Page 32 - india

Noel Coward and his uncanny accuracy. I in flesh either – and prepared myself for the Yes, the ghats are quite stunning, and make
enjoyed it though, not having had a good worst. I wasn't to be disappointed. for some interesting walks. But behind ev-
dry scrub walk since Australia, and when I Unlike the dogs, the people on the east bank, ery great man is a great woman, and behind
spotted the plume of blue smoke from the though few in number, were markedly the craziness of the ghats is the even more
main burning ghat in the distance on the friendlier than the inhabitants of the city. I intense insanity of the old city. Like all cities
other side of the Ganges, I headed towards suppose when you're surrounded by dead that grow up steadily and totally unplanned,
the water to get a view of the city on the op- rich people who have been washed up from the old city is chaos, but it's a different sort
posite bank. of chaos from the more normal traffic and
heaven, you lose a lot of your bigotries; ev-
population clash of India's cities; in the old
I soon reached the east bank, which slides ery day you're reminded that we are all dust city of Varanasi the streets are seldom wider
into the murky water without ceremony or in the end, whatever our status in life. than eight feet, so there are no cars or rick-
embankment, and the first thing I noticed Every one of them said hello, and lots of shaws, and there aren't so many people. It
was the smell, the familiar stench of rot- them tried to start a conversation in Hindi sounds like heaven.
ting garbage and sewage, but this time with (though with little success); in the city all I
an added twinge, a sour odour of burned ever got was the usual chanting of 'Hello But of course it's not. You can take the cars
meat; the burning ghats were in full swing, friend, you want cold drink/cigarettes/ho- off the streets but you can't do anything
and the wind wasn't doing me any favours. tel/massage (delete as applicable)?' 'Hello about the cows, and with Varanasi being
I remembered a body that I'd seen from a friend' is an especially irritating phrase; such a holy city, it's packed with wander-
morning boat trip on the river a couple of 'Hello mister' is simply inane and faintly ing bovines. Cows, being docile beasts and
days before – an upper half of the torso only, amusing, and the normal 'Hello sir' the In- fairly slow-moving, are not much of a prob-
body still swathed and the face nothing but dians use is polite and fine by me, but 'Hello lem as you can slide past them pretty easily,
a cleaned skull, not hollow but not covered but 'slide' is the operative word; if you take
friend'?

32 Wine Dine & Travel Spring 2014