Sorrrrrryyy! It's been a bit since i have not really been around the internet which has, well, been a really great thing. Another great thing is I dont have much time now. But...
For the last month, (more than a month actually, i over stayed my welcome and had to pay up due to visa expiration bull) I've been in Thailand. Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Phanang, Ko Tao, Chang Mai, and Pai. I love Thiland i do. it was a nice break from the difficulties of traveling in India. Everything is just so easy. You wanna go somewhere? There is a travel agent around every corner. Any type of food you want you can find, including burger kings and subways, and there are white people everywhere. It just makes the whole backbacking thing way easy, and I dont like easy. Sometimes its nice but really it started to get annoying and after Ko Tao I had had it. So we went north to Chaing Mai and Pai. If anyone is looking for a place to travel in Thailand fuck the rest, go here! Maybe not fuck the rest. there are some great places down south. I would do the Andaman Cost though, Ko Lipe and such. the south is beautiful but to hit the heart of Thailand, to really feel the love of the people and see their beauty and compaction, hit up Pai. Whlie walking through the night market we came across a fully uniformed thai police man. He had a guitar in hand and was playing let it be. when approached for a picture he stopped and gave us the piece sign. As stupid as many would think that was, as hilarious as it is to hear a Thai man sing the Beatles, It was refreshing. The more I scanned this small community wide eyed, smile spanning ear to ear, the more it charmed my socks off. The first sign I saw was We <3 Pai, Pai <3s You. I sat down for breakfast one morning and a Thai dude named Dang pulls up a chair and strikes up a convo. Nicest guy ever. Turns out he runs this free festival with all types of hippie music and asks me to bring my drum and drum friends to contribute to a drum circle that will join every part of the world. Told him i would see what i could do. But everyone's intentions are so genuine its refreshing. I love love loveeeeeddd Pai.
gotta split
G
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
volunteer and stuff
I traveled over seas with no plans and all goals. Some I knew I would meet and others I knew/know I would have to tackle elsewhere. With no return ticket booked, my options were kept comepletely open.
There were a few organizations I picked out to volunteer my time to and when looking at my open ended travel plans, were going to be perfect for me. They took day, week, and month volunteers. So, I went to this one in Kalkuta, whose name I need not mention, to work with children/women. I show up my first day, they take down my name and give me a number and a group name to follow when it was time to leave their main station and head to our place of work. Its about 6am and everyone was chatting and grabbing breakfast as I scope out the area to see what exactly I was getting myself into. The people seemed pretty cool and I got to talkin to a gentalman from the UK who had commited to a month of work but was thinking of ditchin out a bit early. I was a little worried because he really didn't speak too highly of this particular place but did some work for their branch in his home town. But my thoughts of confusion and discomfort were interupted by the clapping and singing of the volunteers saying good bye to those whose last day it was and them thanking Jesus for sending them to work. A few more prays and a quick lecture from the priest and we were sent off to our respected volunteer spots. Now I knew it was a religious organization but Erica did some work with them in Africa and said it was nothing like this. They put you to work right away and cut the fluffy bullshit. Sorry to affend but im really not a religiious person.
We hopped a public bus and were dropped off in the pit of the slums when nausia set in. I really was not feeling very well, dehydration and the ameba thats been growing inside me for the last month (still can/t kill that thing) were flarin up. But i was comitted and wanted to stick it out. So, I followed the pack down the dirt road to a fenced in blue and white building. We were guided through a small iron door in the gate and split into two groups. At first i didnt even notice the split and just kept walkin straight until a nice asian man directed me the other group where all the women martched happily without me. Not sure where my mind was on that one... As i followed them back i notices the girls file in and out of a room throwing aprons on, changing into sandles, and walk up to a bunch of tubs and sinks. I was morified. I had been placed in the mens retirment home group ( which up to now has been all me volunteer work, with the elderly) where i would be washing shit filled sheets and serving food. Which fine, volunteer work is not suppose to be fun all the time and i shouldn't pretend like it was or it was going to be but this is not what i signed up for expected. I have a hard time with the Indian male culture in general and was not about to clean their sheets, at least not happily. If i felt something, if it really meant something to me and my heart was in it it would be different. But it was not. And if your going to take us to a place where the women cant do what the men do, only take the men there for christ sake. I looked around at these women washing shit stained sheets and pants. They were smiling and i wondered if they ever thought the thoughts that were running through my head. Did they feel dameaned at any point? Did they ever question the reasoning behind the split? Maybe its the faith thing. Maybe that work is going to get them somewhere after death. Maybe no matter what service work it was they were happy to do it in the name of god. But thats not me and thats not what i want.
So what did i learn from my volunteer work in Kolkuta? I learned I would rather be cleaning the shit filled sheets of animals than humans.
Amen
G
There were a few organizations I picked out to volunteer my time to and when looking at my open ended travel plans, were going to be perfect for me. They took day, week, and month volunteers. So, I went to this one in Kalkuta, whose name I need not mention, to work with children/women. I show up my first day, they take down my name and give me a number and a group name to follow when it was time to leave their main station and head to our place of work. Its about 6am and everyone was chatting and grabbing breakfast as I scope out the area to see what exactly I was getting myself into. The people seemed pretty cool and I got to talkin to a gentalman from the UK who had commited to a month of work but was thinking of ditchin out a bit early. I was a little worried because he really didn't speak too highly of this particular place but did some work for their branch in his home town. But my thoughts of confusion and discomfort were interupted by the clapping and singing of the volunteers saying good bye to those whose last day it was and them thanking Jesus for sending them to work. A few more prays and a quick lecture from the priest and we were sent off to our respected volunteer spots. Now I knew it was a religious organization but Erica did some work with them in Africa and said it was nothing like this. They put you to work right away and cut the fluffy bullshit. Sorry to affend but im really not a religiious person.
