by Debbie Ross
Womens Travel Network founder.<

Day 17 India tour – Varanasi, morning at leisure then homeward bound.

There was no agenda this morning.  The ladies have decided to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast then relax by the pool before embarking on the long journey home.  The pool and garden area of the Gateway hotel is a lovely oasis in the midst of a chaotic city.

The Gateway hotel, part of the Taj chain, has been a lovely retreat these past few days. The rooms were comfortable, the staff very accommodating, the food excellent and the overall ambiance welcoming.

Sadly it’s time to end our journey with one last drive through the interesting, chaotic streets of Varanasi. I couldn’t resist taking a few more photos to capture the lifestyle of this unique city.

As we move our bags into the airport we are met by a cute little puppy that appears to be alone and hungry, similar to all of the dogs we came across in this city. I had a small bun in my bag which I happily shared with him.  My act of good Karma for the day. We bid farewell to our fabulous tour guide Ajit and head into the airport for our flight to Delhi.  Upon arrival in Delhi we are met by Sandeep who assists with our transfer to the airport Hilton hotel.  This is the perfect place to wait for our onward flight home, the rooms are comfortable and roomy. We took the time to repack our bags to even out the weight. We were going home with far more than we came with. I wonder how that happened? Too much shopping perhaps! After dinner we transferred back to the airport to wait for our Jet airways 3 am departure to Brussels and then on to Toronto.

It certainly has been in incredible experience with an amazing group of women.