Silence, caves, and starnge people (Megan)

Well, I just arrived back to America last night after a lovely trip in India. Let me tell you a little about it. After leaving Trimbuk, Lucia and I took the bus through some of the back villages and had an experience with the rural villagers who wear huge nose rings and pile together on the bus in a hectic and wild mix of cigaret smoke and school uniforms. I was still drinking 6L of water a day for my kidney stone and ended up pleading with the driver to pull over a few hours in and peeing on the side of the road in true Indian fashion. We arrived to the Igatpuri Vipassana ashram to experience the pain and excitation of 10 days of silence. It was...well, it was everything you might think it would be, just times 2 million. Staying silent (okay...almost silent...I discovered a toilet paper note on my door from Luicia about one week into the course...what a relief to discover she too had felt more physical pain than enlightenment...haha). But keeping silence is actually not so difficult, it is sitting in exactly ONE position for 10 and a half hours per day that is the real test. There were only about 10 Western people there and it was really quite interesting to really live with the Indian women and observe all of their habits. Funny how you become a good observer when your only activity is meditating. The ideas put forward in the course were really great and i can definitely say that we both felt very light and balanced at the end. This is good, considering that 5 minutes after leaving the course I was nearly smacked in the face by a dead body being carried by in the train station. So, it was off to the Ajunta and Ellora caves, where Lucia and I met a very interesting New Yorker turned Indian villager who. despite his desperate attempt to be unique, actually had some great insight into the daily lives of the people in the area and gave us a faux-tour of the caves, which he has been walking daily for many months now. From here, I left Lucia to head south and went to Goa. Can't say much for the beach I went to in Goa...I think Goa is better left for summer season. I was soon ready to leave and painstakingly made my way to the train station only to discover that the ticket (which I had paid 2x the price for in order to get a confirmed seat) had accidentally been booked for the previous day. Let's just say, I spent the remainder of the night and day being awaken to move to this car or that car in an attempt not to be kicked off the train in the middle of nowhere India. I soon found myself desiring ashram life once again and headed way down south to the Sivananda ashram in Trivandrum, Kerala. After talking to one lady there I came to find out that Little miss Giusy had been there just before me...so sorry to have missed her! The ashram there is gorgeous...a huge open yoga hall, beautiful gardens with a lake (watch for crocodiles) and tigers roaring just on the other side. Met such amazing people there and experienced a much more Hindu-centered way of ashram life. Interesting to see the different variations of the yogic lifestyle. Before I knew it I was back in Mumbai and amazed by how different the big city is in India. Daily activities changed from hiking, yoga, meditation, hand-washing laundry, and jewelry making to shopping, watching movies, and shopping again. Tried some new and exciting food, including one sweet which is wrapped in a leaf and spit out before swallowing. Now I am back in America for the next two weeks and stunned all over again about the magnitude of objects people store in their giant houses here. It is hectic and crazy and soft and clean and stressful and overwhelming and different. It seems so normal and at the same time, everything I experience seems to be the complete opposite of the lifestyle I have been leading. I am anxiously awaiting my trip to Costa, where I will live in the jungle with a close friend of mine and then begin teaching yoga on a permaculture farm in near Puerto Viejo. I am so excited for this and excited to experience yet another aspect of yog life. I have realized how much there is to learn on this path and I am so grateful to have taken my teacher training course with such and diverse and interesting group of people. Above all I am just trying to stay balanced and take it all in.

Yoga Vidya Dham Website (Megan)

Check out the blog that my friend Andy has made about his time on the Ashram...there are pictures of everyone who I am taking the course with and great stories. Click flickr button to see pics:
http://www.bombast.org/omshantih/

Life on the Ashram (Megan)

Slipped out of the habit of writing posts as you can see. Since Jordan has given all of you such wonderful information about our time in Pai (and because I have a very limited internet time and I still have that little task of planning my next step to take care of) I will just stick to describing a little bit about the yoga teacher training course that I have been attending for the past month. I have essentially been doing yoga, talking about yoga, writing about yoga, and thinking about yoga most hours of every day of the past month. We wake around 5:00 am every morning for tea, chanting, mantras and two hours of yoga practice. Next, we have breakfast (the food is more healthy than you could even imagine) and then receive two lectures from our Guru, Ayuverdic doctors, experienced yogis, etc. Learning about the history of Hatha yoga and the extent to which it is integrated into this society has been truly amazing. Afternoons are spent doing karma yoga, which involves some type of service to the community. We are located in the middle of amazing green hills and rice fields, so when we have time off I am either hiking or visiting the small village nearby to investigate life outside of the ashram and heed to the insistent pleas of the local children to take their picture and show it to them on the digital camera. Late afternoon we have two more hours of yoga practice (that means more sun salutations than you would ever think possible in one day) and dinner…curry, rice, chipattis, vegetables, pomegranate salad…followed by discussions about the day/dancing/signing/storytelling/or in some cases fighting over what has happened between the crew that day. We have one day off per week, which usually involves catching a taxi to the local temples, caves, hikes, or the city (to sneak some chocolate and local fruits). This is a much needed day with all of the information we take in everyday. The environment has worked to create a HUGE spectrum of emotional experiences and has been quite a social experiment in many ways. Each person in the group has had some sort of medical issue or another and we are all in such extreme and close living space that we inevitably know each and every bodily mishap that has occurred among the other people. For me it has been a sinus infection and a kidney stone….yikes. This has surely been one of the most spiritual and self-realized parts of my journey and I can really appreciate Hatha Yoga in an entirely new way. It has changed my perception, my habits, and my mentality immensely. I have had the pleasure of relating to people from all over the world who share common interests and who have taught me so much in this time. I am nearly finished with the course and will be heading to another ashram nearby Nasik with another girl from my yoga course, where we will be attending a 10-day silent meditation course….That’s right, 10 days of absolutely no talking, eye-contact, reading, listening to music, or even gesturing to another person. You can expect quite an interesting report on that one when I am finished. Eventually hoping to meet back up with Jordan in Costa Rica for a yoga position down there, but things in my life are resisting any planning ahead at the moment, so I am just going to try and follow the path and see where it takes me…

Dear Sandot (Jordan)

This is what I wrote in the Tacome Pai guest book. It should give you an idea about my experience on the organic farm:

Dear Sandot and Tacome Pai Family,

I am going through so many emotions right now approaching my departure. I will have been here nearly 6 beautiful weeks with you. One thing certain is that at the beginning of June someone else walked through these gates. Now as we approach August I will leave the gates of Tacome Pai standing a little taller, with a bit more of a spring in my step, and with an abundant supply of knew knowledge and understanding. Tacome Pai, Pai Village, and the many forces of people and nature here in this region have all joined together to give me the best gift I have ever recieved. I have found love, spirit and power here. I leave full of this force, ready to share and spread this secret, this key, this wonderful route to honest, beautiful and honorable living. For this I thank you, thank you, thank you from the deepest most precious chambers or my heart (thanks Ayla).

Sandot, do you even know how much you are improving our world? Just by simply being you, doing what you do, being free, happy, proud, energetic, intelligent, creative, open minded, brilliant, practical, motivated, innovative and beautiful, you change the world. Oh, and did I mention you are a genius? With all of these fantastics characteristics you have this magical gift to dust a little bit of yourself on to each and every Tacome Pay visitor. Because of this you absolutely are doing a global service. I will take my little dusting of you and of Tacome Pai to Colorado and try to inspire my family. I will take this magic to Costa Rica to my friends and loved ones there and try my best to keep your spirit alive in me. This is a chain reaction that is happening all over the world. You are simply one of the key members, a central player in this web. Think about how almost all of your guests come from part of a network, 'I know someone, who knows someone, who said I HAD to come here.' This web of goodness is being spun globally and I couldn't be more excited to be caught in it. Leaving here will be extremely difficult, but I am comforted in knowing that I will always be welcomed back with opened arms, bright eyes, and big smiles. I will return to Tacome Pai and all that makes up this magical land one day again. Until then I take my memories with me in my heart to guide me on my journeys.

