Going, Going... Gone to Goa

Finally I got to share the experience of what it feels like to be on an Indian train for thirty hours with my friends as we went overnight from the state of Rajastan to Goa. We took the cheap and cheerful option by going in sleeper class which is my favourite way of travelling the rails as it costs so little money, passengers are friendly, you have some great views out of the window and of course there is a constant stream of men selling chai for 5R a cup, each with their own distinctive call - 'CHAI chai CHAI chai' or 'chai, chai, chaaiiiiiiiiii' or 'Chhhhaiiiiiiiii, Chaiiiiiiiii'.

On the sleeper train to Goa -

Lucy resting in the upper berth and James and Paul enjoying some chess

We headed to the town of Arambol, infamous among people on the traveller circuit. I was very dubious about the place because I just wanted to spend time with my friends and wasn't after the hedonistic beach life that I had heard about where people party all night and recover on the beach in the day. I am sure it is a fun life - for a while, but knowing myself and my personality, this wouldn't be fulfilling for me or make very content. However by chance we went at the perfect time of year to get what I was looking for. Monsoon was literally just ending and the weather had just begun to brighten up meaning the beach was practically empty aside from at the weekends when the crowd was mainly middle class Indians coming from Mumbai to unwind.

Fun times with Friends on the beach (Lawrence, me, James, Zoe and Lucy)

As we were completely off season we got the best ever bargain paying 400R (just 5 pounds) for an apartment for four people, only 2 minutes from the beach with TV, AC, a fridge and last but not least - a kitchen! This was so exciting to me having not cooked my own food for nearly a year and this is why I ended up staying on in Goa for another 2 weeks with Lucy and Paul (my other fellow Hertfordian India travellers) after the others had left. We had such a chilled out week hiring mopeds to explore the back roads and discovering other beaches close by. Each night we would take it in turn to cook in pairs and try to beat the people that cooked the night before.

There is nothing quite like watching the sunset everyday

Having access to the mopeds was incredible for giving us more freedom. We discovered the local fish market which sold a huge variety of fish and from then on we started experimenting in the kitchen. My favourite meal has to be the calamari rings that Lawrence and Paul made from scratch - good effort! I have to also admit that Lucy, Paul and I got quite addicted to watching Masterchef Australia each morning with our breakfast as it was also quite a novelty having access to a TV again.

Fresh fish at the local fish market (including shark - bottom right!)

We were excited as we had seen posters when we arrived in Goa for a huge concert in the capital of Panajim, not too far from us, for the famous Indian sitar player called Ravi Shankar who is known in particular for playing with the Beatles in the era that they came to India. We booked a taxi to take us there and treated ourselves to a nice meal in a Goan restaurant. We arrived just in time to get a space on the sand behind the main crowd and waited anxiously for the music to start..................

The crowd anticipating the appearance of Ravi Shankar

Ravi came on stage and started to speak only in Hindi so another Western man dressed in a long white robe kindly started to translate for us. Ravi asked whether the audience would like to talk or sing. We found it quite strange and it took us a good half hour to realise that we certainly had our wires crossed because this was not at all the right Ravi Shankar. The one we intended to see must be about eighty now and no longer appears in public, whereas this guy is a famous India guru that gives advice on the 'Art of Living' which is why we had to listen to two hours of questions be asked to him as he occasionally walked down the stage sprinkling rose petals over the crowd. It was an amusing mix up and slightly embarrassing!

Paul and Lucy on Arambol beach

Goa is a very strange state. The reason it is so much more 'liberal' than the rest of India is that it was previously in the hands of the Portugese who spread the religion of Christianity. It is a huge relief to be able to be on the beach and have your shoulders uncovered, for me it felt like a privilege having had to dress conservatively for nearly a year even in the hottest of weathers. But sadly, Arambol beach did have a great deal of litter and I think that it does just become over run by foreigners, especially at Christmas. It is a nice place to go for a beach holiday, but it is only thanks to the scooters that we got to experience more of 'real' Goan life, driving through the small villages. I think inland Goa is beautiful, the green forests and lines of palm trees around the crops. It's very endearing and it looks like, compared to other villages, the standard of living is fairly high as everyone has their own livestock, water supply and the houses are made of stronger building materials than I have seen anywhere else. I enjoyed seeing these bits of Goa, if not more, than I enjoyed being on the beach as it has a really nice atmosphere to it.

The lovely view from our brilliant apartment

My Goa days were incredibly relaxed and I spent a great deal of time swimming in the sea, on the scooters, practicing my singing and guitar, doing yoga and enjoying cooking (and then eating) delicious food. It was a great time but the phrase 'you can have too much of a good thing' also rings true. It was incredible to reunited with old friends and share experiences, but something was missing as I wasn't feeling as productive as at other points in the trip. Had it not been for the fact I knew that the next part of my trip I would have to be committed and work hard at something, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the beach life so much. However I had a new challenge and a purpose to look forward to. The next part of my journey saw me take two over night trains totalling 40 hours to get back to Varanasi, a city I had never envisioned I would ever see again, but that is the beauty of travelling, you literally can't even begin to guess where it will take you if you have a completely open mind.............

Racing Round Rajastan

Hesitantly I said goodbye to Bagsu where I had experienced such good times in the nature of the mountains and learning about music. But I was comforted by the idea that I was moving on for a good reason - to go and meet some close friends from home who were coming to India for a three week holiday and adventure. Had it not been for this, who knows how long I would have stayed there. I headed to Pushkar, in the state of Rajastan, the site of a holy lake where Brahmins (the highest caste of people) come to perform pujas and be blessed by the sacred waters.

The lake in Pushkar

Pushkar has a great atmosphere as it has a small backpacker community but is mainly full of Indians visiting the lake. The bustling streets around the square lake are a blur of colour with the sounds of horns, chanting and touting for business ringing in your ears. Here I ate some of my favourite street food and enjoyed wandering around the ghats to take in the feeling of the place, the lake itself feels very calm and my guesthouse had a great view for people watching.

