Time for a break

A friend of mine that I met on my travels told me that there are periods in life when you are learning a lot and accumulating knowledge and then after a while you feel the need to share it, to do something with this knowledge: a period of sharing and creativity. I fully agree with her.

In my 10 months of traveling I have learned a lot, I have experienced a lot too. When you get away from western society for so long, you get too see things clearly, more objectively; about what's going on, the tensions in society and the psychological games played at all levels. Things that used to be very important, now at clear site, seem not to be so important anymore. At the same time I got to see the developing world and it's obvious link to nature and a completely different approach to society and values in humanity. I have learned some local customs and practices that we often turn a blind eye on and dismiss them as imaginary; though perhaps not surprisingly many of these customs that are rooted in tradition and not in science are making large inroads, with wider adoption every year, in Western society. These adoptions are directly related to the tensions that exist in Western society today.

More importantly, I have discovered a lot about myself, about the people in this world and the universe itself; though a lot of questions still seem unanswered. I have also met some amazing people on my path. People who have helped me a lot along the way in my growth and understanding. These people are very special to me and have left a strong impression on me; they are around and you can find them if you open your eyes and take the time to listen. I have learned to trust myself; but, nobody is perfect and I too still sometimes succumb to fear and go against my inner being: unconditional trust can be difficult.

I have learned a lot and I was feeling it was time for a break. It was time to share some of the knowledge: in whatever form that may come. So, I have come back and will continue my life in Switzerland in the next little while. I will try to share my experience through pictures, stories, lessons, cooking and through my actions. Already, I have rearranged parts of the apartment for better energy and it brought a bit more life to my home; so far the results have been wonderful. I am starting cooking Thai food and soon Indonesian and other Asian dishes for family and friends. The stories and lessons will continue rolling as long as I have people to share them with, but I also hope I will have the strength to write a book about my journey.

I live now in a period of sharing though parts of me desire deeply for further knowledge in certain areas of life, but I am sure I will begin a new period of learning when the feeling is right.

The Jewish Casba

Morocco is a place full of old Jewish settlements. You can find a jewish quarter in Marrakech, a sinagogue there has a guard watching over it and a big cemetery as well. In Casablanca, many jewish people still live in the jewish quarter. In Tamrir, a small town, there are remains of an old Jewish casba (castle) and a cemetery on the edge of town. Now days, the casba is inhabited by the local Barber people, who once lived and worked side by side with the jews that lived here. The jews have left in 1956 when Morocco fought and won it's independence against the French; during the time of war, the people here have migrated to Israel. From what I'm told, many of the jewish people from Israel that used to live here and their families return here to visit the cemitary and their close Berber friends that live here. The owner of my hotel even picked up a bit of hebrew through cotact with the visiting jews from Israel.

Much of the jewish casba is now in ruins. There is little of the jewish writing remaining on the buildings as they were removed; From what I'm told, some parts of the sinagogue that remains still contains a bit of the writing. The jewish people had a large influence of the society here; having created and introduced many of the processes and tools used by the Barber people today; for intance, making shoes, the blower, work on silver, and the flower sifter are just a few.

The Berber people that live here are very warm and welcoming. And life in this quiet town is very relaxing. I have spent only a couple of days here, but have already made several friends and had interesting conversations about life here and the people that lived here.

Creating Music

I have not studied music or how to play a guitar. But a few days ago, I have purchased a small 6 string guitar. I'm not even sure it can produce the full range of sounds of a normal guitar, but that doesn't matter ... I am happy with what it gives me! :)

I decided to try a different approach than usually taken; instead of learning the process of playing guitar (ie. the coords), I would try to learn and create music on my own, using my own observations and methods. The idea being that if you use the same process, you will end up with following the same system as others and therefore, there could be less room for creating something more original.

In my try to discover good combinations and harmonic souds, I found that I was applying similar ides from other fields; For example, I found that nearby strings and opposite strings can go well together; just like in colour matching theory. I learned that repetition was important and a very useful tool. I've also come to realise that just like in writing, you can use common sounds in music to connect two seperate peaces (ie. transition between them). In writing you often use a common link to connect two paragraphs.

