Chocolate meditation

The title of the blog says it all really...
Ever heard of it? Neither had I, until a few days ago but now I wish to share it with you all and I recommend you try it.
It is definitely the best meditation I've ever tried...

Here is the link... Either pre record yourself or have somebody read this out to you.

http://www.buddhafieldnorth.org.uk/kids-area/chocolate-meditation/

I am not joking.. You will never appreciate chocolate so much and you will never eat it the same again.
Tell me how you go...

Part time nurse, part time Bollywood dancer

Returning to Delhi for the third time, Hannah and I vowed to transform ourselves into delhi-ites, despite the upcoming Diwali festival that was coinciding for those days.

We managed to visit Connaught place, ride the Delhi metro and manoeuvre the train station with ease and confidence... Diwali, however, was a different story and after some expert advice from the locals we decided to enjoy the festivities from the safety of a rooftop restaurant. It was the most spectacular fireworks display I have ever seen and it was one of the most chaotic. On the street, children were dancing among fireworks while their parents mingled together, teenagers were setting off bombs amongst the oncoming traffic and the residential dogs of the main bazaar were going mental. As we dodged the stray fireworks that came shooting our way, I couldn't help but think that we should possibly be heading to the nearest Emergency department to lend a hand to the Indians that had lost theirs. It was like a happy war zone...that continued until 3AM!!!!

The other highlight of Delhi was the arrival of our friends from home, Hilary and Megan, turning our travelling duo into an epic wolf pack. As first timers to India we were unsure of what their reactions were going to be but as Hilary shimmied her way down the main bazaar exclaiming 'I f*#king love this!!!!!' and dodging cow poo, we knew it would be okay. It was interesting to see what the girls found hilarious and crazy in those first few days which we had come so immune to in the past couple of months.

Our first stop as a wolf pack was Pushkar for the annual camel festival. We arrived into the Ajmer train station and then had a one kilometre walk to the bus stand to catch a bus to Pushkar. Whilst walking through the middle of town, we encountered a dead man lying on the street with maggots coming out of his nose. It was disturbing for us but everyone else (well, the indian people) just ignored him as they walked past carrying out their daily lives. The impression I get, as a foreigner in India, is that life here seems so expendable and undervalued and it makes me quite sad. From the dead man on the street to the people who ride motorbikes with their infants and toddlers and no helmets. I am no good with words so I can't really describe how it makes me feel... But just sad. I value my life and everyone in it so much but the mindset here is, not the opposite, but different.

There is a lot of good though... Don't let me put you off!
For one, the camel festival. What a hoot! I had never seen a camel before and now I have seen hundreds. I mean it - Hundreds.
We rode camels, enjoyed desert sunsets via camel,held picnics on the back of camel carts, learnt the price of camels, watched camel hair cuts and camel nose piercings all the while declining the hoards of children wanting our money.
We also shopped. And shopped. And shopped.

However, my favourite part of Pushkar is yet to come...

And it has nothing to do with camels...

Or shopping..

But BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASS!!! Dun-Duna-dun!
Not only was it the most exercise I have had in 2 months (and that includes the trek to base camp) but the moves were sassy, there was plenty of hip thrusting and it just so turns out, our teacher thinks we have what it takes to make it in Bollywood.
We danced to the slumdog millionaire soundtrack and have since been showing off our new choreographed moves to anyone who will watch...which is practically every indian we met.

Indian cooking class - tick
Bollywood dance class - tick
Is it time to party yet?

Spiritual Awakenings

25 October 
For the next eight days we are spending it in rishikesh - the yoga capital of the world. We have decided to call Shri sant sewa ashram our home where they offer yoga, massage and arranged marriages. Never fear, I'm not that desperate yet. 

We began our spiritual journey with a 0645 class of purification. It began with a little nose cleansing. We got mini jugs with spouts which we filled with warm water and poured into one nostril and let it drain out the other WITHOUT swallowing. It took a few swallows of water which he assured us was safe before we got some good flow coming out the other nostril. We then sat in a semi circle which consisted of me, Hannah and our young Nepalese yogi and did breathing exercises. 
Lastly, we chanted/sang. He sang his version and we sang our version but he wrote the lyrics out for tomorrow's purification so we can get it right.

We also went to beginners yoga which was quite uneventful except for when he made us try put our legs behind our head. Beginners luck? I don't think so. 

26 October 
On our second day of purification, we continued on with nose cleansing. I managed to pour a jug through each nostril like a professional but Hannah had a little more trouble getting it going. The yogi think she has become unbalanced since yesterday. How does he know about all the chocolate we were eating last night whilst watching gavin and stacey!! Awkward.
We then got to put little feeding tubes into our noses and down into our throats to clean our sinuses. My problem came when I had to pull the tube out through my mouth with my two fingers as I kept hitting the gag reflex. I was determined though so when the yogi offered to pull the tube from the back of my throat I told him to go wash his hands. He came back with two fingers looming so thought I would try one more time and... I grabbed it! Managed to play with it a little by pulling the two ends one at a time in a see-saw motion. 
On removal of the tube, my nose was all snotty and dripping and the yogi happily exclaimed that it was all the dirt I was harbouring. He was really doing the hard sell on daily sinus cleaning. 

