city of light

We are in the holy city of varanasi and it is very hot! Pilgrims come from all over the country (and world) to bathe in the holy Ganga, despite the pollution issues (none of us have bathed yet). It is an especially auspicious place to day, and we received a short lecture describing the cremation process in detail from one of the locals. There is a lot of atmosphere to soak in just walking up and down the streets of the old city and the river ghats (temples with steps leading into the river), but also a lot of attention from locals trying to sell goods and services. The rikshaw touts are especially frequent and persistant (they don't appreciate our efforts to walk, eventhough we explained we had just been on a train for 13 hours and needed to streatch our legs). Dad has enjoyed purchasing random objects, like a prayer bead necklace, a bag, a scarf, and other various items. The trip to the silk workshop was particualarly entertaining since they dressed my father up in a sary after Janet refused to participate.