Last words from India (EN)

It has been two, almost three months, since I left India. I spent there only about three months, quite a short time comparing to all the wandering foreigners I met around there who have spent their lifetime getting to know India.

It has been a completely different experience for me. What do I mean by that? Well, there were few aspects of this trip which I haven’t experienced in any of my previous travels. I have to point out once again that I don’t consider myself to be a traveler. Yes, I spend my time mostly abroad, but that’s it. I don’t go on holidays or trips where your aim is to keep on moving around. From all the long months, now years that I have spent abroad, I was usually settled in one place. In Colombia it was Bucaramanga and for long time the only places I visited were the surroundings of the city like the Mesa de los Santos. Then, in Brasil, my second home Lapinha. My first three months in this huge and beautiful country I spent only there. Next trip I planned to travel around, but guess what happened, I almost didn’t leave Lapinhaagain :) And so India was a new challenge for me, I had no „home“ there, no contact or project where I could establish myself and this time I also WANTED to get some travels done.

That’s for the personal point of view. And the rest is... INDIA IS SO DIFFERENT to the worlds I have known. I was told that before. „Take it easy and don’t rush, you have to get used on this new universe of India“. At the end I did. It took me almost all these months to start feeling comfortable and to start feeling like I want to explore more. The first weeks I was even counting off the days to go back to Colombia, but at the end I could happily admit that I should return one day.

Here is a little summary I made for myself when I was constantly thinking why the things are not flowing and which helped me to accept the differences and new experience.

Why India has been a very different experience for me

• I had expectations, expectations of the difficulties I might face and I did at the end. I created a prejudice thanks to those expectations, especially towards people and their behavior.
• I have never been in this situation before, that I am not moving from one place to another, but I actually am on a temporal leave from my life. Sort of holiday feeling. 
• The language barrier makes it difficult to meld in.
• People and their culture make it completely different. Impossible to stop being a tourist. They respect you a lot, as a guest. But it is not like if I learn their language they will accept me into the society. Even among them, if you are from a different place, it might be super difficult to be a part of another place. You will always remain who you were when you came.
• They are very respectful though. Especially with guests. Treating them as Gods. But that is completely opposite of what I am used to, so another situation, I have to let them treat me as nobody had done before just to show respect to their culture and hierarchy in all kind of its form.
• The constant distance I have to keep between me and men. And that wouldn’t be a problem if men were not those you have to deal with in the society. Women are usually at home. Especially in the city life, men are the sellers, service providers, men are on the streets. So whatever you need, you have to ask men about. No any choice of searching for a female adviser.

Well, enough of philosophy. When speaking about last words I have to recall the memories of few things. First, I remember one extraordinary experience I had in Rishikesh. A massage.  Here is what I wrote down right after:

Incredible massage

– tips of the toes until tips of the hair... It was weird at the beginning, but felt very well. Just enjoying. I felt that the ambiance of all the spas I went through before is not even necessary to have a great feeling from a massage. When I was told it was the end and that I should rest two minutes and there was no relaxation music or aromatic oils only the noisy fan from the ceiling and sounds of working from the neighbors shop. Still, I felt super refreshed.

How to become a fashion-model judge and an ex-model 

– 24 hours which went completely out of the plan and took me to a totally opposite world to the one I am living in right now in Rishikesh. Away from meditation and questions about your supreme being, deep inner thoughts and pursuing the knowledge to the world of glamour and fashion shows. Well, without exaggeration it was quite a change. But what one won’t do for a desperate girl. (I was helping out a friend who needed to cover for her boss when a Russian ex-model presented to be a judge for selecting the new brand representative didn’t show up...)

Studying yoga in India

– can have many different forms. I talked to Akshish who spend 7 years living in an ashram and learning yoga from his teachers and guru. Quite different experience. As he said „we didn’t learn asanas, nobody was actually teaching them to us. Of course eventually we learned them, but by observing our masters. For example, after I came we were for 6 months studying just one or two techniques of Pranayama. Breathing...it was too much for many of the students and they left. For me one of the challenges was when my guru send me after a short time to deal with the management of the ashram. They are different people. You know, we, who wanted to learn about yoga, had everything. Food, accommodation, so we could concentrate on our learning without worries about the casual things, that was why we came. But the management is a different world. I didn’t want to be involved with these things, I wanted to study yoga. So I complained to my teacher and he told me not to complain and do the work, that once I will understand how important it is. That to know the management is also very important and will come in handy one day. And he was right. After seven years in ashram I really needed this experience, because there is no other way if you want to exist in the outside world. You cannot avoid it. And now I am having my own yoga school and at least for parts I can transmit my knowledge to the others.

