Delhi: 9-Sept Upon arrival in Delhi, its raining. It has been raining for many days. The streets are flooded. And its hot. Very hot. Sweat dripping down your nose at ten o'clock pm hot, I will soon find this out waiting for my train, air conditioned train, bring it on.
Until then, on a bus on flooded roads from one area of the airpot to another terminal of the airport 5km away for the metro, I begin my adventure and navigate the metro like a dream (by this I mean, the metro was easiest experience, a little confusing as new things can be, but the train was quiet and clean and calm..until I got off). I make it to the New Delhi train station, eventually, where I obtain my train ticket for the pm, eventually and drop my stuff at the Old Delhi railway staion and have time to tour the city and maybe relax. Again with the eventuallys.
The tourist office in the ND station was elusive, I do have to say I was distracted by the raining inside the station, also the river of delicious-over-ankle-deep city water I waded through to get in to the station, in which I look over to see a little boy taking a poo in the street and to the left an older gentleman having a nice pee there too, mmmmmm, and the water is still nestled nicely in the crevices of my feet, and of course the scammers, who are tremendously good at their jobs, put a nice spin on things as well. All things said: the ticket man, in the tourist office, with the henna died hair and the short sleeved white button up shirt, YOU are my favorite today.
After this ticket acquisition and bag settling, I head to the Red Fort. This place boasts strength and beauty. In the middle of the city, I walk towards the Fort and pass a Christian Church, the largest Mosque in Delhi and a Hindu temple, ornate and glamorous, all on the same block. The pic above displays the main bazaar, just inside the gates of the Fort. The greenery here is spectacular. The formidable fort is actually quite small as far as city forts go, but the thing goes on forever down blocks between New and Old Delhi.There are museums and ponds and birds and quiet. I find a bench and sit, finally close my eyes for a moment and listen to the comparably quiet environment. The stone bench feels cool and the trees around are big. There is also an electronic Ode to Joy playing from somewhere, but whatever, this is where I sit.
But, Click. Click. And, no more quiet here. I have been discovered! Under my long skirt and zebra sunglasses and head scarf, I have found numerous families and friends gaping, acting like they aren't gaping, etc. Unless I go deep inside my own head the quiet is disrupted; I am a sight to see for Indian tourists, they snap pics without warning, as they are interested in me as I am in them and I smile and get up and on with my walk in the park. All the while the clicks follow. The Fort's grounds are beautiful and the kids play and women dressed in loud, lovely colors and patterns, so I enjoy the company and the stroll. In the evening, I find a local food stand and share dinner with a new friends from Austria and head back by metro to the train station and to my ticket outta freakin Delhi.
I head on to Haridwar on the night train. As soon as I lay in my top berth, I am out, having had a very long day in the big city. I am woken only by the Chai guy in the we hours of the morning and some other milling about by fellow Indian travelers and their cell ringers. They keep these ringers excessively loud which is conducive to sleep. Oh, and my new friend Sleemy, a crazy eyed hippie, Italian born, now lives in India, actually for the last 40 years, asks me where my stop is and he wakes me twenty minutes before hand. Thanks, Man! And I am off the train, on a bus and will be in Rishikesh shortly.
10-Sept On our way to Rishikesh, the bus jolts and jostles from the ruts the monsoon has caused. I see monkeys and parrots and signs that say Warning: Wild Elephants. I have to see those! We arrive at our bridge, Sleemy owns a chill joint up the hill and we will walk together. Here I see India. Hindu statues of Krishna and Ganesh, a beggar with his whole face painted red, looks a bit crazy too. Now, I find a guest house to my liking: along with monkeys, the roof overlooks the Ganga and the city and the Jungle. Perfect. And cool. I will chill here for days.
Rishikesh boasts itself as the yoga capital of the world. I have been doing yoga and hanging out with yogis and seeing sights. Today 13-Sept I dipped in the Ganga. Its water, cold, soft and powerful enough to rinse your sins of this life away. Thanks water. I needed that.
Also, I have found a school to volunteer in for the next couple weeks. Ramana's Garden, a children's home. I will hang out with the little ones and maybe do some yoga guiding for the older ones. But mostly I just want to contribute to my time here as much as possible; maybe i can add to the kids' lives and I know they will add to mine. So, yoga, water and kids. Not so bad this place, Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Until then, on a bus on flooded roads from one area of the airpot to another terminal of the airport 5km away for the metro, I begin my adventure and navigate the metro like a dream (by this I mean, the metro was easiest experience, a little confusing as new things can be, but the train was quiet and clean and calm..until I got off). I make it to the New Delhi train station, eventually, where I obtain my train ticket for the pm, eventually and drop my stuff at the Old Delhi railway staion and have time to tour the city and maybe relax. Again with the eventuallys.
The tourist office in the ND station was elusive, I do have to say I was distracted by the raining inside the station, also the river of delicious-over-ankle-deep city water I waded through to get in to the station, in which I look over to see a little boy taking a poo in the street and to the left an older gentleman having a nice pee there too, mmmmmm, and the water is still nestled nicely in the crevices of my feet, and of course the scammers, who are tremendously good at their jobs, put a nice spin on things as well. All things said: the ticket man, in the tourist office, with the henna died hair and the short sleeved white button up shirt, YOU are my favorite today.
But, Click. Click. And, no more quiet here. I have been discovered! Under my long skirt and zebra sunglasses and head scarf, I have found numerous families and friends gaping, acting like they aren't gaping, etc. Unless I go deep inside my own head the quiet is disrupted; I am a sight to see for Indian tourists, they snap pics without warning, as they are interested in me as I am in them and I smile and get up and on with my walk in the park. All the while the clicks follow. The Fort's grounds are beautiful and the kids play and women dressed in loud, lovely colors and patterns, so I enjoy the company and the stroll. In the evening, I find a local food stand and share dinner with a new friends from Austria and head back by metro to the train station and to my ticket outta freakin Delhi.
10-Sept On our way to Rishikesh, the bus jolts and jostles from the ruts the monsoon has caused. I see monkeys and parrots and signs that say Warning: Wild Elephants. I have to see those! We arrive at our bridge, Sleemy owns a chill joint up the hill and we will walk together. Here I see India. Hindu statues of Krishna and Ganesh, a beggar with his whole face painted red, looks a bit crazy too. Now, I find a guest house to my liking: along with monkeys, the roof overlooks the Ganga and the city and the Jungle. Perfect. And cool. I will chill here for days.
Rishikesh boasts itself as the yoga capital of the world. I have been doing yoga and hanging out with yogis and seeing sights. Today 13-Sept I dipped in the Ganga. Its water, cold, soft and powerful enough to rinse your sins of this life away. Thanks water. I needed that.
Also, I have found a school to volunteer in for the next couple weeks. Ramana's Garden, a children's home. I will hang out with the little ones and maybe do some yoga guiding for the older ones. But mostly I just want to contribute to my time here as much as possible; maybe i can add to the kids' lives and I know they will add to mine. So, yoga, water and kids. Not so bad this place, Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
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