Cookie Time

A quiet walk along the back streets of Rishikesh inevitably lead to the fresh cookie cart. Unbelievable to think this man mixes dough, forms cookies and bakes them in his little fire-heated oven, all right there!

I wanted ONE. But buying one apparently means buying about a dozen - as they are sold by weight. So 2 minutes later, with a mouthful of cookie, I was a one-handed photographer... the other hand grasping a newspaper bag of cookies that I had no idea what to do with!

I tried offering them to beggars and homeless alike. No luck.

Then we ran into this guy. Hanging out near the bridge, certainly looking hungry!

He was very grateful for a cookie. His black-faced monkey paw gently reaching out and taking it. Deliberately measuring each bite, savoring the taste and leaving crumbs all over his face.