Where the dead go

It's been a little bit since the last post. We've been taking it very slow for the last few beats. Amberly has a good post with some highlights. Pictures will go up by the end of the week.

We arrived in Varanasi yesterday, to much bustling and goings on. Since the train station and a temple were bombed here last week, security has been heightened. Compounded with the fact that the raucous Holi festival starts tonight, there has been much activity on the streets! It seems the city has recovered well from the bombings, and the atmosphere is fairly normal, if reportedly subdued for a major holiday.

Nevertheless, our stay in Varanasi has been nothing short of magical. We are staying right on the Ganges, off a quieter ghat that was once so austentatiously built that it sank into the river! It had to be rebuilt... The entire riverside is paved with ghats, each with its own sponsor and special significance. We witnessed a sunset puja last night and people-watched on the steps. This morning, we took a pre-dawn boat-ride. I'm still composing my thoughts about the experience, but...wow.

This afternoon, we found a great little bakery and restaurant that supports a school for poor children in the area, bakes a mean brown bread and sells real cheese!!! Such a treat to have a cheese plate, I can't even tell you.