All Quiet on South China Sea

Not much to report of late. We eat, sleep, swim, walk, read, eat. It's a very lulling sort of place Mui Ne, not a whole lot you feel obliged to go look at. We took the Jeep tour of what sights there are yesterday. There is a ravine, some sand dunes, the fishing village and that's about it. Apparently there are some markets in the village so we might get a motorbike and ride up there tomorrow.

K takes in the scenery, such as it is, with a couple of English lasses.

There is so much good food here and so cheap. The restaurant next door we eat at least once a day. 4 dishes and a couple of drinks less than $5. The service is less than stellar but who's complaining at that price? I had a delicious Omelette, Baguette and Coffee this morning for $1.20. It's right on the water, the floor is sand and they don't give a fig what you wear. Walk out the front door of our little hut, fall in the water, walk out and straight up the steps of the restaurant in your wet bathers and bare feet. Definitely my kind of place.

                       Our local Restaurant.

Friday is looking like the day we might head down the road a bit further. Apparently you can get an open bus ticket to Hanoi and just get on and off when you want so that might be the go. 

  Who knew that's how they make dried shrimps?

The Daily Grind

Mui Ne Vietnam 27 Nov 2010


Long walk on Beach - check
Laze on Beach - check
Eat fresh Fish for lunch - check
Read Book - check
Nap - check
Coffee at Joes Cafe - check
Afternoon swim - check
Seafood Dinner - Check
Movie - check
Early night as another tough day tomorrow likely

On to Mui Ne

Mui Ne Vietnam - 26 Nov 2010

From wikitravel.org

"Northeast of Phan Thiet the coastal road climbs over the slope of a Cham-Tower-topped hill and descends onto the long, sandy crescent of Mui Ne Bay. The formerly little-inhabited beach south of the fishing village of Mui Ne proper has seen some serious development in the last 15 years. Now it is a 15 km long strip of resorts that line up like pearls on Nguyen Dinh Chieu street, shaded by coconut palms. The main resort strip lies between the addresses of 2 and 98 Nguyen Dinh Chieu and is actually named Ham Tien"

And after a 4 hour bus ride from Saigon, that's where we are.

We spent our last day in Ho Chi Minh City walking around again. We visited the Zoo and then the Jade Emperor Chinese Pagoda, famed for it's ornate carved gilt woodwork and panoply of weird and wonderful deities. 

                         Jade Emperor Pagoda

More Pagoda and Zoo Pics here

On the way home we found ourselves in the rush hour in a busy section of town. The traffic there is worse than anything we've ever seen, even Mumbai. There are 10's of thousands of motorbikes, literally no rules and because they drive on the right it's hard to remember which way to look when crossing the street. There are crosswalks everywhere but they make not the slightest difference to the way anyone drives. As best I can tell it just means they aren't allowed to deliberately run you over if you cross on one but they certainly give no quarter. 

We thought we had the art of crossing down, a combination of a 2 step, dodge, shuffle, run, jazz ballet, kung fu aerobic combat, but this one street had us licked. We ended up walking a few km's out of our way and doubling back.

It poured with rain for the last few k'ms and for some reason K refused to hail a cab so we ended up jogging the last km or so home completely saturated. The rain was torrential by the end.

We were up at 6, out the door at 7 and on the bus at 8, now we are here.

It's very beautiful and laid back in Mui Ne. There is one long street with the beach hotels on one side and shops and restaurants on the other. There is a whole section that is just seafood BBQ joints. They have Crayfish, Prawns, Fish, Squid, Oysters, all sorts of stuff, caught that day and they just cook it up for you right there. A beer is less than a dollar and a Crayfish costs about $5.00. Good times! Although of course I only enjoy the cheap beer vicariously through K. 

                  View from our Hotel Room Balcony

There is a really nice feel here, it's not as frantic as Bali or Goa but it still has that beach holiday vibe. There is a nice little cafe down the road with live music and movies at night. The hotel we are in is run by an aussie expat and you can throw a stone and hit the beach from our window. The surf is crashing outside as I write. A lot of people are here for windsurfing and kiteboarding as the wind gets up a bit but the temperature remains pleasantly tropic even with the sea breeze in. You can live in shorts and thongs, T Shirt optional (sic).

So the plan is no plan for a while. Just rest up after all the madness of Saigon, swim, sun-bake, walk a lot, eat seafood, chill out, read. Doesn't get a whole lot better than this. Even K plans to get a suntan if she doesn't burst in to flames lying on a sun-bed  (ok we're even for the taxi thing now).

More Wanderings in Saigon

Saigon Vietnam - 24 Nov 2010

Well we definitely have the hang of the food here in Saigon and it's wonderful. We had 2 of the best meals we've had anywhere today. After an interesting morning walking around the Reunification Palace we stumbled across a French Bakery with a Cafe upstairs which is like a little Oasis in the madness of central Saigon. Cool & quiet with impeccable service they served me a very well turned out and tasty Salad Nicoise while Karen had what was apparently the 2nd best Sandwich she's ever had in her life. The best ever was on a Lufthansa flight many years ago and she said her memory of it may be a little exaggerated so this sandwich is definitely up there.

