journey of young g

India- round 2

mgee — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:17:00 GMT

Theres no better way to welcome yourself back to india than with a 37 hour train ride. From Ghorakpur to Amritsar, we rode the freezing cold train without confirmed seats. Basically that means we paid 4 dollars to travel for 2 days. But we paid for it. We were forced to sleep on the ground, near the train toilets. If you have never been on an Indian train, ill let you know that the smell is something horrendous, something noone should ever have to smell. jenny and I were somehow able to make the ride bearable and somewhat fun. That is until i got very sick with a few hour to go. The fun was over.

Amritsar was colder than Nepal. A beautiful city, and the home to the Golden temple, the holiest place for all Sikhs. When entering the temple, I could feel a holy presence come over me. Children, men, women, all touching their forehead to the cold marble floor in worship. Men of all ages have their hair wrapped in turbans. All men have beards. Hair is God's gift, and they feel it should be charrished and tended to with care. this was all so amazing to witness. The golden temple is in teh middle of a spotlessly clean pond. The Sikhs provide food for anyone and everyone. Hundreds of volunteers make chapati, rice, and brown mystery goop to feed pilgrims, tourists, hindus, muslims, anyone. they feed over 40,000 daily. We ran into a street festival where the people were celebrating the birthday of a Guru (Sikh holyman).

the people of amritsar were so nice. we were approched several times by locals to shake hands and take pictures. they were happy to practice their english and the hand shake. One of these photo shoots lasted 10 minutes continuously.

Next we entered the incredible state of Rajasthan. In jaipur, the pink city, we stayed with jenny's friend Nand Singh and his family. It felt good to get off the tourist track for once. Homecooked meals, personal hindi lessons, and experiencing real indian culture for nearly a week was great. The Amber Fort was interesting and fairly impressive. Jenny served as my personal tour guide because she was there 1 yr back.

Pushkar, the milky blue city sits tucked between two ridges in the middle of the desert. Hindu Pilgrims come here to worship, as pushkar is the second holiest city, behind Varanasi. It is a tiny town with only 15,000 residents. There is a lake in the middle surrounded by ghats. people bathe in the holy water. Ghandi's ashes were spread here. Pushkar is also home to the only Bramah temple in the world. Even though there were tourists, it was a chill place, that had such beauty everywhere you look. We went back to jaipur for the kite festival at Nand Singh's home. the entire sky was filled with kites, families on rooftops everywhere. fun times.

We visited Ranthombore national park for a tiger hunt. We slept in a huge tent, basically a hotel room inside a tent. the early morning safari was cool, no tigers though. Well there were tigers, but whenever the monkeys and deer told us a tiger was near, the jeeps and canters scarred them away for sure. lame. 2 more trains, and one night to The golden city, Jaisalmer. Through couchsurfing, we stayed with a local inside the Jaisalmer Fort. Everything is made of sandstone. The architecture is detailed to perfection. Dhanna, the Brahmin Hindu and jamin, Muslim, are such good friends they refer to each other as brothers. They are both so hospitable and all around great people. It makes no difference that jamin has never been to a day of school in his life. his smile is so genuine and he is very personable. He has been a camel driver for 18 yrs and now helps Dhanna with his guesthouse. Anyways, couchsurfing continues to introduce us to amazing people all over the world and allows us to dive deep into the real culture.

We decided to go for the 3 day camel safari. For about $14/day, we had all meals paid for, water, 2 camel drivers, 3 camels, the desert, and just the 2 of us, no other tourists. Wow. the Thar Desert is diverse and impressive. We passed several villages, sitting on the camels for nearly 4 or 5 hrs each day. Hot and painful at times, but the experience was well worth it. We slept under the stars on a blanket in the middle of sand dunes. Noone in site but the 3 camels and 2 guides. Camels are the goofiest animals ive come across yet. They fart and grunt constantly. One day of rest and a massage was much needed.

More couchsurfing in jodhpur. We are currently staying with Arvind, his wife, and 3 yr old boy. They are so nice. She is a great cook and he shows us a great time. He drives us around on his motorcycle through the crazy streets to show us the city and different restaurants and bars. We just completed a 3 day course on Bramah Kumari Raj Yoga. Very interesting stuff. I will pick and choose the points i like, and use them to my benefit to improve upon the life i desire. I feel that meditation can help me in so many ways, if i can continue to practice.

rajasthan is unbeleivable and has been a great adventure. It truely is the Incredible state of India.

