22. 5. 2016

Few weeks in Rishikesh (EN)

After initial weeks in India and a nice tour around the state of Rajastan and attending my friend’s wedding I needed to slow down. It is not my style to move too much from place to place. I am not a traveler, rather a nomad (yes, I probably keep repeating that) and to stay in one place also helps a lot to focus on some useful things, writing, doing some exercise, having healthier lifestyle. Even more importantly, it also helps me to keep the control over my budget.
Rishikesh
The view of the Laxman Jhula bridge and few temples.
In Delhi it started to get hot and I was searching where should I go to spend some time. Rishikesh, the capital of yoga, came to my mind from few obvious reasons. I could deepen my knowledge of yoga there, the climate was more acceptable then in Delhi or Rajastan and I saw some Workaway opportunities there, so I could volunteer and get some work done in exchange for accommodation and food.
On the streets of Rishikesh"Babas" covered in orange colors, cows and monkeys. That's the life in Rishikesh.

It all depends on who you meet

As my volunteering request was last minute call, I couldn’t wait for the answers and simply headed to Rishikesh in hope that I will figure things out there. Arriving to the central bus stop was as hectic as this can be in a typical Indian tourist destination. After stepping out of the bus there were immediately twenty auto-rickshaw guys offering me to take me to the old center. Well, my intention was to look around the bus stop for a shared and much cheaper version of these, but they almost didn’t let me! When I finally found the stand they wouldn’t let me to take it, trying, still, to just earn money. But there is where I met with Renuka, an Indian girl who helped me get away from these unfriendly people. 
People
That's all what matters, at home or on our travels...
After the taxi left us near Ram Jhula, one of two famour bridges in Rishikesh, we walked together and I learned from her, that she was working for a yoga school. As I always prefer to have a personal reference while being in a new place, I asked her whether I could visit the school or how are things there. And she was my link to all which happened after because not just that I started to take lesson with one of the school’s teachers, but after visiting the Rishikul Yogshala yoga school I started to volunteer with them writing web content and helping with Internet search in different languages. One of my articles and a philosophical thoughts about some aspects of yoga, or rather yoga maths you can read on the school blog.
India and its inhabitantsOn the streets of Rishikesh you find also many animals not only people.For example holy cows are everywhere.

Life in Rishikesh

After few days on my own I moved into the Sarika house where all the other staff from Rishikul stayed and my days soon started to show a little bit of routine. Which was very nice. I got my morning yoga, walk around the city, then I got back and started to work interrupted only with lunch. In the evening I was spending time exploring the city, going for coffees and cakes, doing some more yoga, reading, well, you can always find something to do, especially once you start getting to know more people.
And again animals. These goats were watching over me on my way home.
I loved my morning yoga lessons. I learned so much. I learned a lot also from all the people I was meeting and thanks to my volunteering for Rishikul I could talk to the teachers and be with them daily in contact, ask questions or attend their classes. Even my morning Ashtanga class were conducted by a yoga teacher from the school, Prashant.
Real zoo

New friends, new directions in life

As the school organizes the Yoga Teacher’s Training Course every month there was a new one starting just few days after my arrival. I got really close with the participants and enjoyed spending my free time with them (even though they didn’t have much of a free time as the course is very intensive). So, again, I was growing closer with the people...
Aarti
Aarti is the fire ceremony conducted every evening on few places by the Ganga river in Rishikesh. Attended by locals as well as Indian and international tourists is one of the "must experience" in this holy place.
The first days it was kind of hard for me, I was troubled with many things, had many questions in my head. But slowly slowly things got settled. Maybe the everyday routine helped me to gain more confidence again, to find my place for a while, to find a purpose and not just to travel around many places and spend a lot of money without a reason just because it is an easy way how to pass the time.

Aarti
I attended Aarti twice, both times in a different place and both times in a company of some of my new friends.
The whole stay in Rishikesh gave me definitely new direction in my yoga practice, however cliche it might sound. And I needed it, I was too long trying to find the way alone. It is a life-long learning process so I guess there is always a big probability that I come back as we all in our learning every now and then struggle with some insecurities and need help and guidance. And good teachers that’s what I found and will always remember.

Parmarth Niketan ashram

Personal thanks

Sure, it is between me and them, all the people who made my stay as pleasant and interesting as it was. But they are all such a great people that they deserve a public thanks.
Friends
I have to thank to all the great people I met in Rishikesh to make my days very special.
All the staff in Rishikul Yogshala. Renu to bring me to the place and being such a sun, Justine for becoming my friend not just a coworker, Manmohan, as well as the others who work there, to accepting me to the team. The teachers for sharing their knowledge, and besides that their time. Like Deepa who shared with me great birthday celebration of hers. Sophie sharing lot more than coffees and yoga experience, Gurutze porque nos entendimos tanto y por su apoyo psichológico y los cafés. There were others, not directly connected to the work, but definitely directly connected to my experience. Amazing one day entrance to the fashion world thanks to Khushbu and her sister, my friends from Delhi, etc. etc.. It would be a long list and I hope nobody is going to get mad if I don’t write the whole article about them :)

THANK YOU!!!


