Rock Climbing in Railay

Although my sojourn in Kerala was totally relaxing and rejuvenating, I was really in need of some activity. So I took the restless red bag to Thailand, where I knew for sure that fun and further adventure was to be had. Thailand has got to be the absolutely easiest place to travel in... people are totally friendly, very little hassles, cheap as you want it to be, and everything is catered for the idling tourist. I have been here before, in January 2005 right after the tsunami, so I knew enough that I did not want to stay in Bangkok for long. After about 20 hours on Khao San road, following a yoga-like and painful Thai massage, a repiercing of my nose (hey at least I didn't get another tattoo :), the purchase of a few crap t-shirts and an amazing sleep, I arrived to Krabi. I only have a few days here, so I came down to Railay Beach.

What better amount of activity than learning how to rock climb eh! I've been on a course, did 6 climbs with the highest being about 30 meters. I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed it (especially the absailing down part). Here are a few pics on the rockface and a new profile pic feeling pretty damn pleased with the accomplishment!

I'm Rejuvenated!

I am now officially rejuvenated. Fourteen days and feeling pretty great. I've lost 3.5 kilos, but no need to get too excited: it was really just the red wine and escargots from France coming off. Gotta tell ya, I am not sure if I have been really lazy here or simply relaxed. I have done ab-so-lute-ly freakin' nothing... The typical day continued and I had quite the routine going. I did however eat different foods, but yes Joey, steamed bananas were a staple, I loved them! And I did manage to talk to people and have interesting chitchats with quite a few folks (mostly German and Russians, and one Canadian family). But I am telling myself that I really really shouldn't feel guilty for being a complete sloth and seeing nothing of Kerala. Hanging out in the hammock staring at coconut trees were just far more interesting for me than walking through the town of Trivandrum. Having said that, I would love to come back here and really see Kerala properly, maybe next time on a fishing boat.

So here are a few more pics: one of me in a steam bath with a red face from the heat, my two therapists who completely thrashed my poor body with their hands and feet, and another of a few herbs that I have been ingesting.



And yes, still no cigs.

A Typical Day...

So, its my 7th day towards rejuvenation, and my 10th day smoke-free, and gotta tell ya, feeling pretty darn good. I am beginning to feel that everything about me is cleaner, from my bones, blood and brain.

I've also just finished reading all 620 pages of Gandhi's biography, and I bet you didn't know that he took a sabbatical for a year. He said it "nourished the body and cleansed the soul". Okay, I'm only taking 3 months off, but its good to know that selfless and saintly men such as him have also given in to chilling out every now and then.

As for the moment, my typical day consists of the following:

8:00am Open Eyes

8:15am Go to Breakfast of steamed bananas, herbal water and carrot tea, say hello to this guy



8:45am Check emails

9:45am Yoga (Asanas and Breathing exercises)

11:45am Read Indian Express newspaper overlooking the sea and drink a lime juice with a wee bit of honey

12:30pm Lunch of lemon ginger rice, red spinach with carrots, dal and a mango lassi (yummy) while overlooking the sea



1:00pm Quick nap and/or read book hanging out on hammock


3:00pm Treatment begins of 1/2 hour back massage, 1/2 hour massage on floor with therapists feet, 1/2 hour two therapist massage, 1/2 hour oily stuff poured on forehead

5:00pm Come back to hut looking like this after drinking coconut milk


6:30pm Emerge from hut following a hot shower and check emails again


7:00pm Dinner of leafy vegetable soup, spinach and potatoes, raw veggies, indian sweet of some kind and hot herbal water

8:00pm Read book, send texts, chat on phone and/or write in journal

9:00pm Sleep

I seriously don't think I have ever enjoyed sleeping this much. It must be the nicotine and other poisons getting out. Yippee, and I have another week here!

"The Gateway to Serenity"

Okay, so this is a big part of what this whole adventure is about. Me doing some sort of detoxifying, balancing of the mind-body-spirit deal to clear my head and rid myself of all sorts of crap that has been floating in my system. To get on to that healthy road after living in one of the most polluted cities in the world. And of course, to quit smoking.

I'm on Day 3 now of the non-smoking and feeling pretty good. I was on the patch, but then read Allen Carr, who says "you are a nicotine addict, smoking is not a habit, you are a drug addict... as soon as you realize that nicotine is the problem, you will rid yourself of the god-awful terrible disgusting weed thing hanging from your mouth. Smoking offers you no benefits whatsoever, it robs you of money, health and happiness. Your inability to quit is dominated by fear. You have been brainwashed by big tobacco companies, the media and your teenaged peers who were cool when they were 15, but are now just idiots for continuing to smoke". (Paraphrased)

So for the detox I'm in Kerala, the land of mangoes, jackfruit and coconut trees in south-west India. Also the birthplace of Ayurveda, the ancient science to balance the body's energy, strengthen the immune system and protect oneself against disease. I arrived this morning and got my body type tested (I am dominated by the fire-y one, go figure) and my herbal meds are prescribed. My ailments are mainly toxin build-up and also my recurring neck and shoulder issues. So I'm on a 14-day rejuvenation therapy, no meat, no alcohol, no smokes. Instead I get daily 2 hour massages, daily yoga, lots of oils, lots of herbal teas and lots of veggies.

