I am a wanderer making a home in my soul
The Divine is my shelter and my warmth
The stars are my decorations and the sea my music
The wind is my companion and guide
With these eyes I see the world and with these feet and hands, I touch it
With God I know it
In Love I dwell, in Love I stay, in Love I live
I have just finished a ten day silent meditation retreat on Koh pha Ngan with Agama yoga schoo. It was such a beautiful experience. We were maybe 50 people in the retreat, women and men separated in the yoga hall where we sat for hours a day attempting to find inner stillness and the grace of God in our hearts. We sat, we did Hatha yoga led by our Retreat leader, Claudiu and were told inspirational quotes, stories and poems from the masters like Ramana Maharshi and Rumi and so many more. I rented a bungalow on the beach for the occasion and spent the break time swimming and rocking silently in the hammock. what a beautiful experience and so hard to describe. I really enjoyed guided meditations and new techniques as they helped me to really feel love radiating from my heart, feel my heart, feel stillness and painfree body after hours of sitting. one morning I sat in constant stillness and it was so profound and natural and I have been trying to get back to it since and finding my mind fight with me on that a bit...
I felt inspired and wrote in my journal about the meditations, wrote some poems and wrote a lot of notes on the lectures. The last night we had 'sharing' of our experiences, people sang, read poetry and cried telling their stories. We were all there in totally different journeys and it was amazing to witness and take part in. Amazing how HARD it is to quiet the mind, that stubborn and often restless ego doesn't like to surrender to the heart or to the stillness that our true 'self' IS. so worth the attempt:)
Now, I am getting ready for an ashtanga teacher training course and back in the world of talking and being and people. It is a bit of a shock and I feel tired now that I am not meditating and doing yoga for 11 hours a day! ha... soon I will be starting classes at 6am daily for chanting and yoga and learning the ins and outs of teaching yoga and learning more about the body and ... Ayurvedic Medicine. I am thrilled! I know the struggle to pay for the course is worth it... I am reminding myself daily that all is well in this perfect and complete universe and that money is just energy to exchange and comes when needed and is spent accordingly! I am really looking forward to the opportunity as the experience promises to be mind and heart fulfilling!
I will be living in the jungle close to the school and will have two kittens for company:) and Shai will come out often to stay as well.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Around the world in 80 days plus procrastination
It has been ages since I last caught up the blog. A lot of travel has been done in that time period... and many oceans crossed.
I started at the end of February with a flight to Bangkok and then through Tokyo to California... a very long flight. During my stopover in Tokyo I met a bunch of US military who were on my flight from BKK and sat with them while they drank rum and coke and told them about meditation and yoga:)
I went directly to MCH from the SFO airport and really loved seeing the staff and of course the children again... so much that I came back the next week to assist at park play. Anuhea informed me of the changes that had happened, such as picking a new favorite teacher, her sister attending the school and her new watch:)
I visited Carmel and SF and Novato and Napa... a lot of driving within short distances, seeing childhood friends and newer friends, one meeting was done during my friend's weekly shopping trip to Rainbow market... very north american pace.
Next, I spent a lovely and quick paced week in Bisbee, AZ with my mom, meeting her many new friends, massaging some of them and popping over to Mexico for dinner one night!
The last week of my American travels was spent with the Gordons of the Pacific Northwest:) I stayed with Angel at his home, now converted into the Noesis Temple and was fortunate enough to celebrate the full moon with them. My dad joined me up there and we drove to Luke and Kate's home where I met Alia and played with Asher all weekend.
THEN.... for the European adventure, I started in Dublin with my former neighber from the island, Aisling. She showed me the seaside, introduced me to her friends, took me out in the city and offered me a few guinness beers to change things up a bit from my yogic diet:)
From there, I returned to Torino, where I used to live in 2004 and stayed with my former student and now, very good friend, Anna, who is now in Koh Pha Ngan visiting! I became friends with my former boyfriend, Alessandro. I went to Alba during the trip to see another old friend and got to spend a nice weekend in the Piemonte Hills and in precious Alba, which was having an international film festival.
