Patna

“Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision” - Indian Wisdom

Apologies my Varanasi belly has lasted longer than excepted I’m behind by about five days I thought probiotics and electrolytes would do the trick but yesterday we stoped at a pharmacy and got some western antibiotics and I’m not on the mend first day I’ve actually enjoyed breakfast

My follow travellers total 15 are from UK, Canada, USA, NZ, Germany and Australia being the larges group of 6 ages range from 60 to 83 so you are never to old to experience life,

Patna is the last get city in Bihar state it has a population of about 3 million people it is also the birthplace of the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Sing born during the Mughal Empire Patna is on the souther bank of the Ganges. The state of Bihar is also a dry zone so my liver will be taking a holiday for 6 days till be sail to Jharkhand state so only mocktails at 4.

This morning we visited a Sikh temple and it was so beautiful as it was festival season it was very busy with pilgrims. . You needed to remove yours shoes and cover your head then walk in a water bath to enter. This was my first visit to a Sikh temple the chanting was peaceful and making you relax. Our group were celebrates with the local news papers taking many photos and interviews. We saw where the guru was said to be born and then went to the kitchen dining room area where they prepare and serve 50,000 vegetarian a day to pilgrims truely a peaceful place of reflection

Prior to returning to the ship we stoped at the Golgha Grain house built by the British West Indian company in. 1786. It’s large 5 story high structure and men carried bags of grain up the outside stairwell for storage. Sad,ey it was Monday so it was closed but I was able to get a glimpse through the fence.

It was back to the boat for lunch which each day is a selection of three salads, other salad extras including nuts and fruit, selection of cheese, breads and a soup from a buffet plus a starter end main before dessert.

That afternoon we set sail for Bahr they don’t sail at night as the depth changes with moving sand and we can get stuck even with a pilot onboard at times. . The crew are excellent the purser Mr Sammy loves to chat, Mr Saw also likes a chat as we progress I know I great to get to know more of the crew.

I’ll put photos of the boat seperate in the coming days