The Varanassi Trap...

Hello all,

Still in Varanassi, In fact everyone I meet seems to of been here for weeks or months, having arrived with the intention of a few days. I’ve moved to a cheaper guest house, £4.28 per night was too rich for my blood so I found one for £1.43, with free internet, some times, if I sit at a tiny desk with a dodgy wire and the electricity lasts for more than 5 mins, with the wind coming from the south and Jupiter is rising. It also has a really nice court yard I am in now sipping a beer. I think tomorrow I’ll go buy a long good network cable for them. Humm suddenly I feel a long way from maplin. They don’t seem to have chains of shops like back home. Just lots of places selling random unrelated things. Ill ask the kid in the net café by the last guest house where to get one I think.

The first night here I must of got 20 mossi bytes on my head and face. I look a bit Klingon. But the couple that run the place are really nice and got me a mossi net and some coils to burn so last night I didn’t get bitten at all.

I’ve been going off to see something each morning then spending each afternoon playing chess by the chai stall on one of the ghats.

It’s pretty idyllic there and there’s always people playing music and stuff. I think if you sit by a chess board in a public enough place any ware someone will eventually sit and play you. The chai stall guy is pretty handy but can only play speed when his mate is there to make the chai. Playing about 50/50 indians and westerners. The Indians are a lot stronger but I’ve still only lost 3 since I’ve been in india, 2 though my own negligence, and one to a guy who’s younger brother is 2200 and plays for india under 18s. it was a close game and I felt I could of stepped up a gear if the stakes were high. But I have the feeling he wasn’t trying too hard either. Still I can see my game is getting sloppy.

I’ve also spent some time teaching one of the postcard selling kids (about 7-8) how to play his mate is even younger but has a really good understanding not only of how the pieces move but how to protect them. So I’ve had them playing pawns and pawns + bishops.

They still keep trying to sell me postcards still so yesterday I bought one and wrote it to them J

I was a cycle rickshaw driver briefly, on the quiet roads around the university I swapped with the driver for a couple of km.

Really odd not leaning to steer and also the don’t turn much if your peddling but as soon as you lift off they suddenly turn. (no diff but a freewheel I guess)

I have found out that my Indian multiple entry 6 month visa will only let me re-enter india 60days after I leave. So I either need to spend 2 months in Nepal, do my trip in a different order or find some other way around the problem.

More research needed me thinks.

Some Jamming in the market outside a dosa stall...