Besides taking baths in the river, Hindu's also prefer to cremate the death near the Ganges. In Varansi there were two main burning Gahts: Harishchnadra Gaht and Manikamika Ghat. It was not unusual to see ten or fifteen corpses being cremated at the same time. Actually, it was a very interesting activity to watch especially for us westerners. First the corps was carried to the Ghat on two bamboo poles, the corps being wrapped in beautiful colored cloth, by family members of the deceased (the oldest is recognizable as his hair is shaved off). Then the corps was lowered in the Ganges to 'wash' the body. Chandals (outcasts who handle the bodies) then placed the body on a pile of firewood, which finally was set on fire. After the ceremony family members took the ashes with them and in most cases - during a short and simple ceremony - throw it in the Ganges. People come from far to do that in Varanasi or Pushkar. But people did more at the banks of the Ganges; they also played cricket, swam, got a shave, sold flowers, got massages and practiced yoga. It was also the spot to watch Sadhu's (holy people, who try to achieve enlightenment, dressed in orange clothing, had long beards and who sometimes took weird poses).

It was also here, along the river, that we wished that India was more cautious of it cultural heritage. It was a pity to see old palaces (some dating back to the 16th and 17th century) deteriorate or sink away in the river. It was also unbelievable for us to watch people using these same ancient buildings as an open 'restroom'. Every day when we walked over the Ghats we couldn't believe our eyes; some people relieved themselves on the Ghats, others took a bath.

Another very interesting aspect of Varansi was the area around the most sacred temple Vishwanath (Golden Temple, which unfortunately was not accessible for non-Hindu's). We enjoyed our walk through the narrow alleys, watching people selling flowers, religious artifacts and praying. Here we also were confronted with the past and still existing hatred between orthodox Hindu's and Muslims. In the past Muslim invaders destroyed many Hindu temples. One Muslim continued this tradition and knocked down the previous Golden Temple and built his Great Mosque over it. Now armed guards - as well as video camera's and metal detectors - protect the mosque (which was surrounded by a huge fence) against extreme Hindu's who want to destroy it like they did in Ayodhya.

One early morning we took a boat ride on the Ganges which normally is the best way to observe the activities on the Ghats. Unfortunately the fog that morning was so thick that we only could hear the sounds of bathing, bells and praying people. It was however a very mystic sight, these old palaces partly covered by fog. With a not too customer friendly 'official' guide we explored the New Vishwanath temple on the campus of the Benarv Hindu University and the Durga Temple (commonly known as the Monkey temple due to the many monkeys that made it their home).

On the 24th of January we took the Varansi Jodhpur Marudhar Express to Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal! And we were lucky, this time the train was only delayed by seven hours.

Around noon we arrived in the former capitol city of India (this was during the 16th and 17th century under the Mughals), 663 km northwest of Varanasi. After we purchased tickets for the night bus to Ajmer we took an auto-rickshaw to one of the most famous buildings in the world; the Taj Mahal. We were warned by other backpackers, but still I couldn't keep myself from laughing sarcastically when we had to pay 505 rupees entrance fee per person (India people pay 15 rupees), a fee which was increased with more 490 rupees since the 1st of January.

However, we were impressed with the construction, which took 22 years to complete (1631 - 1653). A total of 20,000 people worked on this memorial for the 2nd wife of Emperor Shah Jahan (he was devastated after her death and therefore built this enormous memorial). It is a magnificent building. Three red sand stone entrances (east, south and west) surround the Taj. After we passed the main entrance (west) we entered a simple garden with a nice watercourse, in which we saw the reflection of the Taj. The Taj Mahal itself was made of white marble, but only when you closely walk by it you can see the beautiful colored stones which were inlaid into the marble in beautiful patterns. Four tall minarets stand on each corner of the raised platform (also marble) on which the Taj stands. It was great pleasure to just lay down on the cold marble and look at the white structure in combination with the blue sky. From here we also saw the fort in which the emperors lived (and where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his own son, until his death in 1666).

