Baseraa Rishikesh

... the stick which seemed to keep them away.<br>Eventually got back to the hotel and vowed to carry a big stick with me if I ever needed to go out in the dark again.<br>I can't believe the difference in the stray dogs during the day and at night. They are like Jekyll and bloody Hyde. Sala Kutha's...<br>Back in the hotel, chilled out, had some dinner and went to sleep... not before seeing a gecko scuttling across the floor though.

... road in the baking heat to some waterfalls. When we finally arrived we were charged RS 30 each for the privilage of seeing a natural sight (tourist price!). The walk up to the waterfalls was steep and difficult and our first attempt at hiking in the heat. When we arrived at the top we saw a gorgeous sight. The waterfall was gushing down the rock face into a pool where many guys were bathing (and one girl fully dressed!). Nikki jumped in and headed straight for the ...

... I have heard that when you pay for an AC class on Indian trains you are paying for comfort and quality of passengers as much as you are paying for the AC itself, and I noticed that the non-AC car we were in was really dirty and many of the people sitting near us did not speak much English, making it a bit of a challenge to figure out which station to get off at when all the station signs are in Hindi. It was also incredibly hot, despite the fans and open ...

This beautiful little village is home to some foot hills of the Himilayas. There is a cool suspension bridge for pedestrains where the monkeys and monkey babies are running around in abundance! They're great to watch as we walk across the bridge. Apparently The Beatles were here doing some yoga in the 60s!!! We enjoy the view of the forested hills and the wonderful ganges! brillo pads! next stop Agra!

... to dislike. Good guy. He was only around a day or two, his tight schedule meant he was soon off to Dharamsala, where doubtless he had an 'UNBELIEVABLE!' time. Israeli girls: I think this group of Israeli girls would best be described as a 'gaggle'. We would often bump into them in the evenings, and they would chatter away incessantly but entertainingly. They taught me some essential Hebrew words, and I blew their mind with my one and only card trick. It was a ...

... br>I might also mention that Barbara and I are doing the same route and we've decided to travel together. I got me a travel buddy! It's great because we still do our own thing but it will be nice to have someone with me getting from A to B which is the most stressful thing here. Plus she's super cool and we get along great.<br><br>Today I'm heading to the hills! The Himalayas that is!! I'm going to Dharamsala and I'll see where the Dalai Lama lives...sweet! I'm excited.<br><br>Until next time....

An easy overnight train brought us to Haridwar, where we hauled our increasingly heavier bags down the road looking for a bite to eat. A few poori bhajis later, we took a bus from Haridwar, past its large bronze? statue of Shiva, and innumerable billboards for Fun Valley amusement park with "striking cars" (bumper cars) and "water disco"... An Australian friend joined us in trusting a rickshaw ...

... long and the Jet lag had really got to us so we had to make a sharp exit and get a Rickshaw home. And this brings me to my final story of this entry... the story of Rickshaw that broke down! Ha! Out of all the Rickshaws in Delhi we picked one which broke down a little way from home. We managed to finally find our way through the back streets of Delhi to get to our hostel - trouble over, however not the best experience on your first night!

... a bed of cabbage, carrots, green beans, and tomatoes. Absolutely delicious! I shared space and a very nice conversation with a small group of young Russian women who were just finishing up their stay here learning yoga on an ashram and heading back to Moscow the next day. Tomorrow back to Haridwar for a day tour then an overnight train to what I'm hoping will be the highlight of my trip, one of the oldest and holiest cities in India - Varanasi.

... must be half decent aye? Thousands of pilgrims dressed in orange, often wearing little more than rags and the majority of whom wearing no shoes travel hundreds of miles from destinations all over india to reach Rishikesh, which is centred around the river ganges, these pilgrims come here simply to bathe in the river itself, where it is said you cleanse yourself of all the impurities and bad thoughts et al, till you have ...