AlanZ
Alan Zapolsky Joined: November 28th 2005
Logged in: December 15th 2011
Logged in: December 15th 2011
Travel Blog Posts
Where to begin? I left home both with and without a plan. Both excited and scared. Excited to see new places, meet new people, have new experiences and at the same time scared of the unknown. What would I find on the road? How would I react to the unknown? Could I deal with adversity, the unexpected? How would people perceive me? What would they think of me? How would I perceive them? The decision to travel was an easy one. I wasn't happy with my life. There are many reasons for this, a feeling of stagnation, of being stuck, stuck in a lease, stuck in a job. I guess the best way to describe this would be stuck in a rut. I said the decision to travel was an easy one, but that was mostly ... read more
Manado Tua
Well It's seems I've neglected my loyal readers for a long time now. But the truth is I wasn't really in a writting mood. But Since the weeks are piling up since the last entry I figured I better get off my ass and write something before I start to forget all the details of my life since the the last blog. I actually uploaded the pictures for this blog about a month ago now, but just didn't know what to say. On May 25th I boarded a plane from Denpessar, Bali and headed to Manado, Sulawesi. The intention being to get off the beaten path a bit and see a part of Indonesia most people don't visit. I arrived in the early hours, went to sleep in a box of a hotel room, no window, ... read more
Big Smiles
It's been over a month since I got to Ubud, Bali. A town about an hour ride inland from the beaches synonymous with Bali. Up here where the air is cool, the rice terraces are a brighter shade of green than you can imagine, the hippies congregate, the gurus heal, I find my self stuck. Drawn by accommodation unrivaled during the last seventeen months on the road. The story goes a bit like this... So I board my flight in the Delhi Airport after the longest, most grueling security process I've encountered at any airport. People pushing and shoving, in typical Indian style, complete disregard for a line. So off to Kuala Lumpur for a pit stop before catching a plane to Denpessar, Bali. Small side note worth mentioning. India being a Hindu country beef vanishes ... read more
Chinatown - Market
It was off to Singapore for a quick two night/three day visa run. Have just fallen in love with Bali, I just couldn't bring myself to leave forever on the May 13 so on May 10th I decided to plan a visa run. The unexpected bonus being I get a chance to visit a city I've never been to... Overall my impressions of Singapore are a city that strives too hard to be Utopia. What's wrong with a little dirt? What's wrong with being able to chew gum? What am I supposed to do if I need to spit? The whole place gave me the creeps, everything seemed so planned. I got the feeling I was being watched by "Big Brother" all the time I was walking around on the streets. I'm not saying that a ... read more
Viev From My WIndow
Still living on cloud nine here in Ubud, Bali. Loaded these pictures back in Delhi about three weeks ago and have finally caught up with the blog. Not many stories to tell from the mountains of India. Spent a little over two weeks in a small village called Vashisht. Sleeping in a small family guest house, waking to find views of the Himalayas in all directions, blooming apple trees and mustard seed plants covering the valley, villagers going about their everyday tasks, ranging from washing laundry to bathing in the local hot springs to feeding the cows. It is a very peaceful spot in the world and provided the perfect place for me to relax, reflect and enjoy my remaining time in India. I'll leave it at that and let the photos do the work... ... read more
At the Chai Stand
So I've left India...I'm sitting in an Internet Cafe in Ubud, Bali. Obviously as you can tell from all my previous blogs, not surprisingly, life is great as usual. However I do miss India. Left a small piece of my heart there as I guess you should if you spend more than three months in a country. I am going to try and recall some stories from Kolkata and Varanasi, but mostly I'll let the pictures do all the work. First I have to send a special thanks to my friends Dex and Mor who provided all the photos for this blog, because my camera broke in the Andamans. Jackass that I am I allowed sand to get into the lens and the little engine that could just died... Where to begin, caught a flight to ... read more
Beach #5
I could probably leave this blog with just the above title and spare you from reading any stories I have to tell. The title sums it up! The Andaman Islands, a string of islands sitting about 1800km east of mainland India in the Bay of Bengal are fully deserving of the endorsement. As I noticed from the recent comments I've left everyone hanging for a while on the blogs, my apologies, it's hard work writing these stories. At points I feel uninspired to write, combine that with being out of contact with the world for over a month, no Internet, no email, during my time spent on Havelock Island. It's taken me a while to be able to sit down in front of the computer and write. It is going to be a short edition of ... read more
Sunrise at the Camel Camp
Falling into a grove here in India. More accurately getting sucked into everything that is India, people, sights, smells, culture, food. Never have I visited a country that is so 'in your face' constantly, twenty four-seven, allowing emotions to surface that you never even knew existed. Gotten used to the cows in the streets, the incessant honking on the roads, the chai, the beggars, the gypsies, the sandhus, and everything else. I almost can't get enough, don't think I've had a cup of coffee in the last week, been drinking masala chai almost exclusively. I've begun to calm down, latching on to what Indians describe as "Shanti, Shanti" (Slowly, Slowly). It's a great way to live. I have yet to try yoga, I'm pretty templed out, I've been craving western food more often, bucket showers are ... read more
The Classic Shot
India is a place that shows you many faces. At the same time both compelling you and dissuading you from wanting to experience all the sights it has to offer. A place rich in history. People ho at times baffle you with their warm, outgoing, hospitable nature. While at other times people who lie, cheat, scam, swindle and plenty of other adjectives you can think of. Since arriving here over two weeks ago the country has caused a broad range of emotions to surface in me. From extreme happiness to outright disdain. From extreme patience to utter frustration. Thar's what makes India great. It's real, it's in your face, it's not sugar-coated, sweet smelling, it doesn't shield you from the harder side of life. Every moment here provides you insight into how a billion people live ... read more
Back in Kathmandu
In Kathmandu for the third time and life has taken a turn to the undecided. Where to go next is the big question, India? Southern Thailand? Indonesia? Southern China or all of the above? As for the last few weeks since the trek I've been bumming around. First in Pokhara, then Kathmandu, then I figured I'd hit another World Heritage Site and headed to Bhaktapur, in the Kathmandu Valley. I guess three weeks of trekking left me feeling a bit lazy, like doing nothing at all, so Pokhara was a welcome retreat to the long days of walking. I slept late, then would finally get up, have some coffee, with a side of bacon & eggs and just lounge around reading the newspaper or a novel or just people watching the day away. It was perfect! ... read more
