Blogs from Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, Asia - page 16

PERO ESTO QUEES!!???? Un tren o una carcel con ventiladores? AQUI TENEMOS QUE DORMIR!!??DIOS!!! Tendriamos que haber pagado la primera clase.... Nuestra cara de sorpresa y espasmo al entrar al tren iban acompanyadas por las miradas curiosas de los pasajeros locales. Nos sentamos en nuestro cubiculo con seis "senyoresjovenes" mas y empezamos a comer galletas y escribir en nuestras libretas en plan relax. Doce ojos nos miran descaradamente, uno de ellos lleva turbante y los otros cinco van perfectamente peinados y con bigote, levanto la mirada, y las sonrisas empiezan ha aparecer como setas, Zas! volvemos a bajar la mirada pero es inevitable reirse. la manera que tienen los indios de mirarnos como si fueramos extraterrestres ya es sorprendente pero en el tren todavia resulta m'as comica. Are you british? Me pregunta uno de los " ... read more

LEAVING McLEOD WARNING: Do NOT take the train ride from McLeod to Rishikesh. It's hell! We were told 11.5 hours; it took 24 hours in stinking crowded bus and train. The train station is too far from McLeod, particularly since the bus driver stops too often. The bus ticket was much cheaper, but we were told: "the train is so much more comfortable"! So, we bought an "AC/sleeper ticket"..., or so we thought! The train station is in Pathankot and how to get there was a matter of "math": 90 Rupees for bus versus 1,500 Rupees for a taxi. The bus seems the logic choice, right? WRONG!! We know that because we decided to leave raining McLeod on a freaking public bus, the dirtiest we had gotten here in India, again packed way beyond capacity and ... read more

I'm going to start with a story from my first week...in New York City. Brooklyn to be more precise. I was on a city bus, going from my home to the mall (every so often I will venture into a mall for whatever reason...usually anthropological...this time musical). Alison and I were just sitting and talking as usual. There was an older guy, maybe 65, sitting across from us who seemed like an average Joe. An older, black woman came onto the bus walking up the stairs slowly as she was a bit heavy and also had one of those rolling bags with her that was cluncking up the stairs. When she got to the top of the stairs, she paid the fare and rolled her bag a few inches, whereupon the bag happened to lightly touch ... read more

My stay in Rishikesh, which turned out to be considerably longer than I had originally planned, has come to an end. Tomorrow I leave for Pathnakot on train to get a bus to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple and make a trip to see the extravagant border closing ceremonies on the India-Pakistan Border. From there I am planning on going to Dharamsala and then Manali. However, it seems to be quite cold and rainy there lately, not my favorite combination. So I am beginning to consider other opportunities. Maybe I'll make a trip to Rajasthan instead. I have really enjoyed my time in Rishikesh, even though it is a little crowded with tourists and because of much rain at night and some during the day, my pants are very much spattered with mud. I enjoyed ... read more

Yep, finally put a few pictures up yesterday, enjoy. My weeklong Yoga class starts tomorrow. I think I'll have to suck up some serious soreness.... read more