After a much needed long and satisfactory sleep on our huge and comfortable bed, we woke up around 7 AM, had amazing chai and Paratha for breakfast (which was complimentary), took a bath, got packed up and left for Rishikesh.
It was a good 1 and a half hour journey which we covered via ricks! I have never travelled such long distances in rickshaws, especially when I have big bags with me.
We reached our hostel around 12PM. It was vibrant like the ones at Dehradun-Mussoorie but unlike those properties, this was highly cramped. It took time for us to get our rooms, so we wandered around the property and played chess and foosball.
After getting our very tiny rooms, we met Yale's roomates whose gang is also spending their time in Rishikesh-Haridwar this week. We spoke to them for about half an hour, took pictures and left our dorm.
The plan was to go to a v popular cafe overlooking river Ganga. However it was on the other side of the river. As far as I could understand there are 5 ways to cross the river. 2 of them are jhulas so only pedestrians are allowed, 1 of them is a pedestrian + 2 wheeler bridge and 2 regular bridges at the fag ends for 3/4 wheelers.
Initially, we weren't going to take a scooter today. But having walked for a long time in the scorching sun without any willing rickshaw to take us to our destination, we resorted to taking one.
It's highly convenient tho! We went through scenic mountains and river banks and finally reached the restaurant by 3PM. We met the TelCom gang and had some MID food. MID.
The view was great tho! We took some pictures and then left for the ghats for yet another Ganga Aarti. Steffani wanted to shop so Yale and her stayed back, while the two of us reached the ghats and spent some time there before choosing the most optimal spot to witness the Aarti.
It was beautiful! The pandit right in front of us performed the ritual very gracefully. We even got to hold the Arti plate for a bit. Compared to Haridwar, this Ganga Aarti seemed way more organised, even if there is a much lesser audience here.
After the Aarti, Ryan and I took a long walk along the promenade. It felt really nice! Then we met up with the other 2, had some chaat and then headed back to our dorm. After freshening up, we headed out again to look for a restaurant where we could have dinner at. Surprisingly it took a long time to find one that was inhabited despite there being a number of restaurants/cafes around.
We had some good North Indian and South Indian food after which we returned to the hotel, taking just a small tea break in the middle. Ryan and I had a go at some other games that were at our disposal until 12 AM when they shut everything.
We've just returned to our room, but not before coming across an alum from another campus and engaging in a good chat with her for a bit.
Sweet.
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An Outlet - Part 9
RandomThis piece of writing is mostly for myself. I want this to act as my journal. I've always tried to see life from others' perspective. I think it's time to see it from mine. This can act as a rough draft of my life. If you're very nosy and want to kn...