The Reunification Palace was a lot more interesting than I expected it to be. It was built on the site of a French Mansion used by the Governor General of Indochina and then the President of The Republic of Vietnam after the French got the boot. 

The original mansion got bombed, condemned and finally pulled down and they built the current palace on top. It looks more like a Library than a Palace, built in the sort of  modernist style of the 60's. Originally named The Independence Palace it got rechristened The Reunification Hall when the Tanks from the North busted the gates down not long after the Americans had evacuated and the South surrendered unconditionally, the whole of the country becoming The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The Palace bit came later, presumably to make it more interesting to tourists.

It's an (unintentional) monument to 60's & 70's kitsch inside having been left exactly the way it was in 1975 when the war ended. Highlights are a circular sofa and bar that could have out of a Bond Movie in the entertainment room. The basement is the most atmospheric area where the former war command rooms are filled with old telex machines and archaic radio equipment and lined with campaign maps on the wall.

Presidents Office Reunification Palace

The exhibition room hosts a photographic history of the war and times after. From the horrific (Buddhist Monks self immolating and the Mai Lai massacre) to historic (first cabinet meetings and visits from foreign dignitaries) we found ourselves fascinated by the display. After being variously occupied and oppressed by a succession of foreign countries and finally a civil war between North & the South (propped up by the USA and Russia respectively) they take their independence and the struggle it took to achieve it very seriously here and you can't help but be impressed by it when you've seen the evidence of it.

We were going to go straight on to the War Remnants Museum but found it closed so instead we wandered around the Backpacker District, filled with cheap hotels, pubs, galleries, restaurants, not unlike Kuta in Bali in atmosphere. By the time the Museum would have been open again we found we'd lost our taste for War and things to do with it.

Backpacker District

In the Glorious Socialist Republic of Vietnam people go to the park to exercise together after work and we wandered through on the way home, joining in a bit of exercise and trying to play the local game of shuttlecock where the shuttle must be kept in the air by your feet only. A truly bizarre and difficult game that would take more time than we had to learn it.

I did get Better!

Tonight we went to the Food Court at Benh Tan Market and had a whole BBQ Snapper and some veggies, stir fried with garlic, that was heavenly. Just an exquisite meal for about $10 with a couple of drinks.

Last day in Saigon tomorrow we are off to Mui Ne beach on Friday for some relaxation and sun-baking.

Che's Ride. Note the Skull Headlight!

Cu Chi Tunnels

Saigon Vietnam - 23 Nov 2010

First a message from our sponsor, Suckhoe Magazine.

In the words of the brochure:

"Tourists coming to Cu Chi Tunnels, besides visiting and learning them with the resonant victories, also visit the project of Cu Chi reproduced Liberation Zone."

Couldn't have said it better myself & visit and learning with them we did. We took the Saigon River Express Boat Trip to Cu Chi to see the Tunnel System in which the Vietnamese Resistance lived, loved, married, gave birth and of course died during the Vietnam war and earlier when they fought the French occupation in the 1940's.

Our day started with the most expensive coffee I've ever had in my life. Our tour was picked up at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel where rooms are advertised for US$500 night so I suppose that should have been a clue.

 Ordinary coffee too.

Things got better from there. We boarded a speed boat and headed up river for breakfast and an educational DVD on the history of Cu Chi and the tunnels. We couldn't hear anything over the noise of diesels from the barges going past on the river but the pictures looked nice.

It was another hour up the river to Cu Chi where we did the tour. Basically they show you re-creations of the tunnels and bunkers, show the weapons and traps improvised by the Vietnamese to fight the Americans and other aspects of the way they lived. They give you opportunity to shoot an AK47 and other guns which could have been fun but you have to buy the ammo and it's pricey. At the end of the tour you can crawl through 80 metres of tunnel which has been bored out to fit us fat westerners. I couldn't handle the claustrophobia but K held up the team and crawled through. She said it was hot and dark and there were sections where you had to lay down to get through - pretty scary. Just can't imagine living  in them for months at a time.

We finished the day with a great lunch of spring rolls, soup, rice, BBQ Chicken & Pork and stir fried veggies and a return boat right back to the city. All in all a good day. We had BBQ prawns for dinner in a street cafe so it's been an awesome food day.

I'll leave you with this thought from the author of the utopian socialist republic official literature 

"You should visit the Cu Chi Tunnels to understand how the hard protracted resistance was, and also to comprehend our profound aspiration properly: it is peace loving, independent, happy and permanently comfortable."

As should we all be.