Food

Paratha for breakfast, my favourite!!

And of course the food...Mostly vegetarian (excluding also the eggs), with rare exceptions of restaurants serving also chicken and mutton dishes. It really was much easier NOT to eat meat than vice versa.

Sometimes I couldn't resist. The truth is, I went through few "episodes" with my stomach. But nothing serious, just a little bit uncomfortable. 

The traditional food as I got to know it especially in the Nirvana camps is simple. Bigger meals consisted of rice and dal (soup-like dish made from lentils or different kinds of beans and veggies). Or mixtures of vegetables usually with potatoes called subzi accompanied with roti or chapati (simple Indian bread which I really LOVED). One of my favorites were parathas, bread similar to roti, but thicker, often filled with potatoes or onions and when fried a lot of oil is used to give it taste. These we were eating for breakfast, sometimes served with jam, sometimes with pickles.

Dal and rice served as lunch in Nirvana camp.

There is a lot of fried food on the streets in India. And yes, everyone will advise you not to eat there and it is after all a very clever idea. But who doesn’t know the street food doesn’t know the country I would say. So, in places which looked less risky I tried samosas and other super oily veggie or potato based stuff.  India also offers a lot of sweets, soaked in syrup. You can try them in one of many sweet shops and they nicely explain you if it is fried or not, if it is made of flour or rice... 

Men in a shop in Udaipur preparing all the sweet little balls called Gulab Jamun. 

As there is a lot of influence from different cultures I also tried Tibetan and Nepalese food and I fell in love with momos. I think they are known in English as dumplings. I loved them all, vegetable ones, with mutton, in a soup or without soup.  The Indian food is spicy, so I had to learn to say in advance that I don’t want spicy... It was spicy anyway, but just enough to still enjoy the food.

Mmmm, momos! In a soup!!

Chai

Chai and always chai!

It is something so typical that without „chai“ I couldn’t imagine India. It wasn’t always chai with spices, so called „masala chai“. Most common was a simple super sweet drink made from water, lot of sugar, black tea and a lot of milk. In the Nirvana camps we drunk about three or four cups of this every day. Sometimes accompanied by traditional Parle-G biscuits. Simple, but enchanting. Unforgettable combination discovered thanks to an India traveler I met during my stay in a hostel in Jaipur. Kevin from Mumbai. He definitely knew the best things about food and drinks in India.

In the Nirvana camp they got used to serving me chai without milk as I always asked them :)

Last last words. I hope to return one day. It doesn’t have to be super soon, but once more in my life I wish to go to India. 

Yamunotri (EN)

A HOLY TEMPLE OF YAMUNA

very unsettling pilgrimage

There are many sacred places in India. Depending on your religion you should visit them at least once in your life. The Chardam, the four temples, are such a destination for people following the Hindu religion. These mountain temples lie in a state Uttrakhand, a state called also „Gods‘ land“ where in the mountains the holy rivers are born, Yamuna and Ganga. To worship them people have built temples where the rivers are formed and now they are called Yamunotri and Gangotri and are the first out of the four pilgrim destinations followed by the temples in Kedarnath (dedicated to Shiva) and Badrinath (dedicated to Vishnu).

A yellow temple of Yamuna in the back, sacred destination for many pilgrims.

As I wrote in some of my previous articles, I spent about three weeks working in a tourist camp in Barkot. This place is mostly used by tourist going to visit the temple in Yamunotri. They come with they guides in big buses or cars with private conductors, stay one night and after breakfast the next day they ride to Yamunotri and do the pilgimage to the temple.

In a bus from the tourist company Heena. Sometimes it was better not to look out and simply trust the driver. 

The season started and the first buses came, from a tourist agency called Heena. As I very quickly made friends with the guide he invited me to take the tour to Yamunotri with the group. Excellent! The next day after breakfast we started and I had no idea what was coming. It was the first day when the temple was opened for the pilgrims so many people were heading there, many locals as well.

I happily accepted a blue cap with the logo of Heena company and followed my new friends. Like that it was slightly more difficult to get lost even though the amount of people going to the temple was surprisingly huge.

