Maha Shivaratri in Varanasi

We stepped out of the cab and our driver pointed to a line of people that stretched around the corner and out of sight. He said everyone was waiting to get into the temple--the temple two kilometers away, that is. Welcome to Varanasi.

Sitting on the banks of the Ganges, Varanasi is always a bit surreal (It's a very sacred place to die, apparently) but the big to do today was Maha Shivaratri, the celebration of Shiva's marriage to Parvati. I've read that Hindus fast all day for this festival and then stay up all night, but my (very shallow) research hasn't turned up anything about ritual waiting in line.

We took the opportunity to get to know people. My dad, the master of (be)friending people before Facebook made it cool, started asking locals if he could take their photos. They loved it! It seemed like everyone was flagging us down and posing and chatting and laughing.

As our camera batteries waned, the ceremony of the evening began. The main event: half a dozen guys twirling what looked like flaming Christmas trees. I kid you not. And, because the only thing cooler than playing with fire is playing with babies, Dad spent much of the performance making friends with a nearby toddler.

When the show ended, we started walking towards out hotel, only to realize we were walking through a parade. In fact, there were two parades going in opposite directions and we were in the middle.

Then, the dance party started. It's been a busy night.

PS: Finally done for the evening, we asked a group of guys for directions to our hotel. Two of them immediately pointed toward the road--in opposite directions! Let's just say that it was a long walk.