About 34 hours after I left Denver, I finally made it to my destination in Rishikesh, India. It was a long journey but well worth it. My experience began as soon as I stepped foot off the airplane in Dehradun. After collecting my bag I decided to stop in the restroom. Considering it is such a dirty country, they have extremely clean habits. Every public restroom I have been in in India has one or two bathroom attendants, and they clean each stall and sink EVERY time it is used. The toilet was a squat toilet, which I’ve used before in Italy, and is definitely a bit awkward if you’re not used to it..
I walked outside and for the first time in my life, there was someone waiting for me with a sign that said “Welcome, April Mueller.” I have always wanted that to happen, and it was a good thing because there were about 6 other cab drivers fighting to give me a ride. The ride from Dehradun to Rishikesh was about a half an hour and quite the experience in itself. They drive on the left side of the road and they drive ALL over the road. About half the drivers are on mopeds and the cars weave in and out around them and other cars, and are constantly cutting each other off. They are pretty much perpetually honking their horns, to warn people they are passing. The horns sounds like air horns and some play little tunes. Monkeys sit along the sides of the roads watching the cars go by, and cows stroll freely along the road. Sadly there is a lot of trash on the sides of the road and the air is very smokey because they burn their trash.
I was safely dropped off at my ashram, which is away from the town at the top of a windy, narrow road. It’s a new building and a surprisingly nice accommodation. I am sharing a room with one other lady and thankfully we have our own bathroom. There definitely is no heat though and the building stays pretty chilly. The people are extremely friendly and helpful, which so far has been my experience with all of the people in India (apart from the excessive honking). I am so excited and thankful to have the opportunity to have this experience, and I can’t wait to share more of it with you. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more updates!
