Haridwar favorites

Here are the best of the photos from Haridwar. This was my favorite place in all of India - probably because of the Aarti ceremony on the Ganges. It was a total suprise and felt so "Indian". The bazaars were less crowded and friendlier and Haveli Hari Ganga was a great place to stay.

Rishikesh - Glass House

Wonderful place to stay near Rishikesh. We had hoped to take a car into Rishikesh itself (city the Beatles visited), but we were tired and this was a good place to just rest. You can tell from the pictures that we relaxed ,listened to the roar of the Ganges and ate Rajastani food. In the morning we saw lots of river rafters go by shouting, jumping in the river (brrrrrr) and having a great time. The most activity Devi and I engaged in was getting a massage. It was great, but the room was cold - it was winter after all.

Random images

Here are some of my favorite images. Most of them were taken from a moving car as we drove from city to city.

Neemrana Fort Palace

We have never stayed in a hotel like this in our lives! It's an old fort built into the side of a hill. Since it was never really meant to be lived in, there is no rhyme or reason to the layout and reminded us of an Esher drawing where stairs are all over the place and go off in all different directions. It's lit up an night and they've added a swimming pool and amphitheater that stick to the original architecture and fit right in. Our rooms had balconies over looking the pool! The food and service were outstanding. We rented an audio tape that walks you all over the fort and gives you some good history. Parts of it reminded me of scenes from Lord of the Rings - to get to the reception desk you have to walk up several levels on a rock/cobble ramp originally made for elephants. The huge doors have spikes on them originally meant to keep elephants from knocking them down! They really care about their heritage and the surrounding community as you can add a donation to your bill that will be used for the children and women in the local village.