Most of the reputable ashrams have websites but when I checked last week I couldn't make heads nor tails of them. So I show up in Rishikesh and spend the whole morning walking from ashram to ashram to see if any would accomodate me. Unfortunately many won't let in singles because they have too many suicides but they were all full anyway because this is the start of the Indian tourist season when the kids are on their summer break. I started with the well established ashrams then went to the ones that cater to foreigners, mostly Japanese and white. They had availability but were revoltingly filthy.
I spoke to three westerners, each from different countries over dinner. They were here on a yoga course and each of them had been sick for a month with white eggs in their stool. The doctors they saw couldn't determine the cause and and tried a few treatments but they were still suffering. I suggested they immediately get their asses to Delhi or Mumbai and get their shit looked at but they are sticking out the next couple of weeks before they fly home. Oh well, good luck to them.
Oh well, Rishikesh is pretty cool. There are monks everywhere. It's right where the Himilayas start poking up, rather abruptly. The mountains are green and wooded which is a welcome site coming from barren Rajasthan. The Ganges is clean and fresh here, a bit narrower than I expected but very fast moving.
To get ot Swagashram, the part of town where I am staying, you have to cross the Ramjula, a long pedestrian suspension bridge to get to this side of the Ganges. There are no automobiles in this part of town so I was kinda embarrassed last night breaking the silence with my big loud rolley bag.
In the evening I took a decent yoga class, nothing to write home about. Throughout it I was distracted because I was thinking about how I'm missing the sunset. I've grown an affinity for sunrises and sets and wonder why it's so rare that I ever catch them at home.
I spoke to three westerners, each from different countries over dinner. They were here on a yoga course and each of them had been sick for a month with white eggs in their stool. The doctors they saw couldn't determine the cause and and tried a few treatments but they were still suffering. I suggested they immediately get their asses to Delhi or Mumbai and get their shit looked at but they are sticking out the next couple of weeks before they fly home. Oh well, good luck to them.
Oh well, Rishikesh is pretty cool. There are monks everywhere. It's right where the Himilayas start poking up, rather abruptly. The mountains are green and wooded which is a welcome site coming from barren Rajasthan. The Ganges is clean and fresh here, a bit narrower than I expected but very fast moving.
To get ot Swagashram, the part of town where I am staying, you have to cross the Ramjula, a long pedestrian suspension bridge to get to this side of the Ganges. There are no automobiles in this part of town so I was kinda embarrassed last night breaking the silence with my big loud rolley bag.
In the evening I took a decent yoga class, nothing to write home about. Throughout it I was distracted because I was thinking about how I'm missing the sunset. I've grown an affinity for sunrises and sets and wonder why it's so rare that I ever catch them at home.
1 comment:
love the stone walled boulevard and the river scene as well
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