Ohmmm.....Rishikesh, India

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Getting our yoga on……tougher than trekking?


Sadly we departed Nepal on 13 October 2011, which we truly loved visiting to enter a new chapter of our adventures in India. 1st stop was a quick night in Delhi in hotel near airport before flying back up north to Dehra Dun, near the Indian side of the Himalayas to the holy city of Rishikesh and the mighty Ganges river. Rishikesh is also a mecca for all things related to yoga with numerous ashrams and training schools and casual yoga hall classes to cater for the young foreign tourists (Israel, Austria, Belgium, Japan, . We are in a pure vegetarian, no alcohol zone here (not that this is bad) and have taken to doing very intensive ashtanga vinyasa classes (2+ hours/class). Our bodies have been so used to hiking that they are aching and creaking as we regain our flexibility and different muscles required for yoga practice making trekking at attitude seem quite relaxing (cue gasp). Our hamstrings are SOOO tight.

We stayed at a so called ‘comfortable’ ashram right on the Ganges river but it quickly took the new title of ‘crack house chic’ as the worst place we’ve stayed in our whole trip. The room was filthy even though it was one of the most expensive options; Dave was covered in 100's of what we think were 'bed bugs' bites by morning we suspect from the disgusting mattress. So it is true the little saying "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite"!.

We quickly went out to find new hotel and booked a clean little cottage room in the foothills above Rishikesh, actually little spot where Kate Winslet (actor) stayed (sorry for the lame name dropping although we didn’t know that until we booked and saw her photo in the office).

At this time of the year, there is this crazy weather event each day approximately 6.00pm, the winds from the north and mountains blow down on Rishikesh and blows all night bringing gorgeous fresh crisp breezes.


Once established in our new base, we felt much more relaxed and enjoying daily yoga in morning after our coffee hit at local equivalent of Starbucks, brunch / lunch after class then siesta and reading before light dinner under the stars at the two little outdoors restaurants we could eat from in the mountain enclave we stayed at.
Just sitting over coffee and watching the world go by is amazing, the kids going to school in their neat little uniforms, the locals going to temple or taking photos of each other as they cross the Ganges bridge; locals taking photos of Nordic blonde girls as their white hair/fair skin is such a novelty, the donkeys carrying large river stones/rocks to the nearby building sites, the sacred cows just lying in the middle of the busy but narrow pedestrian suspension bridge, the masses of monkeys climbing the same bridge, the colourful painted sardus (holy men) walking around the Hindu temples, someone constantly asking you for rikshaw; postcard; jewelry; bindi tattoos; shoe cleaning; money for food; clothing shops; drinks, ice-creams, rice biscuits, pop-corn & it goes on and on.

Update: From Sunday 23 October, we'll be moving to western state of Goa (south of Mumbai) and specifically the town of Anjuna for some yoga and beach/sun. It is currently highs of 35 degrees (nice & toasty). We have couple of yoga retreat/spas booked for some R&R and healthy vegetarian food along with twice daily 2hr+ classes. Oh bliss!.

Our trip from Rishikesh to Goa is based on a 6 to 7-hour taxi ride to Delhi, then catch a flight to Goa.
Pick up time is 4.00am......yes you read correctly. Should be exciting and something different (*&%!$(MISSING)).
Picture the white old fashioned taxi in the movie by Director Wes Andersen with actors Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, Natalie Portman, Bill Murray etc "The Darjeeling Limited"; that will us, hopefully not the broken taxi!.

After our stay in Goa we'll be heading down to the southern state of Kerala for the month long stay at Sivananda yoga ashram in mid November we have booked for Dave’s teacher training course.
Namaste xx.

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Photos

More photos to come of India trip.....placeholder only
Placeholder photo only of Robbo - Himalayas, Nepal side
Our trip photographer is getting little lazy. I'll have to have words with him (Dave!)

Main highway across Ganges River
You see pilgrims, cows, monkeys, motor bikes, authorised photographers, you name it....