Following the Beatles
Last weekend we went to Rishikesh, which is well-known for being the birthplace of Yoga. Back in the days, the Beatles spent some time here. I assume for various reasons, but who knows. Today it is an epicenter for Yogis around the world. Indeed, we saw many ‘Hippies’ there. We, however, did not go there for Yoga, which I went to a couple of times in Chandigarh, but for rafting in the Ganges river! In Rishikesh and upstream the Ganges river is still really clean. The rafting was spectacular! It went on for about four hours with a lunch break in between. The boat appeared to be safe. It looked like from Austria, because everything on it was written in German plus there was an Austrian flag printed on it.
Swimming in the Ganges
A couple of times when the river was smooth, we went swimming in the Ganges river. There were many small sand banks at the edge of the river. They appeared like little beaches where we relaxed. It is really nice to go swimming in November. Especially if you are in the water yourself and do not go through the rapids in a boat. Better than any water slide! We had an experienced guide who told us which rapids we had to stay in the boat and which we could enjoy in the water. That was fortunate, because at some points the river was really rough.
Getting a Massage in Rishikesh
In the evening we took it slow and walked around Rishikesh. This is not easy, because the city is completely divided by the Ganges river and there is hardly any bridge. However, we managed to get around. At some point we ended up being in the middle of a wedding celebration again. The groom came on a horse along with many men. Before he entered the venue there were fireworks. They asked us to join, but that seemed very awkward to us. Hence, we kindly denied. After such an adventurous Saturday, we had to have a look for the other thing that Rishikesh is famous for – massages. Therefore, we went to a massage center and enjoyed a two-hour massage. Do not get it the wrong way – there was a strict guy-to-guy and girl-to-girl policy. After the relaxing massage we went on a very chaotic journey back to Chandigarh.
Parting Time
Back in Chandigarh, we got a new roommate. Nobu, a Japanese guy. He loves beer and football. Seems like he is just right for me! I believe we will get along great. However, I am sad, because my other three roommates are going home one after the other now. Kazuyo will be the first one this week. These girls have become my family here and they are like sisters to me.