Nepal--At the top of the world

mgee — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:30:00 GMT

From the moment I arrived, Nepal was welcoming and beautiful. Coming from india, Nepal was immaculate with fresh air and clean streets. The people were so nice and hospitable, i was pleasantly suprised. Kathmandu in December is quite cold, as ou can imagine. Cold showers in Nepal are not fun. The Thamel region of the city was full of backpacker and tourist shops. But it was colorful and had a nice feel to it. everything there was easy compared to India. Durbar square holds the old temples of kathmandu with pigions everywhere. There is a mix of Hinduism and Buddhism, making for a accepting and peaceful atmosphere. Off of the hippie Freak Street, is the infamous Snowman Cafe. Possibly the best chocolate cake in the entire world.

A day trip to Nagarkot was my first sighting of the Himalayas. Wow. They were impressive as they streched about 180 degrees of the 360 view. We hiked nearly 7 miles. Then climbed on the roof of the bus for the windy ride back to the city. We watched the sunset over the valley as we ducked and dodged the hanging tree branches and wires.

After the long process of renewing our Indian visas, we took the 6 hr bumpy and curvacious bus ride to Pokhara. Such a relaxed little town with the gorgeous Phewa Tal (lake) and the towering snowcapped peaks of the Annapurna range. A few days of relaxing and day hikes. There are many tibetian shops. The town has a Sun Valley feel to it. We just had to renew our nepal visas for another 2 weeks. We set out for Nayapul to start our 7 day trek. With no guide, jenny and i walked uphill for about 3 or 4 hours on day 1. Stopping in Tikedhunga, we had a much needed Dal Bhat meal, with our hands of course. It tastes better that way. And Ive learned its always best to do as the locals do. Cheap rooms and expensive food. There is no road access to these villages. Local porters savagely carry rediculouosly heavy loads of food, beer, cooking supplies, wood, and everything else in a basket attached to their head. the stone trail was filled with cow poo. Day 2 we hiked literally stright uphill for 5 1/2 hrs. i was slowing jenny down. no joke. ive never been so tired. We reached the blue roofed village by 2 and enjoyed doing nothing. Day 3 we hiked to Poon hill at 430 am to see the sunrise over at one of the best viewpoints in all of Nepal. And it was. I took too many pictures and was in aww, and freezing cold. Poon Hill sits about 3200 meters high. It was tough to breathe on the way up. We rested all day and enjoyed the stunning views from our guesthouse room that was less than 1 dollar/ night. Day 4 we walked downhill for nearly 6 hrs to Tatopani, literally meaning hot water. there is a natural hot spring which was much needed for our bodies by this point. Downhill was maybe more bruttal than uphill. We passed through countless villages with locals stopping to stare as they plowed their fields and wove their baskets and yak shals. the next day we walked to Ghasa, and slept for the night. We decided that was enough for us. My body was beat and I defenitely had enough of the Nepal treking experience. Day 6 we walked back to Tatopani and day 7 took the bus back to Pokhara. the people we met along the way were so hospitable and continued to show us what "real Nepal" was all about. We rested and recovered in Pokhara for a few days. Christmas in Pokhara was very nice. the locals decorate for the tourists. they really made all foreiners feel welcome.

the next adventure was Chitwan national park. I watched elephant races, ate bodum (peanuts), watched traditional tharu culture dance, and did a 1 day jungle trek in the park. It truely felt like jurassic park. Many animals live here including the 1 horned rhino and the tiger. We searched all day for the rhinno, and finally came across 2 on the last strech of the hike. they are dinnosaurs. Theres no other way to put it. The next morning, i bathed with elephants in the river.

back to pokhara for new years. the street festival was crowded and hectic, but made for a great atmoshere for the holidays. then, the relaxing time was over. It was time to head back to india. Nepal for 1 month was amazing. My favorite country yet. The people there are so special. they have this attitude which create this chill atmosphere. i cant really explain it. but its worth experiencing for yourself.

My life on the go..

mgee — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 20:39:00 GMT

My life has changed drastically since I have been traveling. Living out of a backpack is now easy. Im now used to things that I used to be uncomfortable with. For example, I used to shower 2 or 3 times a day. On this trip, there have been periods of time where I go days without a shower. There was a week where I wore the same clothes every day. No big deal. Half the time Im eating, Im not to sure of what it is. Traveling, you cant be picky. When I find ants, flys, hairs, mosquitos, or other mystery bugs in my soups, noodles, or rice, I just push them aside and keep chompin away: or just eat them for a little extra fiber.

