Permission to Shine

Mitja and I are having a great time in Goa...here on Palolem beach, doing all of the following things:

1. Swimming in the ocean - there aren't that many big waves here (usually), but you can get in and body surf, the water is extremely warm...

2. Playing music - we didn't expect it, but there's a huge open mic scene here, and we've been performing almost every night. We try to play Hindi songs, it's great...the locals always request our version of "Zara Sa" - check it out here: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=ruJsJWsSqK0

3. Watching Hindi movies - we take a short bus trip to the bigger city of Margao and watch things like "Ghajini" and "Chandni Chowk to China." Chandni Chowk to China is utter crap, but Ghajini is honestly one of my favorite movies of all time. I recommend you check it out...usually Hindi movies are pirated onto YouTube pretty quickly, you can probably find it there. We're trying to learn a couple songs from the movie to perform at night...

4. Staying up till 6am or later - Goa is renowned for music like "Goa trance" - a kind of dark, full-on psychedelic electronic music. Last night we went to a party called "Silent Noise." After 10am, when loud music needs to be turned off, these people distributed hundreds of headphones to people dancing right on the beach...there were 3 different DJs, and hence three different channels you could tune yourself to. We just stayed up all night dancing to the music piped into our ears individually. It was strange to just take the headphones off, look up, and see all these crazy people raving to seemingly nothing at all.

5. A little rock climbing - there are some big boulders sticking up out of the sand and water. I'm not really

The title of this entry is "permission to shine"...a line from a song that our awesome Irish friend Suzy wrote, taken from a Nelson Mandela speech:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Pictures: Mumbai and Goa

A few pictures from the last week:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewsimpson83/3195394575/in/set-72157608189803284/

--

GOA IS AWESOME!

We're having a blast on just our second day here in laid-back south Goa. Plenty of swimming, relaxing, and partying. Wait for me to upload my pictures, or see for yourself right now:

http://flickr.com/search/?q=goa&w=all

Mumbai: First Impressions

This is my first day here, but I think I like Mumbai and hate the Colaba area. Not to sound too bitter, but these are my least favorite tourists in India.

Mitja and I just took a walk and saw the damage to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, a few bulletholes still visible, as well as what looked to be grenade damage.

Tomorrow we meet the cousin of a friend from Mussoorie who will take us around, maybe even give us a place to stay.

-Andrew

Riding Elephants in Chitwan, Partying in Pokhara, Back in India

I never know where to start when I wait this long to update this thing. The street festival turned out to be not nearly as lively as we had hoped. It went on for 5 days, but on the first 4, they closed everything down at 11:00pm. New Year's was funny because they closed it down at 12:30, but there was no countdown or anything, noone had the central time, so everyone was celebrating their own New Year's, and different sporadic countdowns could be heard for a good 10 minute timespan. Actually, we were a little bored in Pokhara after a couple days. It's a beautiful place, with a big lake, laid-back personality, and a good view of the Himalayas (on clear days, which we didn't have), but there's really nothing to do, and the street festival gave the place an unalluring carnival-like atmosphere.

One day I rented a motorbike and rode to the top of a small mountain called Sarangkot. Actually, it was funny. It was a nice ride up there, but then the road just cut out, and I was basically dirtbiking, often past tourists lugging huge backpacks up the hill (for some reason...it's not far even to walk). The view from the top is supposed to be spectacular, with a view of Pokhara, the lake, and the mountains, but it was really hazy when I went and I didn't see a single mountain. I don't even have any pictures of it.

After New Year's we were anxious to get out of Pokhara and do something fun - so we headed to the Nepali National Park of Chitwan. This promised a good time as you could ride elephants, see rhinos and tigers, and hang out in the laid-back rural setting. Our lodging was great, a place that recalls the word "bungalow," situated in the jungly environment outside the park. We hung out in hammocks, drank lots of tea and beer, and in contrast to Pokhara were quite content to just be there and do nothing.

