This will be my last posting for at least 12 days, as I have enrolled in a meditation course from November first. This course requires you to be completely cut out from the outside world, and to practice noble silence - no talking, no body language, no eye contact for the duration of the stay. You go there just as you are, and the aim is to silence your mind so you can reach your inner self. This will be done by meditation, discipline and silence.
Let's see what happens...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
McLeod Gang - The view
The view from my Guesthouse rooftop and window, with the majestic Himalayas peaking in the background! I have been in McLeod Gang for about 5 days now. People say that it is very different from the rest of India, and now I see why too. Even though there are loads of tourists here, the majority of local people here are Tibetans. And their personalities are very different from that of the Indians. They're not bothering you, they don't try to cheat you, or lie to you (of course there will always be cheaters and liers everywhere regardless of culture or country). And the place is much cleaner than other Indian cities here (which can be down right nasty). Pollution is much less too because there aren't as much vehicles around, but they still emit the same nasty foulness :P It is very interesting to see monks all around, dressed in their fine red robes. And they are very high tech now a days, with their mobile phones and internet usage. I guess everyone moves with the waves of technology. The feeling of being in the mountains is a great break from the rush of the cities. The air is actually fresh there, and you feel more at peace. Taking small hikes are a great way of just being, enjoying the surrounding area, which at times are awe-inspiring. Espcially the view of the Himalayas in the background.
Not too far from the Toilet
October 25th 2008.
Saturday, a big festival is happening at a place 45min north west from where I live. I was looking forward to this as the Dai Lai Lama would be attending and making a speech as well.
I woke at 0430, my stomach rumbling, I tried to ignore the feeling and fall asleep again but the it kept growing and growing until I couldn't stand it. The next minute, I was rushing to the restroom. I managed to fall asleep again, but I awoke a few hours down, and noticed the same problem. At 0800 I got dressed and wanted to head out, but something inside me was telling me I can't. And well, I couldn't either, because I kept rushing to the restroom. I had been struck with the dreaded Tourist Diorhea! (at least that's what I think for now). All plans were cancelled, and I would have to stay in my room the whole day. Luckily, I had moved into a nice room that was spacy, and it has cable tv! I wasn't able to hold anything down, so all I was doing was trying to rehydrate myself as much as possible. I had also dared to head out to the streets to get some bottled water and some bread, as eating starchy food is recommended. I really felt like shit, nausea, feeling of dehydration and slight stomach cramps, and the constant running to the toilet. It was just to wait until it passes...
Saturday, a big festival is happening at a place 45min north west from where I live. I was looking forward to this as the Dai Lai Lama would be attending and making a speech as well.
I woke at 0430, my stomach rumbling, I tried to ignore the feeling and fall asleep again but the it kept growing and growing until I couldn't stand it. The next minute, I was rushing to the restroom. I managed to fall asleep again, but I awoke a few hours down, and noticed the same problem. At 0800 I got dressed and wanted to head out, but something inside me was telling me I can't. And well, I couldn't either, because I kept rushing to the restroom. I had been struck with the dreaded Tourist Diorhea! (at least that's what I think for now). All plans were cancelled, and I would have to stay in my room the whole day. Luckily, I had moved into a nice room that was spacy, and it has cable tv! I wasn't able to hold anything down, so all I was doing was trying to rehydrate myself as much as possible. I had also dared to head out to the streets to get some bottled water and some bread, as eating starchy food is recommended. I really felt like shit, nausea, feeling of dehydration and slight stomach cramps, and the constant running to the toilet. It was just to wait until it passes...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Dharamsala - McLeod Gang
I am currently located at 1770m above sea level, home of the Dalai Lama, and what I like to call little Tibet. It was no easy task to get here, and so the story goes...
after contemplating the night before wheather to head towards Shimla or Dharamsala, I decided to head to Shimla, so I packed my bags and wickered away towards the main auto-rikshaw station across the bridge, Ram Jula. I had to go towards Haridwar, the main town from where buses and trains go from, and try to catch a train which apparently was all booked or catch a bus if possible, otherwise stay the night there and take it from there. But at the auto-rikshaw station, I met a Belgium lady who was apparently heading towards Dharamsala that same day, and because a part of me was still contemplating Dharamsala, I changed my plans that minute and decided to go towards Dharamsala. She had said that she would take the local government bus up north, a 13 hour ride on hard benches with non reclining chairs, usually packed full with people. I was energetic and wanted to give the local way of traveling a try, somthing I would regret a few hours down the road.
We got a good deal on the shared auto-rikshaw to Haridwar, 30 rupees (rs), ca 5kr, which would eventually get packed with people on the way. A tiresum 60 min ride in a noisy three wheeler with a lawn mower engine. The pollution on the streets of India is crazy, not to mention the dirt coming out of these grass cutters. Using a cloth as a filter and a hat as a second filter, I still felt the dirt and grit enter my lungs and sting my nose. I tried to keep my mind off it by looking at the nature around, the small mountains and the occasional rivers, mostly dried up. We arrived at the main bus stop and before going to the ticket booth, we had a bite to eat at a local street vendor, some potatoe filled bread and some spicy colliflower and chilli potatoes. This would probably be another fault, as it gave me a loose stomach later on the trip.
We walked over to the ticket booth and found out that one of the buses had just left at 1400, we had arrived 8 min too late. So we had to wait until 1630 for the next bus, we purchased the tickets at 310 rs each, ca 55kr for a 800km ride. Prices have gone up, and are rising. The guide book states that it should cost 250rs, and that was just 2007. The Station where all the buses depart from is not a nice waiting place. It's filty, flies, mud and cow dung everywhere, not to mention the smell of urine that desipates from the walls and floats through the air giving you the impression that you're standing in a huge toilet. Well, I did help out with the stench by giving my little contribution to keep the walls moist hehe. We had a cup of chai (tea with milk and loads of sugar) at the local stand (I figured what the hell, I'm traveling local, so I'll try the local tea), and that killed about 30min of the 2.5 hours of waiting we had. My travel companion then came up with a brilliant idea of going to an internet cafe to kill time, and I agreed, heck, anything to get out of the giant toilet right. So off we went, looking for a nearby cafe, but the only one we found was in a courtyard, with only one computer available to surf on. So, we decided to share, she got to use it first for half an hour, and I would use it for the second half. So, when it was my turn, yepp, the internet died, and we had to wait another 30 min before I could get online for only 5min or so. It really didn't matter since waiting here was much better than waiting at the bus terminal.