Im still trying to get used to people staring at me whereever I go. They are expressionless, glaring eyes. With almost everything I buy, its a must to negotiate, bargin, or haggle. The price people first say can be 2 to 3 times the real price. Sometimes, I just have to settle for being ripped off.

Im used to sleeping in uncomfortable places. Busses, trains, bus stations, and 4 dollar a night guesthouses. Much of the time, the sheets are moldy, smelly, and strait grimey when we arrive. I guess you get what you pay for.

Cold showers are the norm here ( using a bucket sometimes). Hot showers are luxury to me now. Westernized toilets are hard to come by. Usually, they are squatter style with a simple hole in the floor.

We rarely stay in places with a tv. When we do have one, watching the news is good to keep up on current events locally and worldwide. Being an American overseas is not always the safest thing in the world. When we are not watching the news, it s movies or hindi music videos (great comedy).

My priorities have changed, and I am very aware of how much money I spend (traveling on a TIGHT budget...any donations are gladly accepted). Practicing patience is an everyday ordeil. From public transportation, to the language barriers, to any of the other hundreds of streeses while traveling, being patient is vital.

Im the foriegner, the minority, the one thats different, and the one with money (in their eyes). Im in their territory, and I always keep that in mind. Im always hesitant about trusting the people I meet.

I have been all over thailand, through Laos, Cambodia, North east India, and Nepal. Ive seen and done many incredible , unforgettable things. I am enjoying learning about, understanding, and experiencing the diverse cultures of the world. People around the world live very different lives in extremely different ways. But, we are all people. We are all essentailly searching for the same things and all have the same needs for survival. As an America, learning about all this makes me feel so lucky, and appreciate everything that I have, mainly my family, my health, my education, and teh ability to have food and shelter everyday.

Ive been with the lovely Jenny Agis for the last 90 days and nights. I have never learned so much about any 1 person in my life. Through this trip, and this relationship, I have learned so much about myself.

Much love to all family and friends..

Incredible India

mgee — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 19:59:00 GMT

Noisy, busy, smelly, colorful, intense.. There is no hiding from India once you arrive. Here, anything goes. And everything is done out in the open. EVERYTHING. Culturally, India is so different than everything Ive ever known. Everything tis done in public. Bathing, using the bathroom, worship, dining, and sleeping. The street is used for all of the above. Simply walking down any given street is intense and was a bit overwhelming at first. The overpowering smells of deisel fumes, garbage, urine and excriment, all disquise the pleasant aromas of grease fried breads, chai, curry, and insence. The gutters of all teh streets are the town garbage and toilet. I feel bad contributing to the filth, but its hard to find an actual trash can at times. Everywhere you look you see hundreds upon thousands of men. Just men are roaming the streets, working, eating, and socializing. Religion is expressed in so many ways. Mostly hindus, some Muslims, everyone displays their beliefs through the garments they wear. There are statues of dieties on many streets. People frequently stop and pay respects when passing these Gods. The concept of these colorful, somewhat cartoon like figures with multiple arms arms and eyes being Gods is difficult to grasp. But the more I learn, the more I understand and respect their views and way of life. By no means are they wrong for believing what they do. Its simply different.

Another foreign concept to me is how many men, grown and young, hold hand while walking or talking.

Kolkata is a large city with more than 16 million people. The honking of horns never stops and viscious dogs fight and growl throughout the night. Tourists get hasseled at all times by taxi drivers, rickshaw pullers, homeless, and everyone else selling things or providing services on the streets. Dirty children wearing filthy rags and dirt on their face, holding a newborn child, are relentless with foreigners. They will follow you for blocks, calling for you, "Uncle, auntie.." many of the beggers are simply exploiting tourists. Some of them are genuine. However, some have homes and rent spaces on popular Sutter Street to get the most action. Begging has become a business.

Volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa's foundatrion was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Daya Dan is an orphanage for mentally challenged boys. Teaching, spending time with, and getting to know these incredible children was amazing. Kalighat is the home for the destitute and the dying. Just like the orphanage, we were there to give them the love they lack , and help them feel a little more comfortable. Both places are filled with amazing people that have had a great effect on me.