Finally.... back to my beloved Paris! I stayed with Sophie and from her place, took the metro and walked all over the city like I love to do... got to visit my friends from there and was able to come to a French burner body painting party too! A family from MCH, the Robbins, are currently living in Paris and I met up with them twice and got to see a new side of the Luxembourg gardens, the children's park!! amazing! Just as my appetite for French bread and cheese and crepes was starting to blossom, I left Paris and flew across the Mediteranean Sea to....
ISRAEL... my first time in the holy land. I met up with Shai, who I have been dating on the island for some time now and he picked me up in Tel Aviv and we started a one month fest of eating, visiting with his enormous family and visiting his friends. There was holiday after holiday in April there... starting with Passover, then memorial day and independence day... somewhere in all the down time and bbq's we managed to spend 5 days in the North of the country, visiting Haifa, CARMEL:), Rosh Hanikra, Sfat, the sea of Galilee and the pools of Bet Shan! Beautiful country!!
Jerusalem was where Shai grew up and where we spent most of our time, venturing into the tunnels to see the Western wall in more of it's entirety and wandering through the Shuck (market)... spending Shabbat in different synagogues and eating Shabbat dinner with his wonderful Sister, Michal... enjoying Kosher restaurants for the first time and seeing a JEWISH state... crazy...
Before returning to Thailand, we flew to London where we met up with Shai's good friend, Sharone and got to spend time with him and his lovely wife and children, walking in the parks, enjoying pic nics with other families and finally seeing the Tate Modern museum too.
Thoroughly ready to be back in one spot, we flew to Bangkok and spent a day shopping (Shai for the business and me for SEWING) since I carted my sewing machines through a few continents to bring them to Thailand! And now, we are settled back on the island, in the bungalow in front of the beach, pool hopping and yoga-ing a lot like usual!
I started at the end of February with a flight to Bangkok and then through Tokyo to California... a very long flight. During my stopover in Tokyo I met a bunch of US military who were on my flight from BKK and sat with them while they drank rum and coke and told them about meditation and yoga:)
I went directly to MCH from the SFO airport and really loved seeing the staff and of course the children again... so much that I came back the next week to assist at park play. Anuhea informed me of the changes that had happened, such as picking a new favorite teacher, her sister attending the school and her new watch:)
I visited Carmel and SF and Novato and Napa... a lot of driving within short distances, seeing childhood friends and newer friends, one meeting was done during my friend's weekly shopping trip to Rainbow market... very north american pace.
Next, I spent a lovely and quick paced week in Bisbee, AZ with my mom, meeting her many new friends, massaging some of them and popping over to Mexico for dinner one night!
The last week of my American travels was spent with the Gordons of the Pacific Northwest:) I stayed with Angel at his home, now converted into the Noesis Temple and was fortunate enough to celebrate the full moon with them. My dad joined me up there and we drove to Luke and Kate's home where I met Alia and played with Asher all weekend.
THEN.... for the European adventure, I started in Dublin with my former neighber from the island, Aisling. She showed me the seaside, introduced me to her friends, took me out in the city and offered me a few guinness beers to change things up a bit from my yogic diet:)
From there, I returned to Torino, where I used to live in 2004 and stayed with my former student and now, very good friend, Anna, who is now in Koh Pha Ngan visiting! I became friends with my former boyfriend, Alessandro. I went to Alba during the trip to see another old friend and got to spend a nice weekend in the Piemonte Hills and in precious Alba, which was having an international film festival.
Finally.... back to my beloved Paris! I stayed with Sophie and from her place, took the metro and walked all over the city like I love to do... got to visit my friends from there and was able to come to a French burner body painting party too! A family from MCH, the Robbins, are currently living in Paris and I met up with them twice and got to see a new side of the Luxembourg gardens, the children's park!! amazing! Just as my appetite for French bread and cheese and crepes was starting to blossom, I left Paris and flew across the Mediteranean Sea to....
ISRAEL... my first time in the holy land. I met up with Shai, who I have been dating on the island for some time now and he picked me up in Tel Aviv and we started a one month fest of eating, visiting with his enormous family and visiting his friends. There was holiday after holiday in April there... starting with Passover, then memorial day and independence day... somewhere in all the down time and bbq's we managed to spend 5 days in the North of the country, visiting Haifa, CARMEL:), Rosh Hanikra, Sfat, the sea of Galilee and the pools of Bet Shan! Beautiful country!!
