Rishikesh

the second leg of our journey

If Haridwar was dark, Rishikesh was dazzling. The natural glory of this creation spoke, sang rather, for itself. When we got off of our bus, we were to find accommodations for the evening. A handful of guys swarmed us when we got down, as they always do, touting the best place to stay, the best ride, the best price. But we knew by then, it was usually their own interest these young men had at heart and so we decided do decline and look around for ourselves. 

The city looked typical, at best, and I was starting to question the motives of the emi2 staffers who sent us out on this 'adventure.' What is it we are meant to learn again? We went into a respectable-looking guesthouse and looked in one of the rooms. He was asking 900 rs. a night which is only about 18 USD, but the room was awful, no AC and we would have to book 3 of them: two rooms for the 4 of us girls and one for David. Not a good deal. We chatted for a moment before deciding to take our chances with a guy who had followed us all the way from the bus station to the hotel. 

He took us in his autorickshaw through town, a long way through town and up the side of the mountain that overlooked the river (the Mighty Ganga). My heart was filling with hope and my mood was lightening with each foot we climbed in elevation. This city was not typical, it was magnificent. Though it was still very hot the humidity was much lighter and the natural beauty of the river winding through the foothills of the Himalyas was enough to distract from the heat. 

Unfortunately, our new friend's guesthouse suggestion wasn't quite what we were looking for, but after checking out just two more places we landed at the perfect spot. Let's just look at the view we had from our penthouse room and then I'll tell you how much we paid...

the door on the left is the room 
christine and I shared

Now, bear in mind, we did opt for rooms without AC because they had fans - so that knocked our cost down significantly. The penthouse room was 700 rs., the room Alyssa and Amy slept in one floor down was 500 rs, and David's room on the ground floor was 300 rs. We paid 29 USD for three rooms with incredible views!! It was more like a hostel than anything else - and it was more than perfect for five weary travelers in need of a shower.

our room

While they readied our rooms, we grabbed lunch at the charming restaurant they had set up in the courtyard. We talked about what we had seen so far, tried sweet lime and momos for the first time and read a few encouraging and pertinent verses from David's bible. After eating, we showered, changed and hit the streets into this new town with renewed energy both physical and mental!

sweaty, still a little sick, hungry
and ready for some food!

When we went back down into the town, we had so many people to meet and questions to ask of them! It was so terribly hot. Even though it’s still hot in Delhi, a month has made so much difference. In the beginning of September it was sweltering.

so much congestion on the bridge
with many photos and 'namaste's

just a bunch of white gals on a jhula

One major landmark of Rishikesh is Lakshman (or Laxman) Jhula. We were supposed to find out what a jhula is and who Lakshman was. After using our handy triangulation questioning method, it was still pretty clear that almost no one knew or could agree on the answer. We consulted with a man selling books about Hinduism and specifically Uttarakhand. Finally, we sort of learned that Lakshman was responsible for performing a miracle on the site where the bridge and temple now stand. And so the bridge bears his name. I did a little research post-trip and this is also not the case. Lakshman is a god and though there are many differing stories, I think the most common belief is that he is brother to Rama and shared in his exile. He supposedly crossed the Ganga with only wires at the very spot where the cable bridge stands now. 

lakshman jhula
(locksmon joola)

We spent the rest of that day chatting with people, learning the meanings of lots of words, rituals, beliefs, etc. and still had time to come home and rest a while. By the time we were supposed to eat dinner, everyone had fallen asleep - hard. But we got up and went to the outdoor 'nicer' restaurant anyway. Our jet lag had finally caught up with us and we hardly spoke over our meal. The next morning we were supposed to get up to see the sunrise over the Ganga. I got up in time to see the sun already up but it was beautiful all the same. I got to sit on the roof in the cool morning air and write and reflect. It was one of my favorite mornings so far in my time in India. By the way, I got up about 6:30 am and the sun was already up... how early does a girl have to rise to beat that sun? Clearly, it's not something I've accomplished for some time...

what a morning

always lots happening on the bridge

There were many things to be observed in this little gem of a town, the birthplace of yoga. It was the site at which The Beatles studied and achieved the 'enlightenment' that would change their career in 1963. 

'if you love India, don't trash it...'

unfortunately, by those standards
I did not see a lot of love in Rishikesh

There were so many foreigners in Rishikesh, it shocked me how many people still wanted to take photos with us - far, far more than in Haridwar. And everywhere we went in Rishikesh, people were handing Christine their babies... whether they had pants on or not...

wait... where are the pants.. and under pants...

our tall, tall david

Rishikesh was certainly different. The people were colorful and friendly and open. After returning home (to Delhi) I thought about it for a long time. Why were these two cities, so close in proximity, so very different from one another? I don't have a finite answer. Haridwar is a place of Hindu pilgrimage for Indians while Rishikesh is a place of pilgrimage for enlightenment, for yoga, for searching, both for Indians and foreigners. Those in Haridwar are worshipping gods with their time, travel, money, gifts. Those in Rishikesh know that they are missing something, they are seeking something more, something deeper. I think the difference is that those in Haridwar are seeking what they think they've found. They don't know that they're lost and in need. Those in Rishikesh know they are lost and they want so badly to be filled that they will travel great distances.

Our last stop was to find a choti walla, basically a fast food joint before heading to the bus station. We found it successfully. By this point, I think we had all given up on looking presentable - I know I personally stopped wearing makeup about day 2 in India. Alyssa, it seems, decided that one sock was better than one blistered foot. It took us a while to even notice. But I think it's the perfect thing to top off our time in Haridwar and Rishikesh: The Legend of Ole One-Sock Alyssa.

It didn't go unnoticed by the locals. Being white and half of us blonde, we attract enough attention that we can't get away with too much. People were so curious. Is this one-socked look a new American trend. Maybe even if we go back to Rishikesh, we may see a few Indians wearing one lone tube sock...

 

The staff told us that probably lots would go wrong on our trip and that the mishaps would bond us and make the trip. Our trip had been pretty smooth-sailing and we had all gotten along so well. So, of course, something went wrong in the very end. Our bus was meant to leave at 2 pm so we went to the bus station (which seemed more like a gas station to me...) at about 12:15. We were not going to miss our bus! So, it was 1:30 and the bus wasn't there.. then it was 2 and the bus wasn't there... Prince, the guy we were in contact with kept telling us 'another 15 minutes, another 15 minutes.' The bus showed up at 3:30. It was a super bumpy 8-hour ride home. But that was the worst thing that happened to us the whole time.. and that was just fine by me!

toes in The Mighty Ganga