Despite the thrill of adventure ahead of me, I was sad to leave Rishikesh. What a deep and colorful town, full of soulful celebration and song. As I walked at dawn with my backpack to go rent a motorcycle, a few scattered street dwellers greeted me as I passed. One sadhu stopped as he was walking by, his orange robe flung high on his shoulder, and stared at me with deep, brown eyes. He said, “I have known you many years,” and after bidding me a safe journey, continued on his way.

I rented a Royal Enfield 350 for a two-week period from a cool guy who knows Ravi from our Wheels of Awakening pilgrimage. What a wonderful omen! It took me two hours of riding winding roads with mountains rising up on either side and the Ganges flowing below, sometimes thousand foot cliffs right off to my side. Scattered houses and temples dotted the hills. When I got to Devprayag, I had to stop the bike to admire the wonder of this sacred town built into the mountains where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers meet to form the beginning of the sacred Ganges River.

I found my room at the US Tower down steep, very narrow passageways. Shopkeepers and children stared at me as I struggled to navigate around dogs and a cow sticking halfway out of one of the shops. The challenging ride was worth it: my room literally hung over one of the rivers with a clear view of the Ganga Sangam.

I took the short stroll to the river, drawing a lot of attention from the locals. I chased after a few children and had fun playing with them. What warm, friendly smiles! Such humility and reverence in these streets resonant with devotion and vibrant with the clean mountain air. At the river several people greeted me. I bought a dough ball from a persistent teenager to feed the fish. A religious figure in robes and bracelets and necklaces led me to the edge of the water then sat me in a cave and chanted mantras, having me repeat them and ask for a long life for those close to me.

Afterwards, I climbed the steep steps to the Raghunath Temple, where Lord Rama performed penance and ritual. A groundskeeper led me into the inner sanctum and showed me several idols and shrines, as well as the rock where Lord Rama’s father prayed. There were ancient inscriptions chiseled into the rock. In the courtyard a robed young man with a beautiful, glowing face shared how he spent six months per year at Badrinath in the summer meditating and serving and the winters here. My heart filled with gratitude for these kind people and experience.

I walked a suspension bridge and had a delicious lunch at a roadside shack for a few dollars — something I try to avoid but there was nowhere else to eat. The very friendly manager at my hotel told me their kitchen was closed, but when it came time for dinner he actually cooked up something for me by himself, which was also delicious, providing me with a lentil dish and five chapati. My room at the hotel was wonderfully spacious and had a Western touch.

Indeed, the next morning the manager knocked on my door and handed me the phone: it was the owner calling from Miami! He asked if I enjoyed my stay and if I drank. I said no, and then he chuckled and told me he was drinking Jack Daniels and that there was some of his stock at the hotel if I wanted. I declined. We had a fun conversation and he invited me to see him in Miami.

Before leaving I walked to the Ganga Sangam for one more dip. Wow! Mother was lively this morning. A few brave souls battled the surging waters, clinging on to a chain link line to avoid being swept away. The cave where I meditated yesterday was flooded. I dipped my feet in and saw a man just in his underwear pressed up against the metal railings and engulfed by waves. And that water was cold! What a way to start the day.

Such a gem! Devprayag is mystical and enchanting, simple and pure, with happy residents and stunning nature all around. Even though I want to go a different route, I may return this way and spend Christmas here before the final push back to Rishikesh. I can’t imagine a better place to do that!