Bin and Miks Travel Tales

Did I ever tell you about the time........

Mumbai Madness

Mumbai June 2006

In Mahatma Ghandis house in Mumbai with Crystal and George

Swimming in the Cricket club Mumbai with d little ole man

Our final party in the rented hotel room with Nina and Crystal

Palolem

Looking pretty Caitano

Cafe del Mar, Palolem, Cai, Dionne, Victor, Paul

A purty house

Caipirhinas all round thanks to the talented Victor... mmmm mmm

Throwing shapes with Victor, Cai and the 2 Georges

Bollywood babes

Mumbai,On the Bollwood set of 'Cheedie Kum' with Corey and Victor

Aha

Whats a Hindu??

Lay eggs of course.

As told with a thick Ozzie accent by Paul in Palolem

Cyclones in Goa

Goa

The palm tree that we saw blow over onto the huts next door

The beautiful and bright Cardula

One of the few long hot sunny days

A seller at Anjuna Flea Market

Beautiful Palolem

After 27 hours by train accross India, then 15 hours by bus along the coast we make it to Palolem Goa. Its funny we are back where we started on a tropical palm tree beach surrounded by jungle with red clays.

So different to the rest of India, we feel as if we have crossed another border into a new country. And we get drunk for the 1st time in nearly 2 months and to make up for the lost time we've been drinking ever since!!!

But the paradise weather didn't stick around too long as the monsoon season started early this year and with a bang as we experienced our 1st hardcore cyclone. So what else can one do when there's no power or water?????????!!!!!!

The roof outside our room after the cyclone...

Around the world up around the world....

Buddhism for Beginners

Buddhism aims to awaken people to the limitless potential and value of their own lives. Buddhist philosophy and practice bring about a positive transformation in the depths of life, transforming fear into courage, deluded impulses into wisdom, and egotism to compassion.

Buddhism begins with individuals deciding to take responsibility for their own individual lives, reforming first themselves and their immediate surroundings and relations, and then gradually extending their wisdom, courage and compassion into a wider sphere.

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels

I could perhaps like others have astonished you
with strange improbable tales;but I rather chose
to relate plain matter of fact in the simplest
manner and style;because my principal design
was to inform you,and not to amuse you

Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse

Was there no safety?No learning by heart of
the ways of the world?No guide,no shelter,
but all was miracle and leaping from the
pinnacle of a tower into the air?

Quote

"I wish everyone could be rich and famous because then they'd know thats not what its all about"

Jim Carrey

India

Our route through India

varanasi

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

When someone makes a decision,he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision

The Principal of Favourability.
When you play cards the first time,you are almost sure to win.Beginner's luck.There is a force that wants you to realize your destiny;it whets your appetite with a taste of success

Taj Mahal

Pushkar

What Biscuits and Crisps did next......

We became Monks.

Honestly !

Bhaaaaaavada Saaaaabba Maaaaandareeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen

After 11 months of complete indulgence of our every whim and desire, every day a new experience, a life of complete freedom with no restrictions. A life of pure hedonism. The world was our Oyster and we had been swallowing those Oysters one after another and then went out looking for more.

So shockingly and kind of unbelievingly to us, we agreed to the decision to lock ourselves away for 10 days and live like Nuns (or monks if you like).

We lived in a Vipasanna Meditation Centre, men and women seperated, while I got own room, I don’t know why but Mik had to share a room with 2 others, who she didn’t speak to for 10 days.

In those 10 days our whole world narrowed down to the 2 acre area of the residential quarters, Dhamma hall, registration hall and the dining room and we never ventured beyond these.

We did NOT SPEAK for 10, nearly 11 days – its called Noble Silence. We made no eye contact with anyone, no body language, signals etc. Our music, books, writing materials, money were taken from us, so we wouldn’t be distracted.

Exercise apart from walking and stretching is not permitted.

Every morning we were woken by the gong at 4AM to commence our 9 HOUR day of mediation plus 1-2 hours of teachings.

No biscuits, No crisps, No smoking, No alcohol, No meat, No laughing, No singing and this was all in the aim of making us happy (- eh but they make me happy).

