After Delhi, I did not feel that I was finished with Rishikesh, and so rode the 240 km back there, and checked into the same Divya Hotel, into what must be one of the best rooms I have had in India. It is on the roof terrace of the 5-storey building, overlooking all of Laxman Jhula and the Ganges River. The large bed has a nice thick mattress, the place is clean, and the staff friendly. The price: only $4 per night! (View image, View image, View image).

The next day, I swam in the Ganga (Ganges) for the first time. It was one of the most exhilarating fresh water experiences ever, and suddenly I became aware of a whole new aspect of Rishikesh life: Ganga beach culture!!!

New and enriching aspects like this became apparent each day, and I realized what a great place this is to spend some time, and relax. One was a restaurant called Shiva Café, which is run by an utterly charming and humble Indian man and his loving family. I have become quite close with them, and make a point of spending every evening there. Everyone seems to be more open and loving with each other, while in their environment.

Another development is that after months of exposure to Indian music and an increasing love for traditional Tabla drums, I finally started taking lessons. At first it was embarrassing and very difficult for me to be an absolute beginner at something – barely able to strike the drums correctly, let alone find any semblance of Rhythm! But I managed to keep going back, and have now had 8 lessons, and was even able to practice in between, using a basic pair of drums lent to me by my teacher. Who knows if I will keep it up with the Tabla, especially considering the fact that I have started playing several instruments, but never had the discipline, or enduring passion, to keep playing. It is so unlikely that I will continue at this stage in my life, and all the more unlikely considering my new-found interest in the traveler’s lifestyle, that I’m curious to follow the impulse and see where it leads.

The spiritual side of Rishikesh life eventually started to become palpable for me, if not personal. During my India trip, I have found myself amazingly uninterested in Hinduism or religion in general, and all the ashrams, temples and ceremonies are only of passing or intellectual interest to me, rather than a source of any personal enrichment or involvement. I attended one of the nightly sunset singsong ceremonies and took a few photos: (View image, View image, View image, View image.)

But I preferred the quieter Laxman Jhula version, in which a young boy Brahmin does the ceremony with a few onlookers, and then walks the streets giving Puja or blessings to those who will accept a Bindi mark on their forehead. View image, View image.

I found myself enjoying an unusual and comfortable daily routine, and only took photos when I saw something unusual or especially beautiful. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Saddhus are the ubiquitous "holymen" who seem to be constantly walking around India on various pilgrimages. They sit around smoking grass through their chillum pipes, and get free food from Hindus. rishikesh is full of these guys:View image.

These girls may look like a scene from a horror film, but they are actually the sweet children of a Latvian single-mother devotee of a guru who apparently likes bald heads: View image.

Having seen thousands of holy cows in India, this was, amazingly, my first dead one. It was covered and ignored, even the food stalls carried on a roaring vegetarian business, until someone removed the corpse at night: View image, View image.

When I went to the ATM for cash one evening, I had to wait for this orange person to finish: View image.

Popular tourist places have the advantage of better food. This is my ideal travelling breakfast, when I can get it: View image.

This is a rubbish bin in one of the ashrams: View image

I like the colors of this house and the pride of it's owner; View image.

Happy schoolchildren: View image.

An Indian family relaxes by the river under the bridge: View image

This was a moment of extraordinary light in a cafe one afternoon: View image, View image.

This old scooter has become part of the streetscape: View image

There is a lovely waterfall within walking distance of the village:View image.

I also realized what a great base Rishikesh is, for taking shorter trips and coming back to a comfortable place that feels like a kind of home. One such trip was 250km ride up into the Himalayas, as high as I could with the receding snow still blocking the higher passes. Another was to Corbett Tiger Reserve to see the illusive and endangered big cats.

But I’ll make separate pages for those trips.