HELLO FROM NEWBURGH, New York, USA!!!!! Hard to believe that it's all over. It seems almost impossible that I was on the other end of the world just one week ago. The past 5 months have given me more than I could've ever hoped for: memories that will last the rest of my life, and new friendships that will also hopefully last just as long. The greatest lesson I can share from my travels is this: learn from others, and always show compassion in your encounters. Every passing opportunity I had to meet someone, whether it was a fellow backpacker or a local shopowner, I was truly enlightened by the kindness of the human spirit. We all share so much, regardless of our ethnicity, nationality, or religion, and it is this underlying human bond that we should embrace. Henceforth, I will make it my professional and personal goal to spread this message. My daily conversations and interactions with new people, however fleeting, always left me a little bit brighter inside, and I could carry on my day as a better person. With a smile, happiness can shine through you to another.
My advice to everyone else is this: Travel. Go. Don't get caught up in the 'rat race' of bustling New York City, don't push off until 'next year' what you can easily do this year. It has been a life-defining experience for me, and I'm neither a superhero traveler nor a wannabe hippy-type who needs mountains and birds and 'kum-bah-yah' to be at peace.. Everyone can do this trip, it was so easy. In fact, if I had it to do over again, I would prepare even less than what I did beforehand. Here's some tips: buy your big backpack in Bangkok at the start (CHEAP), and only bring a carry-on bag so you can buy all of your clothes on Koh San Road. Don't worry about any visas beforehand (except India), as you can arrange all of that once you're there. Don't plan any itineraries beforehand, and don't even get swallowed into the Bangkok travel agencies (in fact, don't believe anything they say about resorts being 'sold out' and it being the 'busy time of the season'). Just show up and figure it out once you get there. Trust me, it's the only way to do it right. Oh yeah, and take everything Lonely Planet says with a grain of salt...a big grain of salt.
I must end my blog with the following: Below is the personal journal entry that I wrote (manually) on the plane ride to Thailand on Sunday, April 8th. Taken verbatim, it's a message to myself in preparation for what was to come.
-------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 8 April
Today is the start! I left Brooklyn at 6am and now I'm somewhere over continental U.S. on my way to L.A. then Tokyo and then Bangkok. So excited! (obviously). Don't hold back on this trip--this is where you will become YOU for the rest of your life. After this, I will always say: "When I was in Southeast Asia and India..." Well, now's your chance to finish the second half of that sentence. This trip is a dream come true--my dream! It will be whatever you want it to be. Live it up. No regrets. No fears. No stupid shit either. Make new friends, spend lots of time alone, laugh a lot, cry, get excited, happy, scared, angry -- do what has been foreign to you in the past. You might as well; this will be as foreign a setting as you can get to stage new emotions, feelings, and experiences. Learn more about me -- I'm too cautious & careful and too concerned for others. This is my pass out of that. With no one else around, focus on you. There's a piece of me missing - I think I can find the rest of me somewhere along this trip. Open heart, open mind. The rest will follow. I can do this. Writing in this book is proving rather challenging [airplane turbulence], but this journey, no problemo. Any questions, concerns, doubts, hesitations? 'I've never been away from home for 5 months before' OK - valid, but I'll be so busy and overstimulated and exhausted every day I won't have time to miss home. Make a kick-ass blog. Everyone wants to live vicariously through you, so don't disappoint. Be brave, have fun, fall in love with life.
------------------------------------------------------------
How prescient I was. I love you all so much, and I felt you all with me each step of this journey. I couldn't have done it without you. :-) Thank you for reading my blog.
LOTS OF LOVE ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
The End of The Beginning, or the Beginning of the Beginning?
HELLO FROM DELHI, India!!!!!!! I am back where I started on June 17th, and I can officially say that I've come full circle on my travels through India...sitting in an internet cafe in Pahar Ganj next to Hotel Namaskar (although I'm not staying there tonight). It is great to be back in my most favorite little grimy neighborhood in all of Asia.
-----
----------------
-----
HELLO FROM NEWBURGH, New York, USA!!! So much has happened since I started this blog entry one week ago (and then left it alone due to the ensuing madness that was the last 7 days). It feels like one year ago that I was in Delhi. Today, Thursday 16 August, I am in Newburgh, NY sitting in my brother's bedroom after having just finished another delicious home cooked meal by my mom. But, before we move back to Newburgh, let's recap everything that has happened since the last blog entry, if only for my own record of events. Going back, I spent my third day of sightseeing the Kathmandu Valley in Patan's Durbar Square, which is most notable for its Patan Museum. Described as 'one of the best museum in all of Asia', it was definitely creating lofty standards for itself. The museum gave an in-depth description of both Buddhism and Hinduism's central tenets and main gods of each religion, all written for a western (novice) audience. Great museum, well organized, clearly laid out, and extremely educational. Do you know the meanings of all 7 different hand poses on Buddha statues? Well, I do. :-) From Patan we went to Swaymbouth Stupa, aka the Monkey Temple, where we enjoyed great views of Kathmandu as well as popping in on the resident monks' daily prayer in the gompa. From there we headed back to Kathmandu for the evening where I met up with Alicia and Bevan before heading back to their palace. The next day Brian and I ramped up for another sight seeing extravaganza, this time at the Boudnath Stupa (yet another stupa)--but this one is the largest stupa in all of Asia (I believe). Highlight of the morning: playing ping-pong with the novice monks at a nearby monastery. Good stuff. That afternoon, Brian and I went to Pashupati Temple, which is a huge temple complex along the Bagmati River, Nepal's equivalent of the Ganges river. Nepali Hindus perform funeral burnings very much like those at Varanasi; there was a funeral going on when we got there, and we saw the husband of the woman about to be burned walk up to the body to pay his last respects. Oftentimes we tourists forget the human side to all of these customs; sight seeing is just another way to rack up photos for the collection. But when the gentleman broke down sobbing next to his wife's body, it reminded me that these are people's real lives. This man will have to go to work the next day, continue on with his daily routines, and wake up to another sunrise without his wife, and I stood right near him and his family - close enough to feel the palpable grief. Yet, near such sadness was joy: just down the river, not even 100 meters away, a group of young kids were doing flips and somersaults into the water, joyously waving at Brian and me and begging us to take photos. Quite a dichotomy to see, young kids frolicking in front of a funeral pyre. We also ran into a group of Sadhus (holy men who wear crazy/scary outfits), so we had to take their picture (for 50 rupees, no less!)
