After a lazy couple of days with not much worthwhile writing about we (I am still hanging out with the Swedish bunch mentioned in my last post) decided to do something with the day. It was either a trip back to the beach on the Ganges for some swimming or to visit the famous Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram made so by the Beatle’s visit in 1968.
After bribing the guard, or perhaps he is a very lazy and stroppy owner, and his spiritual accomplish with 50 rupees per person (quite pricey at 73p; my breakfast cost the same) we clambered up the steep incline and past the meditation huts through some of the 2km grounds to the now derelict ashram. It was a very interesting place with shards of broken glass everywhere and crumbling brickwork. Every building is open to walk around and there is a cool painting featuring Beatles imagery in one of the bedrooms that was painted by an unknown German artist. Even if the Beatles hadn’t blessed the haloed grounds of the ashram it would still be a cool place to explore.
The ant hill like huts where John more than likely 'meditated' with Yoko
According to Wikipedia the Beatles “ate three vegetarian meals daily, and had wide-ranging conversations”, it sounds exactly like my time here except finally last night after a week of abstinence from booze we finally managed to get our hands on some beers! Exciting times. We drank the one restaurant that serves them in town dry, a poultry two cans each of my least favourite alcohol Fosters. We were just getting into the swing of things when we ran out so three of the Swedes went on a booze hunt and managed to get lucky with a delicious bottle of Indian vodka called Magic Moments that we got delivered by courier for an eye watering 1500 rupees. The drink is so good that the label features a swimmer drinking the fine spirit (with grain imported from France no less) while swimming. Notice the intricately carved guitar silhouette too. Classy stuff.
India's best. Served with Limca for a jolly good time
The 5k Challenge 