Love, Spirit, and all that is good,
Jordan

Ayla (Jordan)

I met a beautiful girl named Ayla, her body was 19, but her soul was well beyond mine. She wrote this song whose words comfort me on this day. My time in Thailand is coming to a close. Saying goodbye to this place is going to be far from easy. Ayla's lyrics say exactly how I feel in words more precious than I can come up with:

A red robed man said to me,
'as long as the world is spinning,
we will meet again,i will see you again'
he said 'this life,and the world as we know,
is nothing but impermanent,
so dont hold on, but at the same time dont let go,
just don't hold on.'

And the pain of saying goodbye, is something,
i'm presently learning to deal with,
and the beauty of living this life,
is something,
im pleasantly learning astounds me
im astounded by it all,i am in awe of it all
people will come and go,
and its o.k that we part because,its a piece of the whole,
and its the way things shall unfold

You beautiful beings,
that have been such blessings upon my path i will treasure you,
in the deepest most precious chambers of my heart
i thank you, for enriching my life,
with somthing i never even thought i could have dreamed of and i thank you,
for blessing my life
i thank you all
im astounded by you all
i am in awe of you all

More Pieces of Pai (Jordan)

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2176201&l=8b4cb&id=10211609

Pai Pics (Jordan)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173466&l=6b906&id=10211609

Pai will turn you into a poet (among other things) by Jordan

Everyday in Pai I become a little more inspired. The people I've met, the conversations I've had, and the true beauty I have experienced all create a package that makes Pai a place people have a difficult time leaving. I have changed my outlook on life on only 2 weeks. Wow! First, there is Sandot, the genius of a man who owns and operates the farm we live at. He has the most stunning spirit of a human I have ever encountered. He is beaming with intelligence and love. I am learning so much from him about living self sufficiently and happily. I mean, I can build a fire, carve a whole kitchen set out of bamboo, have become proficient with a machete, and I can find the basil and cilantro in the massive sea of green. Then there's Joey and his team. These are the local guys that we go rock climbing with. We hang out on his farm most evenings and observe the simple jungle lifestyle. Joey's team are a group of guys that train horses, go on climbing excursions, and basically work together to survive and thrive. They share all and all contribute. It is so beautiful to see something like this! So with that, I was at Joey's last night listening to music under the stars...it started to sprinkle down rain and this poem poured right out of me.

If the rainforest was the desert and the desert was the sea
And birds lived in houses and people lived in trees
If mice hunted lions and snakes started walking
And cats started swimming and fish started talking
Things would seem backwards, a little out of place
The world is not right now, there's something wrong with this pace

But here is the problem, it's already happened
People are hunting diamonds and fighting eachother like lions
We don't live in houses, we live in extra large boxes
Everything we have comes in a complicated package
We are losing intuition because of all the planning
Computers do the work, nine to fivers do the scanning
All of these processes were created by the masses
Look at it, dissect it, are there more opportunities or clashes

When you see something right, you feel that it's fine
What makes more sense, shopping malls or what's yours is mine
Life offers paths that guide us toward the distance
If you chose ones that feel right, things won't seem so twisted

Sawadikah and Photos (Jordan)

Since Pai is so much fun and there is so much to do, I really can’t be bothered to type out a long blog. I’ve found that lists work well in giving you all an idea what is going on over here in Asia. So here is the newest list.

What I do in Pai:
Live on an organic mango farm
Eat at least 4 juicy mangoes per day
Shower in the jungle
Feed the pigs
Cycle to town 7 km through green farm land
Go to Mama’s yoga class
Enjoy a Thai massage
Eat lunch in town, curry, salad, fruit…mmm
Cycle back to the farm
Cook organic veggies from the farm over wood fire with other guests
Listen to Sandot play traditional Thai instruments while his wife sings
Relax in Tai house…our humble abode
Meet the local boys
Ride motor cycles to the Lahu hill tribe village
Stay in a hut over night with the tribe people
Go rock climbing on huge lime stone cliff faces
Make EVERYTHING out of bamboo, cups, bowls, spoons, water jugs, carvings
Go to parties at farms with BBQ, booze, music, fire dancers and plenty of people with dreads
Wake up and do it all over again…that’s Pai folks.

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2169473&l=27b96&id=10211609

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2169535&l=bf43e&id=10211609

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2169537&l=5c452&id=10211609

PERMACULTURE

Permaculture
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Permaculture Mandala summarising the ethics and principles of permaculture design.
Permaculture is both a philosophy or lifestyle ethic as well as a design system which utilizes a systems thinking approach to create sustainable human habitats by analyzing and duplicating nature's patterns (ecology).
The word "permaculture," coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s, is a Portmanteau-style contraction of permanent agriculture as well as permanent culture. Renowned environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki has stated: "What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet."[1]
Today, permaculture can be described as a 'moral and ethical design system for the survival of people and their environment'. It seeks the creation of productive and sustainable ways of living by integrating ecology, landscape, organic gardening, architecture, agroforestry, green or ecological economics, and social systems. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way they are placed together; the whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts. Permaculture is also about careful and contemplative observation of nature and natural systems, and of recognizing universal patterns and principles, then learning to apply these ‘ecological truisms’ to one’s own circumstances in all realms of human activity.

Easy as Pai (Jordan)

Stepping back on to Thai soil was like a breath of fresh air for Megan and I. We were longing to be back in our favorite mountain town, Pai and now here we are. We are staying at Tacome Pai, an organic permaculture farm run by the most beautiful man, Sangut. His great gradmother bought the land 200 years ago with some tobacco and now there are 1200 mango trees, rice fields, peanut, basil, green beans, mint, and coffee crops (this is what I can remember from the tour on arrival). For around $1.50 per night Megan and I have our own bamboo and wood house contructed by hand and love by Sangut himself. It is a traditional house of the Karen tribe people of Burma (you might be familiar with the long neck women adorned with gold rings). Our house has a fire pit between our beds and a front porch over looking the farm and the green mountains, often covered with mist. We are free to eat from all the crops and we contribute $3 per week for home cooked veg meals nightly. Sangut has so much to teach from carving bamboo, harvesting mangoes, making tes, building houses and basically going back to indigenous skills. Permaculture is like the reversal of technology. When we give to the earth it gives back. It is also about focusing on our talents like music, art, and creativity rather than being wasteful as most humans are. What a relief to be here among all of these pro-active people! Check out the site: www.tacomepai.com
Jordan

101 Things About Asia

101 Things About Asia
1. “Hello Moto” is not a slogan for a cell phone service provider; it has a whole other meaning here.
2. The car horn causes more stress than even imaginable, beep, beep, beeeeep!!!
3. Upper lip sweat, lower back sweat, eye lid sweat, earlobe sweat, we have it.
4. You, madam, hey, hello, lady, miss, are all names we respond to.
5. “You buy something” is an order not a request.
6. Nineteen people can easily fit into a van built for 6 in Vietnam, we know ‘cus we were in it.
7. Dog, rabbit, turtle, sea snail…..all on the menu.
8. A motor bike can be used for the same purpose as a U-Haul…who knew.
9. Five on motor bike is not only possible, but common.
10. A hand waving at you ferociously means, hey rich person come spend your dollars here.
11. For some reason Asian men think it’s attractive to have really long hairs growing out of there facial moles.
12. Soy sauce and chili, a staple on the table.
13. Even though it is 100 degrees outside most Vietnamese women are covered head to toe…no sun means whiter skin, whiter skin means more beautiful.
14. Foreigner price is always more expensive than local price.
15. Eating a Thai chili apparently has similar effects to doing speed, tried and tested.
16. A daily activity in Thailand consists of picking lady boys out of the crowds.