We hopped a public bus and were dropped off in the pit of the slums when nausia set in. I really was not feeling very well, dehydration and the ameba thats been growing inside me for the last month (still can/t kill that thing) were flarin up. But i was comitted and wanted to stick it out. So, I followed the pack down the dirt road to a fenced in blue and white building. We were guided through a small iron door in the gate and split into two groups. At first i didnt even notice the split and just kept walkin straight until a nice asian man directed me the other group where all the women martched happily without me. Not sure where my mind was on that one... As i followed them back i notices the girls file in and out of a room throwing aprons on, changing into sandles, and walk up to a bunch of tubs and sinks. I was morified. I had been placed in the mens retirment home group ( which up to now has been all me volunteer work, with the elderly) where i would be washing shit filled sheets and serving food. Which fine, volunteer work is not suppose to be fun all the time and i shouldn't pretend like it was or it was going to be but this is not what i signed up for expected. I have a hard time with the Indian male culture in general and was not about to clean their sheets, at least not happily. If i felt something, if it really meant something to me and my heart was in it it would be different. But it was not. And if your going to take us to a place where the women cant do what the men do, only take the men there for christ sake. I looked around at these women washing shit stained sheets and pants. They were smiling and i wondered if they ever thought the thoughts that were running through my head. Did they feel dameaned at any point? Did they ever question the reasoning behind the split? Maybe its the faith thing. Maybe that work is going to get them somewhere after death. Maybe no matter what service work it was they were happy to do it in the name of god. But thats not me and thats not what i want.
So what did i learn from my volunteer work in Kolkuta? I learned I would rather be cleaning the shit filled sheets of animals than humans.
Amen
G
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Kolkuta
I left India yesterday and due to the new visa rule can not return until for another 2 months which im actually very sad about. I liked India. it was beautiful and the people were generally very helpful, making traveling a really easy thing. So, yea i guess ill miss it a lot more than i thought i would and definitely have plans to return eventually.
Kolkuta was my last stop there and it was probably the most chill out of the big cities of India. tons of kids my age, not too many foreigners, and I could find a place that would serve me a beer. By no means was it my favorite place in India but out the the big cities, i enjoyed it the most.
So, there are yoga studios all around the world for me to work and ive had my eye on Thailand for a while,. s.America and s. Africa are a couple of my other interests, but i wanted to sustain life out here and work with these women rescued from brothels. so what better way to get to know what i was getting myself into than to visit the very famous red light district of Kolkuta, Somogachi. We had our friend Akon (about 19 years old) show us through and he was more than happy to, seeing as how he planned to stay with a friend who he had been going to or known somehow for about three years now. My first trip there was fine. For what it was. We were led down a street lined with women who grabbed us and preyed on Erica, thinking she was a boy, looking at me wondering what i was doing here, sticking out like a sore thumb. The brothel itself was a dark, wet building. People everywhere, cooking meat on the floor, there were men in various groups, and a couple small children running though but i never felt threatened. maybe because Akon was there and he knew his way around and they knew him but it was much calmer, uh kinda, than i expected. So, we met his friend and a couple other girls and asked if we could return with a few questions the following day.
I dont regret going the second day. I think i needed to know what really goes on but it was definitely a more intense day than the first. We had our questions prepared and voice recorder in hand hoping someone who spoke Hindi could translate the correct answers because we knew our friend Akon was not going to be as accurate as we hoped. He decided to get a little drunk before going. We walked down that same street where those same women stood. I'm not sure what they wanted but they were grabbing my arm and making that 'come with me' type face. The same alley was lined with girls ranging from 14-30 and we were led back into the same room and sat down on the same bed. It took a few times to get Sudi, the girl we wanted to talk with to agree because, well she had clients and it was prime time money hours but we started talking with some of the other girls and she slowly warmed up. I had a really hard time this trip . There were more men there and i could see their eyes. And one even said how he always wanted to sleep with a foreigner. I felt disgusting and told Erica i wasn't sure if this was a good idea but we stayed. The room we sat in was where 6 girls worked. Maybe twelve feet long and 8 feet wide, wooden beds put together with sheets dividing where the girls slept with these men. It was the dirtiest i have felt in i dont even know how long. As we sat there asking the head women of the house questions while she fed her baby a client came in with Sudi and they went behind one of the sheets as we sat on the same wooden planked bed. I turned to look while the bed shook back and forth and her head popped out and she smiled at me. I was mortified. The more questions we asked the more it seemed like these girls liked their work. they all chose to be their for lack of money and or bad family situations, or even just to pay for their kids to go to school but it was by choice, and they all wanted to stay. Sudi said she did have dreams of becoming a porn star in the states though...i guess at least she has dreams...? But this wasn't what got to me the most. Akon, asked us to wait five minutes for him while he had sex with some girl in the same room as us. So as he undressed we booked it. there was no way i was going to do that. So me and Erica headed back alone. This was maybe a bad idea. We walked arm in arm hoping they would think we were just a straight couple due to the fact that everyone thought she was a boy and would maybe leave us alone but the girls still pulled at both of us. Finding a cab was the biggest bitch. All the men seemed to be gathered around the cabs. One driver wanted to charge us 500 rupees for a five minute cab ride and wouldn't budge on the price so we walked to the next where maybe 6 men followed us to. This guy was more friendly and agreed on the price but getting into the cab was the difficult part. The men grabbed at us and tried to get in asking disgusting questions and inappropriate comments. Erica whipped her knife out on the largest of the dudes and smashed his friends hand with the back of the knife as he tried to push down the window. i was using both hands trying to tare a guys hands from the inside door handle of the cab. It was the most threatened i felt in all of my stay in India. Over all the cannibals, botched holy men, druggies, homeless everything. But i saw what i wanted to see and i think i may go to the one of the ones here in Thailand where a lot of the women are forced into it and even stolen from their families. But Erica is writing an article about it and she wont let me go. So, maybe ill just go to where they are rescued and volunteer my time..
