Wow, what a day. It isn't over yet, either, which is a little inundating! I feel like I've been to the moon and back, yet I'm still in the stars... How cheesy. What fun.

The day began with meeting Babu and Chottu (formerly Babu II, now informally known as Chottu) outside of my hotel at 7:00 in the morning . It was hard getting up for another early day, but I love hanging out with these nutball boys, and knew that no matter how tired I was, I'd wake up soon. So- got up, took my shower with my little lizard friends, and got outside.

I thought it might be interesting to watch morning Puja, but at our stop at the chai stall, Babu suggested that we grab a boat which sounded way more interesting. Already done it one time this round, but what the hell. We got a boat- friend of a friend, of course, and charted a course downstream to pass one of the burning ghats (can't get enough, I guess), and then I said, "Hey, can we go to the other side?"  Yep. So we rowed to the other side of the river, where I've never been, moored the boat in the mudlands, and hopped out. Immediately, the boys start picking up dirt clods and hurling them at each other, running after each other, making fun of each other, making mud chapatis, and I took a bunch of pictures of them. It was super fun. I found a really cool shell (well, it wasn't that cool, but it was whole, and since the entire other- I guess you could say west??- side used to be under water, I figured- cool, a Ganges shell, neat .) Showed it to Babu and immediately it became the loudest and most obnoxious and most often heard whistle of all time. Had to chase him down to get it away from him. I'm impressed by the whistle skills, must say, but not by the oh my god stop it right now before I kill you part. Well, I am impressed, in a way... Whatever.

So, they ran around, I took pictures and looked at stuff stuck in the mud, checked out birds, the people who looked to be squatting on that side of the river- literally.. The boys threw mud at each other, rubbed it in to each other's heads, pretended it was bread, pizza, a hole was dug that was some sleeping cave, etc. I handed my camera over to Chottu- and, as it turned out when I looked this afternoon, he took some of the most amazing photos I've ever seen. Mission: I'm buying him a camera before I leave. Turns out he can't read or write, I didn't know that til today. He's the quieter kid of the Babu and Chottu brotherhood, and has an amazing drawing and composing eye . I am absolutely blown away. I am uploading some of his photos now. Hopefully.

After our stint on the "other side", we hopped in the boat, and I asked to drive.. So, I got to be oarsperson rowing up the Ganges on the way back to where we docked. It was a pretty good workout- it was upriver, which isn't that strong a current- but not that weak of one either, and the boats are made of heavy, waterlogged wood. So, as everyone who's ever rowed anything already knows, you turn right, right, right, and see no result for a good span of like... Forever, and then the boat turns heavily and unstoppingly, finally, RIGHT- the way you intended to turn a while back. I got used to it by the time we got to the other side, but I'm sure we wove our way across the river in a pretty interesting pattern. Who cares, I'm obviously the guest rower here. We had about 45 minutes to grab some breakfast before we got the taxi to Sarnath, and we had to go to three places before we found a sit-down type restaurant where Indian people could sit and eat with a foreigner . BOO. I was not a fan of it, but we finally did find a place, and we all got cornflakes with *hot* milk (new to me! But after seeing the milk market, I am glad for it).

Made it to the taxi and took off for Sarnath... It's getting late and I think I've had my creative spurt for the evening, so when these pictures finally upload, I may call it a night and try to make up for lost time sometime tomorrow. Sarnath was cool.. Quiet, nice gardens, Tibetan / Buddhist temples, pretty neat. Riki, I found Green Tara there! ..And asked about her! Asked a Nepalese man in a Tibetan temple. ...Therefore, the explanation didn't come through so great, so I took some photos. I tried to find a pendant or something, but was told that only the very holy men have access to such jewelry, or something along those lines. I'm not sure. Sorry about that.

Anyway.. Sarnath was a couple of hours.. Then I found a silk brocade shop back in Varanasi that was amazing ... Got a couple of family heirlooms there. Then, we went and found a bag- since I'm flying to Delhi and spending another night there before hitting Goa, I don't have to use the post to send anything home. I can fly the stuff to Delhi and leave it there til I fly it home (thanks again, Kunal. I'm going to have to start paying rent for the space my crap is taking up, wherever it is.) We found a bag, then I went to the hotel to rest for like 40 minutes, where actually I just got a card together for Krrish and brainstormed and wrote down some ideas for his internet / travel business... Mostly marketing stuff he can do here.. And then I met the boys again. We went and grabbed a bite to eat and now I'm here. That's the day! Long day! Fun and long...

OK, gonna check my hotmail and try not to check my work email- it totally stresses me out, seriously, but it's good to keep an eye on, I guess. Argh.

Mkay, g'night everyone. I've lived this day, hope you get to do the same!