The first thing we did in the park was a jungle walk. One of us, Martin, had done this before on an earlier trip and almost got killed (along with his girlfriend) by a rhino that charged them. They survived by climbing a tree, which the rhino subsequently rammed repeatedly. Coming back early, they had to cross a river infested by crocodiles. They swore never to do it again. But Martin is crazy, and after some time passed he was ready to give it another go with us. I'm sorry to say our trip wasn't as eventful. We started off in the morning, filed into a boat that looked like they simply carved the trunk of a tree into a canoe, and set off down the sedate river, the fog from the morning obscuring everything around us, giving it an eerily cinematic feel. The scenery was nice, the walk lasted about 4 or 5 hours, but the most exciting thing that happened was when the tall grass towering above us started to quiver, our guide became stiff and alert and held up his hand, signaling us to stop, and out ran...some wild boars. Not terribly exiciting, except for the moment before they emerged when we thought we were going to be attacked by a tiger (of which the park has over 100) or a rhino.

Next we rode an elephant into the park. This was actually really fun, and this time we saw quite a few rhinoceri. The rhinos cannot see above 6 feet from the ground, so all they see is the elephant, and neither animals is afraid of the other. Our driver seemed to be really crazy, and kept making our elephant (named Ranimaya) run off the trail so we could cut off some other party of tourists in an elephant ahead of us. It was a fun time...check out my pictures to get a better idea.

One of the last things we did in Chitwan was go to the Elephant Breeding Center. This was fun, we got to touch and feed lots of grown and baby elephants (one of the elephants just had twins, a first for Nepal), but it was a bit sad...some of the elephants seemed to be chained cruelly so they couldn't take a single step, and often fires were burning right near them. Michaeles really aggraved this one baby elephant somehow, which subsequently headbutted an innocent Indian tourist into the fence.

The next day Mitja and I parted ways with our Everest Base Camp friends Martin and Michaeles, who we'd been with for a few weeks. We all promised to stay in touch, and there's a possibility I'll be working for Martin as a construction worker in England for a while to make some money. Martin and Michaeles were headed back home to the UK, while Mitja and I were again going into India, this time heading for the beach state of Goa.

Going from India to Nepal seemed like a slow transition...the realization of how much quieter, less populated, less hectic, less hassling the whole place is. Going from Nepal back to India was a rude awakening...suddenly all the noise, congestion and filth was back in full force and we were plunged into it. Being off our guard from being in the more honest and trustworthy Nepal, we embarassingly gave a phony bus fare collector some money, which he subsequetly ran off with.

We got stuck in the incredibly dirty and ugly railway junction of Gorakhpur, for a day, when all the trains were canceled. We got out the next day, but so many people were trying to get on due to canceled trains, Mitja and I had to share a berth, which isn't really even big enough for me when I'm alone. We were able to sleep a bit, packed in head to toe and forced to sleep on our sides so we could both fit, but it was a very uncomfortable 21 hour train ride before we arrived, thankfully, in Delhi. I've never been on a train so crowded...people sleeping on the floors, on top of one another...I'm very thankful that I'm not claustriphobic...just sitting up and getting off the berth was a huge process, and both Mitja and I hit our heads many times on the fan and light fixtures on the ceiling.

So now we're back in Delhi. I'm gone go ahead and say it - I 've really enjoyed Delhi all the times I've been here. But here's the problem - most tourists go to Pahar Ganj, are apalled, and get out as quickly as possible. Pahar Ganj is Delhi to most people. Pahar Ganj is a small, dirty, cramped, busy district of the city that was basically created by the influence of Lonely Planet India...just one of a few gripes I have with that ubiquitious tome. Here you see more westerners than probably any other area of Delhi. Indians are actually quite confused as to why backpackers throng to this place. I've had so many experiences here...I was making a list in my head and realized I've been to quite a few places:

1. Bengali Market - nice, laid-back place frequented almost exclusively by Indians...Mitja was amazed when I brought him here. Nothing extraordinary about it, which is why I like it. It's just...normal. Normal middle-class (or upper class, I don't know) Indians going about their day, eating food and shopping. Noone hassles you here.
   
2. GK-I and GK-II - upscale shopping places...also an impressive residential neighborhood if you walk between the two places
   
3. South Extension - "southex"...upscale shopping place
   
4. Lajpat Nagar - upscale shopping place, bigger and more bustling, but not quite as nice, as the above two
   
5. Andrew's Ganj - not named after me, sadly...but where my friend Rachna's parents live and where I stayed for a week or so...there's also a mall here, which is surreal because it's so strangely similar to western malls...but you know you're in India.
   
