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After Holi, we planned a trip to Rishikesh as the Q1 expats' swan song in India. For me and Austin, it was the second go 'round, but for the others, it was all new. I am SO glad that we signed on for the do-over. We ended up with a good-sized group, nine of us, with guest appearances by Anupam from Hyderabad and Arjun, our visa-seeking roommate. Austin did a fabulous job of planning (of course) and booked us with a really great rafting company, called DNA. They took us on a 36km run down the Ganges with both Class IV and Class III rapids. It was super fun. The company was fantastic, the rapids were challenging, but we didn't flip the boat and everyone had a great time. Mission accomplished. And... I got a repeat on my beloved "burrotos" and "quesandillas" at the Ganga Guest House restaurant. True Bliss - quasi-Mexican food in India is not to be taken lightly; it must be savored and appreciated, which is exactly what we did. On Sunday, on our way home, half of us stopped in Haridwar to see the Hindu temples and part of the nightly puja ceremony. The temples were extravagant - beautiful and a little terrifying, with lots of bloody dioramas and gorgeous mosaics. The puja, even the little we saw of it, was pretty tremendous too. Thousands of the faithful, bathing in the Ganges, leaf boats full of flowers, incense and candles to be floated on the river, and a hundred different ceremonies being conducted at once. Just another quiet evening in Haridwar.
This is one of the few trips in India that I've done twice, but that's because it's well worth it. I love the cold water and warm sun in Rishikesh. The rapids are so much fun. This time, the water was aqua-blue since the snow hadn't yet started to melt, and doing the longer rafting run was awesome. I loved seeing the ceremony in Haridwar as well; it feels like a privilege to be able to participate in someone else's faith so directly and without any qualification. And, there were lots of funny stories this time too... you have to love road trips - constant stand-up fodder, truly: Gina declaring me the best bed-buddy ever (mainly because I sleep like a log) and the subsequent torrent of naughty jokes from both Gina and Anupam; Devindar stopping at 2am on a bridge over the Ganges and handing me a 2 rupee coin to toss into the river and "pray for a good husband, and quick;" finding beers in a dry town and having drinks with our guides, Eddie and Buphi; the mysterious monkey-chasing incident that left Devindar with three chipped teeth and a lead foot all the way home; and Sherry leaving her t-shirt and bra in the car, only to be returned by the very sheepish drivers weeks later, and with many giggles. Ahh, India.
And, I must end with a shout-out to the Travel Dream Team - my roommates and colleagues are some of the best co-adventurers a girl could ask for. Any time you have a trip planned and need another, give me a shout.
