TheLoneRider
a seeker in search of Easter Eggs
Traveling

A 26-Day Mini-Life in Rishikesh May 18 - June 13, 2018

A 26-Day Mini-Life in Rishikesh

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

The Foot Bridges - Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula
My arrival in Rishikesh was during the hot and dry months of May/June when foreign travelers are few and Indians flock the city for their pilgrimage. It's considered low season but it's crowded. There are only 2 foot bridges spanning the 2 main areas of the city and the chaos in the bridges characterize the city's state-of-affairs - you elbow your way through the 2-meter wide bridge as you compete in space with cows, motorcycles, selfie people (who stop, take their time in taking their selfies on the bridge), professional photographers (who stay on the bridge) and the throng of pilgrims crossing the bridge. That in itself is an experience - interesting and exciting the first time and agonizingly painful during the subsequent times. Yes, it is mayhem, but there is order in the chaos as well.

Gurus, Babas and Saddhus
Rishikesh being the "Yoga Capital of the World" and an established pilgrimage stop, devotees come in droves - specially this season. With them come babas (spiritual gurus) and saddhus (religious ascetics), all conspicuous with their archetypal look - beads, beards, braided/bundled hair, saffron robe, face paint, etc. They come in all kinds. I've heard of bad babas who inappropriately touch women, babas who shun women, good babas doing noble tasks, beggar-babas and babas aiming to be the next Youtube sensation - Rishikesh is Mecca for them. They dispense 'words of wisdom' which make sense in isolation, but compared to what other babas say, they end up debunking and contradicting each other. Babas are intelligent and clever. They can coin words of wisdom to justify a fleet of Rolls Royces, words of wisdom to justify sex with a hareem or some twisted logic why they should travel in a $5M Lear Jet. And yes, they can charm a snake - enough charm to actually make their devotees buy into their thinking - warped or otherwise. To the bigger-than-life babas, the iconic rock stars who were not in Rishikesh, their banners adorn the landscape together with their merchandising. Dead babas mired in controversies have their followers conduct workshops in their names. Of course add to all that, the proliferation of yoga, meditation and pranayama in temples, ashrams and studios (some iconic institutions, some newbies with savvy marketing-hype), and you have the spiritual Disneyland that is Rishikesh.

Yoga
Yoga has been my morning constant here in Rishikesh - thanks to my hostel's yoga shala. Sometimes, some guests join me (on a donation basis) and sometimes, it's only me. Increasingly, I am able to refine my sessions with new techniques - holding the breath after a pranayama and wait until the out-of-breath panic sets in, then observe the panic with an equanimous mind. This is an integration from my Freediving experience.

Bio-Hacking
When practising alone, I would bio-hack my body by experimenting intelligent combinations of chakra, bandha, mudra, mantra, kumbhaka, visualization, pranayama and meditation - e.g. to develop the Muladhara chakra, mudra is Apana, mantra is LAM, kumbhaka is Antara, bandha is Jalandara and Moola, visualization is 4-petaled red lotus, pranayama is Ujjayi. I develop full awareness how my body is reacting, careful that I'm not frying my nervous system with all these simultaneous elements done while in Padmasana. I would rather have a qualified teacher to teach me all these, or have a book to reference, but in the absence of both, I have to rely on my own bio-hacking. So far, no red flags for me. My body and mind remain strong.

Vertigo
During one of my yoga classes while doing a backbend, my vertigo suddenly kicked-in. My head started spinning. I was reminded that I haven't fully recovered from my failed cliff dive 3 months ago. I was then warned by my doctor that this vertigo can and will recur. It lingered for a week and would recur usually during my yoga classes when I shift my head different ways. I was careful not to let my students notice.

Meditation Cave, Pilgrimage and Ashrams
As a holy place, people are drawn to Rishikesh to do cave meditation, pilgrimage and ashram immersion. Conversations I have with people tell of their adventures which leave me excited and a bit torn. From an adventure perspective, it's exciting. They went to meditate in caves where mystics have done so for millenia. The energy is intense. They took the multi-kilometer long pilgrimage in the heat of the sun ascending up the mountain roads. They stayed in ashrams where they deepened their spiritual practice with a guru in a collective environment of fellow seekers.

I didn't have any of that. I remain torn. The adventurer in me was taunting me, "why didn't you? losing the juice?" But the spiritual seeker in me was saying, "why look elsewhere when you already know the answers lie within?". I remain conflicted.

Finances
I haven't made money in a long time, so even though I wasn't spending on lodging, getting free rafting tours and keeping my meals frugal, I was feeling uneasy. I know my universe provides - it has consistently done that without fail through all these years. But still, I'm human - there is a bit of worry underneath the cool facade. At the very least, I had to do my due-diligence in generating some cash. I pitched my service to some high end resorts.

Veda5 Ayurveda & Yoga Retreat
This was a pleasant curve ball when I received a reply from Veda5. As timing would have it, they had an injured yoga teacher and needed a quick substitute. I went to the resort and met up with Stuart, the affable General Manager who showed me around. Veda5 was luxurious with the cheapest room starting at INR 11,000 ($162). It is perched on a mountain with fantastic views. I was to teach yoga twice/day for about a week in exchange for free stay with food. If I had loose change, I'd say yes without the money - that was pampered life for a week. But I was hurting for cash. We couldn't come to terms. That paved the way for my Dharamshala trip instead. In hindsight, it was still a very tempting option to have just stayed in the resort.

