Rishikesh

We arrived in Rishikesh after a few days in Haridwar. Found an Ashram (place of Meditation, Yoga ect) to stay at. The next morning we decided to eat our breakfast of bananas on the roof and got robbed by one mean monkey.

Went for a hike up a mountain and at the top found terraced rice fields. The workers were so nice, they gave us cucumbers and guava fruits.

Festival in Rishikesh. Music, dancing and deafening EXPLOSIONS! First we thought the earsplitting blasts where due to dynamite used in roadwork but discovered that Indians merely love the chance to make some noise (even if it means nearly damaging your eardrums).

Sadhus on Mobile Phones

Escaping crowded and polluted Delhi we headed north to the holy city of Haridwar. This is where the sacred river Ganges emerges from the Himalayan Mountains and it is busy with Hindu pilgrims. We followed suite and did as most visiting Indians here do and took a dip in the fast-slowing Ganges (it is said to wash away your sins).

Patrick in the Ganges

Every evening there is a ceremony, puja, where people put leaf baskets filled with flower petals and a burning candle in the river. The belief is you make a wish and it will come true. An Indian boy swam out to put our basket in the middle of the river also managing to put the candle out. In all the excitement we even forgot to make our wishes. Better luck next time.

The world of technology is evidently hitting India and mobile phones and tvs are increasing in popularity. We even saw an orange-clothed Sadhu (holy man) chatting away avidly on his mobile phone!

Next stop Rishikesh...

Delhi Part 2

Testing the limits of our cheapness, we found this dilapidated hovel in Pahar Ganj. For only 250 rupees we got to enjoy the company of mosquitos, cockroaches and all the filth we could handle.

 Hotel Mohit, Delhi

Gandhi Smriti is the place where Gandhi was assassinated. It is now a museum filled with quote's from Gandhi and depictions of his life.



Acclimatizing to India

India is India alright. A unique crazy existence of life and colour. It all hits you from the first moment you arrive at the airport. The heat, thick air full with the smell of spices, noises, bustling of people, honking of car horns. Take the busiest street you know and times it by five and you have Delhi. Pure, but wonderful, chaos. The weather is hot and humid and we go around constantly sweating like we just got out of a Bikram yoga session.

We are in vegetarian heaven. Eating a delious variety of lentil dahls, currys and rice everyday. Luckily we have only yet had one incident of too spicey food;
a bharta (egg plant/aubergine) curry that made us sweat, snivel and the waiter smirk at our bland western taste buds.

Tara had her ears cleaned out by a friendly local man at Connaught Place who told us that it has been his profession for 25 years!

Forget deseases and the like, dodging the traffic here has been the most life-threatening as crosswalks are unherd of, traffic laws ignored and using the horn a general method of getting through the traffic. Our tactic has has been to discretely tag along behind the locals who are experts at weaving through the traffic.

                                                Rickshaws at New Delhi Train Station

                                                                    First night in Delhi

                                                                      Pahar Ganj

Wwoofing in Sweden; Part 2

Åke´s Farm

Epic garden, met some nice people, never ate so good.

Tara and Magdelena, the Wwoofer.

Patrick and Guus from Holland.

Wwoofing in Sweden

Hello! there...

We've just returned to Gotland after a few weeks of wwoofing near Göteborg/Gothemburg. The first bit we spent at an Eco-village called Utsikten Ekoby on an island called Orust. There we spent our time helping our host, Sivert, build his strawbale house. 

Patrick gives a thumb's up next to the plaster's secret ingredient.

Tara plastering the straw with a mixture of clay, sand and 'bullshit'