I enjoyed a lot the bus ride, the pilgrims were super friendly, singing all the way religious songs (which sounded to me like very happy devoted songs) and there was a young girl speaking very well English so she was explaining me a lot of things, about their specific regional culture (as the group was from another Indian region, Gujarat) and the reason why all the pilgrimage was so important. She also was so kind and interpreted all the curious questions and my long answers about traveling alone, being an independent woman in India always rises a lot of curious looks.

Yamunotri and the beginning of the "pilgrimage". Only about 5 km, but uphill. As it was the long awaited opening, there were some famous politicians and religious leaders having speeches in the village.

Getting to the main bus parking place was impossible for so many buses going through that day, so we had to stop about kilometer before the village. There it is usually possible to hire a donkey to take those with less strengths to the temple, but because it was the opening day all donkeys were taken already. For me no change, I was determined to walk those 5 km and enjoy the pilgrimage.

Donkey station :) (One of many, by the way)

It was 5 km walk on a busy and muddy road, but I had deep happy feelings from the fresh air. During the walk I enjoyed nice talks with other people from Heena tour. Sometimes it was quite difficult to keep talking as the flow of incomers and outcomers was too dense, on foot, on donkeys or even in man carried chairs. Finally among the first from our group we reached the temple and its busy surroundings looking like a super small village with food shops and shops selling religious articles.

This little carriage seemed to me especially particular. I am not sure how comfortable it could be, people seemed to be crouched in those chairs.

I was watching the people in deep amazement – people from all casts and places were doing their rituals there such as taking bath in the hot springs, in the Yamuna river, shaving their kids heads, praying doing pujas and waiting for the temple to open. Some things I understood as they were explained to me before during those previous weeks in India, some were new for me. The men I walked up with left me alone for a while and went to take a bath in the hot springs. I resisted as it seemed too complicated (for a women there was a different place to go and I would have to go alone, but mostly it was the problem of bathing in clothes and not having dry ones to change which stopped me from this traditional ritual).

Following their believes that shaving their kid's head will bring them happiness and health some parents were using the holy water from the Yamuna river and offering the hair to the goddess. Some children took it with calm, some were crying and fighting for their hair.

There was a huge and dense crowd waiting for the temple to open. Surprisingly for me, it was all just about pushing and being pushed. My only advantage was my height. Like that I could see over the small Indians what was going in in front of me. But I am too pacifist to push through, I realized. So after hour or more of trying I gave up as I was really bored and getting angry from the people. What was fun turned to be a crazy crowd. This isn’t a religion and worship I thought...

Taking a bath in the hot springs is another of the rituals the pilgrims do. Not that I wasn't interested, but it seemed to be all complicated due to the division to the male part and female part and due to the fact that women must bath in their clothes. I didn't have any spare clothes with me and didn't want to freeze in the cold mountain weather.

Anyway, the clouds were coming and it was getting cold, so it was about the time to call it off and go back. I got separated almost from everyone, people were everywhere. I decided to go back on my own knowing the meeting place anyway. The way back was fast, I was running and finding my way among the donkeys, people and carriers. The rain was on and off and I got wet and sweaty. When I kept moving it was OK, but once I stopped I was getting cold very quickly.

Everyone was waiting for the temple to open. And then pushing to get themselves in...

When I got to our meeting point, a restaurant with lunch already prepared, I started to freeze fast. Even though there were just few people from the tour gathered, we could grab our lunch and it was super nice and warmed me up a bit.

The temple itself seemed quite simple, oldish colorful wooden building which has great significance for the religious people.

In general I was very satisfied with the trip no matter that I didn’t get into the temple. It was a very traditional experience, the opening day is a big event for locals as well as for pilgrims from other places or even countries. There were many Indians living abroad who are coming to do the four temple trip to „fulfill their duty“ as Hindus and make these pilgrimages at least once in a lifetime...

There were more local people that day then tourists (meaning Indian tourists from other places of India, from foreigners I was the only one I could see in miles).

Well, my expectations were of a peaceful pilgrimage, but it was something different. Still, it was great. But I was super happy to be with the group of tourist from Heena, otherwise I would feel a little bit more lost in the crowd. I was happily wearing the company cap given to me in the bus to identify myself and be seen...

Looking back, it was a great experience. Very "Indian". 

