An armpit cold...

Armpit cold. You don't know what it is? I recently found out. On the trip from Chandigarh to Haridwar we travelled via ordinary bus. Since I was travelling with two Isrealis, everyone thinks I'm Isreali. Nevermind that, even when I'm by myself people are wishing me a Happy New Year and Isrealis roll up to me and start talking in Hebrew with me. Apparently after they serve their mandatory time with the army they ALL come to India. When they finish their time in the military they still don the military presentation. They all grow hair and facial hair long - and most of them have curly hair. Sounds kind of familiar ;)

They is a migration pattern amongst them. They start off in the north and when winter comes they fly south. I happen to be joining the migration pattern. So when I began speaking in Hindi with the travellers on the bus they were astounded and I became the number one person to talk to during the trip. At the one stop we had shopkeepers were giving me food and drink, it was nice but very odd. Everyone just loved the hair and the fact that I spoke Hindi.

After that stop the bus began filling. All the seats were taken so standing room was all that was left. In some states they allow you to sit on top of the bus, not this state otherwise I would be the first to offer myself up as the hood ornament.

Then came the armpit. The armpit was in my face for two and a half hours. It wasn't your run-of-the-mill armpit either. It was not a stanky armpit, nor instrusive, it was a rather subtle poison with greater exposure caused illness. My nose stuffed up after about half an hour alleviating me smelling anything. The only problem was that I was still exposed to the infestation. I got off the bus in Haridwar and began a sneezing fit. After the bus trip and my thirty consecutive sneezes I was spent. Argued over a taxi fare into Rishikesh and found probably the only guest house open at midnight. The taxis can't go into certain areas so we had a twenty five minute trek through ashrams, bridges and dark cow dung covered alleys.

I got over the armpit cold after a day or two and now enjoying the sun and fun.

There is a religious festival going on this week in Rishikesh and foreigners and Indian tourist flood the streets, bridges and temples. Every morning you can hear Mantras being performed over loud speakers while gazing along the Ganga River. I have washed away some of my sins in the Ganga so far. I'm sure that I would have to dip in a few more times to resolve some my accumulated sins. Truly phenomenal experiences.