Throughout my six months traveling around India, fellow travelers have spoken about Rishikesh so often, that it had become a kind of ultimate destination; along with Varanasi and Dharmasala, a place that seems to represent a major part of many people's India experience.

Rishikesh is the main travelers' center for all things Spiritual, and a holy pilgimage site for Hindus. Situated at the point where the holy Ganga (Ganges) River leaves the Himalayas and enters the plains, there are more ashrams here than shops, and everyone seems to be just going into, or coming out of, some kind of meditation retreat, or Yoga, Reiki or music class.

Rolfe and I decided to stay in Laxman Jhula, the part of town closest to the mountains -- and furthest from the actual, and noisy, town -- and the most picaresque, with a suspension footbridge the only way of getting over the river, and the foothills surrounding the often strange architecture of the ashrams. View image, View image, View image, View image, View image, View image.

Rishikesh is also where the Beatles came in the Sixties, to see the Maharishi. The ashram is now a deserted and overgrown collection of very interesting architecture, and a very atmospheric place to visit. The place is so lovely, that one wonders what happened, and why no one but wild monkeys are using the property now. View image, View image, View image, View image, View image, View image.

After thousands of kilometers of flatland riding on the bikes with Rolfe, It was great to take him up into the Himalyan foothills, which are real mountains by anyone else’s standards, where we had a couple of days of really beautiful riding, returning to Rishikesh in the evenings. He said he finally understood why people were so enthusiastic about motorcycling. View image, View image, View image, View image, View image, View image, View image.

One of the amazing things about north India, and the foothills, is that Marijuana grows everywhere: it is one of the most naturally occuring "weeds" on almost every roadside! View image.

The beautiful town of Devprayag is 70 km up the Ganga valley from Rishikesh, and is the point at which two tributary rivers combine their different colored waters to create the point where the actual Ganga begins to be called Ganga. View image, View image, View image, View image.

After 4 days, when it became time to drive back to Delhi, we dreaded the road between Rishikesh and Haridwar, which is 24 km of dangerous and stressful traffic. But then we discovered that there is another little-known road, via a national park, natural forests, and a canal system, that leads through silent nature, with hardly a soul around, and is like a breath of fresh air! View image, View image, View image, View image.