Manali (EN)

A small town called Manali is a famous touristic destination in India. Locals as well as foreigners come here to escape from the summer heat and enjoy the mountains. Manali has its high and low season, summer is quite crowded here, winter is much calmer but the temperatures might be low for someone and not all the activities will be possible, as the snow covers the trekking paths and up in the mountains the conditions get harder for overnight stays.

What fascinated me on Manali were these typical village houses in the middle of the touristic town.
Not all the charm is lost.

For me it was a love at first sight. Pleasant weather, views of the white mountain peaks and interesting places to spend my time at. It is a touristic place and as such the old Manali is packed with foreigners and subsequent offer for their demands. Again I had the opportunity to eat in German Bakeries croissants or brown bread, in restaurants I could try Israeli food, pizza or hamburgers and there were few places where I could have a nice cup of coffee. I enjoyed being in this „westernized“ world after the real Indian countryside. Well, probably after some time you get bored by the monotony, the shops offer almost the same clothes and there is not a big difference in the cafes and restaurants either. But for few days it was a nice change of scenario.

Wooden temples are so typical for the local architecture of the mountains.

I stayed in a guest house Prince run by very nice people, namely Manish. Lucky as only I can be, I arrived to Manali at the time of cherries and picked a place which had four cherry trees full of rape fruits on the yard. I enjoyed them every day. Big part of my days I stayed working and talking to Sachin, Gabriel and Machi in Born Free café and hostel. Lovely place with great atmosphere and very good coffee.

Prince Guest House - simple and with all one needs as a tourist.

Manish (on the left) was not just a great host, but became a friend of mine.
I wish him good luck with all his projects and hope to meet him again in his own Italian restaurant.

Kids are great and playful all around the world.

I felt immediately in love, with the mountains and the idea of one or more-day hikes. There are many paid guides who organize everything for you if you wish. Even without hiking equipment you can enjoy the outdoor activities. I did only short walks in the neighboring forest and one unexpected day-trek which became one of the highlights of my Indian trip.

"Adventure holidays" were offered by numerous agents. Trekking, paragliding, cannoning, whatever you wish.

Really beautiful nature all around Manali, Even during an evening walk I could relax in the forest.

The ten hours walk, first along the river through apple orchards and then high up in the mountains on the shepherd trails, I enjoyed the true feeling of Himalayan forest. As stubborn as I can be I decided I will find my way where there was nobody to ask so at the beginning of the steep uphill path I ended up sometimes in the forest without trail to follow. Across few streams and through thick vegetation, about 500m took me almost one hour to cross. But my thoughts were right, there was a path used by shepherds at the end. Once I started to walk on it all got much easier. Along pastures with beautiful views I enjoyed the feeling of freedom and happiness, I was not worried at all to be alone there, because I knew this path would eventually lead me where I wanted or somewhere very close. Then I saw a movement about 200m down from me, in the low forest vegetation. Few jumps of a big dark, almost black, animal... I just saw a bear! In the nature. Well, he was running and minding his own business, didn’t notice me and I had not much time to observe him. But for me this short encounter was completely satisfactory!! My heart started to beat faster as I didn’t know whether to continue forward or try to return back. In any case, I was already too far from the last shepherds house (which was empty, so what’s the point). And then I noticed that about 50 m above me on the pasture there was a horse. Standing and staring the direction where I saw the bear, alert, but not moving. When the horse feels danger, it runs. And this one stayed. So, I decided if the horse feels OK about the situation I should also just calm down and continue walking... In a way, I am happy I could experience this. I saw many beautiful spots and things that day, apple orchards, free horses on the mountain pastures, shepherds with huge herd of goats, eagles and mountain streams and my dear friend bear. All together I walked about 10 hours and I have no idea how many kilometers, but it doesn’t matter. I was incredibly happy. But I have no photos, because my only camera broke down and my phone was without battery. I have to relly only on my memory, but I seriously saw the bear! ;)

I was lucky and Manali was celebrating a religious festival, so I could see performance of the traditional dances and music.

Bez foťáku (CZ)

A zase jsem bez foťáku. Možná se ještě podaří ho spravit, zatím jsem na to ale neměla čas. Takže zatím mi musí stačit telefon. Už zase v Kolumbii, ještě stále tu a tamvzpomínám na Indii. Stále je spousta příběhů, které jsem neřekla a nezapsala a nechci, aby upadly v zapomnění.

