Varanasi瓦拉納西
A Sadhu priest more commonly knows as a Hindu holy man on the banks of the Ganges river. 阿薩杜牧師更普遍知道作為一個印度教聖人對銀行的恒河。
After an initial short and uneventful stay in Delhi I was glad to arrive in Varanasi which happened to be the first destination to really triggered my interest in India.經過最初短暫而又平靜的留在新德里我很高興來到瓦拉納西正好是第一個目的地，真正引起我的興趣在印度。 A place where you can experience first hand the magic of being in one of the most spiritual and colorful cities of India.在這裡，你可以親身體驗神奇的是在一個最豐富多彩的城市精神和印度。 Varanasi is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the holiest for Hindus.瓦拉納西是其中有人居住的最古老的城市不斷在世界上最神聖的印度教徒。 Pilgrims flock here from all over India and beyond to either wash away a lifetime of sins in the river Ganges, cremate their loved ones at the open air burning ghats or live out their final days.一群朝聖者在這裡來自全國各地和印度以外的任何洗去一生的罪孽在恒河，火化親人在露天燃燒高止山脈或活出他們的最後幾天。 As it is said that anyone who dies in Varanasi attains instant enlightenment or “moksha” and is liberated from the cycle of reincarnation.正如有人說，任何人誰死在瓦拉納西達到即時的啟示或“解脫”，是擺脫週期輪迴。 I got to encounter just how important the city is to Hindus even before I arrived, as right next to me on the plane from Delhi was an elderly couple where the wife was caring for her terminally ill husband which didn't seem to have much more than a few days to live and wished to go die there.我遇到了多麼重要的城市，是印度教徒，甚至在我到達之前，作為向我旁邊的飛機從德里是一對老夫婦在那裡的妻子照顧她的身患絕症的丈夫，這似乎沒有有更多的超過數天，生活和希望去死在那裡。
Varanasi is rather small and all it's points of interest are within walking distance so all you really need to do is meander through the alleys of the old city and go on a stroll along the Ghats of the Ganges river and let yourself be absorbed by the experience.瓦拉納西是相當小的，所有它的興趣點都在步行距離，所有你真正需要做的是漫步在小巷的老城區和前往漫步高止山脈的恒河，讓自己被吸收的經驗。 For those who might wonder ghats are a series of stone steps that lead down to the water which the city consists of an endless series of but before deciding to jump in for purification bath with the other average 60000 daily pilgrims, remember that on this same 7 KM stretch there are 30 sewers discharging heavy polluting into the river.對於那些誰可能不知道高止山脈是一系列導致的石階下到水的城市由一個無限系列，但在決定跳淨化浴與其他朝聖者每天平均60000，請記住，在這同一7有30公里長的污水排放到河流污染嚴重。 While the World Health Organization suggests bathing water should have no more than 500 bacteria per 100mL; the Ganges has 1.5 million bacteria for the same quantity of water making it septic so think twice!而世界衛生組織建議洗澡應不超過每百毫升500個細菌;恒河有150萬的細菌相同數量的水，以便使化糞池三思！
Pictures of Varanasi: 瓦拉納西的圖片：
But best be warned that Varanasi has also a darker side and boats the reputation of being 2nd only to Agra's Taj Mahal for the amount of unscrupulous touts, con-men and swindlers roaming around.但最好也警告說，瓦拉納西一個黑暗面的聲譽和船隻被第二只阿格拉的泰姬陵的數額無良吹捧，連續的，男人和騙子漫遊各地。 As the moment you leave the sanctity of your guesthouse or hotel you will be bombarded with all sorts of offers and questions: Massage?正如你離開的時候你的神聖的賓館或酒店您將轟炸的各種優惠和問題：按摩？ Where you go?你去哪裡？ Boat ride?船程嗎？ Ganja?甘賈？ Where you from?你來自哪裡？ give money?給錢？ Buy me candy?我買糖果？ How are you?你好嗎？ Need Rickshaw?需要人力車？ Cab?駕駛室？ Visit my shop?訪問我的商店嗎？ Souvenirs?紀念品？ Silk shop?絲綢店？ Sari shop?莎麗店？ Hungry?餓了嗎？ Tour?旅遊？ Though they are not nasty or threatening this might get on your nerves but eventually tell yourself that after ignoring them long enough they'll pick on the next fresh tourist meat that's arrived.雖然他們不是討厭或威脅，這可能讓你那麼緊張，但最終會告訴自己，不顧他們足夠長的時間後，他們就會選擇下一個新鮮的肉，遊客的到來。
One response so far 迄今作出的一個反應
nice posts…好文章...
just came back last september from a six month backpacking trip and varanasi was my last stop before i went home…去年9月剛剛回來，從 6個月背包旅行和瓦拉納西是我的最後一站之前，我回家...
the place is magnificent and surreal…宏偉的地方和超現實 ...
i was touched by india's magic in this holy place called varanasi…我被感動了印度的神奇在這個神聖的地方叫瓦拉納西 ...
enjoy your journey享受您的旅程
just another traveler剛才另一位旅客
-flip翻轉