Madras Cafe

I stumbled upon Madras Cafe & Restaurant. Walking along the street and peeking into the restaurant front. I saw full tables of happy people and that's usually a sign of a good restaurant. 

The food was delicious and reasonably priced, though not the cheapest in Rishikesh. But the service and the atmosphere was just wonderful.  You could tell that the people working here really cared about the food and the customers.

Certainly wouldn't see this poster at McDonalds.

They have the best thali in Rishikesh for under 3 USD.

And now I'll leave you with the words on the sign as you leave Madras cafe:

Moon Dance Cafe

To get to Moon Dance Cafe, you have to climb a small spiral staircase to the restaurant on the roof. The food and the prices are average, nothing too spectacular (in my opinion) but a good solid choice, nonetheless. A plus is that they have a variety of other cuisines including pastas, burgers, and salads. And the staff is super friendly!

Their specialty... the sizzler platter.

Rishikesh Recommended Yoga Classes

During my first week in Rishikesh I had the experience of taking some amazing yoga classes! These are my top three recommendations. You can click the link for their website.

1. Hatha Style Yoga with Surrinder

Surrender's class is not advertised anywhere on guidebooks or advertisements around the city. Yogis learn about him solely through referral, and even then his classes are full to the brim. Surrinder's approach to teaching is both gentle and powerful. His adjustments and verbal cues are subtle but so profound, which allows for the student to be their own teacher. He also conducts class in a way that connects the physical asanas to the mental and spiritual awareness.  I left his classes feeling very positive and inspired.

2. Ashtanga at Tattvaa Yogashala 

I've taken both the led and Mysore style Ashtanga classes here. The teacher is no nonsense and an expert at hands on adjustments (my favorite part about this class). I  just learned that Ashtanga Yoga was created for the Warrior Class in India for battle training! This class IS quite challenging, but you are never asked to go beyond your limit. At the end of each class, I leave feeling empowered and amazed at what the human body is capable of! I still take a class here on my free Sundays.

The practice room is right on Mama Ganges!

3. Iyengar with Ashish

This class was heavily focused on proper alignment and extremely informative.  During the two hours we focused on 5-7 poses in great detail, learning by teacher/student demonstrations and with the use of props. I brought a pen and notebook to every class! Although I wouldn't recommend this class for beginners since the amount of detail being presented, it is certainly beneficial to supplement a yoga practice. Ashish is extremely knowledgeable and knows how to crack a joke that pokes at the ego :)!

Rishikesh

My home for the next two months is Rishikesh, India. I am taking a course to complete my 500 hour yoga teacher certification. I came a week before the course started to explore the area and try out some of the yoga classes offered here.

Rishikesh, in my eyes, is a very special city. It is located in North India at the foothills of the Himalayas with the mighty Gange River flowing through it. Everything about it is picturesque.

The name Rishikesh means "place of the seers" and it is a spiritual hub. As such, there is a vibrant energy about the city. You walk into coffee shops and people are talking about things like universal consciousness and the nature of reality. It's awesome.

It is also said to be the "yoga capital of the world" and the "birthplace for yoga".  There are tons of studios in various styles of yoga being taught.  Every year an international yoga festival is held here with teachers and gurus coming from all over the world.

Every nook and cranny of this city is so alive! I just want to take a picture of everything. And by the end of the trip I might as well have.  Here are some pictures of my first two days around the streets of Rishikesh.

I spent the first week couchsurfing with Vivek.  I stayed in his ashram located in a gated neighborhood.

As you enter the city. Wow. What a welcome!

A window of one of the many bookstores.

YES.

And my other fave, sweet lemon soda!

Street selling...

Mama Gange.  There are boat rides you can take down the river.

Lots of things to explore and do!

These guys are plentiful and roam the streets.

There seem to be a lot of stray dogs, but none of them were ever agressive.

It's the monkeys that people should be weary of!

Arriving in India (again!)

I missed my flight out of Bangkok to Delhi and it was 100% my fault.  I simply didn't double check my departure time. Well, mistakes happen to everyone and  every mistake is an opportunity to learn. I can be sure not to make the same mistake in the future! And actually, I wasn't so upset with myself. Simply because there was nothing else I could do about the situation. And if you can't do anything about the situation, why worry? Why get upset?

150 USD and 14 hours at the Bangkok airport later and I was on my way back to India.

I was again accepted into Jaya's home.  They arranged pick up at the airport, fed me at their home, and later brought me to the train station.

The first thing I did in India-- have a cup of chai.

As a thank you gift, I gave Jaya some Thailand treats and a picture I drew that was inspired by her art.  You can see Jaya's by clicking this link. 

The pictures I drew. She said it was "cute" and coming form an artist that is a complement!

