Summer 2022. Part II - RISHIKESH

 Checked out of Hotel Rock Stone, Mussoorie at a little after 10am. There’s a long drive ahead to my next destination…but the weather’s beautiful & company is great, so let’s go!

Mumbai à Mussoorie à Rishikesh à Jim Corbett à Nainital à Amritsar

 

It takes a little over 2 hours to drive from Mussoorie to Rishikesh, but it took us longer since we wanted to stop at an interesting spot, some 8 kms from Dehradun.  Our assigned driver for this journey, Haider Ali (9837335040), was a cheerful young man, quite happy to oblige as he, too, hadn’t visited the site we had chosen – The Robber’s Cave, or Gucchu Paani, as it is locally known. It’s believed that robbers used to hide in these caves to escape being caught by the authorities, hence the name. 

Now, this very popular tourist site is best visited once the rains come in, but the summer does not do much to dim its charms. Once you reach Gucchu Paani, you can borrow a pair of slippers for a mere Rs.10, but I’d advise you wear comfortable, waterproof shoes/sandals of your own (hygiene concerns) as this experience involves wading through water, thankfully not very deep. After some amount of wading through the water, trying to hold on to the slippery walls of the narrow cave, you come to a small clearing of sorts and a waterfall or two.

I didn’t quite enjoy the experience myself as I’d taken the foolish decision to walk in barefoot to keep my shoes from getting wet, only to have said shoes plop into the water half way into the cave. Having had enough of the crowd steadily streaming into the narrow space, I made my way back out with aching feet and soggy shoes. 

What lay ahead next was a lovely long drive, blessed with smooth roads and great weather! The drive to Rishikesh took us through some of the most stunning landscapes – hills, forests, little towns. To add to that, we had cloudy skies, strong winds, some sort of dust storm and then, rain!!! Even Haider stated he’d never driven on such a lovely day as this! And, seeing that we were cheerful, he added to the cheer by playing some music just perfect for a drive such as this.

The rain hit us just as we reached Rishikesh. Stopping at the car park closest to Laxman Jhoola, we began our way towards the old bridge only to find it shut for repairs. We backtracked towards the junction looking for some other way of crossing the river. 

The alternative was to cross the river by boat at Rs.50 a head.  Luckily, our accommodation of choice was just a few meters from the jetty. We got there only to realize this place, too, was shut for renovations.  

A short distance away, we checked ourselves into Yatri Niwas (9412953957), a simple, yet beautifully kept guesthouse within a temple complex. There are plenty of rooms available from a single occupancy to mattresses laid out in a dormitory. Some rooms, like the one assigned to us, come equipped with a private bathroom, while others need to make do with the common washrooms situated on the ground floor. Toiletries and towels must be your own, as are all your meals. It’s a simple two storied building with a terrace that overlooks the River Ganges and the Laxman Jhoola. Our room was fairly large, clean and also had a really noisy cooler, in addition to a fan. The simplicity of the place and the fact that it was a temple complex, added another element to our stay in Rishikesh.

After a few moments of rest, and seeing that Haider had stayed back to ensure that we ladies were safely settled in, we treated him to a really, really late lunch of pizza and chai, (the former was our choice, the latter, his) at the Ganga View Café. True to its name, it offers a lovely view of the river and makes dining a pleasant experience. Our garlic bread, too, was quite good. 

Lunch done, I bade Haider a fond farewell at the jetty and stood waving goodbye as he crossed over to the other side.

Later that evening, we stepped out to buy some bottled water and sit on the banks of the river for some time. As we sat there, we decided to do what Rishikesh is popular for – rafting! Heading back to the guesthouse, we considered the options available.

There’s 9 kms, 16 kms and 24 kms. Feeling exceptionally brave we paid an advance and booked ourselves for the 24kms rafting experience at a 1200 each at Sri Ganga Adventure.

Early next morning, all set for our adventure, but feeling not so brave, we set out towards the pick-up point, only to be told that the level of water had risen making only the 9 kms ride possible. As we stood outside, rather disappointed, we entered an adjoining booking office, Mount River Expedition (Naman: 9997618276), and were soon registered for the 16kms rafting experience at half the price. Taking back our advance from the previous provider, we warily signed the disclaimer and got into the van, taking us to the starting point at Shivpuri.

The other members of our team were six guys, some of whom were not-so-sneakily rolling a joint and passing it around. We were offered one too, but declined with stern reprimands of, “Nahin nahin….hum to teachers hai. Hum ye sab nahin karte.” Then we sat back with our masks firmly fixed on our faces, letting out a delicate cough every now and then.

Finally, at Shivpuri, we were strapped into our life jackets, given basic instructions by the guide and got into a nice red raft.

As we rowed along, we encounter a couple of rapids with names such as Double Trouble, Roller coaster, Crossfire etc. Kept paddling through them all for fear of being tossed into the water. The entire experience was quite an exhilarating one, and it must have been the passive inhalation of all the weed that prompted me to dive into the river when suggested by the guide. In no sane condition would I have ever jumped out of a boat, but I did, and also asked to be hauled back out almost immediately since deep waters scare the living daylights out of me. But I’m glad I did jump in, if only for a few minutes. Kinda’ proud of myself, but I’m not sure I’ll ever do it again.

After a 15 minute Maggi stop, the final drop point was the jetty right outside Yatri Nivas, so we didn’t have far to walk in our wet clothes. A nice long bath was followed by a hearty meal of chole-chaaval at a tiny, two-table, family-run eatery.

A short nap later, we purchased some super sweet rabdi lassi & walked towards the Ram Jhoola, located 3 kms north-east from Rishikesh. Built in 1986, this suspension bridge is a landmark of Rishikesh and connects pilgrims & tourists to the many temples and ghats on both sides of the river. The place is crowded and noisy, but the sound of aartis rising up from the many temples drowns out every other sound. Just sitting at the ghat and watching the river flow by is a spiritually uplifting experience.

It's also a great place to enjoy some chaat and lime soda. Also to get a pic with the Chotiwala all painted up and seated outside the popular eater by the same name. 

By the time we decided to head back, it was past sunset so we decided to take the shared cab back to Laxman Jhoola. This costs Rs.30 per seat, if you’re willing to share the cab with other passengers. Not a bad option.

Before moving back to the room, we had a quick dinner of kadhai paneer, dal makhani &  rotis at Lucky Restaurant. After that, a bath and lights out.

Early the next morning, we found ourselves back at the Mount River Expedition Office, where we had a cab waiting to drive us 4 hours away to our next destination. It had been an enjoyable and eventful stay, and now we say goodbye to Rishikesh and drive out.

Pics by Misha.