Day 174, near Varanasi to Bhandhav Garh, India

Sunrise on the
Ganges

Early start this morning, up at 6.00, although we were all awake way before that due to a prayer being 'broadcast ' really loudly nearby, which started at 3.40 and went on for hours. Breakfast toast and porridge, whipped up by the 'cooking crew', then a short boat ride to the meeting point with the van. Unfortunately the train we meant to catch was delayed, and as soon as it's delayed for at least 4 hours, plan B kicks in and we take the van instead. There was a hassle with a control point on a state line, so we went back and forth a couple of times, making the trip 12 hours in total. However.... We went through some awesome villages, where children splash naked under the pump (no running water or drains here), you see women in beautiful colourful saris working in the fields or walking with huge baskets on their head and men struggling along with rickety bikes on bumpy roads. We even saw a live cow in the front cabin of a truck, like a passenger!

Our boats

Girls in uniform off to school, and a boy with his hair perfectly combed, holding his brothers hand, walking to school. Everyone smiles and waves at us, not many tourists come through here (they usually go by train obviously), so many comments in the bus, oh, did you see that, wow, look over there! So in the end, you get to see so much, even when delayed it can be a good thing. There are a couple on the bus who are struggling with some of the unexpected (or they may have had different expectations) and are quite negative; a shame as I think their eyes are closed to the positive experiences.