PICS HERE

1st Day in Saigon

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Vietnam - 22 Nov 2010

Well we set out today with the best of intentions to be diligent tourists, experiencing local culture and looking at Museums and Monuments of historic significance but everything we tried we either couldn't find or it was closed so we ended up in a mall 10 Pin Bowling and then to really cement ourselves as Western Consumerist Pigs here in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Vietnam we ate KFC :)

It seems such a long time since I blogged. I wrote what, in my semi hysterical state after a crazed taxi ride through Mumbai, seemed a hilarious account of the taxi ride and a semi rant on the ripoff of currency transactions comparing banks rather unfavourably with the crooks on the streets of Mumbai who are at least up front about stealing. Unfortunately my iPhone blogging app crashed and took my post with it. All I can remember is likening the music the Cab Driver played to what would happen if an infinite number of Monkeys were given one of those iPhone apps for creating drum & bass beats and a couple of Bollywood Actors screeching over the top.

Anyway after 20 hours on the road in Cabs, Planes and mostly Airports I made it to Saigon yesterday afternoon. Karen came from Australia and beat me to the hotel by a few hours. We were both pretty shattered but we stumbled out into the street to find some food. I'd read the local market down the road has great little food stalls so we tried that. Unfortunately the market features an open air butchers section and the smell of blood permeates the whole place. That put paid to the little bit of appetite I had but Karen was still hungry so we sat down at one of the stalls just to look at a menu and were immediately descended on by 3 crones who circled us to make sure we couldn't get away. The kitchen was disgusting but in our pathetic jet-lagged state we didn't have the heart to just get up and walk off so we ordered chicken and noodles, when it came it looked awful but we tried to eat a bit to save face. We just couldn't do it so we just paid and slunk away. We couldn't find anything else that appealed so  we ran back to the hotel and ate all the mini-bar snacks, watched in-house movies and felt miserable. Karen fell asleep.

Unwilling to admit defeat &  still wanting something I went out again. Earlier I'd noticed a frozen yoghurt bar that made Mango Smoothies which was about all I felt I could manage for dinner so I tried to find that again . Turning right at the bottom of street instead of going straight I found about 4 great looking restaurants in the first block. I also found the outdoor food court which is probably what the article I read referred to. There were BBQ's with whole fish, prawns and other meats cooking up and bubbling pots of Noodles & Veges so we are much heartened by the food situation after feeling like running back home last night. I brought home a Mango smoothie for K and she praised me for my manly food hunting abilities, had the smoothie and went back to sleep. I felt like a winner.

Today we decided to redeem ourselves with culture and learning and things of beauty and historical significance. We set out to the Reunification Palace but it was closed when we got there. Had an interesting walk and lots of fun anyway. I have to say GPS on my iPhone is awesome. Drop a bunch of pins in Google Maps before you go then use the current location on the map to see exactly how to get around. Can't get lost even in a City as crazy as Saigon. Technically Saigon is called Ho Chi Minh City these days but it seems most people still call it Saigon, particularly the inner city where we are staying.

It was absolutely bucketing down with rain when we left the bowling alley so we provided some free street theatre for the Vietnamese outside the mall who found the spectacle of Karen & I purchasing and donning plastic rain ponchos from an old lady hawking them absolutely hilarious for some reason. We were happy to entertain.

Out for dinner and probably a movie in the room and an early night. We are off to the Chu Ching Tunnels tomorrow via speedboat up the river, whoo hoo!

PICS HERE

Good Morning Vietnam

I can't believe this is my last day in India. Vietnam tomorrow.

Had a Hyperabadi Chicken dish tonight to celebrate, I've been eating almost all vegetarian food. They asked if I wanted it spicy or medium, I was going to go spicy as I've eaten some pretty hot stuff since I've been here but the cook said he puts 10 green chillies into the spicy so I went medium. Glad I did, I feel like I've eaten a box of matches and they are all going off in my stomach.  Hard core.

Not much to do except pack have a last swim in the morning.

Saigon here I come for a few days and then on to Phan Phiet on the coast.

Namaste Goa, over and out.

Arambol & Keri

Baga Beach, Goa India - 18 Nov 2010

I finally found where we are definitely going next time thanks to a somewhat distressed Russian hitchhiker.

It was a real day for hitchhikers. I picked up on just out of Baga, an Indian pilot for Kingfisher Airlines who couldn't get a taxi that time of the morning (about 8am). Not much happens here before 9am, mostly I think because everyone stays up so late. People don't seem to dine before about 9pm and the clubs only really start to wind up around 10. 

My first hitchhiker was off to a business meeting in Anjuna about opening some sort of powered, para-glider business. He was very chatty, I guess Indians are quite used to holding conversations on the pillion of a motorbike.

After I dropped him off I went through Mandrem which is beautiful and very alternative, lots of Yoga and Ayurveda and huts on the beach. I was tempted to swim as the beach was the quietest and most pristine I've yet seen but I decided to wait for Arambol. 