Jerusalem was where Shai grew up and where we spent most of our time, venturing into the tunnels to see the Western wall in more of it's entirety and wandering through the Shuck (market)... spending Shabbat in different synagogues and eating Shabbat dinner with his wonderful Sister, Michal... enjoying Kosher restaurants for the first time and seeing a JEWISH state... crazy...
Before returning to Thailand, we flew to London where we met up with Shai's good friend, Sharone and got to spend time with him and his lovely wife and children, walking in the parks, enjoying pic nics with other families and finally seeing the Tate Modern museum too.
Thoroughly ready to be back in one spot, we flew to Bangkok and spent a day shopping (Shai for the business and me for SEWING) since I carted my sewing machines through a few continents to bring them to Thailand! And now, we are settled back on the island, in the bungalow in front of the beach, pool hopping and yoga-ing a lot like usual!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Blessed by the Swami
Yet another month on Koh Pha Ngan has breezed by. Another month spent focusing my attentions to perceive subtle vibrations of energy in the area of the crown chakra and the other six major energy centers of the body.
The third month of Agama led up to the 'yoga aspirant exam' otherwise called the 'red sash' exam after the red cloth we receive at the final ceremony if successful. During all 12 practices, we continued to stay longer and longer in our asanas, perform pranayama breathing meditation together and learn new asanas and kriyas as well. Our teacher would encourage us to practice the harder techniques at home, like staying in one of 4 positions of our choice for TEN MINUTES without moving and staring at a black dot against the wall without BLINKING for 5 to 10 minutes, Trataka. The test, although not actually making one closer to enlightenment, serves as some sort of gage to our 'progress' and lets our teachers know if we are indeed performing certain asanas correctly and becoming sensitive to our chakras.
Nervously, we took our exam, some standing on their heads
for 10 minutes for 'bonus points' and other in sitting forward bends or laying on their backs with feet over and behind the head. We answered 25 multiple choice questions about which asanas stimulated which chakras and then sublimed our energies under watch of the teacher. Then, we listened to a piece of music and had to pinpoint the chakra it worked on through meditation. Some stared at the dot, the rest of us performed sun salutations and chanted the 12 sacred names of the sun out loud. Once finished with the list of tasks, we had a pot luck near the beach and then all met up for the 'final ceremony' at Ananda Resort.
We all packed into the yoga hall and watched some 60 or 70 people receive their first month yoga intensive diplomas. Then, my class went up to receive our red sashs... and after us, more people for orange sashs. The ceremony was about 3 hours long because each person kneeled before our founder/teacher, Swami Vivikenanda Saraswati to receive sacred ash on our foreheads, a blessed and prana infused food (cup cake! ha), a protective string bracelet tied with mantras, a flower garland and .. a red sash:)
This week, I am taking Agama's famous Tantra workshop. The class is being instructed to rewire the neural pathways and become more sensitive and aware of our bodies.
February 19th, I say goodbye to Thailand for a marathon of travel to see friends and family for six weeks, ending then with a month in Israel and back to Koh Pha Ngan to return to my new community of yogis here and get ready for a teacher training course this summer.
Wishing everyone well. Hoping to see my loved ones soon!!!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Yogini Rules
Now I have my computer here with me!!!! YAY!!!!It was put to my attention that I should update my blog. I have been here on Koh Pha Ngan for over a month now and time moves both slow and fast. The last month, as I mentioned before, has continued along the same theme, an inner journey. Lately I have been skyping, and so happy to do so!
Yoga courses continue to be interesting, inspiring and at times challenging. Quieting the mental monkey can be very rough for someone as airy and flighty as myself, constantly wanting to move around, change positions and in general restless. It has been a good test of will power and mental concentration to stay in different asanas, or positions, for up to 10 minutes at a time, thinking about a certain effect, energy and chakra the whole while.