Whether or not I'm creating something brand new, or even end up w/ the same process in the end, it is not important; because, I'm discovering music on my own and creating my own music rather than starting by playing the music of others ... and so, it's a very liberating experience!

My first track to appear in my own encoding soon :)

A walk to remember

After a few failed attempts to find cheap guesthouses, I am greeted by a friendly group of tourists, one guy and two girls; they are heading to dinner. I stop and ask them for a cheap guesthouse in the area. One of the girls catches my eye and we have a moment of eye contact; it's strange and something feels unusual about it. They direct me to a great guesthouse, where they too are staying; to my surprise, there is still room available there.

I leave my bags at the guesthouse, it is late in the evening, but I feel energized by the moment and decided to go for a walk to checkout the town.

I walk on the quiet streets, the road along the river is full of little street vendors offering some really fast food (hot dogs, fried chicken) and as I pass one of them, we exchange a warm hello: "sabaidii". I continue my walk and pass by a group of teenage kids, who greet me and attempt to engage in a conversation; I can't understand what they are saying, but I manager to get some quick information from them on how to find the closest Internet place; I leave with a smile and they are left with one as well. Next, I decide to head to a local French restaurant, Little Paris it is called, it was recommended to me by an enthusiastic group of travellers.

At the restaurant, I order hot Lao tea, which has an unusual taste that is different from other teas I've tasted from around the world. I get a mushroom soup with chicken and a curry w/ squid on rice; all of this for $2.00. After a brief chat with a Belgian guy and a bit of watching of the English Premier league, I enjoy my meal and leave in a nick of time as a group of Americans arrive and start a discussion on business and politics: something about the quality of silk.

I then proceed to an Internet shop, where after about 30 minutes I end up paying something like $0.3, it comes as a surprise to me given that I was recently on the islands in the south and the prices there were 4 times more expensive. Unfortunately they didn't have a voip phone here, so I go searching for it in order to make an overseas call. On my way, I come across what seems like a huge party at a banquet hall, live music is playing very loud, there are many tables covered with a lot of great food and many people with their families sitting and dancing. Turns out it is an early city wide Chinese New Years dinner and it is completely free: sponsored by the local companies.
One of the guys there sees me looking in curiously and comes up to invite me in order to come in and sit down. We have a brief chat, but I have to tell him that I need to make a call first and I'll come back in a bit.

Once again, I'm off in the wrong direction, but I get some enthusiastic help from a local lady working in a food store. The Internet store is in my sight when I pass a group of of little kids, who say hello, shake my hand and start running around me and saying a few English words they know, "What's your name?", a common questions from kids looking to practice a bit of English. I joke around with them by pretending to run away, they chase right after me. I make a call, but there is no answer.

I walk back to the social party; on the way I see a fresh fruit store, I don't hesitate for a minute to get some papaya and mango here: I certainly love the tropical food in the region. Back at the party, many of the people have left by now and the food has been eaten, but the smaller group of older people are dancing their socks off and I'm amused to watch them.

I leave the party and walk along the Mekong river past the hot pot restaurants with seating right on the group; it strikes me as an interesting place that I'd like to try another day. The people eating there are mostly students and are wonderfully friendly and great me with a smile. Further on, along the river, I see a group of teenagers sitting around, drinking and playing guitar. I join them for a few minutes, they offer me Lao Lao, local rice wine w/ no less than 40% alcohol, I drink it and they are impressed. We try to chat, but I don't understand them very well ... luckily they understand my signs and gestures; I ask one of them to play the guitar. The others joke around and make fun of the guitar player, who is shy to play at first. I keep walking around enjoying the night and exchanging greetings with people; what a friendly town!


As I walk on some dark streets, I hear dogs barking at me, some even come close and seem very angry, not an uncommon pattern in this region. It's getting late and I have to return back to the guesthouse by the 11pm curfew. I find my way with a bit of help and as I approach the guesthouse, the owner is already waiting for me outside by the gate. I'm the last to come back and it's only 10:50. He is quite strict and asks me to be quiet as I walk on the wooden floor upstairs. I walk in and walk to the washroom, feeling the mosquito bites. When I come out, I realise that I forgot to pick up a towel from the owner before he went to sleep; but no worries, I see one hanging on my door.

This took place on the day I arrived to Savannakhet, Laos around January 27.