6. Pahar Ganj - of course
7. Connaught Place - of course
   
8. Old Delhi - Lal Qilal, Jami Masjid...not really impressed by this, though I can't say to have explored it thoroughly
9. Dilli Haat - a bit touristy, but few tourists seem to make it there - a sort of cultural exhibition where every state has a section of the market, and you can buy food, clothes, and other things that are characteristic of any particular region (say, the southern state of Tamil Nadu or the desert state of Rajasthan).
10. Mejnu Ka Tilla - a Tibetan colony in northern Delhi...I'm sure there's quite a bit to see here, but your first impression is that there's not. I visited a really immaculate monastary/temple.
    
11. A farm house on the edge of Delhi, where I went to one wedding with Rachna's family
    
12. Noida - not actually Delhi, but just outside it, where I stayed at the very impressive house of a friend-of-a-friend from Mussoorie and went to a wedding at the golf course.
13. Lodhi Gardens - went with Rachna's family...a really quiet place to walk.
14. Delhi Metro - you can't leave Delhi without trying out the subway, one of the most modern and impressive things to see here...I also, strangly enough, visited the central office building for the Delhi metro project, where Rachna's father works, which is also a pretty impressive place.
15. The Parliamentary District - I think most travelers actually do make it over here...quiet, impressive architechture, lots of grass, a view of the India Gate monument, and free of noise and commercialism.
16. Indian Oil market - I think some of the best deals on touristy things can be had here...an open market frequented by both tourists and Indians

...and I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of what is in this city...basically it seems just as diverse as India itself.

Well, that's it. Mitja and I splurged today and bought ourselves some fancy 1500 rupee ($30) train tickets to Mumbai, treating ourselves after our nightmarish ride to Delhi. Usually as shoestring travelers we pay 100-300 roops for a ticket, but we're gonna try to class it up this time.

Peace Out...Namaste.

-Andrew

New Year's In Pokhara

I'm here in Pokhara, Nepal, with the 3 people I met on the Everest trek - Martin (UK), Michaeles (Greece), and Mitya (Finland).

Martin wanted us to head over here because Kathmandu was getting a bit boring and he said they might be doing something here for New Year's. At first I thought this might not be true, but it turns out they are gearing up for a wild 5 day street festival that begins tonight.

Quote of the day: "Are your friends hippies or lunatics?"

I'm sure I'll have lots to report after or during this festival...right now we're going to rent kayaks and go out on the big lake they have here, and I'll probably rent a motorbike, then we'll dive headfirst into this big party...

Cheers,
Andrew

Everest Base Camp

Had a great time on the Everest Base Camp trek. I wish I had more time to dedicate to this journal...ideally I would write an essay about every day, but after I go through my emails and sort through and upload and label my photos, 2 hours have gone by and I don't have much time to write.

Here's some facts about trekking to Everest Base Camp, through the Nepal Himalayas, in December:

1. It's not that cold

Sure, it gets really cold at night, like down to -15 C in some places, but in the day we (me and a Finnish friend, Mitya, I met in Kathmandu) walked with just one thin shirt on. During the day you generate heat just walking, and at night you are inside a lodge with a stove going, and when you go to bed you get as many blankets as you want. Admittedly, it does sometimes get pretty cold when you stop for lunch during the day. We never walked through any considerable amount of snow or ice.

2. You can do it in sandals

I apparently made a name for myself for just hiking in sandals and bright green Tibetan toe socks, but the trademark of the typical trekker seems to be over-preparation and overestimation of how harsh trail actually is.

3. You hardly need to bring anything

Most people were slogging up the mountains with packs bigger than almost any I saw while hiking the Appalachian Trail. You eat all your food in restaurants and you sleep every night in hotels. Mitya and I were the only ones carrying packs the size of college bookbags. Just a fleece jacket, a rain shell, and a hat. I found my shawl extremely useful. When it was hot I wrapped it around my head like a hood to protect me from the sun. When it was cold I wrapped it around my whole body like a blanket. Easy on, easy off. I honestly think it would be quite possible, even this late in the season, to just bring a light jacket, a hat, a camera, a water bottle, and nothing else.

4. You don't need a guide or porter

Because you don't need to carry anything, you obviously don't need someone else to carry any extra stuff. Because the trail is so obvious, you don't need a guide to show you where to go. I always heard that not hiring a guide or porter is an insult to the Nepalese, but honestly, no one took offense, and the Nepalese economy is well nurtured by trekkers just by patronizing all the numerous restaurants, shops, and hotels.