After Pashupati, Brian and I booked a white-water rafting tour for 2 days later. We were thinking of going to Royal Chitwan National Park, but to be honest, I've ridden Elephants (twice), I didn't want to go on a 3-day, 8-hour bus ride to be thrusted on top of an elephant hoping to see tigers, when they were probably hiding in the tall grass. A 2-day rafting trip was scheduled to leave with 11 other med students volunteering at a Kathmandu hospital. We opted for the safer bet for a great time. In between Pashupati day and the rafting trip, I caught up on some rest (sight seeing 4 days in a row is tiring! -- I know, you're hearts are wringing right now over my pathos) and then went into town for some souvenier shopping. Luckily, I'm a man who saves everything for the last possible minute, so gifts for mom and dad were passed over in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and India for the lovely shops of Thamel, Kathmandu. That night I slept at Brian's guest house, since we had to get up for a 5am bus ride to start the rafting trip. Our group of kids was great - they're med students from around the world who have come to Kathmandu to work in a local children's hospital. My only qualm with this noble mission is that the program sounded very laid back and lenient; the kids rarely went to the hospital to work, and spent more time being tourists than volunteers. However, to give them the benefit of the doubt, their experience in the hospital is nothing to blog about. They said that mostly they're shadowing doctors and standing far behind the action.
Day 1 of the rafting trip was great: beautiful scenery, fun company, rapid rapids - it was funny to contrast the lush greenery of the surrounding mountains in Nepal's Trisuli River with the stark desert 'moonscape' of Leh, India's Indus River surroundings I had ventured down just a week or so before. Same same, but very different. I sat in the front seat of the raft all day long, so I got pretty beaten up by the waves. We set up camp on a lovely beach next to the river, washed off in a freshwater stream nearby, and enjoyed a huge dinner before passing out from exhaustion. Day 2 was another epic journey, 4 hours straight of rafting, before calling it a day and heading back to Kathmandu (via a 5 1/2 hour busride, with the last hour consisting of bumper-to-bumper traffic through Kathmandu...ugh). All in all, a great outdoor experience in Nepal, and surely a precursor to my return trip to Nepal later in life where I will conquer Annapurna & Everest Base Camp.
August 7th (day after rafting trip) I went up to Nagarkot, a nearby town about 30 km from Kathmandu that offers stunning views of Everest and the surrounding Himalayas. Most tourists go there for the 5 am sunrise, where the sun rises behind the mountains, but with the monsoon season in full thrust, August provides pretty clouded vistas. Plus, I had a ride from Manik the driver that day, and I was sick of Kathmandu buses, so I decided to go there & back in one day and skip the sunrise. I still had pretty amazing views of the area, even with the clouds lining the horizon. Everest was covered, but it was nice to know that I was standing within (non)viewing distance of the world's highest mountain and I was yet again privliged to see mother nature on a grand scale.
That afternoon I met up with Brian one last time at our favorite coffee shop (Himalayan Java), and said goodbye to him, as he was leaving for Paris the next day. It was such a coincidence that the one friend I meet in Varanasi was also going to Kathmandu afterwards, and ALSO going to Paris after that. It was in the cards for us to befriend.
August 8th was spent vegging...hardcore. I think I watched 6 or 7 movies in a row on Alicia's flat-screen TV. I was pretty much stuck in their house for the day, so I enjoyed a wonderful movie marathon. And then the marathon trip began. On August 9th, I woke up, finished packing, and headed to the Kathmandu airport. After a crazy long line of people ('line' is used loosely), I finally got to the boarding gate and aboard the flight to Delhi. Back in Delhi, I headed to Pahar Ganj for one final night's stay (and where I started this blog entry!). After wandering around the Main Bazaar for 10 minutes, I randomly ran into my Israeli friend Hilla, so I joined her and her friend for dinner. Randomness becomes regular in the life of a backpacker, so I wasn't too shocked to see her. :-) I said my goodbyes to Pahar Ganj that night, and made a promise to be back again in the future. Along with the Koh San Road in Bangkok, Main Bazaar in Pahar Ganj is my favorite street in the world.
I woke up before dawn on the 9th and headed to the Delhi airport. On the way my taxi stopped at a red light alongside the Gandhi statue, which provided a stellar photo op, and a powerful visual reminder of the journey through which India has traveled to get to its 60th anniversary of existence today.
----
OK - so, the other reason why I couldn't post any blogs since the last one is because I've been keeping a secret from my father that my return to the US was on August 12th, the day before his surprise 60th birthday! It's been in the works for months, and now that everything went off without a hitch, I can retell everything in full
----
I always planned this trip with a penultimate stop in Paris, France. I wanted something in between the Main Bazaar, Delhi and Dogwood Lane, Newburgh (not very bizarre). I arrived in Paris on Friday evening, August 9th and checked into my Montmartre hotel. I quickly headed out towards the Moulin Rouge (underwhelming) before walking up the steps to the Sacre Coeur (outstanding). It was sad, exciting, shocking, etc to be in about as different a setting as I could get from this morning -- walking down a piss-filled alley in Delhi towards my awaiting taxi. But, my weekend in Paris was idyllic - touring around all of the main sights, pondering the last 4 1/2 months of my life from a streetside table at a Montmartre cafe, enjoying the Parisian nightlife among its abundantly beautiful (male) population, and preparing myself for my impending life in Europe just 4 hours away by train. All of this was exactly what I had envisioned, and it's exactly what transpired. A perfect weekend in Paris.
After a long journey to New York via London, I arrived back in Brooklyn to my brother's and Amy's apartment at 11pm, the exact same starting point from the beginning of my trip. Talk about coming full circle; I had flown around the entire world -- LITERALLY -- to come back to Carroll Gardens: New York --> LA --> Tokyo --> Bangkok --> Delhi --> Paris --> London --> New York. Around the world in 127 days!!! The following day I headed up to Newburgh, NY for my dad's surprise 60th birthday party. It was a homecoming to remember. All of my parents' friends, whom I had grown up with since birth, were there. My mom and dad walked in to the room full of friends, and then my mom gave a short speech, the end of which would signal my walking into the room for surprise #2. The look on my dad's face was priceless when he saw me. Stunned, flabbergasted, exstatic, all of the above. Truly memorable.
Ok - I've written way too much for one blog, and I apologize for my verboseness. I wanted to get it all down before I started to forget the sequence of events.
I'll save my thoughts for one last blog entry, coming up shortly.
LOTS OF LOVE ALWAYS!!!!!!
