The end.

The rest of my time in McLeod Ganj was as relaxed (lazy?!) as I’d hoped. I did a little work, I did a little yoga and I did a little walking. I also did a lot of nothing much in between. It was lovely.

Three weeks later, however, I got the itch and decided to ignore everyone’s advice and brave the heat in Rajasthan. So, a seven hour bus ride and a ten hour train journey later, I arrived in Pushkar.

On exiting the bus, I bonded with a Finish girl over our shared dream of a swimming pool. Anu and I tracked down the Navratan Palace Hotel and were possibly a little too excited to find the pool was everything all the strangers on the road had promised. So much so that we’d checked in and jumped in without about 10 minutes.

People’s worries about the heat were worth ignoring. It is hot, but it’s also almost empty of foreign tourists, making for a very leisurely pace of life and lots of opportunities for drinking chai with the shop keepers - and bartering. Which Anu and I made the most of! We spent a week together chatting, shopping, swimming and sunbathing – all while worrying about our respective trips home and dreaming of ways in which we could stay. That was a week ago – Anu is now in London, and I am still in Pushkar.

I honestly did mean to leave. It’s just that all the trains were full. Well, it’s PARTLY because all the trains were full. It’s also partly because (wait for it...) I think I am tired of travelling. There, I’ve said it. I think I might actually be ready to come home. The lure of sightseeing has worn thin. For the moment anyway.

In this new frame of mind, I’ve treated the last few weeks as a holiday. A holiday to end my holiday.

I’ve spent days by the pool; feeding the tortoises and watching the new born kittens playing in the hotel garden.

I’ve shopped, I’ve drunk chai with all my new best friends in the market and I’ve watched the sunset over the lake.

I’ve been given chocolate by the waiter at the hotel in secret celebration of his exam success (82%!). And I’ve spent a couple of days talking philosophy with a guy called Ed, before he left me to head north to see Mr Dalai Lama.

I’ve eaten a lot; I think the (all veg) food in Pushkar is amongst the best I’ve eaten in India. I’ve stumbled across the best lassi of the trip too – the cashew nut lassi at Shiva’s juice stall in AMAZING. Fortunately I’ve talked myself into yoga every (OK, most) mornings and a few lengths everyday in the pool to burn it off. I’ve written a bit, I’ve read a lot and I’ve relaxed.

Right now, life is very good.

Mountains, Muscles and Monks.

From Amritsar, I took a local bus for the 7 hour trip to Mcleod Ganj (home of the Dalai Lama), along with a Polish guy from the Golden Temple dorm. His lack of English and my complete lack of Polish making for very entertaining communication along the way.

So far, I am loving Mcleod Ganj. I’m doing yoga, I’m walking up (and getting lost on) some HUGE hills (they might actually be mountains...). I’ve been moved by the Monk’s hunger strikes and candle light demonstrations and I’ve found a room to share that has both hot water AND a kitchen!

I have sore muscles but a peaceful mind. I think I might stay a while...

Some of the spectacular scenery

One of the candle light demonstrations:

The best things in Amritsar are free

Dragging myself away from Rishikesh, I found myself on yet another train – with yet another screaming child. Apparently I am very scary – or at least my glasses are. Once I took them off it was all smiles, and I chatted to his parents who shared their homemade chapattis and aloo gobi with me. I then slept surprisingly well, completely missing their exit and waking up in an empty carriage wondering whether I had imagined them!

So, on to Amritsar. It’s another hectic Indian town, but it has a very different character from others I’ve visited. The mostly Sikh population are a little less pushy and ever so giving! This is the home of their most holy temple; the Golden Temple.

The temple itself is a strange combination of peaceful and nuts. There are people sitting quietly meditating in the mornings, families chatting loudly (and taking photos of westerners) in the day, and men stripping to their undies to dip in the holy water at all times. In the evening I watched their 11th guru (their holy book) ‘put to bed’ (it has pillows and everything!) surrounded by pushing and shoving, laughing and chatting, silently praying and quietly chanting Indian’s of all religions.

As well as free entry to the temple, they provide free dorm beds and free food here too. Apparently they feed up to 100,000 people every day...literally every day. Their kitchen works 24 hours, 365 days per year. It’s an immense feat!

I took a tour of the kitchen, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one so clean or so organised. It’s staffed by volunteers who do everything from food prep to washing up. There are three types of chapattis on the go – machine made, gas made and old fashioned wood burner made. There’s fresh dahl and spicy potato, rice pudding (with coconut milk, it’s really good!) and chai.

And it’s all free to everyone, from every walk of life and every faith. It really was an incredible thing to experience. And I was made to feel very welcome by everyone I spoke to – many of whom had travelled from far away to come and volunteer their services. It’s a place I would love to go back to.

Relaxing in Rishikesh.

The plan was to do yoga every day, to detox in an ashram, to eat healthily and walk lots. The reality was a bad back on day 3 and two weeks of sitting about chatting, drinking masala chai and eating cookies instead. Such is life.


My view for two weeks.

Before I crippled myself, I did manage to visit the deserted ashram where the Beatles reportedly wrote the White Album.

And take a spectacular day out on the back of a scooter (driven by a very careful guy called Kevin). We survived terrifying mountain roads, taking in incredible views across the Himalayas. Oh and we blagged our way inside a 5 star luxury spa hotel for a look around too.

Day three in Delhi – the one when I tried to find wifi

My last day in Delhi, so what did I do? Final sightseeing? Soak up the culture? Nope, I spent it looking for wifi. I promise this wasn’t just for a Facebook fix – I needed to download some work. Firstly I took a little tour of the coffee shops in Connaught Place. Nothing. Then I tried the tea shop in the famous Oxford bookstore. Shut (damn Sundays!). Then I walked all the way back to where I’d started and found it in the foyer of a guesthouse opposite mine.

I was going to go to the Lotus Temple. I was going to go to Humaun’s Tomb. But by the time my wifi hunt was over I had a blister on the bottom of my foot and no mind for meditation or sights.

Food on the roof while watching a big procession pass by on the road below, a little work, then bed with crappy TV (a TV in my room. Woohoo!) instead.

The Sunday Parade, Delhi.

Oh I know how to have fun.