Haridwar: After 9 great days with my father, we split. I kind of took for granted the fact that when we were togther there was no need to decide where or when to eat, where to go, how to get there or pretty much anything else. Nor did I really realize the language barrier. We had been in major cities where more or less everyone spoke English and my dad is fluent in Hindi (newsflash to me-I didn't know that Urdu and Hindi are EXACTLY the same with the exception of the script; one is arabic based and the other sanskrit). I know 50 to 100 Urdu (and Hindi words too!!) words (the usual numbers, yes, no, hot, cold, sleep, eat, hurry up, slow down, how much, how far, rat, burp, car, ok I won't name all 100, but you get the drift) and was pretty confident that I would have little trouble getting around. I hopped on a train to Haridwar, a small town where the Ganges River (no JR, Zia wasn't with me and didn't get a chance to show off his swimming skills) emerges/originates from the Himalayas. Haridwar is famous for Hindu pilgrims. They come to jump in the Ganges and cleanse themselves of sins in this life and any prior life. I called ahead, made a hotel reservation and was assured that the hotel was less than 100 meters in front of the train station. You couldn't miss it, and if you did, ask anyone for the Big Ben Restaurant (Big Ben, sounds like a no miss landmark). I got off the train and was swarmed by taxi drivers, rickshaw drivers, kids, mothers, you name it. Of course, no one had heard of my hotel or the Big Ben Restaurant. They couldn't even understand that I was saying RESTAURANT. I finally found the place and the room was clean, but I didn't bother to ask if they had hot water. Later that night I tried to take a shower and the water was freezing. I didn't know if this was a scheme to acclimate one's body temperature before plunging into the river or what I feared, bucket service. I went downstairs ( no phones in this place) to ask about the water and yes, bucket service indeed. "Do you need hot water now?". Next time I know to ask.

I got here Monday afternoon and didn't see another Westerner till this afternoon (Tuesday). I made two new friends; Erica and Luke, a couple my age from Berkeley. We hung out for the afternoon, got dinner together and watched the gagna aarti, a river worship ceremony that takes places on the Ganges every night at sunset. At sunset they ring bells, light torches and float tos of leaf baskets full of flower petals and a candle on top down the Ganges (or Ganga in Urdu/Hindi). People light these lanterns on fire and swing them around. It was pretty neat and they were excited to have us there. I am a creature of habit and always eat at the Big Ben Restaurant. Upon my arrival they change the music and put on their only trance music cd. It is really really funny!

Dave, I briefly took on our Canadian identity again. I got a weird response from someone when I told them I was from the USA. It didn't last long when an Indian guy and his wife struck up a conversation with me on the bus. "Canada?, which city?" "Yes, I am from Toronto of course." Then it got sticky, he started asking me about the Blue Jays and where I lived in the city. I told him "downtown" (can't go wrong with, right?) in the "new development". Then he asked where downtown and started babbling off neighborhoods. I just started nodding yes to everything. Apparently he had lived there a few years ago. I came clean at the end of the conversation and told him I just moved there. I guess I'll go back to being a New Yorker and deal with the American stereotype or say I am from a really rural Canadian town and make up a name. eh?

I also checked out the Mansa Devi temple and took a cable car upto the Chandi Devi Temple. Lots of monkeys running around (Tyler, I took photos for you and will post them soon). I have been taking lots of photos and thanks to JP able to upload them to the iPod. I'll post more once I am in a bigger city with a high speed connection. Enough naked men and women, I am off to Rishikesh tomorrow.