Reflections of 2014.

So were back in the wilds of the beautiful North East, its been a long 6 months  waiting for Sammy to join me but eventually were reunited and the discussions of where we were this time last year have began, reflecting over the incredible adventure and opportunity life brought us to spend 9 months exploring part of this incredible world.

The highs, lows and learning's of 2014.

Many lessons were learnt last year, I fell in and out of love with every country we travelled, I learnt lessons about love not just from my relationship but others, I pushed myself to limits I didn't think I could and I let myself be freer then I ever have, letting my toes travel where the adventure chose.

Travelling.

Day trains, night trains, night buses, day buses, ferries, speed boats, rowing boats, taxis, hiking, flights, walking, up hills, down hills, across country, through continents we did it all and I smiled and cried through so many as I thought my poorly sick mind could take no more, but it always did and there was always another journey around the corner. We took a 32hr train through India, a night insect ridden train through Burma, we waited hours to get picked up in Borneo, we jumped out of a taxi with a drunken Thai driver, lost on the motorway in Chiang Mai, went back in time when heading to Mexico and lost our minds and our way on the way to Bali, however I wouldn't change any of it, as like people say 'its all part of the experience'.

Sleeping.

So part of my agreement was that we wouldn't stay in basic stays and would at least hit the mid way mark, however the excitement of travelling I realised was not always laying your head on a bed and sometimes finding sleep whenever and wherever it came, from bartering cheap prices to sleep in basic but beautiful seafront huts, sleeping on night trains, spooning up in locked bays on night buses, catching a few hours on the seats in a Japanese airport, sleeping in a brothel in Mexico, the middle of a desert in India, a tent in the forest of a Malaysian island, we got everywhere, some places I slept in a perfect dream, one night I woke up with a cockroach on my face, it tested me to my limits but the memories will always make me smile.

Eating.

Samosas from every bus stand in India, Thai curry on the streets of Bangkok, Fish upon fish in Malaysia, Khmer Curry in Cambodia, Kuching Laksa in Borneo, we ate every type of food going, my vegetarianism lacked and although I never chose to eat meat there were at times a definite hint of meat flavour, I suffered but enjoyed and my culinary tastes developed and my hatred of fish bones dissolved.

Friendships.

We met and adventured with so many great people on our trip, friends we feel we have made for life, friends who were just the right people to be there at that time, I learnt and developed from some of these people and changed my views on some of life's important lessons from understanding and searching deeper in my heart for a stronger meaning. Exploring the world you realise how many people are on similar journeys, sometimes even having a parallel life in some aspect, the many nights we spent talking and sharing times and adventures, it was great to have the chance in life to go out there be vulnerable but be open to learn from people I met as strangers but soon become friends.

Love.

Sam and I decided we wanted to spend this year together, we wanted to be away from the stresses and strains life brings and connect to each other somewhere different then England, my job can be very demanding and with training to be a Counsellor the last few years I have gone through a number of changes and unfolding in my own personal world, which Sam has held me through and supported me in every stage. This trip therefore was to move on from that and have a year where the world was just about us. Wow what a privilege, hey, we spent many days and nights talking about our relationship, other relationships, family relationships, how they work, how they don't, who inspires us, who doesn't. We talked with friends we met about the meaning of love and importance of past, the strength it gives us to be who we are in our relationship now and the changes we have made due to that. We argued, cried, smiled, loved, jumped, dived, walked, ran, hiked, made decisions, debated decisions, reassured, got lost, got totally lost, but mostly we found each other, we saw each others vulnerabilities and wants and found that deep love that connects us and inspires us.

Lessons.

I never have to do anything, I get to do it.. My yoga teacher Denise Payne taught me this when one day in teacher I asked 'do I have to do this' she reminded me that I never have to do anything, I get to do it and what a privilege that is.

I have a precious human life and I am not going to waste it.. Bex Tyrer read this poem out one day when in a yoga class, it stuck with me and made me think of the adventure we were on, it confirmed the right choices about going away, about quitting my work and doing something for us, life is precious and I certainly wasn't going to waste it.

Everything doesn't happen for a reason, we live in a cruel world.

What's meant for me wont pass me, a friend text me this one day when I was worrying about something, its a mantra that lives with me always.

The Lonely planet does the tell the truth.

