Its been 4 months, 126 days, 10 1/2 books, 6 countries, and a countless number of miles traveled since I've left home. I'm filled with sadness to be leaving but also with excitement to return to my homeland, culture, friends, and family. The memories I have gained are filled with people and experiences that not only last me my entire life but also will continue to educate me for the future years ahead. So with great sadness, this will be my last post submitted from overseas.
Next to come, top 10's.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Down By Da Beach, BOOOYYYYYIIIIII!!!!
So I have fallen VERY behind on my blogging for a few reasons. First its very expensive to use the Internet on the islands. Second, I was soooo busy laying on a beach all day, everyday, for three weeks. And third, I didn't want to worry about a single thing but myself for my last few weeks. So I'll sum it up as briefly as I can.
I arrived back in Bangkok from India to meet up with Rich and then immediately head out to Ko Chang. We got there just in time for a few beers, dinner, and the New Years celebration on the beach. There were fire shows, disco's, lounges, and everything for every type of party or chill out on the beach. We spent 5 days there soaking in the sun, swimming, eating like pigs (as we naturally do together) and laying in hammocks. A really chilled oit few days that was perfect from my detox from India.
After Ko Chang, Richy went back to Bangkok and I got on an overnight bus to Rai Ley. It took much longer than expected to get to Rai Ley but it was well worth the schlepp. Rai Ley is known for the beautifully vast white sand beaches, caves, protruding rock formations, cliffs and rock climbing. Ri Ley also has a very Rastafarian vibe because everywhere has BBQ and Reggae music. So after a long day climbing, you catch a bite on the beach for sunset and then head out for some chilling, dancing, and live music. It was the perfect place to kick back with some of the best people I have met on my trip and enjoy the paradise around us.
I spent 2 day rock climbing and two days beach bumming. The climbing was amazing and it was a great place to meet people. Since Rai Ley is an international climbers pilgrimage, I was able to meet climbers of all skill levels from all over the world. One day after climbing, me and a few friends decided to try and find the infamous Lagoon of Rai Ley. It had just poured rain on us making the path to the Lagoon was extremely dangerous; steep slopes and rock faces covered in mud. We met a few other people along the way that had back out and thought it was too dangerous but we were all determined to make it. I was nearly shitting my pants the entire way down but the reward of finally making it to the Lagoon was beyond any expectation I could have had. The Lagoon was surrounded by incredible rock formations, lush wildlife, and frosted turquoise water filled with the massage fishes that eat the dead skin from your feet. There was also very thick mud that we along with many people before us made mud sculptures and met them on a nook in a cliff. When we crawled out of the lagoon and made it back to the beach, we were cover head to toe in mud and raging on an adrenaline high. We celebrated all night for our victory to the Lagoon. I was so sad to leave Rai Ley and the amazing people, local and tourist that I had met there. But another great paradise awaits.
The last island on my trip was Ko Lipe. I rendezvoused with Richy to take a two hour boat ride to the island. Ko Lipe is a very small island located near Malaysia and is known for its chilled vibes and some of the most beautiful beaches and waters in Thailand. Again, Richy and I spent everyday eating like pigs and chilling ALL DAY in our hammocks on the white sand beach and crystal clear waters. Every night, we ate tons of fresh fish then enjoyed the night with a group of Chileans playing asshole and sipping island cocktails.
And now I'm back in Bangkok enjoying my last few days of the entire trip.
I arrived back in Bangkok from India to meet up with Rich and then immediately head out to Ko Chang. We got there just in time for a few beers, dinner, and the New Years celebration on the beach. There were fire shows, disco's, lounges, and everything for every type of party or chill out on the beach. We spent 5 days there soaking in the sun, swimming, eating like pigs (as we naturally do together) and laying in hammocks. A really chilled oit few days that was perfect from my detox from India.
After Ko Chang, Richy went back to Bangkok and I got on an overnight bus to Rai Ley. It took much longer than expected to get to Rai Ley but it was well worth the schlepp. Rai Ley is known for the beautifully vast white sand beaches, caves, protruding rock formations, cliffs and rock climbing. Ri Ley also has a very Rastafarian vibe because everywhere has BBQ and Reggae music. So after a long day climbing, you catch a bite on the beach for sunset and then head out for some chilling, dancing, and live music. It was the perfect place to kick back with some of the best people I have met on my trip and enjoy the paradise around us.
