The longest bus trip

We didn't take very good pictures of it, but we had an insane day yesterday. Felt very India.

W started by saying goodbye to Sanjay (owner) and Claudia at our hotel. Finally figured out how to turn on the hot water though so after a proper shower, we were all geared up to go to the international bus terminal, ISBT, to get to rishikesh, just north east of us. Sanjay told us where to go on the metro and we felt pretty prepared.

So we get to what's supposed to be the 'gleaming international bus terminal' according to lp and its under construction and looks like it has been partially complete for years. Then everyone we meet keeps telling us we're in the wrong place and we need to take their taxi to a different bus station that's an hour away. Now, the guide book tells you never to trust people who tell you something has burned down or moved, so we went from bus to bus asking for rishikesh begone deciding we were truly in the wrong place.

Anyway to make a long story short, we found a really nice guy who looked it up on his phone and told us that there are three isbt stations and we wanted this other one. So finally we did get there, it was insane, fiiiiilthy, JD used a horrifying bathroom and we got on this rickety, grimey local bus to rishikesh.

7 cold, tiring hours later, we made it. It was really kind of terrible. A little girl a seat ahead of us had her head out the window the whole time which was fine until she started getting sick. We moved, but the window in the back was stuck open and Himalayan air was pretty chilly. JD was amazed that I hadn't been able to sleep on the hotel bed at all but I couldn't stay awake in his lap on the bus. Fight or flight mode? I don't know.

Anyway we're still in bed but the hotel staff are all amazingly friendly here. We're in kind of a yoga resort town on the banks of the Ganges close to where it originates (I think) or in any case, fresh enough to get in. Lots of foreigners. We had pizza for dinner w American cheese melted on top. Also paneer parantha with homemade mango pickle and a banana lassi, lemon ginger tea, freshly made lemonade with mint. Theres Wifi in the hotel which makes us both feel at home to be able to check in.

I think today the plan is supposed to be massages, a dip in the Ganges, mango lassis and a bit of yoga. But not a whole lot has been going according to plan around here, so we will see tomorrow.

No hint of Delhi belly after two days. :)