Finally, time to go to the bus, I didn't really know what to expect, the longest local bus ride I took was about 1 hour, and it wasn't that bad. On the otherhand, it wasn't crowded either and so you could use two or three chairs. I wouldn't know how it would be to be squeezed into a tiny seat with no leg room and hard seats for 13 hours. I was about to find out though.
Before getting on to the bus, the co-driver (in india, you have one driver, and one person, I call him the co-driver, who takes care of the money transactions and he's the one that yells out the stops, at least sometimes), tells us to put the bags on the roof. We were expecting someone to come and climb the ladder to the roof of the bus and tie down our bags. And so we stood there, and after 5min of standing and no one showing up, we came to the conclusion that we have to do it ourselves. Up the ladder we went, bags on our backs, and we started to hook our bags to the side rails, there were no buckles are anything to tie it down with, so thank heaven for the rope I had brought with me from Sweden. I dug it out of my pack, and was ready to tie our bags down when my travel partner, Mariane, found a metal roof box we could put our bags into - thank goodness for that! At least now we were half sure that our things wouldn't fall off when the bus hit some gruesome bumps. We stuffed our bags in there, I had a bit of a problem putting mine in, luckily I didn't have a bigger bag cause it wouldn't fit. There was no lock on the box, so I started to cut some rope to tie it, again gracefully thankful for having my multitool with me. While I was in the middle of tieing, I started to hear the driver yell something in hindi, and the engine started, and the bus started to move while I was still on the roof top, I looked down at the driver and yelled back, "5 min" as it wasn't yet 1630. After all, this is India and things are never on time right...guess not though...I hurried to cut some rope and start tieing the box, as the bus started to roll down the street, stressed, but trying to keep my cool to tie it properly, I managed, and hurried down the roof. Once inside the bus, I was able to relax a bit.
The ticket agent had given us a good seat, as it was only meant for ladies...heck, I could pass as a lady for a few hours to sit comfortbly (trust me though, it wasn't comfortable anyway). The initial hour was no problem, as I had good company. But the fear of not being able to stop at reststops when needed made me nervous, and this caused me to limit my water intake to reduce my bathroom needs. The noise on the streets were amazing, in the sense that it was really really noisy. The pollution reaks through the windows and cuts you as you inhale all the dangerous fumes. One of the worst parts of the local bus is the bus horn. It is unbelievably loud. So loud that it defeans you even when you close your ears. And the driver is constantly, and I mean constantly using it all the time. Every time he passes a car, bicycle, pedestrian, motorcycle, well, anything, he would honk. By the end of the trip, you were ready to slap him silly. At around 5 hours, the bus stopped for a dinner break, around 10 min. First thing - run to the bathroom. Apparently my stomach had become loose, and I am assuming it was the street food we had at Haridwar before boarding the bus that gave me this as I had been very careful the day before. Because of this, I decided not to eat anything at all during the bus ride, so I would avoid any unpleasant accidents. I bought a bottle of coke and emptied it so that I could use it as an emergency pee bottle on the road, better have one than nothing right. We boarded again, and after a few hours, I was feeling nasueated, along with the stomach and lack of leg room, and lack of water. Great huh.
The bus would stop every now and then and pick up passengers, mostly in the cities, which in my opinion all looked alike. There was one point where this guy wanted to get off the bus, and he had lots of boxes on the roof, so he got off the bus, and one person climbed the roof and started to throw boxes down while the bus started to move. I could see the guy yelling as he was running to keep up with the bus and the boxes being thrown down. I couldn't believe my eyes, I was thinking poor man, all his boxes must be crushed. I started to think about our bags, and decided that when we get off, I'm going to sprint to the back of the bus, climb the roof my self and unload my bag. After reaching the halfway point, I was feeling regret as I did not choose the more comfortable deluxe bus, which costs only a few hundred more. I couldn't sleep, i was feeling sick, my stomach was loose, and my butt was acheing to glory. But what can you do, you could only wait, and deal with, as I had no other choice.
As the night got colder as we started to rise in altitude, I put on all my clothes I had with me, which was only an extra sweater. Heck, it was better than nothing as it started to get real cold outside and on the bus (the bus driver had the window open the whole time), and you don't really want to complain to the driver as he's holding your life along with the other 30-40 people's lives in his hands. If anything, you want to make sure he doesn't fall asleep once we reach the mountaneous roads. These roads were not fun to ascend. Turning left to right every five seconds, and having nothing to hold on to on the bus, you would slide all the time. It almost felt as if I was on a boat, with the waves swinging me back and forth.
Eventually we arrived. 0530. It was early, I had not slept one bit, and my butt was sore. I had survived my first 13 hour local bus ride, a butt cracking, stomach churning, foul smelling ride from hell. None the less, I was here, but we were not finished yet, as we arrived to Dharamsala and we had to get to McLeod Gang, which is located ca4km up hill, which makes for a 10km car ride. Wanting to save money, we waited for the bus, which was supposed to arrive at 0735. Another crazy wait. It was cold, but I was able to dig out more clothes as I had my bag with me. I put on my long johns, and took out my blanket. I wrapped myself in a cacoon and waited for time to pass, unable to fall a sleep, I just waited.