Arambol ended up being a little disappointing, very busy. Lots of dreadlocks as promised but too many shops and restaurants on the beach. I was heading out of Arambol and back toward Mandrem for a swim when I was flagged down by the young Russian man. He was covered in cuts and bruises and begged me to take him to a bus stop so he could go get his motorbike. I asked where it was and he said Keri, about 10km further north so I offered to take him. He was also pretty chatty, told me he'd been in India for 2 months and was planning to stay another 6! Apparently a lot of young Russians do this. 

I asked him if he was drunk last night and he said, in a wonderful thick Russian accent, "I am drunk EVERY night and most days, today I have already one bottle of beer." 

It's been a while but I could definitely relate.

He told me (in what English he had) that he had had a debauched night in Arambol and woke up sleeping on a table in  a cafe and that on awakening he looked under the table and there was a packet of cigarettes, a bottle of beer and 25Rp so God does indeed still look after drunks. 

Like all those who stay long he was renting a house right up near the Mahastra border in Keri. I took him to his house but neither his bike or friends were there so we continued to the beach.

We found his friends and bike at a little cafe on the beach and he abused them for a couple of minutes (I presume it was abuse as the F word featured prominently). I think he was angry they took his bike. I had a chai and let his friends tell me how he is a famous drinker and the last person silly enough to try and drink with him is now in hospital. 20 years ago I would have been up for the challenge but not today.

I left them to it, went to the beach and found it most beautiful. A couple of beach shacks, a lifeguard, a few Europeans and not a hawker in sight. And so quiet! After a swim I sunbaked for a while and soon I realised I was truly peaceful for the first time since leaving Perth. There has been plenty of excitement and joy but an open beach, the solitude and only the sound of the water lapping on the shore without the hubbub, hawkers and Jet Skis of Baga made me feel almost drugged with calm.

I went back to the Cafe later and the Russians were gone and there was a man from Wales. We chatted for a while and he told me he works over the Welsh Summer as a gardener and then spends 6 months in India every year. He's ridden a motorbike from the tip on India in Ladach to the tip of Tamil Nadu in the south and everywhere in between over the last 7 years. Now he just comes to Goa and chills out. Apparently a house in Keri can be rented for AUD$250 a month. I had a look at the menu in the cafe and a fish curry with pickles and papadums was about $1.30 and a chai 30c. I can see how it would get quite addictive to come here every year. 

PICTURES HERE

Old Goa

Baga Beach, Goa India - 16 Nov 2010

Old Goa is a trip! Once a larger city than the London or Lisbon of the time (the 1500's), those of it's 300,000 odd inhabitants who didn't succumb to the inquisition of Francis Xavier or syphilis, contracted by the decadent colonial upperclass, were more than cut in half by malaria before they packed it in and moved downriver to the now capital of Panjim. Almost the entire City, excepting the Cathedrals, which are now World Heritage sites, was demolished to make building materials for Panjim prompting chronicler Abbe´ Cottineau de Kloguen to remark in 1827 "Nothing remains of the City but the sacred. The profane is entirely banished."

Mostly built at the end of The Renaissance and the beginning of The Baroque the various Cathedrals and Churches are quite astonishing in their ornate splendour.

Goa's monsoon climate has the effect of blackening everything with mould and the buildings were once kept white with a yearly application of lime made of crushed clamshells. Now their are teams of people kept busy painting them every year.

Tourists as well as Christian Pilgrims come in busloads every day the latter to visit particularly the Tomb of Saint Francis Xavier, the renowned missionary, somewhat famous for bringing the Inquisition to Goa resulting the in the arrest and torture of more than 16,000 people  by 1774. Strange that in these times some with a track record like that is still considered "Holy". Perhaps he did lots of good stuff too.

Me, I came by Motorbike, duly walked around the Churches, although the volume of tourists, pilgrims, beggars, touts, guides and vendors around the Basillica eventually got the better of me. The Church of St Cajetan for some reason was practically deserted so I spent most of my time there. It's quite astonishing that the original Baroque Oil paintings depicting the life and various trials of the Saint are left hanging in their original places on the walls with no protection or barrier. You can just walk right up and touch them if you like, as you can walk right on to the ornate alters. Things like that would be behind glass and roped off practically anywhere else I can think of. I have to confess I found them quite hideous but I've never much enjoyed Baroque anything. Impressive though is the detail in the paintings, carvings and statues and just the overall effect of splendour.

I didn't have a great photo day but the pics I did get are ok.

Pictures Here

Vietnam!

Baga Beach Goa - 15 Nov 2010

Well we are changing direction and going to Vietnam. Once Karen was refused re-entry to India it was all to hard and expensive to go to Sri Lanka and Nepal so we decided to meet in the middle. Vietnam which, from what little research I've managed to do so far looks fascinating. We will land in Saigon (Ho Chi Mihn City) and make our way by rail up the coast via Dan Ang the other little coastal towns ending up in Hanoi where we will fly out to Bangkok and meet up with what's left of our original itinerary. Got to go with the flow although as Karen pointed out it doesn't do much for the title of this blog.