Trecking in Luang Namtha Protected Area - Part 2

I carry the net to the river. A new friend, I met a day before, decides to try it first; he is from China and his name is Fong. When I arrive to the river, the others are either swimming or have already finished. I watch intently as our guide teaches Fong the technique. It turns out to be not too difficult; you first fold the middle of the net a few times, put a peace of it over your shoulder; then you gather a part of it, about half, in your right hand and finally grab the rest with your left. Next comes the throw; you gather your strength and push it as far up in the air, targeting your spot on the river. The net rises gently, as if it had wings of its own, it moves through the air swiftly and lands on the river covering a rectangular area. I would be lucky to catch a fish with this thing; in fact it may take a miracle!

While Fong plays with the net, the kids from the school rush into the water like a herd of wildebeests. They just in and splash each other with big smiles on their faces; and more and more of them keep coming it. I suppose it is that time of the day for a shower after school and they seem to enjoy it and don't mind the cameras that we all have pulled out, even posing for them at times. It's been some 30 minutes since Fong started, and by now he is tired and with no success he decides to quit. I quickly jump at the opportunity and change for the fishing trial.

I give it a try, it is not as easy as it looks, but I figure it out and I walk the river to find a good spot where fish may lie. I make my throws as best I can to hit the area; I reach out to pick up the net and I find nothing but leaves and stones. At this point, I no longer care for proper placing, I just enjoy playing with this fishing net, practicing the technique and throwing it. It's quite amazing to me that the locals catch anything on that thing. While I play around with the rope, our guide is in the water with a mask and an arrow shooting device. Amazingly enough, he has caught some 5 fish in a span of 15 minutes; what is more amazing is that he caught one with his bare hands!!!

As the evening approaches, we get a chance to do another tour of the village and also chat with the head of the village. I ask him some serious questions about how the village has changes since the arrival of the tourists and whether the people here like to have the tourists around. He replied saying that they did like to have the tourists and that the villages changed in terms of what the materials they are now able to afford compared to before and a little store that they opened, selling bear, mostly for tourists. I ask if we can see his house; he invites us over and as we sit down, he asks us some questions about where we are from and what we do in life. I later as him about the religion of the people in this village; they are animistic and belief in spirits (spirit of the house, village, ancestors, etc). There is a sacrificial alter just outside of the village, where they sacrifice an animal for the spirits every year.

There are many women in this village smoking tobacco that they grow themselves; they use pipes, and it is not uncommon to see old women smoking in the company of others. As I walk through the village, I see all the little kids, now playing marbles; we stop to observe them and try to figure out the rules. The girls are quite good at this and it is happening so fast that at times they seem like the animals in the village running around everywhere. I decide to join them. It is fun to participate and I'm lucky to win one of the games.

The animals of the village are free to wonder the grounds and so there is dynamic chaos everywhere with chickens, pigs and piglets, ducks and dogs running around everywhere trying to get food or resting by the fire somewhere; it is beautiful, yet somewhat hard to follow with all the commotion. We have tremendous dinner with some pumpkin dish as the main course; it is delicious and the local hostess pushes us all to drink the Lao Lao (rice wine); we go in circle and everyone has at least 3 shots of this terrible drink.

At night, we sit and chat by the fire as it becomes colder outside. It is after 10pm and at a moments notice, our guide decides to go fishing in the river. At first we think it is all a joke, but he goes off with a flashlight and his mask; we can see the flashlight shine underwater at a distance. He is back perhaps 45 minutes later with a bag full of fish. We waste no time and BBQ them on the fire; with a touch of salt, they are a delicious snack at night. Once we finish the fish, it is time for bed.

The next morning I wake up early with the intention to go watch our breakfast hostess prepare our meal. The morning mist fills the river, like a cloud hovering in the sky, as I wash my face in it. The trees in the jungle accross the river are consumed by the Myst as well; I enjoy the morning beauty with every splash I take from the river. At our host's, once again, at my request, they are making pumpkin today; I watch intently and learn all the details. I look forward to cooking it myself one day.