Finally, the first bus arrived and there were loads of people on the bus. I squeezed my way in and was able to stand sturdy, ok, half sturdy while the small old slow bus struggled to ascend the steep inclination of the mountain. After a half hour, we arrived. My travel mate pointed me in the right direction to get a cheap accomodation and I headed my way. She has been here countless amounts of time, so she had some good advice to give. Tired and hungry, I headed for the first hotel, and managed to get a room at least for a day or two, enough time to hunt for better accomodations. I entered my room and rehydrated best as I could, and gobbled a banana as I threw my self on my bed. Rest, a much needed pass time...
after contemplating the night before wheather to head towards Shimla or Dharamsala, I decided to head to Shimla, so I packed my bags and wickered away towards the main auto-rikshaw station across the bridge, Ram Jula. I had to go towards Haridwar, the main town from where buses and trains go from, and try to catch a train which apparently was all booked or catch a bus if possible, otherwise stay the night there and take it from there. But at the auto-rikshaw station, I met a Belgium lady who was apparently heading towards Dharamsala that same day, and because a part of me was still contemplating Dharamsala, I changed my plans that minute and decided to go towards Dharamsala. She had said that she would take the local government bus up north, a 13 hour ride on hard benches with non reclining chairs, usually packed full with people. I was energetic and wanted to give the local way of traveling a try, somthing I would regret a few hours down the road.
We got a good deal on the shared auto-rikshaw to Haridwar, 30 rupees (rs), ca 5kr, which would eventually get packed with people on the way. A tiresum 60 min ride in a noisy three wheeler with a lawn mower engine. The pollution on the streets of India is crazy, not to mention the dirt coming out of these grass cutters. Using a cloth as a filter and a hat as a second filter, I still felt the dirt and grit enter my lungs and sting my nose. I tried to keep my mind off it by looking at the nature around, the small mountains and the occasional rivers, mostly dried up. We arrived at the main bus stop and before going to the ticket booth, we had a bite to eat at a local street vendor, some potatoe filled bread and some spicy colliflower and chilli potatoes. This would probably be another fault, as it gave me a loose stomach later on the trip.
We walked over to the ticket booth and found out that one of the buses had just left at 1400, we had arrived 8 min too late. So we had to wait until 1630 for the next bus, we purchased the tickets at 310 rs each, ca 55kr for a 800km ride. Prices have gone up, and are rising. The guide book states that it should cost 250rs, and that was just 2007. The Station where all the buses depart from is not a nice waiting place. It's filty, flies, mud and cow dung everywhere, not to mention the smell of urine that desipates from the walls and floats through the air giving you the impression that you're standing in a huge toilet. Well, I did help out with the stench by giving my little contribution to keep the walls moist hehe. We had a cup of chai (tea with milk and loads of sugar) at the local stand (I figured what the hell, I'm traveling local, so I'll try the local tea), and that killed about 30min of the 2.5 hours of waiting we had. My travel companion then came up with a brilliant idea of going to an internet cafe to kill time, and I agreed, heck, anything to get out of the giant toilet right. So off we went, looking for a nearby cafe, but the only one we found was in a courtyard, with only one computer available to surf on. So, we decided to share, she got to use it first for half an hour, and I would use it for the second half. So, when it was my turn, yepp, the internet died, and we had to wait another 30 min before I could get online for only 5min or so. It really didn't matter since waiting here was much better than waiting at the bus terminal.
Finally, time to go to the bus, I didn't really know what to expect, the longest local bus ride I took was about 1 hour, and it wasn't that bad. On the otherhand, it wasn't crowded either and so you could use two or three chairs. I wouldn't know how it would be to be squeezed into a tiny seat with no leg room and hard seats for 13 hours. I was about to find out though.
Before getting on to the bus, the co-driver (in india, you have one driver, and one person, I call him the co-driver, who takes care of the money transactions and he's the one that yells out the stops, at least sometimes), tells us to put the bags on the roof. We were expecting someone to come and climb the ladder to the roof of the bus and tie down our bags. And so we stood there, and after 5min of standing and no one showing up, we came to the conclusion that we have to do it ourselves. Up the ladder we went, bags on our backs, and we started to hook our bags to the side rails, there were no buckles are anything to tie it down with, so thank heaven for the rope I had brought with me from Sweden. I dug it out of my pack, and was ready to tie our bags down when my travel partner, Mariane, found a metal roof box we could put our bags into - thank goodness for that! At least now we were half sure that our things wouldn't fall off when the bus hit some gruesome bumps. We stuffed our bags in there, I had a bit of a problem putting mine in, luckily I didn't have a bigger bag cause it wouldn't fit. There was no lock on the box, so I started to cut some rope to tie it, again gracefully thankful for having my multitool with me. While I was in the middle of tieing, I started to hear the driver yell something in hindi, and the engine started, and the bus started to move while I was still on the roof top, I looked down at the driver and yelled back, "5 min" as it wasn't yet 1630. After all, this is India and things are never on time right...guess not though...I hurried to cut some rope and start tieing the box, as the bus started to roll down the street, stressed, but trying to keep my cool to tie it properly, I managed, and hurried down the roof. Once inside the bus, I was able to relax a bit.
The ticket agent had given us a good seat, as it was only meant for ladies...heck, I could pass as a lady for a few hours to sit comfortbly (trust me though, it wasn't comfortable anyway). The initial hour was no problem, as I had good company. But the fear of not being able to stop at reststops when needed made me nervous, and this caused me to limit my water intake to reduce my bathroom needs. The noise on the streets were amazing, in the sense that it was really really noisy. The pollution reaks through the windows and cuts you as you inhale all the dangerous fumes. One of the worst parts of the local bus is the bus horn. It is unbelievably loud. So loud that it defeans you even when you close your ears. And the driver is constantly, and I mean constantly using it all the time. Every time he passes a car, bicycle, pedestrian, motorcycle, well, anything, he would honk. By the end of the trip, you were ready to slap him silly. At around 5 hours, the bus stopped for a dinner break, around 10 min. First thing - run to the bathroom. Apparently my stomach had become loose, and I am assuming it was the street food we had at Haridwar before boarding the bus that gave me this as I had been very careful the day before. Because of this, I decided not to eat anything at all during the bus ride, so I would avoid any unpleasant accidents. I bought a bottle of coke and emptied it so that I could use it as an emergency pee bottle on the road, better have one than nothing right. We boarded again, and after a few hours, I was feeling nasueated, along with the stomach and lack of leg room, and lack of water. Great huh.
