The tourist's Varanasi is focused within a few blocks of the Ganges. When I was there two years ago I stayed at a hotel right on the river and spent most of my days (and evenings for dinner) in that area.

This time I stayed at a hotel a bit inland and visited some temples I hadn't been to before. In addition, I spent several afternoons walking or taxiing through commercial areas of the city, one in search of a branch of the Royal Bank of India in Varanasi (there isn't one) and another in search of a distributor of some Ayur Veda products I wanted to buy (I found it and it had what I wanted).

In January 2015 when I was here for 12 days the weather was cool and overcast for all but one day. This visit, also in January, was warm and sunny every day. You'll notice that most of the photos in the varanasi 2017 gallery are of people - that's because I took my quota of temples and sculptures last time.

The natives go about their business with intention. They are so used to visitors with cameras (and wide open eyes) that they don't see you - even if that's where they seem to be looking. I can stand being visible when touts want to sell me something if I can appear invisible when taking people pictures.

Some of my memorable moment were sent back as photos in more or less real time emails to a few friends. I've reproduced the photo journal for Khajuraho and Varanasi here.