The Magic of Varanasi

Being here is really quite an amazing experience. It is absolutely amazing and surprising. Varanasi is known in India to be one of the holiest cities in India. It is the city of Shiva. Being here offers moksha - liberation from the cycle of birth and death. As I mentioned before, Varanasi is on the Ganges River; a river of salvation and a symbol of everlasting hope to past, present, and future generations. There are what seems like 100's, though probably only several dozen ghats on the river (ghats are where bodies are cremated, and then sent down the river). Today I woke up, had breakfast, and walked from the farthest ghat South, the Assi ghat, almost to the end. The river has been very high because of the monsoon, so it was very muddy. That was interesting time, sloshing through the mud with Indians - it was quite a bonding experience. One woman helped me through, as she saw me almost fall on my ass. Then I dipped my legs into the holy river, and washed away my sins at my feet.
The river is quite ironic, as there is the entire city's, and probably more than Varanasi's, sewage drained into it. There are hundreds, and at times thousands, of people bathing in the river, washing their teeth, and cleaning their bodies with soap - as they are washing with shit and piss. Yummy...so fresh and so clean, clean.
From what I had heard, as a female coming to India alone, I was pretty nervous and slightly uneasy. But the people are so friendly. I met and sat with some people from age 12 - 22 for about 40 minutes and it was great. We were on one of the ghats, shooting a B-B gun, and laughing it up. I think also maybe because I am a little used to the men in this area of the world, I have learned to put up 'blinders' and 'ear muffs' and just go about my business.
All in all it is great.
The only downside it how fucking hot it is here. Shit! It was 36 degrees C today, and sooooooooo humid. It reminds me of being in Mexico, with the heat. The never ending sweat pouring down my face, and always feeling sticky. Maybe that's why people don't care about bathing in the river.
I kid. I kid. It is a truly spiritual place, and holds a certain magic that I have never felt in any city before.
It is so interesting to be here alone. I thought it would kind of suck, and that I would get bored. But I think that having such an independent experience is really allowing me to connect with the people, in a way I probably wouldn't if I was traveling with someone.