I spent 2 day rock climbing and two days beach bumming. The climbing was amazing and it was a great place to meet people. Since Rai Ley is an international climbers pilgrimage, I was able to meet climbers of all skill levels from all over the world. One day after climbing, me and a few friends decided to try and find the infamous Lagoon of Rai Ley. It had just poured rain on us making the path to the Lagoon was extremely dangerous; steep slopes and rock faces covered in mud. We met a few other people along the way that had back out and thought it was too dangerous but we were all determined to make it. I was nearly shitting my pants the entire way down but the reward of finally making it to the Lagoon was beyond any expectation I could have had. The Lagoon was surrounded by incredible rock formations, lush wildlife, and frosted turquoise water filled with the massage fishes that eat the dead skin from your feet. There was also very thick mud that we along with many people before us made mud sculptures and met them on a nook in a cliff. When we crawled out of the lagoon and made it back to the beach, we were cover head to toe in mud and raging on an adrenaline high. We celebrated all night for our victory to the Lagoon. I was so sad to leave Rai Ley and the amazing people, local and tourist that I had met there. But another great paradise awaits.
The last island on my trip was Ko Lipe. I rendezvoused with Richy to take a two hour boat ride to the island. Ko Lipe is a very small island located near Malaysia and is known for its chilled vibes and some of the most beautiful beaches and waters in Thailand. Again, Richy and I spent everyday eating like pigs and chilling ALL DAY in our hammocks on the white sand beach and crystal clear waters. Every night, we ate tons of fresh fish then enjoyed the night with a group of Chileans playing asshole and sipping island cocktails.
And now I'm back in Bangkok enjoying my last few days of the entire trip.
Last Days In India
My last few days in India began with a 22 hour bus ride from Diu to Mumbai. Naturally, for me this mean several funny stories of misunderstandings, an upset stomach, and several awkward interactions.
The most notable however was when I was trying to get to sleep on the bus. My sleeper cell was the first one and anything that goes on in the cockpit would be heard crystal clear in my bunk. The noise coming from the front was especially loud for me also because there was a giant opening in my wall. So its about 12am and the driver is blasting some terrible Hindi music at max volume and the sound is funneling into my bunk and echoing. I cant sleep and I'm beginning to lose my shit. I start kicking on the wall but no one seems to mind. So to get his attention, I turn on the strobe setting of my headlamp and point it at the driver through the hole in the wall. Instead of just turning down the music like I expected, he pulled over and stopped the bus. He unlocked and opened the cockpit door and slammed a guy sleeping on the floor right in the head. This was only the beginning of the embarrassment I was about to feel. He grumpily asked whats wrong and if I had to go toilet. I said no and I would appreciate it if he turns down the music so I can sleep. Other than asking, "do need go toilet?" he didn't speak a word of English so comprehending my request was just not going to happen at this hour. Now all the other people on the bus start popping their heads out of thier bunks to see whats going on and get involved. Now I'm REALLY embarrassed! I'm that bratty gora (white man) stopping the bus for no good reason. After all was said and done, the driver closed the door and turned the music all the way back up to max volume....I didn't sleep.
The last two days were spent in Mumbai where I really didn't do much. I toured Colaba with some people I met between Diu and Mumbai and we all saw Avatar in 3D. The next day I spent eating as much Indian food as possible and finally went to see a Bollywood film in a famous theater. This was amazing, better than any of the other cinema experiences I've had in India. First the Indian National Anthem, then a series of terrible ad's by Vicco. When the movie finally began, everyone went crazy like a concert. When each famous actor came out they cheered and hooted. Throughout the entire 3 hour film, everyone was talking to each other or on phones, yelling out jokes, and booing certain characters. Though the movie was in and out of English and Hindi, I could easily follow the story...and it was terrible. You have love, hate, triumph, deceit, suicide, crying, laughing, singing, dancing, etc. It had everything, and somehow is seemed to all come together.
By the time I got on the plane, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of bittersweet emotions. I was so happy to be going back to Thailand and leaving the chaos of India, though I know I'll miss it all; the people, the sounds, the chaos, the smells, the cows, the food, the head wiggle and so on. But its time for the next leg of my trip and the conclusion of my journey begins.
