[On the Roof of the World - Tibet]

In order to bypass the need of Chinese travel permits I have based myself in Lhasa and proceeded to do day trips from here.

Firstly a 2 day trip north to Nam-Tso Lake, at 4718m, which, if it is no the highest lake in the world, it certainly is 'up' there. The tour agency where we booked the bus ticket said the "lake is a little cooler than Lhasa". Foolishly we believed him, thus ignoring my common sense experience of Alpine regions and I didnt even bother to read the guide books warnings.. (Just another example to illustrate that one should never believe everything a tour agency claims!).

It was freezing! When we arrived the wind was blowing a gale, icy cold and piercing all layers of clothing. Not one of us bothered to bring our really warm clothing, which we instantly regretted. The day trippers from Lhasa quickly left and by mid afternoon it was snowing. (in summer time no less) Violently shivering and afraid I would catch hypothermia, I crawled into bed under multiple blankets before 8pm , with every piece of clothing I could find.

But our luck was to change.

The next morning at 7am we were greeted with a near full moon setting in the west just as the sun rose over the hill. With no wind, the lake was tranquil, splendidly back dropped by 7000m peaks, lightly sprinkled with last nights snow. Still cold though, we enjoyed the walk around the lake, with the stunning colours of the morning. I let the pics speak for themselves.

Back in Lhasa I visited the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas which was also used in the 1950's by the current 14th Dalai Lama. When I visited his former bedroom and meditation room (offcourse the Chinese dont post this on signs, I had to deduce this from my guide book) I was surprised at how drawn I am to his presence. It seems he will be giving a 10 day public teachings from the 2nd of July in Dharamsala (India) this year. And a strong part of me is pulling me to be there..

Just yesterday, on a local pilgrim bus (the only bus I've been on where people smoke) we drove out east to Ganden Monastery (at 4700m). Nestled nicely between 2 peaks, it was surrounded by a decidedly greener Tibet. Till now, Tibet was mostly brown plains, surrounded by peaks, so it was a refreshing change in scenery.

The monastery was just open and we had it to ourselves. The chapels had a very soothing effect on me, like taking a hot bath after a hard days work. The smell of butter lamps, yak butter tea and burning incense made the chapels feel welcoming. Plus they were decidedly warmer than outside. Again, with such altitudes, it was cold and we and we had wet snow in the morning. On entry in each chapel I would first defrost my hands over the candles. Later when the sun came out, the temperature quickly jumped from 4c to 14c.

And with the sun warming my face, I made the traditional clockwise walk around the monastery (called Kora), enjoying the green views.

Its just 2 more days before I fly to Kathmandu. I shall certainly visit Deprung Monastery again, because as I wrote in my last posting, it touched me deeply there. I also felt that a part of me wanted to return 'home' in Tibet, but painfully realising that there is no longer a home here for me. Not in this lifetime anyways...

But I feel ready to leave on Sunday 10th June and I am grateful for the experiences I had here.

(For more pictures on Tibet, Click Here)

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[The China of Tibet]

Since I was 17 I have always wanted to goto Tibet. In particular I was captivated by the books my dad had lent me, written by a Tibetan monk called Lobsang Rampa who later settled in Canada. His stories of a monks life, rituals, pilgrimages and ancient Buddhist practises fascinated me. Buddhism always felt familiar to me and I have often said that if I had to join one religion Buddhism would be it.

On 22nd May I crossed the border of Nepal into Tibetan territory as part of a 7 day overland tour. My first impressions of Tibet were typified by the border town of Zhangmu (2300m elevation). Its China.

All the writing is in Chinese and only occasionally in small writing beneath are the words in Tibetan. If there is money involved or its a business, to be sure, its mostly owned by Chinese. As the Dalai Lama rightly pointed out, the greatest threat to Tibet are the Tibetans themselves becoming a minority in their own country. (Its also illegal to have a picture of the 14th Dalai Lama in Tibet. For similar reasons bookshops in Tibet dont sell the Tibetan Lonely Planet as the guide book doesnt support the Chinese view of Tibet)

For me, the feeling of a non-China Tibet is in the small rural villages where the Tibetans still farm the soil with Yaks. So arriving in Lhasa after my tour I have mixed feelings. Certainly surprised at how non-Tibetan it is.

