bahaiben

Without my planning it, my scooter tour has crossed in Cheltenham 4 times - esactly with the 4 directions of the compass:- 29th June in came here on my way NORTH to Manchester and Scotland 2nd August i came here on my way SOUTH to Stroud and Somerset 10th August i came here on ym way WEST to Symonds' Yat and Wales 23rd August I'm here on my way EAST to OXford and Brighton Well - call it convenience or Divine Providence - I'm back in Oxenton, near Cheltenham, Hlos, for my final few days' push to Brighton. I can't wait! I'm really missing Brighton by now - and though I had oodles of fun in Swansea all last week, and have enjoyed my friends in Worcester and Evesham these last few days, as well as ... read more

It often feels like I've never left - steadfast old friends have established themselves here over the last couple of years, with PhDs, work, homes and even building their own home on their own land! Dspite our adult pretensions, we still muck about like crazy when we gather together on the beaches and streets of cozy Swansea - and this week has seen plenty of partying, music, sleeping-in and talking about life, love, books and nonsense. Hot-wheeling from Cheltenham to Symonds Yat on Wednesday 10th was a great way to explore the little raods that surrounded my home county of Gloucestershire, then a couple of days with my old and new friends at Kat's 25th birthday party had me climbing into caves, singing new songs and dancing on the banks of the river Wye. On Friday ... read more

after exactly a week I return to my ancestral home - or at least, where I was stuck between aged 9 and 19 years... Shaving my head in a moment of realisation last Tuesday night caused quite a stir among my firends and relatives - even our neighbour informed my parents in Switzerland, who then forwarded an e-mailed photo (of my shaven bonce) from my Grandparents in Avening back to our neighbour by the next day! HOw useful is modern tech, hey?! Stopping to see my brother in Avening was a good place to break my journey South, but I still had a long way to go to the Big Green Gathering, and was finding it impossible to buy a full ticket at suc h late notice - and in the end I just rode to ... read more

Hey everyone- I don't know where to start - over a month of frenetic touring and action - you'll probably need a map of the Uk in front of you just to take in all that I'm telling you here... I went to Swansea on the megabus the weekend of Glastonbury - guessing that a lot of my firends would be stuck there instead - and they were! A magical weekend, dancing in the Monkey, catching up with folk I'd lost touch with, and having Cef's leaving party - boy was it good!!! Only a day to clean the house - Monday, and by Tuesday I'd shifted all my stuff to my new home, 9 Southampton Street, and packed all that I could carry onto my scooter, as I headed off to Reading. (Amazingly - for ... read more

Well, only a few days to go before I get "on my bike" and catch friends and events all over the Uk during this summer. In fact, it kinda starts tomorrow, as I head-off to Swansea for a few days - meeting up with old friends, my lecturer who is soon to leave permanently for the Hague, and who has been a great friend for me these 5 years; and even some new people I've met over hi5, interestingly... I can't wait! I return from SWansea on Sunday, to celebrate Refugee Week and move house (and clean our present house - I'm taking the whole day off of course!); so it'll be Tuesday morning by the time I strap-down my tent, clothes, books andf guitar and set-off for Reading, so my grandparents will see me there ... read more

OK folks - this is so you don't have to keep texting or e-mailing me to see what I'm up to! (of course you're welcome to do that! 07753764113 or benbahai@hotmail.com) My itinerary is as follows;- morning of Monday 27th JUne I leave Brighton, bound for Reading. I stay there all day, and head off the following morning, Tuesday 28th June for Oxford; where I'll again have the whole day to spend with folk like, Jody, Kieran and Tushari, before I head off on the morning of Wednesday 29th June to Leicester/nottingham/derby. Obviously this day is undecided - Depending on who will still be in these places, and not back home for holidays, we'll see... Thursday 30th June I should be arriving before lunch in York, where I can spend time with my friends Molly and ... read more

Well, I may be back in the UK , but don't think for one moment that I'm cured of the travel bug! Just now I've been plotting on a map-site my route around the UK for this July; taking the Earthing the Spirit Festival in Burnlaw, Northumberland (9th-17thJuly) as my benchmark; as well as the Baha'i Study courses at Cranmore in Somerset from 22ndJuly to 1st Sept. Leaving Brighton bright an' early on 1st July, I'll head swiftly to Reading to spend time with my grandparents. Spending a day there, I'll head-off the following morning to OXford, where many of my friends live, having a great day's sharing of music, stories and love; the next day (3rd) making my swift way to Leamington Spa, again having some wonderful times with friends in Southam, Stocton and Kenilworth, ... read more

Hey everyone! Maybe you haven't heard by now - but I'm back in the UK!!! yup - Brighton beach and uni of sussex have felt my scooter-steps, and our musical gathering last night was tainted by my india-inspired wailing... Thanks to all of my friends that made my trip possible - I know it's cheesy, but I wouldn't have got near india or even Brighton without so many bright souls prepared to trust me, listen to me and share their knowledge, love and resources with me; you all ROCK! I'm currently planning my scooter-tour of the Uk for this summer;- probably rtrekking up the east coast of the UK to Northumberland for Earthing the Spirit Festival (here's a plug; it's awesome and you should all come; click to find out) - then down the west coast ... read more

HI guys! Well; I had much better things to do in Srinagar than go online! like buying saffron and shawls from bearded merchants, gazing out over the lakes and mountains from the holiest mosque in the subcontinent, and singing Titanic for my hosts' children. But most memorable was the crazy trip both ways from Jammutavi to Srinagar - along the most reacherous mountain roads I could have imagined... always entrtained by the desperate roadsigns - "better mr. late than late mr." "this is not a race or rally- enjoy Kashmir valley" and my favourite; "be gentle on my curves". These didn't stop our jeep driver going it 40mph on the tightest bends outside formula1, overtaking 3 abreast when there was only space for 1; and honking almost continuously whenever he saw someone "enjoying the valley"... anyhow; ... read more

phew; I don't have much time; or a good keyboard in this place - but i must tell you all the exciting news ! I'm coming home!!! 6 weeks in India and I've done everything I wanted to; and nopw Britain and bRIGHTON ARE CALLING ME and I must respond... .. this is noit a kind of resigned to fate action - I'm so happy to have done it all so fast; and my trip is all the more successful because of it. This week of yoga has goit me hooked - and you'll see me practising on the beach in a weeks' time! also; I/'ll be returning to make a film of my fmily's history in india; oing the ashram cand tourist thing again; and so on... that's al I got,time for! I'll be inDelhi ... read more