After nearly 2 months on the road, we arrived in India, our third country of the trip.. It’s an incredible place full of vibrant colors, delicious curries, cheeky monkeys, sacred cows, pious sadhus, soaring mountains, majestic desert forts and white sand beaches.
We flew from Nepal to New Delhi on a 2 months visa to discover this huge and wonderful land. After leaving hectic Kathmandu though, we had no desire to stay in the big city so we went straight to the bus terminal to get on the road to our first destination: Rishikesh which is known by many as the yoga and meditation capital of the world. It’s been gaining popularity with spiritually minded travelers ever since the late 1960’s when The Beatles started visiting the ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It’s situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and close to the source of the holy river Ganges.
We arrived in the early morning, we’re talking like 5am, with no booking and no idea where we were going. We decided to pick somewhere from the Lonely Planet book as we had no access to internet to get our bearings. We got a tuk-tuk to an area outside of Rishikesh called High Banks where there are a cluster of beautiful and cheap guesthouses, some yoga schools, ashrams and Ayurveda centers.
We decided to check out the Bandhari Swiss cottage, whose reception doesn’t open until 8 in the morning, but they have a beautiful courtyard where there was still a log smoldering in the fire pit. We huddled around the tiny source of heat to watch the sun rise and wait until we could talk to someone about getting a room. We easily negotiated a weekly rate of 300 rupees a night (the equivalent of $6 CAD) for a simple room with a double bed, our own bathroom and a balcony overlooking the courtyard and the surrounding mountains.
Indian people love to bargain and you can usually negotiate most things. Bargaining is the bedrock of business here, and the game is to discover the fair price. Like the Indians say, "Money is a river. Some of us go with the current, and some of us paddle to the shore," it’s up to the buyer to decide which route they want to take.
After we settled into our bedroom it was time for some lunch! The Bandari Swiss Cottage has a little German-style bakery/restaurant in their courtyard with lots of healthy options and we were so stoked to sample as many things from the menu as we could in the coming days. We decided to try a homemade spinach noodle lasagne with mushrooms and cheese, and paired it with our first Indian curry of the trip, a paneer butter masala.
It’s no secret that India has some of the best curries in the world, but we didn’t know until we got there just how amazing our culinary journey would be! There is sooooo much variety, it will blow your mind and taste buds!!! From paneer butter masala and malai kofta to alu gobi and chana masala, all the different biriyanis, manchurians, palavs. There’s thalis, dosas, idli, puri bahji... and the list goes on and on!! You can have your curries with rice, chapati, naan, roti or parotha.. You can literally eat curry 3 times a day, every.single.day. and never get bored of it. SO DELICIOUS!!!!!
For the next 2 days we decided to relax and wander around, exploring the little street markets and cafes between Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula, the 2 enormous foot bridges that connect both sides of the wide banks and rushing waters of the River Ganges.
It’s a stunning setting with the clear blue water of the river, pilgrims and sadhus wandering the streets and ashrams in every direction, the vibe is very peaceful, yet bustling in it’s own way.
Another reason that Rishikesh is gaining in popularity is the incredible white-water rafting that departs just a little ways out of town. We decided to treat ourselves for Christmas day. For only $10 Canadian each, we did 16km down the Ganges class 3+ rapids (5 is the max and most dangerous that you can do). We were a bit sketched out about the water because it is one of the most polluted rivers on Earth, but here, so close to the source, the waters are clean and clear and fed from the Himalayan glaciers, so chilly AF!!
After a short safety speech, we put on our helmets and life jackets and jumped into the raft. We had a fun mix of people on the raft from all over India as well as a Croatian to round out the team.
We had a blast splashing each other and the passing rafters with the icy waters and the rapids were SO MUCH FUN!!!
We were pretty pleased with ourselves that we all managed to stay in the raft during the rapids, but we were shocked when our guide screamed "off the raft" and we were allowed to jump into the raging river for a dip. Ange and a few of the other rafters didn't hesitate, they just took the rope and hopped in, but it took Nicole a little longer to work up the courage!
By the end we were all soaked from the rapids and the water wars with the other rafters that she took the plunge and enjoyed the exhilaration of the cool water.
We never imagined in a million years that we’d get to take a swim in the purifying waters of the holy river!!!
All too quickly, the 16km were done though, and it was time to make our way, soaked to the bone, back to our hotel to dry off and relax.
Before we knew it, it was our last day in Rishikesh, and you simply can’t visit this town without trying at least one of the classes! We decided to try a yoga session.. one of Nicole’s favorite activities, she’s been practicing for many years.. but all Ange thought was fuuuck lol. So we jumped in with both feet, maybe a little overambitious for how inactive we’d been of late! We tried an Ashtanga class which is quite a fast-paced, holding poses for longer, crazy twisty yoga. It all started out great with some chanting and sun salutations, but quickly we were bent and twisted into pretzel shapes we didn’t even know we could bend that way.. Ohhh man what a workout though, we were sore for DAYS after, but it’s the good kind of sore where you know you’ve just done something really good for your body.
The next day it was time to say farewell to Rishikesh and make the long journey to Jaipur to explore the deserts of Rajasthan. Our adventures in the north continue next time, so stay tuned for camel encounters, ancient forts and the hospitality of the Rajasthani people!