Bez foťáku, někdy i s ním, je těžké zachytit atmosféru. Chci si ji ale zapamatovat. Pár detailů, maličkostí běžného života. Z Indie

• Paní, oblečená v barevných látkách a s šátkem na hlavě máchající u pramene oblečení. V Manali oblečení žen připomínalo naše cikány před několika lety, a Rumunsko. Šátky na hlavách měli uvázané dozadu, saree jsem moc neviděla, spíše kalhoty a dlouhé kurty.
• Ženy pletoucí na ulici před dřevěným tradičním domem ponožky a čepice a nabízející je kolemjdoucím turistům. Ve večerním slunci vynikla barevnost celé scény ještě více. Zasnila jsem se...
• Gangani, Guptkashi, Manali, všude pobíhající copaté holčičky ve školních uniformách. Všichni zvědavci zvědaví. Lovili anglická slovíčka. Smáli se a dělali vtipy. Byli nesví a zakřiknutí. Už v tomto věku se projevují osobnosti každého z nich...
• Ve městech i na vesnici, krávy se pasou na odpadcích, zelené krmení jim nosí ženy i z velké dálky, ve velkých koších na zádech nebo v šátcích na hlavách. Šplhají pro ně do kopců i na stromy, v saree a žabkách...
• Manali – pánové tady nosí speciální čepice, „turecké“, s barevným lemem. Vidím je hrát karty a popíjet čaj.
• Na cestách, ve městech i ve vesnicích, nejtvrdší práce je nošení nákladů. Chlapi a chlapci, často podle pohledu spíš z Nepálu nebo Tibetu, se s tím perou statečně. Přenášejí kamení a jiný stavební materiál ve velkých pytlech na zádech upevněných popruhem na čele.
• Yak. Chlupatá loudavá obluda. Načesaní a nachystaní na vožení turistů. Zvířata, která v nižších polohách neprospívají kvůli horku.
• Koutkem oka jsem na cestě do dřevěného chrámu zahlídla v jednom dřevěném domku stařenku pozorující v podřepu okolí a pokuřující cigárko.
• Manali. Marihuana jako plevel všude kam se podíváš.. Musí to být krásná vůně, když zrovna kvete.
• Tea houses. Zašlé chajdy a chatrče ve městech nebo u cesty, ze kterých se line vůně „masali“ – zázvoru a kardamonu. Stoupající kouř z kotlíků na čaj. Pánové jsou rychlí... Dó masala chai! A Parle G. Tradiční sušenky, z jejichž obalu se na vás zubí dětská tvář. Design za celá desetiletí nezměněný. Nejraději si posedím na rušné ulici, křižovatce či jinde, kudy se mihá spousta lidí a za máčení a ujídání sušenek pozoruji, co se kolem děje. Být cizincem v Indii a pozorovat místo býti pozorován, je velká vzácnost.

Nakonec jsem pár fotek našla...Tak se s nima pochlubím i přesto, že nejsou v takové kvalitě, jako bych chtěla...

Zázračná bylina? Tady vyloženě plevel.

Paní se fotit nechtěly.
Tak aspoň ty jejich pletené výrobky, které v odpoledním slunci zářily všemi barvami 

Některé snahy o zachycení magie okamžiku.

In the Nirvana Camp, Barkot (EN)

After the city of yoga, Rishikesh, I arrived to the Nirvana Camp on the shore of the holy Yamuna river about 8 km from a town called Barkot. (The whole journey here was an adventure and I want to share it with you in another article.) I stayed there with the staff of the camp, volunteering, preparing the camp for the season. I arrived 25th of April and I was there for twenty days in the end. 

Nirvana Camp
In the mornings I took a walk to the hills and was watching the camp from the forest.

Getting used to a new place

Waking up early isn’t the main problem here, I listen to the songbirds long before the sunrise. But as soon as I try to get myself out of the blankets the cold air makes me to regret and I usually crawl back in. Such a luxury to feel the fresh air after all those weeks in India waking up covered in sweat! After some time of snoozing I start hearing the noises of the staff walking around the camp and I get out of the bed at once, just in case I would think about it too much again.

Stretching and greeting the neighboring hills and the river, and of course the people, I am deciding on what to do first. Sometimes I sip my tea, sometimes go for a walk in the woods and sometimes I unroll my yoga mat and practice for a while. My body is already out of habit to feel cold and the morning air makes me a little bit stiff. As the days go by I get used on it and start my mornings with meditation and sun salutation before it even turns up.