Later that day, we decided to try laughing yoga. There was a lot of pretending to be lions and jumping around and singing/dancing of mantras. Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! Krishna Krishna! Hare hare! It was funny and boy, did we laugh! 

27 October 
Today our yoga session was taught by Swami Yogananda Maharj Ji who is 105 years old!!! It was inspiring, interesting and he seemed like a top bloke as he stood before us in his jockeys. He could really move and then yelled at us as we were jogging on the spot 'FAST!!.............SUPER FAST!!!!!!'

Meditation was next on the list of things to try and we opted for a guided meditation class lasting 45 minutes. We sat comfortably on our mats and were told we couldn't move our legs for the entire class. Twenty minutes into the class when I was begging my mind to turn off, all I could think about was how sore my bottom leg was and how much I needed to move it. At one point, I thought I had gained enlightenment and felt myself hovering about my mat, no longer connected to the ground or my body. Sadly my bottom half had just gone numb and I was not experiencing my emancipation. For the last 20 minutes the pins and needles took over and my leg was cramping and searing. 
Switching your mind off is hard but sitting in one spot for 45 minutes is harder.. 

29th October
The good news is we have found a prefect little 'yoga for beginners' class taught by a spaghetti like indian called Baba who likes to try and twist us into all shapes and sizes. He tells us daily we are not flexible and need to be but his classes flow and he is constantly adjusting, helping and pushing us further with our yoga. We like him a lot, and we like the class. For me, yoga is a much better form of meditation and I'm feeling inspired. I want to be spaghetti, like baba. It only took him five years of daily practices so by my calculations... 4 years and 51 weeks to go!!

31st October 
Our spiritual journey has not ended but this blog entry has.. It concludes with the mother Ganga. The river flowing from the Himalayas, which then meanders through to Varanasi and out to the Bay of Bengal. The holiest river in the world. And potentially the most polluted. 
The last thing to do in the spiritual journey was simple really - do as the Indians do and take a swim in mother Ganga. In Rishikesh, it is not as polluted being so close to the mountains and the currents are so fast that everything gets washed away pretty quickly. I was accompanied by an Argentinian named Sebastian as Hannah was not so keen on the swim and 'at 25 is not going to give into the peer pressure' we were putting on her. It was refreshing and I dived under three times. Well, dived twice and fell on a slippery rock once. 
And as expected, we emerged from the Ganga with holiness radiating out our pores... Or something more sinister... 

Highlights of Punjab

We have entered the Punjab region for two days only but it is evidently clear when we arrive (by another painful bus experience) by the amount of turbans we begin to see.

The Sikh religion was founded in this region by Guru Nanak who was unimpressed with the main religions of India at the time. He believed in equality of all and campaigned against the caste system and unlike many indian holy men, he married and had children.

We are staying in Amritsar which is an ugly, dirty city with a beautiful attraction.. Like a diamond in the rough. That's my opinion anyway.. I would love to met somebody who thought differently of the city. I prefer Delhi.. Which is a big call to make.

The diamond in this case being the Sikh golden temple. A beautiful golden temple surrounded by a sacred pool and beautiful white buildings. The roof of the temple contains 750kg of gold!!
We went three times as recommended to see the temple lit in all ways - dawn, day and night.. But it was at dawn that we had the most fun.
We arrived with heads covered at 6am and promenaded once around the outer edge of the pool before lining up on the causeway to sneak a peek inside the temple. We gathered with the swarms of people pushing to get in and then morning prayers commenced and it was suddenly peaceful. There was a lot of simultaneous bowing by everyone on the causeway but Hannah and I - leaving us standing awkwardly amongst everyone, until we saw down with them to stop drawing awkward attention to ourselves. Once prays finished, everyone got up and the  pushy indian ways took over again.
Our timing is excellent.

One of the practices of showing equality is langar - where anybody despite religion, race or class in society can come and sit side-by-side and enjoy a free meal at a communal kitchen. After our prayers this is where we went and our timing again proved to be impeccable. There was a big crowd gathering around the communal kitchen which we assumed was normal so we joined the queue. Who wouldn't want free food!?

Suddenly, somebody came out and announced it's opening and suddenly the mad rush was on. Everybody was diving for metal plates and I, who had never seen anything like it, hung back a little and grabbed the back of Hannah's backpack as she took off for the plates. She turned and looked at me, saw my expression and with a huge grin said 'just like the London Underground babes'. What a woman!
A nice Sikh boy grabbed two plates for us and we took them gratefully... And then we were getting plates thrust at us from everywhere as people tried to help the white girls. We decided to wave our plates in the air so everyone knew as we pushed forward in the crowd. The same Sikh boy got us bowls and then spoons.

We followed the mosh pit into a dining room which was a massive room with two long, thin carpets in lines along the floor. We sat down cross legged beside our same young friend and got ready for our meal. I managed to relax a little after being freed from the stampeding, hungry, plate-wanting mob and began to love the situation we were in. Volunteers started coming around with steel buckets full of curry and slopping them on our plates and then somebody came and threw chapatis into our waiting hands. Dig in.

