Earth Tour: Day 7 - Varanasi - The People on the River & Our New Room

I knew we would have to switch rooms today as someone else had already booked our lovely room 12 with the large balcony.

Our original room #12 was very similar to a Turkish prison cell for white collared criminals. There is bed (cot) which is nothing more than a wooden plank topped with a 2" mattress. There is a functioning western toilet, tiny sink and shower. Room #12 had become our home away from home - the initial shock had just worn off and now we were moving again.

If room #12 was like a Turkish prison cell, then room #1 is an Iranian torture chamber (this photo is the view from outside our door - creepy huh?). Our two suitcases pretty much took up the whole room. There is a bed in the center which leaves little room to walk and the toilet, sink and the shower are all located in a 3.5' x 5' room. The shower head points right at the toilet so one can basically relieve themselves and shower at the same time. :) To top it all off, there is a constant smell of animal urine that seeps in from underneath our door which faces the winding staircase that leads to the ghats on the river. BUT I must mention, our room has a private little balcony that we can step onto when we can no longer stand the smell of the room. :)

The food at the rooftop restaurant at Ganpati is tasty I will admit. They have western style food and their coffee is excellent. I've come to learn, however, that I can only order one dish at a time because I don't have enough hands to guard against the flies that swarm around my plate. My egg noodle soup tasted excellent once I spooned out the bugs that landed in it. :)

More river photos today. You cannot get enough shots of the people here...it is different every day. The detailed stories of the individuals who come to this river are all unique. Some come to pray, some come to grieve, some come for luck, some come to find redemption.