So now I have to make the most of what time I have left in Goa. i'm going to start by seeing Panjim and Old Goa tomorrow, then take another day to ride up to the North and see Arambol and Terrikal Fort.

The last couple of days have seen amazing storms in the afternoon. The thunder starts in the East around midday, the sky gradually gets darker and darker. Eventually great shards of lightening come across the sky and finally the rain pours for an hour or so. It's beautiful to lie inside and hear it pouring on the roof. In the aftermath, it gets steamy and still, very tropical.

I'm going to go swim in the warm Arabian Sea now, then find a nice veggie curry somewhere. Although you can get anything in Goa to eat, the veggie food, as well as the fish is the nicest. 

Edit, ended up with a Masala Dosa, those wonderful Indian Pancakes stuffed with savoury Potato mixture with chutneys on the side. Pedro must have eaten a a few hundred of these when we were here in the 80's.

Should have some more pics tomorrow.

Imagination & Goa Gill

Baga Beach, Goa India - 14 Nov 2010

I had the thought today that sometimes it's the imagination we carry with us that makes our travel experience. How we perceive our journey is as much about our inner life as the outer phenomena we move through.

A great storm passed through this afternoon and somehow the incredible dark skies, enormous bolts of lightening and crashing thunder made it easy to imagine a different time. I felt myself not in the modern India of IT and package tourism but in the more mysterious East I've always loved the idea of. Listening to the  warm tropical rain against the window I could imagine Fisherman of long ago coming back to shore hoping to beat the storm or the feelings of Portuguese Soldiers looking out from their forts watching the first Monsoon storms of the year coming.

Perhaps that's why people like history so much. You can live, at least in your mind, in a place that seems far simpler, more interesting or romantic than where you actually find yourself. I'd never understood the attraction before.

For now the present is quite beautiful. Walking to the beach tonight I saw a young Indian man practising a martial art on the roof of a building site by the beach. He was silhouetted agains the faintest hint of the moon behind the clouds and with the backdrop of palm trees and the ocean it had a surreal quality about it. As if David Lynch was doing a version of Karate Kid.

I bought some Goan Trance music yesterday. The whole art-form was apparently almost single handedly invented by a guy who came to be know as Goa Gill. He was a San Francisco Hippie in the 60's who came here in the late 60's and became a Sadhu (one of the Indian Holy Men who wander around the landscape seeking enlightenment mostly by smoking gigantic quantities of pot). By the sounds of his wikipedia entry he pioneered a form of sampling in the 70's  by recording portions of records (the instrumental parts) onto tapes and playing the cassettes back. He and his friends began playing the music through PA's on the beach pretty much starting the electronic dance / rave movement. He's still getting around the world now running dance parties in different countries. His philosophy is that dancing in a tribal environment is a religious ceremony and he creates hi music accordingly. He sounds like a cool cat and I can't believe I pretty much missed this whole phenomenon. Anyway I got some of his CD's and I'm digging them. Google him if your interested.

Fort Aguada

Baga Beach Goa - 13 Nov 2010

Went again to Fort Aguada today and remembered the camera. Built by the Portuguese in 1612 to defend the shores of The Mandovi Estuary against Dutch and Marathi Raiders. the name derives from the presence inside of several freshwater springs, the first source of water for Ships arriving after the long sea voyage from Lisbon. All I could think of looking at it was how awful it must have been to build the thing in the heat and humidity, still I suppose the same goes for all the buildings around here. There seems to be always someone beavering away building something around here.

Met up with another Australian up there. I thought he was Indian at first as he is by descent but he was raised in Singapore, educated at Cambridge and lives in Sydney. He works in IT but at a far more exulted level than I, apparently he specialises in identity protection systems and works for some global colossus who have a gigantic contract with the Aus Government consulting on the National Broadband Network. He's in charge of some some software project that's being developed in Bangalore and just popped down for a bit of R&R on the weekend. We are going to have dinner tonight so I won't be the tragic figure dining alone I've been since Karen went back to Australia.

That's the one thing about travelling alone, you tend to be more open to meeting other people and having experiences you wouldn't have otherwise.  I generally don't mind time on my own but it's taking a bit of getting used to, trekking about by myself when I'd rather be seeing all these places with Karen.

Pics Here

More bad news

Indian Consulate has decided not to let Karen come back to India. Apparently your niece dying is not sufficient reason to fly back to Australia and then want to resume your holiday.

All our plans are now up in the air. Luckily we don't have too much organised and paid for in India. The next organised accommodation and flights we have are in Nepal thank goodness. Now we have to decide where to spend late Nov, early December. Sri Lanka is looking most likely at the moment.

