Day 10 - Rishikesh

It's the last day today! I've been for a last wander and Hare Om'd all the sadhus, and done a few chores like get an Indian sim card for my phone, booked a hotel in Delhi and picked up my train ticket.

My yoga lesson yesterday involved handstands, a five-minute headstand, and shoulderstand with about a million variations. Far too much upside-downing for me! So tonight I'm going to give my poor, tortured body a rest and skip my yoga lesson. Instead I'll watch the sunset from my balcony, or maybe walk down to the Ganges to watch the evening prayers.

But now I'm going to attempt to do the one thing I haven't managed yet - find the beatles ashram! After some asking around I have received more precise directions and so hopefully it shouldn't be so difficult to find (famous last words)

Later:
Yaay - I've found it! What a mission. I almost gave up when I asked Navi (internet-lad) where it was and he gave me completely different directions, but then I decided sod it - I was going to bloody well find it.

I followed the original directions, and walked along the Ganga in a northerly direction. I cleared the swargashram area and continued through abandoned buildings, with the odd cow and mangy dog mooching around. Eventually I reached a path through weeds and bushes, and was about to give up when I spotted an amusing sign promising the Ashram to be 100m ahead! (It also pointed out that the Last Chance Cafe had good vibrations - see picture below)

I had to pick my way through Sadhus to get to the gate, which looked locked and had a NO ENTRY sign, but luckily a Swedish couple were just leaving, and slyly told me the gate was unlocked. Feeling like a rebel, I crept inside the creaky metal gate, and along the slippery, overgrown path that snaked up, through trees and pebble dashed huts, to the main area. On the right there was yet more huts, and as I picked my way through, I found hut number 11, where John and Cynthia Lennon reportedly practiced their transcendental meditation. The place was crumbling and in decay, and there was complete silence but for the chirrup of the crickets and the bird song. It was completely surreal, and felt more like a scene in Myst (computer game - teen addiction!) than real life. Below are pictures - hover the mouse over them for descriptions.