We rented a boat that could seat up to 30, although there were only four of us plus a driver, and spent nearly two hours on the water. The total cost of this extravagance was $10. We pushed off in the darkness, then watched the sun rise over the Ganges before touring up and down the shoreline.

While we watched Hindus bathing in the holy water, a few souvenir vendors circled nearby. When Mom showed some interest they swooped in and surrounded us, everyone talking and negotiating at once. After buying a few trinkets we managed to extricate our boat and continue the tour, heading downstream to the cremation ghats.