The Holy Waters
It's 2.30am Thursday morning. I’m unable to sleep any longer.
We made it to Rishikesh. A bus ride that was to be 5 hours took 8. Girls on the bus wanting to make toilet stops, the bus driver trying to find an appropriate deserted tree. In India. Not very likely. We also got lost several times ending up in back streets of unknown cities. Even with the driver on GPS. Maybe he needs to upgrade his app.
We made our way to the Ram Dev Ashram. A HUGE complex with hospitals, research centre, yoga training, retirement villages. We visited the yoga room large enough to fit an entire finals game of the AFL. Ram Dev has been around for 2 decades teaching yoga to a handful at first now he has a morning tv show teaching to millions.
He has also developed his own Ayurveda company dispensing all manner of products for cancer curing to diabetic biscuits ( ingredients glucose, sugar, emulsifiers and flavours) Last time I was in India 5 years ago, I do remember his cold and flu products being scrutinised by the Indian Government.
Lunch was good, a true sattvic vegetarian meal.
Then we where given a small tour and a gift bag with product as we boarded the bus to our next hotel. One of the items in the bag - cold & flu tablets.
It was 6 pm by the time our room keys where handed out. Which gave us 5 mins to freshen up and get on the bus for a fire ceremony down at the river Ganga. A room for the next 2 nights. Ah a chance to spread out for a bit. I walked in pulled back the floor to ceiling curtains to take in the view. A brick wall. Not one window. A cell of a room. I didn't want to feel ungrateful but this would not work for me. Finally now in room 210.
Missed the bus to the fire ceremony. Didn't mind though as I stretched out on the Double bed remote control in hand found the nature channel. And then on the screen a documentary about Rishikesh the Ganga the fire ceremony. I sat back with a masala chai in hand, the AC on. curtains open, the Himalayas in the distance, the Ganges in the fore ground. Couldn't be happier.
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