I'm trying to be safe though and Erica and i take good care of each other...
As for now? In a couple days ill be heading to my bungalow on the beach and gettin away from all the white people in Bangkok.
much love
G
Kolkuta was my last stop there and it was probably the most chill out of the big cities of India. tons of kids my age, not too many foreigners, and I could find a place that would serve me a beer. By no means was it my favorite place in India but out the the big cities, i enjoyed it the most.
So, there are yoga studios all around the world for me to work and ive had my eye on Thailand for a while,. s.America and s. Africa are a couple of my other interests, but i wanted to sustain life out here and work with these women rescued from brothels. so what better way to get to know what i was getting myself into than to visit the very famous red light district of Kolkuta, Somogachi. We had our friend Akon (about 19 years old) show us through and he was more than happy to, seeing as how he planned to stay with a friend who he had been going to or known somehow for about three years now. My first trip there was fine. For what it was. We were led down a street lined with women who grabbed us and preyed on Erica, thinking she was a boy, looking at me wondering what i was doing here, sticking out like a sore thumb. The brothel itself was a dark, wet building. People everywhere, cooking meat on the floor, there were men in various groups, and a couple small children running though but i never felt threatened. maybe because Akon was there and he knew his way around and they knew him but it was much calmer, uh kinda, than i expected. So, we met his friend and a couple other girls and asked if we could return with a few questions the following day.
I dont regret going the second day. I think i needed to know what really goes on but it was definitely a more intense day than the first. We had our questions prepared and voice recorder in hand hoping someone who spoke Hindi could translate the correct answers because we knew our friend Akon was not going to be as accurate as we hoped. He decided to get a little drunk before going. We walked down that same street where those same women stood. I'm not sure what they wanted but they were grabbing my arm and making that 'come with me' type face. The same alley was lined with girls ranging from 14-30 and we were led back into the same room and sat down on the same bed. It took a few times to get Sudi, the girl we wanted to talk with to agree because, well she had clients and it was prime time money hours but we started talking with some of the other girls and she slowly warmed up. I had a really hard time this trip . There were more men there and i could see their eyes. And one even said how he always wanted to sleep with a foreigner. I felt disgusting and told Erica i wasn't sure if this was a good idea but we stayed. The room we sat in was where 6 girls worked. Maybe twelve feet long and 8 feet wide, wooden beds put together with sheets dividing where the girls slept with these men. It was the dirtiest i have felt in i dont even know how long. As we sat there asking the head women of the house questions while she fed her baby a client came in with Sudi and they went behind one of the sheets as we sat on the same wooden planked bed. I turned to look while the bed shook back and forth and her head popped out and she smiled at me. I was mortified. The more questions we asked the more it seemed like these girls liked their work. they all chose to be their for lack of money and or bad family situations, or even just to pay for their kids to go to school but it was by choice, and they all wanted to stay. Sudi said she did have dreams of becoming a porn star in the states though...i guess at least she has dreams...? But this wasn't what got to me the most. Akon, asked us to wait five minutes for him while he had sex with some girl in the same room as us. So as he undressed we booked it. there was no way i was going to do that. So me and Erica headed back alone. This was maybe a bad idea. We walked arm in arm hoping they would think we were just a straight couple due to the fact that everyone thought she was a boy and would maybe leave us alone but the girls still pulled at both of us. Finding a cab was the biggest bitch. All the men seemed to be gathered around the cabs. One driver wanted to charge us 500 rupees for a five minute cab ride and wouldn't budge on the price so we walked to the next where maybe 6 men followed us to. This guy was more friendly and agreed on the price but getting into the cab was the difficult part. The men grabbed at us and tried to get in asking disgusting questions and inappropriate comments. Erica whipped her knife out on the largest of the dudes and smashed his friends hand with the back of the knife as he tried to push down the window. i was using both hands trying to tare a guys hands from the inside door handle of the cab. It was the most threatened i felt in all of my stay in India. Over all the cannibals, botched holy men, druggies, homeless everything. But i saw what i wanted to see and i think i may go to the one of the ones here in Thailand where a lot of the women are forced into it and even stolen from their families. But Erica is writing an article about it and she wont let me go. So, maybe ill just go to where they are rescued and volunteer my time..
I'm trying to be safe though and Erica and i take good care of each other...
As for now? In a couple days ill be heading to my bungalow on the beach and gettin away from all the white people in Bangkok.
much love
G
Varinasi
For those of you who have been keeping up with me...i apologize for my lack of grammar. its atrocious. just bare with me...
I wanted to write about my sad end to my sweet time in Varanasi. This place is beautiful and it can be a really magical place. You learn to stop trying to plan your day and just let your surrounding decide the future. Every time i said i had things to do. something more interesting or exciting came up that i just couldn't turn down. It is really a magical place.