The second month of Agama was lovely, taught by a sweet couple of yogis with a lot of heart and energy. We had music meditations, chanting, and plenty of new techniques ranging from simple to extremely overwhelming, not because they are difficult, but because they generate surges of energy like being plugged into the cosmos.
On a personal level in that business, I maintain my practice at home, trying more and more to see the 'pillar' in my stomach, a hard technique and purification in which one sucks in the stomach while holding the void (no air) and then sticks out only the center muscles and then waves them through the abdomen like an ocean wave... I may arrive soon:) Years of sit ups has hardened my muscles but kept them stuck together too!
We learned to chant with vowells for different energetic aspects and everyone loved the practice.
Socially, there are more and more people on the island and I am making friends in the yoga class and school in general. There was a Christmas Bhajan (devotional singing) and more than a few vegetarian and alcohol free yogi pot lucks and shakti gatherings (aka women's night). The beaches of the island fill up to celebrate the black moon, half moons, full moon and recently Shiva moon as well, so there are plenty of foreigners from all over the world, here, drinking, dancing and partying together. They wander about and also, more dangerously, drive their motorbikes, so there were a lot of bandages being waved around in the last few weeks.
I have been learning how to make jewelry by hand and finally get to swim again now that my own motorbike injury has healed! hehe... although I was funny enough at a stop in sand and the bike just fell over and I hurt myself lifting it!
Life is good, trying every day to remind myself more and more and more to stay in the present moment, to love myself, send love to all beings and keep my connection to the universe wide open.
More soon:)
Yoga courses continue to be interesting, inspiring and at times challenging. Quieting the mental monkey can be very rough for someone as airy and flighty as myself, constantly wanting to move around, change positions and in general restless. It has been a good test of will power and mental concentration to stay in different asanas, or positions, for up to 10 minutes at a time, thinking about a certain effect, energy and chakra the whole while.
The second month of Agama was lovely, taught by a sweet couple of yogis with a lot of heart and energy. We had music meditations, chanting, and plenty of new techniques ranging from simple to extremely overwhelming, not because they are difficult, but because they generate surges of energy like being plugged into the cosmos.
On a personal level in that business, I maintain my practice at home, trying more and more to see the 'pillar' in my stomach, a hard technique and purification in which one sucks in the stomach while holding the void (no air) and then sticks out only the center muscles and then waves them through the abdomen like an ocean wave... I may arrive soon:) Years of sit ups has hardened my muscles but kept them stuck together too!
We learned to chant with vowells for different energetic aspects and everyone loved the practice.
Socially, there are more and more people on the island and I am making friends in the yoga class and school in general. There was a Christmas Bhajan (devotional singing) and more than a few vegetarian and alcohol free yogi pot lucks and shakti gatherings (aka women's night). The beaches of the island fill up to celebrate the black moon, half moons, full moon and recently Shiva moon as well, so there are plenty of foreigners from all over the world, here, drinking, dancing and partying together. They wander about and also, more dangerously, drive their motorbikes, so there were a lot of bandages being waved around in the last few weeks.
I have been learning how to make jewelry by hand and finally get to swim again now that my own motorbike injury has healed! hehe... although I was funny enough at a stop in sand and the bike just fell over and I hurt myself lifting it!
Life is good, trying every day to remind myself more and more and more to stay in the present moment, to love myself, send love to all beings and keep my connection to the universe wide open.
More soon:)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tales of an Island
After a nice two week trip through Cambodia, ending with 5 days in the south on the beach, I had several days of travel to get to the south of Thailand to Koh Pha Ngan again. Since the Bangkok Airport was closed, the alternative was to take a bus from Sihanoukville (on the beaches) to the border and then to Thailand. I had bad travel advice and went to Koh Chang, realizing just before getting on the ferry to that island that there was no connecting ferry to the south as I had been told. So, I went to Koh Chang for the night and then took another ferry to mainland and ANOTHER all day bus to Bangkok.. where, by the way, I saw no riots.. they are only in the airport area and life is AS USUAL in the city itself. Although, there was excitement over the King's birthday and lots of decorations were being put up. Pictures of the King everywhere, flags and yellow ribbons, lots of beautiful lights. Also, there are a lot of 'winter' decorations for Xmas at the malls... funny, there is no snow, nor is there cold here... but commercialism carries on indeed!
