Rishikesh washed out

My trip to the Rishikesh region of India for a yoga retreat in an ashram and trekking in the Himalayas is cancelled because of disastrous flooding. This region is the source of the Ganges river and there is a dam that is threatening to be released as it approaches its maximum capacity. Already, there have been bridges washed out and thousands of tourists stranded. A friend of mine in Delhi has advised me against approaching the region so I've opted not to go down that path as the lingering threat of disease is now a real concern. I guess my path has taken a big divergence from Eat, Pray, Love. And thanks to a natural disaster, it's one of those cards up the sleeves of a higher power that can be cast at anytime to change one's course. I am reminded of my trek to Milford Sound in New Zealand last year, that too was literally a washout...

I already have a ticket to India, but now I'll look to a different region. My parents will also join this trip, I have enjoyed travelling with them in the past, most memorably to Machu Picchu and the fringes of the Amazon. I find the idea of cruising the backwaters of Kerala on a private houseboat very, very appealing. Actually more appealing than the yoga retreat in Rishikesh.