Still in Varanasi

23/1- Up and a pleasant surprise of a hot shower. Wandered upto the restaurant for some banana porridge. When it turned up I thought it looked a bit strange, cornflakes, yoghurt and banana, but this is India. I found out later it was strange, it was for the girl sat at the same table. She never said, but ate the porridge anyway.
I want an easy day today, bit of blog, email and people watching to try and catch up after getting worn out yesterday, so I slowly made my way along the ghats, stopping at several as I went. There are some terrific buildings directly behind the ghats and some dumps. They have a great feel about them, so it is easy to sit and chill here. It may be a bit different once the cremations start. They run 24 hrs. Varanasi has a great temperature now, easy to walk in and not melt with jeans and trainers on.
4 young college lads come over for a chinwag. The usual starter is cricket, but there is a 1st. I was asked for my autograph. "What's that all about Grandad?" They were a laugh and a smiley bunch of lads. One asked for some tips on chatting up women, so I passed on my extensive knowledge. He'll either end up a bachelor or gay. We finished with the obligatory photograph. They want it emailing to them, but that was overa week ago, although it seems like yesterday and I have not received any email yet.
A young kid came over to flog me some postcards, but I think he was more intrigued by the binoculars. He sat for ages scsanning everything and was very polite. It was a treat to watch him being so enthralled and trying to catch the birds with a hand in front of the binoculars.
There are a lot of people at the ghats washing away their sins in the Ganges and doing their dhoby too. You would not get me in there to easily, it is not a river where you can sit and watch the fish. Some things do float by, but they don't look much like fish. Even the buffalos are getting in on the act and having a wash. It was a laugh watching 2 lads trying to get them back to their stakes by the river. When they are not going, they can't be made to, even a cricket bat on the backside had no effect. A couple wandered off down the ghats, so the lads just let them go. No doubt they'll be back.
The ghats have different purposes and some are more prestigous than others. The Manikarnika ghat is the major burning ghat, but I passed a few funerals at other ghats along my wander. I don't know if it is more expensive for the more prestigous ghats, or if families get a connection with certain ghats.
The buildings behind the ghats vary from temples to guest houses to not a lot at all. The overall impression is that of a fortress along the river bank as walls rise high above the river. It is really a city set high above the Ganges and an old city at that. The streets immediately back from the ghats are all very narrow, for about 400 yds with no traffic, making it more peaceful, if a bit claustrophobic. Across the river from the ghats is what looks to be a smashing beach, but there is not a lot of sunbathing going on over there or bathing for that matter. Perhaps it is only beneficia from the ghats. Rowing boats ferry people across for Rs 10.
There was a bloke over the other side, stood in the water for about an hour. I thought he was fishing, but when I checked him out with the binos, he was praying and was still there over an hour later.
If it wasn't for the steep steps this would be a place to linger a while longer perhaps, a few more days chilling. The people are very friendly, so I guess it is only Kolkata that is stand offish, or perhaps it was just a one off experience I had.
Purely for scientific reasons, I have been checking out the ladies and the Kolkatans definitely have some American genes, they certainly sit lower in the water than anywhere else I have been in India.
The evening looms so I am heading back to the main ghat where the dance ceremony is done for a bit more people watching and some more scientific research..Then into town for a bit of snap.
Headed off back to the guest house through the Indian market, which is different again from others I've visited. Mostly jewellry, but an interesting wander. I made it back without hitting a cowpat, so time to hang out on the rooftop, then an early night to see if the legs get back to normal tomorrow. The rooftop is open 24 hrs and there was still a party going on at 2 a.m., but I am out of my depth here, so didn't stay around. I'm becoming a lightweight like Thomo.

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