Erica and I had about and hour after finishing packing before we had to head to catch our train (which ended up being 30 hours late anyway). So, we decided to go try to take a few pictures of the burning ghats. This is where they burn all the bodies of the dead before they send them off to sea. needless to say, this is a holy place and photography is highly discouraged, and well, not allowed. We knew this prior to our decision and were expected to get hassled. But this was an extreme we did not expect.
Walking up, we were far away to take some obvious photos without being harassed but quickly got too close and two men set out the warning and sent us on our way. With our cameras in hand, on and stretched down to our sides at arms length we stealthily snapped some shots as we passed on through. that's when our first big problem came into play. two men snatched us saying they were going to through our cameras in the fire or take us to the office where we would be arrested and have to pay a fine. Both options were anything but appealing so we tore ourselves free, both of us screaming in their faces and ran off up this steep stair where we were greeted by a seemingly nice gentleman. This dude said we could get some shots if we went up this stairwell to get a top some temple. Most people in India are really so helpful that for someone to present something like that to us was really not a foreign thing. So we found the staircase and helped ourselves on up. the second floor was so full of smoke from burning bodies and wood that my eyes instantly began to leak. we wound around another case of stairs where the veiw was flawless. perfect view of the river... and the burning bodies... eh. But yea so we instantly started snapping pictures when the man from the stairs comes up to us asking why we do this? what we think we are doing? etc. Um ... obviously we were taking picture from the place he told us we could take pictures from. He continued, saying we had to talk to the holy man first about rates and donations before snaggin any shots. So this man dressed in the holy color orange comes up with his walkin stick looking all high and mighty. 500 rupees for one picture. haha absolutely not so we of course declined which these men were not ok with and they all of a sudden multiplied. These Indian men were grabbing our arms, pulling us around, the holy man watching and swearing at us while we were trying to get away. they were screaming saying we were really getting in some trouble now and such. When someone grabs me, man or women my switch flips, really fast and apparently i get super powers because i ripped through these men like nothin. Erica following close behind and we hopped the staircase and sprinted off.
Now what was really bother some to me was the holy man. I use the word holy lightly. It seems to me that all these sadhus are just beggers, druggies, and or scam artists. Tryin to get what they can from whoever they can get it from. claiming to know something that the 'commoners' don't. Its really depressing and quite confusing to be honest. I just don't know what to think about the whole religious deal in India. It's so showy and it seems as though anyone who wanted to be homeless and give up all their things, lay their hands on some heads, know enough about the gods, and has a certain aura or intuition about them could get anyone to follow them or give them money. its all a scam to me. but I'm reading more and really trying to learn more. there is just so much.
I have much to share about Kolkuta but I am now in Bangkok. I'll get cought up soon.
<3
I wanted to write about my sad end to my sweet time in Varanasi. This place is beautiful and it can be a really magical place. You learn to stop trying to plan your day and just let your surrounding decide the future. Every time i said i had things to do. something more interesting or exciting came up that i just couldn't turn down. It is really a magical place.
Erica and I had about and hour after finishing packing before we had to head to catch our train (which ended up being 30 hours late anyway). So, we decided to go try to take a few pictures of the burning ghats. This is where they burn all the bodies of the dead before they send them off to sea. needless to say, this is a holy place and photography is highly discouraged, and well, not allowed. We knew this prior to our decision and were expected to get hassled. But this was an extreme we did not expect.
Walking up, we were far away to take some obvious photos without being harassed but quickly got too close and two men set out the warning and sent us on our way. With our cameras in hand, on and stretched down to our sides at arms length we stealthily snapped some shots as we passed on through. that's when our first big problem came into play. two men snatched us saying they were going to through our cameras in the fire or take us to the office where we would be arrested and have to pay a fine. Both options were anything but appealing so we tore ourselves free, both of us screaming in their faces and ran off up this steep stair where we were greeted by a seemingly nice gentleman. This dude said we could get some shots if we went up this stairwell to get a top some temple. Most people in India are really so helpful that for someone to present something like that to us was really not a foreign thing. So we found the staircase and helped ourselves on up. the second floor was so full of smoke from burning bodies and wood that my eyes instantly began to leak. we wound around another case of stairs where the veiw was flawless. perfect view of the river... and the burning bodies... eh. But yea so we instantly started snapping pictures when the man from the stairs comes up to us asking why we do this? what we think we are doing? etc. Um ... obviously we were taking picture from the place he told us we could take pictures from. He continued, saying we had to talk to the holy man first about rates and donations before snaggin any shots. So this man dressed in the holy color orange comes up with his walkin stick looking all high and mighty. 500 rupees for one picture. haha absolutely not so we of course declined which these men were not ok with and they all of a sudden multiplied. These Indian men were grabbing our arms, pulling us around, the holy man watching and swearing at us while we were trying to get away. they were screaming saying we were really getting in some trouble now and such. When someone grabs me, man or women my switch flips, really fast and apparently i get super powers because i ripped through these men like nothin. Erica following close behind and we hopped the staircase and sprinted off.
Now what was really bother some to me was the holy man. I use the word holy lightly. It seems to me that all these sadhus are just beggers, druggies, and or scam artists. Tryin to get what they can from whoever they can get it from. claiming to know something that the 'commoners' don't. Its really depressing and quite confusing to be honest. I just don't know what to think about the whole religious deal in India. It's so showy and it seems as though anyone who wanted to be homeless and give up all their things, lay their hands on some heads, know enough about the gods, and has a certain aura or intuition about them could get anyone to follow them or give them money. its all a scam to me. but I'm reading more and really trying to learn more. there is just so much.
