Where were you during the lockdown?

I wanted to get stuck in Mountains during the lockdown, & the dream did come true, & I loved every bit of it, apart from paying the rent part hahahaha… when u r jobless, these things hurt even more lol.

So, this lockdown I was in Rishikesh, I know its no Mountain area but still, let’s not be greedy, I made peace with what I got, anything was better than Delhi, I was there since February end, I decided to stay there, & got stuck there intentionally.

Yeah, you read it right intentionally!

I always wanted to live in mountains somewhere in Himachal, Rishikesh is not bad either, & the lockdown made it even better than usual. So during the lockdown, some cafés were still running behind the closed gates, though I was staying in a homestay with access to a kitchen, so in the beginning & at end of the sta, didn’t cook, instead, went out for food.

Later on, we formed a routine, so, I was there with two more friends, one by one they left & then it was just me, they were doing WFH from there, & me jobless, just enjoying the simple, cooking eating cleaning, going for walks, bathing at waterfalls, kinda life. 

Because there were fewer people, ghats were more peaceful, roads were clean, & quiet. Rishikesh is a total tourist hub, I am going to Rishikesh for the past 8-10 years (twice a year), once for 3-4 days for rafting & camping around April-June, that time Rishikesh is always flooded with vehicles, humans, rafts, cows, monkey, & it’s too hot to stay for long ( for me) & once always in October, I Love Rishikesh in October.. uffff 

less crowded, pleasant wheater, soul-soothing breeze, when I say Rishikesh I mean Tapovan (the area around Laxman Jhula) In October, I prefer staying in hotels or hostels depends on the mood (sometimes you just want private space & toilet) & budget.

This time, I stayed there for more than 3 months, & a major part of my stay was spent in a homestay. 

I discovered some new places & a different side to it too.. you will always learn more about a place, a human, a gadget, or about anything/anyone when u spend more time with it, I have been visiting Rishikesh for so long still didn’t know about these places, cafes, this another side of It.

Surprisingly, the weather there was so nice this year, there were typical summery days too, but then it will rain.

Evenings have always been pleasant there, even in camps, on the other hand, day time always felt longer, because of the heat. But this time because I was in a homestay, daytime didn’t hurt like it has, in past (while camping)

Also, there was no need to go out in extreme heat, as I knew that I am here for months unlike when one is visiting a place for a couple of days.

I also traveled from Rishikesh to Mussoorie & Chopta, walked to waterfalls, yes during the Lockdown, when it was bliss, it felt like I own the hotels, & the land as there was no one apart from us, Ohhh! so much to tell you, but Typing is ughhhh… be patient with me, I will be bringing so many stories.

Happy Travels!

Cheers!