My favourite part of the breakfast, apart from ongoing offers of chapatis, was the water machine. It's hard to describe but it's pure simplicity and brilliance was incredible. It was a big water tank on a trolley with brakes. A waterboy pushed it along the rows and when he pressed the brakes, a nozzle lifted off a well placed tap at the bottom and water came out into our bowls. He did this up and down the rows and managed to entertain us throughout the whole meal. At one point, he was chatting on his cellphone whilst operating the machine. We both agreed that the kitchen ladies at CDHB would lose their marbles over such a machine.

The second pearl being the India-Pakistan border closing ceremony. We rode out there in a shared taxi for eight. The shared taxi translating to a normal sized jeep and eight translating to thirteen.  It was cosy but we got the front seats so we could observe that none of the dash board was functional. Neither were the seat belts but the driver made us pretend to wear them anyway.

It was my first time to a border and it did not disappoint. The patriotism was high and it is easily forgotten in a country so polluted and corrupt, so it was nice to be reminded. There was grown men sporting indian flag face paint, mini flags and little flag sun visors. There was popcorn and drink stalls and the bleachers were packed.. Oh yes. The ceremony is so big they have built stands on either country side to accommodate everyone. The Pakistan side was a lot less populated (possibly due to Ramadan) and the men and women were separated.

Before the ceremony started, the latest Bollywood hits played over the speakers and females from the bleachers ran onto the road to perform their latest dance moves. The uniforms of the border security team were beautiful, brown and red.

The ceremony began and there was a lot of build up. High kicks from the guards, a little fist pumping to Pakistan and a cheesy commentator who seemed like he belonged on a TV game show wearing a white track suit with an indian flag on the back. Finally the gates on both sides were open, there was a salute and the flags hung together to the background cheers of the audience. A show of present harmony against a very rocky history.

I then got diarrhoea, just in time for our night train to haridwar.
Of course.

An indian bus experience

I have often wondered since arriving in India why we keep putting ourselves in dangerous positions and often try to rank them to find the most dangerous. Walking down a road in Delhi, flying into Lukla, catching a bus, snaking the street in a tin rickshaw etc... They are all dangerous everywhere you go in the world I suppose but I feel the risk is much, much greater in this wonderful country.

And, I seriously think busing might be at the top. It has to be.

We arrived at the bus station early to reduce stress on ourselves before the 10hour bus ride to Manali ahead of us. We opt to take a 'deluxe' government bus as it is dirt cheap and always interesting.. And it's deluxe!
We find our bus easily because we're white and everyone wants to help the white girls. They show us our bus and we find the conductor who checks our pre-booked tickets and help us load our bags in the back. As we walk along the side of the bus to hop on we notice vomit dried to side of the bus on just under half of the windows. Always a good sign and very common.

We go off in search of breakfast while we wait for departure time and after paying 10rupees to use the most disgusting toilet in the world, we are satisfied with a delicious chai (currently ranked number 1 on our top3 chai list) and a parantha.
We board the bus and find our seats. The bus is dirty and even walking the aisle makes you want to shower. Our seats are right at the back and to our dismay the seat in front of one of ours is broken and in permanent recline mode invading our personal space. I go off to find the conductor and explain the situation. To my surprise, he tells us to take seats 9 and 10 - third from the front. Oh yeah! My seat in the window likes to spontaneously recline and then sit upright as it moves with the bus but apart from that, no complaints.
According to lonely planet 'ordinary buses tend to be ageing rattle traps while deluxe buses range from less decrepit versions of ordinary buses to...' Ours was obviously a less decrepit version.

We start our journey. It is a very vomit-inducing ride as we snake our way through the mountains. Do you think that slows the driver down? Heck no. As we turn around blind corners, we take up the whole road, but the driver sounds his horn before each corner to let oncoming traffic know where we are. I suppose it's a comfort that we are one of the biggest things on the road however when off the side is a massive cliff with no safety barriers it isn't really that reassuring. Out the window the scenery is spectacular however, so we try to focus on that for a while. I take some prophylactic anti nausea pills just in case.

We make our first toilet stop and Hannah points out the girl in the front row who has apparently been vomiting and doesn't look so flash. We check out the toilets.. Not really worth mentioning again. They're all the same. As we board the bus again, I notice the front windscreen has huge cracks all over the bottom and up on side. A comforting sign.. It has also started to rain.

There are no 'slow when wet' signs so we continue on at the same frightening pace. Ten minutes into part B of the journey, the girl Hannah pointed out now has her head out the window - looks like a bit of a meerkat though because while she vomits she has to keep an eye ahead and kept pulling her head in so that it wouldn't get knocked off by oncoming traffic and bushes.

Like clockwork she pulls her head in and the girl on our side of the bus in the front row sticks her head out. Hannah and I pride ourselves on having stomachs of steel after nursing general surgical but even we had to close our eyes for 5 minutes after vomiter 2 managed to splash our window two rows back. Ew.

We decide it's much easier just to keep our eyes closed and avoid seeing all near death driving and vomiting and manage to sleep until lunch.
In the afternoon, we stop at the a bus station for 15 minutes so some of the bus patrons get off. We stay boarded and eat a packet of lays and drink a thumbsup while being entertained/harassed by beggars and popcorn sellers who board the bus.

Our conductors change and we take off again. Five minutes down the road, the new conductor gets a phone call and we stop on the side of the road. Accidentally left four passengers behind who catch another bus and get back on. The Indians are all very excited by this turn of events and they are all talking with a lot of raged enthusiasm. The new conductor merely walks to the from cabin with the driver and closes the door separating the two and locks it. Problem solved. The Indians quiet eventually..