16 hours later by slow train, we arrived in Bodghaya on Thanksgiving. It was 13 km from the trainstation to the guest houses where we were staying. Auto rickshaw drivers almost broke out into a brawl for who was going to give us a ride. I had to physically remove their pryed hands off my arms and tell them to kick rocks. The 3 wheeled open air taxi was built for 4 maybe 5 people. After we bobbed and weaved through dusty streets filled with traffic of motos, bikes, small cars, and big cows. The air was so thick with dust abd deisel fumes, you could practically chew it. As I was laughing about the 9 people that were squeezed in this rediculous rickshaw, we swerve, slam on the breaks, I feel a jolt, and hear the yelp of a dog. Yes, we blasted a stray dog. No big deal. He got up and limped off, and no one turned their head or even thought of stopping. Ha. We later squeezed a few more on to make a total of 12. 2 of which were hanging off teh back bumper.

Bodghaya is a tiny town filled with monistaries and guesthouses. It has a world heritage site of the exact spot of where the Buddha reached enlightenment. It was a very holy place and well worth the visit. The street children here were much more haggard and dirty here than in Kolkata. Just as relentless, ifnot more.

4 hours by train to Varanasi. The holiest city for all Hindus. There are no street lights and everything is covered in dust. The whole city revolves around the ghats along the Ganges river. This is a holy river in which all Hindus bathe, drink, and worship in. The water is beyond filthy. There are several sewers that empty into it. Bodies are burned and the ashes are put in the river. On one of our boat rides, we saw a body floating no more than 10 meters from where people were bathing. A very colorful city, and quite peacefull when on the boat, away from the tourists hagglers. Very beautiful. It was amazing to see Indians on their pilgramage from all over. It is very apparent how holy this river really is.

SouthEast Asia

mgee — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:13:00 GMT

bit overwhelming at first,the rich culture of SE Asia has made a great impression on me. Many Thai locals greet the foreigner with smiles, in Laos the look is something of confusion, and in Cambodia, many times I received a stare of curiosity.

Southern Thailand is loaded with beautiful beaches, bars, and a rasta atmosphere. For real, Bob Marley is everywhere. Its obvious that the southern coasts of Thailand have been discovered by many backpackers as well as tourists with higher budgets. It wasnt until we ventured to Northern Thailand that the true colors of the rich culture became apparent. The locals were no longer catering to tourists, as they were in the south. Rather they were going about their daily life of working in the rice fields, grilling up their noodles and fresh produce, or driving their tuk-tuks. The hill tribe people have notyet conformed to living the modern day societies way of life. Few have access to their villages by car; motorbike is questionable. The women often work in the fields all morning as the men tend to the buffalo and take care of the children. Buddhism is a commonly shared belief and way of life throughout Thailand and SE Asia, but the people of the hill tribes often believe in Animism ( many migrated from China and Burma)or even Christianity.

Although rough at times, traveling through Thailand was comfortable and fairly easy. Laos and Cambodia were a different story. Crossing the unofficial land border from Laos into Cambodia was a journey. Everything about it was sketch and very unofficial. 2 dyas on a boat, sitting on a tiny wooden bench, jam packed with a few hundred other backpackers, floating down the muddy Meekong River was unforgettable. Laos is full of breathtaking beauty, especially through the Luang Prabang Mountain Range. Laos has a slight hint of European French style to its cities, often rundown. Poverty is much more "in your face" in Laos and especially in Cambodia. Land mine and unexploded bomb victims are forever in the street, either asking for money, playing music, or selling local culture books. While many children in Cambodia ride their bicycles to school each morning along the muddy clay streets, many children attempt to hustle foreigners by selling post cards or books (from sunrise to sunset). Its funny how practically everything in Cambodia costs one dollar. The Ancient temples if Ankor Wat attract so many tourists, the city of Siem Riep seems to grow each day.

Laos and Cambodia are very underdevloped, but it is apparent that thanks to the rising tourism, they will continue to generate an economic increase.

All magnificent countries. I have enjoyed embracing the South East Asian culture... I must say i am ready for something other than rice and noodles for 3 meals a day.

I guess the best way to describe Thailnad, Laos, and Cambodia is...

Same Same... But Different!

For a much better written description of the region, check Jenny's journal. same address.. jagis instead of mgee.

