after the hassling, hustle and bustle, and pollution of varanasi, i was in much need of fresh mountain air and some peace and tranquility. the 18 hr train ride in sleeper class was an experience i prefer to forget but will give a very brief summary: i escaped to my very dusty top berth and eventually fell asleep but i had a crazy dream during the night in which i was in a helicopter going to see a great temple with many stairs with a drunken pilot who was making horrendous moaning/shrieking sounds and slamming the chopper into the temple steps. anyway, the train stopped at least a million times over the night and more and more people kept cramming in, including some young guys who were making all sorts of insane sounds throughout the long night. when i awoke i realized these were the sounds from my nightmares. around the time i was supposed to be reaching my station, i got my things together and looked down to find the floor littered with bodies with no place to step down to even see what station we were at. no one spoke much english but finally, i was reassured that the stop was coming and i pushed and shoved my way to my backpack and off the train! i then decided on an expensive taxi ride to rishikesh vs bus as i just couldn't deal with being stared at any longer. i was then punished for not being more budget-conscious and taking the bus. my driver tried charging me more for traffic, we had a flat tire and stopped at his house for water for the dying piece of junk taxi. after all this, i finally arrived in rishikesh! i was exhausted but managed to find a really cute place to stay, took a short walk around town, visited the trek shop and met my trekking companion mia and then spent the rest of the day trying to find warm gloves at which i failed. anyway, the trek wound up being exactly what i needed! mia was very sweet and easy to be with, our guide dorje was great, bobe the assistant was a very smiley, fun/sweet guy and the cook very talented and friendly too. such a difference in trekking company's from the last!! after an 8 hr jeep ride, we hiked just an hr and found ourselves at an amazing campsite complete with sunset himalaya views and a glassy lake!! we arrived just in time to catch the last of the sun's painting on the peaks! the nights were cold but the sun warm during the days. our second camp offered great mountain views as well which we arrived at after around 6 hrs of hiking. the last day, we left camp at 5:30a.m., hiked 2.5 hrs and had almost 360 degrees of himalaya views! the peaks were far away but still stunning and we basked in the warm sun for a couple hrs just admiring the view and napping. the sacred nanda devi (3rd highest peak in india) stood out from the other peaks. i've wanted to do the nanda devi sanctuary trek for years so i was very excited to see the mountain even if from a distance.
mia had stayed at a yoga ashram for a few nights and recommended i try it. figured i was in the yoga capital of the world so i'd give it a whirl for the experience. the night we got back from the trek, i went for my first ashram dinner. i was given a plate, bowl and spoon that i would wash and keep in my room, bringing to all my meals. i quickly discovered the meals are started off with chanting and i didn't realize there was a going around the room of lead chanters. i had no idea what anyone was saying and when it came my turn, it was suddenly quiet... the yogi helped me out but haaaaaaaaa! how embarrassing! we all sat on the floor around the room at little tables and were served very pure, vegan food. there were two yoga sessions a day, both of which i went to and were quite an experience for me as well. i mean, i take a power yoga class here and there but these classes involve a lot of heavy breathing exercises some of which made me feel like i was going to pass out or throw up (some blocking one nostril to inhale and then the other to exhale holding your hands in a specific form which i never got) and a lot of chanting which i'm not accustomed to and had no idea what was being chanted (i made sounds just to participate which i'm sure distracted my neighbors but whatever). at the ashram, waste is to be kept to a minimum, all organic soaps and things used, you are to clean your own room, time spent out of yoga or meditation sessions should be used for quiet intraspection, meditation, journal writing or reading... basically trying to delve deeper into yourself. the first yoga class is at 6a.m. breakfast following at 8, lunch at 12, yoga at 4 with dinner following at 6 and quiet time at 9. for people on retreat or taking long courses, there are also additional meditation and other courses. anyway, i lasted a full 3 meals complete with chanting and two yoga sessions before checking out as i was hoping to find people to go to corbett tiger reserve with and everyone else at the ashram was on a retreat and not leaving anytime soon. so, i met some interesting people, witnessed a very foreign way of living and am now back to bandhari swiss cottage trying to figure out what to do next.