Cheesy shot of Lawrence and I playing guitar at our guesthouse overlooking the Holy lake

When I arrived I wasn't quite sure how I would find James and Lawrence, in my head I had an image of me spotting them and sneaking up on them. But it happened the other way round as they caught me off guard wandering around looking for an internet cafe to send them a message. After 11 months of not seeing them, I had a huge moment of excitement as I heard my name shouted from afar and then suddenly being in the middle of a hug, which I was quite enjoying, until my sensible side reminded the group that it wasn't a good idea in the middle of the Indian street as it is very disrespectful. Things like this are frustrating however they are part of the package if you come to India. Having said that, I have met plenty of Westeners who have no concept of respect and walk around in the most ridiculous clothes exposing their bodies... but that's a separate rant.

Being persuaded to come and play drums at sunset was alot of fun

The next week in Rajastan flew by and was more about relaxing and catching up with old friends than sightseeing for me. The feeling of being reunited with people you really care about is very special. Having been away from home for so long, I felt in my element and it was great to share everything I had learnt and be a useful tour guide and barterer with my continuously improving Hindi. We had fun hiring mopeds to drive around the surrounding countryside. I'd never driven one before but had been desperate to attempt it ever since my last India trip when I was seemingly the only backpacker in Goa who had to use a bicycle in the intense heat to get around. It completely lived up to my expectations as it gave us so much freedom to go anywhere, right off the tourist trail and India being the incredible country that it is, we paid just 2 pounds, gave no passports, needed no insurance, and not even a deposit. It's crazy, but brilliant in my eyes!

Aghhhhhhhhhhh - the first time on the back of the moped with James

Soon another very close friend, Paul, joined us in Pushkar and then a few days later, in a strange town called Chittogarh, I was reunited with my darling Lucy, who I had spent 6 months with before and had been seperated from for 2 months. It was brilliant to see her but very surreal as it was like seeing and hearing myself as I guess we are so similar. We went to Chittogarh as it is the site of India's largest fort but it turns out that most tourists only go there for day trips as the town itself has little to offer. It ended up being hilarious because our time there coincided with the local Ganesha festival which, in my opinion just seemed like an excuse for a huge party. Had it not been for that it wouldn't have been much fun there.

Group picture of us at the Fort in Chittogarh

You'd expect the locals in Chittogarh to be used to tourists but I have never experienced such a reception. In India it is quite normal for people to come and ask to have a photo with you You can imagine that this is becoming tiresome by now! But in Chittogarh it was even more surreal, as if being white automatically made you famous and gave you some kind of elevated status. Walking through the streets both in the daytime and at night during the festival, was like attending a carnival. There was a long procession of floats blaring out loud, dance music to which men were enthusiastically raving to all the way down the main road as the women watched at the side. The streets were packed full and every time we passed a float with huge blaring speakers, there was an uproar of shouts and screams as we were spotted and people came to drag us to dance. All children wanted to shake our hands and ask where we were from, photos were being taken of us from all sides on people's phones. Dancing would have been fun but given that other women weren't, Lucy and I decided to also watch from the side line which was hilarious to watch the boys get sweaty and be mounted by Indian men doing there hip jiggling dances.

Mad crowds dancing to the pumping music at the Ganesh Festival

Other highlights included the many friendly cows, laughing at Lawrence for being pushed into buying a pair of shoes, assured that they are 'excellent quality' and 'very good price sir' and then later finding the same shoes being offered for a quarter of the price in the shop next door. I also really enjoyed having Lawrence around to play music with, having been practising my guitar skills since buying a guitar in Kathmandu. But most of all it was just nice to spend some quality time with good friends, regardless of what situation we found ourselves in. In Rajastan we travelled very quickly, not my usual way, as you may have noticed by how long I have been away, as it is too tiring and you don't get a good feel for the place. Rajastan was alot of fun but after the craziness of the festival and the travelling from place to place, I think my friends wanted some time to unwind which is understandable.........so off we headed to Goa.

Me in Chittogarh outside the most brightly decorated mosque I have ever seen (only in India!)

Falling unexpectedly in love...........

Looking at the Bagsu Waterfall, Himalayas, India

With my flight home booked for the 9th August, I felt more at ease. Admittedly I had booked it on a bit of a whim, but the idea of going home had slowly begun to creep its way into mind over the past few weeks. I kept pondering what to do next and was unsure - I didn't want to be just hanging around, I wanted stimulation, to keep learning and doing constructive things. My illness and uncertainty were the final straws that prompted me to book the flight.

The stunning view of the valley from my Guesthouse (when the view was clear!)

Having a return date in mind I wanted to make the most of the few days I had left before I surprised my family and friends in England by returning unexpectedly after 10 months! My stomach quickly recovered and I decided to get to know my surroundings better. At this point I was staying in the mountains of the Himalayas near to the town of McCloud Ganj, best known as the place where the Tibetan Goverment in exile are based. The whole town doesn't really feel Indian, there are many Tibetans everywhere, several monks and lots of Buddhist influence so it feels a bit more liberal than most places. Of course you still have your usual cows wandering around the streets.

However I was staying in Bagsu, a town about 2km away from McCloud Ganj that has grown from the many backpackers that come to stay there. It isn't a place you go to understand India culture, however as I discovered, it is a great place for learning new skills. They have classes to teach you about anything from yoga, meditation, jewelry making, dance, music, art to buddhist philosophy, massage, ayuveda (Indian traditional medicine, massage and psychology).

