Sunday was a free day for me, since school was out. So Daisy and I set off bright and early for her dance class, and then we were off to see the sights. We first s
aw several more temples, I apologize for not remembering the names but in my defense, they were very long names in Hindi and thus hard for me to remember, much less
differentiate from one temple to the next. After our temples, we stopped for a snack at a samosa stand, yum! And, it was served on a leaf. Only in India. We then proceeded down to the Ganges River, which Varanasi is famous for. 
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India, largely due to the river. There are a lot of Hindu myths that are located in Varanasi, and rivers in general are frequently regarded as holy because of the source of life they give. So every morning people come by the thousands to bathe in the river (ironically, it is filthy). They also believe if you die in Varanasi, you break the cycle of reincarnation.
Daisy and I were on our way to the river, and then we were going to see a music teacher that taught a friend of mine how to play the tabla, Indian drums. Well, as we were walking down the street we hear a man call out, “Ma’am, ma’am!” I thought it was just another guy trying to talk to a Westerner, trying to sell them something or get their attention, so I kept walking. But then he called out my name! Daisy and I were both shocked at this, as I knew virtually no one in Varanasi. So we were a little freaked out at this point, and even more so when he invited us into his store. But then he relieved our anxiety by telling us that he was the music teacher we were planning on visiting and he was expecting us (via my friend telling him of my arrival).
So after we all had a good laugh about that, he gave a demonstration on the tabla, which was amazing. We even sang along to his playing; it was quite fun. He and his family were so hospitable. They live above his shop, so his wife came down and brought us lunch, then we set off for the river. One of the most famous places along the river is where their cremation takes place. Again, extremely public. So we watched that for a bit, and then headed down to the beach to catch a boat ride. That was a very nice way to experience the Ganges and see Varanasi. Afterwards we had dinner with them, saw the monkies that frequent Varanasi and family of mice that live with them, and then headed back to Sarnath.
aw several more temples, I apologize for not remembering the names but in my defense, they were very long names in Hindi and thus hard for me to remember, much less
differentiate from one temple to the next. After our temples, we stopped for a snack at a samosa stand, yum! And, it was served on a leaf. Only in India. We then proceeded down to the Ganges River, which Varanasi is famous for. 
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India, largely due to the river. There are a lot of Hindu myths that are located in Varanasi, and rivers in general are frequently regarded as holy because of the source of life they give. So every morning people come by the thousands to bathe in the river (ironically, it is filthy). They also believe if you die in Varanasi, you break the cycle of reincarnation.
Daisy and I were on our way to the river, and then we were going to see a music teacher that taught a friend of mine how to play the tabla, Indian drums. Well, as we were walking down the street we hear a man call out, “Ma’am, ma’am!” I thought it was just another guy trying to talk to a Westerner, trying to sell them something or get their attention, so I kept walking. But then he called out my name! Daisy and I were both shocked at this, as I knew virtually no one in Varanasi. So we were a little freaked out at this point, and even more so when he invited us into his store. But then he relieved our anxiety by telling us that he was the music teacher we were planning on visiting and he was expecting us (via my friend telling him of my arrival).
So after we all had a good laugh about that, he gave a demonstration on the tabla, which was amazing. We even sang along to his playing; it was quite fun. He and his family were so hospitable. They live above his shop, so his wife came down and brought us lunch, then we set off for the river. One of the most famous places along the river is where their cremation takes place. Again, extremely public. So we watched that for a bit, and then headed down to the beach to catch a boat ride. That was a very nice way to experience the Ganges and see Varanasi. Afterwards we had dinner with them, saw the monkies that frequent Varanasi and family of mice that live with them, and then headed back to Sarnath.
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