Cliff and Joyce were ready to head to India too, so we all got on an early bus from Kathmandu to the border town of Sunauli, which was about 7 hours away. As expected, the bus dropped us off in some random place, so we then had to get rickshaws the remaining few kilometres to the actual border crossing. Getting stamped out of Nepal and into India was a pretty straightforward affair and didn't take too long, so the next order of business was finding a local bus to Gorakhpur, the closest city (3 hours away) with a train station. We hadn't booked train tickets in advance, so we were just going to rock up at the station and see what was available. Buying train tickets in India can be a very tedious, painful process as they book out well in advance, but we thought we'd wing it for the first leg. It turned out OK in the end as we were able to get tickets for an overnight train to Varanasi. So far, so good.
When we were last in India in 2009 we didn't make it to Varanasi, so we were looking forward to seeing a new city. Varanasi is one of the oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world and is regarded as one of Hinduism's seven holy cities. It's a fascinatingly chaotic mix of life and death, where pilgrims come to the ghats along the River Ganges to wash away their sins in the sacred waters, or to cremate their loved ones. People on their deathbed flock here to live out their last breaths, as to die in Varanasi is deemed very auspicious because it frees them from the continuous cycle of life and death. The old city, located near the ghats on the banks of the Ganges, is the main tourist area where most accommodation, temples and markets are, so we headed to this area to find a place to stay.
We spent four days in Varanasi, wandering the maze of winding alleys that make up the old city, side-stepping massive cows that appear and the shit they deposit everywhere. The ghats are the main tourist sight, which is rather morbid, as this is where cremations take place 24 hours a day. It was a bit of a shock the first time we saw a shrouded body being carried through the alleys down to the riverbank, but it soon became a daily occurrence. It seemed a bit wrong to witness the actual cremations, but because they're done out in the open it's pretty impossible to miss.
Every night on one of the ghats (not a crematory ghat) there is a religious ceremony that is a huge drawcard for both locals and tourists. The ceremony is performed by a group of young priests, all standing on individual platforms at the edge of the ghat, who go through a series of elaborately choreographed and synchronised movements with various items such as a multi-tiered iron lamp, flowers and incense sticks. They repeat the same movements with each item, all whilst chanting in unison. The entire ritual takes about 45mins, and the surrounding area on the ghats, as well as boats out on the river, are packed with people watching. It was pretty interesting, but after 45mins I was definitely ready to move on and in no need of a repeat performance the next night.
Last time we were in India we didn't drink any lassi or chai, a regrettable failure we intended to rectify on this trip. We usually avoid any Lonely Planet recommended places like the plague, but we decided to cave this time and check out Blue Lassi - the most popular lassi shop in the city. Being skeptical from the get-go, we joined the crowds already seated inside and ordered a strawberry lassi from the extensive menu. When we were handed our lassi's which come in a terracotta bowl/cup, we were pleasantly surprised. It was beautifully presented, garnished with fresh strawberry and pistachio nuts. And it tasted amazing. The fresh curd, mixed with ice so it's cold, is still thick and chunky (in a very good way) and the fruit was an extra flavour kick. It's such a refreshing and tasty drink that was gone far too quickly. We were immediately hooked and got our lassi fix every day we were there, but our favourite ended up being a plain lassi which was garnished with pistachio nuts, pomegranate seeds, saffron and rose water and was anything but plain. Every subsequent lassi we tried paled in comparison, so we would definitely agree it's the best lassi not only in Varanasi, but in all of India. Big call, but justified we think.
Whilst wandering around Varanasi we saw a government authorised bhang shop, so of course we had to partake in some of that legal goodness. Bhang is prepared from the buds and leaves of the female cannabis plant, and the religious sadhus use it like it's going out of fashion. Apparently it aids meditation and helps them achieve a transcendental state. Or they're just getting stoned. The government shops sell it in various forms, and you can also buy bhang lassi's in many places, so we tried the cookies and little balls they called chocolates, which were horrible things with chunks of sugar throughout. Still, they did the trick so we stocked up on supplies not knowing if we'd be able to get it elsewhere.
Cliff and Joyce left to check out Agra, while we ventured south-east to Kolkata (Calcutta), which was one of our favourite places last time. We headed back to Sudder Street, which is where most tourists stay, and we even found the place we stayed in five years ago - it was noticably more run down (and it was already very shabby in 2009) but of course the price had gone up. We chose somewhere else with less stained sheets and no leaky tap instead. My standards have obviously gone up. We were in Kolkata for five days and unfortunately I was too sick to leave the vicinity of the toilet for at least two days (inevitable in India), but we managed to get out to Dakshineswar Kali Temple before that. It's a pretty cool Hindu temple located right on the bank of the Hooghly River. Apart from the main temple, there are rooms in the compound containing twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva as well the odd fertility shrine which were getting a good stroking. There's also a bathing ghat along the riverfront which had a constant crowd of people.
While I was sick Kurt went to check out a Jain temple that's a major tourist attraction because it's an impressive structure decorated with mirrors, coloured stones and glass mosaics. Kurt said it was pretty cool, but just another temple really.
