A down stream walk

I'm not sure how many images I can put in a single post but if there is one above the paragraph it is of the Ram Jhula foot bridge.........................On my first day here is was hanging out on the east side of the river just trying to orient myself and move slowly. Standing next to the road a man approaches me, he is holding a what looks like a 6 inch medieval Q-tip, he has a metal box strapped to his chest with the words 'EAR CLEANING' painted across the front. He has several cotton balls stuffed between his ear and head like a napkin holder. He speaks forcefully in Hindi and wants to clean my ears, after looking in my ear he becomes even more animated, but I thank him and decline, five times before he leaves...............

Above is the wall of suburbia. This area of my small hamlet (not Rishikesh but Ram Jhula) is where most of the better off working families live. One of the first things you notice is that the children are in school most of the day. They all wear uniforms and can be heard singing and reciting from early in the morning until after sunset. When they meet you on the street they usually ask from what country you come from. When I say America they are pleased but when I say California they really get excited. Of the men that I have talked to (you never talk to a woman), and mention California they smile and beam, Arnold! Arnold!

Above is an ashram that is for Indians only I assume, as there are no westerners to be found near here. I'm trying to steep myself in Indian culture, I'm reading the epic period classics the Ramayana and Mahabarata both written 2500 years ago and read as if Shakespeare had written a novel. There is always an element of cultural propriety in the stories. They mostly deal with truth, morality, relations and merit. As an example in the Ramayana the dying king's charioteer is arguing with a wise priest and says "clever speakers feign piety to deceive". The Priest answers "Cleaver profiteers also feign foreign wars to deceive the simple, and not all liars are priests".................I guess things don't change much through the centuries...............I'm also reading the Neru book of India as well as the complete Hindu mythology, so I can keep all the gods and goddess straight. They numbers in the dozens and many have multiple incarnations!!!!

The above image is of a path that I take if I want to avoid the beggars. It is quiet up here and a nice place to walk during the rush of the day.............

This is on the path from the river to my room via the upper road. Yes those are wild parrots eating some berries....................