Lhasa is a super modern city and in the main shopping street I was surprised to find the likes of Gucci, Playboy, Etam etc. 4-5 star Chinese hotels are everywhere.
Most of the Tibetans in Lhasa can be found in an area called Barkhor. Pilgrims flock to the Jokhang temple and circle it clockwise (always clockwise!) Some even circle the temple by prostrating around it all the way. Maybe its good for Karma credit, but isnt there an easier way..?

Tibet is really a high altitude desert and this can provide amazing contrasts in
landscapes. It seems most settlements are on the plains flanked by steep mountains on either side. Nothing seems to permanently grow on these mountains so every where you look you are surrounded by high, brown, rocky peaks. Its a harsh beauty in itself, the brown rocky plains, with the odd green rice fields, or with turquoise coloured lakes against a blue blue sky.

The air is thin and dry due to the altitude. (Lhasa is 3600m) On our 2nd day of the tour we passed through 5050m and finally slept at an altitude of 4050m. This meant we had elevated 1700m in one day- we all had altitude sickness. For me, like I had when I climbed Kilimanjaro, I had throbbing, throbbing headaches.

In 2003 I quoted my worse toilet experience but I have found a new winner.... In rural western Tibet. The toilet was merely a long slit in a small concrete room, elevated above the ground. There was not even water available. Below on the ground one can see the excrement. And does it smell! No water, no lime, no saw dust. Pure crap left outside for months. Just as I was finishing up I almost shat myself again when I saw something big move under my bum 50cm below. It was a donkey (or small cow). She came to check out the fresh droppings and sniffed and licked at her new findings...blah! Often in mens toilets there is no partition between the slits, so one can happily shit in the company of others. I never thought I would say this but I look forward to the toilets in India again..

Curiously and to much our discomfort, our first 2 hotels in rural Tibet didnt even have any shower facilities, not even a private place to through a bucket of water over yourself. The hotel in Zhangmu was quite new with staff sharply dressed in uniforms, yet no showers. Weird.

The Tibetans are generally warmer, more welcoming and friendlier than the Chinese. The monks are lively and fun to talk with. I had a very familiar, home coming experience when I visited the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa. It somehow touched a deep chord within me. And when I visited the Potala I felt the excitement of the place it was and I could imagine myself having debated politics and religion amongst the lamas in one of their great halls.

Sometimes when I saw one of the many statues of the past lamas in the temples, it was as if they were alive. Almost as if the energy and personality of the lama is being transmitted into the room via the statue. I was impressed when I saw the monks make a Mandela out of coloured sand, purely by hand, taking month(s) to make. Only to be destroyed later, as a teaching too for non-attachment.

To go almost anywhere outside of Lhasa one needs a group travel permit. This means one has to be part of a tour, hiring a jeep, driver and a government approved guide. This frustrates everyone as not only is it insanely expensive, (out of the realms of typical backpacking) it takes days to organise a group (including permit). Plus you have to be lucky enough to find enough people to participate and share the cost in a private tour you want to make. Chinese visas organised in Kathmandu are short anyways, mine being 20days.

So I feel rather trapped here. Luckily Lhasa is an interesting place and still worth more time to feel and explore. I really enjoyed the nature in Tibet and Im hoping to do a couple of organised trips in this direction before I fly back to Kathmandu.

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[Walkin de Dogs and Hairpin Turns - India]

It was just over 3 weeks and I was little sad to leave Mcleoud Ganj. I really love being in the mountains and the cool climate, snuggling under a blanket at night, it just appealed to me.

Once I got over another bout of food poisoning (3rd time in 6 months) I took to walking with a regular group of intriguing travellers. One day in particular 6 of us walked to a set of waterfalls. We had started with 2 dogs who voluntarily wanted to go walkies with us from the town. By 9am we had stopped at a small chai shop, because, well, thats what you do around here.. Our group was particularly dog loving and more street dogs quickly appeared from the wood work. Without so much as "com'on, walkies" we had 11 dogs follow us the entire day.