Something we didn't do last time was make a visit to Mother House, which is the charity centre where Mother Teresa's tomb is located as well as the room where she worked and slept for 44 years. We're very anti-religion, but Mother Teresa is such an iconic figure so it was interesting to see. And did you know she was Albanian? I didn't. We also had a very brief trip to the races before we left Kolkata, which is a totally different experience to home - no-one is in their glad rags, and it's pretty much a men only event. Apart from that we of course had to re-visit our favourite restaurant just off Sudder Street, and we were pleased to see it hadn't changed a bit in five years. Although this time we didn't see a large rat running around. The awesome street food was still out in force every night too, so we were very happy to sample the tasty treats again. Then we were ready to jump on a train to Delhi for a few days.
We just had a couple of days in the capital before moving on again, so we went to Jama Masjid, which is the largest and best known mosque in India. After removing our shoes, paying a pretty steep camera fee of 300 rupees (AU$5.50) and donning a pretty spectacularly ugly muumuu-type number to cover up (just me), we were free to enter. The architecture of the mosque is fairly impressive and the courtyard is so huge up to 25,000 people can pray there at a time. But a much more impressive place of worship that we visited was the Lotus Temple.
The Lotus Temple is a stunningly designed building in the shape of a lotus flower and is a Bahá'í House of Worship, which means it's open to everyone, regardless of religion. After joining the crowds already lined up, we were allowed to enter the vast temple and sit in silence for as long as we wanted. They were very strict in enforcing the silence policy, and people were asked to leave (with silent gestures) if they continued to break it.
After a couple of days in Delhi we were ready to go to Agra and re-visit another favourite in India - the majestic Taj Mahal. The city of Agra is a bit of a shithole to be honest, but we didn't want to rush a day trip from Delhi so we stayed three nights. This meant we could take our time wandering around the Taj Mahal without having to rush back to get on a train, and also visit other sites nearby. The weather was a bit cooler and the early mornings had been very misty, so we decided to wait until mid-morning so we would have a clear view of one of the "New" 7 Wonders of the World. Even though we've seen it before, it's still an incredibly beautiful monument (probably the most beautiful mausoleum ever built) and I doubt that would change no matter how many times you see it.
The next day, on recommendation from Cliff and Joyce, we paid a visit to Fatehpur Sikri - a walled city about 35km from Agra. The large complex contains some impressive architectural buildings, mainly of red sandstone, including a palace and a mosque. It was quite different to other places we'd visited, so it was an interesting place to walk around for an hour or so.
After more than enough time in Agra, it was back on the train to Delhi for a couple more days. This time we had just enough time to check out the Red Fort, which was the emperor's residence back in the day. The sprawling compound is surrounded by massive walls of red sandstone (hence the name), and because it's now a major tourist attraction there are the usual shops and stalls lining the entrance, selling all kinds of shit you don't need at inflated prices. There are plenty of buildings and structures to check out which are still very well preserved for the most part, and the gardens are a nice escape from the relentless hustle and bustle of Delhi.
Three weeks into our Indian journey we wanted to change pace and get away to somewhere with a much slower, relaxed feeling for a few days, so making tracks north to Rishikesh sounded good to us.
 |
| One of the many ghats along the banks of the River Ganges |
We spent four days in Varanasi, wandering the maze of winding alleys that make up the old city, side-stepping massive cows that appear and the shit they deposit everywhere. The ghats are the main tourist sight, which is rather morbid, as this is where cremations take place 24 hours a day. It was a bit of a shock the first time we saw a shrouded body being carried through the alleys down to the riverbank, but it soon became a daily occurrence. It seemed a bit wrong to witness the actual cremations, but because they're done out in the open it's pretty impossible to miss.
Every night on one of the ghats (not a crematory ghat) there is a religious ceremony that is a huge drawcard for both locals and tourists. The ceremony is performed by a group of young priests, all standing on individual platforms at the edge of the ghat, who go through a series of elaborately choreographed and synchronised movements with various items such as a multi-tiered iron lamp, flowers and incense sticks. They repeat the same movements with each item, all whilst chanting in unison. The entire ritual takes about 45mins, and the surrounding area on the ghats, as well as boats out on the river, are packed with people watching. It was pretty interesting, but after 45mins I was definitely ready to move on and in no need of a repeat performance the next night.
Last time we were in India we didn't drink any lassi or chai, a regrettable failure we intended to rectify on this trip. We usually avoid any Lonely Planet recommended places like the plague, but we decided to cave this time and check out Blue Lassi - the most popular lassi shop in the city. Being skeptical from the get-go, we joined the crowds already seated inside and ordered a strawberry lassi from the extensive menu. When we were handed our lassi's which come in a terracotta bowl/cup, we were pleasantly surprised. It was beautifully presented, garnished with fresh strawberry and pistachio nuts. And it tasted amazing. The fresh curd, mixed with ice so it's cold, is still thick and chunky (in a very good way) and the fruit was an extra flavour kick. It's such a refreshing and tasty drink that was gone far too quickly. We were immediately hooked and got our lassi fix every day we were there, but our favourite ended up being a plain lassi which was garnished with pistachio nuts, pomegranate seeds, saffron and rose water and was anything but plain. Every subsequent lassi we tried paled in comparison, so we would definitely agree it's the best lassi not only in Varanasi, but in all of India. Big call, but justified we think.
