DAY 18 : INDIA : en route to Darjeeling

Weather in Varansi : hot, humid, 35o+

 

Breakfast on the terrace on a hot, humid morning overlooking the Assi Ghat.

We walked about the area, finding a great cafe with real coffee, called Open Hands - a western style establishment employing street kids. Great combination.

 

 

Indian thali lunch at the hotel with the artists in residence hard at work.

 

 

Some of the incidental artwork around the guesthouse/ hotel.

 

 

The tour company collected us at 2 pm for the 3.40pm train - such is the traffic in Varanasi.

Most of the time it is as a standstill.

 

 

Waiting at the station - lots of activity and enterprise to feed with fruits in season for passengers as trains arrive  or pass through the station.

 

 

Here is Baba Mark - he's been approached as a holy man on a few occasions!

He has top bunk. Passengers are given a clean blanket, pillow and pillow slip and 2 sheets for the journey. We were also able to buy dinner, neatly provided in alfoil containers - dhal, paneer curry, vegetable curry, rice and chapattis for 85 rupee ($1.50) - and delicious.

I'm giving myself a gold star for mastering an Indian toilet on a crowded train in motion (so to speak!)

 

 

A watch, screw driver, batteries, power boards anyone?

 

 

Massage?

 

 

 

A good night's sleep as we passed rice, corn, wheat, banana and pineapple farming. We were still on the plain - plenty of water for irrigation and arrived at our destination, New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal at 10.00am.

 

M&M

mm_smith@bigpond.net.au