Very disappointing.

A rant on Jet Skis and Corporate Spirituality.

Baga Beach, Goa India - 11 Nov 2010

Who invented Jet Ski's? Or I suppose, more to the point, who decided they were a good think to take to the beach? They smell & they are really really noisy. Plus for the most part the people that ride them are tools. Petrol head bogans transported to the ocean </end-rant>

I've decided to spend my time till Karen gets back doing healthy stuff and just chilling out. I don't want to see everything there is to see and then do it all again when she gets here. Half the fun of travelling is discovering stuff with someone else. So I'm starting my day with a long walk on the beach and swim. Spoiled as I am from taking my regular beach time at City Beach or North Cott the darker beaches here, filled as they are with the aforementioned Jetski's, I'm finding kind of disappointing.

If you are a package tourist who lives in freaking Delhi or some place that doesn't have a beach and you are only here for a couple of days I guess it's paradise here and if the kids can have a ride on a speedboat or Jetski it's probably like Christmas so  I suppose, who am I to rain on their parade? If I'm going to be all holier than though, Mr Lonely Planet, demanding to see unspoilt tropical paradises I guess I can take my western, middle class, white guy, act up the coast to Arambol with the rest of the Eurotrash hippies & counter culture refuges.

WowI can't seem to decide if I want to be BKS  Iyengar or Hunter S Thompson today.

Probably because, while waiting for my lunch I just picked up a book on the cafe bookshelf by a life coach who, amongst other things, wrote a book called "The Monk who sold his Ferrari". For some reason these kind of breezy epistles about how to meditate and fill your heart with love while sitting in Starbucks with your iPod listening to Dave Mathews planning how to make your next million bucks rub me up the wrong way a bit. There's nothing wrong with that per se, it's just the glib way they casually mix the palatable, easily digested parts of the spiritual path with our culture of materialism for it's own sake. That success = money.

Not because I disagree with fusion of ideas, of knowledge wherever we find it.

The aforementioned BKS Iyengar dismisses the idea that wisdom belongs to a particular culture or set of ideas. He says:

"The mind of man is one, the mechanics of consciousness are the same everywhere. A good person, living ethically with his mind on the stars, his feet on the path of duty is a good person anywhere"

BUT he makes his point in the context of power. That as a yogi follows the path his power grows. Including the power to read and or influence others. We need the practice of detachment to reign in the desire to use this power to benefit ourselves. Applied with discrimination and compassion we can use this power to gain control over our selves and help others.

Simply put, knowledge IS power but we shouldn't use it to sell people more shit they don't need.

Of course we have to live in world and all it's temptations and My Iyengar says work and putting food on the table is one of the 4 things we must balance in our lives. As he says "I believe in spiritual enlightenment but I also support the Indian Cricket team". Make that Freo Dockers and you've got me BKS!

-------

Went for a ride to Fort Aguada this afternoon. Amazing views of the harbour and across to Panjim, the capital. Forgot the camera so will go back again and take some shots.

Fresh snapper straight off the boat for dinner, steamed whole with garlic and lime. Fantastic. All for about 5 bucks with a fresh lime and soda. Can't complain about that. The food here is good except for a bit of lack of fresh veggies. Apparently it's because the soil here is all clay and no good for growing much except Spices, Rice and Coconuts so everything comes from interstate. The fresh seafood that comes in every day along with all the spices makes up for a lot though.

Rob

Anjuna & Vagator

Don't feel much like writing with Zoe passing away today. I went for a long ride up to Vagator and stopped at the outdoor flea markets at Anjuna which are quite the biggest markets I've ever seen. It was all a but much for me but I took lots of pics. I'm developing a fascination with all the crosses and other religious symbols which abound here.
New Pics Here.

Vale Zoe K Johnston

Vale Zoe K Johnston

Daughter of Karen's Sister Linda and Barry Johnston, loved by all who met her.

Died Wed 10 Nov at 5am, aged 22.

Not long after Karen & I were married, Zoe came up to me at a family do, hugged me, put her head against my chest and said, love you Uncle Rob. And I realised she actually did. I've never know anyone to love so Immediately &unconditionally. That love was there in everything she did.

She touched and inspired many people in her short life. She was a beautiful soul. We will miss you Zoe.

My thoughts are with all the extended family.

Rob - 10 Nov 2010, Goa India

Things get a bit strange

Baga Beach Goa - Tues 9 Nov

Sad news. Karen's family has a crisis and she decided to fly home so for now I'm here on my own in India. She hopes to come back when she can so hopefully we can still finish our adventure together. I guess I'll just keep pottering around the place till I know more. Things are different away on your own. More time and space to think but not so much fun when you don't have your best friend there to share the discoveries. I miss her already and I only just dropped her at the airport.