One more bus, took me all night with stops meant to interupt my sleep schedule even more, at 2am and 5am. Then, a very tumultuous ferry ride where half the passengers got sea sick and spent the ride hanging over the railings (including myself... a first!). Thank goodness for yogic techniques to calm me down and keep me less sick!
Now, back on Koh Pha Ngan, for the third time. First time without Cash. And I felt his energy strongly for the first few days here and had to meditate a lot to release that energy and keep up the energy of sending us both love, happiness and strength.
Two nights ago I had an amazing healing session called Theta. I invite anyone to look into this amazing technique wherein programs are changed and the cells respond. It took me back to my birth, into past relationships and past lives as well. I felt so good during and after the session and am feeling the effects of the change in me daily.
I have learned to ride a scooter and have been riding around the island, mainly to the Agama school to check into the second month which just started yesterday and I was lucky to have popped in just in case. The other two times, the information wasn't yet available... such is quiet and slow island life! ha
Easing into life next to the beach, crashing waves blessing my ears and eyes and sun kissing my skin. It is beautiful and peaceful here.... even if the rushing wind at 20km per hour on the bike is still a bit scary and liberating! Soon I will be able to focus on the road AND THE VIEW! Maybe even tackle the ENORMOUS hills ... who knows?:)
Not much to report, since the journey now is mostly internal. Processing, letting go, rebuilding, moving on... not just in the heart, but in my head and lifestyle too.
I am once again hearing the twang of the Thai language (which sounds like one of the characters of the King of the Hill television show at times!) Sawadee Kahs and Kap con Kaaaaas, beautiful dark hair and Thai faces with full lips and little noses like the statues. And superhuman strength from the Masseuses... feeling the soreness from today already!!
In for the tourist season to start back up... with all the unrest in India and Bangkok, there are much less people around and the shops and restaurants are hoping for change SOON!
One more bus, took me all night with stops meant to interupt my sleep schedule even more, at 2am and 5am. Then, a very tumultuous ferry ride where half the passengers got sea sick and spent the ride hanging over the railings (including myself... a first!). Thank goodness for yogic techniques to calm me down and keep me less sick!
Now, back on Koh Pha Ngan, for the third time. First time without Cash. And I felt his energy strongly for the first few days here and had to meditate a lot to release that energy and keep up the energy of sending us both love, happiness and strength.
Two nights ago I had an amazing healing session called Theta. I invite anyone to look into this amazing technique wherein programs are changed and the cells respond. It took me back to my birth, into past relationships and past lives as well. I felt so good during and after the session and am feeling the effects of the change in me daily.
I have learned to ride a scooter and have been riding around the island, mainly to the Agama school to check into the second month which just started yesterday and I was lucky to have popped in just in case. The other two times, the information wasn't yet available... such is quiet and slow island life! ha
Easing into life next to the beach, crashing waves blessing my ears and eyes and sun kissing my skin. It is beautiful and peaceful here.... even if the rushing wind at 20km per hour on the bike is still a bit scary and liberating! Soon I will be able to focus on the road AND THE VIEW! Maybe even tackle the ENORMOUS hills ... who knows?:)
Not much to report, since the journey now is mostly internal. Processing, letting go, rebuilding, moving on... not just in the heart, but in my head and lifestyle too.
I am once again hearing the twang of the Thai language (which sounds like one of the characters of the King of the Hill television show at times!) Sawadee Kahs and Kap con Kaaaaas, beautiful dark hair and Thai faces with full lips and little noses like the statues. And superhuman strength from the Masseuses... feeling the soreness from today already!!
In for the tourist season to start back up... with all the unrest in India and Bangkok, there are much less people around and the shops and restaurants are hoping for change SOON!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuk Tuk? Tuk Tuk?
The Calcutta airport is an interesting, simple, dirty and a bit of a sleazy place compared with other airports I have been to. I arrived very early on Sunday the 16th of November to find that there were less than 100 people in the entire tiny airport and only two morning flights, little need for security and long waits to wait. The food shop before passing security was less expensive by a comical amount than on the boarding side!
