Tales from the Trail

After the whirlwind trip through Rajasthan, I decided to take some other travellers advice and head to Rishikesh. I hadn’t heard of the place before, and wasn’t on my original itinerary. The only options to get there was either a 17 hour bus ride or two trains going via Delhi. I had heard a few nightmare stories of drivers on overnight buses being drunk, so it was a 11 hour overnight train to Delhi and then another 7 hour train ride to Rishikesh. I made the most of the one day in Delhi and saw a couple of sights that I missed out on the first time.

My first long haul train ride. I splurge out on a first class ticket, which is a compartment with only 2 bunk beds. Only trouble was there was a guy below me who started to talk to himself within five minutes of getting on the train. I was thankful when he fell asleep, but not for long as the talking was replaced with loud snoring. Needless to say I didn’t get much sleep. In the morning the snoring was abrubtly replaced with several loud curry induced farts. I was relieved to arrive in Delhi.

The Qutb complex. The main feature is the Qutb Minar – the tallest brick minaret in the world. Construction began in 1192, but took several centuries to complete. It was stuck a couple of times by lightning during construction and also damaged by an earthquake.

A close-up of the Qutb Minar

Inscriptions near the base of the Qutb Minar

An ornate doomed roof

The site also contains ruins of a mosque as well as several other impressive buildings

The Lotus Flower temple (Bahai House of Worship). Looks suspiciously like the Sydney Opera House, but is a lotus flower rather than sails, and is lined with marble rather than ceramic tiles.

The temple from a distance

Settling in for my 7 hour train trip to Rishikesh. One class lower than the previous trip, it was nevertheless a comfortable and drama free trip.

Rishikesh. I’m quickly discovering that the different states of India often feel like different countries and Rishikesh was no exception. It’s in Northern India, adjacent to Nepal. Needless to say, it was quite cold this time of year. The touristy area is to the north of the city, in a few small villages clinging to the hills with the Ganga (Ganges River) flowing through the middle. It’s a quiet and very scenic area. It’s also a very spiritual place for Hindus, with lots of Ashrams and Sadhus (holy men). While many tourists opt to stay in an Ashram, I preferred the independence of a hotel. I ended up spending 17 days here, in a reasonable hotel with a hot shower, wifi, and a balcony with partial river views. The total cost of my stay for the 17 days was $110.

I spent my days doing yoga, meditation and learning about Ayurvedic medicine. I also enrolled in a 10 day panchakarma (detox) treatment, as well as 7 day Ayurvedic theory course.

Here are a couple of pics.

View of the Ganga and the pedestrian footbridge which links the villages.

The pedestrian footbridge – also used by motorbikes, donkeys, cows and feral monkeys

Breakfast view from one of my regular cafes

One of the many Ashrams

Another view

Goodbye Rishikesh – I’m heading south for some warmer weather, but stopping at Varanasi on the way…..