Need a break from the bustle?

Then check out Cafe Turtle in Delhi's Khan Market. This is NOT the authentic India experience, but it IS a nice place to get a latte and a panini and curl up with a book newly purchased from the Full Circle bookstore, downstairs.

We sat here for hours during our first visit before exploring the rest of the market. Once you are sufficiently jittery and literary, head out to look for fairly nice, albeit somewhat more "touristy" gifts or souvenirs in almost any price range (I walked into a boutique where the price tags on the jeans made me too scared to convert to $'s). I did, however, pick up a couple of nice graphic T-shirts for 4 bucks each. The seller kept dropping the price when I wasn't even trying to barter, but honestly felt like I should stop being materialistic and buying so much stuff, and eventually it was so cheap that I just gave in.

Funny how with the exchange rate, you could buy so much in India for a fraction of the price you spend on food in a day in America, but at the same time you begin to feel that owning things is so excessive that you walk away only getting Christmas presents for half of your besties.

Then after being back in the States for a couple of weeks, some of us begin to regret not having been more materialistic in India, wishing we had more sweet swag, while others come back with a renewed awareness into how unnecessary all this stuff is. Something to think about before/during/after embarking on your trip!

Anyway, get to Khan Market by metro, a long walk from Pahar Ganj, taxi/rickshaw, or the multiperson buses of which I only have a very vague memory. If you have more experience with these, do share! 

"Nice Hair, Ma'am!": Dissecting the Pahar Ganj Experience

Pahar Ganj is Delhi's backpacking district, and like all touristy districts, it can be infamous for a high proportion of people wanting to trick, hassle, and manipulate you into paying them for whatever service, real or imagined, they are providing.

You can view my original rant on it here:

http://balancevishfocus.blogspot.com/2011/11/back-to-delhi.html

One fabulous thing about Pahar Ganj is that it is reasonably close to the metro and a railway station. The closest metro stations are New Delhi, on the orange/red line, and Ramakrishna Ashram Marg (the sky blue line). (The metro map can be found here http://www.delhimetrorail.com/zoom-route-map.aspx and Google Maps is also really helpful.) The railway station is the New Delhi railway station (station code NDLS) as opposed to the Old Delhi railway station, code DLI - check your tickets carefully to avoid going to the wrong one and missing your train!


So if you arrive by train or metro (or airport then metro) you can get off and walk to the area in a reasonable amount of time and look for a hotel on foot instead of hailing a rickshaw that will try to take you to a specific hotel.

There are a million hotels around. It took us 3 or 4 tries to find one that had available rooms for a fair price, but all in all it wasn't too daunting of an outing. We ended up staying in Hotel Satyam, got a 3 person room with a double and a single bed for 1100 rupees I believe. This was definitely not the most budget looking room I have stayed in but it was still pretty cheap and really nice for the price. My favorite thing about the hotel was how accommodating the owner was - he answered a couple of travel questions that we had and got us 500 rupee airport cabs for ridiculous morning hours that were right on time. He just seemed like a nice, helpful person who wasn't trying to trick you or rip you off.

Two doorways to the right of the hotel if you are facing it is a cafe with a phone that is open pretty late. The prices for international calls are far too high, but it's good for a late night local call or international call emergency.

As long as you stay stoic, you can get most of what you need to get done in this area, especially if this is your civilization stop-over before heading off into a more rural area again. Internet cafe, passport photos, local clothing, real coffee! This is not the best location for a gourmet supermarket if you are craving some imported food, however. If you are looking for something more chain-ey (objects or food) and price is not a huge consideration, pop over to Connaught place on the metro.

Just remember, keep your wits about you but do stay friendly and do well to represent whatever nation you are hailing from :)

Happy travels!

INDIA: Arriving at IGI Airport

The Indira Gandhi Delhi International Airport is rated one of the top airports in the world.  I would have to agree - I've had to spend my longest chunks of time waiting for a plane (10 hours) at this airport and it's a great, friendly, calm place to hang out!

Before I went to India for the first time, I had read some horror stories about people being taken to sketchy places in unofficial taxis. It's relatively straightforward to follow the signs to a prepaid taxi stand and go through the procedure to get a taxi to your location. If you have booked a room in advance, some hotels offer airport pickup. It's hard to say if this ends up costing more than just taking a taxi to the hotel.

Note that if you plan on staying in a budget hotel that you have never seen, it's probably a good idea to check it out before committing to a room to make sure it matches the description and fits your standards. You could pick a random hotel in the district where you want to say and have the cab driver take you there, then walk around the area and look for available rooms. With cab drivers, it's good to act like you have a room in a hotel so they don't try to talk (or trick) you into getting an overpriced room in a hotel that gives them part of the profit.