19. 5. 2016

Jaipur with festival Holi in photos (CZ/EN/ES)

Poslední dva dny cesty a hlavně oslavy Holi jsme strávili s Josém v Jaipuru, růžovém městě. Času bylo málo a tak jsme si poznávání města zjednodušili a spolu s novým kamarádem z hostelu (Carl, Filipíny) si na celý den najali tuc tuc. Stihli jsme tak vidět větší část památek alespoň zvenku a vzhledem k horku a našemu nízkému rozpočtu to takhle narychlo úplně stačilo (byli jsme tři a řidič si vzal 250 rupií na osobu za celý den, to mi přišlo fér). Vstupy jsou totiž kolem 300 rupií snad v každém paláci a muzeu (celkem je jich tam minimálně 6; když zaplatíte lístek platný dva dny na všechny vstupy dohromady, vyjde to o trochu levněji; my jsme ale neměli na všechny památky čas).

Naše tour tuk tukem byl zážitek. Viděli jsme ulice Jaipuru, jak se míhají venku a poslouchali k tomu indický pop. Dobře jsem se bavila i přesto, že ten den mi nebylo nejlíp. Břicho, holt i na mě muselo dojít s cestovatelskými problémy... 

Večer měl José cosi na práci a já zašla s Carlem a Kevinem (Ind z Bombaje, v Jaipuru byl jako turista) do jedné super čajovny s obrovskou střešní terasou jménem Tapri. Trochu luxus, ale jednoznačně jedno z nejlepších míst, kde jsem za dobu strávenou v Indii byla (lepší je už jen kavárna Blue Tokai v Delhi, o které snad už brzo vyjde článek na Kávových listech). Atmosféra byla geniální stejně jako nabídka i kvalita. K tomu navíc u vedlejšího stolu seděli kluci s kytarou, hráli a zpívali indické písničky, jen tak pro sebe a pro nás.

Rozdělení jsme s Josém zůstali i další den. Já vyrazila brzo ráno s Kevinem do chrámu v centru města, na oslavy Holi a José chtěl jít až později, spáč!. Takže jsme si řekli, že se prostě potkáme až v Dillí v hostelu, protože je těžké nahánět se, když nemáme telefon ani internet. Už jsme pochopili, že v Indii věci prostě plynou úplně jinak a nikdo neví, jak a kde den skončí.

Holi, svátek barev. Podle toho, co jsem slyšela, v těch nejznámějších místech Indie jsou oslavy hodně divoké. V chrámu v Jaipuru to byl velice příjemný a osobní zážitek. Nejsilněji jsem asi vnímala soudružnost mezi všemi, bez ohledu na původ, pohlaví, věk... Happy Holi! Všichni vykřikovali, házeli barvami, modlidi se, zpívali, tančili a fotili se s cizinci. Pak už mi zbývalo jen běžet to ze sebe všechno smýt do hostelu a na bus do Dillí!
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The last two days of our trip and the festival Holi we spent in Jaipur, the pink city. Due too the little amount of time we decided to hire a tuc tuc for the whole day with our new friend (Carl from Philipines). Thanks to that we could see most of the sights at least from outside which was completely enough considering the heat and our low budget (entrances are generally about 300 rupees each sight and there are about 6 of them; there is a pass to all of them at slightly lower price with validity for two days, but we knew we wouldn’t have time for it). Anyway, we were three and he charged us 250 rupees for the whole day.

It was a new experience to see the streets of the city from the tuc tuc and listen to loud Indian pop music. I was having fun despite my unhappy belly. After three weeks I finally, too, got the typical traveler’s experience...

In the evening we splitted, José stayed in our hostel and I went to a lovely tea house with Carl and Kevin (an Indian from Mumbai visiting Jaipur). The tea house Tapri was on a roof top, a bit luxorious, but worth every rupee. One of the best places I have visited so far in India offering very catchy menu and high quality. Great company and atmosphere was underlined by few local guys jamming on a guitar next to us. 

We stayed „separated“ with José also the next day. I woke up early and went with Kevin to the temple in the city centre to see Holi. José wanted to go later, so we set the meeting in Delhi and let the day flow without worries which is obviously the best thing to do in India.

Holi, a colorful celebration. As far as I heard in many of the tourist places it is being celebrated in a bit exagerated and crazy way. I don’t know about that, I had a pleasant experience in the Jaipur’s temple. The strongest feeling which could describe the festival for me was a peaceful coexistence. No matter the age, origin or gender... Happy Holi! After that I left fast to the hostel, to wash off the colors and get going to Delhi!
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Los dos últimos días de nuestro viaje y para el festival Holi estuvimos en Jaipur, la ciudad rosada. No tuvimos mucho tiempo y por eso contratamos un tuc tuc para todo el día con nuestro nuevo amigo del hostal (Carl, Filipinas). Así pudimos ver la gran mayoría de los lugares de interés por lo menos por fuera, más que suficiente en el calor tan fuerte y con nuestros presupuestos bajos (cada entrada fueran más o menos 300 rupias y eran, creo, 6 sitios; con un pase para todos los monumentos sale más barato y el pase vale dos días, pero nosotros no pudimos pasar tanto tiempo visitando todos los sitios). De todos modos el tuc tuc no nos costó tanto, el conductor nos cobró 250 rupias por persona por el día.