I have much to share about Kolkuta but I am now in Bangkok. I'll get cought up soon.
<3
Monday, January 25, 2010
posted a day late. internet here is wayyyy questionable
Im over two weeks into my journey and I've been in Varanasi for 4 days now. The rest of my time in Rishikesh was magical due to an insane battle with a guard and a well fought for falling upon a locked up abandon ashram. where the Beatles stayed to write the white album. the energy in this room was beyond explainable and the psychedelic paintings revealing different lyrics and pieces of so many songs, hand prints, and secrets inside of secrets let your imagination run wild as to what really went on in this room. It was the perfect end to my stay. I am officially having Bikram yoga with drawls though. The yoga in Rishikesh was poor but the chanting and mediation was beautiful. The view of the Ganga and brisk clean air created the perfect atmosphere for full mind manipulation. Still beyond enjoyable.
Another agonizing journey to Agra to see the Taj Mahol. Though this winnibego style bus we took had some definite upgrades from out last, it still was quite the scary ride. Another 40 year old means of transportation matched with an angry bus driver and fog you couldn't see you hand in makes for a very iffie bus ride. Especially when its 35 degrees and in a sleeper bunk i could fall right out of while traveling over non existent roads. This trip made us decide it was time to move more south. the taj mahol was great.. i guess. I couldn't see it due to the intense fog and was a bit of a downer. my bones have not had a break from the cold in over 5 days and it was starting to get to my brain. Not even spending a night in Agra we bought our train tickets to Varanasi and boarded our second 24 hour train.
It's definitely intense here. It has the people of Mumbai smashed into a more rural type village city deal. we arrived the last three days of the festival of the goddess of music and these celebrations are nothing compared to that of western culture. Mass drumming through the allies and streets, fireworks going off 2 feet in front of you that just sound like bombs, sending shrines off into the river, screaming and chanting, loud music at all hours. just to name a few. I would imagine being a child here would be anything but boring.
Two very unexpected things have happens our last two days here. Erica and i were leisurely walking down the ghats where a holy man covered in the ashes of the diseased caught eyes with us and motioned to have us join him and his friends. We were not about to turn that opportunity down and joined him around the 24 hour flame for a smoke and some dinner that another traveler he invited over was cooking up. We sat and talked for hours, well the holy man BaBa G, he just motioned and made noise (he doesn't speak) but we chatted and ate and stayed warm by the fire. Other westerners would pass and stop to take pictures and probably wonder what these whities were doing round the fire with these crazy homeless folks but Baba wouldn't allow it. He would stand and shake the bell that he had attached to his penis at them (oh he was naked the whole time) and make them leave or give him money for pictures. Good business man. It was and experience like no other. Following this holy man we stumbled accross a member of the agori tribe. A cannibalistic tribe of wanderers who worship shiva and live a solitary life. He invited us to meet him across the river where he welcomed us on a cloth where two human skulls sat. Here we took pictures and used and interpreter to ask him questions about his life style and his people. As parting gifts Erica and i got a set of human teeth and half a human skull. for my next task...figure out how to smuggle this into the states. Anyone have any ideas or know anything about customs into the Americas? need some help...
Today i leave for Kalkuta where there is more yoga to be had and some warm air waiting for me. Til next time...
Another agonizing journey to Agra to see the Taj Mahol. Though this winnibego style bus we took had some definite upgrades from out last, it still was quite the scary ride. Another 40 year old means of transportation matched with an angry bus driver and fog you couldn't see you hand in makes for a very iffie bus ride. Especially when its 35 degrees and in a sleeper bunk i could fall right out of while traveling over non existent roads. This trip made us decide it was time to move more south. the taj mahol was great.. i guess. I couldn't see it due to the intense fog and was a bit of a downer. my bones have not had a break from the cold in over 5 days and it was starting to get to my brain. Not even spending a night in Agra we bought our train tickets to Varanasi and boarded our second 24 hour train.
It's definitely intense here. It has the people of Mumbai smashed into a more rural type village city deal. we arrived the last three days of the festival of the goddess of music and these celebrations are nothing compared to that of western culture. Mass drumming through the allies and streets, fireworks going off 2 feet in front of you that just sound like bombs, sending shrines off into the river, screaming and chanting, loud music at all hours. just to name a few. I would imagine being a child here would be anything but boring.
Two very unexpected things have happens our last two days here. Erica and i were leisurely walking down the ghats where a holy man covered in the ashes of the diseased caught eyes with us and motioned to have us join him and his friends. We were not about to turn that opportunity down and joined him around the 24 hour flame for a smoke and some dinner that another traveler he invited over was cooking up. We sat and talked for hours, well the holy man BaBa G, he just motioned and made noise (he doesn't speak) but we chatted and ate and stayed warm by the fire. Other westerners would pass and stop to take pictures and probably wonder what these whities were doing round the fire with these crazy homeless folks but Baba wouldn't allow it. He would stand and shake the bell that he had attached to his penis at them (oh he was naked the whole time) and make them leave or give him money for pictures. Good business man. It was and experience like no other. Following this holy man we stumbled accross a member of the agori tribe. A cannibalistic tribe of wanderers who worship shiva and live a solitary life. He invited us to meet him across the river where he welcomed us on a cloth where two human skulls sat. Here we took pictures and used and interpreter to ask him questions about his life style and his people. As parting gifts Erica and i got a set of human teeth and half a human skull. for my next task...figure out how to smuggle this into the states. Anyone have any ideas or know anything about customs into the Americas? need some help...
