more rishikesh

Being in Haridwar and Rishikesh over the last four or five days has had a restorative effect on my energy and attitude, even if I seem to have been suffering with my old enemy hay fever since arrival. Especially relaxing has been Rishikesh. The calm streets and lack of hassle from street sellers, combined with the beautiful valley location, can't help but make you feel better. My visit has come at an opportune moment as I was beginning to get a bit frazzled by the intensity (and the growing heat) of India and some of the areas I've visited so far. A little battery re-charge has been happily welcomed and appreciated.

I haven't really been up to much in the last day or two (there's not much to get up to) but have managed a bit of a wander around the locality. Rishikesh divides into several small areas (I am staying in Lakshman Jhula on the northern edge of town) and yesterday I walked south to the Swarg Ashram part of town. Swarg Ashram is where the real spiritual action is in Rishikesh, and contains a higher ratio of Indians to idealistic Westerners than Lakshman Jhula. I wandered round the yoga centres, ashrams, and ghats and stopped for a cup of tea in one of the cafes for a break and to watch the world go by. It was very pleasant. Some of the ashrams looked very serene environments. I imagine they would be very tranquil places to retreat to.

I've spent most of my time here quietly reading A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (I finished The Case of the Buried Clock a while back). The book is very short so I've actually finished it already. A very interesting read although I thought Burgess struggled a bit to bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion. I've also been reflecting a little on what I plan to do when I return home and my 'travelling phase' finally ends. I think I'm getting my head round things, but I won't bore you with the details right now.

Tomorrow I leave for Mussoorie which is slightly further north into the foothills of the Himalaya. It shouldn't take too long getting up there although it will take two buses to reach. I hope without basis that the transfer from the first bus to the second will be painless, smooth, and not too prolonged. Mussoorie should be even cooler than here, perhaps even cooler than the UK from what I've been hearing.