And the winner is...Rishikesh! We decided to head there, not really knowing what to expect. What we found is the Sedona, AZ of India. For those of you who aren't familiar with Sedona, that means it was a town full of spiritual gurus, crystal wands, yoga classes, ashrams, and all around general enlightenment...often aided by smoking weed. We actually loved Rishikesh, because it was full of excellent food, great traveler community, and chilled out Indians. We saw more white people in 3 hours than we've seen on this entire trip. The town itself is separated by the Ganga River, and there are two pedestrian-only bridges connecting the two sides. So it was extremely quiet on our side of town, and every night we could walk out our door and watch the sunset on the beach. Right next door was a cheap restaurant called "Namaste Cafe", and we ate there every night, because each meal kept blowing our minds. They offered everything from hummus with homemade pita to lasagna, ornate salads, and pastries. And they put so much into the presentation! It literally fulfilled so many of the food dreams we've been having while in India.
While there, we took a one-day white water kayaking class. It was really good and eye-opening. We learned that it's much trickier than it looks, and that it is terrifying to be sealed into a kayak and upside down underwater with not the skills to flip over again. We have much more respect for our kayaking friends: Forrest and Lyndie!
Also, the nation-wide celebration of Diwali happened while there. People everywhere set off fireworks and lit candles. It was beautiful to watch, especially over the water. These were like serious fireworks too...we would never be allowed to buy them in the States! Our guest house host, Dori, invited us to his Diwali party with his friends. The night was filled with peanuts, whiskey, drumming, and singing...and it was great to be able to take part in the celebration with the locals.
So then we bus hopped for 17 hours and found ourselves in Kasol, a minuscule town in northern India. It is nestled in a valley with mountain views out both sides. We are gearing up for a 10-day trek in the Pavarti Valley tomorrow, and spent most of the day today gathering rental gear and buying food. It will be VERY cold. Most people don't do this trek this late in the season, but we will be good if the first snow doesn't hit. So we're going to go for it, and we can always turn around. The Pavarti Pass stands at 5300 meters. So, we're off to eat a good meal and mentally prepare ourselves for the cold weather!
In other earth-shattering news: Due to the lack of fruit variety in most of India (apples and bananas), Clay decided to attempt to overcome his phobia of bananas. I'm happy to report that this morning, he ate his very first banana since he was 5 years old, and he LIKED IT!
While there, we took a one-day white water kayaking class. It was really good and eye-opening. We learned that it's much trickier than it looks, and that it is terrifying to be sealed into a kayak and upside down underwater with not the skills to flip over again. We have much more respect for our kayaking friends: Forrest and Lyndie!
Also, the nation-wide celebration of Diwali happened while there. People everywhere set off fireworks and lit candles. It was beautiful to watch, especially over the water. These were like serious fireworks too...we would never be allowed to buy them in the States! Our guest house host, Dori, invited us to his Diwali party with his friends. The night was filled with peanuts, whiskey, drumming, and singing...and it was great to be able to take part in the celebration with the locals.
So then we bus hopped for 17 hours and found ourselves in Kasol, a minuscule town in northern India. It is nestled in a valley with mountain views out both sides. We are gearing up for a 10-day trek in the Pavarti Valley tomorrow, and spent most of the day today gathering rental gear and buying food. It will be VERY cold. Most people don't do this trek this late in the season, but we will be good if the first snow doesn't hit. So we're going to go for it, and we can always turn around. The Pavarti Pass stands at 5300 meters. So, we're off to eat a good meal and mentally prepare ourselves for the cold weather!
In other earth-shattering news: Due to the lack of fruit variety in most of India (apples and bananas), Clay decided to attempt to overcome his phobia of bananas. I'm happy to report that this morning, he ate his very first banana since he was 5 years old, and he LIKED IT!
Way to be bold and go for it...the bananas I mean.
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