To be continued.

Some Vietnam Pics (Jordan)

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2166491&l=5bfe4&id=10211609

Cambodia Pics (Jordan)

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Splendid Cambodia (Megan)

Cambodia is truly a place that changes you forever. You really can’t help it, once you have seen this country you are changed. I started out my trip in Phnom Pehn, the area where most of the Khmer Rouge genocides took place. Visiting the killing fields was surreal and frightening. So many educated people were taken away from this country for ill-founded reasons. Although the genocides were very recent and still affect each of the people, the Cambodians do not learn about the Khmer Rouge in their schools. The sight of many of the mass killings is right at the edge of this large city, and yet the government was able to keep the location a secret. People are understandably worried about knowing too much. The Teoul Sleng museum was a former school which was turned into a prison, where people were tortured and questioned about their allegiances. No answer could guarantee safety for the people. The conditions of the prison were unexplainable, horrible, and eerie. There are still many people who do not know whether or not their family members are still alive. To counter our experience at the killing feilds, I found an Asian circus to attend, with acrobatics, breakdancers, and magic. Quite an amusing show. The effects of the rule of the Khmer Rouge can be felt all the way to the north of Cambodia, in Siem Reap. This town is earning many profits, however, from tourists who come to visit the amazing and breathtaking Angkor Wat temples. Actually, the killing field museum and the entire Angkor Wat complex were sold off by the Cambodian government. Cambodia is still one of the poorest countries in the world. I have been admiring the many temples of Angkor Wat and learning all about the amazing history of this place. I also had the chance to do some volunteering at a local school here. The number of Cambodians under the age of 15 is 40% of the population. With the huge number of kids needing school, the government has a difficult time funding the schools. We drove about an hour towards Thailand (there is one road and it is dirt and crumbling) out to the rural school. Pip is the English teacher for the school and has a tremendously difficult time getting anything done for the kids: the teachers show up infrequently, nobody shows up if it’s raining, she cannot speak English with any of the staff, even the English teacher, and there are NO supplies, save for the notebooks and pencils (we were so happy that we thought to buy some to bring). This is made harder by the lack of importance placed on education and the dangerous nature of the country for educated people if the Khmer Rouge incident were to be repeated. Nevertheless, the children were eager to learn (and Pip was excited to have some help with her class of 60 children!). It was really amazing to see how the school functioned. Today I went to one of the temples further from town by motorbike. It was the most amazing countryside; water buffalo, Cambodian women with giant bundles of sticks attached to their bikes, a rundown house which was converted into an arcade with antique video games, huge patchwork umbrellas, generators to power towns and batteries to power the lights (which are used to light a piece of plastic placed outside used to catch locusts, which are then sold on the side of the street), pigs tied to the back of motorbikes. As far as driving goes, there are no rules. Countless times I have seen crowds of people piled atop a van roof or hanging onto the side. You really never know what you are going to come across, today we stopped to hang with some little kids who were swimming in the polluted river and were invited into a wedding party, where they were serving Khmer cuisine and all of the women were dressed up in the loveliest dresses, with Cambodian pop music blasting full volume in the background.. I have grown amazingly fond of Cambodia and its people. While it can be hard to break the barrier that often exists between outsiders and locals, many people have warmed up and really showed me the beauty of this country.

Singapore Pics (Jordan)

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2157243&l=9ce69&id=10211609

Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Oh my! (Jordan)

Hey friends and family,
I haven’t written anything since Southern Thailand, and so much has happened since. Three countries have happened, in fact, and you all deserve an update. After our 5 day retreat at The Sanctuary on Ko Phangan, we headed on a treacherous journey to the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. So the travel day went something like this: we left The Sanctuary at 11am and took a long boat to the main part of the island, then we booked the 8:30pm night ferry (so we had to wait ALL day), then we slept in a boat crossing the 100km between the island and the main land of Thailand. In the morning we woke up and over the course of the next 18 hours we were in about 3 cars, one van, and finally a bus which took us across the border, into Malaysia, and dropped us in downtown KL at 1am. We found a hostel in China Town and crashed.
Excited to be in a new country, we woke up and explored KL. The population in Malaysia is fascinating. It is about 50% Muslim and 50% Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Christian, etc. Ethnically speaking there are Indians, Chinese, Malay, and a small percentage of white (Dutch, Portuguese and Ex-pat). Walking down the street in a single block you can see all these different cultures, religions and races. The best part is they are all co-existing extremely peacefully and functioning together as a whole. The other good part about this is that most everyone uses English to communicate cross-culturally. So we were smooth sailing with the ever intimidating language barrier problem when traveling.
KL is a modern concrete jungle with the famous Petronas Twin Towers being the most globally recognizable land mark. Until the 90s these were the tallest towers in the world (Taiwan has since taken 1st place). The city is full of character. One moment you are strolling through the China Town street market admiring fake Gucci bags, then you stumble upon an elaborate marble mosque, which happens to be across the street from an air-conditioned mega-mall. In the midst of Little India, I felt like I might as well be in New Delhi, and during one of the 5 times per day when Muslim people pray to Allah facing Mecca, I felt as if I might as well be in Saudi Arabia.
Megan took it upon herself to arrange a fantastic home stay with a Malaysian family through the Couch Surfing website. We spent 2 nights with Elma and her kids in a modest local home. Elma was so gracious and took care of us as if we were her daughters, doing our laundry, cooking us noodles and French toast, driving us around to sight see. We all hung out together in the evening watching TV and chatting. Just like home! The frightening thing though, was that Elma and her family were OBSESSED with American television. I mean I watched American Idol in Malaysia. That is bizarre. When Friday arrived we decided that we ought to move to a hostel and check out the Malaysian night life with out having to worry about stumbling into Elma’s home at odd hours in the night. We had a great time partying with other backpackers and locals in China Town. We left KL with nothing but good feelings of hospitality as Corey’s friend who lives in the city treated us to a lovely dinner for our final night.
The next day we hopped on a 2 hour bus to the ancient port city of Melaka. We toured museums and old neighborhoods and learned how the Dutch and Portuguese arrived in the East and starting trading and settling. In between historical sites we spent quality time in the state of the art massage chairs in the strip malls. Melaka held our interest for a mere 2 days and we were ready to jet.
Corey and I took a bus to Singapore, while Megan went to Cambodia to possibly pursue some volunteer opportunities and wait for us to meet her there. I am sooo glad I decided to check out Singapore. What a FANTASTIC city! Staying in Little India gave the city a more intimate and charming feeling. We stayed at the Price of Wales Hostel in a dorm with 4 other girls. The hostel is above a Pub and the bartender, a local Chinese guy totally took us in and showed us a great time in the City. The 1st night we got there he kept the bar open til 4am and didn’t make us pay for a thing. That night we partied with some US Marines who were in transit by ship to Iraq. It was really great to meet these guys and talk to them about the service at this vulnerable awkward time of "war."
The following day I sought out the local Brahma Kumaris center to speak with someone about continuing with the meditation course I started in Bali. The guy I spoke with talked to me for a good hour and a half until I became wary of the organization because he was making it seem extremely cultish, unlike my previous teacher Frank’s take on the practice. I decided to not let this one person’s interpretation scare me off, so I arranged another meeting for the following day. The next lesson I had was with an extremely peaceful, bald headed yogi, who was of course wearing all white. He spent two hours with me, teaching me more about the practice of Raja Yoga Meditation, the powers one can gain from the practice, and gave me tools to continue on my own. It was beautiful and powerful and I am so happy I spent some of my time in Singapore remembering how important my introduction to meditation was in Bali. It is easy to forget the lessons and tools I learned, so in Singapore I was happy to be reintroduced to these.
Back to the previous night in Prince of Wales Pub, nick the bartender ensured that we had a bottomless glass of wine all evening until he was ready to close the bar and take us out. At 1am we arrived at The Ministry of Sound (one of a famous chain of night clubs that started in London). Corey, myself, two girls from Norway, and Nick, got a private area with bottle service! Bottle service!? Are we really still in Asia? Nick treated us to the whole night, which I lasted till around 5am and I was the first to bail!
Another Singaporean activity is to go to what the Loney Planet refers to as "The Plastic Fantastic" Sentosa Island. This man-made island is attatched to a mall in by a monorail. Talk about futuristic! We spent Sunday at Cafe del Mar (there is also one in Ibiza) listening to great music and playing in the fake sand.
Our final night in Sing is defintaley one to write home about. We met a lovely local guy at The Ministry of Sound who is a restaurant manager of an extremely prestigious fine dining establishment (which must remain nameless by request) in the city. We were treated to a dining experience on par with the Flagstaff House. The restaurant is in the middle of the sky scrapers but is inside a renovated 19th century former fire house. We started the evening on the deck with Moet Champagne. Then we moved inside to the air-conditioned porch where we had appetizers and opened a bottle of Chardonnay. We enjoyed Alaskan king crab souffle and scallop carpaccio with cavier. For our entree we had seared ocean trout with squid risotto, and Prawn Scampi. This was an OH MY GOD meal, to say the very least. With enjoyed an elaborate desert platter (with every dessert on the menu to taste) served with a chilled Cabernet. So would say we left Singapore with a major BANG!
The next morning, or rather that night at 4am, Nick took us to the airport to catch our 6am flight to Siem Reap Cambodia. If you could choose one place in the world that is the polar opposite of Singapore, I can say with confidence that it is Cambodia. More on that thought to come!
Ciao and Bessos!
Jordan