After breakfast, we are off to our next destination. We walk on the banks of the river through the bamboo forests, crossing custom made bridges and observe as the water flow down stream. In a couple of hours, we've reached our next village; here the Lulu people live. They are all dressed traditionally and are descendants of Chinese people: it is very evident from their writing, as the characters are the same, but the meaning is not. We stop over here for lunch and relax a bit with a little nap afterward. Before we move on, the local people make a little market for us to buy traditional, hand made, goods.

We continue on our path, which takes us deep into the forest, up and down hills, following a stream that flows at the bottom into the river. We hike for several hours; it is not an easy hike like the others, but it is rewarding. We pass trees covered in monkey vines, with roots reaching from the sky into the ground, curling up like a snake in the air. We pass palm trees that have gathered in an area with big leaves reaching for the stars. We pass large trees that could hide some 10 people behind it; they are full of little spiders that go up and down the tree, always moving with a goal unknown to me. I stand amazed by this beauty of the forest and try to observe their behaviour. We walk on the water, through the stream. We walk up the mountains, outside of the forest and into the cotton fields. We climb up to catch a glimpse of a beautiful view of the land in the distance; it is Luang Nam Tha.

This took place in North of Laos

Treck in Luang Nam Tha National Protected Area

We leave in the morning, as the clouds fill every inch of the sky and I wonder to myself, whether it was a good idea to go: given my yet unrecovered cold. After a ride in a tuk tuk (mini truck), I come out into the sunshine and completely blue sky; the sun has broken through as it did every day here since I've arrived.

I walk trough a village full of local Lantel tribe ... a few women here are making parts of the roof for a new house; they string a bunch of leaves together from a specific tree in the forest. We continue through the fields and into the forest. After an hour of hiking, my nostrils seem to clear up ... the exercise is helping me.
As I walk through the forest, I feel the ever slightest wind on my hands: it feels soft as it passes me by and I enjoy the moment.
As I walk along the path, I hear the birds singing ... and as I listen in closer, their singing becomes louder and louder with more and more birds joining in: they sing beautiful songs and I enjoy the moment.
As I walk through the forest, I smell many wonderful plants and flowers, I sense the moisture and I enjoy this moment.
As I walk through the woods, I see little lizards camouflaged in the leaves and spiders hiding in their nicely nit webs; I enjoy these moments.
As I walk through the forest, I live and enjoy every moment.

Not long after, we enter the deep forest; in a blink of an eye, everything turns larger ... the trees become massive, like sky scrapers, they hide away the blue sky. The plants become more wilder and the cliffs become more steep, the colours become darker and we pause to take it all in, as our senses jump out of control. We walk along a narrow paths along the cliffs and enjoy the beauty of this majestic forest. As we walk through the deep forest, our guide finds us and informs us of the many plants and their uses for consumption or medication. We pause by what is called an "elephant plant", whose roots, we are informed, are used to treat malaria: typically 1 week is enough to cure it.

We walk up and down the mountains, as magnificent views present themselves to us, like blossoming flowers in the spring; we enjoy every one. We pause every once in a while and during the breaks our guide distributes some "Dynamite" candy; and I ponder to myself why he keeps offering those to us ... my best guess is for a little energy boost with a finishing touch of some chocolate inside them. It is now mid-afternoon and we have arrived in local tribe village, hidden well inside the park and conveniently situated by a river. This will be our stop for the night.

I waste no time, I leave my bags and go for a walk around the village. The people here have well adapted to tourists and all welcome me to take their picture, as I ask for permission every time. Life for the living is very dynamic in this village; I see chickens and running around randomly with their chicks; I see roosters walking around and announcing their presence. I observe pigs of all sizes wonder around and shy away from me. I observes dogs relax freely in the sun, a few little puppies chance the chickens and some angry dogs barking as I approach; I pity the angry ones, for they have been mistreated and now live an angry life. I stop to observe a woman and a child crushing rice with long and powerful pieces of wood, as they interchange their movement, fisting the stick up and down into the stone container for the rice. I observe a little girl, practicing being a mother as she carries a little kid on her back around the village ... I stop them for a picture; they look into the camera with their big eyes as I snap the picture. I say hello to everyone I pass by, and they reply not bothered by my presence. I avoid the barking dogs and go to the only school in the village.