Nirvana Camp
When the sun wakes you up

Discovering the rhythm of my "new home"

I have discovered a certain routine in the life here even though the first four days it seemed that such a thing didn’t exist here. The time the people woke up, or how many of them were in the camp, what did they do... But after the fourth day things got more repetitive maybe due to the opening of the season and I have noticed more effort and regularity in the work of the staff. 

Nirvana camp - the staff
When we all help each other a lot can be done!

Since those few days there are about ten people including the long term staff, the manager and the guard, and some boys from the neighboring villages working as part-timers . Seeing them around here reminds me of our typical summer jobs in Czech. The atmosphere is quite similar and the age as well. They wake up quite early, as I said, around 5:30 a.m. Before starting the work there must be tea, black with lots of sugar. While I take the first morning hour for myself they start their work. Sometimes I don’t really see what they are doing, but surprisingly they are clear about it and the things are get done. Refreshed after my morning routine I start helping them if I see that there is something to do (which is not always the case). We have been preparing the tents and the camp area, but my work is mostly around the garden. I picked it up myself, it is a job easy to understand and quite flexible in putting my own effort without asking all the time what should I do. 

Around 9 or 10 a.m. the breakfast is ready. Sometimes I help to prepare it or at least watch in the kitchen and learn about the Indian cooking. The typical breakfast includes mixed veggies and roti, or parantha or potato parantha. It is quite heavy and oily and gets us going till the lunch served usually between 1 and 2 p.m. For lunch we always have rice and dahl and for me they always have some sliced tomato, cucumber and red onion, a salad as they call it. I think I had never eaten as much of raw onion in my life as here in India, but it is one of the few choices when I want to have fresh „salad“. Often there is time for rest after lunch, the weather reaching its highest temperatures, so the atmosphere becomes a bit lazy. 

Breakfast
Chapati, vegetables and tea

Afternoons are when I have more time for myself, I go for a walk, rest and read, write and edit pictures or do yoga. It really depends, whenever I feel like I already have some routine, something changes. But generally speaking, around 5 p.m. I start watering the plants and go on with that till the late hours. 

The dinner is for me the most expected meal of the day as it is usually served quite late when I am already starving (solved recently by buying some bananas and biscuits ;). And it is also the meal on which preparation I am participating the most. Normally we have mixed vegetables, depending on the availability of things in the kitchen. Potatoes, tomatoes, egg plant, zucchini. Indians like to keep it simple and it doesn’t require that much time. Unlike roti (chapati), the Indian bread, which we prepare every night for everybody and which is really a time-eater. 

Nirvana Camp
And when the sun tells you it's time to go to bed

After dinner I lay down and sleep, rarely reading for a while or watching a movie. Few days I couldn’t do even that as the electricity went off. Life is simple here :)

There is a lot of beauty and tranquility in this simplicity of life. I am mostly left to myself and my thoughts, there are not many opportunities for conversation as we don’t share all necessary communication means. It leaves me with lot of guessing what are the people intending to tell me from their gestures and faces and body language. This situation brings new challenges, not only in the communication with the others, but especially with being the only one to distract myself. Everyone who tried that knows, how annoying we can sometimes become for ourselves.

Nirvana Camp - staff
All my lovely men together. I felt like a princess with their care! Thank you

My way to Nirvana Camp in Barkot an unexpected journey (EN)

It was about the time to leave Rishikesh. I had my stuff packed already for two days, but the things for departure were simply not working out. Not that I didn’t enjoy two more days of yoga and western-like coffees with friends. But on Monday I felt I couldn’t wait any longer.

Time to set off for a new journey

I have to admit that despite the initial settling-in problems I really liked my stay in Rishikesh. After few days I slowly adjusted to the rhythm of life I created for myself and made tighter bounds with the people I was living with and meeting every day. A tender feeling of comfort embraced me...

However, I didn’t feel like staying only in one city. I missed mountains and simple village life. I was not sure where to look for it but giving it a chance and search is the smallest thing you can do, right? So I went after my first real Workaway experience (Rishikul Yogshala wasn’t really through the Workaway program, but through a personal meeting) which was supposed to be in a tourist camp near a city called Barkot.

