Varanassi - One of Indias holies citys built around the holy Ganges. Taking a boatride on the ganges in early sunrise, you will witness the whole lifecykle of Indian life. By the "ghats" (stairs down to the river) you see people swiming, doing yoga as well as laundry, kids playing and dead bodies burning. Varanassi is the most holy town place to die in, and many people come here to burn their relatives on the Ganges. Varanassi is also a very beautiful town with many tourists, and the contrast between Indian commercialism and holiness can sometimes be very stunning. Walking pass one of the "Burning ghats" i met a salesman who tried to catch my attention with the following phrase:"There are the burning bodies - here's my shop"...My stay in Varanassi was also skillfully planned to include a 3 day lecture of his holiness Dalai Lhama. The lecture was a very high level Tibetan buddist lecture, and over 10 000 people were gathered for the speach, which was given in Tibetan, but translated realtime into english.
Well, enough said about this paradise for photographers. Here are the pictures from I N D I A:
2006/12/20 Varanassi - India at it's best
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/104696.29c7689c6b0
and a few pics from my place in Goa:
2006/12/25 GOA, India
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/104700.ea2fcefd623
That's it for now... Happy new year to you all, once again!
/Marcus
Saturday, December 30, 2006
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
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
2006/11/13 - New photos from Mt Everest
Hi all!
We've got back to Kathmandu valley after 3 weeks of Tibetan experiences! On the way back we stayed one night at Mt Everest Base Camp on 5200 meters. I already miss the views from the Tibetan plateu! Tomorrow I'll be leaving for some trekking in Nepal. We're going to the Annapurna-area to enjoy one of the worlds finest trekkingroutes. I've put 3 new photoalbums online from eastern Tibet and Mt Everest:
2006/11/04 Eastern Tibet:http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/86592.74716db6874
2006/11/06 Lhasa by night:http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/86594.5175def50a0
2006/11/06-08 Lhasa till Mount Everest: http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/86600.26301505a0c
take care all!
/Marcus
"The mountains are the bones. We are the blood. " - Tibetan Lama
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