Yes you are taking a bit of a gamble by arriving without having a room reserved, but there are lots of hotels and people coming and going all the time so you should be able to find something. Alternatively you could make a room reservation for one night and then explore the area to choose a place for the remainder of your stay.

Next up, my take on Pahar Ganj, the "backpacker's district"!

Ch-ch-changes!

Now that I am no longer traveling, I have decided to continue writing in this blog, but shift the tone of the findings which I describe. Instead of my philosophical dwellings, which will continue to receive front-page status in my home-base blog:

http://balancedvishfocus.blogspot.com
(Gold medal for creativity, I know.)

I will use this blog to compile my findings in a more systematic and informational fashion. I am hoping that it can serve as a guide to other fellow travelers embarking on an exciting Asian Adventure.
Watch out for it soon! 

The irony, ask me, 'where have you been?'

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where to begin.

SO Hat Yai

What a fabulous day of a meditative urban run, clean streets, a grocery store experience involving AVOCADOS and STOUT BEER and REESE'S - the things I was most craving for getting back to the States. Man, these mainland days are rough when you try to stock up on all the food that you've been severely deprived of.
Tomorrow is Malaysia, another approximately 12 days on a peaceful island, finishing class, DIVING - which terrifies and fascinates me at the same time. There are so many different worlds all part of one big world, oh man. Still no idea where I fit in and what my role is. The main lesson of traveling - when you think you know anything is when you know the least. About yourself, about humanity, about the world.

Good night!

Time is skin, not a dress

3 am, I am lying in a tent on Adang Island in southern Thailand, listening to the water caress the shore just several feet outside of my tent, inhaling the smell of leaves freshly washed by the evening storm. My tent was one of the few that held out, knock on wood, through the violent wind gusts and moderate downpour that made up our evening entertainment. Oh tent, you've been through so much with me, and you are getting only moderate beat up after three years of faithful service. Everything sounds pretty darn perfect, right? Then why do I find myself dedicating hours to daydreaming about silly things that are America? Cravings for Guinness and avocados aside, I found myself missing commuting the other day-time spent alone in your car. I miss cooking for myself. I miss Windexing the bathroom mirror on Sunday morning. Due to the incredible personalities of everyone on our program, the self-imposed lack of 'me time' has made me nostalgic for the solo activities that keep you from being overwhelmed in a buzzing crowd of people. And I'm realizing that the thing about impermanence is not so much a tangible lack of settling, but more the inability to build layers upon layers of good memories since you know you'll be moving on soon, possibly forever. The draw to familiar places is the rich multitude of happiness you can re-experience and build on every time you revisit the place. For what is reality anyway but a collection of perceptions?

Dear Bay Area Graduate Schools:

(To the tune of O-Town's All or Nothing):

I know that you've been through my files,
Your silence makes me agonize
Compared to Boulder realize,
You're slower, slower.

This waiting life you make me live,
Your answer you have got to give!
Cause sweating in this web cafe gets older, older.

When I applied to you
How could I know you would think for half a year?

I've sent my best to you, I want to invest in you, don't tell me you don't care!

Cause I want it all,
I wanna start this fall,
I'm waiting for your call,
It's now or never.

Am I in, or am I denied?
I need peace of mind.

more to come. ridiculous, I know. I wrote it on Valentine's Day.

In other news: Thailand rocks, except for the bugs and the sweating. Is it making me more patient? Is it character building? Do I feel like I'm living in a universe where the absence of sweating is impossible?

Internet is really expensive here so I will cut it off at that. We are hanging out on Lipe Island for the afternoon, across from Adang, where we are staying for a week total.

Thinking of getting my scuba certification after the program. Who would have guessed?!

Dear Wonderwall,

There are many things that I would like to say to you but I don't know how.
Why?
Thailand is sort of melting my brain.
It's amazing, don't get me wrong, but after about five hours walking around in the heat when you were actively sweating just as a consequence of being alive, any remotely literary contribution I may have had to add to the blogging world seems to have evaporated.
The highlight of my day slash life was definitely going to the water treatment plant with Jessica and Patricia and attempting to ask them for a tour. The lady proceeded to explain at length how to pay our water bill. We eventually understood what she was saying and tried to explain that we are not residents, we are just tourists, Patricia asks if they have a toilet, the lady continues to tell us to call some number as we all start losing it from laughing (me especially). The lady gives us the water bill to keep and circles some number we have to call, and says to come back when we know how much we owe. We remove ourselves from the building and take five so I can stop crying and hyperventilating from laughter, typical. Don't think my explanation does it justice but it was hilarious. I highly recommend doing scavenger hunts like this when you tour places. Next up was inquiring about the visa application process at the embassy of Zaire but unfortunately, we never found it.

