Varanasi

But first, a few more pics if the train from Mark's phone.

The list stuck to the wall at platform tells us who's where.

Pig roots in rubbish. There is so much rubbish along the train line. All thrown from the train. But all the little villages we pass by are surrounded by rubbish too. People eat, sleep, work, play, cook, clean, wash and live amongst piles of rubbish.

So, we are relieved. After 17 hours we are very happy to be getting off the train. We are tired, sweaty, but happy. After about 30 seconds I want back on the train!!

You'll have to take my word for it because by now my phone had given up and Mark had more pressing things on his mind than pics, but OMG, Mughalsarai train station was intense.

People were literally everywhere. We had to weave our way through with our bags as people grabbed the boys arms and tried to touch them. There were so many street families here. In the time it took us to get from the platform to outside of the station I had seen some pretty shocking and heartbreaking things. 

We make it to a Rickshaw and somehow the driver crams us and our luggage on. The streets are crazy. The heat is terrific. The sound of horns is constant and deafening. We speed along, overtaking bikes, squeezing through gaps between trucks, dodging cows and children. It is a whole new level of extremes. I look at the boys and start to doubt this plan!

Room for one more.

The roads opens up on the bridge, thank goodness.

The Ganges.

Varanasi Old Town is a maze of narrow streets and rickshaws can only go so far. We are left in the road and told to head that way! We set off in the heat as a sea of people moves towards us. There's traffic too which is confusing as we'd been dumped out of our Rickshaw. It's not long before we are in another Rickshaw adult becomes apparent we couldn't have walked the rest of the way. 

Out again we weave through narrow alleys which still contain motorbikes but also cows! Just strolling along, eating rubbish, doing their cow business. There's a strong smell of toilet everywhere and having not eaten properly since midday yesterday we are feeling pretty exhausted. 

But,we make it to our Guesthouse. 'Just like home!' it says above the door. The boys beg to differ. We have been in our room for about 5 minutes and Freddy shouts 'rat!', 'theres a rat under the bed'. He then decides it's a mouse. We are not sure. Things aren't what we hoped they'd be, but we CAN do this. (That's what Mark and I keep telling ourselves) 

We rest, we shower, we head out for food. We dodge people, follow that cow, try and avoid getting scammed, so many people want to help!! It's all abit much. By 6pm we eaten delicious homemade pasta ( I know!!!???) purchased a charger and SIM card, booked an Indian cooking lesson for tomorrow and managed not to step in any cow poo! We call it a night.

Our room then fills up with flying ants when we open the door to use adjoining bathroom. Just as we turn off the lights a mad clanging of bells starts up and gets louder and faster and ends in some mad croshendo! Then, just as we are falling into a blissful sleep a man walks into our room!!!

This is gonna be fun.