We bid Rishikesh adieu well before sunup. Two porters were waiting outside our room ready to cart our bags. My mom, still too weak from her unfortunate illness to walk the mile across the bridge to where our taxi awaited, also sat in the cart, on pillows borrowed from the Ashram. I walked alongside and was joined for part of the journey by a holy man. He asked my name but otherwise we walked in a blissful peace and quiet so rare in India. With an "om shri" he turned off into a temple along the road. The ride to Haridwar where we'd catch our train back to Delhi was bumpy but uneventful. Another porter brought us to the correct spot on the correct platform, then wandered off until our train arrived, when he popped up onto the platform from the tracks to put our bags on the train for us.
We were supposed to be heading towards Jaisalmer on September 8th. Jaisalmer, in the western state of Rajasthan, is on the edge of a desert. I had been looking forward to an overnight camel safari, sleeping under the stars in the desert-elevated on cots, the safari operator told me, as scorpions and other creepy crawlies tend to find their way into floor-level beds at this time of year.
We scrapped the Jaisalmer trip because it would be too much for my mom. After the 5 hour train ride to Delhi, we would have had a 6 hour layover/transfer to another train station and an 18 hour overnight train ride each way, and my mom might not have felt well enough to do much, let alone a camel safari. So we opted to spend the next few days seeing some more sights in Delhi, relaxing at home, and running errands before my mom ended her 15-month stint in India and moved back to the US. Our first evening back in Delhi entailed chinese food-which comes in baggies with drawstrings here!-and watching Three's Company in bed.
A look from a biker in a pop-up market:
Sleeping rickshaw drivers:
Sidewalk barber:
When we got back from Rishikesh we went to pick up my new glasses. Altogether the frames, lenses and exam cost about $30!
My, how my hair's grown!
While my mom was trying to figure out how to use my camera, she accidentally snapped this shot of me looking wistful and Sage looking like a dejected puppy. Love it:
Wise old Sage:
Nathu's Sweets has delicious snacks and meals, which I heartily availed myself of. Samosas and Mutter Kachori for 12 rupees each? YES please!
We went to Chittaranjan Park, which is where my mom lived when she first moved to Delhi, to get a refund for our train tickets to Jaisalmer. We dropped in on my mom's friends at the Tailor shop.These old-style pedal-powered sewing machines are on practically every corner, and you can get stuff tailored for you on the spot.
Inside of another Tailor's shop next door. This guy had handmade sari tops:
I found one that suited me quite nicely (multicolored iridescent sequins of course). He tailored it to fit me perfectly in about ten minutes. By some stroke of serendipity, I found a pair of leggings in the exact same color a few days later and way across town. I know what I'm wearing to the next party I attend!
A laid-back couple of days, but it was fun to experience regular old life in Delhi rather than touristy things. Next up, Central Market and the Lotus Temple!
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