-----
----------------
-----
HELLO FROM NEWBURGH, New York, USA!!! So much has happened since I started this blog entry one week ago (and then left it alone due to the ensuing madness that was the last 7 days). It feels like one year ago that I was in Delhi. Today, Thursday 16 August, I am in Newburgh, NY sitting in my brother's bedroom after having just finished another delicious home cooked meal by my mom. But, before we move back to Newburgh, let's recap everything that has happened since the last blog entry, if only for my own record of events. Going back, I spent my third day of sightseeing the Kathmandu Valley in Patan's Durbar Square, which is most notable for its Patan Museum. Described as 'one of the best museum in all of Asia', it was definitely creating lofty standards for itself. The museum gave an in-depth description of both Buddhism and Hinduism's central tenets and main gods of each religion, all written for a western (novice) audience. Great museum, well organized, clearly laid out, and extremely educational. Do you know the meanings of all 7 different hand poses on Buddha statues? Well, I do. :-) From Patan we went to Swaymbouth Stupa, aka the Monkey Temple, where we enjoyed great views of Kathmandu as well as popping in on the resident monks' daily prayer in the gompa. From there we headed back to Kathmandu for the evening where I met up with Alicia and Bevan before heading back to their palace. The next day Brian and I ramped up for another sight seeing extravaganza, this time at the Boudnath Stupa (yet another stupa)--but this one is the largest stupa in all of Asia (I believe). Highlight of the morning: playing ping-pong with the novice monks at a nearby monastery. Good stuff. That afternoon, Brian and I went to Pashupati Temple, which is a huge temple complex along the Bagmati River, Nepal's equivalent of the Ganges river. Nepali Hindus perform funeral burnings very much like those at Varanasi; there was a funeral going on when we got there, and we saw the husband of the woman about to be burned walk up to the body to pay his last respects. Oftentimes we tourists forget the human side to all of these customs; sight seeing is just another way to rack up photos for the collection. But when the gentleman broke down sobbing next to his wife's body, it reminded me that these are people's real lives. This man will have to go to work the next day, continue on with his daily routines, and wake up to another sunrise without his wife, and I stood right near him and his family - close enough to feel the palpable grief. Yet, near such sadness was joy: just down the river, not even 100 meters away, a group of young kids were doing flips and somersaults into the water, joyously waving at Brian and me and begging us to take photos. Quite a dichotomy to see, young kids frolicking in front of a funeral pyre. We also ran into a group of Sadhus (holy men who wear crazy/scary outfits), so we had to take their picture (for 50 rupees, no less!)
After Pashupati, Brian and I booked a white-water rafting tour for 2 days later. We were thinking of going to Royal Chitwan National Park, but to be honest, I've ridden Elephants (twice), I didn't want to go on a 3-day, 8-hour bus ride to be thrusted on top of an elephant hoping to see tigers, when they were probably hiding in the tall grass. A 2-day rafting trip was scheduled to leave with 11 other med students volunteering at a Kathmandu hospital. We opted for the safer bet for a great time. In between Pashupati day and the rafting trip, I caught up on some rest (sight seeing 4 days in a row is tiring! -- I know, you're hearts are wringing right now over my pathos) and then went into town for some souvenier shopping. Luckily, I'm a man who saves everything for the last possible minute, so gifts for mom and dad were passed over in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and India for the lovely shops of Thamel, Kathmandu. That night I slept at Brian's guest house, since we had to get up for a 5am bus ride to start the rafting trip. Our group of kids was great - they're med students from around the world who have come to Kathmandu to work in a local children's hospital. My only qualm with this noble mission is that the program sounded very laid back and lenient; the kids rarely went to the hospital to work, and spent more time being tourists than volunteers. However, to give them the benefit of the doubt, their experience in the hospital is nothing to blog about. They said that mostly they're shadowing doctors and standing far behind the action.
Day 1 of the rafting trip was great: beautiful scenery, fun company, rapid rapids - it was funny to contrast the lush greenery of the surrounding mountains in Nepal's Trisuli River with the stark desert 'moonscape' of Leh, India's Indus River surroundings I had ventured down just a week or so before. Same same, but very different. I sat in the front seat of the raft all day long, so I got pretty beaten up by the waves. We set up camp on a lovely beach next to the river, washed off in a freshwater stream nearby, and enjoyed a huge dinner before passing out from exhaustion. Day 2 was another epic journey, 4 hours straight of rafting, before calling it a day and heading back to Kathmandu (via a 5 1/2 hour busride, with the last hour consisting of bumper-to-bumper traffic through Kathmandu...ugh). All in all, a great outdoor experience in Nepal, and surely a precursor to my return trip to Nepal later in life where I will conquer Annapurna & Everest Base Camp.
August 7th (day after rafting trip) I went up to Nagarkot, a nearby town about 30 km from Kathmandu that offers stunning views of Everest and the surrounding Himalayas. Most tourists go there for the 5 am sunrise, where the sun rises behind the mountains, but with the monsoon season in full thrust, August provides pretty clouded vistas. Plus, I had a ride from Manik the driver that day, and I was sick of Kathmandu buses, so I decided to go there & back in one day and skip the sunrise. I still had pretty amazing views of the area, even with the clouds lining the horizon. Everest was covered, but it was nice to know that I was standing within (non)viewing distance of the world's highest mountain and I was yet again privliged to see mother nature on a grand scale.
That afternoon I met up with Brian one last time at our favorite coffee shop (Himalayan Java), and said goodbye to him, as he was leaving for Paris the next day. It was such a coincidence that the one friend I meet in Varanasi was also going to Kathmandu afterwards, and ALSO going to Paris after that. It was in the cards for us to befriend.
August 8th was spent vegging...hardcore. I think I watched 6 or 7 movies in a row on Alicia's flat-screen TV. I was pretty much stuck in their house for the day, so I enjoyed a wonderful movie marathon. And then the marathon trip began. On August 9th, I woke up, finished packing, and headed to the Kathmandu airport. After a crazy long line of people ('line' is used loosely), I finally got to the boarding gate and aboard the flight to Delhi. Back in Delhi, I headed to Pahar Ganj for one final night's stay (and where I started this blog entry!). After wandering around the Main Bazaar for 10 minutes, I randomly ran into my Israeli friend Hilla, so I joined her and her friend for dinner. Randomness becomes regular in the life of a backpacker, so I wasn't too shocked to see her. :-) I said my goodbyes to Pahar Ganj that night, and made a promise to be back again in the future. Along with the Koh San Road in Bangkok, Main Bazaar in Pahar Ganj is my favorite street in the world.
I woke up before dawn on the 9th and headed to the Delhi airport. On the way my taxi stopped at a red light alongside the Gandhi statue, which provided a stellar photo op, and a powerful visual reminder of the journey through which India has traveled to get to its 60th anniversary of existence today.
----
OK - so, the other reason why I couldn't post any blogs since the last one is because I've been keeping a secret from my father that my return to the US was on August 12th, the day before his surprise 60th birthday! It's been in the works for months, and now that everything went off without a hitch, I can retell everything in full
----
I always planned this trip with a penultimate stop in Paris, France. I wanted something in between the Main Bazaar, Delhi and Dogwood Lane, Newburgh (not very bizarre). I arrived in Paris on Friday evening, August 9th and checked into my Montmartre hotel. I quickly headed out towards the Moulin Rouge (underwhelming) before walking up the steps to the Sacre Coeur (outstanding). It was sad, exciting, shocking, etc to be in about as different a setting as I could get from this morning -- walking down a piss-filled alley in Delhi towards my awaiting taxi. But, my weekend in Paris was idyllic - touring around all of the main sights, pondering the last 4 1/2 months of my life from a streetside table at a Montmartre cafe, enjoying the Parisian nightlife among its abundantly beautiful (male) population, and preparing myself for my impending life in Europe just 4 hours away by train. All of this was exactly what I had envisioned, and it's exactly what transpired. A perfect weekend in Paris.