Only 10 minutes by auto-rickshaw from the Taj Mahal, we visited Agra Fort. A very kind and knowledgeable guide toured us around for more than an hour. The fort initially (1565 AD) was a military structure but it gradually became a palace. Our guide showed us fine details of the many different buildings like the Shish Mahal (or Mirror Palace; harem and dressing rooms which walls were inlaid with tiny mirrors), a small mosque called Nagina Masjid, the Hall of Private Audiences and many other interesting places. It was great to wonder around and to imagine how the people here lived at that time. Interesting was to see that Hindu and central Asian architectural designs were mixed.

That night we took the night bus to Ajmer, which took about 9 hours. Around 05:00 hours we arrived in Ajmer. From there we hired an auto-rickshaw to drive us to Pushkar, about 12-km northwest of Ajmer.

Only a few years ago Pushkar was known among travelers as a mellow, serene, quiet and hassle free little town. For these reasons we made it our travel destination. However, this town showed us clearly what tourism can do - in a negative way. The main street was one big bazaar and reminded me of Kathmandu's Thamel area. It was horrible! And yes, this was one of these places where you can see those 'crazy' westerners, dressed in weird clothing (sold everywhere and these people think they look like Indian people, however, none of the locals wear these ridiculous outfits). Sometimes I wonder what the Indian people think of us western folks. However, we found ourselves a great hotel; Hotel Pushkar Palace. A great place on the little Pushkar Lake. The palace once belonged to the maharaja of Kishangarh. It had a nice little garden with comfortable chairs and a great view over the lake and the surrounding houses. During three days we read, talked and enjoyed drinking ginger tea in the sun.

Like Varanasi, Pushkar has many ghats on which people gather to take baths in the lake or just sit and relax. However, it was also a very strict religious town. No alcohol, no drugs were allowed or sold and even the use of eggs and meat was prohibited. This made it a heaven for vegetarians. Buffet style restaurants were very popular in Pushkar, and every night we ate some place new and enjoyed good food. In the evening we could relax in our hotel garden where little wood fires burned to keep us warm.

Late in the evening on the 29th of January we left Pushkar by bus (approximately 12 hours). Jaisalmer, situated in the middle of the Thar Desert, lies very close to Pakistan (and therefore has a huge military base). Most visitors like Jaisalmer for two things; its fort and camel safari's through the desert. Arriving in Jaisalmer, the fort looks very impressive; sand colored, with huge walls rising above the city. However, once in the fort it disappointed us. Old buildings - including the wall - were ripped away for building material. Some buildings were just a pile of rubble. Despite all that we decided to stay in one of the many guesthouses inside the fort. Our room had a superb view over the city to the west. The rooftop garden was a great place to gather a have something to eat.

The bazaar area - outside the fort - was a nice network of small streets and narrow alleys. Here we visited two impressive mansions once built by wealthy merchants. These fine sandstone buildings were known as Haveli's. It was a joy to visit these buildings which, fortunately, were being restored. One cannot visit Jaisalmer without going on a camel safari. Together with three Brits and two Dutch we left Jaisalmer in a jeep, which brought us 40 km outside the city. Soon after we found ourselves each on the back of a huge camel, managed by five guides. Sitting on these animals was fun for about one hour, after that our behinds hurt like crazy. That made me decide to also walk parts ( a camel walks very slowly). The terrain was not like the Sahara (with big sand dunes) which to some of us was rather disappointing. However, the area gave us a nice impression of how local people lived as well as the power of the sun. During the day it was very hot and only a view trees were big enough to offer us shade during the breaks. The guides (three adults and two teenagers) were kind and helpful. During the two days (and one night) they cooked our meals on a wood fire. The night we spent in a sand dune (at last) which was comfortable. It was great to see the stars at night, while lying on and under a thick layer of blankets. It was an interesting experience but I was glad to leave the camels behind after two days. I prefer horses.