The most notable however was when I was trying to get to sleep on the bus. My sleeper cell was the first one and anything that goes on in the cockpit would be heard crystal clear in my bunk. The noise coming from the front was especially loud for me also because there was a giant opening in my wall. So its about 12am and the driver is blasting some terrible Hindi music at max volume and the sound is funneling into my bunk and echoing. I cant sleep and I'm beginning to lose my shit. I start kicking on the wall but no one seems to mind. So to get his attention, I turn on the strobe setting of my headlamp and point it at the driver through the hole in the wall. Instead of just turning down the music like I expected, he pulled over and stopped the bus. He unlocked and opened the cockpit door and slammed a guy sleeping on the floor right in the head. This was only the beginning of the embarrassment I was about to feel. He grumpily asked whats wrong and if I had to go toilet. I said no and I would appreciate it if he turns down the music so I can sleep. Other than asking, "do need go toilet?" he didn't speak a word of English so comprehending my request was just not going to happen at this hour. Now all the other people on the bus start popping their heads out of thier bunks to see whats going on and get involved. Now I'm REALLY embarrassed! I'm that bratty gora (white man) stopping the bus for no good reason. After all was said and done, the driver closed the door and turned the music all the way back up to max volume....I didn't sleep.
The last two days were spent in Mumbai where I really didn't do much. I toured Colaba with some people I met between Diu and Mumbai and we all saw Avatar in 3D. The next day I spent eating as much Indian food as possible and finally went to see a Bollywood film in a famous theater. This was amazing, better than any of the other cinema experiences I've had in India. First the Indian National Anthem, then a series of terrible ad's by Vicco. When the movie finally began, everyone went crazy like a concert. When each famous actor came out they cheered and hooted. Throughout the entire 3 hour film, everyone was talking to each other or on phones, yelling out jokes, and booing certain characters. Though the movie was in and out of English and Hindi, I could easily follow the story...and it was terrible. You have love, hate, triumph, deceit, suicide, crying, laughing, singing, dancing, etc. It had everything, and somehow is seemed to all come together.
By the time I got on the plane, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of bittersweet emotions. I was so happy to be going back to Thailand and leaving the chaos of India, though I know I'll miss it all; the people, the sounds, the chaos, the smells, the cows, the food, the head wiggle and so on. But its time for the next leg of my trip and the conclusion of my journey begins.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Summing up Diu
Diu was a retreat that was very much needed. The food was good, the booze was incredible cheap ($1 for 40 oz's at 8.6% Alch.), a maze of caves, and pristine beaches. The island is packed with all kinds of characters of all ages and nationalities, all looking to kick back and escape the chaos of India.
Since the island is so small, everyone gets to know each other very well and very quickly. My core pose was Gary, Jack, and Reto. Gary is a 65 year old ex-pat/Anarchist who lives in Darjeeling during the summer and Diu during the winter. He's lived all over the world and loves his reefer. Jack is a 22 year old Brit that's been working with an NGO here in India teaching kids circus performance. He even taught ME how to juggle! By the end of the trip everyone we would be hanging out with on the beach was juggling thanks to Jack. Reto is a 26 year old Swiss that has been biking though Europe and is now working his way through India. The four of us made for a pretty interesting group.
Diu was seven days of relaxation, good eats, and good peeps. Everyday, my only goal was to do one activity a day aside from sitting on the beach so I explored the fort, tunneled through the caves, climbed 40 ft vines/roots, read two books, and of course, cruised around on my Hero Honda Splendor+. At night we would all kick back with a few drinks and of course lots of food. I ate baby shark and ice cream nearly everyday MMMMMMMM MM!
Before I knew it, everyone was slowly moving on their next destination and I had to leave for Mumbai on a 22 hour bus ride.
Since the island is so small, everyone gets to know each other very well and very quickly. My core pose was Gary, Jack, and Reto. Gary is a 65 year old ex-pat/Anarchist who lives in Darjeeling during the summer and Diu during the winter. He's lived all over the world and loves his reefer. Jack is a 22 year old Brit that's been working with an NGO here in India teaching kids circus performance. He even taught ME how to juggle! By the end of the trip everyone we would be hanging out with on the beach was juggling thanks to Jack. Reto is a 26 year old Swiss that has been biking though Europe and is now working his way through India. The four of us made for a pretty interesting group.