the highlight of today was the cow attack. yes, i was attacked by a cow! one with horns. i've passed cow upon cow in narrow alleys, on steps to this or that, along mtn trails, on city streets and have become quite accustomed to this. anyway, today i was walking up the street in rishikesh with a nice woman from france i had just met and we were chatting away and came upon a cow coming down the street. suddenly, out of nowhere the cow came over and rammed me with it's horns!!! i think my passport holder and passport itself saved me fr0m a visit to the local medical center! i sustained a roadrash style injury and suspect there may now be a bruise but thank goodness for the passport tucked into my pants!! this would only happen to ME!!! i still can't believe it!! the cow driver was horrified and explaining his cow's behavior in rapid hindi while i just laughed at the pure hilarity of the situation. at least i think he was the driver... maybe he was just a passerby but somehow i don't think he would've been as concerned if that was the case. unfortunately there will be no photos posted of this ridiculous event. however, i consider myself lucky as cows are considered sacred here so maybe i'll have good luck for the rest of my journey (though i've decided not to visit corbett tiger reserves... don't need a similar encounter with a large cat). heading to delhi on the night train tomorrow to try to plan my rajasthan trip and then will probably head same day to jaipur.
mia had stayed at a yoga ashram for a few nights and recommended i try it. figured i was in the yoga capital of the world so i'd give it a whirl for the experience. the night we got back from the trek, i went for my first ashram dinner. i was given a plate, bowl and spoon that i would wash and keep in my room, bringing to all my meals. i quickly discovered the meals are started off with chanting and i didn't realize there was a going around the room of lead chanters. i had no idea what anyone was saying and when it came my turn, it was suddenly quiet... the yogi helped me out but haaaaaaaaa! how embarrassing! we all sat on the floor around the room at little tables and were served very pure, vegan food. there were two yoga sessions a day, both of which i went to and were quite an experience for me as well. i mean, i take a power yoga class here and there but these classes involve a lot of heavy breathing exercises some of which made me feel like i was going to pass out or throw up (some blocking one nostril to inhale and then the other to exhale holding your hands in a specific form which i never got) and a lot of chanting which i'm not accustomed to and had no idea what was being chanted (i made sounds just to participate which i'm sure distracted my neighbors but whatever). at the ashram, waste is to be kept to a minimum, all organic soaps and things used, you are to clean your own room, time spent out of yoga or meditation sessions should be used for quiet intraspection, meditation, journal writing or reading... basically trying to delve deeper into yourself. the first yoga class is at 6a.m. breakfast following at 8, lunch at 12, yoga at 4 with dinner following at 6 and quiet time at 9. for people on retreat or taking long courses, there are also additional meditation and other courses. anyway, i lasted a full 3 meals complete with chanting and two yoga sessions before checking out as i was hoping to find people to go to corbett tiger reserve with and everyone else at the ashram was on a retreat and not leaving anytime soon. so, i met some interesting people, witnessed a very foreign way of living and am now back to bandhari swiss cottage trying to figure out what to do next.
the highlight of today was the cow attack. yes, i was attacked by a cow! one with horns. i've passed cow upon cow in narrow alleys, on steps to this or that, along mtn trails, on city streets and have become quite accustomed to this. anyway, today i was walking up the street in rishikesh with a nice woman from france i had just met and we were chatting away and came upon a cow coming down the street. suddenly, out of nowhere the cow came over and rammed me with it's horns!!! i think my passport holder and passport itself saved me fr0m a visit to the local medical center! i sustained a roadrash style injury and suspect there may now be a bruise but thank goodness for the passport tucked into my pants!! this would only happen to ME!!! i still can't believe it!! the cow driver was horrified and explaining his cow's behavior in rapid hindi while i just laughed at the pure hilarity of the situation. at least i think he was the driver... maybe he was just a passerby but somehow i don't think he would've been as concerned if that was the case. unfortunately there will be no photos posted of this ridiculous event. however, i consider myself lucky as cows are considered sacred here so maybe i'll have good luck for the rest of my journey (though i've decided not to visit corbett tiger reserves... don't need a similar encounter with a large cat). heading to delhi on the night train tomorrow to try to plan my rajasthan trip and then will probably head same day to jaipur.
1 comment:
I can really picture you there with a cow ramming into you and then wandering off to stop some traffic, the panicking Indian and perhaps a mildly interested dog lying beside it all :)
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