McCloud Ganj - home to the Dalai Lama

On a whim I decided to try the Indian Classical Singing lessons that a fellow traveller had recommended to me. I'd always wanted to have singing lessons at secondary school but was never brave enough using the excuse in my head that it was 'too late'. But it is never too late. As I had nothing to lose I thought 'why not?' and it is a decision I'll never regret. I knew as soon as I had that nervous feeling in my stomach that you get before doing something new that I was doing the exact right thing as it meant I was putting myself out of my comfort zone and if there's one thing I've learnt this trip, that is always the most rewarding path of action.

My teacher's name was Anita and like everyone that meets her, I became strangely intrigued by her. Some people you are somehow in awe of and that is what I, but also many others travellers I met, seem to experience with her. She is a completely down to earth, kind, friendly Indian middle aged woman, but there is something about her that I can't fully describe whereby she just makes you feel serene and when she smiles or laughs, it also makes you happy. I thoroughly enjoyed the first lesson with her in which I learnt about the Indian Notes (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa) instead of Do, Re, Me, Fa etc. and got to grips with some simple exercises and Indian mantras (short chants that Hindus recite for different occasions such as for good luck, calming the mind or to worship a particular god). It was completely different to anything I'd ever tried.

Rohit (on Tabla), Anita (Singing) and Hari (Flute) at the Indian Classical Music Concert in Bagsu

That evening I went to see Anita perform in a concert with her husband Rohit who plays the Tabla (India Classical Drums) and I was fascinated. I listened in amazement and wonder to Anita's voice. She truely makes really difficult singing look effortless and was able to manipulate, bend and move her voice as if it were an instrument separate from herself. I'd heard very little Indian Classical Music and learnt just how very different it is to Western music. The sounds and the way the voice is used are completely different. Anita sounded beautiful and I was amazed by how well she could sing and it only made me want to learn more.

Me practicing my singing in the mountains

After a few lessons I was hooked and falling unexpectedly in love. Just as quickly as I had booked my flight, I cancelled it! It was so spontaneous (and probably irrational) but it felt so liberating to be trying something that I have always had a secret ambition to do. Waking up each day to go and see Anita for lessons made me happy as I felt privileged to be learning from such a talented musician, when she would sing infront of me in class it was like having a private performance. I started to have a morning class and afternoon class. In the break between classes I could practice, do errands or explore the mountains. As chance would have it, a really good friend I had made 6 months earlier in Rishikesh, turned up as he was doing a three month ayuveda course so in the evening I also had someone to spend time with and relax. I quickly settled into a routine and started to feel at home....

The steps up to my Guesthouse during monsoon (this was a normal day of rain)

Perhaps my feeling of being a home was because of the rain? Monsoon had crept in and I was in one of the places that gets the most rainfall in India. But it didn't phase me as I sort of missed rain and had never experienced this type of weather before so was quite intrigued as to what it would be like and how people can go about their daily lives. It also meant it was low season so Bagsu was very quiet and cheap. It rained ALOT..... for the first two weeks I couldn't even see the view because I was permanently in a big misty cloud. It would rain continuously for most of the day or night causing floods of water to flow down the hills, but at least it was diverted down, I imagine that in a city it would be a nightmare. I had to permanently carry round an umbrella and invest in some plastic shoes but actually really enjoyed singing in the rain with my umbrella and having the mountains to myself as everyone else wanted to be inside. It was a very pretty location as the rain made everything very green. The only downside was everything in my room started to become mouldy.

Performing with Anita at the concert in Bagsu

Things in Bagsu just got better and better. My singing classes were going well and I was invited to sing with Anita at her weekly concert alongside her and her husband. I was so nervous but very honoured to be asked, it was such a new experience for me that I really, really enjoyed - it was a bit of a dream. I introduced the mantras and accompanied Anita on a couple of songs attempting to sing harmonies with her and not be overwhelmed with just how high they sing in classical music. I eventually ended up singing in three concerts during my time in Bagsu and am so grateful to Anita and Rohit that they gave me these opportunities to develop my confidence. It was fun to get ready, dress up, wear jewelry and makeup as I was so used to my smelly, old backpacker clothes. I was also very happy that new friends turned up to come and support me. There was a very magical feeling in the air, especially during my second concert where the room was completely full of people and there was an atmosphere of appreciation for the music in the air. It was such a great feeling to have people come up to me at the end to tell me that they really enjoyed it.

People playing music at Ohm Star Cafe

I was beginning to wonder what I'd done in a past life to deserve such amazing times because just to make things even better, I had managed to get into a situation whereby I kept being given free massages because of the kind of people I kept meeting in Bagsu who were taking courses and needed to practice! It was a hard job but someone has to volunteer for these types of difficult jobs. To add to the fun, I often would spend evenings in Ohm Star cafe where people would be playing live music. During the day, I did lots of practicing, walking around the mountains to keep fit and on my occasional days of I would go to explore nearby waterfalls or eat sushi (surprisingly good) in McCloud Ganj.

It's funny to think just how close I was to leaving Bagsu but I actually ended up staying there for six whole weeks and having the time of my life. I can't forget my days of monsoon rain and singing in concerts, it's a whole world away from my England life and I just felt so incredibly relaxed after that. Since Bagsu, seeing a bit of rain makes me quite happy. I wonder how long that will last when I get back to England!

Temples and Trauma

Temples.....

As luck would have it, in Rishikesh I happened to see a friendly girl called Anya who I'd met earlier at the Organic Farm in Nepal. How we happened to meet in the huge crowds of orange pilgrims is beyond me but its another one of those funny coincidences that seems to happen a great deal when you travel and being a white girl alone in the street, she didn't exactly blend in. We decided to quickly up and leave Rishikesh and head to the wonderful Golden Temple located in Amritsar, in the state of Punjab.