Me n Mik hummed n hawed the week before the course wondering if it was really for us or the right thing to do – could we be meditators? We’re not really the sort of people and discipline – I couldn’t even remember what the word meant. I remember we stayed in Jens place in Berkeley, California while she went on a 2 day meditation course and I thought why would you do that – I’d be bored outta my tree- 2 full days no way. Now I was signing up for 10.

Mmmmmm mmm bring on the salty crispies

I was first advised of this course in July in Guatemala in Central America and was told it would be good for me. So I put it to the back of my mind and decided to think about doing it in India. When I got to India I remembered it and said maybe I’ll do it at the end of the trip just before I go home – putting it off. Then our 2nd week in India we met Marijn who had just completed his 5th course and told us it was the best thing that happened in his life. We met other people who spoke about people having Shiny eyes when they complete the course and being really happy.

We decided then that right lets just go and do it and not worry about it too much, so we booked ourselves in for the next available one 5 days later.

So many times through the course I wanted to leave, I couldn’t do it, its not me. I kept saying to myself just do 1 more day and then see. Most of the teachings made complete sense, it was all about the laws of nature and living in the reality of now - our minds are always thinking of the past and of the future but very little on the now. I agreed with most of the teachings, but one or 2 things didn’t make sense to me.

Vipassana is about seeing the truth and learning about your inner self. Its not a complicated tecnique at all. Its really simple and you do all the work – its nothing at all Cult like and you're not asked to commit yourself to a religion. The options are all up to you. Its up to you to do the work – do it or don’t. The work is meditation- just focusing on yourself. Its all about learning about you and your body- very simple really.

Also one huge important fact about this course is that it is free- if you do the 10 days and feel benefitted you make a donation that suits you.

So we headed off to the address given to us which was in the busy, noisy polluted town of Dehra Dun. This seemed really strange for the centre to be in such a noisy spot, but it turned out there was a jeep arranged to collect us and take us to the Centre in a location in the countryside.

In the jeep was a sound Israeli girl who had just been filling up on ice-cream and 2 older Indian men. Enroute, the 2 Indian men stop the jeep, hop out and invite us in for a cuppa chai. So the 3 of us end up in the living room of this Indian mans sons house whos wife gives us all tea and biscuits. All really lovely. But we were getting anxious as we were now late.

Back into the jeep and we head off through a military base and into a beautiful hilly and green countryside. The jeep then went off road and began crossing over this huge dried up river bed and through a small stream to the other side. The other side we headed up a laneway and into the Centre. Then at the Centre as we were late it was a rush to register and sign the agreement that we would obey the 5 precepts -no killing, no lying, no sex, stealing, no intoxicants- we would practice Noble Silence and we would see the course through the full 10 days.

We handed over all the books, valuables etc. Me and Mik were put in the same room and I asked to move coz we couldn’t do silence if we’re together for days and anyway I could do with a holiday!! Kidding – I know her so well now it would be impossible for me not to notice how she’s doing, I know her every sigh etc. etc.

As we completed the induction cermony a storm was brewing outside and the power cut out. We started our vow of silence and were taken up this pathway to the Meditation
Hall while winds howled and thunder and lighting filled the sky.

Our white meditation hall was quite dark but was filled with the blue meditation cushions the teacher sat at the top on a meditation chair all in white, the assistant teachers facing him at the front. On one side was full of old Indian men in long white shirts and pants with a few traveller guys scattered between all looking very peacful. On the womens side was an array of colours and outfits as the Indian Saris were so bright and there were mainly foreign women in the group and 1 nun.

Then as we took our meidation poses, our teacher played this chanting tape and it with the whole set up of the centre, the storm, the power cut, the chanting I was really curious to see how the follwing 10 days would unfold.

I had thought I was going to be spending the 10 days mulling over my past life, things that went wrong in my life, any events in my life that affected me, what makes me who I am today, blah blah blah. I spent the first half of the course waiting for these to come flooding in. That didn’t happen and I thought this isn’t working and its bloody difficult to sit and meditate for 9 hours I had aches and pains.