Today i leave for Kalkuta where there is more yoga to be had and some warm air waiting for me. Til next time...
Friday, January 15, 2010
stage two in this video game i call life
Everyone told me how horrid the flight here would be. 24 hours of travel time. One stop. 19 hours to Delhi another 3 plus to Mambai. What they didn't know is that i was going to sleep for over ten of those hours, meet a helpful man named Riz in the Delhi airport and get upgraded to first class to fly to Mumbai, and coast through detleg like nothin. Those people must have never been on a 24 hour train from Mumbai to Delhi and a connecting 7 hour bus ride with one stop while being completely sick to their stomache.
To get to Rishakesh, the yoga capital of the world, we had to take a 24 hour train which would not have been so bad if i had 5 more blankets and did not become ill the last4 hours of the trip. The closer to Delhi we got, the more the temperature dropped. It was of course mid sleep when the real cold hit. The windows created a wind tunnel of winter like breeze and bone stabbing temps that a corps couldn't sleep through. I was awake a majority of the ride and on top of that the breeze brought me a raging sickness and deep stomach pains. After dragging myself off the train, taking a tuk tuk over to the bus station and figuring out a connecting bus to Rishakesh (huge hassle when everyone tells you something different) we were on our way. I had to pay for an extra seat so i could lay down . The only position i felt i wouldn't die in was laying completely flat. I was luck enough to have Erica who let me rest my head on her lap. So doesn't sound too bad huh? Except this bus was a rusty ass dirty box with plastic windows and was scheduled to make only one stop. Also, the man behind me hit me in the back of the head for laying down and taking up a seat he wanted. Rude. After 30min into the trip i was pretty sure i wouldn't make it. I cried (to myself of course). Another hour later enough people asked to stop to pee for the bus to make a premature stop. On the side of the road. I looked up and everyone on the bus had gotten off and literally just started peeing right there. i looked at Erica, stared crying and told her i couldn't do it. The Stomach pains were more shark than ever and every bump we hit felt like a dagger was jabbing me in my abdomen. So a laid back down and tried to sleep.
One stop and a few hours later we were in our new home. It was late at night, completely dark, and all was pretty much closed which was perfect. I had to wear everything i had heavier than a tank top to keep warm and Erica and I tried to keep each other warm with our body heats. Helped. Not much though. What i awoke to was completely unexpected and unexplainable, totally worth the cold. Our ashram, set so perfectly in the foot hills of the Himalayas, over looking the Ganga River, the mountains lining the scape. Uh! As we walked up the foot bridge people all around were welcoming us, there were yoga places everywhere and the view from the bridge was out of control literally took my breath away. This was what i came here for. This beauty and this solitude. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect place after leaving Mumbai. This was my new home. I felt an unexplainable peace and the purest calm. Pure love for my surroundings.
The last two day Erica and i spend at Khumayla where over 5 million people gathered to dip in the Gangas waters, perform their beautiful ceremonies and say their punja and send their flame down the river. It was a very special day yesterday, for it was a solar eclipse and Jupiter was moving into Aquarius. But people seemed more fascinated with us than anything. We were videoed and photographed. People trying to sneak up behind us while their friend stood in front to sneak a picture with their camera phones. We asked for money as a joke once and the guy totally paid... ha... so we took it. Why not? My highlight was seeing a member of the Agori tribe. Covered in the ritualistic cremation ashes from head to toe, wearing a human skull round his neck, and having a head of matted dreads, these tribes men are firm believers in multiple different drug usage and have cannibalistic tendencies. They are absolutely beautiful. And I'm thinking of becoming one.... eh? Or atleast stating my own religion or tribe and living in the trees out here and making my jewelry from all these different animals int the road. Oh was really brok my heart the other day. A mother monkey standing on the hood of a car screaming and drying into the street. We were in a tuk tuk and didnt know what was going on at first but as we got closer we saw there, her young dead in the street. Someone had hit her baby and she was crying a sound i have never heard before. It was heart breaking and that image is ingreained in my head. I would have saved that monkey.
I think we will stay here a few more days then head to Varanasi and Darjeeling, ride that train!
Sorry for the words and lack of pictures but my computer is still broken. I'm working on it though...
With love and peace
G
To get to Rishakesh, the yoga capital of the world, we had to take a 24 hour train which would not have been so bad if i had 5 more blankets and did not become ill the last4 hours of the trip. The closer to Delhi we got, the more the temperature dropped. It was of course mid sleep when the real cold hit. The windows created a wind tunnel of winter like breeze and bone stabbing temps that a corps couldn't sleep through. I was awake a majority of the ride and on top of that the breeze brought me a raging sickness and deep stomach pains. After dragging myself off the train, taking a tuk tuk over to the bus station and figuring out a connecting bus to Rishakesh (huge hassle when everyone tells you something different) we were on our way. I had to pay for an extra seat so i could lay down . The only position i felt i wouldn't die in was laying completely flat. I was luck enough to have Erica who let me rest my head on her lap. So doesn't sound too bad huh? Except this bus was a rusty ass dirty box with plastic windows and was scheduled to make only one stop. Also, the man behind me hit me in the back of the head for laying down and taking up a seat he wanted. Rude. After 30min into the trip i was pretty sure i wouldn't make it. I cried (to myself of course). Another hour later enough people asked to stop to pee for the bus to make a premature stop. On the side of the road. I looked up and everyone on the bus had gotten off and literally just started peeing right there. i looked at Erica, stared crying and told her i couldn't do it. The Stomach pains were more shark than ever and every bump we hit felt like a dagger was jabbing me in my abdomen. So a laid back down and tried to sleep.
