Varanasi

So we arrived in Varanasi and checked into our fantastic hotel, (suriya). It had a pool and a courtyard with tables. Our room had a bath. We did not use it but it was nice to have a shower without soaking the whole room.

We arrived in Varanasi in late afternoon and we were very tired so we just chilled and ate in the hotels lovely restaurant. We planned to get up the next day and do the whole dawn Ganga boat ride thing but we did not.
We just chilled in the morning and headed to the Ghats in the afternoon. We could not get dropped directly to the main Ghat and we ended up getting lost and ending up by Assi Ghat the furthest one from our original plan. We engaged the services of a boat man and ended up cruising on the delightfully dirty Ganges.
We cruised passed the two Ghats where bodies are burned on the edge of the river, palaces, normal Ghats, and many other boats and such. Apparently there are 365 Ghats.
We watched the ceremony of light and I light a candle and floated it on the river as is tradition. Unfortunately my hand accidentally touched the water. I shudder again at the thought. My right hand is now my Ganga hand.
Terry still will not touch it, in case he catches Ganga hand. The river is so filthy you can actually see fecal matter in it; I am worried my hand will fall off.
The ceremony was cool and watching life on the Ganges River was amazing. We passed by the two burning Ghats the bigger one operates 24 hours a day. When we passed there were 11 cremations going on. The family has to pay depending on the type and how much wood is used. Women are not allowed at the burning Ghats as they are not considered strong enough to behave with dignity and also to prevent women jumping on the funeral pyre, as was once traditional.
The next morning we did the dawn boat journey and watched as people washed in the Ganges. The boatman this time was about 10 years old. I cannot tell you how shocking it was to watch people going through their morning ablutions in such filthy water. Absolutely filthy. I mean there was a constant flow of effluent floating past us.
For many people they wash in the Ganga as they have no choice, for others they wash there because of the religious significance. The men often just wear underpants during their bathing but the women have to wash fully dressed.
I am not quite sure how that works.
We then left Varanasi and headed to Agra.