VARANASI--AS OLD AS TIME

"How old is that building?" Liz asked our boatman, as we rowed past one of the many palaces along the Ganges, India's most sacred river.

"It's been there since the beginning of time" he replied, in all seriousness. We laughed and grinned at each other, but after some thought, we realized our boatman wasn't too far off. Varanasi, formerly called Benares, is one of the oldest cities in the world. Even ask Mark Twain, as we noted in our previous update.

The holy river, called "the Ganga," flows through the city center, and is the hub of life in this town. Pilgrims come from across the country to make puja (offer prayers) in its holy waters.

Many Hindus and Buddhists in India make this their final pilgrimage, as their bodies are carried by their families to the cremation ghats on the riverbank, their ashes ultimately committed to the waters. Having seen the cremation practice at the Hindu temple in Kathmandu, we were familiar with the ritual that takes many visitors to the area by surprise. Unfortunately, these cremations have become a sort of morbid tourist attraction.

In addition to prayer and cremation, the river is used by all people to perform daily tasks such as brushing one's teeth, bathing, washing clothes, and even washing your herd of water buffalo.

Really. We weren't kidding about the burning trash.

This action along the water's edge is best observed by a peaceful rowboat, and we took advantage of the opportunity on several occasions. Unfortunately, a few boatmen took advantage of us as well, charging us double the going rate ($4), but it's to be expected in India.

And, while a lot of the action is on the water, the labyrinth of streets behind are as fascinating as they are disorienting. With the average width of the alleyway being around 5 feet wide, we enjoyed the challenge of dodging fast moving motorcycles, piles of sticky manure, massive cows, and burning piles of garbage, all encountered numerous times on the short walk to our hotel.

Liz with a coffee banana lassi in Varanassi.

Anything can be found in the narrow alleyways of the city, from temples to clothing, to the amazing lassi stall where we were served incredible homemade yogurt drinks, somehow chilled despite the heat. We even have a lovely video of the guy who made them for us.

But reality is never more than a blink away. As we enjoyed our freshly created beverages in the street, we watched as several bodies passed within inches of our clay cups, their singing families carrying them in the direction of the funeral pyre at the river.

India has a very "in your face" style about life...its harshness, its beauty...and death...is out in the open and on the streets, particularly in a city like Varanasi, where dying is equivalent to salvation, as long as you're burned with wood and your ashes reach the holy waters of the Ganges. It's a messy, raw reality that's one of the most intense places we've visited, and that we would love to someday visit again...while we're still alive.

Bodies burn, mourners mourn, and boats full of wood for the next fires await nearby on the holy Ganges.

A pilgrim ponders life from the riverside.

Liz poses with a sadhu covered in ashes. 

A monkey with a gun holds up a crowd of children at an impromptu show in a narrow Varanasi street.