A picture perfect image of the Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is renowned by Sikhs around the world. I've learnt much about Buddhism and Hinduism whilst being away, but Sikhism I knew very little of so this was an opportunity to learn more. Sikhism evolved at a time in which the caste system was still very much entrenched and your caste (social standing) really did define how you were treated and your life prospects. As a result of the Sikh's beliefs there is no charge for entering the Golden Temple as they strongly believe that all beings are equal regardless of their race, country, caste, age, gender etc. From what I experienced they are also extremely friendly and kind. The atmosphere in the temple itself was so calm and tranquil and I felt like we were able to walk around freely without being hassled, which is certainly not always the case in India. The temple is also a world away from what it is like outside in the stuffy, polluted, busy city of Amritsar.

Walking around the temple before the monsoon rains set it

Thanks to the generosity of the Sikhs and their willingness to teach other about their religion, I also had the honor of staying for a night in the onsite dorm, again free of charge. The room was pretty full and I had to share a bed with Anya, but it was part of the fun, it really created a sense of unity. It was a great experience to sit on the floor with hundreds of others and eat in the large food hall which is run completely by volunteers. It's really an impressive operation to watch twenty people who are there just peeling vegetables and another thirty who are there just to wash up plates. I have much respect for these people. But my highlight has to be waking up at 3am to go to the toilet (no not this in itself) but having to walk through a large open courtyard full of about two hundred people all lying on the ground on scarves and mats, fast asleep, looking so peaceful.

Trauma.....

The next destination was town of Bagsu set in the Himalayas of Himanchal Pradesh and widely recommended to me by other travellers. My relationship with Bagsu was eventually a long and sordid love affair which got off to a rocky start. Already going home was beginning to enter my stream of consciousness because of the amount I had been sick and the following events only set to convince me that it really was time to leave.

I was becoming weary of being conned and having to be on my guard. In an attempt to find some light relief I tried out 'Laughter Yoga' for the first time. How can you go wrong with laughing? Who doesn't want to laugh? But it just became a very weird situation as it was just myself, Anya and the teacher who turned out to be another one of those Indian men who like to touch and watch Western women using the guise of 'yoga teacher'. Grrrrrr. The class consisted of us having to 'fake laugh' in many different styles (on your back kicking and screaming like a child, giggling like a girl, doing a huge bold manly laugh etc). Perhaps in a different setting with friends it could be greatly amusing but I never realised how hard it is to laugh when that is what you have to do - the frustration of trying to get a real laugh out, can the teacher tell that I am still faking it?! Only I can get into these weird situations. I definitely got some real laughs out, its hard not to when a crazy Indian sticks his tounge out and growls like a lion 10 inches from your face, but it all felt too artificial. Also what kind of respectable yoga teacher asks you for a hug at the end of your lesson? Then I encountered the seemingly innocent monk who wanted me to teach him English but it turned out he just wanted to touch my leg. I was also surprised when I heard him speak to someone else at my guesthouse the next day with miraculously improved English!

These kinds of things started to drive me a bit up the wall. Following a night of more stomach problems, where I had to keep getting up and running outside into the cold through the rain, down the steps to get to the bathroom, I had really had enough. I booked my flight home and felt like it was a sign that it was the right time............but was it?

What happened to my dreamland?

Three and a half months passed unbelievably fast in Nepal. Before we knew it, Lucy and I had travelled together for six months without any issues, quite a feat I'd say. We were on exactly the same wavelength, wanting to learn as much as possible. We both surprised ourselves at how long we could spend together. I joked that we'd become husband and wife. We were sleeping in the same room, eating all of our meals together and doing nearly all of the same activities. We'd shared the highs, the lows and knew one another inside out, but alas it was time to move on, we needed to explore on our own and find our individual direction before it became a bit weird.

Lucy decided to stay at the farm for further study as she'd developed a strong interest in organic farming and development. I decided to return back to the motherland of India, this had been my intention all along as there is always more to see, do and experience there. I was excited to travel alone as it is more of an adventure and challenge - you never know what will surprise you next in India which is why I love it.

However, I'd be lying if I said that at this point I was completely happy. The farm was a brilliant experience, but I was at a low point, I was completely fed up......sick of being sick. On seven occasions since beingin Nepal I had experienced severe stomach problems, enough so to prevent me from leaving the vicinity of my bathroom for two, three,sometimes seven days in a row, most of these times I had to resort totaking antibiotics which I didn't like. My body felt absoloutely exhausted, despite my healthy life style of veg food, yoga and no alchol, which made it even more frustrating. I was beginning to wonder whether it was a sign that it was time to take the plunge and go home, afterall I'd been away nine months. But opportunities like this trip are rare, so I decided to persevere. Perhaps a fresh start in India out all alone would do me good.

Over the course of my trip I have become more concious of being an 'eco traveller', trying to minimise any negative impacts of my journey. This has included me investing in a SteriPen (a UV purifying pen which sterilises water so no need for buying plastic bottles), stopping buying loo roll (Euch? No - it is possible, using the Indian techniques!) and lastly avoiding flying at all costs. The latter is only possible because the rail network is so extensive, so cheap and now its easy to book seats online plus I don't have the excuse that I don't have the time to go the long way. That's not to say it's not a pain in the arse to avoid flying! My journey from the capital of Nepal to my next destination in Rishikesh (800km apart) wss spread over four days with a ridiculously oversized bag, guitar and yoga mat. I used nearly every form of transport available (train, bus, auto rickshaw, cycle rickshaw, taxi) and had to spend two seperat

e days waiting on train platforms for around 10 hours with people staring at me in a confused manner wondering how I could possibly be alone as a female and possibly play an instrument. I wore my Indian style outfit (a salwar kamise), which I think meant people generally left me alone. Looking back, it really was ridiculous, but I am still happy I did it, I had some nice moments of people giving me part of their lunch, buying me water and it's not every day you nearly get covered in urine because the woman infront of you on the bus lets her two year old wee out of the window.

Looking geeky in my Salwar Kamise which helps me to avoid attention in the crowds!