Diu was seven days of relaxation, good eats, and good peeps. Everyday, my only goal was to do one activity a day aside from sitting on the beach so I explored the fort, tunneled through the caves, climbed 40 ft vines/roots, read two books, and of course, cruised around on my Hero Honda Splendor+. At night we would all kick back with a few drinks and of course lots of food. I ate baby shark and ice cream nearly everyday MMMMMMMM MM!
Before I knew it, everyone was slowly moving on their next destination and I had to leave for Mumbai on a 22 hour bus ride.
My First Indian Theater Experience
My 40hr trip to Diu ended up not being so bad. Mama-Ji packed me a goodbye dinner of palak paneer, rice and dried fruit and nut paratha. I would feel the consequences this meal later. I also happened to run into a woman I had recognized in Bundi who was going to Diu as well so I had a buddy.
The only bad/funny things that happened began with almost getting on the wrong train. I saw Ahmedabad on the train but didn't see where it was coming from so I bolted on only to be stopped by an Indian man I was talking to. He noticed it was the wrong train and saved me a lot of grief. Next, since I had an Taktal (emergency) ticket, my seats were bound to be terrible. I ended up having a small size sleeper bed directly next to the bathrooms so I was getting the wonderful aroma of stale piss and shit on night. On top of it all, a family got on the train at 3 am to find that they were booked for our cabin and every seat was occupied. Aside from the arguing and movement that I could not avoid hearing, one of the daughters has some mental disability and was screaming the entire time. It took them almost a hour to settle down and settle in. By this time I was wide awake and restless.
When we finally got into Ahmedabad, we were able to get some food, drop off our bags, and finally walk around. We tagged up with a Polish girl who was also waiting for her next train that evening. Everywhere we went, we found to be closed so our options were limited. I decided my new mission as to find an English theater and see Avatar.
I have been wanted to see a movie in India because I heard its a trip, and it was. The first showing we could see was sold out and the girls decided they didn't want to wait to till the next showing, so I stuck around and saw the film on my own. First of all Avatar was EPIC! I loved it! My Indian theater experience began when I had to check my bag in and then before entering the theater, I had my choice of cheese, salt, or chat masala popcorn; I chose cheese. Seats in the Indian theaters are comfortable, recline back very far, and there is assigned seating which every theater should endorse. Throughout the film, I could hear kids talking, adults answering their cell phones and talking, and occasionally someone would yell something out and everyone would laugh and cheer. This behavior would get you thrown out in the States. About half way through they had an intermission and everyone left which I thought was very interesting. During the intermission the brand Vicco aired about 8 commercials for their products of skin creams and tooth pastes. I sat there laughing to myself the entire time.
After the film I went back to the train station to grab a small bite and boarded for Veravala. I took a Nyquil this time to ensure myself a good sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this wasn't a very long overnight train so when I woke at 4am and I was unbelievably groggy and disoriented. From there I took a 3 1/2 hr bus to Diu where the next week presented nothing but beaches, seafood, and motorcycle cruising.
The only bad/funny things that happened began with almost getting on the wrong train. I saw Ahmedabad on the train but didn't see where it was coming from so I bolted on only to be stopped by an Indian man I was talking to. He noticed it was the wrong train and saved me a lot of grief. Next, since I had an Taktal (emergency) ticket, my seats were bound to be terrible. I ended up having a small size sleeper bed directly next to the bathrooms so I was getting the wonderful aroma of stale piss and shit on night. On top of it all, a family got on the train at 3 am to find that they were booked for our cabin and every seat was occupied. Aside from the arguing and movement that I could not avoid hearing, one of the daughters has some mental disability and was screaming the entire time. It took them almost a hour to settle down and settle in. By this time I was wide awake and restless.
When we finally got into Ahmedabad, we were able to get some food, drop off our bags, and finally walk around. We tagged up with a Polish girl who was also waiting for her next train that evening. Everywhere we went, we found to be closed so our options were limited. I decided my new mission as to find an English theater and see Avatar.
