Varanasi ghats and me (yes, they are burning bodies behind me)


Varanasi


Varanasi


Varanasi


view from my hostel in Varanasi


my last few moments in Delhi, from the roof of my hostel at sunset


I spent one more day in Delhi, visiting the National museum and wandering around India Gate and Connaught Place, and then boarded a night train to Varanasi. The New Delhi train station is very intimidating, with hundreds of passengers lying around waiting for their trains (there are no chairs). I waded through this crush of people to find my train, and within a short time I had found my seat in a second class non-air conditioned sleeper cabin. Within minutes, a young Japanese traveler joined me in my section, and then moments later a Spanish couple came, and then just before the train left, two more Japanese folks joined us. They had assigned all the tourists in one cabin. I guess that explains why we foreigners have to go to a separate office to buy our tickets. At ease in each other's company, we flipped our bunks into position and settled in for the evening. I slept quite well, really, even with the trains roaring by in the opposite direction virtually all night.