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Got to the Red Fort at 8.30 previous night for 9pm show. They refused to let me in saying have to be in at 8 although tour guide did confirm earlier in the day. I wasn't too fussed. Went back to hotel.
Left for Haridwar at 9am. It's approximately 220km but took just over 5 hours. The roads are quite hectic with cars, motor cycles, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians. There is also the odd cow. Lots of potholes in the roads too. We had one stop in between at a clean place with clean toilets. I am not sure I could stay focused for so such a long drive and my driver was definitely tired by the end of it.
The hotel here has 5 (actually 4 since the 4th star has fallen off) stars on the sign but is not 5 star. It was probably a great hotel in the past based on the finishings and design but had not been well maintained. They are playing Kenny G in the lobby and I tell the front office guy that. He has never heard of Kenny G yet it has been playing there over my entire stay so far. English is also not that good, even among hotel staff here. A far cry from the Hyatt in Delhi.
Went to the Ganga. Lots of mud and dirt everywhere. It is rainy season. Water is filthy brown. I bought a puja tray for INR20. Before I can pick it up some other guy has it and is taking me to the river. He does some prayers and has me repeat everything. I hear 500 rupees a couple of times in there for a family. I tell him a couple of times I don't have that much money. After the prayer, he wants money and I give him INR80. I think I had about 150 with me only anyway. He takes 100 and disappears. Some kid who appear out of nowhere at my side during the prayer and gave 2 glasses of watery milk demands 20. His friend is saying 15. I offered him 10 which he refused but kept nagging for a few minutes. Persistent b*****s! Eventually he took 10 and I suspect he swore me but who cares. It did to feel like a prayer at all! I think I have more sincere prayers doing it myself at home without all this ritualistic nonsense. Even after the Ganga Aarti, the organisers come around soliciting money. In return, you get a receipt and they shout out some praises for you. A total rip off and spoilt what should have been a religious experience.
On the way back to the hotel after Aarti, we see an overturned tuk tuk and the guys pushing it upright. As we drive past, a guy bangs on the door trying to stop us. He then opens the front passenger door and jumps in while the car is moving. He wants us to stop and help or do something, I didn't understand his Hindi. Driver tells him to phone the police. He wants the drivers phone. Driver told him its a free call and use his own phone. Eventually he phones the police and jumps out when we get to the gates of the hotel.
I am not loving India anymore!
Next day, it's raining in the morning but I go back anyway and walk around. No one harasses me at all. I wanted to go to a couple of temples that require the driver to take me there since they are at least 15 minutes walk away and then need a rope way or cable car to take you to the top. He points out the direction and takes me back to the hotel. I suspect he slept in the car overnight. His clothes are laid out at the back of the 7 seater.
We passed some nice looking mandirs on the way so I took a walk from the hotel. An interesting experience considering there is no pavement here and you share the road with cars, motorcycles, busses, cows and people but it is not as busy as other places. First temple, a kid gives me prasad without asking for anything in return so I thought I should reward his honesty and gave him 50.
There was a prayer going on at the next temple. I just joined in. It may have been a family prayer since they appeared to be together. Nobody objected and the priest treated me like one of them. Eventually he comes around with a cushion and some sort of brass cover over it. Some people put coins. The smallest thing I had was a INR20 note so I put that. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I got Prasad like everybody else and I walked out after the prayer appeared to be over. Get back to the hotel and see my driver fast asleep with his feet out the window! Spent rest of the day in my room chatting to people on whatsapp.
At 4pm we departed for Rishikesh and it was raining again. Driver dropped me off close to Ram Jula. I didn't realize there was a bridge there as it just looked like another temple so I took one photo and headed back. It was still drizzling.
Then we went to Laxman Jula. It stopped raining. As soon as I got out of the car, a "government approved tour guide" offered to take me around with no donations or anything and his price was INR100. I accepted very quickly and he was true to his word. Took me around for just over an hour and explained the significance of certain places to me in somewhat broken English but got his point across. At the mandirs he took me to, I got some blessings and just dropped INR10 at each one with no one asking for more. I gave the guide a tip of 10 and he was happy. Best 110 I have spent so far in India! Aarti only starts at 6.45 and it was about 5.50 so driver said we should go back. He said the Aarti here is very small. I allowed myself to be convinced to go back. I was not keen on standing around for one hour.
At the hotel, my driver asks for 1000 and I will get it back in Delhi. I didn't carry that much on me but I went up to the room and got the money for him. If I don't get it back, it just means his tip would be less as he would have got about 1200 to 1400 anyway.
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