I have been wanted to see a movie in India because I heard its a trip, and it was. The first showing we could see was sold out and the girls decided they didn't want to wait to till the next showing, so I stuck around and saw the film on my own. First of all Avatar was EPIC! I loved it! My Indian theater experience began when I had to check my bag in and then before entering the theater, I had my choice of cheese, salt, or chat masala popcorn; I chose cheese. Seats in the Indian theaters are comfortable, recline back very far, and there is assigned seating which every theater should endorse. Throughout the film, I could hear kids talking, adults answering their cell phones and talking, and occasionally someone would yell something out and everyone would laugh and cheer. This behavior would get you thrown out in the States. About half way through they had an intermission and everyone left which I thought was very interesting. During the intermission the brand Vicco aired about 8 commercials for their products of skin creams and tooth pastes. I sat there laughing to myself the entire time.
After the film I went back to the train station to grab a small bite and boarded for Veravala. I took a Nyquil this time to ensure myself a good sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this wasn't a very long overnight train so when I woke at 4am and I was unbelievably groggy and disoriented. From there I took a 3 1/2 hr bus to Diu where the next week presented nothing but beaches, seafood, and motorcycle cruising.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Seeing Life and Death in Bundi
Its been 9 day's in Bundi and I can finally leave. My plan's for Goa have become an expensive or impossible mission so I have decided to head to a small beach town on the Northwest coast called Diu. I want to point out my last few experiences in Bundi.
First, I took one last cooking class to learn stuffed tomato masala. As I was eating on the rooftop I was handed a stick. The man spoke no English but I understand the word for monkey - Langun. So I was sitting there with a spoon in one hand, and a big bamboo stick in the other, guarding my meal while eating. Since I was holding a, nothing came close to me, but the moment I put the stick down I heard hissing and screaming. A monkey had been hiding on the ledge in back of me and saw his window to run in and grab my naan. It all happened so fast where he ran down the ledge, jumped onto my table, snatched the naan, looked at me, snarled then ran off eating and looking at me. Like he was saying, "Thats right....you my bitch!" I was so embarrassed and now a little less full.
Next, I had to most interesting walk back to my guest house. First, there was a woman squatting off to the side of the road talk to a friend when a dog came up and pissed on her back. It was so hard not to laugh because I saw it all from 10ft away. The second thing that happened was mix of life and death. Just when I had arrived in Bundi a Bitch gave birth to 3 puppies. Throughout my stay I would pass by them every day as they were either sleeping, playing or feeding outside their home. Today as I walked past, I noticed on had died. Everyone had abandoned it and was left on the doorstep covered in flies while laying in a pool of excrement. After observing this heart wrenching site, I saw something that would cheer me up and make me stop in my tracks. As I turned the corner to get back to my guesthouse, I saw two wild hogs mating in a pile of shit and garbage. This all didn't seem strange to me because you see this amongst all types of animals everywhere in India. What made me stop and watch was that the female had her face greedily stuffed in a pile of food and garbage. She was chomping away while getting it from behind. Who says wild hogs don't know how to multi-task?!
So that was my last day in Bundi. I left at 5pm to catch a train to Ahmedabad, then Ahmedabad to Veravala, then a Bus from Veravala to Diu. This trip to Diu will take ONLY 40 hours.
First, I took one last cooking class to learn stuffed tomato masala. As I was eating on the rooftop I was handed a stick. The man spoke no English but I understand the word for monkey - Langun. So I was sitting there with a spoon in one hand, and a big bamboo stick in the other, guarding my meal while eating. Since I was holding a, nothing came close to me, but the moment I put the stick down I heard hissing and screaming. A monkey had been hiding on the ledge in back of me and saw his window to run in and grab my naan. It all happened so fast where he ran down the ledge, jumped onto my table, snatched the naan, looked at me, snarled then ran off eating and looking at me. Like he was saying, "Thats right....you my bitch!" I was so embarrassed and now a little less full.