When Sam told me we would have the chance to meet the Dalai Lama, I obviously laughed at him, of course the LP states that in its highlighted blue box, why wouldn't it.... well it only turned out to be true and we did get to meet him, miracles do happen.

Changes.

Babies were born, friends were married, people moved away, people moved home, life carried on whilst we travelled and although people always say everything is the same when you come home for us it wasn't, we were different and we were changed, we came home 6wks early as the bank of Sam and Claire ran out, however it felt the right time and we were ready for the next adventure.

 

 



 



 

North India – into the Himalayas

We moved on from Jaisalmer to Amritsar, somewhere Sam was dying to get too, a place I was hit and miss about. Amritsar is where the Golden Temple is which is a the holiest Sikh pilgrimage site, now I think this was my first problem, I do enjoy seeing temples/places of worship but there is something in me that also feels rather uncomfortable about me visiting, like I don’t believe places like this should be used as a tourist attraction, if that makes sense? I can see why they are and for others it maybe amazing to see a place that means so much to another but there is an air of unease within myself when I am there, it’s like I have entered someone’s house uninvited. However even with all these thoughts it was spectacular to see and did hold a real sense of pure beauty about it, its grand statue was incredible and the place was buzzing with prayer and believers that it did hold a fame of magic around it, with my thinking shifting I could see why this was a place of awe and beauty and I felt rather privileged to have visited somewhere others are dying to see.

That evening we did the standard border parade, which it seemed everyone there was going to do, in my mind I had that it would be a normal border with a few guards and a military style patrol, oh how wrong I was, it was a spectacle even Walt Disney would have been proud of, the ‘wind the crowd up guy’, the theatrical uniforms, the music and dancing, the stalls which everyone was ushered too, the whole thing was a performance that could have been performed at a theme park. The border parade happens every evening when India and Pakistan close the border to each other for the night, somehow this day to day occurrence has become a show in to itself and for two countries that are enemy’s the whole thing felt quite jovial. Sam had this on one of his top things to do so I was pleased we had been able to enjoy it and it had lived up to more than it could have expected, all in all our day in Amritsar was jam packed but full of beauty and hilarity.

The next morning we left early for our bus to McLeod Ganj (Dharamshala), sadly we had to do a bit of a journey as we couldn’t get a direct bus and had to stop off and then get onto a night bus, so with a full day of travel we arrived into the mountains and our breaths were taken away with the beauty in front of us, snow capped mountains, tasty Tibetan street food snug woolen wear, after all that heat we were ready to get wrapped up and enjoy ambling the mountain streets. We had planned 7 days in McLeod but ended staying 10 due to an unexpected meeting with the Dalai Lama, we had chosen a beautiful guesthouse that offered the most spectacular views, we had a top star balcony that overlooked the Kangra Valley and a bed that eventually looked comfy, for £7.70 (a night) we couldn’t complain. Our first day when we arrived it rained down and we bought some new yak woolen scarf’s and nestled into our jackets, we found a café that served cake and tea and I enjoyed an earl grey and delicious slice of chocolate cake, with the rain beating down It really did feel home from home, and you know what, I liked it.
We enjoyed a beautiful thunder storm that night that kept us at our window and eyes ablaze as the whole sky lit up then boomed down upon our heads, it felt magic being in the mountains, the weather felt so fierce and loud and the sky was just amazing to watch, we eventually drifted into our beds in the early hours and woke the next day to bright skies and a spring in our step for exploration.

McLeod is around 1850m above sea level, it’s classed as part of the Himalayan range and although is part of India its population is mainly Tibetan as its where the Tibetans took refuge when China invaded, then occupied Tibet (1950’s), the Dalai Lama escaped the Chinese occupation in 1959 and fled to McLeod taking with him a number of Tibetans, although they are classed as refugees the Indian government welcome the Tibetans and have offered them a place where they can still be who they are and not reform to what the Chinese government wants.

It was refreshing to have new foods to eat, new religion to understand and new conversations to have, we knew with our time there we wanted to do a couple of treks, visit the Buddhist temple complex, hear a talk in the museum and enjoy Bhagsu Falls, we managed all this and more, although some days were spent wandering, eating and indulging in the views around us.

