A wander around Rishikesh

I've booked a full-day walking tour tomorrow, so today I just planned to have a look around locally. First, I had breakfast in the hotel (cheese omelette, brown toast, and coffee), and then I ventured out. The first thing I noticed was the number of Western hippies there are - both sexes, all ages, all in ethnic dress, many of them carrying yoga mats 😂. It's hardly surprising.

Rishikesh is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditating there in search of higher knowledge. There are numerous temples and ashrams built along the banks of the river, including one made famous by a visit from The Beatles back in the 60s. The city has hosted the annual International Yoga Festival in the first week of March since 1999, giving it the nickname of Yoga Capital of the World. Rishikesh is also a vegetarian-only and alcohol-free city. All of this means that it is a magnet for those searching for some spiritual solace or some higher meaning to life.

I'm not here for either of those things - just my usual curiosity about exploring somewhere new. I'm looking forward to learning more over the next few days.

Today, I took my washing to the laundry and then wandered down towards the river, exploring all the textile and souvenir shops on the way. There is clearly a lot of tourist tat, but there are also beautiful fabrics that are so hard to resist 😂. I did buy myself a small ring. It was very cheap, so it will probably turn my finger green! I also bought a tiger eye bracelet to replace the one that Mark bought me in Thailand over 25 years ago, and which I lost in Paraguay last year. Again, it was cheap, so I'm not convinced it's genuine. I like it, though, so that's all that matters.

I was surprised to see a leprosy colony on the main street. From the road, it looked like a very rundown and desperate place. I caught glimpses of a couple of very sad-looking people through the gates. Later, a Google search revealed that this is one of four such colonies in Rishikesh run by the Divine Life Society. Collectively, they house 194 leprosy patients.

I watched a YouTube video that showed volunteers from a nearby ashram going into the colony with food and medicines. They also sprinkled the ground with bleaching powder and cleared away the rubbish. Despite this, there didn't seem to be much hope or happiness in the place.Read more