Delhi

The train was not too bad actually had we not got the worst people possible to share a cabin with. We didn’t speak to them at all after this. They turned the fan off without asking us so we were very hot up on the roof, then bright and early they turned the fluorescent light on right above our heads not just there own personal light. They were just so selfish and made me so angry as they sat there comfortable all morning while Rudi and I sat cramped on the top bunks! We arrived in Delhi 4 hours late so spent 16 hours on the train with our lovely friends! We were well and truly completely over it! We fought our way out of the busy New Delhi train station and met Sud our trusty driver and friend who was waiting for us! He took us to the hotel and we had a much needed shower and then headed out to get some fast food! We are staying in a different part of Delhi to when we were originally here called Connaught Place and it is very commercial! We headed straight for KFC and some much needed meat! Rudi had a rest as he wasn’t feeling very well and I fought to stay awake and played some cards! We met up with Sud again and he took us to help send ANOTHER parcel home and top up our phone card and get some drinks for NYE! He was such an awesome help! We left Sud, who said he would catch up with us again in a little bit and we went on search for Pizza hut as Rudi didnt just want any pizza he wanted Pizza hut pizza! We eventually found it and ordered a couple of pizzas and headed home to meet Sud again and have a few drinks and pizza! He stayed for an hour or so then left us to get some sleep as he could see we were exhausted from not much sleep on the train!

Varanasi

Today is our last day in Varanasi before we head back to Delhi! We are pretty sad as our trip is coming to an end and it has gone way to fast. We decided just to go for a walk around the streets and just explore at our own pace. We had paid a bit extra for a late checkout so we didn’t have to leave till 5pm. We headed down the street in search of a new book for me to read as I finished mine last night. No luck but we did come back with plenty of food for our train trip. They even sold vegemite but wanted me to pay $10 for a small jar and I wasn’t that desperate but I was very excited to see some! We dropped off our supplies at the hotel then headed the other way down along the river. Right near the hotel was a book shop so in I went and came out with a book. We walked a fair way down the river as it wasn’t very busy. I expected it to be a lot busier. The town is definitely crazy and very busy, but along the river was very quiet. There were still plenty of people having baths and washing clothes, people praying and people sleeping and every second person tried to sell us a boat ride! Of course cheaper than what we paid yesterday! The story of our Indian trip!!!! We saw a sign for a German bakery so we followed the sign up some steep steps of the ghat and then into a small, smelly, poo covered alley until we found the bakery. We ordered some lunch and then headed back along the river. We headed back to our rooms to pack our bags and have showers before we left. We had a bit of time left before we had to go the train station so we went to a coffee house we saw earlier and had drinks and used the wifi! We waited for the rickshaw to come that Sud’s friend had organized for us as he was going to help us find our train etc at the station. When he didn’t show we rang Sud to check if he had heard and he called us back to say his friend was stuck in traffic and just get another rickshaw. We were thinking he didn’t like what we paid him the day before so he abandoned us! Sud was very embarrassed and apologized to us, not that it was his fault as he was out of town. We got our own rickshaw no problems as there are plenty right outside the hotel. We paid our young driver and gave him a kangaroo air fresher we had from Australia and he was very excited! He gave us some directions to get into the train station as it was humungous! We walked into the train station and there was basically no security at all! I was quite nervous as we had about 2 hours to wait and there had been a bomb here 3 years ago and there were just people everywhere! I had pre booked first class seats and we had to find our names on a list at the station. We found a list for our train but couldn’t see our names on it. We asked a young man to help us and he spent ages looking for us but couldn’t see us either. I was a little nervous we were not going to get back! I went in search of another list while Rudi looked after the bags and fought off the beggars! I walked up and down the platform dodging beggars and rats running around! Rudi asked the station manager for help and he said the list would be out in 5 minutes and then we realized we were standing with our backs to a desk that now had lots of people gathered around that had the lists! We were there and Rudi got our seat numbers and the train pulled up early! We headed down to our carriage as we watched a very rowdy group trying to push and shove and yell there way on the next carriage. Must have been the normal public carriage, it was a riot! We got on and found our cabin. Unfortunately it was a 4 berth cabin so we were sharing with two others, we were hoping they were another tourist couple but we were not so lucky! Two grumpy old arrogant men came to join us. To cut a long story short we had a huge fight with them as they were both given the bottom bunks, so Rudi and I were split onto the top bunks and had no where to put our bags except in bed with us, no where to sit except on the top bunk where you could hardly fit without hitting your head and every time we wanted to get down to go to the toilet we had to climb on their bed! Was completely stupid! We had one guy on our side telling the guys off but the ticket conductor and the men were not going to change. I was yelling at them saying I was not going to sleep with some strange man under me and that we booked our tickets together and we should have beds together etc and they just ignored me because I was female. Rudi argued with them but we got nowhere. When they kept ignoring me I got really angry and we got nasty! Rudi told them there country was racist and the only reason they were doing this is because we were foreigners. I told them they were arrogant grumpy men who treat their women like slaves! I got excited when I thought Rudi was going to tear the list up in there faces but he wasn’t as much of a drama queen as I hoped so he threw all his stuff on the top bunk and we angrily accepted defeat! I started playing the ipod really loud and said that no one was going to get any sleep and we can all sit and be miserable! I gave up on that after two songs too! Anyway they made there beds and farted then went to sleep snoring there heads off! I laid there furious and eventually fell asleep hugging my backpack!

