Rishikesh or Richicash?

There's a lot to be said for the many charms of  the little town of Rishikesh. It's quiet laid back atmosphere is just the tonic after the bustles and hustles of sweltering Delhi. Strolling through the town is a delight,  well this end of town Lakshman Jhula which is situated further out is at least pretty laid back.

The strange thing is that reaching other parts of Rishikesh seems to be very difficult indeed. For me at least. Trying to hitch a ride on Vikram to the next bridge turned out to be a bit of an ordeal as was finding where to catch one. The nearest I encountered required a 15 minute wait and way over the odds. Big white taxis were plentiful ready to take the Richicash dollars.

After 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get out, and feeling the heat starting to fry my brain, I decided it just wasn't my day for exploring further a field. Instead the appeal of a big bowl of late breakfast fruit muesli overlooking the banks of the Ganga won me over.

Commerce aside (and there is plenty of it here) the air vibrates with echoing chants broadcast from loudspeakers throughout  town. Calls to prayer and devotion from dawn to dusk. Complimented by the counterpoint of scooter horns hitting their own high notes, and loud cheers from the Ganga as another raft full of river adventurers cross their finishing lines.