Head not firmly attached to shoulders

Dassu and Govinda

Esther didn’t wake up till 830. Jenny woke up refreshed but still feeling her head was not entirely or securely fastened to her body. Still we took the decision to go out for a boat ride on the Ganges.  After negotiating a good price with Govinda and Dassu we slowly put out into the current. Mose promptly took a nap in the mid morning sun while Govinda explained the story and history behind many of the ghats we rowed by.  It was a lovely peaceful trip.  Two hours later we returned to shore and headed for lunch at a local Lonely Planet recommended restaurant, the Yafah.  

Jen, with head apparently attached, gazing at the ghats

Prayag ghat

We ordered.  We chatted.  We watched an electrician pull the guts out of a part of the building then move to another part and play around with the wires. We watched three people in the kitchen of which only one was cooking the food. We saw a potato get boiled and peeled. Several quarter-of-an-hours later the kids received their sandwiches. Nate added sugar to the soda and made a mini volcano. Still no food came for the adults. At last  falafel and hummus appeared (tasting great by the way.)  Kevin, thinking he’d be smart had ordered Indian food. His still had not arrived by the time the Rabe’s bid farewell to the Catos 1 hour 15 minutes later!

In the afternoon the Rs and the Cs did their own thing.  The Rabe’s played cricket, slept, wrote post cards and played Snakes and Ladders.   Around 400 they ventured out into the streets to see and be seen.  After a few stops for window shopping and after purchasing two plastic cricket balls, three postcards and (mistakenly) a DVD, they turned into a gali and wandered around until a local lady led them to the river.  Slowly they made their way back from Jain Ghat to Assi Ghat. But in the middle of the journey they bought some small flower pots with candles in leaf boats and set them afloat with secret prayers into the holiest river in the world. 

Dinner was forgone for the Catos. And eaten in the room by the Rs. Showers and to bed all hoping that Sunday would find the Aussies rested and ready , as Yvonne said, “To hit the  streets hard.”