Varanasi

The name, Varanasi, conjures up all kinds of emotions, ideas and thoughts. It's a place of shocking reality, unrelenting chaos, and about as unapologetic as a place can be. As the Lonely Planet guide book describes, "it takes no prisoners".

It's a city in sharp contrast to what we know in the west. Here, death is openly celebrated and to be cremated along the banks of the holy Ganges River is the most auspicious place for a Hindu's journey. I visited Manikarnika Ghat today which is the main burning ghat but photos are strongly discouraged and I heard a story of an American couple who were actually roughed up for trying to take photos. I tried to be respectful and left my camera safely tucked away. Even still, I had people coming over to me warning not to take photos. I obliged.

Getting photos here in Varanasi is a real challenge. Cameras are not liked and you are either told off or asked for money if you try to take photos of people, and that's with asking permission first! I've come down with some kind of food bug, as expected in India, so have been laying pretty low. In this city you need all your strength to cope with all that is happening here. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be closer to normal health and can wander around a bit longer.

Here's a few from wandering around the city the last couple of days...

The Candy Maker and The Sadhu

The Kite Runner

The Ghats at Night

During the Day