 |
| Plain lassi |
 |
| Strawberry lassi |
Whilst wandering around Varanasi we saw a government authorised bhang shop, so of course we had to partake in some of that legal goodness. Bhang is prepared from the buds and leaves of the female cannabis plant, and the religious sadhus use it like it's going out of fashion. Apparently it aids meditation and helps them achieve a transcendental state. Or they're just getting stoned. The government shops sell it in various forms, and you can also buy bhang lassi's in many places, so we tried the cookies and little balls they called chocolates, which were horrible things with chunks of sugar throughout. Still, they did the trick so we stocked up on supplies not knowing if we'd be able to get it elsewhere.
Cliff and Joyce left to check out Agra, while we ventured south-east to Kolkata (Calcutta), which was one of our favourite places last time. We headed back to Sudder Street, which is where most tourists stay, and we even found the place we stayed in five years ago - it was noticably more run down (and it was already very shabby in 2009) but of course the price had gone up. We chose somewhere else with less stained sheets and no leaky tap instead. My standards have obviously gone up. We were in Kolkata for five days and unfortunately I was too sick to leave the vicinity of the toilet for at least two days (inevitable in India), but we managed to get out to Dakshineswar Kali Temple before that. It's a pretty cool Hindu temple located right on the bank of the Hooghly River. Apart from the main temple, there are rooms in the compound containing twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva as well the odd fertility shrine which were getting a good stroking. There's also a bathing ghat along the riverfront which had a constant crowd of people.
 |
| Dakshineswar Kali Temple |
While I was sick Kurt went to check out a Jain temple that's a major tourist attraction because it's an impressive structure decorated with mirrors, coloured stones and glass mosaics. Kurt said it was pretty cool, but just another temple really.
Something we didn't do last time was make a visit to Mother House, which is the charity centre where Mother Teresa's tomb is located as well as the room where she worked and slept for 44 years. We're very anti-religion, but Mother Teresa is such an iconic figure so it was interesting to see. And did you know she was Albanian? I didn't. We also had a very brief trip to the races before we left Kolkata, which is a totally different experience to home - no-one is in their glad rags, and it's pretty much a men only event. Apart from that we of course had to re-visit our favourite restaurant just off Sudder Street, and we were pleased to see it hadn't changed a bit in five years. Although this time we didn't see a large rat running around. The awesome street food was still out in force every night too, so we were very happy to sample the tasty treats again. Then we were ready to jump on a train to Delhi for a few days.
 |
| One of the many street food delights |
We just had a couple of days in the capital before moving on again, so we went to Jama Masjid, which is the largest and best known mosque in India. After removing our shoes, paying a pretty steep camera fee of 300 rupees (AU$5.50) and donning a pretty spectacularly ugly muumuu-type number to cover up (just me), we were free to enter. The architecture of the mosque is fairly impressive and the courtyard is so huge up to 25,000 people can pray there at a time. But a much more impressive place of worship that we visited was the Lotus Temple.
 |
| Stylish |
The Lotus Temple is a stunningly designed building in the shape of a lotus flower and is a Bahá'í House of Worship, which means it's open to everyone, regardless of religion. After joining the crowds already lined up, we were allowed to enter the vast temple and sit in silence for as long as we wanted. They were very strict in enforcing the silence policy, and people were asked to leave (with silent gestures) if they continued to break it.
After a couple of days in Delhi we were ready to go to Agra and re-visit another favourite in India - the majestic Taj Mahal. The city of Agra is a bit of a shithole to be honest, but we didn't want to rush a day trip from Delhi so we stayed three nights. This meant we could take our time wandering around the Taj Mahal without having to rush back to get on a train, and also visit other sites nearby. The weather was a bit cooler and the early mornings had been very misty, so we decided to wait until mid-morning so we would have a clear view of one of the "New" 7 Wonders of the World. Even though we've seen it before, it's still an incredibly beautiful monument (probably the most beautiful mausoleum ever built) and I doubt that would change no matter how many times you see it.
The next day, on recommendation from Cliff and Joyce, we paid a visit to Fatehpur Sikri - a walled city about 35km from Agra. The large complex contains some impressive architectural buildings, mainly of red sandstone, including a palace and a mosque. It was quite different to other places we'd visited, so it was an interesting place to walk around for an hour or so.
After more than enough time in Agra, it was back on the train to Delhi for a couple more days. This time we had just enough time to check out the Red Fort, which was the emperor's residence back in the day. The sprawling compound is surrounded by massive walls of red sandstone (hence the name), and because it's now a major tourist attraction there are the usual shops and stalls lining the entrance, selling all kinds of shit you don't need at inflated prices. There are plenty of buildings and structures to check out which are still very well preserved for the most part, and the gardens are a nice escape from the relentless hustle and bustle of Delhi.
Three weeks into our Indian journey we wanted to change pace and get away to somewhere with a much slower, relaxed feeling for a few days, so making tracks north to Rishikesh sounded good to us.
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