I am here at the Manaltheeram and am in one of those huts overlooking the sea that are on the pictures. I really, really, really don't think I will regret the cash spent on these few weeks...

Rishikesh. The yoga center of India, and also the place that 'hippy-ized' India in the 1960's when the Beatles met the Maharaji. I went yesterday for the day to see what all the fuss was about, and to also get a chance to see the Ganges River and perhaps witness a few pilgrimages. Rishikesh is where the Ganges comes out of the Himalayas.

The first thing that struck me were the tourists, mostly German, who were obviously inspired by John Lennon's wearing of Indian garb and Gandhi's bare feet. I suppose if I hung out doing yoga all day, meditating, living off of lentils and rice, and chilling with the roaming cows and monkeys; then I too may be wearing bindi's, smoking bidi's and wearing free-flowing linen blouses. A few photos of the murky Ganges waters and the sadhu's, traditional Indian wisemen, and of course, the cows. Moooooo.

The Himalaya. Apparently there is actually no plural of the Himalaya as it is a mountain range, and therefore singular. I am here in Landour, near Mussoorie, just past Dehra Dun. Chris and his wife Shaila, with baby Will, are here for Hindi language training to be better able to conduct her PhD research.


Their house is nestled in the mountains where it seems that every millisecond the landscape changes. Its monsoon in India, but we have been fairly lucky with the rains mostly coming at night. Though on my first night here I woke up in a panic as the sheet lightening was incredibly scary and the rains were pounding on the tin roof. We've been taking lots of walks and I just continue to remain captivated at the absolutely awe-inspiring images here. Hope my camera has been able to do the scenes justice!

The chaos and vibrancy of Old Delhi. Reminiscent of my time in the souks in the Middle East, and in my jet lagged state was just what I needed! I arrived to India early on Thursday morning, and almost immediately met up with my friend Chris from grad school. We then met up with a friend of his named Ajay, who knows someone I know from work. And then, get this, we were in a famous restaurant called Karim's for lunch, and I bumped into a Moroccan, currently living in Egypt, who I have known through work for some time. With tummies full of chicken tikaka and dal, the four of us set off for a lively afternoon.


We took the metro to Chandni Chowk, and then a bike rickshaw through the narrow alleyways of Old Delhi, near the Red Fort (remember the Red Fort Shup, we were there in 2004!). The Old Delhi market below selling everything from tinsel, hubcabs, tumeric, saris, bangles and antique jewellry. I loved the madness of the place!

Red Bag Leaving Europe...

Whewf. Heathrow is a madhouse. Security threats yesterday and all flights were cancelled. You'd have thought I would have read the news to find out about this, but alas, I did not, and showed up to the craziness. Yet I did manage to check-in about 3 hours early and am already sitting in the lounge enjoying free internet and free food. The joys of being a frequent traveller!

The Red Bag is actually, and indeed surprisingly, lighter now than when I left Canada. Joey will soon be the proud keeper of a few books on red wines, the off-the-beaten-track book on Burgundy, and a bottle of Dijon. Alex has scored with getting my black cargo pants and an amazing book called "Paris Noir: The Secret History of a City" by Jacques Yonnet. Honestly one of the best books I have read and strongly recommended for anyone who knows an inkling about Paris, or would just like to read about it.

I am definitely beginning to feel relaxed, and I am totally getting in to the groove of this adventure thang. The red bag is faring well, and am pleased to report that it is indeed water resistant, as I found out yesterday while running to the Gare du Nord in a torrential downpour.

Off now to enjoy salt and vinegar Walker's crisps, and with complete disregard to my sister's ramblings about me being tipsy too often during this trip... a glass of wine!

Montmartre Cemetery in Paris

My sister will definitely think I have lost it now. Here I am on my adventure visiting jails and cemetaries. But there is something about this one in Paris, and I actually found it rather a happy place, not macabre at all. As it says in the guidebook "this cemetery epitomizes the artsy, quixotic, gentle, almost whimsical Paris that every romantic visitor secretly cherishes."

The YouTube Video Now Online!

The streets were all blocked off, so the taxi driver had to drop me somewhere in the middle of nowhere and basically said that my hostel was tout droit. What I then saw in front of me was this float for some parade, which I very soon realized was the Parisian Gay Pride. This is the video I got of the Lebanese belly dancer, is hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TwuDbA-foo

Voila... Burgundy Photos

Et voila, pictures from the Borgogne region! And first up we have the greenery and the vineyards...

The Pinot Noir grape, which won't start getting red until about August...

More vineyards...

The house I shall buy, fix up and make my own (hmmmm)....

Actually, I'll just buy this one and save the whole home reno thing...

Really old wine bottles from the cellar... but apparently really really good.