On my second day I saw the Vishwanesh Temple and the mosque beside it. In 1992, militant Hindus destroyed a mosque at Ayodyah, RamaÕs legendary birthplace; this mosque in Varanasi is feared to be one of their next targets. To get there I followed a guide through the narrow, filthy streets of the old town, lined by buildings several stories high. It was a claustrobic maze, totally without location signs. I could view the temple and mosque only from the top floor of an adjoining building and I wasn't allowed to photograph them. I could also see the soldiers in the area. It was ominous. Everything in the old city is packed in, built up, confined. If this place exploded in violence, it would be a disaster.

    As my driver and I made our way back through the traffic, we passed people making noise and carrying something wrapped in white. I said, "Dead body". My driver said, "Dead body, yeah".

    At 5:30 am on my last day, I headed for the Ganges; a boat ride on the Ganges at sunrise is traditional. The government rate for a boat ride is rs. 50, but this doesn't keep boat wallahs from asking rs. 200 and giving you a list of reasons why they can't adhere to the government rate. After haggling with one boat wallah, I started to walk away. As I expected, he called me back and accepted my rs. 50 offer.

    As I sat in the boat waiting to begin the ride, a small boy climbed in. He had leaf bowls with candles in them. He lit two, handed them to me, and told me to put them in the Ganges for good luck. I should have been suspicious but I'm not at my best at 6 am. Then he asked for his "candle money". I was furious; he hadn't mentioned a charge beforehand and I had naively assumed they were part of the boat ride. I'd been victimized once again. A young Japanese joined me in the boat; the boy did not offer him candles.

    I asked my companion if he had been shocked by India and he said yes. We watched the sun rise over the Ganges; things were much quieter and people were far fewer. Those that were there were bathing in the Ganges.

    The rower asked for a tip, but I had no change and had to request some from the boat wallah, who turned out to be his brother. The boat wallah's response to my rs. 10 tip was, That's all? I recalled afterward that the rower had asked only me, not my Japanese companion, for a tip. Were Westerners regarded as easier marks? Or perhaps women?

    I hoped Kathmandu was going to be better, but between Varanasi and Kathmandu lay an train and a planeÑand many opportunities for something to go wrong. The train station was not pleasant; there was a pile of manure in the middle of the waiting area and my backpack was getting heavier and heavier. When I arrived in Delhi, a driver attached himself to me but I thwarted him by opting for a pre-paid rickshaw. I was relieved to stumble exhausted onto the plane for Kathmandu.