Next, I had to most interesting walk back to my guest house. First, there was a woman squatting off to the side of the road talk to a friend when a dog came up and pissed on her back. It was so hard not to laugh because I saw it all from 10ft away. The second thing that happened was mix of life and death. Just when I had arrived in Bundi a Bitch gave birth to 3 puppies. Throughout my stay I would pass by them every day as they were either sleeping, playing or feeding outside their home. Today as I walked past, I noticed on had died. Everyone had abandoned it and was left on the doorstep covered in flies while laying in a pool of excrement. After observing this heart wrenching site, I saw something that would cheer me up and make me stop in my tracks. As I turned the corner to get back to my guesthouse, I saw two wild hogs mating in a pile of shit and garbage. This all didn't seem strange to me because you see this amongst all types of animals everywhere in India. What made me stop and watch was that the female had her face greedily stuffed in a pile of food and garbage. She was chomping away while getting it from behind. Who says wild hogs don't know how to multi-task?!
So that was my last day in Bundi. I left at 5pm to catch a train to Ahmedabad, then Ahmedabad to Veravala, then a Bus from Veravala to Diu. This trip to Diu will take ONLY 40 hours.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Me and My Hero
Today was probably my best day in Bundi yet. After a cooking class for lunch, I got back on the Hero Honda Splendor and rode off into the country side on my own. The destination, Rameshwaresh: a dried up waterfall that has one of the most famous Shiva temples in the region. Little did I know, today was a "Shiva day," meaning everyone who worships Shiva travels here from near and far to make Puja on this special site.
I arrived to find myself in the middle of a complete mob scene where locals have set up a small market of kitchen goods, jewelery, various fried foods and chai on the sides of the main path. Being the only foreigner in the entire complex, I was attracting all sorts of stoned faced stares from the local on goers. Once past the market, I climbed the steps leading to the infamous Shiva Temple of Rameshwaresh. I wasn't as impressed with the actual temple as I was the scene going on. I removed my shoes to find that inside there were people throwing seeds, flowers, and sweets around the floor as offerings, while others are cramming into a small enclosure to touch the Shiva idol, and of course you have the poorest of the poor begging at the entrance and exit. Just beyond the enclosure is a small platform with a rather large fire pit. People were walking clockwise around the pit while throwing in their offerings and blessing. Most people we crowded around for the warmth or to just be hypnotized by the flames and billowing black smoke.
After scrapping all the seeds, flowers and sweets off my feet I walked out of the temple grounds to waterfall. Down the steps I passed dozens of monkeys, which now scare the hell out of me after my Taragarh episode. Fortunately these monkey appeared rather harmless and just wanted some food. Once past the monkey's, I entered into a clearing where a large greenish pool of water has collected at the base of the waterfall. This water is now a holy bathing pool. Hindu's ceremoniously scrub and dunk their heads three times before gathering to talk and air dry. Many people after bathing walked up a trail to the right of the waterfall wall where you can find a set of ladders leading to the top. As I was heading up, everyone was heading down so when I got to the top I was completely alone. The scene was surreal and looked like the filming grounds for King Kong with massive rock formations, exotic plants, ancient wall paintings and a Shiva sculpture. I wanted to venture in further but a monkey fight broke out 20ft-30ft away from me and I nearly crapped my pants. I heard sounds that I thought could never some from a monkey; screaming, hissing, and even roaring. I ran to the top of the ladder where some boys were coming up. I warned them not to go around the corner because some Langun (monkeys) were fighting. One boy dismissed my claim and went around, only to come running back with his eyes wide open and jaw dropped. We all had a good laugh while watching the monkey leave and run up the walls of the cliff side.
As I was preparing to leave the main gate, I was stopped by some men that kept pointing from me to this old man and back while talking in Hindi. I couldn't understand anything but "yes?" So I said "yes" back and the old man jumped on the back of my bike. I seem to had just volunteered to give this man a ride into town. Everyone around was laughing, but I don't think at me, just with me. When I dropped the man off he said happy said Danyabad, (thank you) and next thing I knew, two boys my age were already situating themselves on the back of my bike. Three of us were crammed onto the small Hero Honda. This is not an uncommon site as I've seen up to SIX people fit on these bikes! Now I was really laughing and everyone was cheering in Hindi. So I set off to Bundi with my two new passengers. The only bad thing that happened on the ride was when I didn't see a speed bump and accelerated into in. We all groaned as we got our balls crushed. I dropped them at one of the gates near the South Eastern wall of the city and proceeded back to my guest house to take in all that had just happened today on my solo adventure.
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