Sleeping In

If you're thinking about coming to India for some rest and relaxation, it's possible, but don't think you'll get a chance to sleep in late. Every place I've been too seems intent on not letting me sleep in.

In Kerala, it was the lions that woke me up. Every morning around 5am, the lions would start roaring so loudly. It sounded more like heavy machinery then it did an animal sound. If I was able to sleep through that, then the morning bell at the ashram started clanging. There were a few minor bells around 5:15 and at 5:45 the mad clanger arose and rung the bell loud enough to wake the dead.

In Jaisalmer, the morning noises consisted of the bus that had a circuit down below our hotel. Eventhough we were a hundred or so feet above street level, we heard his honking early every morning. And in India the horns are a little different then the west. They are more musical. Somewhat similar to the horn in the General Lee, but less in tune, more obnoxious and way louder.

In Dharmasala the early morning noise consisted of fighting dogs. The street below our hotel seemed to be the battle ground for various tribes of dogs. I'm not sure if they were fighting each other or if they were fighting the monkeys, but either way the results were the same.

So it's early to bed and early to rise, but from what I hear, that's the best way to go. We'll see if I can continue when I return.