After day 6 I learned I have a strong determination. I was free to leave at any time. Day 7 I said I’ve come this far I can’t give up all that work. And so on, I continued on. I don't think Mik found it as tough as I did tho.
But I made some realisations and discoveries that I don't think would have happened had I not taken the course. And now that I’m finished I want to do the whole thing again!!

I don’t know if I should tell you the complete inns and outs of the course as I now think everyone should do this course and see for themselves. Everyones experience is different. I just completed and know that I want to give it time and see how I will apply it to the “real world”. But I already know as much as it was so difficult I would do another one.

Lin x

Adios vipassana buddies

Check out the course on.... www.dhamma.org

Trekking in da Himalaya

Off we set in our jeep at 6.30am. Well it was supposed to be 6.30am but our alarm clock went off at 3am instead of 6am for some unknown reason which we just turned off and rolled over back to snoozy land. So we were woken by Marijn knocking on the door at 6.15 wondering where the hell we were. Nina was depending on us to wake her so Marjin headed upstairs to get her outta bed and me n Mik threw our stuff together and stumbled out.

So maybe it was more like 7am when we set off, after our introductions to our personal chef, guide and driver- Hem and Ras and the driver. Well if one is going trekking in the Himalayas one must have a chef. No idea why the chef or the guide couldn't drive but thats how it goes here in India there's always an extra someone tagging along.

Our little trekkin group,Nina,Merijn,Ras and Hem

With the Hindi tunes blaring to keep the driver happy driver, we followed the route of the beautiful valley of the Ganga for about 6 of the 8 hour trip. Mik asked the guide what the tunes were about and he said the girl is singing about her village and how beautiful it is!

The 4,000m mark

Enroute we passed pilgrams making their pilgrimmage to Badinrath. They walk an unbelievable 2000km which takes them 2 months to do, carrying their possesions on their heads. They do this every year husbands, wives and many Sadhus.

Dotted along the road were the informative road signs giving invaluable advice such as Drinking whiskey makes driving Risky and Life is not a ralley enjoy the mountain valley.

I love getting high man

So climb higher and higher and eventually reach Suri where we commence our trek. Just as we step out of the jeep the rain starts. Me n mik after all this time we are still no Sheamus and Sheila mcSafaris ie. we don't cart around wind sheeters, hiking boots and zip off pants and the like. So we had been stopping off along the way and picking up bits n pieces such as hats and jackets and the usual essentials one might have thought to bring with them when setting out trekking the Himalayas.

Well would ya look at tha....

Hem and Ras organise with some locals to carry up the tents, water and the cooking gear. So about 4 porters took off ahead of us with the heavy loads. We gear ourselves up and head upwards. Really enjoyable walk by traditional houses and people in traditional dress. Enroute the rain gets heavier and serious thunder and lightning commences so we take shelter in some hut. A few hours later we arrive at Devrai lake, where eventually the rain stopped and we could see the sun setting behind the snow capped mountains.

A well deserved feet up and chai after our second day 16km trek

A tasty dins of curry and potatoes and pasta and lots of hot chai. Hit the hay still damp and completely freezing. I was awoken by a very sick Mik at about 4am. Poor gersha really was in a bad way. Eventually she went back to sleep and I ended up watching the sunrise light up the snow capped tips - it was a really beautiful place to be camping out.

Sick Mik

A few hours later the chef had the breakfast ready and we packed up and were ready to go. Except for poor Mik who wasn't getting any better and it seemed like she had food poisioning of some sort. As there was no way she would be able for the 16k trek that day out guide told us he would take her to a doctor.

In the end it cost us 900 rupees for the 3 days trek everything included.

Step Farming fields on way up mountains

Hindustani Flexipuf Mattress

"western girl lets henna man touch her ankle shocker"

How now brown cow?

The Beatles in Rishikesh

John said, "There is no guru. You have to believe in yourself. You've got to get down to your own God in your own temple. It's all down to you, mate."

http://www.thebeatlesinrishikesh.com/stories/sexmoney.html