Day 5 - Rishikesh

It's my third day in Rishikesh, and already it feels like home. The waiters in the cafe in front of the hostel all know my name, although it still takes about twenty minutes for my ginger, lemon and honey drink to arrive.
Today I walked to the Ram Jhula bridge to renew my efforts to find the Madras cafe, and hopefully find the famous Swarg Ashram, where the beatles and their prospective partners hung out in 1968 with Maharish Mahesh Yogi (right). After some to-and-froing I eventually found the steps leading down to the bridge, and, weaving my way through the begging sadhus, I ventured onto the (slightly swaying) bridge. About 5 monkeys watched me from the rails of a bridge, and one tiny one waved at me - so cute!

On the way across a family of Bengali tourists asked me for a family photograph I agreed, somewhat puzzled as to why they would want a picture of themselves with a sweaty, red faced English girl, and they all crowded round me in delight, much to the irritation of the other people trying to pass by.

The other side was full of little shops selling bracelets, beads and other items. I browsed for a while, then went in search of the Green hotel, where I had heard that a good yoga class was held. Unfortunaly no yoga classes - but the double rooms were nice and half the price of the Swiss Cottage. On my way back to the bridge I bumped into Marius, a german traveller I had met in Haridwar, it turned out that he was staying in the hotel next to the one I had just visited, and was also in search of a yoga class. We decided to go for breakfast, and he led the way to a restaurant called Chotiwallah (means "fellow with small tuft of hair" apparantly - and the rotund manager was sitting outside dressed as aformentioned person). Unfortunately, though the food was cheap and looked yummy, it was not really breakfast stuff. I slyly requested a visit to the Madras cafe, and yeees - Marius knew where it was - success!!

The cafe was the other side of the bridge, and the yogurt and fresh fruit I ordered was yummy. Marius was travelling into the jungle, and asked if I wanted to go too, but I declined - visions of me soaked in sweat, bitten to death and being slapped around by wet trees stuck in my mind. We arranged to meet later to watch the sunset prayers held on the Ghats, but at 4 o'clock the sky grew grey and the rains came big time.

It is pissing it down still, so I shall spend the evening in the cafe reading my book.

Right: The cafe (from my window), rain is causing connection problems with uploading piccies - more to follow!