Arriving in Bangkok, the airport is beautiful, huge and bustling with people. Bangkok feels like the Disneyland of Asia, to quote an Aussie fellow traveler I met. The streets are clean, the buildings large and ultra decadent and modern, the traffic is comprised of nice, new cars, no cows walking through the streets or anything. And, THE STREET FOOD!!! is clean, and lively and bright and delicious, mangoes, jack fruit, watermelon, papayas.... sooo good:) I went to a beautiful Thai cinema and saw a dumb action movie, Tropic Thunder, the previews lasted 30 minutes, during which, was a long ad with the national anthem in which everyone stands up to salute the beloved Thai king... finally a people that really LOVE their leader! Hopefully America will now follow suit!
Two days later, up early again, I got on a big bus and headed in the trails of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, to the border of the Kingdom of Cambodia, famous for Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the killing fields and the bloody 1975 slaughter of 3 million Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge Empire. The first part of the journey was air conditioned and smooth, the second half was hilariously bumpy and deviated because there are few real roads, but one can see them being slowly constructed from the dirty windows of the bus.
There are two classes here, the INSANELY rich, who drive jeeps, Lexus and Mercedes and eat at great restaurants, and the AMAZINGLY poor, who are sleeping in the streets, working in the streets and begging in the streets. The country had many mine fields over the bloody revolutions and coups and it is common to see 'survivors of mines' people playing music to make money and finding other ways to make money by begging. The local people LOVE pyjamas and I have seen all varieties on the women, teddy bears and hearts and you name it, kids and adults wear pyjamas everywhere. Bicycles, tuk tuks and motorbikes seem to be the main mode of travel, much like the rest of Asia, people pile by families of 4 onto the bike to commute to their destinations.
Here, people are constantly on the tourists to SELL anything and everything, mostly I hear the phrase 'TUK TUK TUK TUK' when I leave one building and step out onto the street. It feels like a way of saying hello at this point, although it annoys me greatly as well.
I am staying at a place on the riverside of Phnom Penh, this city, the capital, has its charm but is nothing like the beautiful Siem Reap, where the atmosphere is thick with the ancient and the holy, beautiful temples, smiling people, and a friendly place called, Old Market, where dozens of tourists have set up well decorated and delicious (and inexpensive) restaurants. I have been blessed to find a stellar vegetarian restaurant in Siem Reap (Chamkar!!) and took a cooking class there!! Today, finally managed to find K'nyay, Phenom Penh's vegetarian and Vegan hidden haven. Thank god for Vegetables and creativity!! I feel less like running out of this strange city now.
There is a huge French influence in this country, since it was for a long time a French colony until a few decades back. It is interesting to see the familiar Rue de France and Rue Pasteur street signs and see menus in French and English. Although, during the Khmer Rouge, the majority of educated people were brutally massacred, so it seems like people here are not as bilingual as one might think. They are beautiful, thick lipped like the buddha statues, dark haired, thin and overly accommodating to tourists though, hoping to make litterally a buck... they use American dollars here more than their local Reals! Strange to have Washington in hand again! Signs and campaigns are posted everywhere not to give money to beggars, not to come for sex tourism, not to touch the children... a sad state of reality indeed. And yet, what about adult prostitution? I see men and women alike, all dressed up and ready for the night scene here, older foreign men pretending to give company to the dolled up local girls. The money industry mixed with tourism and poverty makes me very sad here!
The tourists seem to be all stoned and drunk, and the locals seem to be the same.. at least near my guest house, which, funny enough is run by a police man! They offer all types of drugs here and it is frankly an odd vibe. I am excited to leave here for the Cambodian beaches and am craving my return to beautiful, natural, tranquil Koh Pha Ngan where I hope to find a temporary sense of home, purpose and routine. Give me a bungalow and a yoga course:)
Arriving in Bangkok, the airport is beautiful, huge and bustling with people. Bangkok feels like the Disneyland of Asia, to quote an Aussie fellow traveler I met. The streets are clean, the buildings large and ultra decadent and modern, the traffic is comprised of nice, new cars, no cows walking through the streets or anything. And, THE STREET FOOD!!! is clean, and lively and bright and delicious, mangoes, jack fruit, watermelon, papayas.... sooo good:) I went to a beautiful Thai cinema and saw a dumb action movie, Tropic Thunder, the previews lasted 30 minutes, during which, was a long ad with the national anthem in which everyone stands up to salute the beloved Thai king... finally a people that really LOVE their leader! Hopefully America will now follow suit!
