http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/gypsygal/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from gypsygal en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:33:11 +0000 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:33:11 +0000 Hi there Been here in Jakarta since Saturday to visit friends tie up some loose ends and update my blog. But I'll be in Singapore tomorrow to fix up some personal stuff before heading back to Manila for good later this month. Some new entries Two new entries on Nepal Video Days in Beni and Breathing Lessons Two new entries on Bali The Art of Letting Go and How I Got My Gr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Jakarta/blog-23744.html It's called active meditation. Our facilitator Selena Bulan explained that this meditation technique is different from what we usually do at the tailend of our yoga class where we sit down cross our legs our eyes closed breathing in and out reciting a mantra. In active meditation we have to move literally and dance with our eyes closed. Dancing must be easy for Selena. Tall http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Ubud/blog-23743.html Kulu and Maita both are Magars whose families live in Nangi Village took me to the local bus station in Pokhara. The Magars are one of the major ethnic groups in Nepal. They're of TibetoBurmese origin and live in the middle hills. The hardy and energetic Magar men constitute a big contingent in the renown Gurkha army. It took us five hours to reach the town of Beni actually http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/beni/blog-22343.html We arrived in Nangi village at 7 pm. It took us 12 hours to walk and climb rocky hills from our guesthouse in Beni to reach the hillside village of Nangi. The trek usually takes 7 hours but I was really slow. Plus we took a lot of breaks lunch breaks snack breaks tea breaks waitaminuteIhavea migrainebreaks imsoootiredineedtodrinkwaterbreaks. I really didnrsquot mi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Nangi-village/blog-23136.html Es tan corto el amor y es tan largo el ovido Love is so short. Forgetting is so long Pablo Neruda So I packed my bags again headed north and offered my heart to this wanderer. He just canrsquot accept it. I canrsquot fathom why some people canrsquot open their hearts and receive the gift of unconditional http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Jakarta/blog-23723.html n a workshop about Eros and the Divine and its significance in writing our writing guru Jan Cornall mentioned that the principle of Eros is about ldquobeing alive and feeling alive.rdquo Tapping into that energy according to this Aussie performance artistplaywrightpoetsongwriter will help us in our writing process. Meditating Jan said will help us utilize that energy noti http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Ubud/blog-23481.html Some updatesposted my first entry about Bali Life Goes On In Ubud blogged about my travels in Pokhara Grrrl Power in Pokhara and Vang Vieng Bored in Vang Vieng will be heading to Bali Spirit soon for active meditations with Salena miss you all but very happy hereand to fitri see you soon in jakarta http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Ubud/blog-22344.html August 22 After a 7hour drive in unpaved muddy roads occasional toilet breaks in the bushes surviving a road block caused by a landslide and heavy monsoon rains we finally arrived in Vang Vieng. The laidback town of Vang Vieng which is about 155 km north of Vientianne is known for its beautiful caves. Backpackers especially those who love the ldquogreat outdoorsrdquo go to V http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-22331.html I came to Bali burdened by the images of bloodied victims of the recent bombing plastered in the pages of the Malaysian dailies. I was in KL when the second bombing in Bali occurred . I called my parents and they were very worried. My dad has specifically asked me to return to Singapore where itrsquos safe no terrorist bombs will kill you and I was thinking well in Singapore your http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Ubud/blog-22328.html My trekking adventure commenced in Pokhara 200 km east a 7 hourbus ride away of Kathmandu. The laidback town of Pokhara is a gateway to the magnificent Annapurna range and its also near the popular trekking routes. Which is why Pokhararsquos Lakeside area is trekkersrsquo central where guesthouses trekking agencies trek gear massages for sored trekkers muscles can be fo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-22206.html Yes I know you're worried for my sake. Yes I know there's bombing in Kuta and Jimbaran. But no I'm not cancelling my trip to Bali. I'm going to the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. And I' m going because a. I want to go I've been planning to go to this festival for years. b. these terrorists can't stop me from enjoying my life and LIVING MY LIFE based on MY RULESc. I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Wilayah-Persekutuan/Kuala-Lumpur/blog-21862.html One of the valuable things that I learned while traveling is that there's no shortage of kindness everywhere. Journalism and should I say adulthood and the bitter experiences that I had to overcome has made a cynic out of me always suspicious of people's motivation especially of strangers who want to befriend or help me. I was like why Do you need anything from me. But it http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Wilayah-Persekutuan/Kuala-Lumpur/blog-21857.html I know it's a bit late but I was busy moving around. So here I finally updated my Laos travelogue look for these entries Mystic Vibe in Luang Prabang and Small Blessings. More to come re tales about Vang Viang and Vientianne will be in KL tomorrow to spend more time writing updating my blog and doing yoga with my fave teacher Shilpa. Will be there until Oct 4. I'm flying to Bali http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-21284.html Our last day in Luang Prabang was a day for trekking and shopping. We started the day with a trip to the Kuang Si Waterfalls a twohour drive and about 35 km southwest from Luang Prabang. The picturesque multilevel falls tumbling through a series of pools is a favorite spot for camerahappy tourists and picnicloving locals. Sure it8217s not as majestic as the Niagara Falls http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-21280.html Luang Prabang Laos' second biggest city home to some of its holiest Buddhist Temples a UNESCO world heritage site. It was the heart of the ancient kingdom of Lane Xang Hom Kao the Land of a Million White Elephants and the White Parasol founded by the legendary Lao warrior Fa Ngum. Although it has its own share of tourists most travellers who visit Laos skip the capital and head http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-18058.html Trekking is something one has to do with a group. Unless one has really mastered the trek route andor prefers solitude like if you want to meditate in the forest trekking alone especially in an unfamiliar territory like the rugged terrain of Nepal is just plain stupid not to mention dangerous. However it was during a group tour in Laos when I realized that I can't trek with a g http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-21072.html After 1 12 wks in Pokhara I'm back in Thamel today. Im going to Bhutan tomorrow. Ill be writing about my Pokhara and trekking adventure in the next few days. So keep posted pipol http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-20513.html Despite the hot and dry weather and the fact that I can't wear shorts and spaghetti straps in this conservative country and my dizziness side effect of the antimalaria tablets that I ingested I still managed to take a tour around the Kathmandu Valley visiting some of Nepal's most important temples from September 6 to 8. I guess the fact that I had a tour guide and a chaffeur help http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-20387.html One of the first things I bought when I arrived in Thamel Kathmandu's backpackers center was a calculator. Given my propensity to convert everything in Singapore US and Philippine currencies and also to curtail my spending a calculator is a necessity for me. Although I stayed in Singapore for over four years a country where shopping is a national sport and t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-20250.html Tomorrow I'm trekking at a rural village in Nepal it's called Nangi Village. I'll be off for five days but I'll def back with words and images for all you readers out there. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-19323.html