So the next trains I have taken have not been close to the first experience. The have went along grandly! After Varanasi we went to Agra. The Taj Mahal was beautiful and also I went to a Red Fort that was most impressive, very huge and large gardens thoughout. Could easily get lost in it. So Visa decided to shut my card off b/c it came up on a compromised list and so they discontinued 1000’s of cards I guess. Since I have been over here for 7 months they did not get a hold of me to send me a new card. So no money and was stuck in Agra for 3 days until I could get money wired. I talked a Hotel owner to front me a room and food for 2 nights until I got money. So b/c I did not have much to do except fix my financial situation I decided to get in a fight with an Indian kid with a limp that was trying to rip me off big time. I made 4 phone calls to the US calling banks family etc. the the little turd charged me 3 rupees for every 6 seconds. Man he had some nerve (cheaters all over India, never buy anything or trust anyone here). That pissed me off so bad I just walked out and told him to stick it up his ass. He did not like that to much as the bill he was charging me was 900 rupees (like $20 US). I never did pay him over the 3 days as he hounded me from across the street even bringing his boss. I told him no bill no money honey!!! He was a piece of shit. I wanted to make his other leg limp. I just really hate being cheated, but who does?! I did end up getting into the Taj Mahal for free though and the Red Fort. Happened to show up there the day of some archeological survey. I didn’t ask questions. It saved me 750 rupees. Some things just work out. After went to Haridwar (Another holy city north)and went to another temple way up on a hill top overlooking the Ganges river, met an Indian guy that showed us around the town and ate some really good Dosa (Like a big rolled up light pancake stuffed with spices, vegetables, potatoes etc. It’s tasty. After we took a Tuk tuk taxi to Rishiskesh and got here yesterday. It is a really really nice place……Huge river (also Ganges), beaches and waterfalls. Besides that this place is known as the yoga/meditation/astrology/palm reading center in all the world. It is a huge business here with people looking for their own personal masters and teacher centers all over and Ashrams lining the river and the hillsides. I personally am not looking for a master and do not want to pay for meditation or yoga since I have already crossed that mile a couple of months ago. It is a beautiful place though and a really nice place to spend a few days and probably not a better place to meditate or do Yoga or whatever is your thing. Really quiet, peacful and a great break from the middle of India where I was. Also a little cooler up here. India is getting really hot now. Wanted to go farther north to Badrinath and then to the Valley of Flowers. It looks really really neat but on a serious budget now!! Also trains are booked back to the Nepalese border at an Indian town named Gorakhpur close to Kathmandu for a minimum of 5 days………we’ll be fine if we stop travelling now and go back and if I can hold off Bimala from buying stuff from every little vendor in North west India!! Also a tragedy struck last night when I lost my camera…….yeah I know careless I guess but I have been so good about keeping track of it up to this point. I ate dinner with this really interesting older French guy that had been all over the world, phd in History, ex professor and then carpenter after and on a serious spiritual mission (his 6th time back to India to visit his master in south India). He told me so many great things………..anyway we carried our conversation down to the steps of the Ganges and I got so excited when I was ready to leave about all the things he had helped me realize through his knowledge and experiences it was midnight and dark……..no excuses I just left it. Pretty heart broken as some really great pictures were on there of the Taj Mahal at sunrise plus everything Bimala and I have been doing. It’s gone now nothing I can do, honestly Bimala is more pissed then me for some reason I do not care that much? I will keep the memories in my mind forever. Shit Happens. Could have happened with shittier pictures but what the hell I am still alive with a little money in my pocket and a girl by my side…………..life is good.

Talk to you soon

Camen