The Funniest Ferris Wheel!

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On the morning we'd planned to leave Rishikesh, we awoke to the same sounds as usual - the gentle Hare Krishna song coming from a music shop, the ring of bells from the temple across the street, and the incessant car horns - but there was another sound: rain. It rained non-stop for most of the day so we decided not to leave as we were afraid of getting everything we owned wet through. We spent most of the day in restaurants and coffee shops, watching people go by. The colorful saris were replaced by equally colorful plastic raincoats. Even the cows were sheltering from the rain.

By late afternoon, the rain finally stopped and we were able to take a last walk. The river was covered in a thick white mist, reminding me of the cover of a Paul Coelho book. You could see why this place became a spiritual center. That night, as we ate dinner in the Little Buddha Cafe, a firefly came and hovered about 6 inches from our faces, which was really cool. So, in the end, a boring rain day was quite memorable.

From Rishikesh, we took a bus the next day to the hill station town of Mussoorie at 6000 feet. We were crammed in the back seat with four other adults and their four children. As the road twisted and turned, all four of the kids threw up out the window in turn. At one point, it was like musical chairs, with each poor child taking their turn at the window!

Mussoorie is a long, thin town built along a ridge, surrounded by mountains. It is a favourite holiday destination for honeymooners and families from Delhi who are escaping the heat. Indeed, when we arrived we were inside a cloud so really couldn’t see much. By the time we’d found a hotel and eaten a late lunch, the weather was clearing up and we could start to get some nice views. The most dramatic were from the top of Gun Hill. We even got the tiniest glimpse of the snow-capped Himalayas.

Most of the time, we spent just walking around watching the local tourist scene: kids taking pony rides, teens playing in the video arcades, and honeymooners having their photo taken dressed in traditional Garhwali costumes.

However, by far the most entertaining thing in Mussoorie, and perhaps even the whole of India, was a small ferris wheel. We were shocked, tickled pink, awed, and fascinated when we saw what powered it - manpower! When the people were loaded on, the man (or two men at times) would climb up, jump on, and start running as if on a treadmill, even doing tricks to impress the girls. It was rediculously entertaining but even more rediculously dangerous. The pictures speak for themselves!

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Photos

Taking a break on the way up Gun Hill
(We didn't take the cable car as it was a two-hour wait!)