Rishikesh

Trip Start Dec 09, 2007
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Trip End Jul 07, 2008


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Flag of India  , Uttarakhand,
Friday, May 23, 2008

Rishikesh is famous for it's multitudes of massive ashrams and is deemed the yoga capital of the world. I had heard that the area of Swag Ashram on the Eastern Banks of the Ganga and a few miles north of Rishikesh town did not allow cars. Since I'd become so fed up with the incessant honking that Indians do with their cars this was a very welcome concept and I went for it regardless of my accommodations. Turned out to be one of my best decisions I'd made in India. I really enjoyed my time there. Made some great friendships and helped an outstanding young man begin his career as a master tabla player. I also almost got drawn into a "gem scam" with some locals who claimed to my friends but wised up early on. Just another experience of India. Sadly scams in India become common nusances after a while, like mosquito's, or the heat.

I connected with Somraj on couchsurfing and he became my soul buddy another great fruit I've never seen before
another great fruit I've never seen before
 . It seemed in the times I was walking through town when I most needed some kind of contact or to talk to someone he'd be there sipping chai on the corner or come into the cafe I was in for lunch. He had lived nearly his whole life in an ashram and he seemed to be the deep and joyful character you'd want to expect from a life lived so intentionally. He even gave me a wonderful Reiki session one afternoon.

My other friend Vijay was my guide through Rishikesh. His family live in an ashram for free. They have few ways of making money since the father has some difficulties (which i wasn't clear on). On top of it they have the burden of raising older children that have mental and physical handicaps. Young Vijay was doing what he could by learning english, helping tourists and being a guide. Surprisingly he never asked me for money and actually bought me more than one chai. But he let me know his dream to become a tabla player so on my last day I got him the set he was hoping for.
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