A Hot Damn in Haridwar

I spent just one night in Haridwar but I could tell the city was different than the others I had visited along the sacred Ganga. It was a city for Indian tourists not their Western counterparts.

I loved Varanasi but after visiting Haridwar I learned that I loved it because the city had been tailored to western needs. Sure, Varanasi is one of the holiest spots along the Ganga and it's swarming with Hindu pilgrims, but the big city is also a haven for international travellers and it can be seen in the restaurants, the oodles of internet cafes and the inexpensive accommodation. Haridwar on the other hand, wasn't nearly as affordable as Varanasi nor was it as easy to find to a place to grab Chinese food.




I didn't have much time in Haridwar so I spent the afternoon walking up and down the ghats looking at everything for sale. It was a Hot Damn of a day so I sat myself under a tree and people watched for a bit, too.










Bathing in the Ganges is popular all along it's banks. Haridwar is an especially popular spot because it's one of the seven holiest places to Hindus. I don't get the throwing garbage everywhere thing, but at this point, whatever.



This kid swore the cow wasn't girlfriend. I didn't believe it for a minute.



Because Haridwar was my last stop before home, I decided on a little henna. If I have any advice for anyone going to India, make sure you agree on a price before you commit to something. This was the only time I didn't confirm a price and they totally took advantage of me. The henna should have cost about $4 CAD but they tried to make me pay $12. Fortunately, Indian men do not respond well to crying and I got them down to about $6.

Pennies for a Puja

We spent four days in Varanasi and it was a rather inspiring place, so this is not the last Varanasi blog post.



At night the river bank is crowded with people (mostly men because you don't see a lot of women out at night). There's singing and praying as the town puts the river to sleep for the evening.


Women and children sell small offerings to make a puja (a prayer) with. You're meant to give the river the offering.






The first full day Emily and I were in Varanasi it happened to be the same day as the Kite Festival.


There were hundereds of kites in the sky over Varanasi that day. Children and adults take part in the kite flying and cutting and running. We were lucky enough to meet Vishnu, a local shop owner who invited us up to his roof to take part in the festival.


It was great to see Varanasi from a roof top. To get away from the crowded, tourist-cramped labyrinth below, families who own shops in the city find refuge above. They eat, play and even sleep on their rooftops when the weather is right. Today especially, the whole city was out to watch the kites.


This is one of the little fellows we met on Vishnu's roof. He was wearing a Canadian tuxedo and ear muffs even though it had to be at least 25 degrees Celsius. He was quite the kite flyer, as was Vishnu. I wasn't too bad myself, either. Emily may have had a few problems, though.

Varanasi on the Ganga

From Delhi we headed West to Varanasi, one of the holiest cities for Hindus on the Ganga. Pilgrims swarm to the river bank to bath in holy water of the Ganges, they congregate in the evening for music and prayer during the evening ceremony, and they bring loved ones to die in the city and have their ashes spread along the river.

Varanasi was one of those cities where I could sit by the river for hours doing absolutely nothing and I was completely content. While we sat in the sun on the steps by the river, kids flew kits, travellers played music and pye dogs (stray dogs) wrestled one another. There was even a pick-up cricket game taking place on the river bank.

After a relaxing first day hanging out at near Pandey Ghat we woke up early the next morning for two Varanasi musts: a sunrise boat tour and early-morning yoga.


The boat tour was about an hour and cost each of us 100 Rupees, or about $2 CAD.




Our guide told us that lots of people think the Ganga is dirty and polluted, but he swore it wasn't. Nevermind the human remains that float down the river, the garbage on its shore and general lack of waste removal in all of India. But, it's their river and they can do whatever they'd like with it, I guess.






There were a ton of seagulls out in the morning. But, they weren't overly aggressive and didn't try to steal my french fries like they do in Vancouver.


Everything in the city, and pretty much the whole country, is painted some sort of brilliant colour. It's beautiful and even on dreary days the colours really put a positive touch on things.