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Back to Reality?

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Well, this is it.  Far from the end, but currently the end of Asia for me… at least this time around.  I’m sitting in the Taipei, Taiwan airport right now awaiting my transfer flight back to America.  By the end of the day I will be in Los Angeles, and doing my best to deal with the culture shock of returning home.16 months have past since I sold my house and set off on my grand world adventure.  It has been quite a ride, with more twists, turns and unexpected excitement and revelation than I could have ever expected.  There are no regrets to be found, and if anything my dread of the end is the most prevelant.  Alas, now my goal is to settle back into a quasi-American lifestyle and find enough income to get back on the road again.    It is hard to begin processing all the stimuli I have encountered, but I’m sure I will gain more clarity and words of explanation as time goes on.  I’m also sure that the massive game of catch up, copying about 100 pages of hand-written journal and uploading the last 5 months of photos will give me quite a refresher.  So, luckily for all of you readers who have been unfortunately neglected, there will be some new content flowing onto this site in the next few months.

A Moustache Contest in Jaisalmer?

Monday, February 18th, 2008

A Moustache Contest?

As the first words of the Jaisalmer Desert Festival fell upon my ears, the interest had already been thoroughly implanted. Along with a series of other bizarre events and a good share of camels, this event is too atypical to pass up! With the information that the gathering begins tomorrow, I don’t hesitate to pack my bags and board an overcrowded bus leaving in the early evening. [read on]

Motorcycle Mishaps

Sunday, February 17th, 2008

After a late lunch I find my mechanical mount and start back towards civilization. I leave the limits of the camel fair and into a brewing sandstorm. Long distance visibility is down a bit, and the stinging sand against my skin isn’t pleasant, but I can still make out the road safely. It is on this road from Naguar to Jodhpur I run into my first of motorcycle problems, where only a few minutes into the desert I run out of gasoline!    [read on]

Zen and the art of bowel maintenance

Friday, February 15th, 2008

Hey kids: Have you ever tried a shaking public squat toilet on an overcrowded train. It’s like an extreme sport! It makes all other comodes feel dull and boring! And hey parents… it’s actually more sanitary too! [read on]

Back to Bombay and Beyond

Friday, February 15th, 2008

 

So my fate brought me back to Mumbai, just a little early than anticipated.  I made my way through the uncharacteristic cold dawn air and mist on a local train towards Chembur.  A short time later I climbed the flight of steps to Ratnadeep’s door and rang the doorbell.  Surprise; I’m early!  He unexcpectedly but warmly welcomed me in, and for the next week I was at home again.     [read on]

“Sleeper”

Friday, February 8th, 2008

All sleeper tickets to Mumbai are booked for a solid week, but I must escape the magnetism of Gokarna before I become a permanent fixture in the wave kissed sand.  The beach of Arambol in Goa sounds like a nice stop on the way north, and it happens to be home to a reputable Tabla instructor, so I board a second class train headed there.  Even if people are packed in so tight that I’m left hanging out the door, it’s only a two hour trip so it shouldn’t be that bad.    [read on]

A Major Misnomer

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

After a pleasant week in Hampi, full of exploration as well as paying work, my long deserved vacation from travelling is at hand. I plan to waste away on a beach somewhere in Gokarna until my spirit for adventure fully recovers.    [read on]

Notice: Vacation

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

In a couple hours I am leaving for one of the Gokarna Beaches in India. I will be staying in a beach hut far from any computer and taking a well needed holiday from all of this crazy travelling. Please don’t fret if I don’t respond to any emails for the next couple weeks… I am still alive, and will be very much taking advantage of the fact by doing nothing in particular.

For your envious enjoyment:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=kudle+beach&m=text

Exploring the Ruins Part II: Risk vs. Reward

Friday, January 18th, 2008

After returning from my excursion into the wilderness and back to the Royal Center Ruins, I make my way into the Hazararama Temple reserved exclusively for the former nobility.  The structure is beautifully preserved.  Intricate carvings detail all of the columns and facades.  The former glory of this dead civilization further impresses itself on me every minute, but this section is overrun by tourists and schoolchildren.   The overabundance of people is wearing away the passive clarity that I achieved in the solitude on top of the boulder hill, so I climb back on the motorcycle and head for a more remote temple to explore.    [read on]

Exploring the Ruins Part I: Bouldering

Friday, January 18th, 2008

 

After a week of excessive train trips I have finally arrived at a destination to linger in: The small market-town of Hampi Bazaar lies within a landscape strewn with massive boulders and sub-tropical flora.  Scattered throughout this already impressive scenery are the ruins of the eight-hundred year-old city of Vijayanagara.  Remnants of old crumbling walls and columns of ancient structures are frequently found lingering the countryside.  Sporadically spread amongst them are temple complexes adorned with elaborate rock carvings and grand halls of massive stone-work that paint a vivid picture of this former civilizations glory.    [read on]