We did have a little adventure today, yesterday we were running around organising her flight back to Perth and making what plans we could. Today we got on the Motorbike and rode up to Anjuna which used to be one of the hot spots on the Hippie Trail and traces remain. Mainly we were fascinated by the architecture and the colours along the way. It was overcast and a bit drizzly at times so I was hesitant to take the camera out of the bag too much but I got a few ok shots.

It's really the contrast between the strong Portugese Catholic influences and the flamboyant colours of the Hindu buildings all against a tropic; backdrop that makes the charm of Goa. There is religious iconography everywhere of completely different flavours. Hindu Gods coexist happily alongside The Madonna & statues of JC. 

Feeling a bit flat so I think I'll sign off for now. I'm going to keep journaling because that's what I decide to do, it's just not as much fun now that I'm not doing it for both of us. My thoughts are with Karen on the long flight home and her family.

Todays Pics here.

Rob

Counter Culture Reflections

Mon 8 Nov 2010 Baga Beach

It rained this morning and the beach was mostly deserted so we took a long walk south down as far as Calangute.

Walking on the deserted sand it was easier for my romantic mind to imagine the Goa of the 70's with only fisherman's shacks and tents on the beach. I don't think I'm being (too much of) a tragic middle aged hippie to think with fondness of those times. I've always been fascinated by the counterculture that formed in the 60's, grew into a gigantic wave and broke (at the Stones concert in Altamont if you believe Hunter S Thompson RIP). It's mainly about the music but I do like the idea of a time when people thought they could change the world with it (music).

I've been reading the recently released autobiography of Keith Richards, in my opinion the greatest Guitar Player and Songwriter in Rock History. He has a delightful cynicism about the idealism of the times, preferring to describe himself as a Bluesman or Troubadour rather than any sort of prophet or agent of social change.

When you see the TV footage of the scale of the concerts and demonstrations that took place in those times and read the extent to which the establishment went to try and subvert the youth movement it always makes me wonder just what dissipated all the energy. Personally I just think it was too many drugs. People mistook the visions of acid and pot for the actual doing of anything and the various law enforcement agencies of the time worked out if they left the hippies alone they would eventually drug themselves into submission.

Swam in the rain and then had espresso at Tito's, so far the only espresso machine we have discovered. I find myself drinking Chai now from our local, much nicer than the coffee. Chai in India isn't really what we understand it to be in the West. It's just strong black tea, brewed with dust tea with milk mixed in and strained. Some places put sugar & spice, some not. On train stations and other fast moving places it's sold in pottery cups which you simply discard.

K already in to the G&T's, although to be fair the sun did just past the yardarm. It's beautiful and green on our balcony, if a little noisy with all the building. We are about to jump on the Motorbike and head north to explore the huge Cathedral on the point we can see from the beach. We will keep going north and scout out what's left of the counter-culture at Anjuna, also where the huge flea market is held on Wednesdays. If we still have any energy we'll investigate Vagator Beach, a little further north, supposedly the scene of great crowds of Israelis (for some reason) playing volleyball to the backbeat of trance coming from giant PA's on the beach. There is a famous trance club on the cliff above Vagator at which I fully intend to dance one night. Let's face it, no one I know will see me.

A few new pics here

pics of painted ceramics around the hotel (beautiful)

Rob 8/11/2010

Baga Beach Goa - First Impressions

Baga Beach Goa 7 Nov 2010

Pics Here

How to describe Goa? Baga Beach where we are is not too different from Bali's Kuta or Legian  in vibe. There seems to be even less concern for central planning and the entire strip of beach from here south to Calangute is covered with shack style restaurants and bars. There was plenty of warning from the various guides and forums I read that the laid back vibe of the 80's and the full moon trance party culture of the 90's were things of the past but still the reality of the extent of the commercialism here is a little disappointing. Last night the streets and clubs were overflowing with revellers and today the beach was swarming with hawkers, jet skis, paragliders and the like.

Still, we are in a lovely quiet cull de sac here at Hallmark Guest-house and Chris, our friendly host assures us that most of the people will leaving tonight after Dewali weekend and the place will slow down a bit. Apparently the further north you go along the coast the quieter and less commercial it gets so I may have erred a bit in deciding to stay in Baga which is apparently the clubbing epicentre of the whole Goan Universe! Serves me right for buying an out of date copy of the Rough Guide to Goa.

When the sun goes down  the beach shacks look fantastic with all the lights and being able to eat dinner in a deck chair, by candlelight a few metres from the waves makes up for a lot. Cost us all of $10 for 2 for Goan fish curry and couple of drinks tonight. We had a pretty decent banana cake for desert on the way home for 75c so the budget is looking good.

We haven't done a whole lot except eat and sleep so so far mission accomplished. Tomorrow we are going to try and start the day with a long walk and fresh juice, try to lull our nervous systems in to starting to relax. We don't have internet in our room and I keep going to pick up my laptop to check Facebook or BigFooty Boards before realising I can't so I pick up my book or Guitar instead.

