Travel 

VARANASSI / BENARES

Monday is Shiva day and in the Indian holy city of Varanassi, that basically means lots of devotional chiloms and charas. This makes it hard for anything else to happen on a Monday. I think it's great how the foreigners get into these customs with such gusto. You must also try the bang lassis if you get the chance. 
  

Varanassi still maintains much of its old architecture especially along the river Ganges which runs along one side of the city, the area known as the Ghats. The Ghats are a series of steps leading to the Ganga stretching in a seemingly continuous strip. Each section has its own name, founder and purpose. Two of the Ghats are reserved for cremation, Varanassi is reguarded as a very holy place to die. There is even a sanitarium with a viewing platform to one of the burning Ghats. The Indians there are just waiting to die so they can be carried downstairs and cremated, their ashes thrown to the holy Ganga. 

As the story goes, the fire that is used for cremation must be bought from an Untouchable that maintains a flames that was said be started by the Lord Shiva. To have your relative cremated you must purchase the flame from this Untouchable, who may ask any price. This is usually determined by a sliding scale of what you can afford, and so an Untouchable (the lowest of the low) has entire Palaces across Indian and is said to be one of the country's richest people. 
  

The touts in Varanassi seemed to be exceptionally virulent. The narrow lane ways may have amplified that effect but they also pursue their victims more voraciously chanting the incessant mantra of "Change Money", "Hash", "Opium", "Marijuhana", "Silk shop", "Massage". One lucky girl, who may have required more tempting (or was she more attractive) was even given the added incentive of "Massage - FULL BODY". She still resisted.