Varanasi to Darjeeling

Varanasi is a pilgrimmage site for Hindi people. One of the seven
sacred cities in the Hindu religion. People come to wash themselves
and throw offerings into the Ganges river. Our hotel overlooked one
of the ghats, which is a place where stairs enter the river for people
to bathe. Many throw colorful flowers into the water. Some ghats are
cremation ghats where bodies are cremated in public. We did not see
this. We only saw men in the water. And buffalo.

Varanasi is full of cafes, eateries, tailors, and shops selling music,
scarves, jewelry, and other souveneirs. These shops and cafes are
linked in a maze of narrow alleyways full of wandering cows, fighting
monkeys, lazy dogs, and people. We saw many people kissing their
hands and then touching the cows. Yesterday we took a 29 hour train to
NJP, a junction center in northern West Bengal. The train had a
constant procession of people selling
tea/coffee/snacks/toys/books/massagers/scarves/etc. Children in torn
dirty clothing would hop on the train and circulate asking for money.
Once a man without legs came through. So many sad and shocking sights.

Later...

Our train to Darjeeling was canceled, so we jumped on a land cruiser
and drove 2 1/2 hours along the switchbacks of mountain ridges and
through tea plantations at the base of foothills and multiple
waterfalls. It is gorgeous! So fiercely green and misty. As we
ascended we were driving through clouds. The car stopped along the
way for a snack break of delicious momos (Tibetan dumplings). Finally
the sun broke through and we were above the clouds in a hill station
town of Darjeeling. Darjeeling is above 2000 meters high. The air is
crisp and clean. It is quiet and beautiful. The city stretches over
the side of a mountain with tea plantations and the tallest of the
Himalayas in the horizon. Most people are Nepalese or Tibetan, which
means noodle and dumpling dishes. It is superbly relaxing.