Picture links

Here are the public links for our pictures from Thailand and Bali:
http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2156678&l=3824e&id=10213758

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2156674&l=6a544&id=10213758

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http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2156655&l=6a498&id=10213758

Malaysia Update (Megan)

We are now nearing the end of our Malaysian adventure portion of the trip. I was very surprised by just how developed this country is. Kuala Lumpur and Melaka (2nd biggest city) are hardly distinguishable from cities in the US, apart from the dress and look of the people and the food. This will make my next stop, Cambodia, seem very distant and poverty-stricken. During our visit to Kuala Lumpur we stayed with a family who is also on coachsurfing.com. They were so amazing and it was very interesting to see the inner-workings of a Malay family. The mother, Elma, works for the government and so has plenty of money. We were shocked to walk into the living room and see American Idle on their t.v. set. It is amazing that American t.v. has really taken over so many parts of the world. Elma works for the courts and was telling me about the high occurrence of babies who have been discarded by teenage mothers here. In fact, it is illegal to have a child out of wedlock as well as being illegal to have an abortion. Many teenage mothers are left by their partner and will be punished no matter what they do, leading them to abandon their children at birth. As opposed to many of the other places we have visited, nearly everyone here speaks English. This is due to the strong presence of Indian, Malay, and Chinese people who all live here together and need a common language. It is rare to see two cultures functioning so interconnectedly. It has been a treat to be exposed to so much of the Indian culture, visiting mosques and places of worship and enjoying some very flavorful food. The town that we are in now has been settled by the Dutch and the Portuguese and has a very different look than the rest of Southeast Asia. We have been visiting some very historical museums here, including a museum chronicling the extent to which people have gone for beauty: body scarring, tattooing, lip and ear extensions, footbinding, corsets, and wearing neck jewelry to extend the neck. One of the most interesting aspects of this trip is the ability to compare the neighboring countries. Bali was so spiritual and full of artisans, Thailand has been taken over by backpackers and is very hostile in some areas, and Malaysia is a testament to the possibility of two cultures being able to function harmoniously. The differences are drastic. Not to say that these are complete descriptions, these places have given us huge lessons and revealed themselves in a multitude of ways. Nonetheless, each place is very unique. One thing that has been VERY apparent throughout this continent, however, is the extreme lack of American travelers. We very rarely meet travelers from the US and are also highly scrutinized by those from other countries. While we are more than willing to discuss our disappointment with (and shame of) our current president, we seem to be some of the only people even relating to others in countries such as these. It is disappointing that there are not more people out here exploring. There are really so many amazing things to see and do in every part of the world and we are so lucky to be experiencing it. Love to everyone back home!

More Pictures (Jordan)

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2155793&l=02038&id=10211609

Some old pics from Australia and more Malaysia!

A link to Malaysia Pics (Jordan)

http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2155789&l=ad2cf&id=10211609

The journey keeps on rolling

Hi friends and family. It has been a few weeks since blogging, but I am finally at a place where I have time to relax and write. I am at The Sanctuary on Ko Phangan off the Southeastern coast of Thailand. This place is a spiritual commune of sorts offering yoga, meditation, Shamanic classes, detoxes, spa treatments and energy workshops. People prance around with glitter in the place of the spiritual third eye and spend lengthy afternoons in hammocks, reading metaphysical books and finding clarity. The food is all vegetarian, organic and delicious. The energy and atmosphere here provides a nice escape from traveling in Asia. The Sanctuary is built right on a small, secluded, beautiful beach. Giant rocks act as part of the interior’s decor as the structure is built right onto them. We share a large room with other soul searchers, sleeping on floor mats with canopied mosquito nets. It is nice to take a few days here to reflect on my traveling of the past few weeks. Here is an excerpt that I wrote in my journal a few days ago:

It’s Monday in Thailand and most of the locals are wearing bright yellow polo shirts with the King’s emblem embroidered on the lapel. The King was born on a Monday and his favorite color is yellow. I am on Ko (meaning Island in Thai) Phi Phi, which sounds like Pee Pee; the ‘h’ is silent. In effort to bring my readers here to Ko Phi Phi with me, I will take you on a short sensual journey through words.

My nose is taken for a roller coaster ride as I walk down the tiny car-less streets of the island. First, there’s the scent of burning garbage in the air, then I smell raw seafood that has been out all day with far too little ice. I walk by a fresh fruit shake stand and get a whiff of a freshly cut pineapple which quickly gets over powered by the odorous steam of the stand selling kebabs of mysterious meats.

I hear Thai kids laughing as the wheels of their scooters screech around tight corners. I hear Thai massage girls giggling and gossiping in their high pitched, tonal voices. I hear a voice that should sound like a woman’s come out of one of them only to realize that she is a he.