Jaya and her family helped arrange and book my train ticket to Rishikesh. I really couldn't have done it without their help. They got me a seat on the sleeper train which was quite comfortable. 

At the train station

My own compartment where I could sleep on the 5 hour journey.

During this trip I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers.  The entire journey from Delhi airport to Rishikesh, I was never alone. People were helping my all along the way, whether it was showing me where my seat was or sharing a taxi. It's been like this for my entire journey and I am so grateful. Compassion is humanity at it's best!

Bangkok

After Pai I traveled to Bangkok. I spent two days there, before my flight to India. From speaking to other travelers, I didn't hear anyone who had a super great time in the city-- mostly because of how huge and touristy everything was. Keeping this in mind, I decided to use my time in Bangkok to recharge and get one last taste of city life before departing back to simple living in India. I had a BLAST.


I spent my mornings drinking thai iced tea!

 Had to get my fill before I left!

During my stay I couchsurfed with Terrence from Florida, USA. We shared a love for ramen, so we went to a ramen food court for lunch.

can't get enough!

Terrence and almond tofu dessert.

At lunch Terrence taught me origami and how to play set. Here's his origami raccoon.

Then I went to Yunomori Onsen and Spa, Bangkok's first Japanese style onsen. I had been missing jjimjilbangs since I left Korea and this was absolutely glorious! I even had a thai massage there.

me in a kimono and green tea!

The next day I went to the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. The building has five floors with interdependently owned cafe and art shops. On the top floor was a modern art museum filled with paintings, sculptures, and interactive pieces by artist all over SE Asia.

Then I went to Paragon Cineplex where I watched Saving Mr. Banks.  The theater was inside of a huge,   luxurious, high end shopping mall. It was an air conditioned heaven from the the humid Bangkok streets!

In the evening, I met with Sopida. I know Sopida through a good friend from high school. She treated me out to a excellent seafood dinner. And I can't wait to treat her out when we're back in California!

Hi Matt!

Cafes in Pai

Pai is filled with so many delicious cafes and places to eat. Here are my top five recommendations.

1. Art in Chai | This place in itself was worthy of it's own blog post. Everything is five stars about this place including atmosphere, food and drinks, and the lovely people who work there.  Pick up a book from there stellar collection (with authors including George M. Martin, Murikami, Coelho, Silverstien, and Osho) and order a coconut milk chai with honey.

2. Random Street Food | Just walking the streets of Pai you can smell and hear all the goodies being created.  Everything from fresh squeezed juices to sticky mango rice to barbecue skewer. Take your pick!

My favorite in Pai, coconut banana pancakes

3. All About Coffee | I am a sucker for atmosphere and this little art/coffee shop is top notch.  It's owned and run by a family.  The woman bakes the pastries. Her son and husband create all the gorgeous art that decorates the cafe.

Chocolate banana cream pie. UGH.

4. Big's Little Cafe | This is great food for great values.  Probably the best American style breakfast in Pai.  Sandwiches and paninis are awesome too! But don't go if you are in a hurry--  all the food is made fresh to order, right in front of you eyes!

5. Good Life: Herb and Health Restaurant | I recommend this place simply because their variety of drinks.  They have all sorts of juices, smoothies, tea, and coffee. They even bottle and sell their own kombucha. They also have a huge selection of meals (both Thai and western cuisines) and really anything you could want to satiate your hunger or taste buds.

From inside, you can sit on a swing and enjoy your meal.

wheat grass shots!

Touring Pai

I booked a tour around some of Pai's local attractions.  Here was my day:

First we went to Wat Mae Yen, a temple on a hill.

These handmade hats could be found everywhere

Next we stopped by Pai Tree House Resort, a place where you can rent a room in a tree! It was a beautiful setting, next to rivers and elephants!

Miniature versions of the tree houses

Then we took a dip at the Hot Springs.

The natural mineral water is being heated from underground

Some of the pools were so hot, you could boil eggs in them.

Next, we stopped at the World War II Memorial Bridge.

schools out!

you could ride a bamboo raft down the river

After we stopped at Pai Canyon for some light trekking.

The trail was narrow and winding!

For a snack break we stopped by Love Strawberry, a cute themed cafe.

strawberry muffin

right next door, was a much less popular and populated Chinese Plum cafe :(

After we then made a short stop at Coffee in Love, a cafe that boast great views and flower gardens galore!

Next we stopped at Wat Naam Hoo, another temple.

Then we were off to Shadicun (The Chinese Village).

Our final destination was Pai Waterfall. The waterfall was not at the peak of it's strength, but you could climb to the top to sunbathe.

I thought of Pai as an excellent break for the weary traveler.  There is everything you could want within walking distance and plenty of comforts.