It took us about a week, but we’re just about over the culture shock India hit us with. Our stomachs are acclimating to the food, our ears are used to the constant din of car horns, our noses have come to expect the worst, but we’re still grappling with the poverty. I’m not sure we’d ever be able to get over that.

We spent a few more days in Nainital, where we hiked and hired a paddle boat shaped like a swan and joined the Boat House Club so we could drink beers on the deck overlooking the lake. Then we hired a driver to take us west across the Himalayas to Rishikesh. We drove on some of the worst roads either of us have ever been on to get here. Innumerable mudslides have washed out much of the asphalt, leaving, at times, very little actual pavement. A good portion of the 13 hour drive was essentially on a one-lane road with a new curve starting as the previous one finished high, high, high, high above the valleys that rolled on below. Sometimes the road was nothing but some dirt and huge rocks and potholes for dodging. Needless to say, there was very little in the way of guardrails and almost no shoulder. Our driver was a pro, though, and he got us here safe and sound — no thanks to our silent, white-knuckled backseat hoping, I’m sure, but he pretended not to notice our hushed anxiety.

Rishikesh is the town the Beatles visited during their spiritual quest. Surprisingly, after three days here, I’ve yet to see any sign that they were here. I thought for sure there’d be plaques (The Beatles Ate Here!) and souvenir-type stuff all over the place. Thankfully,that’s not the case. This town is a very holy place in the Hindu religion. Pilgrims visit so they can soak in the Ganges and begin pilgrimages up to temples in the surrounding mountains. There are also lots of ashrams where you can practice yoga, massage and other spiritual healing enterprises. Barb is at a yoga class now, and she’s got three more scheduled for tomorrow. I plan to search out a newspaper (not easy to come by here) and watch the Indians and the monkeys (who hang out on the suspension wires waiting to grab an ice cream cone or a bag of grapes from bridge-crossers) cross the Ganges on the footbridge that spans the river.

Today we took a hike up to a beautiful waterfall in the mountains outside of town with some new friends we met here. It was a fairly steep climb in very humid weather, so we were all drenched by the time we got to the top, passing several different falls and pools along the way.

We will likely spend the rest of our time in India here in Rishikesh. We are planning a safari at a national park nearby so we can see some elephants. We’ll also likely do more hiking, yoga, reading, card-playing and relaxing. And then we’re off to Bangkok on Friday

Crossing the Ganges and sharing the road…

It’s raining in Nainital, India, today so we’ve sought refuge in this leaky Internet cafe. Barb and I have learned we were wholly unprepared for everything India had ready to throw at us, so it’s been a pretty interesting few days. Above all, we were not prepared for the extreme level of poverty and the overwhelming mass of humanity. There’s very little private space with a billion people fighting for a spot in line (although calling the Indian style of queuing up a ‘line’ is generous), a space on the road, a seat on the train, or simply for something to eat. We’ve been constantly challenged, which isn’t exactly what we had in mind for our honeymoon, but it’s proving to be an enriching experience in ways we didn’t expect.

So far, we’ve encountered two types of people here: those who want to somehow separate us from our money in exchange for overpriced taxi/rickshaw/camel/horse/boat rides that we don’t want or need or by any number of other scams; and those who see us as a set of curios who are here to be stared at and to snap photos of. We’ve joked that we feel like Angeline Jolie and Brad Pitt — or at least the z-list equivalent — as everywhere we go folks want to snap our picture. Obviously not something we’re used to.

Although we’ve had difficulties coming to terms with being treated as dollars on legs, it’s put into perspective what absolute poverty impels otherwise good folks to do. We waiver between being ready to lash out at the next offer for a taxi we don’t need to being ashamed for being so fortunate to have this experience in the first place. It’s utterly sobering to be carrying an $800 camera when all around you folks are fighting just to survive. The difference between “us” and “them” is so great that it’s been hard to find common ground.

Which isn’t to say that things have been all frustrating… we’ve come to celebrate our triumphs over the petty scams that are everywhere here. I’m sure we’re still getting taken in ways we don’t realize, but we enjoy overcoming the ones of which we’re aware. And, of course, the countryside is stunning. Delhi is situated on a vast, boiling plain. We spent a day there and a day traveling from Agra and back to see the Taj Mahal, and that was enough. Then we escaped up to the foothills of the Himalayas, where it’s cooler and relatively peaceful. We plan on hiking and exploring the wilderness around us for the next few days. Stay tuned for more…

There are no crosswalks in Cairo, so this is the only way to get across the road.

Greetings from hot, hot Cairo everyone. We got married last Saturday and things went off without a hitch. Thanks to everyone who made the trip to Italy for the festivities. We hope you all had a great time.

Egypt has been fantastic so far. We arrived on Monday night and immediately set out for a midnight walk in our leafy neighborhood located on an island in the middle of the Nile. The island — home to lots of embassies, parks and great cafes and restaurants – is called Zamalek, and we’re very happy we ended up staying here. It’s been our peaceful oasis in the middle of hectic Cairo. Tomorrow we leave for India, but here are some highlights from Cairo before we go:

On Tuesday, we took a sunset sail aboard a felucca (the local sailboat) on the Nile.

Today the pyramids of Giza and Saqqara blew our minds.

Also, Cairo is VERY loud. This is the alternative to the peaceful felucca ride we took. It appears most Cairenes prefer the psychedelic party boat.

We managed to pack two-months’ worth of stuff into these bags. One bag is full of pepto bismo and bug spray. We’ll be posting regular updates here if you want to track our progress. Wish us luck!

Our good friend Erik joined us at San Francisco city hall to sign our marriage license today. It’s almost official now!

We took a beautiful hike today in the Marin Headlands north of the Golden Gate bridge. Our good friend Jason Frinchaboy gets the photo credit for this one. Looking forward to seeing all of you very soon!

Hopefully, you’ve all received your invitations by now. The wedding is only a month away and we’re getting super excited. Can’t wait to see all of you in Italy. Email or call us if you have any questions.

Speriamo che avete ricevuto i inviti. Il matrimonia é fra un messe e non vediamo il ora di vedervi.

Since all of our responsibilities will be placed on hold during this time, we’ve deciced to take full advantage by embracing an around the world adventure. Our destinations are tentaively as follows: Venice, Italy; Ciaro, Egypt; Delhi, India; Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; and Hong Kong; China. Wow!