The train is really smooth and quiet, but still only managed a few hours sleep. Drinks people come through constantly once the suns up - chai, nescoffee....

The small town of Mirzapur we arrived in was mental! Decided to get a couple of rooms for the hour we were there - so we could all shower (for the last time in three days) and have some brekkie. Was well worth it.

The streets remind you of a unicef ad - there is rubble everywhere, noise, poor people and lots of little kids. Really amazing and quite surreal.

Arrived at the boats. We weren't quite sure what to expect, but I don't think it was this - three boats (four of us on each) and two skinny wee guys rowing us and all of our luggage for 48Kms a day (for three days). Basically you just lay on the boat 9about 1/4 mtr from water - and watch this amazing Ganges world go by!! People bathing, washing, living, everything!! About 10 mins out we saw a boat load of people offload a body wrapped in muslin cloth into the river. A little later we passed a dead horse and then a pair of legs decomposing in the water! Meanwhile the rowers kept on taking drinks of water from the river!! Guide reckons there faith in the 'Mother Ganges' stops them from being ill.

Had a separate kitchen boat, so we all stopped together and had a lovely lunch - the food is great all veggie.

Stopped up for the night about 5.30pm and put up tents on a sand dune in the middle of the river - amazing. Sat around drinking chai then had another lovely meal by candle light. Went to bed about 9pm as still tied from not sleeping on the train. Kev yelled in his sleep and Megan screamed and scared the shit out of everyone in the camp.

7th Feb

Opened tent to amazing outlook - man in his fishing boat crusing slowing down the Ganges

Had brekkie then took of for another day of lazing around on a boat. Today is much colder though.

Stopped in a little village which was very basic and went into a temple and a school. The kids were very cute. Megan took a photo and all the kids run at her straight away as they wanted to see themselves on the camera. Some little kids were sitting around outside didn't know what was going on. Apparently we were only the second group of westerners to ever go in there.

Went to a mans house (must of been rich as he had a car and a tractor and he also had a bike in his lounge) He played us some music on this type of piano accordian thing. He was singing away but it sounded awful, the sounds had good meanings but they all sounded the same and he woundn't stop. Then one of our boat dudes was we only have 5 mins and started clapping so we could get out of there.

All the village followed us on the way back to the boats and tried conversing with us.

Saw dolpins on the Ganges, can't believe they can survive in that water.

Camped up in a similar place as the night before and had dinner, this time it also included hot chips!

written by  megankevin on February 6, 2007 from Mirzapur, India
from the travel blog: India
Send a Compliment

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hope you are both keeping your head above water and enjoying the scenery, wish we could be with you sometimes!!
How cool is cooler.
Enjoy

written by  Murray Hunt on February 12, 2007

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bloody freezing - I've had the flu for the past couple of days - felt so bad yesterday - but Taj Mahal cheered me up!!

Love yas
Megs

written by  Megan Hunt on February 12, 2007

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