I was looking forward to my return to Rishikesh, the place in which everything felt like a dream land earlier in my trip, so many different ways of thinking, a great place for exploring body and mind. In my head I had decided that two weeks of intensive yoga practice would be good for my health and I'd also learn alot, I was already familiar with Rishikesh so it eased me into being alone. But as I reached half way in my journey I started to notice that something wasn't normal. Each station I passed, there seemed to be people lying around on big plastic sheets (this is normal), yet they were dressed in bright orange, chattering merrily away. The crowds grew bigger the closer I got to Rishikesh and were completely male dominated, mainly aged 18 - 40 years.

Little did I know we were heading to exactly the same destination. As I entered Rishikesh, some enquiries quickly confirmed that I'd come at the time of the Shiva pilgrimage where Hindus, particularly from the Northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (somewhat poorer than other states) come to Rishikesh, or nearby Haridwar to perform prayers (puja) and bathe in the holy Ganges, around end July. Often for one direction of their journey they must travel all by foot and you see them holding small plastic containers in which they collect Ganga water, which once collected may not be put down on the floor as it is sacred and is kept for future use as it is seen as very holy.

A pilgrimage may conjur images of peaceful, respecful pilgrims, but as this is India, you can turn any expectation on its head. My dreamy traveller, hippy paradise had been transformed by rowdy, ladish men who behaved more like teenagers. The place had an atmosphere I can only describe as a mix between a lads holiday in Ibiza and the testosterone driven hoardes at a football match. It was so strange, just walking down the street became a huge task as they were flooded with orange clad men who would whip out their camera phones at the sight of you and walked along shouting loudly 'Praise Shiva' (but in Hindi). This very quickly became tiresome and exhausting.

Orange clad Shiva pilgrims making lots of noise at the side of the Holy Ganga

The river Ganges had risen greatly and the first few days the rain didn't stop, monsoon was on its way. No longer was the river beautiful and serenene, I couldn't sit at the water without being hassled, though the festival was interesting to have encountered, from the safety of the balcony. I felt like the pilgrimage was more of an excuse for a lads holiday. I decided that it would be good to get started with my yoga and looked up the teacher I'd held in such high esteem before I left. As the season was so low, it became not unusual for me to be the only student so I got real one to to tuition. What a good student can only dream of - unless your teacher is a complete slave driver, sado masachist.

It emerged that the Ashtanga yoga style that I was learning about was just too much for me. My interpretation of yoga is that it should challenge your body, but also make you feel relaxed and that over time you can develop how far your body can move in the asanas (poses) as you learn the right breathing technique. But this guy just wanted to push my body to the limits. I'd go as far as possible in an asana, then he would push my body even further. Yes I can put my head on my knees, when he forces it, but it felt so un natural and I just wasn't enjoying it any more. Plus his adjustment technique was so borderline intrusive. Who I'd originally trusted I slowly lost respect for. I've learnt finding a good yoga teacher in India is ridiculously difficult, most are just slightly perverted and don't really know about yoga, my best teachers have all been Westerners.

There wasn't much in the way of company in Rishikesh either. I met a 40 year old Spanish man who was working in a city nearby on a computer project who became scarily obsessed with me after spending just one morning together. I showed him some temples and local sights whcih he just hadn't even bothered to explore. When he asked if he could hug me, in the middle of the street with so many Indians, I just wanted to hit him around the head. Aside from the fact that I didn't want to hug him anyway, I was completely bemused that he had been in India 6 months and didn't know that it is really rude and disrespectful for men and women to have any physical contact in public, especially in a holy place. What was this man thinking? Needless to say I 'lost' his email address. The atmosphere in Rishikesh had been the complete opposite of the last time I was there and after one week, I knew that it just wasn't going to work out, too many strange experiences in a short space of time!

Life at the Farm

The next entertaining journey was on a Nepalese local bus, where Lucy and I tried to stand in the narrow aisle wearing our huge backpacks as all seats were occupied. We held on for dear life as the bus weaved around the winding roads. Unfortunately, because of the mountainous landscape and a lack of funding, the transport network in Nepal is particularly poor, especially when I contrast it with my experience of coming from India, as the only way to get around is by bus on terrible roads that are always prone to landslides. However the squashed, tiring journey was worth it as the locals were very friendly and it took us to our next exciting destination where we met a family that turned out to be truely inspiring.

The next month of our travelling adventure was spent on an organic farm called HASERA (http://www.organichasera.org/) situated 40km from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu in the Kathmandu Valley. HASERA is so much more than just a farm - it is a centre of learning and research and a meeting place to unite the local community. From my stay there I gained so much new knowledge. Their work is funded mainly from the courses that they run on Permaculture, Sustainable Living and Organic Farming but they also educate the community, volunteers and any visitors interested about organic farming about why it is so important. Their women's group empowers local females to participate in organic farming enabling them to benefit from an increased income as well as protecting them from the ever more prevalent health issues associated with chemical farming. The scope of the women's group continues to increase as they now also begin to educate them about women's health related issues as it became evident that there was a demand for this.

My ridiculous luggage! A big rucksack (with fleece & yoga mat attached), small rucksack & guitar

Watching the women's group, with my own two eyes, meet every Saturday for workshops, experiments on the farm and the farmer's field school, really restored my belief that there are good charitable projects that are successful and are sustainable. Unlike the school that I volunteered at in Jharkhand, the farm's projects are sustainable because they have the community support and they are run by a local family who truley understand the local people and their needs. I loved my time at the school but sadly without the overwhelming support of the locals it is hard to predict whether it will remain open as many of the parents would have preffered their children to work at home and the project constantly battles with the issue of finding someone to co-ordinate it. Yet learning about what HASERA do was very inspirational and I love how proactive Govinda (the dad of the family) is, he always seems to be busy organising, teaching or welcoming new visitors.

