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  Rishikesh, India
Monday, May 8, 2006

J: The bus trip to Rishikesh was one of the easiest trips we have had. We thought it would take at least an hour, but ended up being closer to 40 minutes (I think it is unheard of for travel to be ahead of schedule here). I am going to warn you all right now that I am not going to do Rishikesh justice here. It is kind of challenging to describe. Basically it is a city split across the Ganges with three main areas: Rishikesh, Lakshman Jhula, and Swarg Ashram. We crossed one of the footbridges to Swarg Ashram. I think we may have chosen the least appealing area, although the guide book claims that to be Rishikesh itself (maybe it is). But there isn't really much to Swarg Ashram. It is mainly one street with a number of stalls selling various items, numerous ashrams, even more sadhus (ascetic, holy men trying to reach enlightenment, usually dressed in orange, hanging out on the streets often asking for food or money), and too many cows for even a farm in Ashby. And it was hot and dirty. Walking this strip became well, not my favorite

Ashram Courtyard

. We arrived in the evening and there was a lot of activity. It was sunset so there were ceremonies going on at the ghats along the river -- ganga aarti ceremony. Chanting, arm waving, clapping, offerings being placed in the river, we had definitely entered into the heart of new age and Indian pilgrimage.

We found a yoga class we liked right at our hotel the very next morning, so that was super convenient. Unfortunately after our first full day, which basically included two yoga classes and some hanging out (too hot for much else during the day), Missy got pretty sick and spent the next couple of days in and out of sleep. And I just pretty much fell into a very easy routine of yoga, hang out (maybe a nap), more yoga, hang out with Missy, sleep. It is amazing to me that we spent almost a week there. The time passed quickly. Toward the end of our week there, we kicked it into a bit higher gear to be able to see a bit more of the surrounding area.

One evening we walked to Lakshman Jhula - which to me was clearly the place to stay. It was a bit cleaner with more restaurants and shops and even a couple of public spaces. Our last morning we walked to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram, where the Beatles stayed in '68. It is closed and virtually abandoned now, but a guy at the gate is more than happy to turn a blind eye for 50 rupees. We wandered around for a while, astounded that this ashram, in my opinion the most beautiful in all of Swarg Ashram, was left to simply decompose. It sits up above the rest of town some and consists mainly of a series of huts, constructed out of stone. They appear to have two or three rooms for living and meditation. The small dome-like upper rooms look kind of like caves. And looking at them all from a bit higher up, it looks like a small village (not too much unlike Smurf Village)

Bathing at Dusk in the Ganges

. There are a couple of other larger buildings that we couldn't enter but looked like common spaces or possibly larger accommodations. It was easy to imagine what it must have looked like almost 40 years ago when the Beatles were there. And with the current state of lower Swarg Ashram it was just a shame to see what was obviously the perfect environment for peaceful meditation.

I had hoped to get all Zen and stuff while in Rishikesh, but really I just got all sore. Over 20 hours of yoga in five days after being semi inactive for a few months will do that to you, I guess. It was great, though -- completely worth the sore muscles. Actually, I have to say that the one advantage to the heat was that it made warming up muscles for yoga much easier. But that was about as much heat as we could handle so we gleckel on to cooler ground.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Cow Bath?	Ganga Aarti Ceremony	Getting All Zen - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Ashram	Hindu God Statue
Lakshman Jhula	Living Life in Peace	MONKEY!	Praying to Wake Up for the Train
Row of Sadhus	Sadhu Posing for a Shot	Those Damn Cows!	Typical Swarg Ashram

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