guy sure knows a lot and he loves his city and just wants to share it i guess." and then he will say "you pay me now." and you will ask for what and he will say because he just explained everything to you and gave you a tour and he has four hungry children and you don't want to see them starve do you? and you will say you never asked for the tour or the explanations. and you will go back and forth over what is ultimately a dollar or two. and you will give in and pay him some small amount but also lecture him on how NOT cool that was and how they need to be upfront with someone if they're gonna charge. and he will walk away with your money to find someone else. the advice? just say no thank you. over and over and over again. no thank you. ok.... have fun!
this is the view from the sun rise lodge. not too shabby.
this was my lunch from said view. this plate of food cost about $2. it was fucking amazing.
an ancient sandstone temple that is being swallowed by the river.
an instrument shop (it was closed)
some random sights and views of varanasi (if only you could smell it too ;)
every night... EVERY SINGLE NIGHT... at sundown, there is a celebration at the river banks. tens of thousands of people attend. every. night. it was crazy. it's basically to honor the river and her power and to pay respects. it takes about an hour, and it's full of music and singing and chanting and incense burning and fireworks. i chose to sit with the ladies on the steps. they are much nicer than indian men. usually.
varanasi is a special place. it's spirituality is impossible to ignore. it still has its share of darkness, which is unfortunate in such a holy place, but it also has its beauty and serenity. a microcosm of india, i guess. i'm glad it was my last city. it was just different enough to make me love india and want to come back to explore more places like it, but it was also just enough of the same to make me say "bring on thailand. i'm done with india."
next stop? bangkok.
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one last shot: india from the sky. you literally can't see the ground anywhere, due to pollution and smog and weather patterns. lovely, isn't it?