Class is starting soon, but two more things that need to be said:
-I miss Nepal dearly. I don't know what it is about it, and Chris hinted at the same elusive quality by saying things like "aw, don't talk about it, I miss home"! but I have such warm memories for everyone I met there, warm and made slightly spiky by the fact that I am now removed from the beautiful place and its beautiful residents. So, love to Nepal, see you again.
-I am learning a lot about communicating with people who don't speak the same language as you. Not in terms of having conversation or anything but getting a couple of basic things across, or figuring out whether or not they are understanding. Clearly that is a consequence of traveling for a long time, but it was cool to notice that I am starting to learn a technique for it.
On the note of communication, BOY is my English deteriorating.

OK time to learn woo!

Fabulous Thailand

My second day in Chiangmai and the retail therapy, spa experiences* (oh boy, more on that later) and lack of dust have helped the culture shock rapidly vanish.

When I first landed in Bangkok, I felt as disoriented as I predicted I would feel when being back in the States. Where is the dust? I know it exists, where did they put it? Everything is so easy! Everyone looks so well off and it's not fair to the people who aren't! I better remember that I can't throw orange peels on the ground anymore!

Well, I'm not sure how much of that was culture shock and how much was being dazed and amazed that I made it here on schedule at all.

Because, SURPRISE! Guess who gets food poisoning on their last day in Nepal.

Guess who almost misses their flight because I can't move or get out of bed.Guess who spends an hour throwing up on the airplane AGAIN. Sound familiar? Sounds like last year!! Maybe it's a physical reaction to culture shock.

Anyway, it was a 24 hour thing once again, maybe I just have a physical reaction to impending culture shock, WTF.

Landed in Bangkok, got driven in a car with seat belts to my $24 hotel which had AIR CONDITIONING, 24 hour electricity (no more load shedding woo), a balcony with a view, free water, and a pristine bathroom. I got in t 8:50 PM, admired the view briefly out of my balcony and made the executive decision that I was not going anywhere except sleep. So I took a lukewarm shower, marveling at the fact that I wasn't freezing and the cool ish water felt nice, and passed out in my bed, briefly reflecting on the fact that I was eyebrows-to-the-sky psyched to be sleeping without a wool hat or long sleeves for the first time in months.

Flew to Chiangmai the next day and was still totally dazed when I met up with Chris. After mailing the rest of my warm clothes home from the airport, we managed to stuff both of my huge backpacks and two people on a motor bike and headed to his wonderful home. I got to meet Tingting, went out to lunch with some people, and then my spa adventures began.

I am walking down the street looking for a pedicure or maybe leg waxing, something a normal person would start with when transitioning from four months of long pants to a less conservative beach culture. But noo, I happen to sign up for a Brazilian wax at the first place I get a good vibe from. Dear bikini and beyond, here's some scalding hot wax followed by hair ripping by the follicle, WELCOME TO THAILAND! 

The whole thing took about an hour, done by two female staff. I could have definitely stayed for a back or foot massage after but left as to not have them think I was flirting with them or looking for special services.

I decided then that I would never do it again, but my memory is quickly fading and I am thinking it was not quite so bad. 

The pedicure is still on the list.

Today I spent a couple of hours at immigration then found a fabulous cafe with a fast, free computer, and now I am doing research on dating and romance in Thailand for my presentation. Fun?

Other activities have included buying shoes and failing to meditate for three days now.

Dear Self-Improvement, how have you been replaced with Bridget Jones-esque motives so quickly?

KTM solo

Woke up at 6 today, moved out of my lovely room, and got dropped off at the tourist bus park to begin my journey to Kathmandu. The 'conductor' wanted to sell more tickets so he had me switch places with a little kid whom he asked to sit up front near the driver. Well, the kid lasted all of ten minutes there before he came back and crammed into the seat next to mine in his sister's lap, so being the good samaritan that I am, I offered to take shotty. BEST DECISION EVER. Sort of. Had the best view and got to chill with some Nepali trekking guides instead of being subjected to the mind numbing conversations the large American tour group was carrying on in the main part of the bus. Got to make faces at the two adorable little girls who got on the bus later. The bad part? Being mad creeped on by the younger of the trekking guides, who WOULD have something going for him if he did not say that since I like kids so much, we can get married and make babies. OK buddy, a little forward? I've known you for 20 minutes, now? Anyway, got off the bus and got a room in the guest house I really wanted in Paknajol. No idea why I was craving this guest house which is sans hot water and was totally locked by the time I got back from dinner, so I had to climb over a somewhat sharp edged fence. Adventure? But it's cute and the blanket is incredibly warm and I got a home vibe from the manager, so I'm really psyched to be staying here. The first thing I did after checking in was get lost in literally a 400 meter stretch of Thamel for close to 2 hours. If you've been to Ktm, you'll understand that while this requires a lot of talent, it is not impossible. What a lesson in patience to keep from screaming, 'I DON'T WANT A FUCKING RICKSHAW!' every five minutes when I was offered one. I met some super cool kids from Taiwan and joined them for dinner with some live reggae music, then made a boy from Delhi help me find my hotel, followed by aforementioned fence climbing. Also, the ABC extra stout beer I tracked down at a grocery store is as close to a Guinness or Rogue as I could dream in this country. So yes, the day turned out OK. Now what awaits me is likely an hour long walk to the airport tomorrow (maybe two hours if I get lost again, FML) because of the strike! We will cross that bridge and dusty roads when we get there. Good night!

