Rishikesh

The girls dropped me at a Rickshaw in Varanasi and I made the journey by myself to the train station. Angie and Alex have now left 'Incredible India' to enjoy comfy beds, beef, and salads! Yes I am a bit jealous. I got to the train station at 1045pm to wait for my 125am train. Of course it didn't show up until around 330am. I waited in the Special "Ladies" Waiting area, with other ladies, rats, and the stench of urine from the toilets next to me. I boarded my train to Haridwar (approx 14.5 hour trip), took a Gravol and slept for the majority of it. For me India has been a roller coaster journey of ups and downs. Sometimes I wonder why I left my beautiful city, my nice home, nice job, and wonderful family and friends to be sitting in a rat infested train station. I laugh, its all part of the adventure. At the end of the day, is it worth it to put up with stares, garbage, and feeling uncomfortable sometimes? Of course it is. This is why I travel to different destinations. Sure I could spend my money to go to Europe again, or maybe safe Australia, but would I get the same experience? Get to see the things I do? Learn about a completely different culture, people, religion? The answer is no. I know that I am lucky to be able to travel this country, a place that many people close to me will probably never see. So when I have those moments of "OMG GET ME OUT OF HERE!!" I have to remind myself of the completely mind blowing amazing moments I have had as well. I arrived in Haridwar, and didn't even have to haggle much for a Rickshaw driver to take me to Rishikesh. The scenery is completely different from Varanasi. I am surrounded by mountains, a clean river, and a lot more peace. I arrived in my hotel to find a familiar face, an Australian guy that we had met in Delhi. Tomorrow he is going to play some cricket with some locals (Cricket is India's national obsession) and I am going to join him just to watch. Today I am going to relax clear my head, and get a massage later. Rishikesh is the self proclaimed "Yoga Capital of the World" so I might take some classes, do some meditation, and join all the hippies here doing whatever it is they do. I leave for Punjab on the 26th to start my internship with 'EduCARE.'

I am excited and look forward to the next part of my journey. It will also be nice to be settled somewhere for awhile as I am getting a bit sick of hopping around from place to place.

Hope everyone is well

Love Krista