After a long journey to New York via London, I arrived back in Brooklyn to my brother's and Amy's apartment at 11pm, the exact same starting point from the beginning of my trip. Talk about coming full circle; I had flown around the entire world -- LITERALLY -- to come back to Carroll Gardens: New York --> LA --> Tokyo --> Bangkok --> Delhi --> Paris --> London --> New York. Around the world in 127 days!!! The following day I headed up to Newburgh, NY for my dad's surprise 60th birthday party. It was a homecoming to remember. All of my parents' friends, whom I had grown up with since birth, were there. My mom and dad walked in to the room full of friends, and then my mom gave a short speech, the end of which would signal my walking into the room for surprise #2. The look on my dad's face was priceless when he saw me. Stunned, flabbergasted, exstatic, all of the above. Truly memorable.
Ok - I've written way too much for one blog, and I apologize for my verboseness. I wanted to get it all down before I started to forget the sequence of events.
I'll save my thoughts for one last blog entry, coming up shortly.
LOTS OF LOVE ALWAYS!!!!!!
Thursday, August 2, 2007
'Good Luck Exploring The Infinite Abyss'
HELLO (again) FROM KATHMANDU, Nepal!!!
So I just finished watching the movie 'Garden State' (again), a seminal movie for the life of a 20-something American, especially me. Zach Braff's character is stuck in that middle period between adolescence and adulthood, where the concept of 'home' no longer refers to the house in which his parents reside and where he spent his childhood years. The movie teaches us that there's a point when life starts to switch into a higher gear, we grow older, accept more responsibility, and before we know it, 'home' is something new: an apartment in the city, a temporary guest house in a foreign land while traveling the world, or the stability and security of a budding relationship. Once this happens--and once we realize it is happening--we can no longer passively allow life to continue the same way. We then enter a new mindset, one that resolutely captures each interaction with complete authenticity, allowing ourselves to actively embrace and foster whatever 'home' we happen to occupy at that time. Using the movie's analogy of waking up from a lithium-induced fog, a more tangible link to our surroundings arises and we become closer to our truest self.
There's a scene in the movie where Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, and Peter Sarsgaard venture down to the bottom of a mine quarry on the edge of a newly-uncovered 'abyss' that accidentally opened up among the rocks of a construction site. They visit a man and his wife living in a houseboat at the bottom of the quarry, whose main task is to protect the natural 'abyss' by preventing further construction of a new mall at the quarry site, but he also secretly climbs down the quarry at night to fulfill a personal desire. (The man collects antique jewlery and also happened to purchase Zach Braff's dead mom's antique necklace, stolen from the grave by Peter Sarsgaard's character, a gravedigger---random intricate storyline). Anyway, once the three main characters leave the boathouse with the recovered necklace, Zach Braff cheekily shouts at the boathouse owner: "Good luck exploring the infinite abyss!", and just as Zach Braff turns to leave, the boathouse owner shouts back: "Hey! You too!" Right then, it all made sense to me...I think I even teared up a bit. Our life is an infinite abyss, waiting to be discovered. There are unique possibilities everywhere ahead of us, just like the infinitely unique possibilities of discovery upon venturing into an untouched quarry mine for the first time. We hold the light; it is up to us to shine it into the infinite abyss that is our future and uncover it for ourselves.
At 25, I'm about to venture into a whole new chapter of my life: moving to Europe, meeting new friends, and returning to the life of a student. I know that I am ready to embrace each upcoming step without fear and without hesitation. Ever the wanderlust/vagabond/transient soul, I don't know yet what my new 'home' will be, what it will look like, or with whom I will share it, but I do know that the solid foundation of my original home (see previous blog entry)--upon which I have built my solid character--will always shine brightly in my heart.
The movie 'Garden State' will always make me think of Noah Browne...he and I saw it together in DC when it first came out during the summer of 2004 and we were first embracing the post-college, neophyte working life. We shared a new 'home' back then: 1810 California Street, and all of the memorable fun that apartment brought during those 2 years. Until I settle down and recreate the stable home that most closely resembles my parents', I hope that each subsequent new 'home' is as wonderful and exciting as that time on California Street, Washington DC.
Lots of love always!!!
So I just finished watching the movie 'Garden State' (again), a seminal movie for the life of a 20-something American, especially me. Zach Braff's character is stuck in that middle period between adolescence and adulthood, where the concept of 'home' no longer refers to the house in which his parents reside and where he spent his childhood years. The movie teaches us that there's a point when life starts to switch into a higher gear, we grow older, accept more responsibility, and before we know it, 'home' is something new: an apartment in the city, a temporary guest house in a foreign land while traveling the world, or the stability and security of a budding relationship. Once this happens--and once we realize it is happening--we can no longer passively allow life to continue the same way. We then enter a new mindset, one that resolutely captures each interaction with complete authenticity, allowing ourselves to actively embrace and foster whatever 'home' we happen to occupy at that time. Using the movie's analogy of waking up from a lithium-induced fog, a more tangible link to our surroundings arises and we become closer to our truest self.
There's a scene in the movie where Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, and Peter Sarsgaard venture down to the bottom of a mine quarry on the edge of a newly-uncovered 'abyss' that accidentally opened up among the rocks of a construction site. They visit a man and his wife living in a houseboat at the bottom of the quarry, whose main task is to protect the natural 'abyss' by preventing further construction of a new mall at the quarry site, but he also secretly climbs down the quarry at night to fulfill a personal desire. (The man collects antique jewlery and also happened to purchase Zach Braff's dead mom's antique necklace, stolen from the grave by Peter Sarsgaard's character, a gravedigger---random intricate storyline). Anyway, once the three main characters leave the boathouse with the recovered necklace, Zach Braff cheekily shouts at the boathouse owner: "Good luck exploring the infinite abyss!", and just as Zach Braff turns to leave, the boathouse owner shouts back: "Hey! You too!" Right then, it all made sense to me...I think I even teared up a bit. Our life is an infinite abyss, waiting to be discovered. There are unique possibilities everywhere ahead of us, just like the infinitely unique possibilities of discovery upon venturing into an untouched quarry mine for the first time. We hold the light; it is up to us to shine it into the infinite abyss that is our future and uncover it for ourselves.
At 25, I'm about to venture into a whole new chapter of my life: moving to Europe, meeting new friends, and returning to the life of a student. I know that I am ready to embrace each upcoming step without fear and without hesitation. Ever the wanderlust/vagabond/transient soul, I don't know yet what my new 'home' will be, what it will look like, or with whom I will share it, but I do know that the solid foundation of my original home (see previous blog entry)--upon which I have built my solid character--will always shine brightly in my heart.
The movie 'Garden State' will always make me think of Noah Browne...he and I saw it together in DC when it first came out during the summer of 2004 and we were first embracing the post-college, neophyte working life. We shared a new 'home' back then: 1810 California Street, and all of the memorable fun that apartment brought during those 2 years. Until I settle down and recreate the stable home that most closely resembles my parents', I hope that each subsequent new 'home' is as wonderful and exciting as that time on California Street, Washington DC.