I see a giant limestone cliff face sky rocketing out of the sparkling aqua marine water of the Andaman Sea. I see a group of “farang” (a friendly Thai term for white people) watching those same cliffs on a TV screen in a restaurant. They are watching the Leonardo DiCaprio film, “The Beach,” it was filmed right around the corner. I sit on the beach at Ton Sai bay thinking that I am perhaps in the Cancun of Asia as I check out hot bodies and topless Europeans backpackers. I see groups of too tanned tourists sucking down “buckets” of Thai rum, coke, and red bull. I sit in the shade, dripping with sweat, so I step into the sea finding minimal relief. It’s hotter than a bath. The air-conditioned rooms aren’t in my budget so I try to get used to the hot box with an oscillating fan.

I danced on the beach under the stars and the half moon last night. But we are all really awaiting the full moon which arrives on May 1st. Everyone is headed to Ko Phangan to partake in the famous monthly rave-like party on the beach.

My life feels simple and I laugh at the fact that $25 got me a night in a hotel, a Thai massage, three meals in restaurants, and an evening out drinking. I calculate that Megan and I have shared about 240 meals together on this trip. She laughs and points out that the only other people who have eaten so much together are probably our grandparents. The three month mark is approaching. The vacation, this trip, is actually now a lifestyle. Our backpacks are our apartments and considering the busses and ferries we have taken lately, our minds prove to be our most trusty and reliable mode of transportation. Traveling. Whew!!! Some days are intense; some days are almost just like days at home. I know for sure though, that I won’t be coming home the same as before. Yes, it will still be me, but I will be a little more filled up with the goodness that the world and the universe have to offer.

Ailment # 5562...this poor vessel(Megan)

Yesterday Corey and I decided that it would be a great idea to rent bicycles and find out a little more about Pai (mountain town on the north of Thailand, near Myanmar). It started out like any other bike ride…cows of all shapes and sizes and smells, a wat (temple) with a drunk Thai man and a monk giving us sign-language interpretations of the story of the Buddha with the hollow steaming water head…you know, the usual. After breaking a sweat heading up to the mountains we were relieved to realize that the New Year celebration starts early here. For us, it meant getting soaked with buckets of water and having a flour-water mixture wiped on our faces about every 100 feet. The kids absolutely love this holiday, and who wouldn’t…it’s a nation-wide water fight! The bike continued high up into the mountains until we finally reached the waterfall. It was one of those amazing waterfalls with many tiers, allowing you to slide down into a pool of water. So amazing. On the way back down from the waterfall we felt elated and were enjoying the ease of the descent and praising ourselves for coming up the steep mountain. I was being silly and telling Corey about a dragonfly I had just seen face-planted into the ground when I slid forward on the bike seat. I tried to brake, but the quality of the Thai bicycles are not quite the same…brakes were bad and the bike weighed almost nothing. The brakes slammed and I went straight over the front of the handle bars, the bike coming up behind me and flipping over my head. I found myself in quite a state of pain…shoulder and elbow bleeding and pounding, legs and knee and hip scraped all up, and a huge purple palm with a throbbing wrist to match. Corey was there to join me in a rant about the quality of bike and how surely I was not the clumsy one…starting to think that all of the scars I am acquiring tell a different story. Wow, get me the hell down the mountain. Meanwhile, the kids are still there to soak us with water, which now makes my wounds sting like an iron. Still, at least we were biking by a field of sunflowers and Corey immediately gave me a cold beer to settle the score

Life in Pai (Jordan)

After just one week in Thailand I have yet again fallen in love with a new country. Bangkok introduced me to the essence of Thai culture; markets full of fresh herbs, juices, steaming curries, flowers, and fish, endless golden wats (temples) cover the city and bald monks draped in bright orange robes spend their days on the path to enlightenment, neon signs saturate the famed Khao San Road where all the backpackers convene, sex tourism is overtly visible and I had to learn the hard way what a “ping-pong show” really is, and humidity has taken on an entirely new meaning for me. But all the while in this maze of culture and stimulation peace and harmony shine through with clearly the most wattage.

Four days was plenty of time in Bangkok before we were ready to head up North to the mountain village of Pai. We had to take an overnight bus from the city to Chiang Mai. Sleeping pills and DVDs helped the 12 hour ride breeze right by. The second part of the trip, a 4 hour shuttle up a winding road into the mountains was less than pleasant. As soon as we neared the village I felt a sense that I would like this place. Cooler air, less traffic, cheaper prices and an over all better vibe is what has attracted me to Pai. A scene of almost trendy ex-pats has taken over the night life scene, but the Thai culture still dominates in most other venues. We each have our own bamboo hut situated on the peaceful Pai river for a mere 4 dollars a night. My biggest decision of the day usually consists of whether to have red, green, or yellow curry for lunch.

Yesterday I spent the day riding an elephant bare-back and also swimming and playing with her in a river; climbing on her head, getting thrown off, sprayed by water with her trunk and hugging her around the neck, my body embracing this huge beast. What a highlight of my life! Tomorrow we will take a full day trek into the mountains to visit waterfalls and hill tribes near the Burmese border. The day after we will venture to a new city, Chiang Mai to celebrate the Thai New Year which is basically a massive water fight between millions of people. The celebrating has already started here among the village kids and it is impossible to walk down the street and avoid getting splashed with a bucket of water. I just had a Thai massage; was walked on stretched, cracked and rubbed by a tiny but strong Thai girl followed by the coldest, freshest squeezed orange juice I have ever tasted. After I sit in my river front hammock and read all afternoon I will join Megan and Corey for an evening yoga class. All in all, life couldn’t be much better right now.Until next time! Sewatdi pimaica, Happy New Year

Our time is Bali is officially coming to an end (at least for this trip). We have had some really amazing times here and met a huge number of characters. Meeting different people all the time really makes you think about how many life paths are available to every person. For instance: you could run an organic farm and restaurant in the middle of some rice patties, you could party your little dancing butt off on the weekends and be a “black light painter” during the week. You could travel the world going to backpackers camps and persue your inventions as a hobby (an adjustable desk with a hammock chair, multi-purporse travel shoes, a language bar...). You could research tourist places with a group of Dutch students. You could divorce your wife and devote your life to teaching Raja yoga meditation.You could sell jewelry overseas, sell all of your possesions and pick up a new talent, like learning to speak 6 languages or learning to play guitar and surf. You could sit in front of your sticker shop and do absolutely nothing. My point is, there are so many options and lifestyles in the world. Traveling allows you to meet people who each seem to have something new and interesting to offer. Every person that we talk to shapes our trip not only through our experience of converstaing with them, but they also guide us in some way; offering advice, setting examples, or changing our perception.
Jordan and I have had quite a few instances of having to defend America or the American people. It is really astonishing how few Americans we have come across while traveling. Time and time again people are surpirised to hear “America” when ask the standard travel question :”where are you from?”. People from all around the world act differently towards us because of where we are from. Mostly, we choose to avoid talking about the war with people, because both of us are so against it and people think that we are just saying that we are because we think that is what they want us to say and then it just starts a huge mess. However, here is a quote from the book that I am reading that summarizes some of our thoughts about the current government: “How long this present order, based on an absurd idea of castes, will last is not within my means to answer, but it's time that those who govern spent less time publicizing their own virtues and more money, much more money, funding socially useful works” (Che Gavara).
Hmmm, enough about that. We have been attempting to surf. Once on a reef break in the middle of the ocean...the currents were too strong and we were defeated. Yesterday I gave in and had a surf lesson in Kuta. It was a mellow beach break and this time the board I was using was actually big enough, so I actually caught some waves. It is so amazing to be in the ocean and be able to ride on those powerful waves. Missing all of our friends and family a great deal!

