http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Cathmandu/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Cathmandu en-us Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:28:30 +0000 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:28:30 +0000 Just a quick blog this time to tell the story about my trip south to Benaulim....Benaulim is another village close to the beach a little south of Candolim where I am staying now. I left Saturday morning took the bus to Panjim then to Margao and finally to Benaulim. I forgot lesson number one never sit at the back of the bus ESPECIALLY if you don't know where you are going. The bus may loo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/Benaulim/blog-461814.html Yesterday was a day without yoga practice so as I had planned I decided to visit Old Goa. This was the big city when the Portuguese were here and Old Goa is known for its churches cathedrals convents etc. So after breakfast I took the bus to Panjim first and then to Old Goa.Taking the bus... Well for people who have never been in India maybe I should mention a few things. Buses are v http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/Old-Goa/blog-460969.html Hard to believe I arrived in Goa a month ago Maybe because I don't move much outside of Candolim and the surrounding areas it is hard to believe that I spent a whole month here. But about a week ago I was thinking each day was extremely long... I spent a whole week with a stomach bug and I was doing even less things not even yoga practice and being close to Christmas on top of that I deve http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/blog-460589.html I said already that yoga students here have a lot in common... Well I just found out this Monday morning that we all shared something else too... The bad food from the German Bakery Actually I only found out on Tuesday morning after some friends worried about me after I didn't show up for yoga practice for 2 days... They came to see me and this is when I heard that 10 other yogis had been si http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/Candolim/blog-457661.html Another week went by in Goa. It's funny how we do nothing and yet it seems like the days are just passing by... Must be because I am having fun. I really am. This year is very different because I stay close to the beach and the yoga shala so there are also many other yogis in the area and it is a lot of fun to be part of a small community of people with similar focus interests etc. The day http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/Candolim/blog-456863.html Here I am again Back in Goa This place is addictive and for a reason Nice beach great climate nice places to stay good restaurants colorful markets friendly people....So after 2 nights sleeping in the train from Gujarat to Mumbai and then Mumbai to Goa I came to Candolim where I did yoga last year. It was great to drive back to a familiar area and recognize places and people. On my http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/Candolim/blog-454767.html Gujarat... A state not as well known to us Westerners as are other ones such as Rajasthan Goa Kashmir etc... And it makes it very interesting because I can really feel like this is a more authentic indian place where people are not as used to tourists as they are in more touristoriented places. It is not that remote but still it is far from the big markets you find in Goa or the 10 page http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Gujarat/Mandvi/blog-449642.html So I am back in the country of the holy cow and the holy cow shit and really happy to be here. Waw it's been only 3 days and it feels like weeks I was busy After the long flight straight from Newark I spent one brief night in Mumbai. It's funny how Mumbai feels so familiar now I was even able to tell my taxi driver how to get to my hotel And going back to my traditional internet http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Gujarat/Bhuj/blog-449441.html Well here I am again... Somewhere new with my backpack. Waw. I love it already.I left 2 days ago drove down to Skagway with Harvey and it was just a perfect day. Nice and sunny not a cloud in the sky. The Yukon Gold is not all in the river beds... It's also in the trees It was so beautiful with the fresh snow on the mountain tops and the gold green and red colors fall at its best. Th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/British-Columbia/Prince-Rupert/blog-441316.html Two years ago I fell in love with Cuba. I liked the energy there the music the people that seemed mostly happy and hopeful welcoming curious about outsiders and how life is outside the island. A country with a fascinating history unique culture and ideology.Of course I had noticed the omnipresent propaganda the nearly empty markets and the lack of freedom but 2 years later these things http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Quebec/Sherbrooke/blog-378151.html After a few weeks of winter in Quebec I now find myself enjoying the sun in... Cuba. I first landed in Varadero where I met a friend. We promised each other 2 years ago that we would go to Cuba again together where we met doing a Spanish immersion program. My friend was in Varadero already for weeks but I really can't say I enjoyed it there. It is a place full of tourists some stay for a l http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/Vi-ales/blog-374635.html Waw Times flies and again I neglected my blog... So here is the story of the last few weeks but first I wish you a happy 2009 with a lot of happy adventuresMidDecember I was still in Goa and although I could hear the Christmas music it really didn't feel like Christmas to me. My trip to Africa was cancelled and I really had no plans for the rest of the winter and even though part of http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Quebec/Montreal/blog-362999.html Every Friday I go to Mapusa a real little Indian city in this touristic Goa. But Mapusa is great because it really feels like the real India with a little bit of tourist stuff mixed into it. I wrote about the Friday market before but I just don't get tired of it. It is so colorful and full of life.Last Friday as I came in I was very surprised to hear Christmas songs... It was so strange. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/Anjuna-Beach/blog-354999.html First I should apologize for being very lazy recently. I didn't take the time to write anything on the blog for a few weeks... Well probably because I didn't do much in the last few weeks But I am at least safe in Goa and thanks to people who sent me emails wondering if I was OK after what happened in Mumbai. I was in Mumbai recently but now I am in Goa and although I heard about what ha http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/Baga/blog-349550.html Here I am again in India Varanasi this time.I arrived about a week ago and landed in a guest house that looked really nice on the internet but is somewhat more basic in person.... I wanted a room big enough to do yoga I got it but of course it's also big enough for other critters to live in too... Mostly ants but also a nice gecko that probably eats the ants. But it's fun when I wake up i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-340271.html My favorite time to walk in Kathmandu is in the morning. Thamel the tourist area of Kathmandu gets up late. I like to be up early. I come out of my hotel room and walk down the streets to the few cafes that are open early. On the streets I meet the women that are sweeping the road the dogs that will soon go back to sleep and this morning I even saw a cow that was eating some white powder http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/Thamel/blog-338153.html It's been a while since I wrote a blog... Not that I had nothing to say The day I landed in Asia again I had so much to say but it's been a couple weeks now and I probably forgot a lot of what I wanted to say. About being in the airport in Addis Ababa looking at all the different people from everywhere in the world except probably Canada dressed in their traditional clothes. About being http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/Thamel/blog-327789.html This is my last night in Africa for now. Tomorrow I am flying back to Nepal.My last group just left and even though it was the same trip it was very different. Smaller group but different stories...The first part of the trip Mt Meru was just as beautiful as always. I really enjoy climbing that mountain and every time I find it easier. Now the part that scared me the first time seems like http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-322972.html I am still in Tanzania my first trip with clients in this country just ended. I now have 2 more days to relax and get ready for the next trip before the new group arrives. But I am happy to do it all again as I really enjoyed it. The group was really nice and we had favorable weather almost all the time especially on the summit days on Meru and Kili. The trip is amazing.So the first part of http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-315354.html There is something quite amazing to start a trek and be walking next to a group of giraffes... I still have to make sure I am not dreaming all this. The trek up to Mt Meru started in the rain forest. It was very foggy misty even but the forest was really like an enchanted forest with big trees full of moss and lichen and the sound of monkeys. I was hiking with the guide that will be workin http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Arusha/blog-307923.html