Varanasi

So up bright and early at 6am which was definitely a struggle! We went downstairs and met Sud’s friend who introduced us to another man who was the boat driver! We said we wanted to wait for Sud as he said he would come and say goodbye to us before we went. His friend rang him and he came to say goodbye. We walked down to the river with the boat driver and got in a boat that didn’t look like it would float for long and I definitely did not want to go for a swim in the Ganges. There were big holes throughout the bottom of the boat but we did make it without sinking so I was very happy about that. We, well our boat man rowed us up and down the river for about 2 hours. It was very foggy when we first got in and we could barely see the other side of the river but as the sun rose it became more visible and was quite peaceful as there is basically nothing on the other side of the river. A few boats that were fishing but that’s about it. We passed a couple of the burning ghats where they burn dead bodies. Apparantly there are 300+ cremations every day and the fires burn 24hours. Babies, pregnant women and special holy men are not cremated instead they are tied to a large rock or piece of marble and taken out into the middle of the river and thrown in. I was quite nervous about seeing all this but to be honest we saw very little. We saw the fires burning but only a few were really burning. We saw one body being carried down the road towards the river but we had seen more on our travels previously. It was actually quite a peaceful place and not really as confronting as I had thought. The river was full of boats rowing up and down and also people with boats selling souvernirs and bird food! Our driver bought some food and fed the very mangy and dirty looking seagulls! The buildings along the river were amazing, most very old. Our driver took us almost back but stopped to let us off and we went to meet Sud’s friend again who was taking us to breakfast. Sud had told us to pay 600 rupees for 2hrs and when we paid the driver 800rupees (a bit of a tip) he looked at us and said it was 600 each! We rang Sud and he said no 600 total so we were being conned again but we gave the driver an extra 200 rupees to keep him happy and headed to breakfast. We went to a nice Japanese run restaurant and had some breakfast and then Sud’s friend had organized to take us on a bit f a city tour in a rickshaw. We went to quite a few temples and the biggest university in Asia. The temples were nothing to exciting and we didn’t spend much time at them. He then took us to an old Mughal town where they hand weave silk. We got to see the process of the silk being woven, the dying of the silk and then hand stitching sequins etc onto the silk. It was quite interesting but then as always we were taken into there shop to ‘see the finished product’. so after more money spent we left an hour or more later. We headed back and paid Suds friend all the rupees we had left on us which wasn’t very much, he didn’t say anything though. We had a sleep as we were both feeling a bit sick. Rudi got up about 5 and went down to the river again to take some photos but didn’t get to take many as he was constantly being talked to by people selling candles and then others wanting to chat. He came back with some medicine for himself to fight off his cold and some iron tablets for me as we have not eaten much meat at all the whole time we have been away and thinking this is the cause of me being so tired. We had memos for dinner again and completely pigged out. Then Rudi decided to attempt some more henna on me so I laid down with my book while he decorated my foot and half way up my leg. It took him a good couple of hours but he was very proud of the end result! It looks fantastic!

Varanasi

After another slight sleep in till about 10 we headed for breakfast where half the stuff we wanted we couldn’t get as they had no electricity. After we ate we called Sud and he said he would come up to talk to us, so we sat for a little while talking about Varanasi and the Ganges. He suggested we go to see the Buddhist ruins about 20k away, we agreed and off we headed. The 20k drive took at least an hour as traffic was horrid. The ruins were very old and in very bad condition, some just a few piles of bricks but there was a large surviving structure built on the spot where Buddha held his first sermon, we walked around the building and were surprised to see there is no entrance! We read the sign nearby explaining that archeologists had drilled a hole down from the top and all that is inside is a stone tablet which basically says it is the exact spot of Buddha’s first sermon. Many Buddhists were praying at the structure and many had stuck gold leaf onto the building. Afterwards we headed to the nearby museum which contained some very old relics, some of which dated back to 300 BC. Then we headed off for lunch to evil Mc Donalds, our first for India! The menu is obviously very different, Bec went with the trusty Mc Chicken which is the same as Aus but I got a Maharaja Mac, which is basically a Big Mac but with really nice spicy chicken. On the way in to Mc D we had to pass through metal detectors and a pat down, out of everywhere so far in India it is probably the most unsafe I’ve felt. We headed back to the hotel and got back at about 330 so we went for a rest before heading back out for the candle ceremony on the Ganges which starts at 530, we then came back and had a car dinner/drinks with Sud as alcohol is not allowed in the hotel and we found a fantastic stall out the front which sold Memo’s (steamed dim sim’s) they were great and after eating we said goodnight to Sud and headed off to bed. Tomorrow we will head out early for a boat ride down the Ganges.

