Rishikesh

Off to Rishikesh.

After a week in Pushkar, I set off on my journey to Rishikesh. Unfortunately, I once again realize that I've waited too long to book a train, and there are no more seats available, leaving me with only the night bus. Due to the long distances, there's a sleeper bus here. The buses don't have seats but rather small cabins where you can lie down.
I get on the bus in the early evening and quickly realize that this will not be the most comfortable ride. The sleeping cabin is short, narrow, and flat. I squeeze myself in and try to find a comfortable position. I spend 14 hours on the bus curled up in a semi-fetal position. Normally, I don't have a fear of confined spaces, but I have to keep distracting myself from time to time to avoid spiraling into anxiety.

I arrive in Rishikesh around 9 AM, check into the hostel, and enjoy a chai on the rooftop terrace. After a short break, I explore Tapovan (a neighborhood in the north of Rishikesh). I wander through small streets with colorful shops, continually heading downhill until I reach the banks of the Ganges, affectionately referred to by the Indians as Mother Ganga. I find a shady spot and watch people bathing and performing various cleansing rituals. Here, just behind the source, bathing in the Ganges is still possible.

In the afternoon, I contact a small yoga center outside of Rishikesh. We exchange a few messages and agree to meet the next day. Manish and his wife pick me up in the morning, and we head north, out of Rishikesh. The small yoga center is located in a little village surrounded by green mountains. I spend the next 7 days here in Sinduri. There are only three of us, a woman from the States and another woman from Colombia. The days have a set structure and start at 7 AM. We are taught Hatha Yoga, which includes Asanas (yoga postures), Pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, and philosophy. There are three meals a day, as well as enough free time to explore the area. I feel very comfortable here. The family and their staff take care of everything lovingly. The single room is also a welcome change for me.

On the third day, I take advantage of my break to explore a mountain temple. The ascent is strenuous, more due to the heat than the path conditions. I trudge slowly, sweating as if I were running. On the way, I encounter a farmer and make sure I'm on the right track. The temple can't be seen from the valley, and there are no signs. I memorize the three turns I take to avoid getting lost on the way back. After about 1 hour and 20 minutes, I reach the top. The view is great. The temple looks a bit neglected but is still impressive. A shepherdess comes by with a few cows; the cows graze while she prays to Shiva and then listens to soft music in the shade of the temple. I see monkeys jumping from branch to branch in the treetops and hope they stay there and ignore me. They are langurs, not the smallest species.

On another day, we participate in a family fire ceremony. It lasts about an hour. The 'priest' chants the prayers in an incredible speed, distributing flowers, rice grains, and other items to us that we offer to a small fire bowl. Everything has its place and sequence until suddenly the 'priest's' phone rings, and one might think 'Oh, how embarrassing,' but nothing of the sort happens. The 'priest' answers the phone, chats with his caller, and no one seems bothered by this interruption. The three of us can't help but smile - the charm of India.