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Published: October 31st 2008
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If you read my 1st blog back i May, you'll have read...I quote:
"well I left a plush life behind in Dubai 12 days ago to start a new living out my backpack for the next god knows how long. I have a fairly loose plan - to travel as much as Asia as possible, and to stop when I feel like it....maybe next year, maybe never!"
Well 6 months on and I've just about run out of cash...it's amazing how far your money can go out here (tip...always carry a bottle of whisky and a jar of coffee, you'll save $$$$...The great thing about India is that you can take your own food and drink to restaurants if you're skint...and obnoxious like moi) so time to regroup and earn some money for plane tickets and beroca...somewhere til xmas...then back out to INDIA in Jan...the place has grown on me like a rash...I have become 1 of those freaks who's obsessed with India...you know the type.... I'll be running a yoga school with Shilpa, a yoga pal of mine from Mysore. We'll be running hi energy yoga classes on the rooftop of Om Shanti hotel in Laxmann Jula area
of Rishikesh if anyone's interested.
LOSING THE WILL TO LIVE
I left you last time high up in the Ladakh himalayas...well me and my old bud Laura got reacquainted on the hellish 2 day bus journey down to Manali. A few gashes to the head later and a bottle of whiskey purely for medicinal purposes (god knows we needed something...why they had thought to install hard metal fans above every seat...it's the rockiest journey EVER and it's freezing!!! we kept banging our heads on the fan...ow and looking over the mountain we saw many a bus lying on its side...we were beginning to wish it was our bus after the 1st day) We arrived in Manali, swearing that next time we'd definately be flying...The 2 guys sitting with us at the back of the bus with altitude sickness and another guy we befriended whilst puking out the window the whole time agreed with us.
THE LAID BACK MANALI LIFESTYLE AND BAR BRAWLS IN VASCHIST
We journeyed straight up to the small village of Vaschist, hardly able to talk after the journey...about 20 mins up from the Israeli colony of Old Manali and the India honeymooners town of
New Manali. A friend of mine 'Khalid' from Dubai lived there and recommended I visit...he also said I should meet Grandmaster Rittu his reiki teacher who lived in the village. Vaschist was more amazing then he described. We perked up as soon as we arrived. I can see why he packed his life up and moved out here. Vaschist is essentially a windy road with some cool hostels, laid back bars, small temples and burning hot springs with killer views of the Green hills of the Himalayas all around you...Interesting people a few backpackers, musicians, small local community and was a Baba stop off (wandering Hindu pilgrims dressed in orange!) Every1 came together in Rocky's Bar...and with this odd mix of people there was the occassional bar brawl that broke out...mostly by family misunderstandings by the locals who couldn't handle their chillums! But it was all laughed about in the morning...cool place!
We stayed for almost 2 weeks, to finish my reiki classes which were incredible. Even tho Khalid wasn't there (think he's lost somewhere in Morroco) It was worth coming all the way just to meet this woman...and to learn from her...she has students from all over the
world and they often come back to her...I can see why. I left feeling spiritually tuned and everything seemed more heightened...also bagged antoher certificate (haha...get in!) hard to explain all on the blog...will explain more to any1 who is interested.
RRRRRRISHIKESH!!!!
I wanted to go to Rishikesh for quite a while. I thought it would be a great place to hang out and practice yoga...didn't know how much more to the place there was than that...Well, there is infact soooo much more...for some reason I kept bumping into acrobats who worked for cirque du soleil...think that's a good sign....who knows...anyway....really love the place...had many good times...the fact that I'm going back in January and the pics speaks 4 themselves...it's home 4 now....
I'm writing to you from the ancient Bhaktapur district in Nepal...my Indian visa finally ran out and I had to make some decisions to where I was going to spend my last month. I wanted to spend a month volunteering for a women's charity...Originally it was going to be in Karachi Pakistan, but was looking dodgy...so...regretfully I decided to perspone it...so, why not Nepal? I came here last year and remember being shocked about some of
the issues facing women of Nepal. After learning more over the last year, I wanted to go back and get involved with an NGO...so I got in touch with the Women's Foundation of Nepal (www.womenepal.org) I've been spending the past few weeks with them, teaching yoga in the shelter and helping out with some projects. Really interesting experience...it's changing me. The first few days were hard....really upsetting...will carry on supporting these guys, even tho it's an uphill struggle. Renu the director is respected by so many people in Nepal for helping women and children from all over the country...there's so much to do here, it's hard to know where to start...I'm getting some good ideas, and working closely with a Canadian volunteer...we'll see where they go...
So....this is the last post til 2009 : ( I'm flying back to Dubai in a few days and then back to UK for the holidays...it's been a while. Then Jan 1st PAKISTAN!!!
Happy Holidays and Happy Travels to all
BWW xx
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