The bus would stop every now and then and pick up passengers, mostly in the cities, which in my opinion all looked alike. There was one point where this guy wanted to get off the bus, and he had lots of boxes on the roof, so he got off the bus, and one person climbed the roof and started to throw boxes down while the bus started to move. I could see the guy yelling as he was running to keep up with the bus and the boxes being thrown down. I couldn't believe my eyes, I was thinking poor man, all his boxes must be crushed. I started to think about our bags, and decided that when we get off, I'm going to sprint to the back of the bus, climb the roof my self and unload my bag. After reaching the halfway point, I was feeling regret as I did not choose the more comfortable deluxe bus, which costs only a few hundred more. I couldn't sleep, i was feeling sick, my stomach was loose, and my butt was acheing to glory. But what can you do, you could only wait, and deal with, as I had no other choice.
As the night got colder as we started to rise in altitude, I put on all my clothes I had with me, which was only an extra sweater. Heck, it was better than nothing as it started to get real cold outside and on the bus (the bus driver had the window open the whole time), and you don't really want to complain to the driver as he's holding your life along with the other 30-40 people's lives in his hands. If anything, you want to make sure he doesn't fall asleep once we reach the mountaneous roads. These roads were not fun to ascend. Turning left to right every five seconds, and having nothing to hold on to on the bus, you would slide all the time. It almost felt as if I was on a boat, with the waves swinging me back and forth.
Eventually we arrived. 0530. It was early, I had not slept one bit, and my butt was sore. I had survived my first 13 hour local bus ride, a butt cracking, stomach churning, foul smelling ride from hell. None the less, I was here, but we were not finished yet, as we arrived to Dharamsala and we had to get to McLeod Gang, which is located ca4km up hill, which makes for a 10km car ride. Wanting to save money, we waited for the bus, which was supposed to arrive at 0735. Another crazy wait. It was cold, but I was able to dig out more clothes as I had my bag with me. I put on my long johns, and took out my blanket. I wrapped myself in a cacoon and waited for time to pass, unable to fall a sleep, I just waited.
Finally, the first bus arrived and there were loads of people on the bus. I squeezed my way in and was able to stand sturdy, ok, half sturdy while the small old slow bus struggled to ascend the steep inclination of the mountain. After a half hour, we arrived. My travel mate pointed me in the right direction to get a cheap accomodation and I headed my way. She has been here countless amounts of time, so she had some good advice to give. Tired and hungry, I headed for the first hotel, and managed to get a room at least for a day or two, enough time to hunt for better accomodations. I entered my room and rehydrated best as I could, and gobbled a banana as I threw my self on my bed. Rest, a much needed pass time...
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Next stop...
October 19th, 2008.
As I have grown tired of this town, I plan to move further north. At first I was planning to go to Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama, with this Japanese girl I had met here, but things didn't go as planned, as we were supposed to depart today and catch the bus there, but as this is India, the bus scheduals got screwed up and there were eventually no buses heading that way at this time. She seemed very eager to leave today, no matter what, rather stressed, but I wanted to take it easy and not rush out. Another day or two doesn't matter for me, as things take their own time here. So she left, and I have come to another conclusion and am pondering to change my destination to the town of Shimla. There are some nice valleys just north of Shimla, and it would be better to go there first considering the season is changing now. I would like to see this before it gets too cold, as perhaps might be the case in November. You'll soon find out what I decided.
As I have grown tired of this town, I plan to move further north. At first I was planning to go to Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama, with this Japanese girl I had met here, but things didn't go as planned, as we were supposed to depart today and catch the bus there, but as this is India, the bus scheduals got screwed up and there were eventually no buses heading that way at this time. She seemed very eager to leave today, no matter what, rather stressed, but I wanted to take it easy and not rush out. Another day or two doesn't matter for me, as things take their own time here. So she left, and I have come to another conclusion and am pondering to change my destination to the town of Shimla. There are some nice valleys just north of Shimla, and it would be better to go there first considering the season is changing now. I would like to see this before it gets too cold, as perhaps might be the case in November. You'll soon find out what I decided.
Rishikesh - Rafting on the Ganges
October 18, 2008.
Rafting on the Ganges has recently become very popular, as it offers some good rapids. I had read about it in my guide book, LonelyPlanet, and was very eager to try it out. So the day before I had been around to several different travel companies asking for the best rate. My friends were eager to join and try it as well, and we had found an even better rate, cosidering our group had increased to a number of six people. The price, 550 rs, ca 93kr, per head for 26km rafting. Excellent!
And so, today, 0830, we meet at the second bridge, Lakshman Juula, for a jeep ride up the mountains 26km north. The jeep was old, one that lacked power steering, and had some old tires on it. The ride took us up the moutains, following the Ganges, and it was an intersting ride up, seeing the constant construction work, the amount of traffic, and the way people drive, on the mountains, not the safest mind you. There was the occasional cow here and there too. After surviving the adventrure ride up and down the moutains, playing chicken several times with some big trucks and buses, and being in a near scratch with another car, we arrived to the river bank safely. "Manali Drive" was the starting point. There were a total of 14-15 rapids, of which only 3-4 of them were Class 3 and 4 rapids. It was peacefull to be out, away from the crowds, and closer to nature. Once the boats were inflated we recieved a short introduction to rafting, describing the general terms used to directing the group. Life jackets checked, and helmets on, we entered the boat. The calm of the river in some portions made it for very smooth sailing, as if just enjoying an evening ride on a lake. The first few rapids proved to be baby rapids, and I yearned for something more exciting, and before I knew it, we hit a big one, and the rush of adrenaline came at an instance, as you wave through the water, feeling the power of nature. Once out, and completly soaked, we continued our trip down the river. We hit several more strong rapids and small ones, and at one point we were allowed to jump into the water and hold the boat and swim. Of course it was in the calm segments of the ride. The crisp coldness of the water was a welcome calmness to the amount of blood rushing through your body. Halfway through the ride, we stopped by a river bank and went up the street to grab a bite to eat. Scrambled eggs and bread, a great breakfest and a much needed energy boost. Half an hour later, we continued our trip and enjoyed the strength of the ganges as well as its smoothness. There was another point where you could jump in the river and free float in the Ganges, and the feeling was amazing. Floating and enjoying the view around, letting the river take you whereever it takes you. Freedom in a sense. A few minutes of that, and feeling the chill of the river to the bones, it was time to get up on the boat and continue. Another highlight was when you could jump from a cliff, about 5-6 meters above the river. The whole rafting was a great highlight of Rishikesh, and a great way to finish this part of my journey. And to enjoy this great day with my friends, made it even more special, one that will remain with me for the longest time. I would definitly love to go rafting again, as I see now why it is soo exciting. It was once again great to meet Orly and Eyal, friends who have a kindness that radiates naturally from within, and who are very easy to befriend, because of their kind nature.
