Return ticket to 3411 meter joshimath - ...
Trip Start
Unknown
1
8
10
Trip End
Ongoing
Joshimath - Badrinath,
India
Friday, March 17, 2000
Joshimath - Badrinath (v.v.)
Although our initial plan had been to cycle to Badrinath we now decided to do a day-trip by bus. All the traffic up and down to Badrinath is one-way, due to the narrow and very steep road. It took us almost 3 hours on this bone-shaking road to finally arrive at an altitude of more then 3400 meters.
The small town of Badrinath lookes entirely different from the villages and town we had previously seen on this trip. This was how we imagined ourselves pleces like Tibet and Ladakh. A strong cold wind was blowing, buildings covered with corrugated roofs and everywhere pieces of plastic rattling in the wind
Ganges sunset
. We just followed the pilgrims that had come with our bus. By the end of october this town would close down. It was getting to cold already for the people from the hot Indian plains to come up here. We visited the colourful temple and returned to our bus. As soon as the sun dissapeared behind the Himalayan mountaintops the temperature almost immedately dropped to just above freezing.
..Downhill to the Ganges...
Joshimath - Rishikesh (by bus)
We got up at 5 o'clock to get the 'fast' bus to Rishikesh. We were asked to pay for putting the two bikes on the roof of the bus but since everyone seems to be loading his complete household on that same roof without extra costs we simply refused. It took us 11 hours with only two short stops to descend on winding mountain-roads to Rishikesh on the banks of the river Ganges. We realised that travelling form Joshimath to Rishikesh had taken more time then flying from Amsterdam to Delhi!
Rishikesh
Rishikesh has hundreds of ashrams and temples all along the holy river Ganges. The numerous little shops that sell religious goods are an attraction in itself.
At sunset holy ceremonies (called 'Aarti') were performed on the banks of the river. Priests are lighting enormous oil-lamps and were chanting holy hymns. An experience definitively recommended to anyone who visits Rishikesh