More Thailand

mgee — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:33:00 GMT

Since the Meditation Retreat, we have visited Krabi, Phuket, Khao Yai National Park, the Sukhothai ruins, Chaing Mai, now Pai. All of which have been amazing. Krabi was a beautiful beach town with limestone cliffs and caves all around. A rock climbers heaven. a little overpriced, but good to see. Phuket also had beautiful beaches. Many people enjoy this place. I prefered Phuket Town, the old, european style town. Phuket was also very enjoyable because of our hosts, Taj and Chompu. They were so amazing. Overnight bus up to Bangkok and then to Pak Chaong to head to Khao Yai National park. We might have been a bit foolosh to camp in the rainy season. LEECHES. Treking on restricted trails and bumping into a herd of wild boar. Big pigs. Two nights was plenty. Sukhothai had amazing ruins with great big Buddhas and temple reamains from the 13th century. The day we arrived in Chaing Mai, we booked 3 day, 2 night, real Jungle trek, with Wood as our guide. He was the real deal. Jungle boy himself. We stayed with local hilltribe people in their village. Hiking in the jungle in the rain was not as bad as i thought it would be. All seven of us were soaked, so there was no complaining to be had. My legs are still feelin it. Now we're in Pai. This cool little mountain town has so much style and personality. We walkewd for 3 hours this morning going from village to village, smiling at the locals. Considering Burma then laos and cambodia. oh boy

Gallery: SE Asia

mgee — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:35:00 GMT

Meditation Retreat

mgee — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:57:00 GMT

10 days of silence, learning how to meditate, taught by Buddhist monks. Who would have thought Matt Gee would ever do such a thing. Not me.

The first 3 days, things got progressively tougher. Day 3, I wanted to leave. Sitting cross legged for hours on end while attempting to sit up straight hurts real bad. I was so bored, my thoghts just kept running through my head, I thought I was going crazy. But Through meditation and the Buddhist teachings, I learned to stick it out through the pain, calm my mind, and let go...of everything. Let go of my body, mind, thoughts, feelings, the past, the future...everything. A main point that was repeated throughout was being mindful of what you are doing in every moment. Being mindful of my breathing (Anapanasati) was a challenge for me.

I must say, by days 8, 9, and 10, I progressed with my meditation practice each sitting.

The silence became peaceful, not a burden or stressful.

Looking back on the whole experience, I came away with so much.

Patience, mindfulness, accepting reality, and letting go.

It did not take long to realize how much of a sheltered environment we were in during the retreat. The reality of people's tempers flairing, along with the stress of traveling did not hesitate to show the day it was all over. But traveling with Jenny improves daily. I'm glad we both shared this experience.

And yes, I still meditate even thought the retreat is over. But I'm not, and could never in a million years, be a monk.

Koh Phangan & Koh Tao

mgee — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:37:00 GMT

I've been in Thailand for 24 days now. Most of which has been on the islands of Koh Phangan and koh Tao. Basically... its crackin. The last few weeks have been a continuous cycle of eating, reading, snorkling, card games, hiking, and reflecting on life in in general and what I'm doing here. Then of course, theres the occasional cliff jumping, moto drive, or rock climbing to keep me sane. We have been staying in beachside bungalows for ranging from 6 to 10 dollars a night. The songs from the foot long geckos and spiders as big as my old tarantula keep us up from time to time, but im getting used to it. Hard to believe, but im also getting used to going to sleep nearly naked, and waking up dripping sweat and sticky with new mosquito bites.

The beaches still take my breath away. Clear blue and green water, colorful brain-like coral, and endless species of tropical fish make it hard for me to stop snorkling on a day to day basis. It never gets old.

In the bungalows beside us, there are 2 guys from Finland with long blonde hair who just graduated high school and met here by chance. They are both joining the army, as every kid is required to after high school in Finland. I won't go into great detail because I could talk about the interesting characters that I have encountered. Through meeting these people and reading the books that i have, have learned quite a bit about the people of the world, mainly myself. The inspirational words of Paulo Coelho have allowed me to reflect on what I'm doing here, right now, as well as the big picture of my life.

I realize the first part of this trip is basically a vacation, and things will change. In a few days, we will be attending a 10 day meditation retreat in Chaiya. This will be different from anything I have ever done, but I'm ready for a change. This whole trip is about being open minded and experiencing new things, so thats exactly what I'm doing.