A new poem and two girls who are excited for Thailand (Jordan)

Hey friends and family! It has now been 2 months since we leftt home for Fiji and we are officially in it. We like to say we are in it to describe this backpacker lifestyle thing we are living. Being "in it" is different than most typical lifestyles.

Here is a poem written By Jordan entitled:

We're in it

Day four into Fiji, sleeping among lizards, sand and bunk beds, backpackers all around
We're in it

Where are you from, how long are you travelling, where are you going
We're in it

What is this bump, I am soooo sweaty, do you think this rash is something to be worried about
We're in it

You mean I have to pee in that, where's the toilet paper, watch your feet
We're in it

No I don't need transport, not now, not later, not tomorrow, but terima kasih
We're in it

What is that smell, I might throw up, did a bird really just fall from the sky and hit us dead
We're in it

All of my clothes are wet and stinky, I am sick of wearing that, can we go shopping
We're in it

These backpacks are so heavy, we need to get rid of stuff, why did we pack so much
We're in it

I don't want to buy one, not for your morning price or for good luck, I know it's only a dollar but it's ugly
We're in it

Cars, planes, bikes, buses, boats, mo-peds, vans, but mostly blistered, stubbed and bloody feet
We're in it

What's the meaning of life and death and differences in realities, what really is the color green
We're in it


I hope you enjoy this poem and it makes you laugh as much as it makes us laugh. Travelling is funny (actually hilareous), it is always a new adventure and ever exhausting and challenging. We are having way too much fun (despite a fierce sunburn thatI have from trying to surf on the equator). In three days we will be saying goodbye to Bali. We have learned so much here and we will take away a piece of this place in our hearts. But new adventures await. Talk to you later....from Bangkok!

Hindus, Volcanos, and another blister (megan)

The past two days have been really incredible. We went to Toyabunka
(town at the bottom of Mount Batur). The hike to the top of the
volcano was challenging, but it was so amazing to be up there. For
breakfast we had banana toast (yuck) and hard-boiled eggs. The fog
came in for a little while, but we still had an amazing view. Steam
was rising out of the volcano and when there was sand you could fly
down the mountain. 400 villagers died in the volcano explosion 20
years ago, two Germans hiking without a guide died in the last one.
The Indonesian government told the people that there would not be an
explosion again, so they either can't or don't live far enough away to
find safety if there is another eruption. You can see that even
people in the country or living in the mountains are sometimes
influenced by western culture (mostly the young ones…yeah, there's a
punk scene here). Toyabunka was so hard to be in, the people were SO
desperate for money and, so very aggressive about selling you things
(e.g. following you up the volcano for 6 hours to sell you a coke). We
met an English lady called Trisha and decided to hitch back to Ubud
the next day with her and her driver, Nyoman. We were reluctant to
leave because the fish was fresh from the lake and the Hindu people
were throwing a party, but free ride, low budget, and rain made our
decision for us. We went on a day trip the next day with Trisha and
Nyoman, up to the North Mountains. The trip, along with what we
learned from Nyoman, really amazed me. First we went to the Royal
temple, then to the market: cashews, mangosteen, snakefruit, lychees,
and an avocado for less than $3? Yes, please. We went to a gorgeous
temple on a lake and then to a waterfall, where we saw a gigantic
spider, yikes! The waterfall is so powerful and so amazing to watch.
I have been thinking about how much time we spend thinking wasteful
and negative thoughts in our lives (nearly all the time it can seem).
As our Raja yoga teacher said: 'Thoughts last but a moment in time,
feelings are eternal'. I was watching portions of water cascade down
this mountain and noticing that each of my thoughts fell from my mind
just as quickly. It was the feeling of the waterfall that was really
the amazing thing. Anyways, what I really want to talk about is
Nyoman. I starting crying during lunch after hearing about his life
and seeing his beautiful view about life. Nyoman taught us that
Balinese schools are badly under-funded. If a student doesn't pass
all five of the subjects of the national test he is held back and
bored/humiliated. Schools with the highest percentage of students to
pass the test are given the MOST funding for the next school year,
leaving those students failing to learn to fend for themselves. It is
common to allow students to cheat and use books during the testing in
some schools. The ministry of education takes a profit from the
publishers for requiring students to buy new books for school. Most
Balinese families cannot afford ANY extra expenditure. Nyoman's wife
has had a series of horribly paid jobs; all end up working her far too
many hours. She has had a job making paper bags and waiting tables,
but she cannot make more than $30/month. Nyoman himself makes very
little money as a tour guide, as he must turn over all of his profits
to the tour guide association. He makes almost nothing. During low
tourist season (and especially after the bombs lowering tourism), he
makes nothing. Nyoman made a comment about his belt being to large to
fit his thin waist, he said "after the first bomb I had to make a new
notch in the belt, after the second bomb, another notch". Although he
cannot afford to take the required guide class, he will be penalized
and fined if the government finds out. Nyoman, like most Balinese, is
a Hindu. It is his belief that all of life is a test from 'god'. He
maintains a positive attitude with the utmost sincerity. He is
thankful to his elders- when his grandfather dies he will honor him
through taking care of the younger generation, as Hindu's believe in
reincarnation. He gives offerings to the trees in order to give
thanks to them and help them grow. Hindus are not allowed to cut
bamboo trees on Sundays and Nyoman is very aware of the effect of
cutting down trees on the environment. He prays to nature as he would
to a deity. Most of the people in the mountains are self-sustaining
and grow organic crops. Most people do not make a profit on their
crops, including rice. When Nyoman was young he would often help his
mother plant rice and large fruits. When planting rice one must have
their feet in cold water while they place each seed into the mud. In
order to keep the feet warm, they spread kerosene on them. When
Nyoman was planting the large crops he had to be up to his chest in
the cold water. This meant that he had to spread the kerosene over
his entire body. This was also helpful in stopping some of the snakes
and leeches living in the muddy water from clinging to his body.
Nyoman NEVER focused on anger or pity, but spoke of an amazing
devotion to Hindu and the importance of a positive attitude. He was
one of the most peaceful people I have met. I learned so much from
him. You really can't experience peace until you are free from
negative emotions. We should be thankful for everything in our lives,
good and bad. It is all just a challenge, and the perception that you
have of it will change the way you experience this life. SIMPLICTY
and PEACE, I am looking for it.

What happens inside the journal (Jordan)

It has been a while since I have posted anything. Again, technology has become an intimidation. But I would like to post an excerpt from my journal which unlike this blog of minimal detail, is bursting with my feelings and experiences.

March 13^th, 2007

I am sitting in from of Mt. Batur in the North of Bali overlooking a misty lake. I have been bathing in the hot springs at an absolutely luxurious setting within the walls of a mecca of Balinese architecture, steaming pools, fresh, fluffy towels, cold juice and views that actually look more like oils on canvas than real nature. Just outside these walls that enclose me is a poverty stricken twilight zone like, depressed quiet town. In Toya Bungkah kids wander the streets trying to sell snacks, whining, “no tourists come here, we have no money, buy one.” Stray dogs pick through human’s garbage and we watch as little girls pluck lice out of one another’s scalps. The local hot springs by the lake contains too many bodies and plenty of floating garbage. We can’t help but feel like snobs when we find huge relief in locating the “tourists only hot springs.” Here we are able to relax and pretend that other world outside these walls ceases to exist.

It is hard to say no to everyone who begs and it is impossible to say yes. I often wonder why I was given this life and they got theirs. I ponder these ideas to exhaustion and accept and appreciate different realities. Each day I am tested and I learn new lessons. I am recognizing certain coincidences I am experiencing (people I meet, conversations I have, things I notice and see) that are far beyond the possibility of mere chance. This is a journey of reflection and a time of vulnerability and strength. In moments I feel pure calm and peace. In other instances I feel scared, shocked, completely overwhelmed.