Our main trek we did was Triund Hill, we climbed from 1850m – 2900m, we were able to do the trek alone which was amazing, as with my knees I knew my pace would be slow and it allowed me to plod, my favorite way of trekking. The trek took us from McLeod – Dharamakot, where we had a delicious breakfast getting us ready for the trek ahead, as we set off all pumped and ready we were amazed at the beautiful prayer flags in front of us and the ease of the wind around the hills, after 30minutes we asked someone the way and they informed us ‘you’re going the wrong way’ grumble, we took ourselves back and realized we had just walked straight past the uphill climb to start the trek, oops, we took a positive from it though and were pleased we had seen the amazing prayer flags and seen a part of Dharamakot we would have missed if we had gone straight onto Triund. We then started the ascent and the sweat started, basically from the start to end it was an incline, there was no letting go, 4hrs of uphill climb, we stopped at beautiful tea shops on a couple of occasions and enjoyed looking at how far we had climbed (not looking at how far we had to go), the sites around were of true beauty and looking at all the little villages nestled into the mountains felt incredibly serene, I couldn’t believe how high we were up and how proud I was to be challenging myself to such a arduous climb. I can’t deny I went all the way without a moan and there was a point where I stated to Sam ‘no more, I can’t do it’ but with his cheerful smile, sweaty kiss,  good words and hand in hand he encouraged me on and I couldn’t thank him more when we reached the top I welled with tears, it was beauty beyond thinking, the snow capped mountains lay directly in my vision, we sat for some time just taking in the mountain air and being chuffed at our achievement, we drank chai, chatted with others and took the mandatory pictures before making the decent downhill. That night we both slept with smiles on our faces, it felt special achieving something so large and knowing I didn’t give up but carried on right to the end, and what an end it was.

We used the next few days to relax, recover and read planning what other delights McLeod had in store for us, on one of our bumbles down to the Buddhist temple complex we spotted a poster stating the Dalai Lama was holding a receiving ceremony that Saturday in McLeod, we couldn’t believe our luck, Sam had stated he hoped to meet him but I had laughed at the remark never believing an opportunity like this would or could arise. The poster informed us to take our passports and register the Dalai Lama office, then turn up on Saturday, we couldn’t believe it could be so easy but it was, once we registered we were told to be in line for 7am and the line would go as planned. Our next day was a bit of a haze, filled with excitement we rang our parents and informed them what would be happening, much to my mother’s disbelief (and ours really), it just didn’t feel real, we speculated about what it would be like and how the day would go, if he would speak to us, shake our hand or just bless us, it all just felt an excited dream.
On the Friday we went to the Tibetan Museum and went to a talk on the missing Panchem Lama, it was really interesting and due to it being the Panchem Lama birthday there was a lot of awareness talks and information sharing occurring in the museum. The Panchem Lama is like the son of the Dalai Lama and China have stolen him and replaced him with their own Panchem Lama, due to China wanting Tibetans to stop believing in the Dalai Lama and pushing their own beliefs onto the Tibetan population. The afternoon was so informative and afterwards we had chai and biscuits with a few of the speakers and others listening, we got talking to one women who moved to McLeod from American some 14yrs ago and one conversation led to another and we started talking about the meeting with the Dalai Lama, she informed us he hadn’t done something like he was tomorrow for around 20yrs, so we were very lucky, she told us we had good karma and her warming smile and interesting talks just got us more prepped for the big day.

Saturday came around and we joined the long line of people arriving to meet his high holiness, the queue was hyped with excitement and you could see the smiling faces of a long line of tourists and locals, the line moved quite quickly and we soon found ourselves in the main hall, there was around 2-3k people, a lot more then I imagined they thought they would have sign up and my guess was the receiving line wasn’t to happen as expected. After some time we were informed that they only expected around 500 but 2500 had signed up therefore meaning the proceedings had changed and instead of a receiving line, group photos would be taken then a talk. We were grouped into different countries, ours being a brilliant mix of different countries (as organization went a bit hay wire), when he came out from his home it was magical, the swarms of people left there photo group to get a glimpse but I decided to wait until he came over our side so instead of a stolen glace I could see him in his whole. After around 15 minutes, he came tottering over, smiling, happy and full of jubilation, he had around 5 body guards and stumbled into the middle of our group, reaching for hands and sharing smiles, my body filled with warmth I haven’t felt before when meeting someone and it was just this heightened sense of overwhelmed happiness. I looked at Sam and his eyes had welled, there was such a strong sense of spirituality in the room and people were awe struck at how laid back the whole event was and how the Dalai Lama just took it all in his stride. Our photos were taken in such a quick shot and it was time for him to move on, but wow, that feeling, that magic of him standing right in front of me will never leave me and it days like this that reminded me the importance of travel, new experiences and looking into the hearts of others.