And lastly, when we think no more can occur. We are driving along the side of a big pass with a hefty drop below. We came across some stopped traffic so our driver snakes around the side onto the other side of the road to get past. There has been an accident (NO WONDER!) and the other cars are trying to get past also. This time, we don't have right of way so begin to reverse back up the road in a giant bus getting closer and closer to dropping to our death. The conductor is on board blowing his whistle to signal the driver directions and all the Indians are back on their feet excited by all the commotion. Some even get off the bus to go check out what's happening.

We. Are. Frazzled. But arrive safely yet again.
Is it luck? And when will it run out?
Or is it just that India pulses to its own beat?
One that we westerners are not accustom too. The organised chaos that seems to work... In most cases.

Either way, I feel the lonely planet doesn't really prepare you for what is going to happen so this is our uncut version.
Enjoy! X

Himachel Pradesh

Is anyone still there? It's been a while. We have been busy dodging everything India has thrown at us in the past two weeks. So far, we are coming out trumps. Well...were still alive and smiling.
Tummy bugs, bus rides from hell, train rides and odd concerts. Not to mention our daily fears of being hit by passing cars and rickshaws on the street.

Our first big stop in India was Manali but as we arrived on the end of peak season lots of places were closing down and it was all very quiet. Infact there wasn't much for us to do really except sit in Dylans cafe and eat the best chocolate chip cookies ever. In order to get them fresh out of the oven and gooey, we would visit 2-3 times per day. Ah home comforts!!

We also got to visit Solang Valley in the area and whilst there was no snow as this time, we could indulge in watching Indian holiday makers enjoying the summer activities - Paragliding, Zorbing, Horseriding, Extreme tramping and general wahoo'ing.

Leaving Manali was interesting as it involved a night bus - The bible AKA lonely planet had told us only to take the night bus as a LAST resort but it turned out to be just that so off we went - on our last resort. The driver was the nastiest little man who's anger showed in the way he drove. He abused Hannah for a good few minutes before then trying to kill us the rest of the night with his erratic driving. We watched him have the same argument with an Israeli couple (later, whom, became our new friends..). After downing the maximum dose of anti-nauseas I could safely close the window without fear of throwing up out of it but there was, of course, no chance of sleeping.

We arrived at a dark bus shelter at 4am, an hour before our ETA and when nobody got off the bus initially we again got abused and shouted out to get off the bus. Our bags were dumped and the bus took off.

No more night buses - Pact.

Mcleod Ganj. Lovely, relaxing Mcleod Ganj.

We have been here seven days now and are really feeling at one with the place. We recognize the local expats, other tourists, the usual beggars and even the odd monk.

Mcleod Ganj is home to the Dalai Lama in exile and a large number of Tibetan refugees. Its a hillside town brimming with culture, losses and hope. There are so many community projects here to help Tibet and Han and I really feel we have made a difference with the large amounts of money we have spent at the local shops and markets. The pack is ever filling.

On our first night, our Israeli counterparts took us to a local concert at the school showing traditional Tibetan dancing and much more. MUCH MORE is what we got and some would argue all we got. It was not the local school kids concert we were expecting but instead a one man concert which started with technical difficulties and ended in a song where with no explanation, the Tibetan performer went around the audience and completely invaded everyones personal space in a staring competition for about a minute. The background music to this was trance. Very traditional?

Today, we went to the fifth annual Tibet Film Festival at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA). After one of the movies about Tibet and what it was like to go back there, the director came out to see the crowd and answer questions. One young Buddhist monk stood up and asked a question in Tibeta. During his question, he began to cry but continued on with such deep sadness. It was so real and touching, despite not knowing what was being said and I think everybody in the room felt his grief.

The Chinese invasion has destroyed so many lives and so much culture and the people here are wearing that loss and burden every day. The last movie and finale of the film fest was The silence of the holy stones which was a nice but kind of odd Tibetan film about a young monk living in a monastery. Luckily for us, there was another monk seated behind us who sang along to all the songs and laughed enthusiastically to all the jokes that we managed to miss. Every joke.

India is forever pulling me in. 

I don't know that I will ever quit coming back here.

Statistics

Leaving Nepal so a statistical update...

 Statistics

Necklaces in situ: 3

Sunburn: 1

Bumwees: Uncountable.. but nil currently

Vomits:1

Lizard encounters: too many! 

Giant rocks climbed: 2 (counting the trek)

Marriage proposals: Still 0 - losing my touch. 

Planes: 9

Number of days without showering: 9

Number of Frisks leaving Kathmandu airport: 5 (including one very personal one)

We are back in India... and loving it. 

After spending last night on the floor of Delhi train station amongst Indian families all staring at us, rats, pooey smells, hair balls and homeless children trying to get our money, we eventually boarded a very late train to Kalka, and then the toy train to Shimla. 

We are back in the mountains and shaking off the last 24 hours with Kingfisher.

Getting excited for the next 7 weeks.

SO-SO

So-so meaning 'we are here' is what is said in Nepalese as you go past or give a gift to a buddhist shrine or stupa to let the gods know of your presence.

