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Watching the Sunrise From a Rowboat in Benares, India
The river looks black under the mist, which glows eerie in the pre-dawn light. "Boat, sir?", "Boat, sir? Good price." The oarsman pulls away, everything is still, leaving the bustling dock behind. Away in the east the sky grows pink, and now you see behind you the colours of the city as it comes to life for another day. Benares. Varanasi. Holy city of the Ganges. Pilgrims descend the ghats to cleanse themselves in the sacred water. From the quiet of the boat it is hard to imagine the teeming city that rises behind them on the bank—the twisting alleyways, the lively markets, the buffalo, monkeys, and people, people, people. As you return to shore the sun is bright. The holy men are chanting, the barbers are hustling. A new day has begun.
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