safe to bathe at the ghats?

hitanshu · Jul 18th, 2009, 09:54

Good ganges water = upstream of rishikesh.

As for varanasi - its ALL about the culture.

gvdv · Jul 19th, 2009, 21:54

Wouldn't whether one gets ill or not partly depend on acquired immunity to 'local' microbes and the like? I would imagine that if one has lived all their lives in Varanasi, and their body is 'used' to bathing in the Ganga, then there would be far fewer issues and less risk of getting ill.

Nick-H · Jul 19th, 2009, 22:50

Yes, I think that it is true.

One doesn't, I don't think, acquire immunity to the serious stuff, but to the minor bugs of the area I am sure one does.

hfot2 · Jul 20th, 2009, 02:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by branchazel

But i mean, we can buy bottled water
it's just that if the shower water is so dodgy ...
then there's a huge prob

i wear contact lenses everyday and esp. in the summer because i always get heat rashes on my nose and face from glasses in the summer
but of course i need to wash my hands before putting them on...

A few thoughts on all this:

We showered daily (we were there for about a week) in our Varanasi hotel and lived to tell the tale.

For your contacts - what about using those pre-packaged sterile hand wipes to sterilise your hands and then use bottled water for whatever you have to do to your lenses? (I haven't worn contacts in years and have forgotten the various cleansing rituals.)
I do know that India can be very dusty - even without contacts the dust can be a problem for your eyes. You say you have glasses - by all means bring them along just in case...

distaff half of hfot2

goingback · Jul 20th, 2009, 02:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by hfot2

A few thoughts on all this:

We showered daily (we were there for about a week) in our Varanasi hotel and lived to tell the tale.

For your contacts - what about using those pre-packaged sterile hand wipes to sterilise your hands and then use bottled water for whatever you have to do to your lenses? (I haven't worn contacts in years and have forgotten the various cleansing rituals.)
I do know that India can be very dusty - even without contacts the dust can be a problem for your eyes. You say you have glasses - by all means bring them along just in case...

distaff half of hfot2

I went to Varanasi a long time ago and thought it was amazing. This trip we are taking our 2 kids aged 10 and 5. It will be a lot for the kids to take in but I really want them to visit the oldest City in the World. Plenty of handwash and prayers will see us through I hope

Wildhorse · Jul 20th, 2009, 03:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by goingback

I really want them to visit the oldest City in the World

That would be Jericho, wouldn't it? You're stopping over there on your way to India then?

palerider · Jul 20th, 2009, 04:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildhorse

That would be Jericho, wouldn't it? You're stopping over there on your way to India then?

Varanasi is the Oldest CONTINUOUSLY populated city in the world. Jericho had a break. Just after Joshua hit town, really.
There are others to claim the title, but all had a time when no one was living there.

This is another Hornet's nest.

goingback · Jul 20th, 2009, 05:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildhorse

That would be Jericho, wouldn't it? You're stopping over there on your way to India then?

Oops! Well, it's the oldest city we will have ever visited - I think. Now you've really got me thinking.

bjp · Jul 20th, 2009, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by branchazel

is this the same in all other parts of india?
i mean the dirty shower water

No, it depends where the water comes from. Some will be from water purification facilities, some from rivers, in some parts from rainwater tanks. It's a very big country.

Quote:

surely can't be too good for you to be showering in that kind of water...

I don't know if I'd thought of it before, I've just always been aware of it going in my mouth when I'm showering - so I'm always spitting out water in the shower. Put it this way - it looks ok, and I wasn't serious about whether or not you're cleaner or not after a shower.

bjp · Jul 20th, 2009, 14:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by gvdv

Wouldn't whether one gets ill or not partly depend on acquired immunity to 'local' microbes and the like? I would imagine that if one has lived all their lives in Varanasi, and their body is 'used' to bathing in the Ganga, then there would be far fewer issues and less risk of getting ill.

Just keep the water on the outside of the body.

No, repeated long-term exposure would be worse.

Wildhorse · Jul 21st, 2009, 01:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by palerider

Varanasi is the Oldest CONTINUOUSLY populated city in the world. Jericho had a break. Just after Joshua hit town, really.

Is that so? OK.

Shivani Skydancer · Sep 21st, 2009, 18:34

Seriously, does all the tap water and shower water in Varanasi really come directly from the river Ganga??

I can't believe it!! All of us travelers would be coming down with cholera within a day

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjp

It's strained; I woudn't call it filtered. It's recycled. It gets strained when it's pumped into the water tanks that feed the showers, then the outflow from the showers goes back into the river. So does the sewerage. So I don't know whether or not you're cleaner after you've showered than before.

wilmaaa · Oct 28th, 2009, 01:00

I went in. I hadn't planned to but it just sort of happened one night after some festival celebrations and we decided to go for it. Nothing bad happened to me or any of the others. I haven't let myself think in a logical manner about the substances I was actually IN, so no worries for me haha

ambermarie · Oct 28th, 2009, 01:04

Yeah my friend and I went for an impromptu dip at Scindia Ghat. Highlight of the trip actually; the amused crowd of onlookers we attracted made up for the fact that the next day we saw a bloated corpse bobbing near where we'd been splashing around previously. :-S

We survived though!

wilmaaa · Oct 28th, 2009, 01:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by ambermarie

Yeah my friend and I went for an impromptu dip at Scindia Ghat. Highlight of the trip actually; the amused crowd of onlookers we attracted made up for the fact that the next day we saw a bloated corpse bobbing near where we'd been splashing around previously. :-S

We survived though!

lol ambermarie, we must have great immune systems, the kind crazy people need

Jul 18th, 2009, 09:54	#31
hitanshu Renegade Killer Bee Join Date: May 2006 Location: Out of coverage area! Posts: 880	Good ganges water = upstream of rishikesh. As for varanasi - its ALL about the culture. __________________ SMASH!!!!

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Jul 19th, 2009, 21:54	#32
gvdv Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 290	Wouldn't whether one gets ill or not partly depend on acquired immunity to 'local' microbes and the like? I would imagine that if one has lived all their lives in Varanasi, and their body is 'used' to bathing in the Ganga, then there would be far fewer issues and less risk of getting ill.

Jul 19th, 2009, 22:50	#33
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,225	Yes, I think that it is true. One doesn't, I don't think, acquire immunity to the serious stuff, but to the minor bugs of the area I am sure one does.

Oct 28th, 2009, 01:00	#43
wilmaaa Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK Posts: 15	I went in. I hadn't planned to but it just sort of happened one night after some festival celebrations and we decided to go for it. Nothing bad happened to me or any of the others. I haven't let myself think in a logical manner about the substances I was actually IN, so no worries for me haha

Oct 28th, 2009, 01:04	#44
ambermarie Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Jersey Posts: 33	Yeah my friend and I went for an impromptu dip at Scindia Ghat. Highlight of the trip actually; the amused crowd of onlookers we attracted made up for the fact that the next day we saw a bloated corpse bobbing near where we'd been splashing around previously. :-S We survived though!