Peoplescape of Rishikesh

Location: Rishikesh (city), Uttarakhand (state), India

Vanja
I met Vanja in an engaging group talk about the 'journey' with Greg Goldstein (who tagged me along), at Ira's Kitchen & Tea Room. When I remarked to everyone that I support my travel thru web design and not on yoga because I wish to keep my yoga pure. Vanja's quick and witty question was, "Why? Is your web design unpure?" She stumped me with that. Of course my web design is equally as pure, so why did purity become a function of money? I still don't have the answer, but she got my attention. Well, I'm not really sure if she got my attention because she is sharp and incisive or simply because she's very attractive. I'm sure it's both. There was something to be explored after that short meet up.

It would take another week until that conversation was to continue. I'm just glad she said yes when I invited her for coffee conversation. She works with disabled kids - a service to humanity. Vanja struck me as a healer. She was drawn to Rishikesh to deepen her yoga and Reiki but also took the time making wooden flutes - she follows her excitement. Simple questions like, "where do you go after Rishikesh?" or "how long will you stay here?" were met with hazy indefinite open-ended answers - again because she lives in the here-and-now so answers about the future is at best a prediction of possibilities. She is not rigid about her ways but compliant to the ebb and flow of energetic persuasions. I get it and I relish it - I live in that world of staying present where the past cannot be undone and the future forever remaining in the future. The present is the only thing we can work with.

cafe conversation with Vanja at Ira's Kitchen & Tea Room

We talked mostly about our different lifestyle choices and how we are uncannily drawn to the same life conclusion. I guess it happens that way if you're both on the right path - ascending the mountain on different trails but ending up on the one summit. No, I'm not on the summit but I see it on clear days when my mind is not clouded (pun intended)! She calls it the Truth. I call it the absolute truth or Bhavana Maya Panna (wisdom at the highest level) because it was an experiential realization within the framework of the body with the full understanding of impermanence. We talked about confusion which in reality is a series of exercisable options - each direction offering a mini-life. It's as close to living parallel lives, one choice at a time. Like most of the seekers I've met in Rishikesh, Vanja pursues higher evolution. She is elegant with her muted grace. We could have talked indefinitely, but rest beckoned her. I watched her walk away feeling grateful for the shared moment.

Will I see her again? Maybe not. That's why the present is always golden.

--- TheLoneRider
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

Peoplescape

Helena

Vanja

Baba Jay

Madlén

Hana

Greg

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Rishikesh (city), India

hotel

• RAAHI The Travellers Nest - backpacker-friendly, dorm rooms, central location, tours & rafting, motorbike rental, great place to meet people
  Paidal Marg, Laxman Jhula, 249192 Rishikesh

Travel Tips for Rishikesh

1. climate-wise, best time to visit Rishikesh is from October to February when temperature is cool. This is also the high season for foreign travelers.
2. May to June (my time of visit, before the monsoon rains) is HOT and DRY. Temperatures can reach beyond 40° and your skin/lips dry up. Great to go rafting or a dip in the Ganga River for respite. There are mostly Indian devotees and Indian tourists flocking to Rishikesh. Westerns tourists are few, but Rishikesh gets crowded specially while crossing the 2 bridges, Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula. Lodging prices can be negotiated down to INR 300/night for a bunk bed in a dorm room as this is low season.
3. During the cooler season when any of the hugely popular gurus or babas visit to give a satsang, eg. Prem Baba, Mooji Baba, all rooms are fully booked from Rishikesh to Hardiwar!
4. short power outages frequently happen during the day

How to get to Rishikesh from New Delhi by bus

1. Bus - take the Metro Yellow Line and get off at Kashmiri Gate. Exit the station from Gate 7 and enter the ISBT building - this is the bus terminal. Go down one flight and go to Platform 14. This is where you buy the bus ticket and board the bus. A/C bus, INR 454, 6 hours. You can take the 10:30pm bus and arrive 5am in Rishikesh.
   
   scam alert! - over the ticket counter, the guy may verbally charge you INR 765 - this is usually the online price of the bus ticket. But I looked closely at the printed ticket, and found the price at INR 454. I demanded more change! The guy knew he's been discovered and gave me back the rest of the change.
   
   You will arrive in Rishikesh at Adarsh Gram. To get to your hotel, travelers usually share a tuk-tuk (called Vikrams) for INR 10-20/passenger if shared. Since I arrived 5am, there was no one to share so I ended up paying a negotiated INR 150.

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