This is also what we delightfully shouted from the bottom of the top of the world as we reached our goal - Everest Base Camp. WE ARE HERE!!!!!!
Everybody says reaching base camp is anti-climax because there is nothing there but a field of rocks. I disagree. It is an emotional and exhilarating experience after trekking for 8 days in the cold and altitude.
Yes it is a field of rocks, on top of the Khumbu glacier with the Khumbu ice falls right in front of you. There are pray flags and a Russian expedition team camping out. When you shout, it echoes down the valley. Every 20 minutes you stop what your doing because the roaring sounds of another avalanche takes over and you look up to scan the surroundings for the cause reminding you that this environment is unstable and dangerous. It is cold and the air is thin. And the biggest draw card.. you are at the bottom of the top of the world where there have been many a people triumphant and even more devastating losses.

Lukla..
Lukla is the small town which is the main gateway to the Everest Valley and the beginning of your trek.. It is also home to the worlds most dangerous airport. The runway is a mere 450metres on a gradient of 12%. Yes that may seem small but when the end of the runway drops off the side of a mountain taking off and landing is a heart racing, frightening experience.

Landing: As you begin to descend the Nepalese passengers on board all do the sign of the cross. Comforting? No. Whilst still a good kilometre from the runway and metres above it, the engine will be cut. Never fear. The next stage of landing is just gliding in towards the runway at a fairly fast pace but, just before hitting the runway the engine restarts, you land and as you are going up the runway the plane stops with ease.. well ours did anyway.

Taking off: 100% scarier. You sit at the top of the runway and can only see 5 metres of the strip ahead as it then drops downhill. You begin to go and then you go over the edge and are on the downhill stretch and you are racing down the side of a mountain where you know ends with a vertical drop. Looking out the front pilots windows you see the white striped paint marking the end of the runway and yet you are still on the ground. Last minute though you pull up, your in the air and an applause rings out through the cabin. Looking around at the faces on board everyone is shaking and crying... except for the beautiful and brave air hostess down the back who has a knowing smile.



I wont even mention when the pilot got out the flight manual mid flight.

The trekking part is hard and while guides say that the day you walk to Namche Bazaar is the hardest hill..they are lying! You can still breathe at this point. As hard as it seems, appreciate it. The worst is yet to come.
You trek through trees and forest and it becomes more and more barren the higher you go - until the point where it resembles Mars. You trek through isolated, remote villages where the people inhabiting this area have never left and therefore never seen a car or even a flushing toilet. There are glaciers and gigantic, majestic mountains.
Porters and yaks fill the track - porters carrying loads double their weight.

Climbing Kala Patthar at 5,565 metres is the end goal and the most physical and mental challenge I have ever faced. You can't breathe and your legs are like iron poles. It is also -15 degrees and snowing.. and therefore sadly for us, no spectacular views. Every time you think your at the top, your not.
We were lucky enough that for a few minutes it cleared around Lhotse and we saw a huge, beautiful mountain towering over us which made it all worth it.

Altitude sickness of course was ever present or though for Hannah and myself only noticeable at the very end climbing Kala Patthar. Our group which started at nine though dwindled to four so if you do the trek, listen to your body and remember it can be fatal.

Also, wear Icebreaker clothing. It doesn't smell and I really tested the theory by leaving it nine days before showering. Still smelt like a dream so I am converted. It is common not to shower whilst doing the trek.. I swear.


Lastly, indulge in your comforts - you need them. Good books, mars bars and hot lemon drinks got us through.

Love to you all..
Your nama-sister.
xxx

Namaste Nepal

Call me slack..

Have been in Nepal for three weeks now and what a great little country.
The lowest point is 60metres above sea level and the highest being the almighty Sagarmartha AKA Mt. Everest at 8,848metres.

I like everything about this country.. Most of all the people but least of all the roads.

Our first stop was the town of Pokhara which is a lazy wee town 200kms west of Kathmandu and the gateway town to the Annapurna Circuit.
Yes, only 200kms.. but it's still a 7hour bus ride. The roads are the worst I have seen.. They remind me of Christchurch post earthquake. The main highway consists of smooth tarmac with intermittent gravelly/potholey patches.. and these are frequent. Let me tell you.. On a non aircon bus, 7 hours is uncomfortable.  We can't complain though because it cost us $5 and we got two toilet stops. Hurrah!

Came down with a slight bug in Pokhara but still managed to do day walks and enjoy the town. A true fighter however after four days and no improvements it was time to get serious because I needed strength for the EBC trek.

Getting back up to Kathmandu was again slow on the bus.
The kathmandu valley used to be run by three shah kings and therefore have three seperate kingdoms - Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktipur. They are beautiful and filled with culture. I would highly recommend a nights stay in Bhaktipur to anyone thinking of coming. It is pedestrianize also so you may even get a sleep in.

The main backpacker area of Thamel is exciting and you risk your life everytime you step onto the street. The people are friendly and kindly offering 'you come smoke with me in my car. marjiuaaaana, haaash'.
The shopping is also AMAZING. Goodbye all funds.

x

Wrapping up Lanka

T-minus two hours before our airport taxi is arriving and 6 hours before we are on an aeroplane out of here and this will all just be a memory...

