MagnusAndCheryl in India

Sacre Coo!

The warren of winding streets that line the banks of the holy Ganges in Varanasi are full of saffron-robed holy men and sacred cows.

Cows take gleeful advantage of their sacred status - laying steaming landmines across the dimly lit roads, blocking streets entirely as they munch garbage and generally making a royal nuisance of themselves.

The Burning Ghat

Hindus from all over come to die at Varanasi to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth. Bodies are burned in the open by the Ganges and then the remains are thrown in.

Those who can't afford the wood for a cremation are bundled up and dumped into the water, making a macabre sight as they bob slowly downstream.

With all the filth in the river it was a real surprise to see a dolphin arching gracefully above the septic water!

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Collecting karma points

Not planning to die just yet, we topped up our karma with lucky floating offerings.

Attack of the boobie snatchers

During a religious festival, hundreds of paper-mache statues of the goddess of learning, Saraswati, were paraded through the streets. Accompanying was a cavalcade of blaring music and wildly dancing young men covering unwitting passers-by in coloured paint.

Unfortunately, some revellers translate 'religious festive fervour' into 'opportunity to sexually harass western women'.

One chancer will rue the day he crossed Cheryl, though, as she pursued him through the crowds before lamping the little tyke with a right hook - nicely done!

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Ceremony on the banks of the Ganges

A 20 hour train journey upriver, Haridwar is another major pilgrimage site. At the point where the Ganges leaves the Himalayas, every 12 years it is the location of the Kumb Mela, the world's largest religious gathering.

The water is also much cleaner here and so a more attractive option for a dip to wash away your sins.

Rishikesh - yoga capital of the world

We arrived, following the footsteps of John, Paul, George and Ringo who travelled to Rishikesh in the '60s to meet their yogi.

These days however Hindu spiritualism lives side-by-side with western backpacker paraphernalia...

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Meditation and yoga on the banks of the Ganges

Clinging on for dear life

Over the years, numerous tourists have vanished from Rishikesh in mysterious circumstances.

Duped by their practical jokester yogi into attaching large helium balloons to their tummies, Cheryl and Magnus cling on grimly to the ground refusing to become just another scary sky-bound statistic.

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Sadhu

Sadhus are the holy men who give up all worldly possessions to lead a pure life and move between religious sites.

Various murderers and thieves have also used this guise as a cover throughout the centuries (though this chap definitely seems more perplexed than psychotic!).

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