This in itself was an entertainment. Local Indians would stop and stare and goat shepherds got nervous as we approached. Quite a few times we had to ward the dogs away from calves and other animals as they started acting mischievously. In all they were well behaved and enjoyed our company and the occasional scratch behind the ear. Although the cheeky devils would push past you on a narrow trail and then suddenly stop in front and block the path. Hello!

As we got nearer 3000m the air was cool, clear and quiet. It felt wonderful to get away from it all and be alone in nature, with nature. (with 11 dogs offcourse)

One small note about bus travel. Dont. Even though I had a really comfortable, air-conditioned Volvo bus where, god bless, my knees didnt even bench press the seat in front of me... I was still traumatised. I wont even mention the silly Bollywood film they played...

They drive so flippin fast and jerky. And its a night bus, careering through hairpin turns as we leave the Himalayas to get back onto the plains. Thus there is no sense of horizon making the experience feel more like a dreadful theme park ride instead of a normal, sit back and relax bus trip.

A lady in the aisle next to me vomited twice and it was all I could do, praying to every known deity, to keep my stomach contents in their respectful place. (Although in June 2004 I did heave up 5 times on a bus ride) Two and half hours later I was exhausted, nauseous but feeling safer as we reached the plains. God damn ghastly trip, every bloody time.

Today Deli has warmly greeted me (39 degrees) but I bid her quickly farewell as I fly to Kathmandu, Nepal, tomorrow.

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[Dharamsala (Mcleod Ganj) - North India]

For a week now I'm home in the Himalayas, at a modest 1800m. After a long 2 day journey from south India I have arrived at the village of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile.

Its a breath of fresh air, especially compared with smelly Deli, and its way cooler than the south. (which was upto 42 degrees when I left)

My room has a splendid view of the snow capped mountains and eagles ride the air currents in front of my balcony. The valleys are green and wooded and there are nature trails to walk. So I love sitting on my balcony catching the morning sun while drinking a cup of self made hot chocolate and taking up the scene before me. I call it my moving picture and I never seem to get bored of it.

The village is dotted with monasteries and head shaven monks in dark red robes walk the streets. Apparently the days of being a monk and owning a mere bowl and cup has changed- I spotted many of the monks with the coolest mobile phone.

It is a bit of a melting pot here and there are more Tibetan, far eastern and western styled restaurants than Indian. In fact it doesn't feel like I am in India at all, which is very refreshing in itself! The atmosphere here is relaxed, and hassle free, a bit like the climate. ;-) Like many people who arrive here I quickly felt at home and I can imagine I will stay for a longer period.

Happy Happy Happy!

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[Dharamsala (Mcleod Ganj) - North India]

For a week now I'm home in the Himalayas, at a modest 1800m. After a long 2 day journey from south India I have arrived at the village of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile.

Its a breath of fresh air, especially compared with smelly Deli, and its way cooler than the south. (which was upto 42 degrees when I left)

My room has a splendid view of the snow capped mountains and eagles ride the air currents in front of my balcony. The valleys are green and wooded and there are nature trails to walk. So I love sitting on my balcony catching the morning sun while drinking a cup of self made hot chocolate and taking up the scene before me. I call it my moving picture and I never seem to get bored of it.

The village is dotted with monasteries and head shaven monks in dark red robes walk the streets. Apparently the days of being a monk and owning a mere bowl and cup has changed- I spotted many of the monks with the coolest mobile phone.

It is a bit of a melting pot here and there are more Tibetan, far eastern and western styled restaurants than Indian. In fact it doesn't feel like I am in India at all, which is very refreshing in itself! The atmosphere here is relaxed, and hassle free, a bit like the climate. ;-) Like many people who arrive here I quickly felt at home and I can imagine I will stay for a longer period.

Happy Happy Happy!

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[Whats Normal..]

Although I have spent quite some time in India it still manages to surprise me now and then.