Ready for some rafting!!!
Rafting on the Ganges has recently become very popular, as it offers some good rapids. I had read about it in my guide book, LonelyPlanet, and was very eager to try it out. So the day before I had been around to several different travel companies asking for the best rate. My friends were eager to join and try it as well, and we had found an even better rate, cosidering our group had increased to a number of six people. The price, 550 rs, ca 93kr, per head for 26km rafting. Excellent!
And so, today, 0830, we meet at the second bridge, Lakshman Juula, for a jeep ride up the mountains 26km north. The jeep was old, one that lacked power steering, and had some old tires on it. The ride took us up the moutains, following the Ganges, and it was an intersting ride up, seeing the constant construction work, the amount of traffic, and the way people drive, on the mountains, not the safest mind you. There was the occasional cow here and there too. After surviving the adventrure ride up and down the moutains, playing chicken several times with some big trucks and buses, and being in a near scratch with another car, we arrived to the river bank safely. "Manali Drive" was the starting point. There were a total of 14-15 rapids, of which only 3-4 of them were Class 3 and 4 rapids. It was peacefull to be out, away from the crowds, and closer to nature. Once the boats were inflated we recieved a short introduction to rafting, describing the general terms used to directing the group. Life jackets checked, and helmets on, we entered the boat. The calm of the river in some portions made it for very smooth sailing, as if just enjoying an evening ride on a lake. The first few rapids proved to be baby rapids, and I yearned for something more exciting, and before I knew it, we hit a big one, and the rush of adrenaline came at an instance, as you wave through the water, feeling the power of nature. Once out, and completly soaked, we continued our trip down the river. We hit several more strong rapids and small ones, and at one point we were allowed to jump into the water and hold the boat and swim. Of course it was in the calm segments of the ride. The crisp coldness of the water was a welcome calmness to the amount of blood rushing through your body. Halfway through the ride, we stopped by a river bank and went up the street to grab a bite to eat. Scrambled eggs and bread, a great breakfest and a much needed energy boost. Half an hour later, we continued our trip and enjoyed the strength of the ganges as well as its smoothness. There was another point where you could jump in the river and free float in the Ganges, and the feeling was amazing. Floating and enjoying the view around, letting the river take you whereever it takes you. Freedom in a sense. A few minutes of that, and feeling the chill of the river to the bones, it was time to get up on the boat and continue. Another highlight was when you could jump from a cliff, about 5-6 meters above the river. The whole rafting was a great highlight of Rishikesh, and a great way to finish this part of my journey. And to enjoy this great day with my friends, made it even more special, one that will remain with me for the longest time. I would definitly love to go rafting again, as I see now why it is soo exciting. It was once again great to meet Orly and Eyal, friends who have a kindness that radiates naturally from within, and who are very easy to befriend, because of their kind nature.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Rishikesh - relaxing and taking it easy
Well, it's been five days since I arrived to Rishikesh, and I am feeling a lot better (health wise). I understand the layout of the place, which restaurants serve good food, and where to buy my necessities. I moved from my non-happening ashram to a more lively one located in the edges of the main street. This ashram has more activities, as Yoga and meditation, and some lectures (not free - 50 rp). There are tons of people here, mostly tourists, and it's easy to make friends. Just start a conversation and you'll be having dinner or tea soon, or you'll bump into them at the local tea shop. The main road is very small so you start to recognize faces.
The move -
the initial paln was to move around 9 am but I was woken by the loud crisp sounds of mountain thunder. It echoes with such clarity that it resonates in your head a few seconds before it leaves. Along with the heavy rain and strong winds, my plan was postponed a few hours, until 12 pm, when the rain finally stopped, and the sun showed its face. I took one last look at my room, and made sure I didn't forget anything. It was a simple room, but living there was nice and quiet. I made my way through the crowds of people to the far end of the main street. A blue colored ashram, with green windows. Statues of the different gods are boxed in cages for people to pay their respects. I enter through gate and check in at the reception. The man speaks very good english, and you can tell that he is used to dealing with foreignors. I ask for a single room no wc, and a man shows me the way, as we enter into a huge courtyard, where the main teaching hall is located in the middle, and the dormitory like rooms in the rear. He show me two rooms from which I can choose. 100 rupees, ca.18kr. It's the smallest room yet in India, but not the worst. It's fairly clean and cool inside, and plenty of shelf space for small things like books etc. After checking in, I realize that I do not have clothes for the yoga lesson that wil be thought soon, so I rush out to the market to buy a pair of pants and a t-shirt. I find a shop that sells it for 150rupees, 30kr. Very simple clothes, that will rip, given the strains of time. I return back, and rest a while.
Yoga-
An evening class, 1700-1830. I went with no expectations as I have never tried it before. I was surprised at how relaxing the class was. I suppose it is for begineers, but it was just right for my first impression. Some poses were strenuous, but enough time is given in between to rest for the next pose. The meditations in between seemed very peaceful as well, to the point where I almost fell asleep. All the instructions were in English (given the fact that most of the people there were foreigners), and very easy to follow. All in all, a very positive experience. I look forward to the next one.
After living a day at this ashram, it reminds me of university dormitory life. The people are friendly and invitations to rooms happen frequently, where you share a cup of tea, and just talk about your experiences of India, home or spiritualism. I bumped into two Japanese girls while filling my water bottle with the ashrams filtered water and we started to talk. The conversation continued from the courtyard and ended up in one of the rooms with a warm cup of tea. We sat on the bed and talked about many things, how life is different in different parts of the world, and generally about people, the good, bad and how we can change for the better. We also ended up talking about spiritual aspects of things, intuition and reiki. The conversation lasted into the late hours of the night, and before we knew it, a few hours had already passed and it was time for bed.