One stop and a few hours later we were in our new home. It was late at night, completely dark, and all was pretty much closed which was perfect. I had to wear everything i had heavier than a tank top to keep warm and Erica and I tried to keep each other warm with our body heats. Helped. Not much though. What i awoke to was completely unexpected and unexplainable, totally worth the cold. Our ashram, set so perfectly in the foot hills of the Himalayas, over looking the Ganga River, the mountains lining the scape. Uh! As we walked up the foot bridge people all around were welcoming us, there were yoga places everywhere and the view from the bridge was out of control literally took my breath away. This was what i came here for. This beauty and this solitude. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect place after leaving Mumbai. This was my new home. I felt an unexplainable peace and the purest calm. Pure love for my surroundings.
The last two day Erica and i spend at Khumayla where over 5 million people gathered to dip in the Gangas waters, perform their beautiful ceremonies and say their punja and send their flame down the river. It was a very special day yesterday, for it was a solar eclipse and Jupiter was moving into Aquarius. But people seemed more fascinated with us than anything. We were videoed and photographed. People trying to sneak up behind us while their friend stood in front to sneak a picture with their camera phones. We asked for money as a joke once and the guy totally paid... ha... so we took it. Why not? My highlight was seeing a member of the Agori tribe. Covered in the ritualistic cremation ashes from head to toe, wearing a human skull round his neck, and having a head of matted dreads, these tribes men are firm believers in multiple different drug usage and have cannibalistic tendencies. They are absolutely beautiful. And I'm thinking of becoming one.... eh? Or atleast stating my own religion or tribe and living in the trees out here and making my jewelry from all these different animals int the road. Oh was really brok my heart the other day. A mother monkey standing on the hood of a car screaming and drying into the street. We were in a tuk tuk and didnt know what was going on at first but as we got closer we saw there, her young dead in the street. Someone had hit her baby and she was crying a sound i have never heard before. It was heart breaking and that image is ingreained in my head. I would have saved that monkey.
I think we will stay here a few more days then head to Varanasi and Darjeeling, ride that train!
Sorry for the words and lack of pictures but my computer is still broken. I'm working on it though...
With love and peace
G
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Lil bits. tiny tiny
So it totally sux in Mumbai India. I mean not totally but its not my cup of tea. The weather is beautiful and the architecture is gorgeous but its disgusting. we walked to the ocean last night and it was full of trash. it looked like a garbage dump flooded. The streets are filthy and it goes from smelling like sweet curry to shit and trash in a matter of seconds. you learn to never beathe in those sweet smells too deeply for it will be followed by opposing offensive ones. The men here are the worst. disgusting and very abrasive. asking us for sex and trying to sell us everything and anything. the smallest children who have yet to even speak, crawl up naked with one hand reaching out waiting for acknowledgment. its depressing.
We are staying at the salvation army which is actually very nice. we get free breakfast of toast banana tea and a hard boiled egg. Ive been giving Erica a piece of my bread and my egg every morning. i hope she doesn't develop cholesterol problems... The sweetest Indian women comes to clean our floors and sometimes change our pillow cases. we get cheap internet, although everyone is waiting to use it, and the people who work here are very kind and more than helpful. I like it. We'll stay til the 12th. Today we get to explore elephant islands caves, tomorrow i think we spend the day at the yoga place using their wifi and hopefully takin a full day of classes and a warm shower. then the 12th we take a train to deli and a connecting bus to Hardiwar and Rishakesh. (neighboring cities) should take us a lil over 24 hours. Then the fourteenth! Oh the 14th!! There is this festival starting that i cant believe im going to see for myself. When Amanda came to visit Chicago for the first time we went to see the pirate exhibit at the Field Museum, which was mediocre. What did catch my eye was the photo exhibit following that was of this Indian pilgrimage. The largest gathering of humans in the world. It happens every 12 years when the planets align in a very specific way. Indian men with crazy dreads and full body paint. dipping in the cold waters. It happens at different times of the year every time and this year it falls in the dead of their winter (about 50 or so degrees) and i get to see it! by the way my dread are comin along nicely, just sayin... I think once i get out there i will feel much better. free of all this craziness and city suppressors. I cant wait to walk the street and not be assaulted or almost hit by a biker, 6 cabs, a cow, and an auto.
We are staying at the salvation army which is actually very nice. we get free breakfast of toast banana tea and a hard boiled egg. Ive been giving Erica a piece of my bread and my egg every morning. i hope she doesn't develop cholesterol problems... The sweetest Indian women comes to clean our floors and sometimes change our pillow cases. we get cheap internet, although everyone is waiting to use it, and the people who work here are very kind and more than helpful. I like it. We'll stay til the 12th. Today we get to explore elephant islands caves, tomorrow i think we spend the day at the yoga place using their wifi and hopefully takin a full day of classes and a warm shower. then the 12th we take a train to deli and a connecting bus to Hardiwar and Rishakesh. (neighboring cities) should take us a lil over 24 hours. Then the fourteenth! Oh the 14th!! There is this festival starting that i cant believe im going to see for myself. When Amanda came to visit Chicago for the first time we went to see the pirate exhibit at the Field Museum, which was mediocre. What did catch my eye was the photo exhibit following that was of this Indian pilgrimage. The largest gathering of humans in the world. It happens every 12 years when the planets align in a very specific way. Indian men with crazy dreads and full body paint. dipping in the cold waters. It happens at different times of the year every time and this year it falls in the dead of their winter (about 50 or so degrees) and i get to see it! by the way my dread are comin along nicely, just sayin... I think once i get out there i will feel much better. free of all this craziness and city suppressors. I cant wait to walk the street and not be assaulted or almost hit by a biker, 6 cabs, a cow, and an auto.