Just the other day I caught a rickshaw to visit a friend, when we came upon an elephant in the middle of the road. She is called Sai Gita and is a pet of the ashram. She was standing serenely minding her own business, literally right in the middle of the road, while the traffic continued as 'normal' as it went around and behind her. Watching it all and unconcerned for our madness, Sai Gita just stood there like it was the most natural thing to do for an elephant in this situation.

I commented on this to a friend of mine, saying how "the traffic and Indians just went around her like she was a cow on the road". He had to laugh and pointed out the irony of it all- that a cow in the middle of the road was somehow normal but an elephant....!

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[The Stars That Shine]

In about a weeks time I shall move on from the ashram town. Its just too hot here now, peaking around 40 degrees and still rising..!

So whats mostly kept me busy over the last 4 months has been my new adventure in Vedic astrology.

I attended a class over a 3 month period and since then our study group meets regularly. I knew absolutely nothing about astrology in the beginning so I was struggling to keep up with my friends who had a western astrology background. Although there are many similarities in the beginning between both western and Vedic, such as houses, signs and the planetary meanings, the differences begin to widen.

Western astrology doesnt account for the procession of the equinoxes. So if your sun sign (star sign) is in Taurus, the reality is that when you were born the sun was actually in Aries. Hence most people change signs in the Vedic system. In western astrology what you see in your chart was not actually the astronomically observed position of the planets at the time of your birth, whereas in Vedic it is. Not to say one system is better than the other but for my feeling the Vedic system makes more sense.

I am starting to get a real feeling for the cosmic energies and madly enough I am having dreams of astrology where I am shown how to interpret the chart and the planetary energies. I have only read a few peoples chart and they seemed to find the information helpful..

I wont go so far to say astrology can clearly predict your life but it does seem we are influenced or under affect of planetary energies, whereby certain outcomes seem probable. I am enjoying it but I am aware one could study this forever..

Following the lines of intuition I recently started reading angel/tarot cards and I have picked this up rather quickly. I am using ordinary playing cards at this moment and interestingly it is giving clear messages for myself and others.


Some would say I have the gift of the gab to expel, ...how can I say this.... many words of a more warm, manure like nature, so its seem no surprise to these witty characters that I am dabbling in such arts.. :-)

Even though I love working with my intuition I still need to find a real paying job someday...!

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[From Thiru to Auroville - South India]

After Hampi we traveled south (I met Ailsa in a workshop in Europe in 2006) into a town known for its spiritual connections.. Thiruvannamalai also has a mountain which is supposed to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva himself, which is a big deal in Hindu mythology. Legend has it that at any moment 5 enlightened masters live in Thiru and there are numerous ashrams about the town. The circus really happens between Dec and Feb when westerners flock here to listen to spiritual discourses given both by westerners and Indians alike.

My moment of joy was when I made the 2hour climb up the mountain and quite accidentally arrived at the peak on sunrise. To the east the sun was just rising and in the west the moon was setting (a near full moon too :) a very pretty skyline and probably rather auspicious too.

Auroville just north of Pondicherry was our last stop. Its rather an impressive community that strives to put into practice all the new age spiritual values. Even though the local 'Aurovillians' admit there is still a gap between the ideals and what is actually put into practice, there are at least 1700 foreigners putting their money where there mouth is and making a go of it.

We hired a bike and enjoyed touring the region. Its like a Paris meets India, as there is a strong French influence as one of the co-founders of the community was a French woman. They have replanted the forest so it was refreshingly cool and less humid as we visited quaint restaurants and ordered croissants and cafe latte. A real oasis in India.

I liked the architecture which is quite renegade, the houses looked like they were from the Australia's best out-back homes catalogue. It sure beats the unimaginative concrete square box home so commonly found in India. Their statement to the world would have to be the main meditation hall, which is in the centre of the town placed in a large green park.

But after 18 days of travel... I forgot how tiring it was to travel and I cant believe I once travelled for 19months or so. So pleased to be able to come back to my own appartment in Puttaparthy.

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[An Ol Favourite- Hampi]



It was time to get away from the dusty dry madness of Puttaparthy... I have just spent a week relaxing in the lush, spacious and quiet place called Hampi situated in South India.