The talk after was about the importance of making peace through our actions and not through prayer, I think this is an element a I love Buddhism so much as that even though its classed as a religion it is more of a teaching and I think the essence of learning rather than preaching is so important, something I feel this talk really opened my eyes and ears too. A lot of what was being said really rang home to my learning I have just completed back home around feminism and sharing the message and I think the power of sharing thoughts and feelings is so important as it spreads the word and allows it to be brought to the surface. The talk last around 30mins and was just inspirational, there were laughs, tears and just a lot of very happy listeners. When he finished and left he walked straight past Sam and I, it felt a welcome goodbye and I couldn’t have been more thankful for the experience had.

In all of India I have never felt as welcome as what I did when in McLeod, the smiles on people’s faces, the daily hellos from locals, knitting with the women on the street and talking about wool, eating the most delicious street food (momos), dining on pumpkin pie and caramel lattes in my favorite café, eating at the same restaurant four nights in a row, the whole place just made me feel so comfortable and Sam and I both agreed it would be a place we were sad to leave but would definitely come back too many times again. 

We left the following day and heading on an early morning bus to Manali, Manali was totally different to McLeod and although we enjoyed it didn’t feel near as beautiful or community based and it did feel more like we had arrived at a skiing/activity town rather than a place people lived. The beautiful snow capped mountains had buildings upon buildings on top of each other and it felt more like a construction site with all the work being carried out. Besides all this though we did get on one amazing trek to Solong Valley and although the end result was as amazing as Triund, the walk there was really special and was a brilliant trek to undertake. We chose to take the route through the forest rather than the road and enjoyed trekking through a number of apple orchards, sadly the apples weren’t in bloom but the trees had started to flower and it was just amazing being so far up and all these incredible fruit trees around us. We came across a beautiful waterfall and used it to bathe our faces and cool down, we also managed to get stuck on the wrong side of the river, thinking we could take a short cut and sadly couldn’t, it was great to explore though and see the locals working away and watch the fast flowing currents. When we came to the end of our trek we found a nice grassy knowl and enjoyed the sun before catching the last bus home.
We enjoyed an amazing day down by the river the following day, the sun come out so we took advantage and went for a dip in the mountain water, and we found a sandy nook and spent the day, reading, relaxing and enjoying the scenery that surrounded us. Our second trek was sadly cancelled because of me falling ill, so a day of bed rest and sleep took over as Sam planned our last week in India.

We knew we had to be in Rishikesh for the Saturday as our long awaited reunion with Ben and Claire was to take place, we were filled with nerves and excitement at the prospect of seeing them both after a year and a half. It felt weird as even though we have spoke over the last few years when they were in Oz, it was just the sense of seeing them and maybe those nerves were just pure excitement. When we saw them it felt we were all overwhelmed with emotion and group hugged on the side of the road spreading the love and holding each other with sheer delight to be in each others company again.

The next four days were filled with a highlight of our trip so far, we spent pretty much every moment with each other, talking, listening, hearing of each others adventures and experiences over the last years and filling each other in on tales of home and plans for when back.

We used our time in Rishikesh well and felt it was a perfect setting (apart from the lack of alcohol for a glass of vino or a beer), we explored abandoned ashrams, swam in the clear blue ganges, losing hours of time in cafes, drinking numerous amounts of tea and coffee, swimming in waterfalls, eating tasty food and shared travelling tips and do's and dont's, Rishikesh held an awe of beauty and peacefulness about it and it was brilliant for wandering around aimlessly enjoying each other’s company and being in each other’s presence. We even managed a few sneaky drinks on the beach before being asked to go home by the police, oops. All in all we couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend our last few days and I felt our relationships hadn’t just strengthened but had grown also at this sense of newness about us all, we have all grown and changed and it felt great to still have that sameness when together, I always feel it’s the element of true friendship.

