Farewell, India
We’ve come to terms with India just in time for us to leave for Thailand tomorrow. Rishikesh has been very good to us. We made some good friends, had great meals, took a safari, hiked to a waterfall, did yoga at an ashram, sweated a lot, played cards and watched one replay of a Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup final game!
The photo above was taken on our safari in Rajiji National Park near Rishikesh. It was breathtaking to see elephants in their natural habitat, and we were lucky enough to be flanked on both sides by the elephants in this photo and another family 500 yards behind us.
Our safari guide, Lucky, was very enthusiastic about his job, which made for an excellent trip through the park. Barb and I were the only ones on the tour, so we had his full attention and an unfettered view.
There is a candle lighting ceremony at a big ashram in Rishikesh every night. This is an aerial view of the festivities. There was a lot of beautiful chanting, tabla playing and prayer before they lit candles and offered them up to the holy Ganges River — environment be damned.
Our hike to the waterfall outside of Rishikesh was hot, humid and sweaty! It was tortute to not be able to swim in the many pools that the waterfall feeds on its way down the hill. Western women’s swimwear, it seems, is very tantalizing, so we were advised to forego a dip to avoid a riotous bout of staring and photo taking (which is what we experience fully clothed walking down the street already, but anyway…).
