January 28-30: Rishikesh, City of spirituality

With a group of 13 people we arrive at our hotel at 3.30 in the night. The freezing cold wind makes us quickly go into our rooms and crawl underneath the blankets. They smell like death. Unable to sleep at first due to the cold and the smell, I find myself rested and fit the next morning, ready to see another small part of this incredibly diverse country called India.
 
First 5 minutes on the streets of Rishikesh: 1 monkey and 3 cows. It’s like a zoo! After having banana honey pancakes at the nearest restaurant it is time to check out the city and its people. First thing I notice: a lot of tourists. I’m not used to that. In the first month it was usually me or the group I was with who were the only ‘white’ people around. The closer we get to the Lakshman Jhula Bridge, which crosses the holy Ganges and connects one part of the city with the other, the more monkeys we see! Apparently these monkeys are trained thieves, who are able to steal your purse, glasses or camera in order to exchange it for all the food you have. Before we cross the river we descend a small stone stairway which leads us to a peaceful rocky area besides the Holy River. Such a beautiful setting that we stay there at least an hour to chill and enjoy the moment.

After that we finally cross the narrow bridge, which is also used by motor bikes, cows and monkeys. On the other side I cannot resist the temptation anymore of all the wonderful clothing shops and it doesn’t take long before the first purchase is realized; some headgear, made in Nepal (can’t wait to show it to my cousin Roel who is in Kathmandu at the moment). Ok, so the first urge is satisfied for now. Let’s walk around and see all the interesting-looking people of which this city is rich of. A lot of ‘pelgrimish’ people and many of them wearing orange,  the national color of the Netherlands, the color that fills me with pride. I wonder how their lives look like. What brought them here? How do they spend their days? Are they making a living or are they just begging all day long? Too many questions that will remain unanswered, for now. 

Why did I actually come to India, why not a different country?
 Did I really just follow my feeling or was it a rational decision? Maybe even destiny?
The same holds for these questions; they will remain unanswered, for now…

Back to the trip. Eventually we walk around Rishikesh the entire afternoon and lay our tired bodies on some pillows in a tent/restaurant. One of those places with a vibe that makes you high without having to use any drugs or alcohol. The sun goes down and the city goes to sleep, early. We have some dinner with a great evening view over the Ganges and then we end the night with a smuggled bottle of vodka (alcohol is forbidden in Rishikesh),pieces of Slowakian chocolate and Robin’s palm reading session until the electricity suddenly gets shut off. Bed time. Back to the blankets of death.

The alarm goes off at 7 in the morning. Why did I put an alarm again? Oh yeah, I was planning to wash away my sins in the holy Ganges. I’m excited! Then I open the door, c-c-c-c-old…not so excited anymore. But hey, this might be my last chance ever to do it. I walk through the town, which is still sleepy just like me and I go down the stone stairway which leads me to the river. A lot of monkeys are coming my way. Shit, they see the orange I have with me. I try to scare them away but they are aggressively coming closer and closer. No one around to help me, so I run up the stairs again and start laughing about this funny situation. The monkeys are not following me but I finish my orange and take another path to the Ganges. I get settled on one of the rocks, just to enjoy the silence. I’m not ready to bath yet. First close my eyes and relax. After a while Maria shows up, who promised me the night before to join me. Now it is time. The Ganges is calling me. I’m answering its call. I take of my headgear, scarf, shoes, socks, jacket, sweater, shirt, t-shirt and undershirt and roll up my sweatpants. I slowly walk into the Ganges until the water reaches my knees while thinking: “ I never thought to be walking into the Ganges one day”. I wash my face and the rest of my body. I’m probably only a minute in the water but it feels like eternity. Maybe this is one of those reasons why I chose for India and not another country. Maybe this was somewhere in the back of my head when I was still back home. To bath in the Ganges this morning was my own idea, no one suggested it to me and of the 13 people we are with I’m the only one who did it. I had this strong urge to do it. Was it there all along?

Now I’m pure again.

Maria and I go to a German bakery for some breakfast. A breakfast that gives me amazing energy, with an amazing apple crumble as well! Actually, two amazing apple crumbles because Maria can’t finish hers. Life is smiling at me!

Not long after that, Prem Baba (Love Guru) is smiling at me. I am sitting cross-legged on a small pillow in a simple room. In the room are about 200 people, seated in the same position, beautifully chanting the same melody repeatedly like angels, but every time with a tiny bit more power. Most of them are followers of the Brazilian guru we came to see. Everyone is dressed up so nicely, but simple, non-materialistic, and they all look so peaceful. The first minutes I can’t stop looking around. But then the music grabs me. I close my eyes and let the chanting take me to a different place.

Peace.
Disconnected.
Happiness.
Whatever happened after this, including the love guru’s speech, it didn’t even come close to this moment. All the ‘spiritual stuff’, especially the meditation part, and what I’ve heard and seen about it this weekend, might be a good thing to try out one time.

After spending the last hour shopping for souvenirs and clothes, I leave this city with a new Indian look and a new look on spirituality. I also leave this city with a lot of questions. That’s a good thing right?

“People don’t take trips – trips take people” 
 - John Steinbeck -