Two days later, up early again, I got on a big bus and headed in the trails of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, to the border of the Kingdom of Cambodia, famous for Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the killing fields and the bloody 1975 slaughter of 3 million Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge Empire. The first part of the journey was air conditioned and smooth, the second half was hilariously bumpy and deviated because there are few real roads, but one can see them being slowly constructed from the dirty windows of the bus.
There are two classes here, the INSANELY rich, who drive jeeps, Lexus and Mercedes and eat at great restaurants, and the AMAZINGLY poor, who are sleeping in the streets, working in the streets and begging in the streets. The country had many mine fields over the bloody revolutions and coups and it is common to see 'survivors of mines' people playing music to make money and finding other ways to make money by begging. The local people LOVE pyjamas and I have seen all varieties on the women, teddy bears and hearts and you name it, kids and adults wear pyjamas everywhere. Bicycles, tuk tuks and motorbikes seem to be the main mode of travel, much like the rest of Asia, people pile by families of 4 onto the bike to commute to their destinations.
Here, people are constantly on the tourists to SELL anything and everything, mostly I hear the phrase 'TUK TUK TUK TUK' when I leave one building and step out onto the street. It feels like a way of saying hello at this point, although it annoys me greatly as well.
I am staying at a place on the riverside of Phnom Penh, this city, the capital, has its charm but is nothing like the beautiful Siem Reap, where the atmosphere is thick with the ancient and the holy, beautiful temples, smiling people, and a friendly place called, Old Market, where dozens of tourists have set up well decorated and delicious (and inexpensive) restaurants. I have been blessed to find a stellar vegetarian restaurant in Siem Reap (Chamkar!!) and took a cooking class there!! Today, finally managed to find K'nyay, Phenom Penh's vegetarian and Vegan hidden haven. Thank god for Vegetables and creativity!! I feel less like running out of this strange city now.
There is a huge French influence in this country, since it was for a long time a French colony until a few decades back. It is interesting to see the familiar Rue de France and Rue Pasteur street signs and see menus in French and English. Although, during the Khmer Rouge, the majority of educated people were brutally massacred, so it seems like people here are not as bilingual as one might think. They are beautiful, thick lipped like the buddha statues, dark haired, thin and overly accommodating to tourists though, hoping to make litterally a buck... they use American dollars here more than their local Reals! Strange to have Washington in hand again! Signs and campaigns are posted everywhere not to give money to beggars, not to come for sex tourism, not to touch the children... a sad state of reality indeed. And yet, what about adult prostitution? I see men and women alike, all dressed up and ready for the night scene here, older foreign men pretending to give company to the dolled up local girls. The money industry mixed with tourism and poverty makes me very sad here!
The tourists seem to be all stoned and drunk, and the locals seem to be the same.. at least near my guest house, which, funny enough is run by a police man! They offer all types of drugs here and it is frankly an odd vibe. I am excited to leave here for the Cambodian beaches and am craving my return to beautiful, natural, tranquil Koh Pha Ngan where I hope to find a temporary sense of home, purpose and routine. Give me a bungalow and a yoga course:)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Full Circle back to Calcutta
Ten days later...:) the adventures have slowed down with the last two destinations. Travel by train was a major blessing, not only was I able to lay down, even SLEEP on the long night journey from Dehli to the holy city of Varanasi, I also met other foreigners to continue on with. Of the six beds in the 'compartment' we were all foreign, from the foreign train ticket quota given by the Dehli train ticket office.
