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The flower show was not at its height, which is really July and August, but that's also during the monsoon season; I opted for fewer flowers/less rain by doing the trek in early June. But there were already lots of flowers out, which made me happy. Didn't get to see the highlight of the Valley, though, the Himalayan Blue Poppy, which doesn't come out until August.

I had a brief couple of hours in the Valley itself before clouds threatened to make my walk back uncomfortable, so in the early afternoon I started back to Ghangaria. And perfect timing - the clouds burst not long after I made it back to my damp little cave (had to evict a couple of earthworms from the carpet). I spent an afternoon and evening eating and reading, as well as talking cameras with a local guide who gave mine a thorough cleaning while we chatted.

 On the walk back down to Govind Ghat the next day, I chatted with lots of folks about their hike to Hem Kund - they got right up into snow at 4300m! One group of young men - I think of them as my Punjabi boy band now, with their head scarves and chunky bling - stuck with me for most of the bottom half of the trail, and insisted they give me a ride back to Rishikesh the next day. They helped get me a free room at the gurudwara, and the next morning we all packed ourselves into their little white car and joined the leap frog game back down the mountains. Two of them had recently married Punjabi girls from Toronto and were in the process of moving there, so lots of practicing of English was in order. We stopped at three, at least, spots where the Sikhs had set up spots for free meals for pilgrims all the way down the mountain roads - they certainly know how to take care of each other. And me.

Thirteen, fourteen hours later I was dropped at the footbridge back to Swarg Ashram in Rishikesh, where my pack and a (dry!) room awaited me. My own wildflower pilgrimage was complete.

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