Friday, December 29, 2006

Happy New Year from Goa, India!

Beaches, Tshirt and beautiful sunset from the balcony. Feels great to be catching some sun now after all the adventure of the Himalayas. After my last letter i went on a mountain-trekk in Nepal for 2 weeks, and got a small glimpse of mountaineering! We were trekking the Annapurna circuit which is a 14 day trekk around the mountain of Annapurna. The trekk follows a donkey-track through small rural remote villages which are totally inaccessible for any vehicle. It starts off at 700 meters above sea level, and passes the worlds highes pass on 5400 meters. Some of the views along the route are just to die for, so check the pictures from this adventure into the WILDerness. ;-)

2006/11/15-30 Trekking in Nepal - Mountain Annapurna
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/104061.78351b09974

Straight down from the baron and cold mountains of Nepal, i decided to do a 10 day meditationcourse in the Vipassana tradition. To be able to learn the technique, a hard diciplin had to be followed. During the 10 days none of us were allowed to speak, make gestures, read, communicate, consume any intoxicants or have physical contact. The day starts at 4 o clock in the morning, and then follows 12 hours of sceduled meditation untill the day ends at 9 and the lights are turned off. The course tought me a great deal about myself, and I learned an invaluable technique to cope with difficult situations, which would turn out very useful in the land of the hindus...

2006/12/01-10 Vipassana MeditationCenter Nepal
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/104063.2122dc9ec89

Before i left Nepal to go to India, i visited the tailor in Kathmandu, to and got myself a nice black suite for around 70Euros, and then took off to try out my new meditaton-skills on the birthplace of Lord Buddah - Lumbini. Lumbini is a small village, which archeologs have proven to be the exact birthplace of prince Guattama, which later became known as Lord Buddah.

2006/12/11-15 Tailor and Lumbini - birthplace of Lord Buddah
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/104068.b43b87ea0d1

2006/12/11 Rituel slakt i Hindutempel - Daksinh Khali
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/104073.f970e231a67

Arriving in India was a crazy experience. It started off with me oversleeping on the train, and waking up in a totally different town. Catching another train in the other direction, i met 2 very nice Indian men who were out on a Hindu pilgrimage, and invited me to join their quest for the trueth. I surfed the cosmic flow, passed my destination one more time, and ended up at "Hatiswalli baba" ( translates to "wise man with elefants") right out in rural India. Baba had two horses, two elefants, and two mobilephones. Upon arrival we greated Baba by touching his foot, (where the spirit emminates from), and sacrificing hindu-style to the gods. Baba then showed off by writing down the three questions that my friends were seeking answers too. Quite amazing! As for me, he calculated with his pocket-calculator, and told me who i was, and some details about my past. Impressivly acurate! It was a special feeling to sit in the light of the candles, and look at the old man when he told the fortune of my friends by 'feeling the energies' of the rice that they had brought with them from home. I couldn't help myself from smiling everytime Baba was interrupted in his rituals by one of his two ringing mobile phones... So, if you want a hotline to the hindu-gods, i've got Hatiswalli Baba's card!

2006/12/15 Elefant Baba - My first day in India
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/104078.f802ef50c3e

Arriving in Varanassi - One of the three holies citys in india - is a story for the next mail... First few pictures are here:

2006/12/16 Varanassi 1
http://www.bubbleshare.com/myalbum/104087.e40ddf16d3a/editor

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