Reflecting back on our time in Rishikesh, I literally can't help but smile. It's one of those times in my life that I will never forget and those five weeks felt like being awake in the most brilliant dream. We'd not planned to stay so long but not having any time constrains on our travels one week turned into two weeks, two into three and before we knew it time had flown by. Yet we still couldn't seem to leave. The weather, the people, the events, the yoga - we really felt like we were in exactly the right place at the right time.
Chilling on the beach with our new found Rishikesh friends
Before going there I was cynical of Rishikesh 'yoga capital of the world'. What would I be faced with? Commercialised yoga classes and grey haired hippies? So to set the record straight - yes there are alot of classes and some questionable yoga teachers who just aren't very good and really should not be teaching. Having said that, you can't beat the variety of styles, classes and courses available. It was enjoyable having the time to try the many drop in classes and different teachers. Plus it is viable as lessons are a fraction of the price of what you'd pay in England. By the end we discovered a great Ashtanga teacher who really pushed us and I would love to go back to. It felt so great to be giving my body and mind so much attention.
Jam sessions at the Bombay Guesthouse were a regular occurrence
And as for the hippies....... well it turned into a case of if you can't beat em, join em. Before I knew it I was happily walking around barefeet and spending my evenings in laid back, hazy, comfy cafes listening to people jamming and playing their instruments together. I wasn't alive in the 70's but it reminded me of what I imagine it may have felt like! I absolutely loved meeting such open minded and interesting people with a different take on life. I became so much more of an idealist and why not? Life's a lot more fun when your positive about everything and it's easily done when you are completely free. Don't worry .... be hippy :-)
Rishikesh, unlike my other destinations, certainly wasn't really a place to learn about Indian culture. It has a completely different feel and atmosphere because of the mix of well off Indians coming for a day or two and the many foreigners. You retain elements, as you are surrounded by ashrams and religious traditions, however it is definitely its own bubble. What I like was that it was excellent for meeting a different crowd of people, those who aren't really tourists as they don't come for a short two week holiday, they are real travellers who, like me, are in the country for a long time to get a different kind of experience. A great part of this trip is just to live and to learn.
The location of Rishikesh is amazing. Set in the woody foothills of the Himalayas, the town is next to the sacred river Ganges which is incredibly lined by clean, sandy beaches that remind you of being on a beach holiday. We were highly surprised by how clear and fresh the water was here, given the stark contrast of the disgusting, brown, pungent water in Varanasi. We experienced many a day chilling out on the beach and after some time I learnt that it is even possible to swim for half a km down the river which was a truely exhilarating as the water is freezing and the view stunning. It was so much fun to float along in a group, singing as we went, and then basking in the sun on the beach to warm up again. I had to laugh at the Indian tourists who took pictures of me soaking wet, completely covered in sand.
Being a kid and building sandcastles on a lovely sunny day!
Lucy and I stayed at a simple ashram paying just one pound per night each for a decent room, with a balcony overlooking the street. There was a temple where the owners prayed each day, but aside from that it was an ordinary guesthouse, not really an ashram, as there were no strict rules or routine as you'd otherwise expect. We got into the habit of getting up each morning to do two hours of gentle Hatha yoga after which we felt like we deserved a large breakfast from the German Bakery across the street which was a sociable spot for meeting people.
The first yoga teacher that we had was nice enough, but we soon learnt from him exactly what a good yoga teacher should not do as he had no regard for different students level and never asked whether anyone had any injuries. We tried a 'meditation' class with him explaining that I'd not done much and Lucy had never done it before and by the end we were still clueless. We heard unclear muttering in the dark as we sat uncomfortably for an hour. It was very strange but I guess quite funny!
Visiting one of the many near by waterfalls
In between yoga classes there was much to do in Rishikesh - relax on the beach, go for walks, visit waterfalls, meet people from around the world in a vast array of chilled, comfy cafes which serve delicious drinks. It made a pleasant change to have some more Western style places to sit with nice seats and lovely views. I love Indian food so much but the culture of sitting around for long periods of time to eat and drink just doesn't exist. Their cafes or eathouses are called 'dabbas' which are designed just to eat quickly and then you are expected to leave. No effort is made with decor, ambience or cleanliness! Yet the beauty of Rishikesh is that you still have the cheap and delicious dabbas and street food, alongside the relaxed cafes. In other words, the best of both worlds.
Fun exploring the abandoned Beatles Ashram
A trip to the now abandoned Beatles ashram was certainly worth it. For a small bribe you can enter the grounds of the place where the Beatles spent much time in India. It's fascinating to walk around the overgrown, crazily designed buildings including the 'eggs' which have a living space in the bottom and a pod in the top for meditation (which you have to use a ladder to climb into). The place must have felt so different when 300 hippies used to live there. We went there in a group of three, which swelled along the way to eight (plus a guitar) so before I knew it we were there listening to music, taking the atmosphere in together.
I heard on the grapevine about a 'Rainbow Gathering' that would be taking place whilst we were in Rishikesh. From this I gathered that it was some sort of party, which sounded good as I really wanted to dance after six months away. This was completely wrong. At Rainbow Gatherings people come together for a month to live with one another in different locations around the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Gathering).
Rainbow Gathering on the stunning beach
I could write a whole other blog entry just for my six days at the gathering as I've never done anything like it. From talking to others that attended, this gathering wasn't very well organised, mainly because it had to move three times dues to issues with the location. However I really loved spending those six days being on the beach next to the Ganges, 7km outside of Rishikesh. I've never lived in a community before and it was so nice to sleep outside on the sand, cook together, eat together, sit around the fire at night listening to music and singing and also being there for the night of the biggest full moon in 18 years. I met some really inspiring, kind, enthusiastic people who I will definitely remember. I would love to attend another better organised, gathering at some point as I found it a really wonderful experience.
Cooking chappatis on the fire at Rainbow Gathering
So that was Rishikesh - happy memories, wonderful new friends and many a lessons on how life can be lived in a lighthearted way with ease, especially if you go with the flow and let your mind be open to new things. I have a funny feeling that I will be back......