Lots of love always!!!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Kickin' It In Kathmandu
HELLO FROM KATHMANDU, Nepal!!!!!! Another blog entry, another country to recount. I have officially entered the final month of my trip, which is hard to believe, although it feels like I've been away forever.Leaving Varanasi was surprisingly bittersweet; one would think that after 3 days of cowshit-filled alleyways, dead bodies visibly floating in the Ganges, and incessant heckling from innumerable touts, I would jump at the chance to leave the place. However, all of those things added to the charm and beauty of Varanasi. I must say, along with Udaipur's gorgeous lake setting, Varanasi has been my favorite city in India.
I left Varanasi on Monday 30 July and took a brief yet rocky flight to Kathmandu. Through my lovely friend Kim in DC, I am friends with a couple who are stationed in Kathmandu for 2 years through the US government, Alicia and Bevon. I met Alicia in DC a couple of years ago, and she gladly agreed to host me while I'm in Kathmandu. Being a backpacker for the last 4 months, I've gotten used to crappy living conditions, dirty hostels, unknown sanitation levels of food, water, etc. I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to a place to stay for the night and some food to fill my stomach (I do put my foot down at sick
ness-inducing food, though). I didn't really understand the level of high living standards to which I was about to be exposed when I joined Alicia and Bevon's foreign service life. Their driver, Manik (pronounced 'Monica' without the 'a') picked me up from the airport and drove me back to the house. Once the security guard opened the gates, I had a full view of the gorgeous grand palace I could now call my home for the next 10 days. Three storeys, marble tile floors, sweeping staircase, plush amenities, furniture, a driver, housemaid, security guard(s), fully-stocked DVD collection, flatscreen TV, etc etc...it's a gorgeous home. To go from the Ganpati Guest House in Varanasi (which was my favorite guest house in India, by the way) to a cozy bed in my own bedroom in a fancy home is quite shocking. I spent the afternoon awaiting my hosts' arrival from work watching "The Last King of Scotland" DVD on their flat screen TV. Great film. Their mini dog, Chi-Chi, was my date for the event. A part of me feel
s like I am undeserving of such grandeur and privilige, but after being on the road for so long, and staying in places marginally better than squalor (Number 9 Guesthouse in Cambodia, but I'm not naming any names) I think I should answer this opportunity knock. I owe you Kim, big time.
ness-inducing food, though). I didn't really understand the level of high living standards to which I was about to be exposed when I joined Alicia and Bevon's foreign service life. Their driver, Manik (pronounced 'Monica' without the 'a') picked me up from the airport and drove me back to the house. Once the security guard opened the gates, I had a full view of the gorgeous grand palace I could now call my home for the next 10 days. Three storeys, marble tile floors, sweeping staircase, plush amenities, furniture, a driver, housemaid, security guard(s), fully-stocked DVD collection, flatscreen TV, etc etc...it's a gorgeous home. To go from the Ganpati Guest House in Varanasi (which was my favorite guest house in India, by the way) to a cozy bed in my own bedroom in a fancy home is quite shocking. I spent the afternoon awaiting my hosts' arrival from work watching "The Last King of Scotland" DVD on their flat screen TV. Great film. Their mini dog, Chi-Chi, was my date for the event. A part of me feel
s like I am undeserving of such grandeur and privilige, but after being on the road for so long, and staying in places marginally better than squalor (Number 9 Guesthouse in Cambodia, but I'm not naming any names) I think I should answer this opportunity knock. I owe you Kim, big time.Yesterday I woke up from a recuperative sleep (it felt like the first real sleep in ages), rode into town via 'my' driver, and spent the whole day sightseeing around Kathmandu. Crowded, dirty, old, magnificent, detailed, intricate are a few adjectives I'd use to describe the city. I joined my friend Brian, and we followed the Lonely Planet walking tour of the city, soaking in Durbar Square and then venturing into the intricate maze of streets lined with numerous temples, shrines, stupas, ancient buildings, and shops galore. As you
know, walking around cities is one of my favorite hobbies, so I was a happy boy yesterday. Backpacker world in Kathmandu is called Thamel (silent H) -- it's pretty much the Koh Sahn Road of Kathmandu, but spread out over a larger radius and less congested than KSR -- and I spent the evening walking around there stopping at various chotchky stores, ending up at Himalayan Java for a delicious pot of tea before being picked up by Alicia and Bevon on their way back home.Today was sightseeing day numero dos, and Brian and I headed to the nearby town of Bhaktapur. Starting in their own Durbar Square (Durbar means palace, and every major town/city in Nepal has a Durbar Square), we did another walking tour of Bhaktapur, but the setting was quite different from the day before. Bhaktapur is a quaint, quiet, and quite pict
uresque little storybook town. It feels like you've stepped back in time and are among a people not yet exposed to modernity...that is, of course, until you realize that the children know how to ask for "1 rupees". The ugly stain of globalization and tourism, ugh. That aside, I had a great afternoon strolling around the town, stopping to watch locals play cards, children play badminton, women knitting something out of yarn, and children walking home from school. Again, the town boasts gorgeous multi-tiered-roofed, pagoda-style temples, priceless stone sculptures, and amazing wood-carved window shutters/frames (one in particular, the Peacock Window, is notorious throughout the town). After a few hours' stroll, Brian and I headed up to Changu Narayan, an exquisite temple situated on top of a hill overlooking Bhaktapur and the Kathmandu Valley that dates back to the 3rd century A.C.E. As one of the oldest, if not
the oldest, temple in Nepal, it was quite awe-inspiring to be in the presence of such long-time residents: the surrounding hills and the temple itself.This evening I treated myself to a delicious Tibetan dinner and then great live jazz music at 'Jazz Upstairs', a dark, smoky, crowded bar [ie, perfect] located on the second floor of a home. I hadn't seen live jazz since Hanoi Vietnam with Brad back in May!!! Brian is quite a jazz connoisseur, so he knew many of the contemporary jazz songs played tonight. I enjoyed my first Nepali beer (Gourka), which was actually my first beer in a few weeks. Quality night to end a quality day.