Friday, January 8, 2010
fresh out of yoga
My body is in pain. Not because it is sore but because it is confused. I started class at 6:30 here but my body thinks its 4 am. Its a stuggle. Ever minute longer i look at myself in that mirror for those 90min i feel my insides moving and yelling at me. I had i mini break down in class today. I really am starting to dislike Mumbai. I left the big city to get out. And go to a bigger more intense city? I'm not a fan. The culture is beautiful but i need to escape. Hopefully i can make it these next two days and get on our 24 hour train ta deli and then ship ourselves over to the Kumbh Mela Festival. It happens once every 12 years and I am luck enough to be able to take part. Or at least witness it all.
I wish my computer would work so i could show the amazing pictures I have thus far but I'm so luck to be lugging around an extra 5 pounds of broke ass computer. Waste...
I wish my computer would work so i could show the amazing pictures I have thus far but I'm so luck to be lugging around an extra 5 pounds of broke ass computer. Waste...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Zero...Days 1-3
My trip started relatively rough. Not going to get into it but had some flight issues. So 19+ hours of travel time and I was here. Mumbai, India 3am. Erica was there to meet me and oh was it a happy meeting. It had been over month since i've seen my dear friend and over a month since she had a glimpse of home. The 45 min cab ride to our 'hotel' was my first taste of what was to come. At 3am there were men, women, and children lining the streets preparing for the morning markets. Children running naked through different bundles of vegetable. The homeless lay asleep in what looked like piles on the side of the road. My cab driver drove what felt like a hundred miles an hour in circles, not knowing where our supposed hotel was, stopping to ask 4 different people before Erica directed to to the red light district. Our new home.
I sat in my new bed, expecting some sort of give but no. It was a sheet over a piece of wood. As i sat there looking around my 5 by 5 space the bugs looked to have gotten comfortable and scattered about my white linens. What could i do? I pulled out my fantastic travel sheet, laid it down, and slept for two hours before it was time to get up and find a new home. This one was broke.
Our next place made Erica overly happy. a shower in the room, tea in the morning and a fan. A win for both of us. Unfortunately, sleeping in the same bed as Erica, i managed to awake with an arm full of bug bites and an itch to match. Never sleep under the sheets i guess. Shit gets caught in there and bites its way out.
Our day was spent getting our footing. Figuring out our new home and such. My favorite part? stupid.... the dogs. So many strays and they all loved me. Maybe cus i decided bringing one of my tails along was a good idea but needless to say they loved me. We walked for the better half of the day in unbroken in rainbow sandals. Bad idea. Thank you brown for your gift because my feet were chewed up so I went bare foot the rest of the day. Not the smartest but i though it felt good. The children were my least favorite. Forced to go out and beg my their families for money, pulling at your cloths and tugging at your heart. Many of them naked to appear more poor than they actually were.
After leaving our 'clean' hotel the next morning we checked into a salvation army and set out for good eats and a day of yoga. It took two hours to get there but we found our bikram yoga studio in a disgusting world fitness center. I didnt care though. Anything to make my body not ache like it had been. The food and the flight had really made me feel toxic. 4 hours of yoga later and i was in heaven. i feel like a million bucks. so our journey continues. we are switching homes once again today and hoping we can make our way out of this city.
Mumbai is a big city. It's not the real full on taste of India. I haven't gotten it yet that full flavor dirt deliciousness but this is just the beginning. A real glimpse at what is to come. . .
X
I sat in my new bed, expecting some sort of give but no. It was a sheet over a piece of wood. As i sat there looking around my 5 by 5 space the bugs looked to have gotten comfortable and scattered about my white linens. What could i do? I pulled out my fantastic travel sheet, laid it down, and slept for two hours before it was time to get up and find a new home. This one was broke.
Our next place made Erica overly happy. a shower in the room, tea in the morning and a fan. A win for both of us. Unfortunately, sleeping in the same bed as Erica, i managed to awake with an arm full of bug bites and an itch to match. Never sleep under the sheets i guess. Shit gets caught in there and bites its way out.
Our day was spent getting our footing. Figuring out our new home and such. My favorite part? stupid.... the dogs. So many strays and they all loved me. Maybe cus i decided bringing one of my tails along was a good idea but needless to say they loved me. We walked for the better half of the day in unbroken in rainbow sandals. Bad idea. Thank you brown for your gift because my feet were chewed up so I went bare foot the rest of the day. Not the smartest but i though it felt good. The children were my least favorite. Forced to go out and beg my their families for money, pulling at your cloths and tugging at your heart. Many of them naked to appear more poor than they actually were.
After leaving our 'clean' hotel the next morning we checked into a salvation army and set out for good eats and a day of yoga. It took two hours to get there but we found our bikram yoga studio in a disgusting world fitness center. I didnt care though. Anything to make my body not ache like it had been. The food and the flight had really made me feel toxic. 4 hours of yoga later and i was in heaven. i feel like a million bucks. so our journey continues. we are switching homes once again today and hoping we can make our way out of this city.
Mumbai is a big city. It's not the real full on taste of India. I haven't gotten it yet that full flavor dirt deliciousness but this is just the beginning. A real glimpse at what is to come. . .
X
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