Mughalsarai to Varanasi

I have always wanted to go to Varanasi. I knew there was something about that place. I reached Mughal Sarai and the station was surprisingly clean. As I stepped outside the station, the mess was staring into my face. I found my way out and was surprised to find nothing less than 27 "Marwari Hotel". Within a span of ten minutes. It was amazing to find each one of these buzzing with activity. I walked into one of them and shared a table with a couple of people who were complaining by the minute. A plate of Puris, a couple of jalebis and a chai later, I found a bus introduced by the JNNURM which was headed to Varanasi. It was amazing to travel in the bus and it costed 12 rupees. The bus was washed just recently and had clean seats.

It took me to the Varanasi bus stand. The journey was about 40 minutes. Mughal Sarai is on one side of the Ganges and Varanasi is on the other side. There's a bridge - Malviya Bridge - that connects the two places. The interesting things it that it is a two-tier bridge. There's road, below which is a railway line.

Having gotten off at the bus stand, I took a cycle rickshaw to reach Assi Ghat. Lonely planet informed me that it is a good place to start a walk and I was all set to walk along the bank of the river, across all ghats.