This morning was a whirl of Wendy Wu activity. It really is just so different being in a group. Thinking is forbidden…it was cases down in lobby 8.15, breakfast, ready to board bus at 8.50, bus to airport, stand in a huddle while everything is being sorted out. We had to rearrange luggage to come in under 15kgs, which I did…I was a star and came in at 13.8kgs!! One woman came in at 22kgs…honestly!! But they averaged it out and those of us who were under allowed those who were over to get away with it.
We were allocated seats and I got to sit with a couple of lovely woman, one of whom had bought a bottle of gin in the duty free…not sure how that works on an internal flight but I’ve attached myself to her with the promise of a treat!!!
Long and short of it is that we have arrived in Varanasi. We were transported to the hotel and lunch was waiting. Allocated our rooms and our non-smoking room just stunk of cigarette smoke. Sally complained and we were moved to a different room…but really its a rather shoddy hotel, not quite up to the standard of the piccies online.
This evening we’re off on a boat trip on the Ganges to see the devotees along the Ghats. More after that little adventure. We have to be covered and my long sleeved repertoire is non-existent so I’ve plastered myself with aerogard.
Later…really and truly the top of my head has just blown off. All my worst nightmares came true this evening but at the same time it was a magnificent, wild roller coaster ride that will be hard to forget.
But let me start at the beginning. Its very late and we have to get up at 4.30 in the morning so I should try to keep it brief. Besides which I don’t think I could ever really describe it adequately. We got on the bus and he told us that we would be using pedal rickshaws to get us down to the Ganges where the plan was to hop onto a boat. A pedal rickshaw, no problem you might think, but it is a MASSIVE step up which I just couldn’t do. So humiliating. But they rushed around and found me a little stool thing and I squeezed onto this little seat with Sally (there were others whose combined weight would have been much more). This thin little kid, around 17yrs, had to peddle us in traffic like you wouldn’t believe and I couldn’t describe..we were dodging dogs, cows, every conceivable vehicle and a mass of humanity. And it got worse and worst until we were at a total standstill. At this point our guide said we couldn’t do the cruise, sunset had long passed and time had run out. But we were still making every effort to get to the Ganges.
We got dropped off by our rickshaws and then had to plow through the throngs on foot. But suddenly there we were on the ghats leading down to the river. At this point I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people, it was overawing. There was a ceremony taking place on the edge of the river to Shiva and whoever else with chanting, singing and mass clapping, waving etc. Our guide led us through the throngs to the waters edge. We then had to clamber over long wooden boats (nightmare number 2). I was completely thwarted, had to sit on my bum and get myself up, walk across a boat, repeat the exercise til we got to boat number 4 where we climbed the stairs to sit on the top deck from where we had a great view of the proceedings as long as no-one moved and the boat didn’t tip over. People bathing in the river, fire throwing, singing etc. WOW. There really is no way you could describe this ‘event’. When it was over we clambered back over the boats, back up the stairs and we had to get back on a peddle rickshaw. All of this was more efficient this time with people lending me, and a few other people, a hand. I also had a rickshaw to myself this time and it was much more comfortable. Both my peddlers thought it was Christmas because I felt so guilty that I tipped very well indeed.
Back to the hotel after 9, had dinner which included a G&T because a lovely woman on the tour had bought the bottle of gin and had portioned it out to a few of us…that was such a welcome treat.
Back to our room exhausted and couldn’t get the door to open. About half an hour later I was just about bursting my boiler with frustration. But here I am ready for bed. I haven’t even got the wherewithal to send this tonight so it will have to wait until there is a moment free tomorrow. Talk about a jam packed tour.