Tomorrow is more sight seeing: Patan, and a few more temples/stupas in the area. Lots more photos to come!!! Since the weather is not optimal for
trekking in Nepal, I will save Annapurna and Everest Base Camp for my next visit during more opportune months. For now, I'll soak up as much as I can, and hopefully I'll get to do some overnight trips to the national park or some other outdoor excursion. Not to worry everyone, I'll be hard pressed not to keep myself occupied while in Nepal (I'm sure this is a major concern of everyone out there). :-)Lots of love always!!!!!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Funeral Pyres and Bathing Ghats...The Real India
HELLO FROM VARANASI, India!!! I'd like to take this blog entry to explain all about this amazing city. Let's go back to 2 nights ago, right after I finished the last blog entry (and shortly after I arrived in Varanasi).Here's a quintessential sequence of events for the life of a traveler: I left the internet cafe the other night and headed back to my guest house to have some dinner and call it an early night. Ganpati Guest House is located right on the shore of the Ganges, and sits high up above the river, providing stunning views of India's holiest place. Anyway, I look over the balcony and see lots of people gathered in the nearby ghat (bathing area) with candles and fire highlighting the area a few hundred meters down river, so I ask what's going on. Apparently 
it's they it's the daily religious ceremony along the Ganges (in Hindi, Ganga Arti). I decide to check it out, postpone dinner, and walk along the banks of the Ganges so I can easily navigate my way to the ceremony. Once I arrive, the place is full of local Indians and westerners, scattered camera flashes artificially adding light to a most unique and colorful sight. The Ganga Arti is basically a fire ceremony, where people dressed in traditional religious clothes hold up fire to the accompanying cacophonous rhythm of drums and horns. While I was trying to capture the scene from a better vantage point, I wind up next to an American guy, Canadian/African girl, and Spanish girl, Brian, Maita, and Alba. We strike up a conversation so I join them for dinner at the Ganga Fuji restaurant nearby, a Lonely Planet-prescribed eatery. All wonderful people, I 
enjoyed great company before realizing that I hadn't slept in what felt like days, so we all called it a night and decided to meet at 5:30am the next morning to take a boat ride on the Ganges at sunrise. As a solo traveler, I find it quite difficult to remain alone. :-)
7:30am the next day, I woke up and realized that my body was in no condition to get up before dawn with such little sleep. Luckily, Brian and I had agreed to meet at the Indian Airlines office at 2pm that day in case one of us slept through the boat ride (phew). Brian is also flying up to Kathmandu, and I agreed to move my flight up one day so we can fly together. I had a lazy morning catching up on sleep, switching to a nicer room in my guest house with a river view, enjoying a yummy banana porridge breakfast, and then heading out for the day at noon. I walked up river to the burning ghat, as I had heard so much about it and couldn't wait to see it for myself. Varanasi is a holy city in India because it is believed that if you die and are cremated in Varanasi, your soul will leave the reincarnation cycle and go straight to Nirvana. When I got to the ghat, I was escorted by my 'guide' (you can't really go to any city in India without being
offered a guide), who showed me around the ghat and explained what everything is. The first thing you notice are the multiple fires simultaneously burning. Basically, the burning ghat is a large cement dock/platform area above the river, with stairs leading down to the Ganges. I walked down to the fire to get some close viewing action (no photos allowed), and you can see the body burning inside the flames. Quite amazing. Before being burned, the body is wrapped in cloth, placed on a makeshift stretcher and covered on top with a multicolored shiny fabric before being carried down to the river to be dipped in the holy water one last time. The body is then placed inside the wood (the 'box' style Greg...BLC rope burning style! same same but different) and then the oldest son of the deceased waves a lighted stick over the funeral pyre 5 times (to signify the 5 elements) before setting the body alight. Each pyre is lit from the 'eternal light', a holy fire that's been going for a long time (they say for thousands of years, but who knows?) There are multiple pyres around the ghat, with some on higher platforms and in a more grandeur setting, depending on the level of prestige/wealth of the deceased. However harrowing and gross this whole process may sound, it's actually quite 
peaceful and beautiful to watch. Death is very much a part of life in Varanasi, and to see such spiritual devotion to a city and its river is quite awe-inspiring. It brings comfort to the bereaved to know that their loved is cremated in Varanasi. Once the burning is finished (approximately 2 hours), the ashes wait for three hours and are then thrown into the Ganges. Meanwhile, the pyre is cleared away, and the next one is set up to make way for another body. The ghat burns approximately 180-200 bodies every day, 365 days per year. That's 65,700-73,000 cremations per year!!
it's they it's the daily religious ceremony along the Ganges (in Hindi, Ganga Arti). I decide to check it out, postpone dinner, and walk along the banks of the Ganges so I can easily navigate my way to the ceremony. Once I arrive, the place is full of local Indians and westerners, scattered camera flashes artificially adding light to a most unique and colorful sight. The Ganga Arti is basically a fire ceremony, where people dressed in traditional religious clothes hold up fire to the accompanying cacophonous rhythm of drums and horns. While I was trying to capture the scene from a better vantage point, I wind up next to an American guy, Canadian/African girl, and Spanish girl, Brian, Maita, and Alba. We strike up a conversation so I join them for dinner at the Ganga Fuji restaurant nearby, a Lonely Planet-prescribed eatery. All wonderful people, I 
enjoyed great company before realizing that I hadn't slept in what felt like days, so we all called it a night and decided to meet at 5:30am the next morning to take a boat ride on the Ganges at sunrise. As a solo traveler, I find it quite difficult to remain alone. :-)7:30am the next day, I woke up and realized that my body was in no condition to get up before dawn with such little sleep. Luckily, Brian and I had agreed to meet at the Indian Airlines office at 2pm that day in case one of us slept through the boat ride (phew). Brian is also flying up to Kathmandu, and I agreed to move my flight up one day so we can fly together. I had a lazy morning catching up on sleep, switching to a nicer room in my guest house with a river view, enjoying a yummy banana porridge breakfast, and then heading out for the day at noon. I walked up river to the burning ghat, as I had heard so much about it and couldn't wait to see it for myself. Varanasi is a holy city in India because it is believed that if you die and are cremated in Varanasi, your soul will leave the reincarnation cycle and go straight to Nirvana. When I got to the ghat, I was escorted by my 'guide' (you can't really go to any city in India without being
offered a guide), who showed me around the ghat and explained what everything is. The first thing you notice are the multiple fires simultaneously burning. Basically, the burning ghat is a large cement dock/platform area above the river, with stairs leading down to the Ganges. I walked down to the fire to get some close viewing action (no photos allowed), and you can see the body burning inside the flames. Quite amazing. Before being burned, the body is wrapped in cloth, placed on a makeshift stretcher and covered on top with a multicolored shiny fabric before being carried down to the river to be dipped in the holy water one last time. The body is then placed inside the wood (the 'box' style Greg...BLC rope burning style! same same but different) and then the oldest son of the deceased waves a lighted stick over the funeral pyre 5 times (to signify the 5 elements) before setting the body alight. Each pyre is lit from the 'eternal light', a holy fire that's been going for a long time (they say for thousands of years, but who knows?) There are multiple pyres around the ghat, with some on higher platforms and in a more grandeur setting, depending on the level of prestige/wealth of the deceased. However harrowing and gross this whole process may sound, it's actually quite 
peaceful and beautiful to watch. Death is very much a part of life in Varanasi, and to see such spiritual devotion to a city and its river is quite awe-inspiring. It brings comfort to the bereaved to know that their loved is cremated in Varanasi. Once the burning is finished (approximately 2 hours), the ashes wait for three hours and are then thrown into the Ganges. Meanwhile, the pyre is cleared away, and the next one is set up to make way for another body. The ghat burns approximately 180-200 bodies every day, 365 days per year. That's 65,700-73,000 cremations per year!!---The Lonely Planet explains how severly repulsive the Ganges river is. After so many years of dumping waste (human bodies and otherwise) into the water, the water is septic and therefore 
cannot hold any living creatures. Whereas the normal pollution limit is 500 fecal parts per liter (above that is unsanitary), the Ganges river has 1.5 million fecal parts liter. Yes, you read that correctly.---
cannot hold any living creatures. Whereas the normal pollution limit is 500 fecal parts per liter (above that is unsanitary), the Ganges river has 1.5 million fecal parts liter. Yes, you read that correctly.---From the burning ghat, I followed my guide through the maze of Varanasi's old town narrow streets, stopping at a nearby temple with lots of carved erotic images juxtaposed with various Hindu gods (naturally), and hopped in a rickshaw to meet Brian at Indian Airlines. After a brief stopover there, Brian and I spent the next 4 hours walking around the city, getting lost in amazing places, stopping to talk to shopkeepers, children, police officers, and various passersby. I was yet again reminded how much I love the sensory overload that is India. While the serene isolation of Leh was a most welcomed break, I am happy to be thrown back in the midst of crazy India. Brian and I walked all the way down along the river from ghat to ghat, stopping at a pickup cricket match just beside another burning ghat---smaller, only one pyre, and is available to non-Hindus as well---before turning around and up into the city through the small streets all the way back to our guest house. At around 7:30 pm we hopped in a rowboat and headed back 
upriver to the main burning ghat (where I was earlier that afternoon). I wanted to see it at night and from the river's perspective, and it was truly a sight to behold. It felt like another world, hundreds of years ago, or how a movie set might portray such a scene. Multiple pyres were lit in various locations across the ghat's two- storied structure (probably 6 or 7 pyres in all), people were chanting prayers and carrying bodies down to the Ganges for the body-washing ritual, and there was a general hum of spiritual routine about the whole thing. It was probably the most otherwordly sight I had ever seen. So beautiful, so incredible, so holy. This is why I came to India.
