Rishikesh

Touts claiming Rishikesh as the "Yoga Capitol of the World" drew me out of the confinement of Navdanya to complete a journey on my own this weekend. I had many firsts including cramming my body into an overly packed Indian bus. Here are a few other things I saw:

• approximately 5,439 cows;
• a yoga class involving jumping jacks;
• the holy Ganges River (also the 5th highest polluted river in the world);
• Ganga Aarti evening prayer service ceremony;
• ashram where the Beatles wrote most of the White Album;
• a monkey trying to steal a baby;
• mala prayer necklaces;
• pizza!;
• ice cream!;
• treehouse restaurant;
• popcorn
• cow dung on my foot (not my shoe - my foot);
• dal fry;
• garlic naan;
• tulsi tea;
• henna painting;
• temples;
• Tibetan wall hangings
• high drawbridges three people wide, but involving motorbikes, monkeys, and cows trying to cross, as well;
• and... a delicious mango lassi!