Searching for a guru

We are winding down here in India and have spent our last week or so in Rishikesh, where the plains meet the foothills of the mighty Himalayas...and the beautiful Ganges carves its path through the green hills. It is a beautiful part of the country, but Tim and I have a hard time really getting into this place. It is a mecca for spiritual seekers, particularly western ones of the hippy variety. The dusty roads are crawling with westerners who came to India to find themselves, and the skeptic in me can't help but roll my eyes. There is an ashram around every corner and a sadhu (holy men) begging on that corner. The pedestrian bridges crossing the Ganges are a perfect representation of the chaotic clash of cultures here in town. Masses of pilgrims make their way across the bridge heading to the temple, while motorcycle and scooter horns scream as drivers force their way through the crowds. Hippies wander along blissed out in their own world, cows and bulls decide on a nap after arriving at the midway point, and monkeys opportunistically take advantage of the oblivious tourists. All the while Indian tourists are trying to get their picture taken by the Ganges in the middle of all this mayhem. It is complete insanity that brings me to my breaking point nearly every time I cross the bridge at 'rush hour'. But we have discovered beautiful spots to get away from the spiritually charged chaos and enjoy the river and the surrounding hills. We have taken advantage of this break to make some plans for the upcoming months. It has been quite easy here in India to hop from one bus or train to the next without much planning. Usually we only needed to plan out our next stop or two. Now we are making plans for Nepal and China, two new countries awaiting us in the next couple of months!! We've reunited with our friend Katie, who we started our travels with...and we head for the border of Nepal in just a few days. We will be setting off on a 3 week trek in the Himalayas, finally getting out and really stretching our legs!!