upriver to the main burning ghat (where I was earlier that afternoon). I wanted to see it at night and from the river's perspective, and it was truly a sight to behold. It felt like another world, hundreds of years ago, or how a movie set might portray such a scene. Multiple pyres were lit in various locations across the ghat's two- storied structure (probably 6 or 7 pyres in all), people were chanting prayers and carrying bodies down to the Ganges for the body-washing ritual, and there was a general hum of spiritual routine about the whole thing. It was probably the most otherwordly sight I had ever seen. So beautiful, so incredible, so holy. This is why I came to India.Brian and I had a great dinner at Hotel Alka and then realized that we were both shattered from the day's activities. We agreed to meet at 5:15am this morning for the boat ride, for which I managed to successfully wake up! What a treat it was to see the Ganges and Varanasi wake up to a new day. From our rowboat, we had a front row seat of the Indians lining the steps of the ghat for their daily holy bath in the Ganges (shudder). The Indians are so happy and joyous to be bathing and swimming in the Ganges; for them there is nothing more sacred, and any health concerns were imperceptible on their smiles. Some people 
were lathering up in soap, others were reciting prayers and pouring water over their heads, and I even caught some people drinking the water! (double shudder). It was a great opportunity to see such a daily routine (bathing, swimming) taken to a whole new level of spirituality.
Varanasi is the India that I had always imagined, stepping back in time and into another world. I met many fellow backpackers who balked at me when I said I was detouring to get there, however I can't imagine being in Northern India without seeing this place. If you get the chance, catch the movies "The Namesake" or "Water", both of which have scenes filmed in Varanasi.
were lathering up in soap, others were reciting prayers and pouring water over their heads, and I even caught some people drinking the water! (double shudder). It was a great opportunity to see such a daily routine (bathing, swimming) taken to a whole new level of spirituality.Varanasi is the India that I had always imagined, stepping back in time and into another world. I met many fellow backpackers who balked at me when I said I was detouring to get there, however I can't imagine being in Northern India without seeing this place. If you get the chance, catch the movies "The Namesake" or "Water", both of which have scenes filmed in Varanasi.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Bicycles, Buddhas, and Bloody Cold Water
HELLO FROM VARANASI, India!!! I left beautiful Leh at 5:00am this morning, after an incredible 11 days there. After the trek, I relaxed for one day and then gave myself three amazing one-day trips to fill the time before I left today. On Tuesday, I rode a mountain bike down the highest motorable road in the world: over 18,000 feet! I went with Adi and Adam, and we took a van all the way to the top of the pass (where it was snowing!) and then set off on our bikes down the road. With the Himalayas as the backdrop the entire way down, the views were absolutely stunning. I stopped plenty of times and soaked up the view, so it was an enjoyable 2-hour bike ride down a pretty well-paved road (minus some rough spots).
Above: Danny on the roof of Thiksay Monastery with a Himlayan background
Below: Adi and Adam at the top of Khardung La pass, ready to bike down!
On Wednesday, Adam, Omri, and I took a day tour of 5 monasteries in the area: Taktak, Chemday, Hemis, Thiksay, and Shey. We started at a traditional Buddhist festival at Taktak monastery, which showcased Monks performing traditional dances in colorful masks and costumes. Then we moved on to Chemday, where the three of us sat inside the gompa (prayer room) with the monks chanting away and banging on random musical instruments during their prayer session. We enjoyed some tea with the novice monks, and then headed on our way to the next monastery: Hemis. Hemis is the oldest monastery in the region, founded in the 13th century, and is also the largest. The residential quarters are huge, so we walked around there for a while, enjoyed a nice lunch and went on our way. Thiksay was next, and was the most impressive. Built into the hillside, the monastery is a cluster of buildings that is an architectural feat. Once we walked up to the main entrance, we realized that this monastery was 
more special than the rest: the level of beauty among the artwork, prayer rooms, and surrounding decor was stunning. And, with the Himalayas all around the monastery, it was truly special to be there. Our final stop was Shey Palace, which is an old, huge stone monastery set on top of a hill. The three of us hiked to the midpoint for a nice photo op, but opted not to continue all the way to the top as it had been a long and tiring day of monastery-hopping. :-)
Above: Danny on the bike ride down the highest road in the world
Below: Traditional Buddhist festival at Taktak Monastery
Yesterday, Adam and I went white water rafting. (Note: Adam is not that much taller than me, he's just standing on a rock in that photo!) I know, I'm crazy for going non-stop every single day, but it's just too easy to do such great trips from Leh, so why not???! The morning started out not-so-great, as we had to endure a pretty miserable 2-hour bus ride through the mountains to get to the starting point (from the very back of the bus, no less). There were about 35 people signed up for rafting that day, and Adam & I stealthily managed to get into the raft without any annoying Indian tourists, or kvetchy Israeli tourists (these Israelis were not like my wonderful Israeli friends...they were pretty aweful). Once we set off, our morning woes were 
behind us. The mountains towered over us from all sides in the river, and the blue sky made for a perfect, picturesque day. Some of the rapids were pretty intense, and I got to sit in the front of the boat, which made for a wet Danny. However, since the water was super super freezing, I would have preferred a more lazy river-style adventure, and not such a wet-and -wild ride. But, the sun was out enough to thaw our feet and hands, so no lost appendages. :-)
Above: Omri, Adam, and Danny at Shey Palace (we didn't walk all the way up to the top)
Below: Danny & Adam, about to get wet
After rafting, we rested up that afternoon and Adam and I enjoyed a really great last meal together, and probably the most delicious Indian dinner I've had yet! Omri and I had a bit of a challenge booking a taxi to the airport later that evening, but we managed to get the last taxi in Leh for this morning (nothing like leaving things for the last minute!). I woke up at 5am this morning, said goodbye to Adam (we were sharing a
guest house room since the trek ended), and then met Omri to go to the airport. Here's how my day went: 5:30am- arrive at airport, 7:30am- leave Leh, 8:30am, arrive in Delhi, 3:00pm- leave Delhi, 4:00pm-arrive Varanasi, 5:30pm- arrive in Ganpati Guest House, 6:00pm-arrive in internet cafe. (yes, I waited in Delhi airport for about 6 hours or so...luckily Omri stayed with me for about 2 of those 6 before heading into Delhi). Long day, but that's what travel days are all about. Below: Prayer flags at Hemis Monastery
I was quite sad to leave Little Tibet (Leh) today, but once I arrived in Varanasi, I remembered why I came to India. Seeing crowded streets with people, rickshaws, cows, garbage, etc etc, I was instantly brought back to real INDIA...the experience of a lifetime. I only have 4 days in Varanasi, which should be more than enough, before heading to Kathmandu on Tuesday. Varanasi is famous for being a holy city, as it resides along the Ganges river, and ghats (baths) are used for people to clean themselves, purify themselves, and ALSO to come and die to end the reincarnation cycle to which they are beholden under the Buddhist tradition. It's said that if you die in Varanasi, you will go to Heaven. So, there are lots of dead bodies burned along the
river....lovely. I haven't seen it yet, but I will take a boat ride along the river tomorrow or the next day and I'll report back to you all on what I see.