Life in Rishikesh -
It's a very simple life. You wake up, stretch, do your morning routines (wash face, brush teeth and empty your uhumm...) and head out for a bite to eat. The days go by quite quickly, as it usually gets dark at around 1800. You somehow loose track of time, and forget the date. There's soo much to do, and yet nothing to do. You do what you want. If you're interested in participating more in Yoga, it's possible, if you want to just read a book by the Ganges, that's nice too. Time just flies, and everything here closes at around 2100. Not to mention the ashrams, their gates close at 2200. I have been here for a week, but it feels as if I've been here longer, and yet not done much. My yoga classes were very nice, and I have enjoyed them. I bought some books on how to do yoga, so I will practice myself.
Since I have been staying at one city/town for a while now, i have met many people, and made some nice friends. I am very surprised at the amount of Japanese people here. Many of them are Japanese girls in Rishikesh, and I have been lucky to be able to brush up on my Japanese. They are very nice and friendly, and easy to be-friend.
So, my opinion of Rishikesh. Well...I think it's overlly rated. There are tons of tourists here, mostly women, coming here to practice yoga (obviously right :P) And I understand their enthusiasm, to practice under a true yogi (at least that's what we hope right) in the country of it's origin would be exciting for many. I on the other hand feel that many of the ashrams have gone the tourist route, since it has turned into such a money making business. People (foreigners) are willing to pay any price to get to practice yoga, and the ashrams/yogi's have caught onto this, and are riding the wave of dollars. This gives the place a "fake" feel of spiritualism. But as long as it helps some, I guess it's fine.
The move -
the initial paln was to move around 9 am but I was woken by the loud crisp sounds of mountain thunder. It echoes with such clarity that it resonates in your head a few seconds before it leaves. Along with the heavy rain and strong winds, my plan was postponed a few hours, until 12 pm, when the rain finally stopped, and the sun showed its face. I took one last look at my room, and made sure I didn't forget anything. It was a simple room, but living there was nice and quiet. I made my way through the crowds of people to the far end of the main street. A blue colored ashram, with green windows. Statues of the different gods are boxed in cages for people to pay their respects. I enter through gate and check in at the reception. The man speaks very good english, and you can tell that he is used to dealing with foreignors. I ask for a single room no wc, and a man shows me the way, as we enter into a huge courtyard, where the main teaching hall is located in the middle, and the dormitory like rooms in the rear. He show me two rooms from which I can choose. 100 rupees, ca.18kr. It's the smallest room yet in India, but not the worst. It's fairly clean and cool inside, and plenty of shelf space for small things like books etc. After checking in, I realize that I do not have clothes for the yoga lesson that wil be thought soon, so I rush out to the market to buy a pair of pants and a t-shirt. I find a shop that sells it for 150rupees, 30kr. Very simple clothes, that will rip, given the strains of time. I return back, and rest a while.
Yoga-
An evening class, 1700-1830. I went with no expectations as I have never tried it before. I was surprised at how relaxing the class was. I suppose it is for begineers, but it was just right for my first impression. Some poses were strenuous, but enough time is given in between to rest for the next pose. The meditations in between seemed very peaceful as well, to the point where I almost fell asleep. All the instructions were in English (given the fact that most of the people there were foreigners), and very easy to follow. All in all, a very positive experience. I look forward to the next one.
After living a day at this ashram, it reminds me of university dormitory life. The people are friendly and invitations to rooms happen frequently, where you share a cup of tea, and just talk about your experiences of India, home or spiritualism. I bumped into two Japanese girls while filling my water bottle with the ashrams filtered water and we started to talk. The conversation continued from the courtyard and ended up in one of the rooms with a warm cup of tea. We sat on the bed and talked about many things, how life is different in different parts of the world, and generally about people, the good, bad and how we can change for the better. We also ended up talking about spiritual aspects of things, intuition and reiki. The conversation lasted into the late hours of the night, and before we knew it, a few hours had already passed and it was time for bed.
Life in Rishikesh -
It's a very simple life. You wake up, stretch, do your morning routines (wash face, brush teeth and empty your uhumm...) and head out for a bite to eat. The days go by quite quickly, as it usually gets dark at around 1800. You somehow loose track of time, and forget the date. There's soo much to do, and yet nothing to do. You do what you want. If you're interested in participating more in Yoga, it's possible, if you want to just read a book by the Ganges, that's nice too. Time just flies, and everything here closes at around 2100. Not to mention the ashrams, their gates close at 2200. I have been here for a week, but it feels as if I've been here longer, and yet not done much. My yoga classes were very nice, and I have enjoyed them. I bought some books on how to do yoga, so I will practice myself.
Since I have been staying at one city/town for a while now, i have met many people, and made some nice friends. I am very surprised at the amount of Japanese people here. Many of them are Japanese girls in Rishikesh, and I have been lucky to be able to brush up on my Japanese. They are very nice and friendly, and easy to be-friend.
So, my opinion of Rishikesh. Well...I think it's overlly rated. There are tons of tourists here, mostly women, coming here to practice yoga (obviously right :P) And I understand their enthusiasm, to practice under a true yogi (at least that's what we hope right) in the country of it's origin would be exciting for many. I on the other hand feel that many of the ashrams have gone the tourist route, since it has turned into such a money making business. People (foreigners) are willing to pay any price to get to practice yoga, and the ashrams/yogi's have caught onto this, and are riding the wave of dollars. This gives the place a "fake" feel of spiritualism. But as long as it helps some, I guess it's fine.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Rishikesh
Saturday, Oct 11 2008.
After all the hustle and bustle of Delhi, it was nice to arrive at Rishikesh. A big contrast, and the people don't annoy you as they do in Delhi. An 8 hour sleeping train ride from Old Delhi station to Haridwar and a 45min local bus ride to downtown Rishikesh and another further 10-15 min Riksha ride to where all the ashrams and holy places are. I met a British guy on the train, he had been to India and Rishikesh several years in a row and knew of a place to stay for real cheap. We went to the ashram (this one does not practice yoga or any sort of meditation unfortunately), and I agreed on a room for 60 rupees, ca. 10kr. A very simple room with a bed, windows, and of course a fan. Toilets are outside along with a tap and bucket (shower) and there is no hot water. It'll suffice for a while, at least till I find another place. The room is fairly big, surprising for the amount you pay.