Long ride with Indian local buses

As I felt ready for an adventurous and independent journey, I took the long way. From Rishikesh I went by bus to Chamba, just to see if the place is worth staying. And maybe it is, but only if you have exact idea where to go and especially if you know someone from there. Otherwise it looks like any other Indian city, busy, full of people and shops and no real tourist information of what you could see around and how to spend a day or two there. As the bus left me at the central market I quickly walked through it watching the people and looking for a place to make a phone call. Finding it next to a sweet shop I called the contact person from Workaway and owner of the Nirvana camp, JP Rana, and discussed my next steps with him. OK, there is no direct bus to Barkot from Chamba, but I could go though Dharasu Bend and there catch another bus to Barkot. Sounds like fun, long journey but I wanted to see the countryside anyway. In the bus I had a nice co-traveler, a young girl from Chamba going to see her granny in Uttarkashi. Her English was good enough to exchange basic information with me. And of course to have the typical discussion whether I am married or not. I don’t know if I am getting used to the question or I am getting annoyed by it.

My hosts for one day - the whole family reunited for the picture

My journey was long but I felt satisfaction. It was exactly what I wished thinking of the journey itself being the goal. When we got into Dharasu Bend I almost fell of the bus as I tried to find my way out though the alley full of people and stuff like boxes and packs of all sorts. Sure, my backpack didn’t help me and it was quite an obstruction. 

Unexpected stop in Dharasu Bend

The place called Dharasu Bend was extremely small, you couldn’t even call it a village. Few houses, mainly shops, on an intersection of roads. I started to look around for a bus to Barkot. Men standing on what you could take for a bus stop explained me (mostly hand language) that it was too late for buses to Barkot. Well...I asked like ten times, just to make sure, and my brain was already working on a back up plan when a bunch of smart dressed men approached us and tried to help. Fortunately, their English was much better and through their interpretation I got better idea about the situation. Confirmed, no bus to Barkot today. I could take a private taxi for two thousand rupees. I am sorry guys, it is much more than I have... (or can give). Thinking loud I suggested I take a bus to Uttarkashi knowing it was a bigger place and surely there were some guest houses. Or was there a guest house in this small place? Surprisingly, the answer was positive, so my idea was to wait a bit more just in case some forgotten bus to Barkot passes by and in nothing then when the sun starts setting I would go to the hotel and take the bus the next morning. 

The two guys who helped me out.
Sometimes on the trips these things happen and I am incredibly thankful that it is so. 

The nice men left. Just so that they could return back in few minutes. Well, only two of them. And they offered me something unexpected, to stay over in their family house only 5 minutes away. It took some persuasion and mutual reassuring that both sides are cool with the plan (while I intentionally and repeatedly asked about their wives, if they have no problem with that, and the answer calmed my uneasiness. „My mother and sister will be really happy to have you.“ OK, so it really is a family house). I felt a certain trust to them otherwise I wouldn’t jump into the car which was taking us. But once we drove for 5 minutes further away from the little settlement I started to be nervous and all the bad stories broke into my consciousness. At the moment when they paid the driver and wanted to get off I panicked. What the hell did I do?? I convinced them to borrow me a phone and called JP Rana, the Workaway guy, and explained him the situation. First, I apologized a little bit that I wouldn’t make it that day and then told him more or less what happened. After that I loudly presented the idea of the two „nice gentlemen“ who decided to invite me over to their houses and said that „they would like to speak to him and introduce themselves to him“. There was no escape for them in that moment but to take over the phone. I passed the phone and let them talk for a bit in Hindi feeling satisfied with my back up. Even if the name and the whole details given on the phone were not correct, I was, after all, calling from their private number. So in case something was about to happen, they would need to get rid of the number with all the contacts, I guess, as soon as possible. Or maybe not. But I felt safer. 

The real Indian hospitality

Much easier in my heart I left the car and in two minutes we walked into the house(es) of one of them and were immediately surrounded by his mother, sisters, brothers, uncles, granny... Well, I felt a bit bad about my previous suspicion, so I apologized for being so worried. They understood. Just the two of them spoke some English, one more than the other. They were relatives, the son from the house and his brother-in-law. I met them so dressed up because they were just coming from the last wedding ceremony of the sister. That was also the reason why they smelled a bit of alcohol (something I haven’t smelled here in India for a long time) which caused a hint of insecurity earlier. 

Preparing the mutton meat for the dinner. Check especially the cutting system!

