Varanasi, India's spiritual capital, is considered to be the most holy of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism and Jainism. Believers hold that the god Shiva founded the city, and archealogical evidence supports the belief that people have lived in this spot along the Ganges for over 3,000 years. As such, Varanasi is one of the world's oldest contiuously inhabited cities. The city has a permanent population of 1.2 million, but that number is always inflated by the thousands of pilgrims who journey there every day to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges, and cremate their deceased loved ones along the riverbank's ghats. For many Hindus, a trip to Varanasi truly is the trip of a lifetime. In a country that already overwhelms the senses, Varanasi pushes the envelope to the extreme. And then there are the contrasts. It's at once both disgustingly filthy and beautiful, blaringly loud and quiet, chaotic and peaceful. The noise of blaring car horns in the streets disappears when on the river, replaced by the quiet solitude of the faithful bathing in the holy water, and the cremation pyres attended to by mourners. Spending several days in Varanasi challeneged us in ways no other destination has, yet, it was also perhaps one of the most rewarding portions of the trip.