A memory yes.. But a little more as well..
Sri Lanka has been a huge learning curve for me and has changed me too.
I am not talking some big spiritual change (or religious if you happened to read my other blogs about Buddhism) but just change.

This is the first time I have left the bosom, the family and ventured the world solo.. And while I'm not alone, my sister is such a damned good traveller that last time I didn't have to worry or plan a lot.. Much to her annoyance. Or though I did whip us up some spectacular sleeping sheets on the sewing machine.
This time, I have been the researcher and planner and I would like to announce that the trip has been a success. Hurrah!

I feel a lot more confident now about travelling.. We have managed trains, public buses, scammers and turning up late at night with no booking and... it has all worked out. There are times when I didnt think it would and would stress myself silly but it all worked out. That's the biggest lesson.. Things will generally work out in the end.

Sri Lanka has been incredible. And despite the close proximity, it is so different to India.. Or though the driving is just a crazy. Overtaking a car which is overtaking a car on a blind corner. You think I'm joking but I'm not.
But it is so much easier to use public transport, so much cleaner, the food seems safer, not as polluted and not as crazy!! It is the diet India.

The country here is so diverse! More so than New Zealand.
We started in the Negombo which gives a good greeting to new travellers. A small beach side town with bustling fishing markets and close to the only international airport in the country.
From there we bused up to the sweltering hot and sparse ancient cities where you can catch a glimpse of another generation of Sri Lanka where kings and  massive fortresses ruled.
Then it was time to head inland for a little reprieve from the heat to the bright green and beautiful tea plantations of the hill country and learn a little of the history and current production of the worlds second most consumed drink. Water being the first.
Next it was time to head south to the beautiful Sri Lankan beaches where less than ten years ago a tsunami came and wiped this whole coastline, killing many and destroying towns.
Lastly, a couple of nights in the bustling country capital Colombo where the military presence is heavy and the shopping is fantastic.

 So with that in mind, it's time to say goodbye to this beautiful country. For now.

The next destination is Singapore, and then onto India. Even though I said earlier I felt better about traveling, India wipes that clean away. India is a world of its own so for now, still shitting myself.

Kia kaha Sri Lanka! May the peace stay with you all. It's been great.

 Statistics

Necklaces in situ: 3

Sunburn: 1

Bumwees: 2

Vomits: 0 (hurrah!)

Lizard encounters: too many! 

Giant rocks climbed: 1

Marriage proposals: 0 (sad times - bring on India) 

Rupees left: 265

Living for 100 years

Time for another update I feel, but before I start I can excitedly announce that my quest to find the differences between Sri Lanka and India Buddha has begun.. But ill come to that later.

We have reached the south of Sri Lanka and are staying in the beachside town of Unawatuna.
The biggest thing to mention here would be that less than 10 years ago, an earthquake occurred off the coast of Indonesia which was recorded at 9.1-9.3 in magnitude. This created a tsunami which hit many countries including Sri Lankans southern coastline. Many lives were lost and the beautiful coastal towns were mostly wiped out.

Today Unawatuna has no obvious signs of any such destruction and has been rebuilt to be a bustling tourist location however I am sure that if you scratched at the surface and went a short distance in land away from the glitz of the sun loungers and cheap cocktails it may be more apparent. Many restaurants have photos on the wall and in albums you can view to get an idea of what once was.

At the far end of the beach is a small hill and our destination should we feel any movements from below. It is also home to a 200 year old sacred site which consists of both a large white dagoba (undestroyed by tsunami) and a newer addition, a statue of Buddha himself. It was here that we decided to explore when the sun went away this afternoon.

We reached the top when a young Lankan boy came and offered us some tea with 'no charge' - a rarity in this country. It was here that my question was to be answered.

We sipped our tea and ate water crackers in the presence of another Spanish tourist (also got the tea invite) and a Buddhist monk who had lived at this site for 33 years. He explained many things about his culture when asked if I understood, I had to guiltly and unconvincingly reply 'sort of'.

I could of lied but to be honest, I was intrigued and and wanted to understand.. So I got, in lamens terms, a better explanation.
Now before I start, there is a lot I want and could write about this because I like the religion but I don't want you to all think I'm returning to the homeland in an orange robe so i will be restrained.

We learnt more about what it is to be a Buddha, and about Buddha aka Siddhartha Gautama himself. Just a Normal man born in nepal who found enlightenment and shared his way of living with others. No creator of the universe here people.. But what a guy! 

There are two branches of Buddhism existing in these modern times.
The Theravada Buddhists who are found in Sri Lanka and south east Asia and then Mahayana Buddhists in the Himalayas and east Asia.
The differences among these two groups are to be further defined on the next tea date.

We finished up with a blessing for each of us and the tying of a white cotton band around our right arm known as a baci which preservers good luck. I must say I was very moved by this.. And we've been blessed for 100 years! Hurrah!

My baci will be staying on as good luck is what I need, as I am soon to be visiting the home country of Buddha himself and flying into the infamous lukla. The young Spanish tourist who had just done the same trek delightfully informed me that about 200-300 metres above the runway, the engine gets cut for landing. ARE YOU LISTENING HANNAH? Cut. Shut off. So we just glide down onto the runway.

Fantastic news. Freaking out... Only slightly.

Anyway best bring this post to an end because poor joe is fallen asleep on his diary beside me. Bless.

