Quick Stop Delhi - On to Rishikesh

I decided to go to somewhere new for New Year's Eve (which it is now as I write.)

I flew from Goa to Delhi, met Amit for a quick dinner and re-packing my luggage from tropical clothes to warm weather gear. Then much too early yesterday morning I caught a train to Haridwar.

Here's what I wrote while on the train. From it you can tell I am not a morning person.

"I am riding on probably the cleanest of the filthy trains I have traveled on during this trip! I am unable to see out of the windows because of condensation. The pull-down table for eating is dirty. As the light breakfast is served complete with personal pots of hot water for tea, it seems the pots had never before been cleaned. And just now when I got up to go to the crappy Western style toilet, I noticed I have been sitting on chewing gum. Okay, what more? I surrender again!"

Well, I did not sleep at all that night before so maybe it is a little more than that I am not a morning person:-)

I still have to point out that once again I was taken care of beyond the beyond. At 5am that morning the hotel called to make sure I was up. Then Amit called to say that his uncle would meet me at the station to make sure I got on the right train and the right seat. And even the bellhop rode ion the bicycle rickshaw with me to hold my luggage and assure the people at the hotel that I would find Amit's uncle only having met him once before. For me, one who has always done everything for and by herself, this is an amazing turn of events happening here being so taken care of. I cannot get over it. Actually I never want to.

So how can it be that with the same breath, I complain about the train? I guess after a while the sanitation situation here gets to me and proably all Americans who would just as soon lemon pledge their armpits and crotches as well as their furniture.

I arrived in Haridwar an hour and a half late to be greeted by Hem, one of Amit's people. More in the next post.