Delhi to Rishikesh

India is cheap.

2 meals, a 7 hour bus ride to Rishikesh from Delhi, a rickshaw ride to the bus station and then another from the bus station to the hotel district, 2 bottles of water, a bag of almonds and a place to stay for the night that has hot water…total: 1200 rupees. That’s less than thirty dollars. 

Rishikesh, straddling the Ganga river just west of Nepal, fancies itself the yoga capital of the world and is a holy place for Hindus. As it is the dawn of the summer season, the place is teeming with hippies, bliss-ninnies, Indians on a spiritual pilgrimage, sadhus and other god-seekers, putting a real strain on accommodation. The first 10 hotels were full and I was beginning to think that I’d have to sleep outside or something, but I eventually found a place with a room that was a bit more expensive that I’d wanted to pay.  Still, I felt lucky to find it.

It’s been a lucky day generally.  In the morning I discovered that finding a private bus to Rishikesh is next to impossible and, reading deeper into Lonely Planet, I came across a section that said state buses can be booked a full month in advance. Determined to at least try to escape Delhi, I got to the bus station and discovered that it was how I’d expected it to be: dodgy-looking.  It lacked a floor and if a bomb did take down the north wall, I don’t know what did. I was eventually directed to the area for buses to Uttarakhand—the state containing Rishikesh. A bus for Rishikesh, with me on board, left 10 minutes later.

Riding the bus is a pleasure; it offers vistas of the country not seen from in the cities. As the distance from Delhi increased, the skies grew bluer. You can see forests, big farms sprawling across the plains, people washing clothes in rivers, marijuana growing in thick patches, congested little towns, and finally the mountains.

I haven’t yet had a chance to explore, though already I can tell that I’m going to like it more than Delhi.