Arriving at the busy train station, four of us, two Australian girls on their gap year and an exporter from Uruguay who lives part in Switzerland and part in Mallorca, took an auto rickshaw into the old and holy river city of Varanasi and searched for a guest house together using their thick lonely planet guides. We found a 'nice hotel' on Assi ghat, meaning door to the Ganges river, in the quieter area of town and commenced exploration of the city... Varanasi is famous for its cremation centers... the Ganga is a holy river capable of purifying one's soul, so I sat and watched bodies burning and relatives receiving mantras and blessing their loved ones, dressed in white with newly shaved heads. I was spellbound watching this intensely private family experience happen in public.. there is no privacy in this country, people seem more real in that way, because they don't hide.
We found a guest house the next day, more my style, large and spacious, utterly simple, inexpensive, and cozy, with us filling the place for the week:) A morning boat ride at 5am let us see people doing their morning rituals and bathing in the (very dirty) Ganges waters, we even saw a dead cow floating by and were instructed that children under 15 are thrown in with a stone and not burned like everyone else, that animals make it into the river, as well as trash, sewage and flower offerings.
The town was intense... beggars everywhere and very overly attentive vendors of 'anything' waiting to divert your attention and empty your pockets as soon as one steps out of a restaurant or store or guest house door! I did enjoy my long walks along the busy city and although it was not easy to see so much death, I also saw a lot of love as well and a lot of people seeking spirituality.
My last week in India has been spent in Calcutta. The weather has cooled and is perfect, no rain, not as hot, not as humid. My hotel is comfortable and homey by my new standards, and one of the cleaner places I could find as well. Again, I met Australian girls to Guest house search with. I revisited the family I know here and shared a simple meal and a few hours of baby holding and chat about my impressions of India.
I did a bit of touring finally, not volunteering as last time. The Sri Ramakrishna mission was a beautiful place with gardens and Indians meditating! a first for me to see! and the boat ride was crowded and fun to the Kali Temple along the water...Quiet week, even went to see the new Bond movie and today, a Hindi film complete with song and dance and silly laughter to help me follow the film since the language is foreign!:)
I say goodbye to crazy, beautiful India for a few months.
Arriving at the busy train station, four of us, two Australian girls on their gap year and an exporter from Uruguay who lives part in Switzerland and part in Mallorca, took an auto rickshaw into the old and holy river city of Varanasi and searched for a guest house together using their thick lonely planet guides. We found a 'nice hotel' on Assi ghat, meaning door to the Ganges river, in the quieter area of town and commenced exploration of the city... Varanasi is famous for its cremation centers... the Ganga is a holy river capable of purifying one's soul, so I sat and watched bodies burning and relatives receiving mantras and blessing their loved ones, dressed in white with newly shaved heads. I was spellbound watching this intensely private family experience happen in public.. there is no privacy in this country, people seem more real in that way, because they don't hide.
We found a guest house the next day, more my style, large and spacious, utterly simple, inexpensive, and cozy, with us filling the place for the week:) A morning boat ride at 5am let us see people doing their morning rituals and bathing in the (very dirty) Ganges waters, we even saw a dead cow floating by and were instructed that children under 15 are thrown in with a stone and not burned like everyone else, that animals make it into the river, as well as trash, sewage and flower offerings.
The town was intense... beggars everywhere and very overly attentive vendors of 'anything' waiting to divert your attention and empty your pockets as soon as one steps out of a restaurant or store or guest house door! I did enjoy my long walks along the busy city and although it was not easy to see so much death, I also saw a lot of love as well and a lot of people seeking spirituality.
My last week in India has been spent in Calcutta. The weather has cooled and is perfect, no rain, not as hot, not as humid. My hotel is comfortable and homey by my new standards, and one of the cleaner places I could find as well. Again, I met Australian girls to Guest house search with. I revisited the family I know here and shared a simple meal and a few hours of baby holding and chat about my impressions of India.
I did a bit of touring finally, not volunteering as last time. The Sri Ramakrishna mission was a beautiful place with gardens and Indians meditating! a first for me to see! and the boat ride was crowded and fun to the Kali Temple along the water...Quiet week, even went to see the new Bond movie and today, a Hindi film complete with song and dance and silly laughter to help me follow the film since the language is foreign!:)
I say goodbye to crazy, beautiful India for a few months.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