I was seated, presented to everyone, showed everything, asked many questions (of course the one about being married as well) and offered tea, water and something small to eat while the time for real dinner comes. I tried to answer everything politely and get an idea about the conversation conducted in Hindi by guessing from the faces and gestures. After some time we went for a ride on a motorbike to get some things from a shop. And, lucky as you sometimes get, we had flat tire. Running from one workshop to another it took us about two hours and a half to get it fixed. I enjoyed it quite a lot as I needed to walk between the workshops, a pleasure for my tired legs and back after the long bus ride.

Finally, after sunset, we could go back. But before, with my permission, they took me to see their other sister who lives in a different house nearby. It was funny, nice and polite, but strange and unusual at the same time when they asked me all the time „Any problem, ma’am?“ I am not used to this. However, this IS their culture and later I discovered it was just a beginning of what was coming concerning the Indian politeness with guests. 

Wish some buffalo milk? I wanted to help, but the buffalo didn't really like me.

Different culture, different habits

We came back and talked a while, then we were served dinner. Unlike I am used to that we eat all together only me and the two men we sat in a separate room and their younger brother served us the food. Then he patiently stood aside and checked that we didn't need anything. Whenever he was asked to bring something, he swiftly run for it. Even though I don’t understand Hindi the requests didn’t seem to be particularly polite, it rather sounds like an order, but the boy was laughing. everything seemed totally normal, us eating alone without the rest of the family, the younger brother being our „servant“... So to satisfy my curiosity I asked how the things go and why he wasn’t eating with us. They explained that he would eat after we were finished and that it was a matter of respect. If there is someone you respect or who stands higher in the hierarchy, you serve them and wait till they are finished. And the guests are always treated like that according to the Indian believe that „our guest is our God“.

The next morning was much more peaceful and relaxed for me, somehow overnight I become a little bit more part of the house. So I was making chapati (Indian bread) with the sisters, helping the mother with their buffalo while smile was our only communication media. Strangely enough, we understood each other. They wanted me to stay. And I felt so blessed by this experience, because it’s once in a lifetime. I think. After two months in India I felt I knew nothing and that this was just the first touch of the real life in this country. Garwali people (regional culture) showed me their hospitality and open hearts. 

With poori and chapati I was able to help, even though just for a little bit!

I felt it was the right time to go. Also because all the time I felt an increasing interest of Parveen, my host, maybe because he wasn’t married yet and was looking for a wife. Sometimes it made the moments awkward as I could feel his interest but wouldn’t respond to it. But after we talked about all the weddings in the family and I saw all the pictures I started to feel that I understand the never ending questions about marriage. It IS a big issue here, in a country where vast majority of the people from the villages still has arranged marriages. It is a topic you discuss all the time. It defines your social status. It shapes your adult life. 

So some people ask me out of pure interest as they would ask anybody else. The men might ask because they are interested in marrying a foreigner and in this culture, where often they meet their life partner at the wedding day, it isn’t awkward to ask a stranger to marry them. No big deal, we don’t have to know each other before we join our lives forever... They are not being impolite or too personal. They barely have the chance to „get to know each other“. Even in the family in Delhi I understood that dating is not an easy thing. You don’t go out with your date everyday, sometimes it is only once in three months and just nowadays thanks to the modern technology you can maintain the contact at least a little bit and get to know your partner. And even if you do have the luxury of dating, it doesn’t mean that you would marry your beloved one. The respect for the family matters and decisions of your relatives is so big that people marry someone who was arranged for them even though they had chosen their partner and dated her for a while. The relationships here are simply different. So are the intentions with questions about them. 

Really traditional house and some decoration they put for the wedding was still on.

My journey continues

Back to my story. The next day all worked out pretty well, there were buses to Barkot and I got into one almost immediately for Indian standards. We waited only for about 30 minutes before the bus was sufficiently full to set off. A young man sat next to me and again I went through a personal interrogation. Trying to keep my distance I answered politely everything but didn't show too much interest. I think I misjudged him. I was over cautious not to raise his possible interest. But I think I misjudged him a little bit, I was already in a countryside where people were more personal without hidden interests. I enjoyed the bus ride, up and down the hills and narrow curves, dozed off in between the conversations and looked in joy around to the forests of pine trees. 

In Barkot the bus stopped at the busy local market. But from there it was pretty straightforward for me, I simply called to Mr. Rana and his man picked me up and by shared car we got to the Nirvana Camp where I have been ever since, enjoying everyday the sound of the holly Yamuna river and the tranquility of the life in here.

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!!!