Yesterday we got to Varanasi. It was very dark and we attracted many touts but we found a hotel. The name of the hotel is Shanti Guest House. They have a pool table and a good roof top restaurant.
To get here we got a taxi that made the journey quite a bit comfier than a train or bus. The name of the taxi driver was Sahil. The taxi was blue and said 'Tourist Vehicle' on the side. It got us here a lot faster too - eight hours faster.
Our last day in Khajuraho was spent mostly just relaxing. We slept in and and just walked around. The day before that was spent relaxing too....and some school work - some math and writing and art.
There was a baby peacock that lived at the hotel that we were staying at and we could pet him and feed him. He was cute. Today we went down to the Ganges at 6:00 AM to go on a boat ride. Lots of other people came too because it was organised and paid for by our hotel. So it was free! It was neat to be rowed along the Ganges with the ghats and temples. One temple must have been the leaning temple of Varanasi because it was sinking into the ground on one side. The sun rose as a rosy red and became yellow as it went higher.
When we were back on solid ground we walked down the ghats and just watched life go by. Then we returned to the hotel and had breakfast. Then we went down the ghats in the other direction because Mama wanted to watch a funeral. Hindus believe that if you die in Varanasi you are freed from the cycle of rebirth.
When people die, the family takes their body to the funerary ghat and cremates them right on the riverbank. Once they are cremated, their ashes are thrown into the Ganges. Mama watched one of the funerals for a long time.
We walked back to the hotel and had lunch and played pool with two guys who are staying here. The game ended in a tie.
Then Mama, Papa and Matthew went to send a package and do some other stuff while I stayed and wrote a journal entry.
Jonas
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