Mitto and I preparing the tea leaves that we'd picked the previous day

The Nepalese people as a nation are truely welcoming and I was incredibly touched by how at home the family made us feel. This was great as learning about farming and agriculture is such a new experience for me and when I first arrived I felt quite out of my comfort zone. Yet almost immediately both Lucy and I were given Nepalese names, Santi (Peace) and Basanti (Spring) respectively as is customary for every new volunteer which immediately makes you feel a sense of belonging. The family is led by Govinda, a bubbly, funny, charasmatic, clever Nepalese man who has vast knowledge on organic farming and really allows projects to happen because he is so driven. Mitto is the lady of the house who is a fantastic cook and is so kind and caring but who likes to force you to eat more when you are already oocus moocus (the Nepalese word for absoloutely full!). Lastly there are the 16 year old twins who are already extremely intelligent and fast witted, I don't doubt that they will go on to do great things. They provided us with much evening entertainment by playing Hindi music that they'd enthusiastically sing along and dance to.

Lucy and I participated in the twelve day permaculture course which teaches you how to create a living space, whether that be house/farm/balcony/garden, which meets your personal needs as effectively as possible whilst being environmental and community friendly. Some of the main principles of Permaculture are about being sustainable, making use of local resources, engaging the community, clever use of space, being self sufficient and maintaining diversity of species. I really enjoyed being a student again, learning about something completely new and having a mix of theoretical lessons and practical classes outside on the farm. In particular I liked the practicals where we learnt how to make our own organic compost and fertiliser, how to take cuttings, how to save seeds and how to make our own clay bricks. I can't wait to try everything I have learnt out in practice. My main aim of taking the course was to be able to grow vegetables and fruit back in England as I love cooking and think it would be so rewarding to do this with your own fresh, organic produce.

The Permaculture Group with our certificates at the end of the course

We had a nice small group as there were only seven of us - Lucy and myself, a Swiss guy, a Mexican girl, a Nepalese lady and the twins who also joined in as it was the school holidays. Having grown up on the farm they were easily the biggest SWOTs yet Lucy and I enjoyed the fact we were encouraged by Govinda to ask as many questions as we liked which we certainly did. We were also fuelled by vast supplies (literally endless) of milky, sugary chai and great homecooked food. I really enjoyed sitting on the floor and eating together in the kitchen for every meal and using my hands to eat, my table manners are now pretty atrocious as I literally find it hard to use a knife and fork! Every evening we would finish the day with some more learning as we would settle down to watch a documentary. It was a long day but very rewarding.

Dinner time on the farm

I found the Permacourse really interesting and it certainly challenged me in a completely new way because our task for the last three days of the course was to redesign one of the local farms so that the land could be use more effectively. This made me feel quite nervous as I took the task quite seriously as I wanted to make suggestions that could really improve the farmers lives and enjoyment of their land. However I felt no where near qualified enough after twelve days to be making such recommendations having never lived in a temperate climate where the types of plants they have and the food they grow is completely different. However the idea was to apply some of the theory we'd learnt and for this it was very useful. In order to redesign the farm we had to go there and survey the current landuse and visit the village to learn about the community in which they live. We also conducted interviews with the family to asses their needs, find out how they live and what is important to them, what issues do they face, what areas for improvement are there. It was such an amazing opportunity but I really wanted to make constructive, helpful suggestions and could have spent days, weeks, even months on the task. But all we had was three days! Luckily I was paired with a lovely, chilled out Mexican girl who was so ridiculously laid back about everything that it was hard to really worry. I'm really proud of the work we did and what we eventually came up with as we identified some really easy, simple changes that could make a big difference.

My plan for the redesign of the local farm

One of the great things about staying at the farm and doing the course was that we were able to visit local villages, close to one another yet with very different customs and cultures (different religions, dress, some would eat meet and drink alchohol but the others wouldn't). It was really interesting to contrast the two. Also, as the farm is a hub of activity, there are locals dropping by regularly to say hello or to attend a meeting, so you feel like you really get to interact with the Nepalese people. I enjoyed the simple life of rising and going to bed early, eating food grown on the farm and learning about agriculture and farming, the seasons and weather and how much these affect millions of farmers across the world on a daily basis. I also like just helping out around the farm with jobs like weeding and tea picking as there is something so satisfying about working outside and seeing the outcome of your work infront of you.

The Permaculture Group planting seeds in a practical session on the farm

I felt honoured to be allowed to accompany the family to their paddy fields, around a km walk down the slope, on rice planting day. It was incredible to watch the locals climb down the steep rocky paths in just flip flops carrying heavy baskets on their heads effortlessly as we struggled in the day time heat, sweating it out despite having proper walking shoes and no heavy loads. I find it incredible when I think about how important it is to the farmer that these crops are succesful, otherwise they simply won't have enough food to feed their family. For me, this idea would make me feel under a great deal of stress but the farmers have turned the rice planting into quite a commuity event in which they work extremely hard but also seem to have fun, singing as they prepare the terraces and plant the seedlings. The women even wear nice clothes and jewelry as this is a special event and we shared a lovely packed lunch with around twenty of us. Lucy and I joined in with picking the seedlings from the nursery and transporting them to the terraces. We even had a go at planting, standing in the water logged field, squishing around in the mud barefoot which was strangely satisfying, although I had the feeling that the old lady behind me probably felt that we were slowing the whole process down! We watched as the ox was whipped constantly to make him plough the terrace ready for planting and as the different families helped one another out. I have so much new found respect for farmers as it is such a hard job which requires excellent stamina and strength. We were completely exhausted by the time we'd returned to the farm after lunch, yet the family didn't even return until after 9pm when it was dark.

Women in the paddy fields picking rice seedlings from the nursery to plant

I'll always remember the HASERA family with great fondness as I think it's wonderful how they welcome so many people to their home. When I was really sick at the farm, they cared for me making me special food, taking my temperature regularly, letting me sleep in their more comfortable bed and telling me that I'd be fine and that I am in good hands. I admire how much they are involved in improving their local community and promoting the Organic Farming movement in Nepal. As for the farm itself, it was great being surrounded by all of these different fruit and vegetable plants which fed us each day and I liked having the animals like chickens and cows to give us eggs and milk. I hope that HASERA will continue with their great work and now I can't wait to start applying all my new permaculture knowledge back in England!

