Letters from India

34. Rishikesh, Ayodhya & Varanasi - July 1985

Rishikesh, Ayodhya & Varanasi

June 30-July 6, 1985

Varanasi

Dear Family (& any others)

(June 30th) Today left Badrinath at a little after 6 AM, reaching Rishikesh after dark, about 8 PM. Had pretty comfortable ride. But these Indian buses! They have these huge, plush-looking seats, but then only have a few inches legroom before the next seat. Plus the seats themselves are soo skinny that the person by the window usually has shoulder pressed against the window, and the person on the isle is half hanging off the seats. Looked like they had as their model, a typical skinny teenage Indian boy. In American terms, that’s an 8-year old child. I have sores on my shoulders and knees, from being pressed in an area a few inches too small for them. These large-seat buses are worse than the normal city buses, where the seats are a little better designed.

The bus had a lot of families – i.e., crying babies and noisy children. Funny how it seems not a word is spoken until the bus stops. Then in a chorus, all begin their own thing of talking or crying or wetting or etc!

I felt a little tinge of hurt at leaving the living physical presence of Babaji but I knew it was right to leave. I felt relief at leaving that bad-vibe Dharmasala! Mixed feelings at more traveling: I like the adventure and seeing the holy places, but feel the longer I travel in the North alone (well, God’s beside me but He doesn’t show Himself!) the more I feel it’s not good and the more I want to hurry it up and finish it, to return to safe Prasanthi Nilayam.

Staying in Tourist Bungalow again, very clean and luxurious feeling. Food good too, and cheap. Three full cups of tea, with milk and sugar you can mix in yourself, for only 14 cents!

Now for your Indian-animal lesson of the day (inspiration for this message brought on by Mr. Lizard, resident of my room here). In the South, you see wandering cows and dogs – tons and tons of dogs – with some goats. In the North, the wandering animals you see in the streets are cows, pigs and goats. Dogs there are some, but not nearly as many as in the South. Horses and bulls are widely used – you see them everywhere in the North. I don’t think I saw even one horse in the South.

Which reminds me, in Rishikesh they have these “tongas” horse-drawn rickshaws! I use them but it’s a painful experience – the drivers whap – WHAP! – the innocent animals with thick sticks or whips. The horses twist their heads in pain and disagreement, sometimes kicking both their hind legs up. The horses are covered up with soo many chains and ropes, plus big, thick blinders. Uck.

Hmm, ah yes, animals lesson. For your hotel rooms, in the South you are likely to come in contact with tons of ants; maybe a rat or two; and crawling creatures like cockroaches and beetles. You’ll be eaten alive by mosquitoes. In the North, rats and tiny lizards reign. Some crawling creatures, but ants and mosquitoes are strangely vacant.

Thus, your animal lesson of the day. :-) (Keep in mind: for the South, I’ve only visited Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka; for the north, Delhi, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and some of Utter Pradesh.) Om Sai Ram!

(July 1st) Cashed traveler’s checks in the morning; then walked like 1½ mile in the hot sun to train. Ayodhya trains all booked. They said try in Haridwar. Walked back, packed, caught 2 PM Haridwar train.

In Haridwar, the Ayodhya trains totally booked until the 9th! Forget it. Figured I’d have to go via bus in installments, as there is no Haridwar to Ayodhya direct bus service. I figured changing buses would be easier than changing trains.

Stayed night in Haridwar – hotel a duplicate of other one I had stayed in, in Haridwar before, but cost Rs 22 instead of Rs 35! Universal story I guess. Visited Ganges River again.