At the school, there are 3 classrooms and about 5 grades; only Lao language and math are being taught here; there is a special class for self study: here you choose to study what you like from the small selection of material available to me. I leave a couple of books for learning English with the teacher. As I peak into the classroom, the brave kids wave and say hello; as I reply, a few more are glad to join in. They smile and some even joke around, I also joke with them in an international language of sounds and facial expressions. One brave kid, perhaps the popular kid in the class, smirks at me and makes gestures that I interpret as unfriendly. In a neighbouring classroom girls are singing ... I am told they are singing a song about the end of school day. And sure enough, somebody hits the metal drum and school is over. Out of nowhere they appear, they run out screaming and joyful from all possible exits. As they rush home, I walk back to our guesthouse on the river; on my mind, I look forward to learning fishing with a net: traditional way.

(To Be Continued)

A ride through Luang Nam Tha countryside

I ride my bycicle through the long dry streets full of shelter,
This is not new to me, so I don't stop for even one second.
I ride my bycicle passed the local villages with people going about their life,
I try to observe them the best I can, as I pass them by.
I ride my bycicle passed a group of people killing a dog for food,
They see me and hesitate for only but a second, I then see a rooster being put in a pot.
I ride my bycicle passed women and children carrying heavy peaces of wood or rice bags on their back.
They are heavy I know, and I wonder how far and how hard it would be for me to carry them.
I ride my bycicle passed the teenage kids having fun on their motorbikes in the country side,
They say "hello" to me as well, as I pass them by; only to have them steam by me a minute later.
I ride surrounded by rice fields and little huts everywhere,
The view and the colours brings great joy and peace to me.
I ride passed the women dressed in traditional clothes: weaving, creating in traditional ways,
I pause to observe out of curiousity.
I ride passed women chewing tabacoo, now with black teeth or no teeth,
I wonder why they would do that.
I ride passed little kids running and screaming "Hello" with joy and waving at me,
I wave back and enthusiastically answer with "Hello" in their language,
I ride through dirt roads and through villages, having a peak into village life,
They notice me and scream "Farang, Farang"
I ride passed the rivers with men, women and children bathing in them,
This is common here, by tradition.
I ride my mountain bike once more and I am rewarded with once again.
I ride back to the city; this remind me, I need to return my bike!!!

What if?

What is it all about? A thought with some imagination.

What if, it was all just a show or a game played?
What if the people you met were not random, they had a role and they couldn't go outside of this role, no matter how much you wanted them to, or maybe even tried to convince them to. For instance, if someone you met had the purpose of giving you information and no matter what happened, and how many times you met, they would always just give you information ... you could never have an experience with them of doing anything else; you meet, you chat ... you say goodbye. I have met 2 couples like this in my travels and I kept meeting them over and over; I kept meeting the first all the while I was going south and then the other couple as I was always heading north. It amuses me to think of it all in this way.

What if you thought of something and the next thing you knew, it appeared in front of you as an existing thing ...
What if your ideas had wings and became real, but not by you? What if your thoughts kept being echoed by others w/o you speaking?
What if in the most needed moment, a friend appeared out of nowhere to help you?
An event that has happened to me countless number of times in my travels.
What if you were completely dynamic and followed life where it takes you? What if you found that things just happen and people just appear in the most opportune time to give you direction and new purpose.
What if it wasn't all real? What if the books/movies that remind you and push you to think of the world as not real, were in fact other people trying to communicate this very same view for them to you ... or somehow a clue/hint left to make you realize?
What if the moments that seem to leave you disappointed and sad, have taken you to another direction that turned out, much later, to be the better and more important course of action? What if you met the right people at the right time to make sure you went to the right place?
What if you thought to yourself I haven't had a cold in a while and I don't think I will get one and the next day you realize that you got a cold?
What if people wanted to be in your play ... but never showing you that they do? They would act and look in a certain way, but never going outside their role.
What if you had many paths you could follow and certain people would come along to push you towards a given path?
What if reality could change, based on what you were thinking or what you did?
What if you kept running to the same people you've met before time and again?
What if living things knew what you were thinking when you were near, and acted before you could act according to your thoughts?
What if you could connect to people and before they met you, based on their actions, they would seem like they already knew whether or not they would like to spend time with you?
What if it was all a play and someone out there was enjoying it?
Or What if it was a game with fixed set of characters that were put into action to effect you/each other in some way?
What if? :)

