Rishikesh

When we arrived to Rishikesh, it was already dark and the end of our first Indian day. Shocked from the bus ride and everything that we saw along the way, the first possible option how to gain back our calmness seamed to be tasting some well-known delicious Indian dishes. One outdoor restaurant was just near. So we sat down and tasted aloo gobi (potato-cauliflower) and aloo mattar (potato-peas) with north Indian chapatti (bread). It was spicey, but the masala chai (tea) that followed was truly our first Indian delight.

Next thing was to find a way to tourist ghetto.
For that, the great first battle with rickshaw drivers had to be knuckled down to. Branko was patient, so after 10 min the price was half of the initial price (which was still overpriced as we realized later) and the destination was a cheap hotel.

We got a nice double room for 200 Rs (~2,5 EUR). Not bad for the first night ! Actually it was the best price and quality duo during our whole trip so far.
The pet in our room was for free. Cute little lizard came to visit us every evening and we affectionately named her Lizzi.






















Lizard Lizzy


Rishikesh is the city located on the banks of the most holiest river of India - The Ganga. Thus there are many huge temples situated just on the shore, including the main temple with 13 floors. There are many ashrams in Rishikesh - schools for mediation and yoga - which attract many tourists in present time and also attracted The Beatles in their times. Here they recorded their album "White Album".


Ganga water in Rishikesh is still relatively clean, as it is still hilly terraine, close to the Himalayas and the flow is quick. Branko found courage in him to take a sip of this Indian holy water (a month later in Varanassi, he was not that courageous anymore :-)






















































This is not block of flats, this a a temple from the backside















Sunset at Ganga


In Rishikesh it seamed that India has a very special smell. It is a smell mixture of spices, incense sticks, urine, shit and cows.
















A holy cow eating rubbish on the street is nothing unusual in India


Next day, walking on the tourist street and seeing all those beautiful "indo-western" clothes and handicrafts, we become so much excited about the cheap prices and good quality, that we almost got infected by the shopping bug. Fortunately, soon our common sense slowed us down and made us understand that we have several months still ahead of us.

Was it shopping fever, excitement, smell of India, spicy food or lack or water and a strong sun, but all of the sudden Kadri started to feel dizzy and ill. Soon she had cold sweat on the forehead, darkness in front of the eyes, weakness in the muscles and so desperate urge to vomit. The walk over the bridge to the rickshaw stop seamed like never-ending walk in the desert. But after reaching to the hotel room and lying down under the fan, things took better turn. Still hugging the toilet bowl (this hotel had western toilets !) in the night was about to come.
















Monkies teasing a dog


Branko went out to buy bananas for recovering Kadri.
After making the deal and setting the steps towards the hotel, banana bag in the hand moving back and forth, eyes observing everything around, suddenly he felt like an heavy burden had fallen on him. Soon he realized that he was under attack of three monkeys - one on the shoulder, other on the leg and the third one trying to steal the bag full of bananas.
Bold Branko however did not let go the bag and fight back. Soon many people turned up with sticks and chased the monkeys away.

We learned our first lesson in India - NEVER MESS WITH MONKEYS !


























































Women bathing in Ganga

















Sitar concert in one of the ashrams

Behind our hotel were living common people in their modest houses and spending their daytime working on beautiful landscape of terraced rice fields. We had great opportunity to watch and observe how rice is cleaned in 5-step procedure.