I feel almost sad that the Internet has made the world such a small place. It used to be that being overseas meant no contact with everything at home for long periods but now it's all just a mouse click away. The isolation that travel used to bring also brought time and space to ponder ones life and the direction you were taking through it. I suppose we could always leave the laptop and cellphones at home next time. I've done that in Bali but just find myself drawn in to Internet Cafes. I think I lasted 5 days last time without Internet which is my record.

Of course India is a big place and we are not very far yet off the beaten track. I'm sure we will find the space to unpack out worries and concerns as time goes on and we get further from our jobs and the stresses of moving house. For now it's enough that we are well fed and comfortable. It's 8.30 and Karen is already fast asleep.

Tomorrow we will take our rental motorbike and head up the coast a bit. Have a look at Anjuna and perhaps Arambol which is supposed to be much more laid back than here in Baga. There is old Goa with it's Portugese Cathedrals and the National Park with it's famous waterfall to look forward to some time.

I haven't gotten the hang of carrying a  camera yet but I'll post what pics are worthwhile if I can find a wireless internet connection.

First Pics of Goa

Mumbai Stopover - Obama's here too!

I feel we should get some sort of award for least informed international travellers. Not only did we not realise that all the fireworks last night were because of Diwalli*, we also didn't realise Barack Obama is in town! Half the freaking City is closed off because of the security for the US PResident but it hasn't stopped firecrackers going off in their millions last night despite a supposed ban in honour of Mr Obama.

A quick read of the Times this morning confirms not much changes as you go around the world at least in big cities. The political sections are full of real estate corruption as slums are bulldozed by developers and housing planned for low income people or war veterans is appropriated by the friends and families of the ministers in charge of giving out the approvals. Meanwhile in the sporting pages Saschin Tendulkar is still king while in the social pages young Indian women just want to party!

Same same but different.

Today we have a short internal flight to Goa at midday where we can hopefully relax for a while. It's the start of the season and things should be a little quieter than they will get when things are in full swing around December January.

*Deepavali (also spelled Divali in few countries) or Diwali[1], popularly known as the festival of lights, is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India,[2] Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.

Read More

IPhone Test

Last sleep before India! Thought I better try posting from my iPhone. The little Blogpress iPhone app seems pretty cool.
I'm actually way too excited to sleep, can't believe we are going to be in India tomorrow night! It's been 23 years since I was there last. Makes me feel old just realizing that. It was the year The Neptunes started. I was playing bass for The Diddy Wah Hoodaddys when we had the first Neptunest band meeting at Andy Macs place in Servetust St.
Rick Mason & I both lived there later for years until they demolished that whole side of the St to widen West Coast Highway. At that time I was sharing with Ian Gill down in North Freo. Ian also came to live at the Servetus St House which shows what a small little world it was then. Still is I suppose. I was over at Ricks today picking up a camera for the trip & dropping off a quite lovely little Goldentone Speaker cab.
I flew to India last time on my own & met up with Pedro LeGrice. Jeff Warren met us over there later. Pedro was in Goa for a while but we met up in Kashmir staying on a houseboat for a few weeks before heading south to Lucknow & then up into Nepal. We did Varanasi on the way back to Delhi and home. Jeff stayed on and saw some more of the North.
This time we are starting in Goa and will probably continue South along the West Coast right to Tamil Nadi before heading North. We need to reach Kathmandu by Christmas as we have reservations in a hotel there. Everything else in between is up for grabs!
I must take the time to write recount some road stories from last time in between logging our current travels. Some of the things that happened to me are far more unlikely than anything I could make up.
Writing about Servetus St makes me also want to recount some of the crazy things that happened around that house & that era particularly the early days of the Neptunes when it seemed anything might happen.
Anyway I guess I've proved I can type on my iPhone well enough that I'll be able to post from Trains or anywhere I can't set my laptop up.
What an amazing world. On my last trip we slcommunicated via letters & telegrams, sent our film off to be processed in a lab & carried US $100 bills in our money belts. Now I have a plastic card I can withdraw rupees or whatever from holes in the wall & a phone the size of a packet of cigs I can use to take photos & post whatever I write & photograph & will be distributed through the ether to appear on a website somewhere in America & also magically post itself on facebook. I'm curious to see how the autopost to FB comes out. Hopefully it's just a summary with a link to the full post. I would try taking a phone pic to test that but me in my PJs sitting on my bed is not something the world needs to share in.
Au Revoir peeps. Back in time for NAB Cup. Freo 2011. Get on.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Reeve St,Swanbourne,Australia

Our new Blog

Well it's 3 more sleeps till we leave for India. We arrive in Mumbai Friday night, spend a night at an airport Hotel and then fly to Goa on Saturday morning. We will be staying at The Hallmark Guesthouse which I found through tripadvisor.com a most awesome website for finding accommodation.
http://www.hallmark-guesthouse.com/