A 26-Day Mini-Life in Rishikesh
at Veda5 Resort away from the chaos of Rishikesh

Ending Thoughts
Rishikesh, in this pilgrimage season is intense! Stepping out of my hostel during the daytime is daunting - the heat, the dust, the crowd, the blaring horns, etc. I'm not saying it's bad - just saying how it is. I would often take refuge in my cool room during the midday and come out when the sun is low. The night offers reprieve with cooler air. I would often default to the cafes where I meet fellow travelers. Meeting interesting people remains the highlight for me - I see entangled karmic paths along the journey. But I remain conflicted by the "could have beens" - could have meditated in a cave, could have done a pilgrimage, could have stayed in an ashram and could have accepted the resort offer. Sigh! But life goes on. For now, I am enriched by all the experience in Rishikesh and all the wonderful people I was blessed to meet.

Thank you Rishikesh!!!

--- TheLoneRider
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Facebook Users

Reader Comments:

Dindo VelasquezDindo Philippines
(Jun 17, 2018) Gigit, are you planning to venture in South America for its famous plant medicine journey (ayahuasca et al) and meeting shamans?

TheLoneRiderTheLoneRider
(June 17, 2018) Ayahuasca has always been tempting but I already know fully well whatever I'm looking for already resides within...metta

David LloydDavid Lloyd
(June 17, 2018) I find your reply interesting as I often wonder about ayahuasca, tempted but careful as I do value my mind greatly

Lovorn AngLovorn Philippines
Theosophical Society in the Philippines
(Jun 16, 2018) Wow, good for you!

ImogenImogen
(Jun 16, 2018) Great to meet X

Leif RydLeif Ryd
(Jun 15, 2018) I sympathise with you regarding the 'could have beens' though only spent some 10 days there. But as you write, meeting interesting people is more rewarding than anything else 🙂 I wish you good continuing travels! And heed to the words of Kurt Vonnegut: "Peculiar travel sugestions are dancing lessons from God"

June DaplasJune Philippines
(Jun 15, 2018) You might need to do the Epley Maneuver to dislodge those stones. Wow, observing the panic. I should practise that more.

Dulce CapadociaDulce USA
(Jun 15, 2018) Wow wow wee! I feel sorry for me. I want your life, pare!

Next stop: Dealing with Anger


Google Map

Rishikesh (city), India

hotels in Rishikesh 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 terminal 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.
Travel Tips for India
  • e-VISA - visa on arrival is no longer done. Tourists should apply online for an e-VISA. Tourist e-VISA for 60 days = US$51.25 (including surcharges, non-refundable). NOTE: e-VISA is only honored in 25 designated airports and 5 designated seaports (Cochin, Goa, Mangalore,Mumbai,Chennai). You CANNOT do a land crossing using an e-VISA.
  • US$1 = Indian Rupee (INR) 67.18
  • nearly every food served is spicy...there is no escaping it
  • other travel destinations in India
  • always good to have an Indian SIM. It's handy to get wifi in some cafes


General Travel Tips
  1. arrive early - in case there is a snag (visa snag, documentation snag, transport ticket snag, etc.), you will have ample time to troubleshoot the problem if you arrive early (to the airport, to the bus terminal, etc.)
  2. put detailed itinerary on the Calendar apps of your smart-phone according to timelines - this is where you do all your thinking and planning. Once written down, you don't have to think anymore while you are on the journey...you just follow the steps. This frees your mind for something else that might happen while you are already en route
  3. avoiding scams - as a general rule, I ignore the touts or anyone I don't know who call out to me. The calling comes in many forms - "Hi! Where are you from?", "Excuse me! Excuse me!", "Where are you going?". I don't look them in the eye and I remain non-verbal with them. If you reply to them, you just gave them an 'in' to hound you. In order not to look rude, I smile and wave the 'not interested' hand to them, without looking at them.
  4. power bank - hand-carry your power bank. Do not check it in. You can be called in when you are already inside the plane to go all the way to the loading dock so you can personally remove the power bank...and chances are, you'll have to surrender it to them. And you might delay the plane departure!
India Blogs

    DHARAMSHALA

  1. 16 Days in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala: Goodbye India June 23-July 8, 2018
  2. Peoplescape of Dharamshala, India June 14 - July 8, 2018
  3. Visiting the Tibet Museum June 27, 2018
  4. In Search of a Tibetan Yantra Yoga Teacher June 25, 2018
  5. Conducting Yoga Classes at Pema Thang Guest House, Dharamshala, India June 24 - July 8, 2018
  6. Life in Upper Bhagsu, Dharamshala June 16-23, 2018
  7. Trekking to Naddi from Upper Bhagsu, Dharamshala June 19, 2018
  8. Matters of the Heart Jun 17, 2018
  9. A First Timer in Dharamshala Jun 14, 2018
  10. NEW DELHI

  11. 29 Hours in New Delhi Airport July 9-10, 2018
  12. Meditation with Shirly Pnina at Lodi Garden, New Delhi May 15, 2018
  13. A First-Timer in New Delhi, India May 12-17, 2018
  14. RISHIKESH

  15. A 26-Day Mini-Life in Rishikesh May 18 - June 13, 2018
  16. Peoplescape of Rishikesh May 18 - June 13, 2018
  17. Rafting the Ganga River with Greg Goldstein June 1, 2018
  18. White Water Rafting on Ganga River, Rishikesh May 25, 2018
  19. Satsang (spiritual discourse) by Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati May 21, 2018
  20. Ganga Aarti (devotional fire ritual) at Parmarth Niketan Ashram May 21, 2018
  21. Bouncing Back into Yoga in Rishikesh May 21, 2018
  22. Exploring Rishikesh, India May 18, 2018
  23. SONAULI

  24. India e-VISA snag May 9, 2018


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