Sleepy Ella

Here is part two of the Sri hill country series and I am boring joe to tears with all this blogging.
He is left drinking piña coladas on his lonesome.. How tough.

Yesterday we took the train from Kandy to Ella. Lovely, lovely Ella. Add it to your bucket list now people because it has unbeatable beauty. All train enthusiasts add this ride to your bucket list. We rode in third class and even then we couldn't fault it, or the price. $4 for a 7 hour ride.. Not bad!
We met lots of interesting types on the train and I almost thought a new Facebook friend was coming my way in the 19year old math enthusiasts Sri Lankan that goes by the name of Indunil. He also wanted to know at what age I wanted to get married, so perhaps more than just a friendly Facebook invite.

Ella itself is sensational. We are surrounded by tea fields in this tiny relaxed village where cocktails are the hefty price of 5NZD and apart from a morning walk to mini Adams peak, we have now been in the same restaurant for four hours indulging in these sweet treats. Not too mention the curries...
Ceylon tea may be number two in production - following India with Kenya coming in third. However it is number one in quality due to Ceylon tea leaves being 100% hand picked. You just can't beat that..
However when the beers this cheap.. You kinda can.

That's all from us for now.. Our next stop is unclear however we are thinking some nice beaches where we may even have the chance to spot the largest living creature on planet earth, the blue whale.

Subha gaman xxx

Days with Athula

We have now entered what is known as the hill country in Sri Lanka. It is incredible how diverse this country is. We are surrounded by lush green tea plantations where the temperatures have dropped to a manageable level by day and thermals by night. Yes, thermals.

And the days are only getting better...
We started in Kandy and little did we know at the time of stepping from the bus our fate was sealed. Athula, a keen tuktuk driver approached us ( as they all do ) and while at first he seemed like just another of the same he was most definitely different. If only you could write trip advisor reviews on drivers..
First he bargained a room rate down from 3,500Rs to 2,000 and then offered us the same price for a days tour of the surrounding region. A bloody good deal when dealing in rups.

We started with a spice garden, and while I have been to one in south India this one was much different. It was more about how they use herbs for Ayurvedic purposes. They have everything from beauty creams to weight loss to curing high blood pressure PERMANTLY..
After we had been around the garden it was time to trial these products, a pleasant surprise to both joe and I.
We had facial, head, back and leg massages with the special potions and lotions and all for free.
The catch being we were expected to spend up large in the shop.. amd with 30% off due to being in the low season - how could we not!

Next stop was pinnewala elephant orphange where 100+ elephant have been rescued and are now living it up with the mahouts as there keen carers.
The best part of this was the small 3metre wide lane which separates the river where they bath and the park itself. We were all lined up on either side of this lane with massive elephants trampling right pastus back to the park, nearly but never actually taking out everyone in their path.
And after being hit in the head and almost taken out by a flapping elephant ear we got some pretty good photos..

After this we visited a tea museum, where we learnt the processes of making tea but I won't talk to much about this because I am aware of the length of this blog and I'm not even half way through.. Stay with me people.

It was well past lunch time by this stage so Athula invited us to his home for lunch. It was such a kind gesture and an amazing opportunity for us to see a real Sri Lankan household. Athula lived with his family, his wife's parents and his many sisters and brothers in law. I loved the dynamics of the household and have already planned out a 'mills complex' which has both April, jack and myself living below mum and dad on the free sections with our future families. Mum, dad, April, jack.. How does that sound?

Last stop of the day was some kandy traditional dancing and fire walking.
This was interesting and the costumes amazing but the true stars of the show were the fire walkers who were not only walking but putting fire torches into their mouths and licking it.
Can somebody explain to me how this is possible?
I am quite sure it is not just in my mind that fire is absurdly hot. I can't even sit a half a metre from our lounge room fire at times, let alone put any part of my skin in direct contact.

And here's comes the end of the kandy tale. Cut short for readers best interest and put into a two part blog on the hill country.

Lotsa love xxxxx

The Real Buddha

It is day five now of this particular journey and I have some sad news...

After weighing up the cost of heading to the kite camp and hiring gear we decided against it..

But dont despair!!! Instead we have spent the time exploring the ancient cities of Sri Lanka. Prepare yourselves.

First stop was a couple of nights in Anaradhapura (and yes, we are enjoying pronouncing the cities names to the locals here who kindly correct us 99% of the time). We hired bicycles and despite the heat set out in search of ancient dagobas and scared trees. My favourite part of the day was the sacred bodhi tree which is still used as a place of worship and worshipping was well under way by the time we arrived. Joe and I sat for what felt like hours taking in the scene. From the overhead speaker songs to the Sri Lankan prey flags to the orange robed monks and everyone else preying and singing it was all very overwelming and interesting!

That is one very loved tree. Just like na'vi tree on Avatar.

Next stop, Habarana which is a tiny village in the middle of the cultural triangle - therefore perfect for day trips. The locals refer to the village as ' habarana city' which I liked. It's like calling sumner a city.. Imagine. Here we stayed off the beaten track and our tuktuk had to do some serious 4wd'ing to get us through all the village dirt tracks to the beautiful lodge camp. Surrounded by villagers so if you hear yelling from your huts 'please just ignore' - its just the village men who have taken liquour and are yelling at their wife and kids. 'No problem for tourists'. 

