Reflections on a Month Living in Rishikesh, India

It’s the little things that add to a country’s charm…and make any trip abroad such a memorable experience. As I travel, some experiences become full journal entries while others can be summarized in just a sentence or two.

These are they: this and that.
My final notes from Rishikesh:
with a stop in Amritsar.

A panoramic view of Rishikesh, India, and the Ganges River

After living in Rishikesh for nearly a month, leaving it felt like I was saying goodbye to my home.

I saw a barefoot worker balance 12 bricks on his head, before walking them across a rocky path to a construction site.

Locals sometimes just plop their babies in our arms for a photograph.

From left to right, Lauren, Me and Carrie - saying goodbye to Cafe Delmar and Rishikesh — From left to right, Lauren, Me and Carrie – saying goodbye to Cafe Delmar and Rishikesh

Even though I was ready to leave Rishikesh, I truly hope to return some day.

My “Indian head bob” came right back to me upon my return to Rishikesh and has progressed quickly to the point where I can use it for entire conversations.

Already packed with commerce, I shudder to think of how many new buildings will be in Rishikesh by the time I do return.

White people really are treated as celebrities in India. It still shocks me that someone is so amazed by seeing one of us. That said, many of these people come from the middle parts of India, where their only exposure to Western culture is on TV.

That's me hamming it up in the middle of a very crowded Laxshman Jhula Bridge — That’s me hamming it up in the middle of a very crowded Laxshman Jhula Bridge

The complete lack of personal space throughout India still continues to amaze me.

I forgot that a line is a figment of my Western imagination here.

We can’t stop calling Rupees “rupes” in conversation, after picking up the saying from an awesome guitarist named Parker Ainsworth in Rishikesh.

ESPN-some-other-country aired a game of volleyball where the players used feet instead of hands. Weird!

It’s tougher finding time to work on this blog than I thought it would be.

Although it had been three years since my last ride on an Indian train, when I entered the station it felt as if I was just there.

Just Outside Amritsar, I saw a giant rubber wheel factory that specialized in bicycles. Next to the factory, city blocks of dorms housed thousands of workers. I imagine it’s similar to the Apple factory in China.

The lower entrance to one of the famous meditation dome of the Beatles Ashram

I’ve now spent almost two months using neither a wallet nor a watch. I don’t miss either.

My favorite example of this are guesthouses that have functioning rooms on either top or bottom, with the other half still a mess of bricks, rebar, cement and tools. Enjoy your 7:30am hammertime!

The Indian countryside between Amritsar and Dharamasala reminds me of Middle America. The houses and infrastructure look different, but the terrain and endless horizons of farmland are quite similar. I always love the little town spring up in the middle.

Lauren bought a pair of shoes that had no right or left foot. A uni-foot shoe.

Cities across India seem to be in a constant state of either construction or abandonment, and it’s sometimes difficult to tell the difference.