All the young dudes

Monday here is like Sunday, in as much as most of the shops shut. Walking about town I found a park with men sitting in circles of 10 or so playing cards, and lads playing cricket and a kind of golf/baseball hybrid (Gilli Danda): taking turns to hit a puk with a stick from one end…

Biting the dust

Although I’ve not much time for people taking pictures of their food and posting to social media, it’s been a long, dusty day and I’m happy to be waiting for room service to deliver fried snacks and another beer.

Bending over backwards

I very much enjoyed my introduction to yoga and still feel warm for having stretched, breathed and opened-up. That’ll hopefully continue back in the UK with classes and a daily practise supplementing the cardio’ exercises. As I was opening my chakras, monkeys gazed in inquisitively, which was a bit off-putting, but sharing space with these cheeky, clever…

A refreshing dip

The road from Rishikesh to Uttarkashi is 180km and for much of that it follows the Ganges. Along the way are magnificent views of the river’s flood plain and Himalayan foothills. And although Uttarkashi held little appeal for me, I found riding the quiet, twisty mountain road and the scenery compelling. That said, Samsara in…

Rishikesh

A narrow suspension bridge spanning the Ganges hangs below my table. People share the crossing with cows as monkeys patrol the cables looking for opportunities. Apart from the queue to see the Taj Mahal, I’ve not seen so many westerners in India, so many white faces. Unfortunately, here they’re accompanied by pan piped, meditation muzak that…