Fue una experiencia nueva para mí ver las calles de la ciudad pasando rápido afuera del caro y escuchar el pop indiano a todo volumen. Me divertí mucho sin importar que me sentía mal de la barriga. También a mí me tocó la complicación típica de viajeros al fin...

Por la noche salí con Carl y Kevin (otro huésped, Indiano de Mumbai de vacaciones en Jaipur) a un sitio super chévere, como un café pero de chai (Tea house Tapri) con una terraza bonita. Fue un poquito caro, pero valió la pena en todos aspectos, el menu fue interesante y completo, el servicio y la calidad muy buena. Uno de los mejores sitios que he visitado hasta ahora en la India. La buena compañía y conversación fue acentuada por música espontánea de la mesa al lado donde unos chicos estaban tocando guitarra y cantando músicas populares indianas. 

Nos dividimos en los planes con José también el día después. Yo salí temprano con Kevin a celebrar Holi en el templo en el centro de la ciudad, él quería salir más tarde. Quedamos en encontrarnos de nuevo en Delhi para poder dejar el día pasar en su ritmo. Lo mejor que uno puede hacer en la India para no estresarse.

Holi, una fiesta de colores. Según lo que escuché en muchos de los otros lugares turísticos es una fiesta loca y a veces exagerada. Yo tuve una experiencia muy linda en el templo de Jaipur. Me sentí haciendo parte de la celebración sin importar que vine como turista. La gente celebraba sin diferencia de género, edad, orígen...Happy Holi! Después me tocó correr al hostal para lavar los colores y cojer el bus para Delhi.


Visited places: hostel Le Pension (recommended; good price, nice staff, location close to metro line in a quiet neighborhood), Amer fort, Jantar Mantar astrological observatory, city center, temple, tea house Tapri.

Jantar Mantar
Astronomická observatoř
Astronomical observatory
Observatorio astronómico
Jantar Mantar
Astronomická observatoř
Astronomical observatory
Observatorio astronómico
Jantar Mantar
Astronomická observatoř
Astronomical observatory
Observatorio astronómico
Jantar Mantar
Astronomická observatoř
Astronomical observatory
Observatorio astronómico
Vchod do městského paláce
The entrance to the city palace
La entrada al palacio
Barvy Jaipuru
The colors of Jaipur
Los colores de Jaipur
Zapomenuté auto
Forgotten car
Carro olvidado
Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Velkolepá pevnost už na první pohled
Great fort already at the first sight
Una fortaleza magnificente a la primera vista
Amber Fort
Na místa pro relaxaci u její stavby určitě nezapomněli
They definitely didn't forget about the places to relax during the construction
Se ve que en la construcción pensaron en lugares de descanso
Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Výzdoba jednoho z vnitřních paláců, pomocí zrcadlové vytrážese docílilo nádherné hry se světlem...
The inner decoration of one palace pavilion was making marvelous reflections using the mirror vitrage... 
Decoraciones de uno de los pavillones en el palacio era creado para manifestar la belleza de las reflexiones de luz del sol...
Amber Fort
..a v kombinaci s osvěžující dekorativní zahradou tvoří jednu z nejhezčích částí paláce.
...and combined with the refreshing garden in its front creates one of the prettiest parts of the palace.
...y en combinación con un jardín refrescante forma una de las partes más bonitas del palacio.
Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Tady se vyvařovalo ve velkém!
Here they were cooking huge amounts of food!
Aquí se cocinaban grandes cantidades .
Jaipur
Město plné architektonických stop královské minulosti.
All around were visiblethe  architectonical marks of the kingly past.
Las huellas arcitectónicas del pasado real era visible en todas partes.
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
Vstali jsme brzo a byli jsme odměněni ranním teplým světlem dokreslujícím barevnost celého festivalu Holi.
We got up early and were rewarded with the soft morning light highlighting the colors of the Holi festival.
Nos levantamos temprano y la recompensa era la suave luz de la manaña amplificando los colores del festival Holi.
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
Stopy v barevném prachu byli znamením, že první jsme určitě nepřišli.
The tracks in the colorful powder showed us that we weren't the first ones to arrive.
Las huellas en el polvo colorido nos mostró que no fuimos los primeros.
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
Někteří se modlili v tichosti...
Some were praying in silence...
Algunos estaban rezando en silencio...
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
...jiní za zpěvu a tance.
...others with songs and dance.
...otros cantando y bailando.
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
A do vzduchu byl pořád vyhazován barevný prach.
And people were all the time throwing colorful powder to the air.
Y la gente estaba todo el tiempo tirando polvo de colores al aire.
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
Staří, mladí, Indové...
Old, young, Indians...
Viejos, jóvenes, Indios...
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Holi festival
...i turisté.
...and tourists.
...y turistas.