We left the next evening for the holy city of Varanasi. It is a holy city because it is located on the banks of the River Ganges, the "mother" of India, and is considered to be one of the oldest cities in the world, at least 2000 years old. It is considered by Hindus to be a most auspicious place to die, because of the belief that dying here will remove you from the cruel cycle of death and rebirth, which normally takes many lifetimes of good karma to accomplish. The city has been built all the way to the banks of the river, and culminates in a series of ghats (steps leading into the river) extending in either direction for about 3 km. It is a fascinating place to visit, because all aspects of life, public and private, are performed on these ghats at all hours of day and night.

I loved Hampi. There is nothing I have ever seen that is similar to this place. If I had to provide an analogy, I'd say it's a cross between Roman ruins, and a landscape similar to Arches National Park in southern Utah, with distinct central Indian influence. It was a huge capital that had its peak in 1332 C.E.