For anyone considering traveling to India, I beseech you, don’t come in the summer. It’s hot as balls and you won’t be able to enjoy 80% of the country. On the bright side, you can head to the mountains and enjoy the beautiful scenery, which due to snow, is inaccessible for most of the year. Our first stop on the way up was Haridwar, a major pilgrimage site on the banks of the Ganges. At dusk, the Ganges is lit up with pujas (candlelit offerings) that pilgrims send floating down the river. The religious spectacle here has to be seen to be believed – thousands of devotees line Har-Ki-Pair ghat every night, where they submerge themselves in the river to wash away their sins. TD couldn’t resist stripping down to his boxer briefs and jumping in. He certainly felt refreshed, if not spiritually cleansed, but also worried about contracting something from the murky water.
If we felt that we hadn’t seen many foreigners in India, our arrival in Rishikesh changed all that. We found a backpacker haven where we could chill out on patios and swap advice with other travelers. Known as a center for yoga and ashrams, Rishikesh abounds with people studying to be yoga instructors and those seeking spiritual enlightenment. TD and I hooked up with some Israeli kids who were on their way to trek in the Himalayas. Traveling in bigger groups can be quite cost effective because you can rent out your own transport (i.e. pimp ass jeep) and meet some cool peeps. By the way, did you know that India is extremely popular with Israelis? They love the shit out of this place. In certain hot spots (usually where the best weed is grown), the streets are lined with signs in Hebrew and restaurants serving up falafel.
Our group headed to the village of Gangotri, where we would hike 38k (return) to Gamukh glacier, the source of the Ganges and one of the holiest places in India. The altitude (4000 meters) made things a bit tough but luckily it was a gradual ascent. As you can imagine, the scenery was jaw-droppingly gorgeous – I mean, we were in the Himalayas for fuck’s sake! We stayed in pilgrims’ tents where we ate homemade grub and rested our weary bodies for the night. The next day, we hiked to the glacier which was not as big as I had pictured, but impressive nonetheless. The return trip was grueling but there was no way you could complain – one look at the barefoot old ladies plowing past you, while balancing heavy loads on their heads, and you shut your mouth real fast.
With about one more week left, we’re headed to Dharmasala where Tibet has established its government-in-exile. Maybe we’ll kick it with the Dalai Lama…we’re homies from back in the day.