Day 5 (Richikesh)

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Woak up late today. i had planned on going to see the waterfalls but after i had breakfast and used the internet for a few hours it was getting too late to go without it interfering with my other plans.

The hotel I'm in (and almost every hotel in Richikesh) run yoga lasses every morning and evening. It wasn't something i had planned to do but other people in the hotel rave about it so i thought id give it a go at some point. The plan for later today is top go to one of the large suspension bridges that go over the river Ganges to look over the town and the many ashrams. The view at sunset is supposed to be pretty good so ill be heading down there later, after my yoga class.

In the last few hours i have just been chilling outside my room and down by the restaurant, enjoying the view and the relaxing atmosphere that is so different to Delhi, this is the most relaxed i've been since coming to India. I have also had a chat with the hotel tour operator about a trip to the Valley of Flowers on the western side of Uttarhand (the state I'm in). Its in the opposite direction to thew one i'm heading in but after the few days of travel and trekking i will be right back here, he said it will cost about 5000 rupees (80 pounds) EDIT: I misunderstood the tour man, the shared jeep to the Valley is 600 rupees each way (before haggling) and ill pay for food and accommodation there so it shouldn't come to more than about 300 rupees for the few days trip). So i might do that, leaving here on Sunday or Monday.

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Didn't go to yoga in the end, met up with two girls from London called Sarah and Rachel and a guy from Yorkshire called Steve who has been in Thailand for 2 years teaching English. We got talking and and the girls said they were going for a palm reading in town. I tagged along and good news! I'm going to live to a ripe old age of 85, have wealth and good property and have a good marriage to a beautiful wife who will have beautiful and successful children. I may have a few problems with my eyes and digestive system in my late 60's but apart from that i'm great :-) Sarah's was similar, she's gonna be fine too. Needless to say i didn't have a huge amount of faith in the reading (i hope it all comes true but all 3 of our readings were curiously similar) but it was a good way to spend half an hour and only cost a few hundred rupees. After this we headed off to find some food and look around the shops. This was much more enjoyable in Richikesh, shop owners act much more calmly, waiting or you to enter the shop and look around without bombarding you with 100 offers and deals as they did in Delhi.

We ended up going back to the hotel for food (we went into one place in town but it was petty grotty and the hotel food is pretty good and normal price. I ate with the two girls, steve, a woman from canada (i cant remember her name right now) an indian named Rajad who is on holiday from Bombay and a woman from Oz. The meal was good and hearing other peoples travel stories kept us up till late. Everyone decided to go to yoga at 8.30 tomorrow morning and right now im in bed ready to pass out. So goodnight.

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