Hong Kong the pinacle of industrialization

I have arrived to Hong Kong to find a booming city full of noise and traffic beyond what I have seen elsewhere. You have to be on your toes all the time and enjoy drinking many cups of coffee a day or entertain a daily red bull addiction in order to live in this city. The streets are busy, the people are in a rush going through their routine and shopping is everywhere. This is the prime spot to entertain your shopping addictions; you have all possible choices of overpriced brands here. People are crazy about shopping here as well, as attested by the late store hours: closing is around midnight. I for one prefer the slower pace life, but it is often amusing and educational to see the bees at work. Ask someone for directions here, as I did, and they would first rush by you and then if they think they can help they might slow down and point, but you would be lucky if they stop for you at all: only a slight exaggeration. Hong Kong island is densely packed with loads of high rise buildings in a pretty small area; the most stunning view can be obtained from the top of the hill at Victoria Peak; it is indeed a nice view from here. And the city is very modern: not unlike Shanghai.

I met up with Vasya and we ended up staying in Backpackers Hostel, the most horrible place in town; the sign outside said the hostel was in fact illegal and I'm amazed it passed any inspection tests (there was one taking place while I was there): given how many problems with the water and bathroom stalls it had. The owner was so rude and unfriendly, something unusual in the hostel scene; these complains have been echoed by several other travellers as well.

On our second day there, we met Amanda and Xavier. We went out for drinks together to a Russian bar, known for drinking vodka shots in a freezer; a tradition surely inspired by nostalgia for the cold weather back in Russia :) Amanda, a spoiled kid (high class food standards et al) that we knew from back in Waterloo, invited us for a hike the next day.

The next day was the best! We made plans with Vasya, Amanda and Xavier to go hiking to Stanely on the other side of the hill. It was a refreshing hike that took us away from the noise and into a completely peaceful spot, it was hard to believe that such a place existed out here. I think every fast pace city needs a spot like this for the people to relax and unwind; no wonder central park is so popular in New York city! We hiked through the hills, past a sanctuary, and past the forbidden fruit that Vasya couldn't resist. He was a man on a mission and who can blame him; of course it could've been poisonous but Vasya knew better. Anyways, big props to Amanda and Xavier for choosing this hiking spot and to Vasya for obtaining the forbidden fruit.

By the end of the day we ended up in Stanley, a quiet spot filled with hotels and a nearby beaches. We were all starving, but luckily for us there was a nice Spanish restaurant with great food and a view to die for, for us to indulge in. We stayed there for hours, well beyond our expectations, chatting and enjoying the nice setting. In a typical Canadian fashion we ordered a buffet, which arrived full of tapas and many delicacies: other than the growing number of sardines the selection was wonderful. It was the anniversary of the couple across from me and Vasya and they were kind enough to celebrate it with us; and we did so in style.

We went to the beach, got some champagne and sat in the sand, the entire beach all to ourselves, enjoying the bubbly and the background tunes of psy trance courtesy of Vasya: he managed to hook up his cell phone to the speakers at a restaurant nearby. It was truly an awesome day! By night fall, we were left without a hostel, but luckily for us Amanda and Xavier were kind enough to let us crash on their couch.

The next day we all went for breakfast, which was quite filling and I was no longer hungry, when we met again for brunch, just about an hour later. The brunch was in what I could only imagine is one of the highest class restaurants in town; We were dining on a pea sized main course, the kind you see in the movies and until that day I was not entirely sure it could be so real. The food was good and me and Vasya have tried Foie gras, a French delicacy, for the first time, but it did not warrant the relative price tag, nor was it all that. I have had better food on street markets ... no joking! I was recently reading in a book, Bink, how a product is also about presentation; there seems to be research suggesting that you taste the same product differently if it is presented differently; I think this might be partially the case with high class dinning. Anyways, it was nice meeting Amanda's family and observing what is dinning in class.

The next day we spent walking around the city: on the Kowloon island and as soon as I got my Vietnam visa we were on our way back to the mainland.

By the end of my stay, I was more than happy to go back to the mainland, where many adventures, friendly people, beautiful scenery and great food awaited us.