Upper Rishikesh is a very nice place, sorrunded by small mountains and everything is centered around the Ganges. You can constantly see people bathing in it, and it is much cleaner than the one in Varanasi. There are loads of ashrams scattered around the place and Yoga is the main attraction. I have met all kinds of tourist from all over the globe, France, USA, Cananda, Russia, Israel, Spain, you name it. You meet a new person almost everyday, and start a conversation over lunch.
I was initially planning to stay for a short while (three days) and head further north, but due to a sudden onset of a sore throat (probably due to all the pollution from Delhi and other parts), I am going to rest for about a week before I decide to continue my journey. I have to take care of my health before anything else, and the climate up north is a lot colder as I believe winter is already approaching there. It's also nice to settle down for a while and get to know the surronding area. Today, over lunch, I met a russian guy who told me about where he is staying, an ashram on the far end of town, and they include Yoga and meditation for the price of lodging, which is 100 rupees, ca. 17kr. I will move there on Wednesday and try out some of the lessons, I will post my impressions in due time :D
After all the hustle and bustle of Delhi, it was nice to arrive at Rishikesh. A big contrast, and the people don't annoy you as they do in Delhi. An 8 hour sleeping train ride from Old Delhi station to Haridwar and a 45min local bus ride to downtown Rishikesh and another further 10-15 min Riksha ride to where all the ashrams and holy places are. I met a British guy on the train, he had been to India and Rishikesh several years in a row and knew of a place to stay for real cheap. We went to the ashram (this one does not practice yoga or any sort of meditation unfortunately), and I agreed on a room for 60 rupees, ca. 10kr. A very simple room with a bed, windows, and of course a fan. Toilets are outside along with a tap and bucket (shower) and there is no hot water. It'll suffice for a while, at least till I find another place. The room is fairly big, surprising for the amount you pay.
Upper Rishikesh is a very nice place, sorrunded by small mountains and everything is centered around the Ganges. You can constantly see people bathing in it, and it is much cleaner than the one in Varanasi. There are loads of ashrams scattered around the place and Yoga is the main attraction. I have met all kinds of tourist from all over the globe, France, USA, Cananda, Russia, Israel, Spain, you name it. You meet a new person almost everyday, and start a conversation over lunch.
I was initially planning to stay for a short while (three days) and head further north, but due to a sudden onset of a sore throat (probably due to all the pollution from Delhi and other parts), I am going to rest for about a week before I decide to continue my journey. I have to take care of my health before anything else, and the climate up north is a lot colder as I believe winter is already approaching there. It's also nice to settle down for a while and get to know the surronding area. Today, over lunch, I met a russian guy who told me about where he is staying, an ashram on the far end of town, and they include Yoga and meditation for the price of lodging, which is 100 rupees, ca. 17kr. I will move there on Wednesday and try out some of the lessons, I will post my impressions in due time :D
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Delhi - The culture shock
After a good eight hour rest, I rinse off and decide to head out to orient my self with the place. Delhi - a love it or hate it place. That's what they say. The whole impression of Delhi did not prove to be on my better side. I was heading for the New Delhi train station to go to the International Tourist office. I have read before hand in the guide book that people will try to take you to their own guide place to earn a commision and to scam you, and will come up with all sorts of lies about the official tourist office being closed, it's a holiday, or it's burned down. And low and behold, on my way, people seem soo friendly but beware because they are only after your wallet! This guy comes to me being all friendly asking for my destination, and I tell him. And guess what he tells me - the tourist office is closed because of holiday. I laugh out load, and tell him that it's not closed, and head away from him. A few minutes later, another guy comes to me and tells me that the office is 3km away, and he'll show me the way, he'll walk with me the whole way and show me. I turn the otherway and walk away. There is one thing I realized very soon. People are not what they seem here. Everyone wants to earn money and rip you off. And they are constantly bombarding you with questions, asking about you, and the worst, following you for several minutes before giving up. It's horrible. You are never left alone, and you know that everyone that comes up to you is trying to cheat you. This is Delhi. I finally get to the Tourist office, and guess what, it's not closed nor burned down. Ha! I decided to leave Delhi asap, and asked for directions for Rishikesh. I had to wait two days until I could leave as the trains were fully booked. Well, at least now I have a ticket :D
My Japanese friend -
I met Hironori at the tourist office. He had just arrived too, and we decided to explore Parhanganj(main bazzar) together. He had told me that he found a cheap accomodation, at 160 rupees, which roughs out to ca 30kr. Half of what I payed for my previous night. I decided that I can stay in his district while I wait for my train. The following day, I stayed at a neighboring place and got a room for even cheaper, at 100 rupees, ca. 15kr. But you really get what you pay for, as it felt like a prison cell with no windows and you can imagine the last time they changed bedsheets or even cleaned the room. Normal prices for room vary from 350 rupees and up. Unfortunately, Hironori was leaving the same day, but we did enjoy each others company, and exploring the tiny back roads of Parhanganj. We also learned that prices in Delhi/India has gone up quite a bit since last year. I've heard this from other tourists as well. It's also very difficult to bargain in Delhi, perhaps it will be a little different in the country. And the traffic - heh -motorbikes, scooters, people, cars, cows and children all over the place...I'm surprised not more people are hurt during the course of the day. Overall, our impressions of Delhi were similar, and we wanted out soon :P Patience...
