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Published: August 22nd 2008
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I have been in India for over a week now, and I have stayed in Rishikesh for the majority of that time. I don't regret the decision to leave Delhi so early and come here. Its been far easier to adjust to life over here in such a laid back and easy going city. Since I am flying home from Delhi I have a chance to make up for everything I did not get to see on my first trip through, and by then I should be better equipped to deal with a big city.
The last few days here have been really relaxing. Other than taking a few Hindi classes, I have not done anything really spectacular here and thats been just fine with me. I have spent my days walking through the city, checking out various nooks and crannies, and drinking lots and lots of chai.
I managed to find a really cool cafe on the top of a building, right on the banks of the Ganges. Its an interesting little place that requires navigating a lopsided, rickety, rusted out old ladder about 16 inches wide. Its ridiculously wobbly, and can only be described as completely unsafe
to arrive at. The view from up top, the staff, and the food make it worth the risk though, and I have taken breakfast and dinner there almost every day. Since its not the tourist season here for another couple of weeks the waiters have a lot of fee time on their hands, and it didn't take me too long to make friends with them. Every day they manage to teach me something new, the most significant being why its not polite to smile at women.
I had commented to them on how friendly everyone here is. I explained how nearly everyone I meet wants to say hi, shake my hand, ask me where I am from, and how I am doing. I then pointed out that whenever I smile at anyone, the smile is almost always returned, except in the case of women. I see a man walking down the street and smile and nod my head, and he does the same, either touching his chest and giving me a nod of the head, or folding his hands and saying namaste. I did not notice it immediately, but it came to my attention that a group of older
women walking down the street and smiling together usually always wiped the smiles right off their faces as soon as they saw me smiling in their direction. Hearing this the two young men roared with laughter and explained that while its generally accepted for foreigners to smile at women, its regarded as misbehaving. Smiling at a woman is a method of showing interest in her. Did I ever feel ridiculous thinking that I had been walking around for the last few days hitting on every woman I saw, most of them looking like they were in their 50's and 60's. Oh well, I had to learn one way or the other I suppose. I have been practicing my Hindi on the two men in the cafe, and on a few other people that I meet. I find that a few words go a long, long way to making friends over here. My grammar and pronunciation are sorely lacking, but it doesnt seem to matter to people I talk to. They are very happy to hear a foreigner attempting to speak their language, and all seem to be happy to do a little on the spot coaching.
In the mornings
Unreal view of the uber high, fast moving Ganges from the rooftop resturaunt I found.
For anyone interested or in the area, the resturaunt is called the 'Tip Top Ganga", and it can be found in an alley heading toward the river in the Swarg Ashram area. at the rooftop spot I read the Hindustan Times in an attempt to stay up to date on the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and manage to get a tiny bit of info about the olympics. The two young men working there pointed out that Canada has not won very many medals in the Olympcis either. I told them that we do a bit better in the winter olympics and to watch out for our hockey team. They got really excited and told me that India had a killer, gold medal winning hockey team. I asked them when they last won, and they discussed it for a while and came to the conclusion that it happened in the mid 90's. Thinking that this could not be correct I googled it for myself just a few minutes ago and it turns out that they were right, India had won a gold medal in hockey. The last time was in 1980, and they have won in hockey eight times in total!
In any case, I have relaxed here in Rishikesh for six days and I am feeling like its time to move on. My next stop is Chandigarh, in Punjab,
The view out the door of my Hindi teachers house.
Nothing like trying to learn a foreign language with monkeys screeching ceaselessly in the background. and I am catching a 6:00 am bus there tomorrow morning. The waiter at the rooftop cafe was happy to lend me his cell phone to call ahead and make sure there was a room in one of the budget hotels in Chandigarh (which are apparently in really short supply). I actually feel a bit sad to be leaving here and diving back into trying to travel in this slightly bizzare and at times difficult country, but I am growing a bit restless and I know its time to get back on the road. This place is without a doubt somewhere I will come back to one day. Beautiful views, fantastic food, wonderful people, and a relaxed environment is how I will remember this place. I am told by people here, and an Indian friend back home that Chandigarh is as clean as it is back home, and I will think at times that I am back in Canada. We shall see! I have more pictures of the last few days in Rishikesh, but as usual they will be coming in later, once I get to a terminal that allows uploads again.
Best regards to everyone back home that
is actually reading these.
Vince.
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Corey Inglis
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I am actually reading these.
It sounds like you are really absorbing the experience. I hope your travels continue to be as good as they have begun.