5. The trail is more crowded that I expected

...and this is late in the season. I would honestly hate to be here in October or November, when a rush of trekkers comes through. There are many treks in Nepal where there are no restaurants or hotels, where you have to camp every night, and where few trekkers go, but this is Everest Base Camp, and you can probably expect people all year round. The other thing is that the trail is used not only by trekkers (in fact, they may be a minority), but by huge processions of yaks, donkeys, and native people. At first, the yaks were, but by the end, it was a little annoying, having to stop and wait for the yaks to go by, usually leaving a huge cloud of dust in their wake.


6. The Nepalese use yaks for everything

They use 1) their fur for blankets, 2) their meat for food, 3) their milk for milk and cheese, 4) their shit for burning in stoves. Surprisingly, burning yak shit doesn't smell bad at all. I got used to anxiously awaiting the arrival of the guy carrying a huge bag of yak shit at night, when he would dump it into the stove, pour kerosene over it, and light it all on fire.


7. It's difficult to see Mount Everest

It has really big mountains in front of it, which are closer to you, so the best view you get is the top of Everest peeking out from behind a ridge. Surprisingly, you can hardly see Everest from Base Camp at all.


8. It's really beautiful

I think I need a more positive item in this list. Everything on this trip that has been described to me as "transcending its surroundings," like the Taj Mahal, has been pretty disappointing. But
this is the Nepal Himalaya...even in the places where commercialism seems to have developed a bit too far, you can't escape how sublime this place is. It becomes apparent that these mountains don't need to be photographed from a certain angle, or at a certain time of day, that everything you've seen in magazines and movies was exactly what you see with your eyes when you come here.


A detailed account of the trek would take a really long time - I'll try to summarize. I walked with a Finnish friend, Mitya, I had met in Kathmandu. We started off by flying into Lukla, reputedly one of the scariest airports in the world. I didn't think so - it's definitely unconventional, with a runway that begins at a cliff edge and continues at a 20 degree angle right into a mountain wall. But the pilots just approach slowly and land on it. I think I had heard something about the planes circling around and diving down headfirst...that's not true. If you don't normally fear flying I don't think you'll have any problem. Lukla is just another small village, even with its "airport," and we started walking immediately towards the large trekker stop of Namche Bazaar. We were laughing because after a mile we hadn't gotten into any wilderness yet - it was just restaurants, lodges, and shops along the trail. It was also colder than we expected, but later on we got used to it.


The second day we met Martin (from the UK) and Michaeles (from Greece, living in the UK) and ended up walking with them for most of the trek.

The rest of the time took us through the stunning scenery of the Himalayas - the pictures can say more than I can here, so best to just look at those.

My two favorite days were the second to last and the last. On the second to last day, we went to Everest Base Camp. This was nice because there were no hotels or restaurants along the way, nor many trekkers, and the dominating landscape was absolutely amazing - these huge peaks looming over us, walking along a glacier. Actually, it's difficult to say where Everest Base Camp actually. Certainly we were in the general area. This is a common complaint with Base Camp trekkers - "there's nothing there." But I found the base camp area to be really amazing - the "natural cathedral" atmosphere I had experienced from time to time on the Appalachian Trail.

The next day, we hiked from Loboche back to Namche Bazaar. This isn't an unfathomable distance, but it is a long way. Actually, some people didn't believe we had done it at all. It took us into the night, but that was what made the hike so spectacular - I can't believe most people only hike during the day, and miss the incredible transformation of the mountains as the sun goes down.

The worst day was getting stuck in Luckla for an extra day because of weather. Martin, Michaeles, Mitya and I just played cards and drank tea all day. Also - a word to the wise - stay away from "Everest Coffee" - Everest brand whiskey mixed with horrible coffee. We killed quite a bit of time coming up with "would you rathers," that usually ended with "...or drink 5 Everest Coffees."

Getting back to Kathmandu was great - we celebrated a lot last night, maybe a bit too much, and I ended up getting a rickshaw driver to let me pilot his cycle-rickshaw through the streets of Kathmandu - again.

That's it for now. Looks like Christmas dinner in Kathmandu with a bunch of trek folks - the 4 Australians, Martin, Michaeles, and Mitya.

Here are a few pictures - click on them and go to the full set to see them all. (Set is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewsimpson83/sets/72157608189803284/)