Traveling is not easy. However, 2 hour spa treatments over looking rice patties and bathing in floral baths is beyond divine. But I believe to be a good traveler one must treat themselves to such luxuries ever so cautiously. There is a cliched concept which defines the difference between a tourist and a traveler. One can go to Rome and see the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or to Paris to see the view from the Eiffel tower, but without forming a true and honest connection and understanding of cultures that are home to such wonders, a traveler becomes simply a tourist.

To be a traveler in Bali is to “say no with warmth” to all the people on the street who plead for your business (transport, buy one for good luck, please help me). To be a traveler in Bali is to test your stomach’s luck by trying a delicious meal that costs fifty cents from the vendor on the street. To be a traveler in Bali is to try your very best in respect of the Hindu culture to not step on the incense, flower and rice laden offerings that line the streets every so abundantly. To be a traveler in Bali is to shake the hands of the young and the old and share a smile and a glance; practice meaningful contact.

Megan and I have been partaking in a nightly meditation course here in Ubud. We left the 1^st class feeling charged and full of truth. The next day we had planned to go climb a volcano and stay in the mountains for 3 days. We left our guru a note apologizing that we would be unable to finish the course. After one day in the mountains and an extremely rewarding sunrise trek up an active volcano we found ourselves back in Ubud. Having missed just one class we were back at the meditation center. “I had a feeling you two would be back tonight,” said out teacher when we came through the door. In this short course I have already learned so much. I have learned some simple tools to help make everyday life, which right now is traveling, easier. To replace irritation with love, patience and tolerance is to have peace. To appreciate silence and practice giving gifts of pure thoughts and good feelings is to have peace. To only have concern with the things you know are true and to not become too pre-occupied with the madness of this world is to have peace. To use creativity and cooperation to solve problems is to have peace. The law of physics says that when a problem arises the solution already co-exits, “how hard can anything be.” To understand that life is circular and balance exists is to have peace. To remember that thoughts last a mere instant and feelings last forever is to have peace.

These are lessons that will guide me in my life and help me to be a peaceful, loving and content person. This is why I explore myself while at the same time exploring the world and embracing so many different minds and cultures. It is these explorations and this journey that have true meaning; to me this is traveling.

Peace and Love,

Jordan

Sleeping with lizards (plus a summary of way too many things) (Megan)

Wow. Bali. Another world altogether, simply a completely and totally different world. We first went to Kuta, yikes, this place is so full of markets and people and motorbikes and satay stands and surf boards…all crammed into tiny alleys which vans maneuver through with skill like I’ve never seen. We went body boarding on the beach (you can buy one brand new for $20), but this beach was so full of filth and people that we didn’t know what to do. We were ready to leave, so we bargained with a guy to take us to the middle of nowhere (otherwise known as dreamland beach). Here, there are about 12 places to stay and only two with electricity. It was all good though, because the beach was amazing and there weren’t very many people. This time we were freaked out by word-of-mouth news that there was a cyclone headed our way. We weren’t sure what to do because we couldn’t get a ride back until morning and we didn’t know how big the threat was. We found out that the cyclone hit a different island, but it did have an affect on the waves in Bali. The tide was higher than ever before, which means that the current is stronger. Jords and I were taking a stroll up the cliffs when the tide rose. We couldn’t walk on the beach, so we saw a lady walking along a rocky ridge and followed her. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a huge wave came crashing over our heads, knocking us to our knees. Jords got pushed to the sand, but I was smashed into the rocks, yikes, and had my ankles shredded (not to mention my sunglasses lost their lenses and my shoes were donated to the fish). Okay, so time to get out of ‘dreamland’. Actually, we were lucky to have seen it, because they are blowing the place up (inc. all the places to stay…owners are s.o.l.) in order to build a golf course. We came to Ubud (an inland town and place to lick my wounds). We really love it here and have been here about a week. We have been meeting a lot of the locals, got an amazing (and amazingly cheap) massage, took bikes to the rice fields, temples, and villages. We saw a fire dancing/trance show. I was invited to help teach at a local elementary school (super fun and in serious need of some books). We have been to the markets, walked through a monkey forest, eaten crazy Indo pudding, and danced our butts off with a crazy guy (lots of those here). This is an artisan town, so nearly everyone is a painter or a wood carver. Since the bombings, the travel has severely decreased and people are really hurting for cash everywhere. We have met some really great people and have been learning about Africa, France, Vietnam, and many other countries that we wouldn’t have thought about here. It is really great to have advice from so many unexpected people. We are just about ready to go to the coast again, so I think that after some yoga, bird watching, glassblowing, and hiking, we will be heading north. Yep, that just about sums up 1% of what is going on here.

XOXO Megan

Sensational (Jordan)

“These emotions, these sensations cannot be described or expressed in the language of poets and painters, musicians and mystics; they must be absorbed without reply, as animals do with their contemplative and entranced eyes.”
-Ezeqiel Martinez Estrada

To try to “blog” this trip is difficult and intimidating. Every time we get to the internet we are bombarded with emails, news, pop culture, questions, information. We are inside another world right now and outside of all of this. We love getting emails from our friends and family but, please be understanding in that words cannot convey this life we are living here and now.

So here is a brief re-cap of Sydney. We were hosted by the lovely and humorous Italian Couch Surfer, Gionata. He and his three roommates opened their home to us as if we were friends for years. In Sydney we walked, trained, bussed, and took ferries all over the beautiful city. The famed Opera House, Bondi Beach, Oxford Street, Newtown, George Street, Darling Harbour. Sydney provided us with a good four days of transition in between relaxing Fiji and crazy Asia. We went to Manly Beach where we met some of Sarah’s friends from New Zealand and enjoyed a nice dinner. We took advantage of the ease of traveling in an English speaking country.



If you can imagine a place as opposite as Australia or the US then it is here in Indonesia where we are now. We arrived in Bali 5 days ago and we are taking it all in. Every place I have been in Asia is fairly similar. More mo-peds than cars, price haggling, the smell of incense, exotic fruits, colorful fabrics, intense odors, sticky heat, cheap food, lots of rice, endless temples, narrow streets, lush vegetation, garbage, stray animals, stray humans, backpackers galore and rice patties. Needless to say, walking down the street is a completely entertaining experience. We arrived in Kuta and stayed two days in the over developed transit city. After that we went to Dreamland beach where there is nothing more than a good beach break for surfing and some bungalows. We did enough of that in Fiji so we opted to come to the artisan town of Ubud inland Bali where we reside now. Our hotel room which is placed within the stoned walls of a garden is $2.50 per night. A staple food has become Gado Gado, or steamed veggies with peanut sauce, accompanied by fresh fruit juices. We have been tasting the local produce such as mangosteens and snake fruits. We plan on visiting the Monkey Sanctuary today and renting bikes to visit a Hindu river temple. So that is it for now as I have been on the internet for over an hour right now and I am starting to feel overwhelmed. Off to the other world now.

“The first commandment for every good explorer is that an expedition has two points: the point of departure and the point of arrival. If your intention is to make the second theoretical point coincide with the actual point of arrival, don’t think about the means—--because the journey is a virtual space that finishes when it finishes, and there are as many means as there are different ways of finishing. That is to say, the means are endless.”

Ernesto “Che” Guevara
The Motorcycle Diaries

A poem I wrote in Bali (Megan)

Stories from Fiji and Bali

I saw many people searching.

