The Rahul Guest House and Varanasi

Its always nice to find somewhere to stay after a
 long day on the bike

Varanasi

Even though we had really had enough of the riding in India we were determined to see Varanasi and the Ganga (Ganges River) the holiest place for Hindu religion in India, it’s said, “to immerse yourself in this river is to be cleansed of all your sins,” well after taking one look at it and what’s in it we decided to keep our sins for another day.  

What a place, first it is “the” worst city we have ridden into and the dirtiest and most crowded so far, the bike overheated and so did we and we had to give it a rest, twice, before finding a place to stay for the night.  When we had left that morning, from Khajuraho, one of the guys told us two places to try in Varanasi, we didn’t give it much hope but we wrote the names down anyway, well as it happened we ended up staying in one of the guesthouses he had recommended at the end of the row in Assi Gnat area called Rahuls Guesthouse, it was fantastic (in Indian standard anyhow) the room was modern and clean, it had hot water and power, towels and toilet paper, what more  could you ask for?  Inside the compound was safe parking for the bike and there was a restaurant on the roof, overlooking the river, run by a great guy who lives 6 months in India and 6 months in Jamaica, he spoke excellent English and made a great Peneer Masala with rice and the vegy and onion pokara were pretty good too, oh and beer and internet!

Well they overload everything here

After breakfast we took a stroll along the Ganga and wow what a place, you cannot imagine what you see here, you have to see it to believe it.  Did we see dead bodies, well yes, wrapped in the most colourful golden, red and orange fabric and being carried down to the Ganga to be bathed in it before heading for the cremation ceremony, did we see them burning, yup along with dead cows floating in the river, people bathing and brushing their teeth, washing their clothes, taking a s__t along its banks, water buffalo enjoying a holy dip in it.  The whole of the city of Varanasi sewer rushes into it, just meters from our guesthouse, and water being pumped into the city from the Ganga for their ``fresh`` water,  its really no wonder foreigners get sick here..

Laundry dries on the roof below our guest house