My hostel was in a part of the city that was like a labyrinth, old, very narrow, some of them dead-end, and in a place overlooking the Ganges. I chose this place from Lonely Planet, but I found it with great difficulty, on my adventurous return to Nepal, night after night… But I was happy, because it was close to the famous Burning Ghat and had a view of the Ganges. But it wouldn’t be a lie to say that I was wrong about choosing this hostel, which was so close, the next day, after visiting the famous Ghat, and I stayed one more night and escaped from the city. The place in the photo is the back (street) side of the most famous Burning Ghat on the banks of the Ganges River. The wood taken from here is carried to the front, and the dead Hindus brought are burned 24 hours a day on a few terraces in the front, on the banks of the Ganges. After understanding what that strong smell that I had been smelling in many places in India and even in my room in Varanasi was, after smelling the burning meat from up close and from the bottom (and I am a vegetarian!)… I do not regret going there, seeing what I saw, I think it is an experience that needs to be experienced, but I guess I didn’t expect this much. While I was watching the burning from the old building with its giant cool balcony and magnificent view of the Ganges, when I averted my eyes and watched the river, I noticed a swollen, drifting person that I saw floating, I couldn’t stand it anymore, I was done. I felt goosebumps, but what I saw wasn’t enough, I saw something worse next morning, during the boat ride, and I congratulated myself for my decision to leave there as soon as possible. After all, you go there ready to see the burned ones, but India is truly “Amazing!”, as they say in their advertisements. a place. (Their slogan is “Incredible India”) You don’t even need a special meditation, when you spend enough time there, you inevitably change; those people and their lives are so different! I got used to the smell of India, but I couldn’t get used to the smell of Varanasi. The city overwhelmed me with many things. Even though I went there having read and knew many things beforehand… The Ganges is a very big river, it was very dirty in Varanasi (it was clean in Rishikesh), it was brown and very cold, especially in the morning… At least when I was watching what was burned the day before. , I looked around and saw the swollen man drifting in the river, as well as the stinky, lifeless bodies I saw in the river that morning… I asked my boatman about them, he said; While bathing in the river every day, 3-5 people would pass by who were swept away by the current because they could not swim. These were daily events, normal in this crowd! Now that I think about it, I grumble, but some of the things I saw there were truly unique. What I noticed in Varanasi were moments that were short but very meaningful, that struck everyone who saw them and made them feel like their brains were shot. I guess that’s why it hit me… Mavimore Tourism is a travel agency registered with TÜRSAB. Document number: A-8307