It has been my 3rd visit here, but it would be have to be one of my most favorite places in the world and for sure in India.

(To see my photos from my previous trips in 2003-04, click here)


It got very hot in the day time, so it was quite necessary to hang out in a cafe ;-)

As the breeze picked up in the afternoons we would take walks along the river and spot temple ruins or we would tour around the area on a scooter or bicycle.

Its nice to visit places on a bicycle because people and especially children in the small villages come out to greet you.

Hampi, there is no place like it...

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[The Roads that Lead to Rome - India]

Just spent a week lazing on a beach in Goa, called Palolem. I have been here once before in 2004, although it was a lot more authentic and 'rusty' then. I instantly saw when I checked in my hut how much the tourist scene has developed since my last visit when the hotel staff boasted they could get anything I wanted, condoms? “thanks but I don't need”, how about an Indian girl?

The beach is still very idyllic and feeling the cool breeze and hearing the waves crash at night as I slept made it a refreshing change from the dry and dusty ashram town.

By good luck, on my way home, I met 2 people at the airport who had organised a taxi for the 3hour journey back to Puttaparti, which I gladly joined. I have never travelled by car in India before, and this was a full front seat experience.

Its 9pm and I am still amazed at how much traffic is on the road and just how big Bangalore city has become in such a short time. After the usual nauseating ride much like any theme park attraction we got onto their 'highway', where the fun starts.

I am constantly blinded. Everyone drives on high beam, which means the wind screen is a blaze of swirling diffracted white light and concentric circles. I cant see for shit, which is pretty ok cos I'm not driving, but the driver..? It appears no one dips their lights unless its for your own convenience. There are no street or highway lights so it gives the whole road a surreal experience. Sometimes its looks like the oncoming traffic is driving on the wrong side of the road, and sometimes they do! – I saw 2 motorcycles coming towards us on the inside lane. Just to add to the confusion.

So we cruise about 100km/hr, when the driver for no apparent reason almost stops the car – bloody big speed humps on the middle of the highway – unsigned and without reflector marks. Or the highway would suddenly end, without so much as a witches hat, take a sharpish bend, go through some more construction works and then turn into a single land road. And as suddenly as it ended we get back onto the highway again.

As expected we dodged the odd young looking but very dead cow that obviously didn't make it across the road. (Cows usually have an uncanny sense of road craft, plus its really bad karma for a Hindu to kill one) Trucks managed to take up both lanes of the road and make right hand turns from the left lane. (India drives on the left)

The game of passing (playing chicken) started when we got onto the single country lane roads. The road themselves were not terribly comfortable but not too bad either, with the odd huge pot hole to keep the driver awake. To over take in India, it seems, one first measures how much distance one needs to safely do so. If you're a car, you would overtake when the safety gap was short by a few good metres just to entertain (frighten) your passengers. For the bigger vehicles (and size really does count here) well, they just pretty much over take regardless… The driver had to yield and slow right down to avoid head on collisions with buses and trucks.

Dirty trucks would loom out of the darkness which had no tail lights or reflectors. Trucks are barely lit and they don't look like Xmas trees like they do in the west. Once I miss took a truck for a motorcycle as it had only one head light. Mostly though you could tell a truck or bus was approaching due to the flashing lights they have on their dashboard complete with family pictures and statues of their reverend Gods. It's the kitschy dashboard temple alter.

To survive on the road here I guess you just have to be prepared for everything, and I do mean that literally, plus a little local knowledge helps too. By midnight I arrived safely, if only slightly alarmed, at my apartment. Needless to say I didn't nod off to sleep in the car!

I had to smile when I saw a traffic sign in Bangalore city which read "Obey Traffic Laws" :-)


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[The Xmas Movie]

Back in storage here in India I found a Cd where the Irish lads and I had recorded a Xmas sing along in 2004. The story is that Shay (on guitar) had just received some gifts from Ireland for Xmas. He knew someone going back home before 25th, so we put together a cheery message for his folks.

It was supposed to be the first take but we thought it so hilarious we left it as is. Enjoy.

Xmas2004 the Movie!
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