Driving!

Not much for today as all of it was driving, we left the hotel at about 830 with Sud looking quite well considering how much he seemed to drink the night before - I think Bec and I both decided he was either a much better drinker then us or he just was a better actor. We stopped at about 2 for lunch at a roadside diner (Indian style) so a few tables and seats out next to the road and a few pots and pans with food (not a place he would normally take us to but on this trip that’s all there was), Sud asked the owners where the toilet was for us and the man pointed around the back, we all walked around the back and there was no toilet - Sud laughingly said its an open toilet, needless to say Bec decided to give it a miss. We braved some food as Sud ordered for all of us without Bec and I knowing, but it actually tasted really nice and had a good spice to it and so far we feel fine. We arrived in Varinasi at about 630 and it is a very busy city, it took us another hour to find our hotel. Just had some dinner and finally some hot showers! And we are about to go to sleep. Excited about exploring the worlds oldest working city tomorrow!!

Khajuraho

Merry Christmas! Today was actually fairly dull, I was feeling a little sick, had been since the night before which is why I didn’t party as much as Bec did! Had a slight sore throat and was just really tired. We slept in till about 11 and then went out to see the 2nd lot of temples in Kajuraho, we first headed over to the local ATM which was in the opposite direction and did well dodging all the shops and stalls. After getting some funds we headed back to a stall we had a look at yesterday and I bought Bec her Christmas present. Then we headed to one other shop we had looked at the other day which sold scarves as Bec wanted to go buy one - the guy inside called himself super Mario and he actually did look like a very tanned Mario! Finally we headed to the temples with the little boy from the other day in tow explaining everything and anything! We made it to one lot of temples but they were no where near as amazing as yesterdays, less detailed, smaller and also more damaged. By this stage I was feeling really exhausted so we decided to cut our day short and go back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the day. We both caught up on a few hours sleep and then headed down to have some dinner with Sud. Well Sud had already had a fair few drinks I think! He again wanted to have a dance and boy we drew a crowd this time, there were at least 10 people watching us be idiots and a couple who joined in. We decided to cut the night short as we were worried how Sud would pull up in the morning as he was fairly drunk by this stage and our 10 hour drive is tomorrow.

Khajuraho

Well after a sleep in we got up and had some breakfast/lunch! We then headed out on the street and walked to the western temples which was only about 10 minutes down the road. We were very quickly approached by the young boy from yesterday who said you said you would come to my shop today. We said we would come back after we had seen the temples. We were asked constantly as we walked down the street to come look at shops. We made it to the temples and they were pretty amazing. Very detailed like most of the temples we have seen in India but these along with carved images of the gods and animals had some erotic carvings, displaying the karma sutra. Very interesting especially when you hear a guide speaking another language then all you understand is blow job! The erotic carvigns were a minor part of the beautiful temples but different to anything we have seen. We spent a few hours walking around the different temples spread out in the beautiful gardens. Rudi rang back home and spoke to his family as it was their Christmas dinner and we headed back out. We stopped at a mans store on the side of the road that had brass objects and I bought rudi a Gandhi statue he liked for Christmas. Our friend from earlier was waiting for us so we went with him to his shop and like usual bought more stuff! We headed back to the hotel to relax and we got a hot shower…YAY! The day was gone and it was time to head down to the garden for our Christmas celebrations with Sud! We got down there and he wasn’t there yet so Rudi started doing some henna for me. We had bought some earlier in the day as Rudi wanted to give it a go! Very cheap to buy yourself! Anyway rudi picked a very difficult design and off he went. It looks good but he needs a little more practice! He was a bit rushed though because Sud came out and then we felt bad coz we weren’t being very sociable. Anyway we had lots to drink, the boys had a few smokes and again played lots of cards. I told the boys no sleeping before midnight as it wasn’t my Christmas until the 25th so they had to stay awake! We were approached by a stray dog at the table and we had no food except some fresh fruit that Sud had cut up so we gave it some and it scoffed it down. The poor thing was starving. Like always Rudi was brave enough to pat her and she loved it but was also so frightened as they never get pats, they get treated very bad! Later in the night we went to Suds car parked in the carpark and he turned up his cd player pretty loud with some bollywood techno music and we jumped around like idiots in the carpark. Sud was a great dancer and was trying to teach us some moves! We drew an audience! We then went up to our room as the restaurant wanted to close and they were waiting for us to go! So we came up and Sud and I had a few more drinks while Rudi struggled to stay awake! Sud was quite drunk so we had a long deep and meaningful and he got a bit teary when he was saying how much he liked us and he was going to miss us. We gave him our details back home and he told us he had copied it like 5 times and put it in all different places so he would never lose us! He is so sweet. He put me on the phone to his wife and I said Merry Christmas but her English isn’t great so we didn’t say much else! When all the rum was gone and it was almost 2am we walked Sud back to his room and he gave us both big hugs! Was a really special Christmas and one we will never forget. We had a great time!