I had only 4 hours sleep, after that "pilgrimage" yesterday I was a bit jaded. I was quite pleased I'd decided on flying rather than the train. The plane was leaving at 2:40, I had plenty of time but I maybe needed it. The domestic airport is a bit like the LCCT in KL. Quite a way from the main one and not that straightforward to get to. It did have a shuttle bus but I'd heard it was unreliable. For this reason I aimed to leave at 10:00am.
In order to save money, I had decided to travel ontge metro rather than get a auto rickshaw (tuktuk) or taxi. It was still early so not hot and the metro station is only about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. My deal at the hotel was reasonable, 1100 rupees per night. Pissed off about the Internet though. When I'm back I think I'll go to the other hotel and negotiate a better price.
There is one thing that really pisses me off about the metro in Delhi, the pushing. This time I decided to bite back. What would probably get you a smack in the gob in the UK, or any other European city goes here. When someone pushed me, I pushed back. And even got a sorry or a smile.
The security in Delhi is very thorough. Metro stations have the same sort of security as airports, with the added soldier behind a pile of sandbags with a mounted automatic gun. I'll check out the price of a auto rickshaw next time, it is a hassle with a back pack. One a new Delhi train station it's easy. The airport metro express is never full and it's quite a relaxing journey. The total door to door price is just short of 100 rupees. That's about £1:30. Compare that with the tube to heathrow!
Even when I was at the airport it was easy and convenient to get to terminal one and the domestic air terminal. The buses ram every 20 minutes and were free if you were taking a connecting flight. 25 rupees if you were just flying domestic. Once again, I was amazed at how nice the airport was. It was nothing like the experience of four years ago. I was travelling with spice jet, one of the low cost carriers in India. It's not as cheap as air Asia but ok. I had a coffee and a chicken pasty before check in. Some of the Indians in the service industry, especially the younger ones are just unhelpful, miserable fuckers. No smile, throw your change at you. I hope it's not flooding the UK.
Once I had got airside , I wished I had waited for something to eat and drink. The chicken pasty I had eaten was not nice at all. Here there was plenty of good looking food. Indian and western. I sat down and waited for the flight, enjoying the people watching. The flight left on time. It was only an hour to the east of Delhi and we actually landed ahead of schedule. Again, very impressed with the airport, very modern. The commonwealth games had certainly done the trick.
I had written the name of a hotel on my pad, conscious that the taxi touts will probably take you to the one they know. I got a price of 400 rupees for the 22km ride, it was about 200 rupees below the going rate but I shared it with a soldier. Both India and Nepal seem to have no problem with blokes just stopping in the street a d having a pee. I had noticed it in Nepal, especially at the side of the highway, here they do it in the city too, despite the fact that there seems to be plenty of urinals. On the way to the city I must have seen about 10 people, men and women just equating in the field by the side of the road having a shit. I'm really not sure about this!!
I had asked my taxi to take me to Assi Ghat. This is the most northerly of the ghats in Varanasi. The hotel I had chosen to write down was in the lonely planed and did look quite smart, but perhaps at the top end of what I was willing to pay. It did recommend that you booked. When I arrived they did have a room but it was 4000 rupees per night, granted, it had a view of the Ganges but it was way over what I wanted to spend. The taxi driver told me he knew of a good hotel, just around the corner. It was OK, basic but clean and only 700 per night. Including taxes. I had mentally prepared myself to pay in the region of 2000 rupees per night so this was a bargain.
Before the taxi left he gave me his number and said he could take me back to the airport on Tuesday. He told me that it would be 600 rupees and it wouldn't be a share. I'll think about it. The hotel had Internet but not wireless, that's not a huge problem. After leaving my stuff in the room I had a little wander, this time remembering to take a card so at least I knew where I was staying. The hotel did have a restaurant but it was all veg (I love the way meat eaters are called Non Veg). Today I was a non veg. There are couple of things unusual about Varanasi. One is the non veg restaurants are In the minority, the other is that there is no alcohol close to the Ganges. If you like your meat and like a beer with it then you are in the wrong place. I guess it won't hurt for a few days! Given I've got a cheap room, the veg food is obviously cheaper than the non veg and the is no alcohol this is probably going to be a cheap few days.
Each evening the is a puja on Assi Ghat to prey to the sun going down on the Ganges, it's apparently not as impressive as one of the bigger ghats but nevertheless it was an atmospheric first night in Varanasi as I ate my mushroom. Pizza and sipped my 7 up. It had been a long day and given the previous journey to Agra I was knackered. I was bed for 7:00. A pillow was provided but no cover apart from the bottom sheet. My sarong would do. It has come in very very useful...
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Location:Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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