My Japanese friend -
I met Hironori at the tourist office. He had just arrived too, and we decided to explore Parhanganj(main bazzar) together. He had told me that he found a cheap accomodation, at 160 rupees, which roughs out to ca 30kr. Half of what I payed for my previous night. I decided that I can stay in his district while I wait for my train. The following day, I stayed at a neighboring place and got a room for even cheaper, at 100 rupees, ca. 15kr. But you really get what you pay for, as it felt like a prison cell with no windows and you can imagine the last time they changed bedsheets or even cleaned the room. Normal prices for room vary from 350 rupees and up. Unfortunately, Hironori was leaving the same day, but we did enjoy each others company, and exploring the tiny back roads of Parhanganj. We also learned that prices in Delhi/India has gone up quite a bit since last year. I've heard this from other tourists as well. It's also very difficult to bargain in Delhi, perhaps it will be a little different in the country. And the traffic - heh -motorbikes, scooters, people, cars, cows and children all over the place...I'm surprised not more people are hurt during the course of the day. Overall, our impressions of Delhi were similar, and we wanted out soon :P Patience...
Delhi - Arrival
The flight was plain and simple, like all other flights. The plane had actually arrived on schedual, in fact, some minutes ahead. Once I left the airplane, I was greeted by the warm heat, and the special smell that always seem to follow it. 2330 - I headed for the baggage claim, and out to the arrival hall. So far, smooth sailing. Everyone seems to rush out, without any order, no lines, just push and shove until you get yourself through the gate. Afterall, this is India, and there are no rules (not practically anyway). After dodging the hordes of people, and out to the main arrival hall, I was greeted with people holding name cards, and the eager taxi drivers trying to get the tired tourist in their car. My initial plan was to sleep at the airport until morning and to catch a bus into town to the "backpackers" district. But I had apparently left the building and the guards with guns were protecting the gate. I didn't know left from right, as I had not slept much on the plane and the night before, and was already feeling exhausted from the impressions and the heat. While hauling my backpack and handbag around my neck, already drenched in sweat, I tried to get into the departure hall, but found out that you need your airline ticket to get in. At this point, I was feeling the pressure, of not booking and perhaps planning a bit ahead. But you learn from your mistakes right, and backpacking is all about living and learning and to keep moving. I went back to the arrival hall and told the guard I have to get in because I forgot something or I have to meet someone - don't remember what I said, but it worked. A small white lie goes some way. and I supposed he figured "regular tourist" and let me back in. Phew...at least now I can sit inside and avoid the hordes of bugs. I made my way so some chairs and sat down, in what would be a real long night. I tried to kill time by finding some tourists and talking to them, but there weren't many to be found. Thick tock, thick tock....
I'm on the bus now to New Delhi Train Station. A long ride, and a very bumpy one. 5am. As I look through the window, I am amazed at the poverty. There are people everywhere, sleeping on the floor, bikes, and rikshaws. Basically, where ever they can lie down. There are loads of stray dogs running around as well, and we can't forget the cows. The bus has an interesting system, as there are no signs, nor real "bus stops" and the guy sitting next to the driver would yell the destination and people would hop on and pay later on the bus. There is no organized traffic system and the cars are constantly honking. I eventually make it to the train station but I had to ask the driver several times where I am and how much longer, as I have no clue what the station looks like. After jumping off, I was again greeted by hordes of rikshaw drivers asking and pesking me about rides. As I nudge them off, I head for the train station and ask the guards for the directions to the hostels. No one really knows, but they point me in one direction and off I go. The thing about india, or at least in Delhi is that there are no street names posted anywhere and having a map proves to be quite useless. My destination was Main Bazzar, but I ended up several roads off of it, and unable to ask anyone for proper directions (due to the late hour of the night, 6am, and the only people out are the indians who are trying to rip you off), I avoided all offers for people coming and asking me to come to their hotel. I end up going into several hotels asking for prices, but they were way more expensive than what I had read in the guidebook. So I tried negotiating it, but wasn't able to bring it down much. I eventually found a place for a reasonable price and decided to stay there. To be honest, it really didn't matter at this point as I was practially a walking zombie. Finally, a bed. Time for rest...
I'm on the bus now to New Delhi Train Station. A long ride, and a very bumpy one. 5am. As I look through the window, I am amazed at the poverty. There are people everywhere, sleeping on the floor, bikes, and rikshaws. Basically, where ever they can lie down. There are loads of stray dogs running around as well, and we can't forget the cows. The bus has an interesting system, as there are no signs, nor real "bus stops" and the guy sitting next to the driver would yell the destination and people would hop on and pay later on the bus. There is no organized traffic system and the cars are constantly honking. I eventually make it to the train station but I had to ask the driver several times where I am and how much longer, as I have no clue what the station looks like. After jumping off, I was again greeted by hordes of rikshaw drivers asking and pesking me about rides. As I nudge them off, I head for the train station and ask the guards for the directions to the hostels. No one really knows, but they point me in one direction and off I go. The thing about india, or at least in Delhi is that there are no street names posted anywhere and having a map proves to be quite useless. My destination was Main Bazzar, but I ended up several roads off of it, and unable to ask anyone for proper directions (due to the late hour of the night, 6am, and the only people out are the indians who are trying to rip you off), I avoided all offers for people coming and asking me to come to their hotel. I end up going into several hotels asking for prices, but they were way more expensive than what I had read in the guidebook. So I tried negotiating it, but wasn't able to bring it down much. I eventually found a place for a reasonable price and decided to stay there. To be honest, it really didn't matter at this point as I was practially a walking zombie. Finally, a bed. Time for rest...
Update:
A tip: Remember your passport is your key here, as it's your sole source of identification, and it's needed for many things, including room bookings. It is vital to never let it out of your sight, as there were several occasion when I was booking a room that the photocopier did not work (they register your stay with a copy of your passport and visa) and they wanted to hold on to the passport until morning. Be blunt, and refuse, tell them you come back in the morning when it works, or find another place. There was another occasion when the photocopier didn't work and they wanted to send the errand boy with my passport to a copier accross the street - the same rule applies here, follow the boy and hold your own passport, never leave it out of sight! :D
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Welcome to my blog :D
So, finally, after much a do, I have created my blog. This blog will document my journey in India. I will share with you my thoughts, reflections and adventures. So please feel free to leave a comment. I will do my best to reply and to update my blog as often as possible, but this does of course require me to have access to a computer with internet connection, and this as you might have guessed might be quite limited in India. Also, as I have decided to explore the country side, I will be out of reach from the "wired" world from time to time. So updates will be done when I am in the cities. I hope you will enjoy my blog, and enjoy this journey I have decided to take part in.
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