I'd like to change the world, it's easier than changing me

Four more days left in Nepal, then I get to complain about the heat instead of the cold! Woo hoo!
Mana, Liana, and her brother Alex were visiting this week and we did the Ghorepani Ghandruk loop again (no guide this time.) No spontaneous base camp trip, either. It snowed on days 2 and 3, while days 1 and 4 were warmer. We found a spectacular lodge in Ghandruk with a huge porch and PIPING hot water.

Said bye to the friends today, finished Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, spent two hours doing various Internet errands and still going strong. Darn California grad schools holding out on admissions decisions, ahh! That is not a valid complaint as some application deadlines have not even passed yet, but it feels like worlds and ages since I have applied. Oh well, not knowing is keeping my stateside plans as up in the air and exciting as I intended them to be.

I felt good today, different. Kind of like soon the ways I've changed will be revealed to me, and I have a good feeling about this upcoming revelation. Or maybe it is the opposite - I already feel different and it makes me happy that I can see it tangibly.

Not sure how, though.

I think the biggest lesson I am coming away with is that people are everything. Surround yourself with good people. Build lasting relationships. You need good, loving people like you need food - it is nourishment, it is everything. But don't subject yourself to toxic people. It is better to fast than ingest poison.

So I am just filled with so much love and happiness for all the new and old friends I have been fortunate enough to interact with. It was so wonderful to catch up with Mana and Liana - people you have known for a while and you can skip the small talk and just be. There is really nothing more valuable than family and good friends.

And let people be imperfect - let your friends, family, and loved ones be cranky every once in a while. Let them be unfair, lazy, tired, greedy, whatever. Humor them, help them, be patient, make exceptions. Then they will do the same for you. Your donation of unconditional goodness and the love you get back is all that makes the world go round.

Nepal and Electricity

My relationship with the Internet here goes like this:

Wake up in the morning. Have 2-3 hours before volunteering but usually no power. Try to go on the Internet. Wait 20 minutes for computer to turn on. Discover it does not have MS Word, Excel, or something else I need that day.

Go to another cafe. Wait another 20 minutes. Computer turns on. Go on the Internet. A wire is disconnected. Spend half an hour trying to figure out how to fix it.

Check email. Reply to one email. Get really excited about a side tangent (ex. Facebook, link in email, song lyrics) and disregard the rest of my Internet to-do list.

Then one of these things happens:
A-computer shuts down unexpectedly.
B-computer stays on, Internet is down for an uncertain amount of time.
C-cafe owner asks me to hurry up because the battery is running low.
D-I am already late for volunteering so I save everything to drafts and run off.

Evening time: I get off the rock around 4, shower, drink a beer, meditate, etc. Then it is dinner time. After dinner - sometimes there is power for an hour or so, but it is cold and I'm tired, so I go back to the room.

Anyway, in comparison to being online every few hours or so when I am in the states, I go online once every four days, if I am lucky and not lazy.

And by the time I finish my to do list, (by "finish" I mean do 1 out of 5 things on it), no time is left for Facebook stalking, blog updating, etc.!

Do not take this to mean that I am complaining in any way. There is SO much time in the day without the Internet!!

Anyway:
*Australian camp for New Year's - one day backpacking trip with Laura - gorgeous, peaceful, first time I did not stay awake until midnight since I was probably three
*Climbing almost every day the past two weeks - amazing, love love the girls, lake view, paradise!
*MANA is coming to Pokhara tomorrow!!! I barely ever meet up with Dartmouth people in PA, now I get to meet up with someone in NEPAL?! Clearly though, Nepal is a much more interesting place than PA so figures that Dartmouth people would choose that over the indistinct East Coast.

The computer is beeping ominously so I am sensing a power disruption soon. Let's see if I get a chance to save this before that happens!