I saw more people begging.

I heard one person’s soul speaking after many days of listening.

I read about two men whose bodies were burning for justice.

What have I learned?

I watched lines of ants telling their stories like peddlers in the markets.

Where trying is watching,

But doing is nothing and spending is abounding.

I’ve danced with stray dogs like no one was watching on the water’s low tide.

What have I learned?

We cannot predict.

I’ve been myself in a crowd of strangers.

I’ve been a stranger to myself.

I wrote what I thought, what I saw, what I hated.

I wrote without thinking.

What have I learned?

Everything changes.

I was knocked down by the powerful sea.

I was knocked down by the sight of a mother.

I begged and pleaded.

I sat in silence.

What have I learned?

Say “no” with warmth.

I met two brothers who went crazy and spoke with a different language.

I met a crazy man with a broken foot who laughed with commitment.

He knew my uncle and helped him mend a broken heart.

I walked through a graveyard in search of a helpful palm tree.

What have I learned?

Where language is abundant, limiting, and revealing-

I will reflect a true message.

In a world of constant speaking I will speak in a way that is meaningful to me…and maybe to you.

Megan (March 7, 2007. Ubud, Bali)

Big City Civilization

After 3 weeks of relaxing and island hopping we've suddenly been plopped into the metropolis of Sydney. We had a great time in Fiji, though we did find it pre-packaged and a bit overpriced. Fiji can be done 2 ways, honeymoon or backpacker. To do backpacker we used a company called Awesome Adventures. If you go to the site www.awesomefiji.com you can get an idea of what we did. We got a Bula Pass ( a boat pass that allowed us to do unlimited island hopping over the course of 21 days). Hop we did visiting Nacula, Tavewa, Nanuya Lai Lai, Naviti, Wanna Taki (a moored ship we slept on actually, not an island), Kuata, and South Sea Island. The accommodations on these islands didn't vary too much, so I will offer a general idea of how were were living. The islands come in several sizes (walk around in 10 minutes to walk around in 1 hour). Usually each island had one village and maybe 100 inhabitants. Most people speak Fijian and English. Running water is typically a mixture of salt water and fresh water, showers are refreshingly chilled, drinking water is provided by the rain. There are no markets, cars, or roads and electricity is limited per day on a generator basis. When the electricity went off at night we were enveloped in a blanket of Southern Hemisphere stars unlike anything we have ever seen. We slept in thatched roof huts with bunk beds and mosquito nets. The places we stayed at ranged from having 5 guests to about 40. The price of accommodation included a meal plan. At 8, 12, and 7 when the stick was banged on the hollowed log, we would join the other guests for meals. We ate fish, veggies, and a lot of starchy fillers. The food was nothing to brag about and it was frustrating not having choices, but it was tolerable. We went to bed at an average time of 10pm and simply enjoyed the simplicity. We made friends with locals and partook in Kava Ceremonies, we perfected hammock lounging, had long walks and even longer talks, we got so bored that we craved a city, and then we realized how lucky we were to be away from it all. We saw the island where Brooke Shields filmed the Blue Lagoon, we snorkeled and held a sea cucumber, a sting ray swam 3 inches from my ankle, we met people from around the globe, we eased ourselves into the Travel Mentality. And he were are now, at an internet Cafe full of people, in Sydney Australia, loud cars and honking just outside, business people, fashionable people, cell phones, subways, trains, busses, choices. I guess I would call it the exact opposite of Fiji. We are staying in an apartment with an Italian guy, Gionata whom we connected with via Couch Surfing. Gionata left Italy 2 years ago with $2200 and his motorcycle. What he has done with this is profound. Please check out his website: www.partireper.it We feel so lucky to be hosted by such a kind fellow traveller. There will be more on Sydney to come. We have been gone just shy of a month and we are learning and experiences new things everyday. In two days we will be off to Indonesia to continue this global whirlwind!
Cheers Jordan

A note from Megan

Well, I can't say that I have been the best about writing e-mails since I have been gone. But I have very good reason…Sarah, Jordan, and I have been living like the islanders. It has some major perks: taking amazing hikes to view the perimeters of an island, allowing yourself loads of time to think about everything from the book you are reading to the nature of the tides in the sea. It also means that you are on 'Fiji time', however, which can mean waiting a long time to get something done. We have been journaling like never before, though, and come up with some really great ideas within the pages of our little books. We are very excited to get to Bali, though we are sad to be saying goodbye to Sarah!! She is heading back to New Zealand tomorrow and Jordan and I will visit Australia for a bit before making our way to Indonesia. We have been on the main island in Fiji for the last few days, talking to fellow global travelers and meeting many wonderful Fijian people. Two days ago we were invited to a going away party for a local girl we met and we were treated to an amazing Fijian meal, great insight into Fijian life, and our friend's 83-year old ukulele-playing grandfather. For the majority of our trip, though, we have been out island-hopping. Every island that we saw gave us a new and amazing landscape to traverse and new and interesting people to interact with (there was also the occasional island experience that caused us to leave the very next day…I guess we aren't quite rugged enough to hang with some of the conditions). It has been so relaxed and amazing here, but we are ready for another adventure. The islands did offer great ways to pass the time (i.e. kayaking, visits to the local schools and villages, snorkeling, swimming, coconut-eating,, biking, etc.), but you can only chill out for so long before you tire of relaxation and find new ways to enjoy the place. Most recently, we have participated in kava-drinking ceremonies (a local drink that tastes like muddy/sock water, but is supposed to be beneficial to your health and allow you to sleep in the heat), painted the dresses that I made with my grandma (the locals loved this and started painting all of their shirts, haha!), and perfected our vocals with a crew of fellow traveler's on the beach via a two-hour song festival starring us and two Brits. At times we are shocked by how resort-like many of the places are, but other times we are equally as shocked by the solitude and simplicity of some places. Our best moments have been those times when we are welcomed into the community and shown things that make us truly happy. I am very aware of the exhaustiveness of some travel emails, so I will try not to go into too much detail, but suffice to say, we have learned about many of the cultural dynamics that exist in the global community that we have entered. From now on, Jordan and I have decided that it would be better to use this blog for some journal entries and let the pictures that we send on 'snapfish' tell part of our story as well. It is so hard to describe all of the things that we have experienced in the past month, but it has already been so incredible, we can't wait for the next country!! We send love to all of our friends and family and miss you all!!
Megan

Some Quick Links

Hey guys. Here is a link to some pictures from Fiji.
http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2133939&l=b29ff&id=10211609 You can also check out www.awesomefiji.com and check out the sites of the boat we were on and some of the islands we stayed on. More detailed postings are coming soon!

Impatiently Waiting

Hi everyone. I just wanted to write a quick post and start getting everyone excited for this blog. Megan and I are so pumped to get going on this backpacking extravaganza. For example, I haven't even put my back pack away since I got back from Costa Rica 2 months ago. I keep it in the corner of my room with a growing pile of objects that will be accompanying me around the world. In the pile is my sleeping bag and money belt, passport is over there too, pocket knife, some of my favorite summer clothes waiting to be worn in those warm humid climates, and my 3 tiered toiletry case which makes up most of the mass of my backpack (you can take the girl out of Colorado, but you can't take the products away from the girl, somthing like that). The point is, it is very hard to wait for such an epic event, all the while suffering through Colorado's coldest winter. So as I not so patiently wait for the 3rd of February, I thought I would at least introduce you guys to the blog. Put it on your favorites so you can keep track of yours truly!

xoxo,
Jordan