"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean. Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit to his full height."

(Thought this quote was appropriate.) I am back in the land where cows solemnly stare at walls. Departed western Nepal headed for Rishikesh in what would be another epic bus journey through the border shanty town of Banbasa and rural reaches of the state of Uttaranchal dodging cows and having late night conversations with eager Indians concerning why I am not yet married, and if India is in fact the greatest country in history. Just 20 hours this time with 60+ pilgrims bound for the city of Haridwar, the "gate of god." So after a ride on top of a bus with a goat who was shitting all over me, and a night journey to Haridwar and a connector to the quiet riverside holy town of Rishikesh, I had arrived, back in the hornet's nest (India). Had to get my game face on for bargaining and arguing once again, but after already experiencing it you know what to expect. India is like a hornet's nest, I mean that your can dodge some of the hornets, maybe even most, but you will get stung. Though the sting is not always bad.

Rishikesh is a very interesting town. It is one of India's major epicentres for joga ashrams, and 'spiritual enlightenment.' The Beatles came here in the '60s to study with the Maharishi, and I think to do a lot of drugs. It has an eccletic mix of Indian hindu pilgrims from all over India, Nepal, and perhaps the world, who come to worship and pay homage to Lord Shiva by bathing in the Ganges, and an army of westerners seeking spiritual solitude and fufillment. Personally I think it is all a load of hokkie madness, most of the westerners seem engaged in some type of hash induced spiritual pajama party. Almost everyone has dreads. I am being too harsh - to be fair, to each their own. The spectacle is very interesting to observe, never a boring moment in India, and Rishikesh is a quiet place and a pretty good time; much less aggressive than Varanasi. Who knows maybe when I get back to the other side of the pond, I will be a great and powerful Yogi learned in the ways of Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Parvati, and the gang. I think I will follow my new 'philosophy' in this respect and get involved with everything I would normally not do. Perhaps I will be able to fold my legs behind my head and bend into a pretzel once I master the essence of yoga. After all this, I am heading north to trek and experience solitude in the mountains, and to get away from the gathering heat, which is growing by the day.

Soon I will head to Gangotri, likely, if it is possible to get there. The road may be blocked with snow, the winter was the worst in 40 years. After I plan on continuing on to Manali in the Himachel Pradesh to the north.