India Journal 2006 #40 April 8th-Coming Down to the Rishikesh Finish Line

Shiva Temple





Well, tomorrow is my last day here. It will be very hard to leave this place for many reasons, and leaving the lovely people I've met here is one of them. I've had such a wonderful group of friends here from the day I arrived, and it is really like leaving family. We've become very close and have been mutually helping each other go through many different things. Happy times, sad times, confusing times, chaning times...it has been quite an amazing 2 months here and it is not easy to think I leaving in one more day.

I am leaving for Delhi on Tuesday. If I didn't have to go shopping in Delhi, I would go straight to Dharamsala, but as hot as it is now in Delhi, about 40 degrees, it will still be better now than in June when I come through again to go home. I need to by beads for my daughters, incense for the family and myself, some sandals for another daughter and maybe even myself, and of

course my own clothing for the next couple of years. I will be travelling with Ilse and she will take me to some nice places she knows in Connaught place which I don't know of, and the next day I will take her to Khan Market which she has never been too. We have to get there by Rickshaw which will be really hot, but once there, both places have AC shops and eating places so it should be OK. And I will do my shopping in Paharganj in the evenings , and my room is AC with TV, so I guess I will survive. I still have no train ticket to Pathankot as even 3 weeks ago the trains were full, but I will most probably be able to get a Tourist Quota ticket but must do that in person in the Train Station in Delhi, so that will be my first order of business there on Wednesday morning.

Today, Sunday, I went with Ainat, Ilse and Shakti to the Shiva Temple up in the mountains. It was an absolutely beautiful ride up there and reminded me of how much I love the mountains.










It was interesting to see the temple, but I don't really get too excited about this stuff. Seeing the people is always more interesting to me and the people here are all so JOYFUL in their worship. Below is a picture of the offerings people buy to leave in the temple...



Shakti also did some photo shooting and here you can see her interacting with the people she photographs...







but the day was very hot, the driver was a maniac, the roads bad, and I was out in the sun much too much for me, and really not feeling well now....will rest up the rest of today and tomorrow as well. Just have to pack. Nothing much else to do. The pictures for this post I will add later, so you can go back and check it out in a couple of days. Some of the views are really fabulous.

We also tried out a new restaurant today and now that I know where it is, I look forward to eating there often upon my return. La Bella View it is called and they have both wonderful Italian, and Israeli food. And regular other stuff as well. On the Ganga, beautiful view, very clean and pleasantly cool when most places are atrociously hot these days, so much so that they kill your appetite completely.

Well, I'll close this for now. I may not write again for some time because if it is very hot in Delhi, I won't be able to sit at the internet. So I MIGHT not write again until I get to McLeod, so don't worry if there is nothing new here for awhile. Will try to get the pics on tomorrow, and then I will be lucky if I find broadband internet as nice as here when I get to Dharamsala.

Namaste
Jane