Two weeks already...

So, two weeks done already. It's pretty unbelievable when you think about all the stuff we've managed to do. We spent some time travelling around again this week, visiting places such as Dehradun, Patti Village and Rishikesh. It's been another crazy week with the opportunity to visit some very different places and sample more variety of Indian culture. I think we all knew India was a very diverse country, but now we've had the first hand experience to see it for ourselves.

Dehradun, for me, was the typical Indian town, with the busy streets and quaint houses, although somewhat quieter than what we're used to in Delhi. For a couple of nights we stayed in home stay accommodation with a lovely woman called Mrs Sehti, who was very accomodating and eager to make sure we always had what we needed. It's not very often you meet someone like her, with such a kind nature.

From Dehradun, we then headed up into the depths of the Himalayas for a nights stay in the charming Patti Village, a drastic change to what we're all used to. The landscape was simply breathtaking, and the peace and quiet was brilliant. It's fair to say we were the only ones disturbing that! In a million years, I never imagined I'd have the chance to visit somewhere like this, and I certainly didn't think I'd be doing yoga at 6am in the morning as the sun was rising over the himalayas, a once in a lifetime experience!

Finally we headed on towards Rishikesh, on the banks of the sacred river Ganges, with another completely different atmosphere. Staying next to an Ashram, there were people from all over who had come to visit this historical town. It is known as being a very spiritual place, and the atmosphere most certainly gave off that impression. With daily sacred ceremonies taking place on the banks of the river, you really got a taste of the way Indian people feel about the famous Ganges River, with the locals taking handfuls of the famous pure water to wash their faces or have a dip, we even manage to have a dip in there ourselves! Rishikesh seemed to be a more calming area, although still attracting many visitors from far and wide. Overall, the last few days have been another great opportunity to witness the complete diversity of India, and I can't wait for the next week has in store.....

Jayne Duncan 17/04/2011