Magical Mountains

We spent three weeks in the beautiful mountains of Nepal in the Langtang region of the wonderous Himalayas doing the Langtang Trek and the Tamang Heritage Trail. Although this sounds intense, we weren't actually walking for that long, we took our time and made many stops along the way as we wanted to listen to our bodies and be able to take in the stunning scenery that so many people miss in a rush to get to the top in as few days as possible.

Pretty Views on the way up

Leaving my large backpack in Kathmandu, I took just a small bag with my camera, some warm clothes, torch, walking stick (the best thing anyone recommended me to take), 15 bars of snickers (the only time when it is acceptable to have one per day!) and a notebook. We didn't need more then this which was a liberating feeling. Needless to say I wore the same sweaty, smelly clothes for the whole three weeks which made it even better when we returned to Kathmandu to have a bag of clean clothes waiting and a hot shower/attached bathroom (ahh heaven as before we had to endure mainly cold showers which were seperate from the lodges so you had to go into the freezing cold to wee) plus a choice of food other than daal bhat, noodles and tibetan bread with omlette.

Steadliy climbing on up

We chose to do the Langtang trek because it is one of the lesser known walks that hasn't yet been overwhelmed by tourists. We also heard that you don't need a guide which really appealed to us as we wanted to go at our own pace and have freedom to stay where we wanted and just be antisocial and spend time together. Lucky for us it was the end of the season so we saw very few other people and found it easy to find places to stay. The accomodation was wonderful consisting of small, wooden, charming lodges heated by open fires (which was needed as it got colder and colder the higher we climbed and the closer to snow we got). Thanks to Lucy learning to knit in Rishikesh, I had a nice cozy, woolen hat to wear.

One of the amazing lodges that we slept at in the forest

We saw some of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen and it was fascinating to watch the landscape change as we climbed higher and higher - from forests to valleys to snow capped mountains and glaciers. There are not enough words to do it justice. The walking was not always easy, we climbed alot of steps and sometimes got caught in the rain or the icy wind. But walking for hours and being outdoors all day in nature just gives you such a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day.

The usual forest traffic jam

We were also privelleged to encounter a great deal of Tibetan culture as the mountains border with Tibet and many Tibetans now live here. It was intruiging and we were so lucky to be invited to an event at one of the monastries along the way. Unfortunately some locals had been killed in an avalanche, one of problems of living so high up in the mountains is that you are so vulnerable to nature's harsh ways. Everyone gathered to mourn their death, however I'm pleased to say that it was more of a celebration of their lives. Together everyone shared food and drinks (including roxy, the local brew which is not very appetising) and I felt so honoured to be allowed to attend, these are really very kind and generous people.

The Buddhist Monastry where the celebration was held

One of many cute, red cheeked Tibetan toddlers running around the monastry

The women sat downstairs chanting the same song over and over again whilst the men made music upstairs and performed prayers. Lots of toddlers ran around being left to their own devices and I must have lifted up around ten different kids so many times saying 'oooohh paahhh' - everyone wanted 'oooo pahh'! The children in the mountains are by far the sweetest and friendliest ones I've ever met and I had so much fun being a child myself and playing with them at different points along the way. I loved it!

Playing horsey with one of my favourites kids

We particularly enjoyed the company of Lama, a lady that became our Tibetan mother as she looked after us for six days when we stayed at the top of a mountain at around 3000m. She took us under her wing and made sure we always had enough to eat and that there was enough wood on the fire. She also took us out to look for 'Yatsah Gumpa' which, from what I can make out, is some sort of rare mushroom, that originally starts off as an insect. They look like small sprouts of grass coming out of the ground and are therefore very difficult to spot so you have to get down on your knees and crawl around to find them, which Lucy and I did for three hours without finding a single one! However they are worth a great deal of money in China as they are supposedly extremely good for your health and are somewhat of a delicacy. Looking back I don't think that we should have been part of picking them, however sadly whether we were there or not people will continue to look for them as they are so valuable.

Lamu showing Lucy Yatsah Gumpa

My other highlights include a walk down the valley towards a huge glacier at the top of the mountain with Lucy. We originally got up at 5am equipped with our warmest clothes and packed lunch with the intention to climb the highest peak. We started off sleepily, but in good spirits however we gradually came to realise that we were climbing the wrong peak! Only we could make this mistake - we found the path we'd taken was getting gradually more steep and dangerous so we decided that mini rock slides weren't too promising and it would be better to climb down. So instead we walked the whole day down the rocky valley, just the two of us, singing our hearts out (which is one of my favourite ever mountain activities), having heart to hearts, absorbing the incredible scenery, drinking warm tea from our Thermos flask and appreciating life and one another. It was such a magical day.

Me, my wooly hat and the stunning ice capped mountains

Lucy and Ren alone in the mountains

I was also touched by the sweetness of the Tibetan people and how hospitable they were. One night I felt some slight altitude sickness (partly to do with over exerting myself after all the 'ooo pah pah'ing with the kids) and had such a thumping headache that I couldn't speak. I just sat by the fire trying to keep warm and waiting for the pain to ease. But then when I went to bed, one of the Tibetan girls came to my room (which had no door only a cloth) and made me get in my sleeping bag and then proceeded to pile three thick woolen blankets over me and then tuck them under my body. I felt so warm and cosy and touched by how caring the girl was as I haven't been tucked into bed for years! Despite being half way up a mountain, thousands of meters from home in pain, I still felt a sense of calm and ease from this and these kind of moments make me really happy and appreciative. I also am indebted to the girl's father who leant me a huge thick, bomber jacket for when I went furthjer up the mountain as the clothes that I had just weren't enough, he really saved me as without it I would not have been able to appreciate the place.