From here we were able to access the dambulla cave temples where among other things, we found a 19metre Buddha reclining in a cave.  Buddhas got to have some down time too.. Tour guides say that when the plains below flooded the farmers couldn't work so they would come up to caves and create Buddha after Buddha after Buddha. If fact five whole caves filled with Buddhas. The biggest cave being 32 metres wide. 

This morning we tripped out to Sigiriya rock for the ultimate climb. If you don't know what Sigiriya is - I suggest you google it as it was one of the main reasons for my visit to this wonderful country. 

Well let me tell you, Sigiriya is NO easy stroll. 

However after 1x panic attack mid climb, 5mg diazepam and many tears I made it to the top only to collapse into a shaking, crying mess. I am talking a vertical rock face with some scaffolding bolted to the side... And I know your thinking 'whatevs' because that's what I thought too..  NO! It is some scary stuff. Fair to say, I will never be a rock climber. 

The top however was an excellent reward. The ruins of an ancient castle and 360' views of the country below. 

The king who ordered his decipals to build a gigantic palace a top a rock like sigiriya...well...what a d*ck! And of course he wanted a massive swimming pool that's two metres deep. 

That's all for now folks.. Is anybody reading this? Don't be afraid to leave a comment as a wee confidence booster.

But before I sign off let me ask one question I have not found the answer to here. 

Sri Lankan Buddha is a slim man with a head of hair, whilst Indian Buddha is a fat bald man with a rub-able belly.. Who is Buddha?!

Adios amigos x

A fishy experience

Here we are then.. My first entry from an overseas location.

Thanks to Mum for sharing the word on this.. I am really feeling the pressure to write something decent now. 

I've made it to the first stop of the itinerary. All shacked up writing this in an upstairs internet cafe in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Only had to pass 1 homeless man and two dogs on the way up the stairs to get here. Bonus!

The flight over was long but very comfortable aboard the business class *cough economy cough* of Singapore airlines. I don't know how I will fly on a low cost airline now without my hot towels, free gifts and free food/alcohol. Well ill probably manage secondary to funds.. The experience was nice anyway. After a hairy landing in Singapore which had us swerving all over the runway (has this happened to anyone else before?) we had completed the big flight and only had a 5 hour transit and 3 hour plane to Bandaranaike International Airport. 

We were welcomed to the airport by a shouting match between two old Indian men. I took that moment to steal a look at Joe and then welcome him to Sri Lanka. Tehehe. 

Otherwise customs was a breeze.. We literally breezed through. Mmmm safe. 

I don't know if I can even begin to describe the hustle and bustle that is a third world country to those who have never experienced it. One piece of advice - EXPERIENCE IT. My companion on this leg of the journey, Joe has never been to a third world country before and so far he has had no melt downs or pant pooing episodes so that should be reassuring to all first timers. He sort of just has a lost, overwelmed look on his face most of the time. 

The most different thing I have found so far on the trip is the lack of white people.. I know this may seem an obvious fact but in comparison to India, there are slim to none. This, however is the best thing though.. This wee town of Negombo is so truly Lankan (learnt that little bit of local slang from one of the 'Lankan' doctors at work). There aren't even (much to my disapointment) any tourist markets or stands. You heard me - no happy pants!!!!! So it feels very real. 

We have been to the morning fish market - a smelly, crazy experience where most people are walking around with a dirty machete.

And we have wandered through town.. however my Sri Lankan friend, Shanti tells me town doesn't 'get going' til 10am so we are currently eagerly awaiting the town to rip into action.. as if it wasn't already. I am counting a 'toot toot', 'meep meep' or 'BEEEEEP' approx every 5-10 seconds currently.  

Other than that, not much more to write. We are off to Kalpitiya in the morning to see what the Sri Lanka Kite Scene is all about.. 

Keep in touch. Love to all at home.

Gihilla enna xxxx

All aboard the bandwagon

I've created a blog. My first blog.

I have created it in hopes that I am going to spend the rest of my twenties traveling the world.. or in any case doing something to make you all insanely jealous. Mwahaha. 

Now that the blog is alive, so is the dream. Right?

First things first - if you are reading this, it is not okay to correct me on any spelling errors. This is the 21st century and text language rules. Mostly, it would just be embarrassing. Alryt? 

Departing on my next adventure in less than 20 days. Temporarily leaving the comfortable life in New Zealand for something slightly more raucous and unpredictable. Bring it on. 

The itinerary go as far as flights and visas.. And a voucher for an Everest Base Camp trek brought on a New Zealand daily deals website which is over $1000 cheaper than any and all other reputable adventure companies. Was that smart?

Down below is a photo of me at the Chinese Fishing Nets in Fort Cochin, Kerala. One of the most fascinating things about India is the pollutions ability to turn your boogers black. It's amazing. The lucky nose not only enjoys blackened snot but the aromas that is only India. Ones that cannot be described. Get ready nose!!! 

But first, Sri Lanka...

So stay tuned. Who knows what might happen? Hopefully my travel insurance has my back. 

In the background of my typing, my parents are watching the terminator.. So I feel its only appropriate to end this first almighty piece of fine literature with...

                       

                                                                Hasta la Vista, Baby.