After a very quick (4,5 hours) and comfortable bus ride, we arrived in Jodhpur, the second largest city of Rajastan and well known for its many sandstone quarries. That evening we checked-in in the Govind Hotel, a popular place among backpackers mainly because of its central location and its rooftop restaurant. The old city is surrounded by a 10-km long wall, dating back to the 16th century. The most interesting place to visit is the Meherangarh Fort, built on a 125 meters high hill. The foundation of this fort was laid on 12 May 1459. This fort is still managed by the current maharaja. On our way to this impressive fort - by auto rickshaw - we passed a beautiful marble memorial called Jaswant Thanda. It was a peaceful place with excellent views. In the end, Saske and I found the fort the most impressive we had seen. The main gates were enormous, protected with huge spikes against elephants - used to destroy the gates. On the wall besides the Lahapol gate we were shown the 15 handprints (called sati marks) of Maharaja Man Singh's windows (of course they had several wives) who threw themselves upon his funeral pyre in 1843 (how devoted can you be?). These prints still attract devotional attention. Inside the fort we visited many beautiful decorated rooms and courtyards. To the disappointment of many rickshaw drivers outside the main gate, we walked down to the city center. We had a beautiful view at the city, also referred to as the 'blue city' because many houses were painted blue to distinguish them as those of the Brahmins (the upper caste).

That afternoon we wanted to splurge. Staying at budget hotels all the time made us 'hungry' for some luxury. Therefore we decided to visit the current residence of the Maharaja - Umaid Bhawan Palace - which partly was turned into a very luxurious hotel. The construction of this huge sandstone building was completed in 1943 (it took 15 years to build), only a few years before the independence of India. The building was very impressive as well as the room rates; a basic double cost US$220, the most expensive one (a Maharani suite) US$990 per night. Unfortunately this hotel was not open to non-guests, so we had to buy our way in. By paying 330 rupees (US$9 which was deductible from any food or drink purchase) we were allowed to enter this world of royal luxury. That afternoon we drank tea and soda's and ate sandwiches on the hotel patio overlooking an enormous lawn with croquette field. With big smiles on our faces, we relieved ourselves in huge restrooms, this time we weren't forced to bring our own toilet paper! The evenings in Jodhpur were pleasant, enjoying a good thali and a cool Kingfisher beer. Despite of what people told us, we enjoyed Jodhpur. It was also in this city that we visited a movie theatre to watch a popular Hindi movie. It was great to watch people around us becoming emotional; it was only 15 minutes after the movie started that a young fellow next to Saske was crying after - apparently - a rather 'touchy' scene. We however didn't stay for the full 3 hours; our eardrums couldn't possibly handle that as well as our 'limited' understanding of the Hindi language. Tonight we will take the overnight Mandor Express to Delhi, the capitol city of India, 623 km north of Jodhpur.

On the 5th of February we arrived early (06:30 hours, and hardly delayed) at Old Delhi Railway Station. We checked-in in a grubby place in the Paharganj area, near New Delhi Railway Station. As it was the last day of Saske in India, we went hunting for souvenirs most of the day. In the United Coffee House at Connaught Place we had an excellent lunch. It was weird to see my mother go back to the Netherlands, after traveling with her for the last month. During our travels together we got a lot of reactions to the 'mother-son' fellowship. We had a great time together and I appreciate the fact that we were able to do this, which is in fact an unique experience. And I must say that I admire my mother for dragging a backpack around, staying in budget hotels and eating in 'weird' places, all this at the age of 56.

In the meantime I bought a train ticket for my next destination, Cochin (Kochi) in the southern province of Kerala. I will leave on the 8th of February and will arrive there almost 48 hours and more than 2800 km later. Kerala is a 'rich' province (99% literacy rate) which has a lot to offer. And Kochi has some Dutch history - which I am eager to explore - dating back to 1663, when the Dutch VOC kicked out the Portuguese.