I came to India for a couple weeks so I could meet my friend Dhara who was flying into Bombay the next week, but decide to go through Varanassi and Agra on my way from Nepal  This was my first stop, and I didn't know what to expect.  After months of meeting travelers traveling north from India I was a bit scared of traveling in India.  Everyone seemed to agree India is the hardest country in the world to travel in.  I was told it was a sure thing I'd be ripped off, and robbed immediately, so it was with hesitation that I entered the country.  The bus ride through Nepal passed many accidents and the road was nonexistent as usual.  I got to the border in Suanali and entered India expecting a difficult stretch between the border town and Varanassi  Luckily a tout offered a ride with 2 other British travelers for a reasonable 250 rupees.  The roads in India were much better.  Well, at least they were paved.  After only a few attempts by our driver to detour we got to Varanassi at 1AM.  The driver refused to take us into town for some reason and after a short fight (in which I was alerted that I am a "bad man" - the worst thing you can be called here apparently) we decided to walk until we got our bearings.  we, and our 5 bags (thank God I travel with such a small bag) piled into a 2 person auto rickshaw and got taken to our sleazy guesthouse.

Varanassi is a very holy city built along the Ganges River.  This is the famous spot where the dead are burned along the riverbanks, and people bath and drink the holy water.  Of course the river is toxic, and the real miracle is that people aren't dying from the poisonous river (said to be 800 times more contaminated than safe bathing water should be).  The river has over 100 Ghats (piers) where bodies are burned, vendors sell their wares, "Wallas" do laundry, and men and women bath all day long.  My guesthouse offered a free boat ride at dawn which was probably the (unexpected) highlight of my 3 days there.

As for the stories of the dangers of India, this city is the exception to the rule.  Everyone I met noted that this was a remarkably safe, and laid back city.  The few people who were selling things backed off after being told "no", which was a first for me in over 5 months in China and Nepal!