The journey continues...
Miss you all so much!!
Lots of love always!!!!
I was quite sad to leave Little Tibet (Leh) today, but once I arrived in Varanasi, I remembered why I came to India. Seeing crowded streets with people, rickshaws, cows, garbage, etc etc, I was instantly brought back to real INDIA...the experience of a lifetime. I only have 4 days in Varanasi, which should be more than enough, before heading to Kathmandu on Tuesday. Varanasi is famous for being a holy city, as it resides along the Ganges river, and ghats (baths) are used for people to clean themselves, purify themselves, and ALSO to come and die to end the reincarnation cycle to which they are beholden under the Buddhist tradition. It's said that if you die in Varanasi, you will go to Heaven. So, there are lots of dead bodies burned along the
river....lovely. I haven't seen it yet, but I will take a boat ride along the river tomorrow or the next day and I'll report back to you all on what I see.The journey continues...
Miss you all so much!!
Lots of love always!!!!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Conquering The Himalayas? Check.
HELLO FROM LEH, LADAKH, India!!! I have successfully returned from the most amazing 4-day hike...ever. I've uploaded lots of pics on this blog entry, so I hope you all enjoy! At times it was extremely difficult (see the picture of Adi and Chris walking directly uphill at 15,000 feet), other times we were able to relax and have fun, and throughout the entire time, we were surrounded by landscape that was completely new and simply fantastic. The area around
photos). Ok, so here's the scoop on the trek.
Above: Danny at the top of the pass, Day 3
Below: The 5 of us at the top of the pass, Day 3
Moonscape Scenery, Day 1
We woke up on Day 2 quite early (6am), and after a not-so-wonderful night's sleep. Nevertheless, we set off for our biggest day of trekking. We hiked for about 5 or 6 hours that day, and the last 2 hours before we reached our camp were probably the hardest of the entire trip. As we rose in altitude, each step was more and more strenuous. My backpack felt like it weighed one million pounds. All I have to say is, thank goodness I'm not a smoker. When our camp was finally in sight, Adi and I were in the back of the group and we pushed each other so hard to finish the trek that day. The last uphill stretch was quite difficult, and I was completely shattered and elated at the same time when we arrived. (The picture below of me barely able to open my eyes is right after completing the trekking on Day 2).
Guy trudging along with his walking poles, Day 2
That evening we enjoyed a great sunset and great dinner, and then we all
crashed super early as the high altitude's minimal breathing ability was super condusive for passing out. As Day 2 was quite challenging, I was super nervous for Day 3, which was the steep uphill towards the top of the pass over the mountain ridge (4,600 meters). Luckily, my good night's sleep allowed me to more adequately adjust to the altitude, and I woke up feeling well rested and breathing much more easily. The other reason why Day 2 was so difficult was because we wanted to go as far as we can to ease the burden of Day 3, which was completely uphill for 2 hours. The 5 of us left at 7:30 am and started uphill with the parting words of wisdom from our guide: "slowly, slowly." So, slowly slowly we did (see the photo below of me looking uphill at Chris and Adi climbing the windy slopes uphill). It was tough, but surprisingly less difficult than the previous day's trek.
Lush scenery, Day 2
Finally, we reached the top and were treated with spectacular panoramic views of the Himalayas. After taking lots of photos, we headed downhill for a couple of hours until we reached our camp. We actually got there rather early, so we had the whole afternoon to relax, rinse off in the freezing cold stream nearby, and wait as our crew prepared the biggest dinner I've ever eaten. :-) That night the 5 of us hung out in the tent playing card games and chatting about the differences in movie/TV show titles when US shows are sent abroad (for example, the TV show "Full House" is called "Sorry for Raising Daughters" in Israel. I don't think I had laughed that hard in a long time. Really fun night. We woke up the next morning and hiked downhill to Stok where our Jeep was waiting for us to bring us back to Leh.Danny just finishing the hike, Day 2 (completely exhausted)
All in all, it was a great experience: the trekking company was wonderful and we didn't have to worry about anything during the entire 4 days, the 5 of us got along great, and I even had multiple Hebrew lessons from Adi (I've learned quite a bit!). Now that I'm back in Leh, I have until Friday to enjoy some more fun before I leave. I am going on a 1-day bike trip tomorrow (they drive you to the top of the mountain, and then you ride down amidst the scenery), and an overnight trip to some nearby lakes which should be quite beautiful (and no hiking involved). So, needless to say, I'm capitalizing on the plethora of outdoor opportunities available here in Leh.
Adi & Guy finishing dinner at dusk, Day 2
Thoughts on the expected 'introspection and ephiphany' enlightenment: Being up in the mountains definitely gave me the time I wanted to think all about me, and my life. What I ended up doing was thinking about all of you guys and how much I love all of you and miss you all so much. One thing I continue to realize is that I am an entangled, multi-faceted, and webbed fabric of my experiences and memories with all of you. My friends and family allow my compassion, happiness, and will to succeed to shine through. Thank you all for that.
OK, the internet in Leh has been most grief-inducing today. I've been trying all day to finish this mega-blog. Speak to you all soon!
Lots of love always!!!
MORE PHOTOS!!!
Lots of love always!!!
MORE PHOTOS!!!
The Steep Climb, Day 3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