High altitude yoga with a view was so amazing

I'd never been trekking in my life, however it was without a doubt one of the best experience of my life that I'll keep reminising about as it's such a good memory. I am so glad that I got to share the experience with Lucy as no one else will quite know the amazing atmosphere that we felt when it was just the two of us in the spectacular nature with not a soul in sight. We experienced true, freezing cold nature, beautiful fresh air, morning yoga in the most beautiful place, Tibetan culture, hot spring, cute kids, singing to the wind and also made some Israeli friends along the way who taught us a great deal about Israeli culture. The mountains were tough, but without a singel doubt well worth it. Magical Himalayan Mountains I won't forget you.

Festivals and Friends

Next for the fun…… having recovered from my illness and after six months of listening to very little music, we heard on the traveller grapevine that there was going to be a music festival in Pokhara, the beautiful lakeside resort in Nepal. Because I desperately needed my music/dance fix I jumped at the chance to go and managed to persuade Lucy after some perseverance. With Lucy on board I looked forward to the music, atmosphere and great weather.

The beautiful lake in Pokhara

The festival, called Mountain Madness, was oddly located on the grounds of a five star hotel.It was extremely surreal to see hoardes of scruffy looking travellers camped on the neatly mowed and maintained hotel lawn. I later discovered the reason for this is that the hotel is massively failing, is in huge debt and hence to resolve its financial issues has had to resort to hosting a massively loud festival in their vicinity. We has forty eight hours of heavy, pounding trance music which duely danced to as that's what we came for, but god I realised how much I can't stand Trance music. I'd honestly expected there to be some variety in the music but actually it was all along these lines (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIgAgo7owX8) - too much too much!

People dancing away to the mad trance music

Despite the terrible music and all of the promised 'ayuvedic massage', 'yoga camp' and 'world food' not actually being there we had alot of fun. I had my first beer for months and we had the most incredible storm I have ever seen (so much for the good weather). The lightening was so intense and frequent that at first I assumed that it must have been strobe lighting coming from the main stage. Lucy and I prided ourselves on the fact we managed to accidently fall asleep in our tent at 11.30pm on the second night when we popped back for a snack. How it happened when our tent was just 30m from the thudding, pounding music of the mainstage I can't believe. We must be hardened travellers from India as literally every guesthouse we stayed in would have some form of noise throughout the night. Indians can literally sleep anywhere and through anything. It was great waking up fresh faced and going to dance again in the morning when most of the festival goers looked, well lets say a bit worse for wear, after a whole night of trance and partying hard.

What most of the festival goers looked like after 2 days of partying!

Camping on the hotel lawn

Post festival we dashed over to Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, which I was to end up spending about 5 weeks in in total over my time in Nepal. I expected chaos, noise and havoc, but after an Indian city it is relatively calm, however I can't say it was clean, the air pollution was horrific and I've never seen such a horrible river full of trash. We came to Kathmandu as we were meeting one of our best friends from England - Kate who came to visit for two weeks. After six whole months away it was great to catch up with a friend from home and it was great to see her reactions as she was still a bit overwhelmed by the beeping horns and mad traffic that we have just learnt to ignore. Over the fortnight we explored many parts of Kathmandu and the surrounding valley -and to complete my transformation into a real traveller I brought myself a cheap, small guitar!

Kate and I drinking Cheeah (tea) in the streets of Kathmandu

We were privileged to meet a local Nepalese man who took us to see one of the three famous Kumaris (living goddess) in and around Kathmandu. Nepal is the only country in which they believe that a living person can be a god. The Kumari is bound to her house, apart from during festivals when she is taken on a throne through the streets of Kathmandu, but her feet cannot touch the ground. To become a Kumari the child must go through a series of difficult tests and fulfill a list of strict criteria, she remains the Kumari until she sheds blood, as of course gods can't bleed, which is usually at menstruation. After this she is suddenly no different from any other person and is expected to live a normal life. To me it's all crazy, it was a very strange experience but it's supposed to be an honourto meet her so we are lucky!

Meeting the renowned Kumari

We visited many sites around Kathmandu including Patan and Bhaktapur (cities with a great deal of cultural heritage and beautiful buildings) and Bodha, a quieter part of Kathmandu where there is a beautiful Buddhist stupa, complete with endless prayer flags and the chanting of this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG_lNuNUVd4) which are imprinted in my mind forever and will always remind me of Nepal (even though technically its Tibetan!). We drank copious amounts of chai and sat talking at the guesthouse for hours about home, life, philosophy, love, nature, science - everything. Then we taught Kate the Indian mantra songs we'd learnt in Rishikesh. They're just really short songs, but they are great to sit and sing for hours on end, you just zone into the tune and lose yourself. They are going to annoy the hell out of my family, friends and neighbours on my return!

Kate, Renee and Lucy in Patan

Kate also managed to persuade us to get in touch with our adventurous side by going rafting. As yet we hadn't really done anything to get our adrenaline rushing so it was an extremely fun experience. We laughed at our pathetic attempts to row until the instructor shouted so loudly at us "LEFT SIDE FORWARD" and I felt a paddle hit me on the head. After that I started really listening. The first day was easy but the second day the rapids were actually quite a challenege. However the highlight has to be when our boat capcized (a practice run of course) and we all climbed back in only to find kate with her trousers down which, because they were so heavy and wet, she was struggling to pull up. Wow she really was the instructors favourite after that!

The three girlies at the Stupa in Bodha

I really like Kathmandu as a city. It's not too big so it is easy to explore, people are so welcoming and friendly and we found a great guesthouse to stay it. It was in an enclove tucked away from the busy street and had a peaceful garden and chillout area meaning that you didn't really feel like you were in a mad city. The only major downfall was the horrific air pollution. Apart from that I have only good things to say about our time here.

Exploring is tiring work