I hate Varanasi
Trip Start
Jan 21, 2007
1
16
67
Trip End
??? ??, 2008
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Monday, April 16, 2007
Luckily for us there was a train going to Mughal Sarai (a town 17kms from Varanasi) at 11.30pm so we got that. Got 50% refund on the ticket for the missed train too.
Managed to get a rikshaw to the old city part of town no probs, but that's when the stalkers come out. Touts attach themselves to you then when you go into a hotel they say they took you there and demand commission (which goes onto your bill). Needless to say, I would walk for miles round and round in circles to avoid these disgusting people getting any money out of me. One in particular attached himself to us and would not go away no matter how many times he was told, I was getting ready to biff him over the head with something heavy! Somehow, not sure how, we managed to find the guesthouse we had picked out the book, Yogi Lodge, it's one of the few that don't pay commission to touts. Again went for the cheapo dorm option, this one only 55Rs (prob about 60p).
Yogi Lodge is in the old city which has very narrow winding lanes, they all look the same and I never got to know my way around except from the guest house to the main road and back. The lanes are constantly congested by people, motorbikes, cows, and a huge amount of cow shit. And more cows.
First day, only arrived at the guest house mid afternoon so set off for a quick walk down by the ghats (steps into the Ganges). Didn't see a great deal, but did see the burning ghats where bodies are cremated. I didn't particularly want to see but again there are touts who want you to come and watch, this time so they can tell you about how much wood it takes to burn a body and ask for a donation. But I was prewarned about that one so they didn't get me ha! After avoiding looking too closely and not seeing anything that resembled a body, when walking away here comes a funeral procession with a new body all wrapped in a white sheet passing me about 6 inches away!
That evening Alfonso and I take a walk (not sussed if it's safe for me to be out alone at night yet!) down the main street which is chaos as expected. Walking along the street being harassed to buy silk, or anything else they sell, take a rikshaw ride etc and all while trying not to be run down by speeding motorbikes or have your legs slashed by cycle rikshaws. Not easy to find a decent restaurant here so end up eating in a shady looking local cafe, turns out it's in the Rough Guide!
Next day everyone in the guest house is up and out by 5am. I had planned to be too, but obviously am still in bed come 10am. After a 3 hour walk along the Ganges in the afternoon I'm done in and need to go back to my bed. This heat isn't good for you! Out for dinner in the evening to the Brown Bread Bakery (note the name - it's a potential culprit) with some nice people from the guest house.
Next thing it's 3am and I'm up all night sick. My first illness in India, looks like I finally ran out of luck! I had salad for dinner which was more than likely the cause but you would think that in a traveller dominated restaurant they would wash their salad in mineral water. Spend the next day in bed and by evening am feeling all fevery, hot and cold and sweaty at the same time. After being in the same extremely hard bed for pretty much 36 hours, I want out of Varanasi, I can't think of a good thing to say about it, other than the Ganges looks cleaner than I expected. Go to book a train ticket and get one for Agra that night (bought a ticket at the station no problem after being told by several useless people that the train was full - all classes, all quotas, no chance sirree). Making my escape from Varanasi. I read somewhere that you should never leave somewhere until you have a good time there. If that was the case I think I would be stuck in stinking Varanasi forever.
Things I hate about Varanasi:
Being called madam - this is India wide, not just specific to Varanasi
Being called boat "Hello boat?"
The cow shit (try avoiding it in a power cut at night - we couldn't!)
The litter and dirt in the lanes
The men who say "namaste" then fall into step with me, try to strike up a conversation and will not go away no matter how rude I am
The men who want me to go to their shop to buy silk (do I look like I have any use for silk?)
The touts in general
I've been in India 12 weeks, 2 weeks left and I'm struggling to find the energy for it, it's hard work!
Heading to Agra (which I have been told is worse than Varanasi - it better not be!). A quick 2 night stop to see the Taj Mahal then onwards again.