We said our goodbyes on our last night, knowing it wouldn’t be long before we saw each again but still feeling sad the last four days had passed like a flash, it started with a group hug and ended with one, our loves were said and it was time to head to Delhi for our last India stop.

We got an early bus the next morning and arrived in Delhi for the cricket, with no time to stop and think we dropped our bags off and headed straight to the cricket. I am not a big sports fan and cricket is certainly not one sport I love but Sam was dying to go as he had followed the IPL whilst being in India, it was a fun atmosphere and I actually found myself enjoying the four hours we spent there, sadly the Delhi dare devils lost but I so learnt cricket is not like football and you cheer for the runs not for your team. We headed back to the hotel that night and had news of some very exciting news back home, making me miss the homelands but being reminded of how important this adventure is now, the news left us falling asleep with happy hearts and big smiles knowing we were on our journey and what a journey it was.

We used our next day well and did our last bit of shopping, sent our last post and headed to the airport ready for the next 24hrs to Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia. With India at an end I felt relived but also sad; my body was ready for cleanliness and some sort of order, rather than the manic times of Indian ways. The first 3 months of the trip have been beautiful in every way and however challenging India didn’t throw as many curveballs as I expected, I left knowing it would be a place that will always be in my heart and will always be a place I travel back too, now there is just more places I will want to visit and those 3wk holidays will become a bit more crammed. 

Link for North India pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152159453141716.1073741836.513626715&type=1&l=c1765b2faa

South India cont..

As the midday sun comes out and the temperature becomes uncomfortable I thought I would hide away and update you all on a new blog entry, and our travels since my last writing. 

We ended up staying twelve days in Gokarna, Kudle beach really is a dream and the beach is so pristine and idilic it just seemed silly to head elsewhere, with our basic hut and our adopted puppies we felt right at home and did nothing more then bask in the sun, eat, read and enjoy having the restaurants dogs around us. It felt nice to be based somewhere and not be on the move but also somewhere that doesn’t have that over the top traveler feel. Om beach seems to pull more of this crowd in and we did venture there for a day but soon left as was craving the quietness of Kudle and the comforts of our hut. We celebrated the Indian festival of colour, Holi festival when on Kudle and were covered like rainbows in vibrant colours, it was nice to enjoy the energy from others and smile and celebrate in the jovial way a festival of such beauty should. 

We eventually packed our bags and moved from Gokarna, heading to Goa, we felt it was time to move on and experience another part of India rather then getting too settled at Sunset Café beach huts. We got the train up to Goa and decided our first stop would be Palolem, we arrived at Palolem and sadly it was totally different to what my view of this idyllic peaceful beach would be, I knew Goa was a tourist spot for package holidays but had been told Palolem was different to the more popular beaches, my first thought was the opposite to this, the beach was lined with bars and restaurants and everywhere was offers of buy one get one free and nasty music. We managed to find a coco hut in budget that was set back from the beach, the room was clean with a comfy bed and suited us both, we spent our first few days on the beach and tried to soak into the palm lined beach, sadly I started to really dislike the place though and the general vibe was just so different to what was in my head, we decided that the following day we take a trip to old Goa to get away from the beach and the general feeling of drinkdrinkdrink. That afternoon though we decided to take a stroll to the right side of the beach and came across a treat of a stay, the cozynook www.cozynookgoa.com, stood nestled in the corner at the very end of the beach, its general feel was of beauty and its rooms were gorgeous, it reminded me of Mango Bay in Vietnam mangobayphuquoc.com, the rooms were basic but stood strong and just looked a dream to stay in, we decided to enquire but on our budget we just felt we couldn’t splash out so agreed we would enjoy the rest of the afternoon there and come hang out here for the remainder of our Palolem stay. The rest of the afternoon was blissful with good sounds, cocktails and comfort. Whilst lazing we noticed across the tide a bar on the far corner, we couldn’t work out how to get across as the tide was high, we watched throughout the day as people took the venture across and then vanished, we decided at about 5pm to take our chances, like a magical night time Glastonbury stroll we ventured across and with water up to our waist we came across the Sundowner, it was amazing, one coconut tree bar selling beers and cocktails and the most serene sunset views. My vision of Palolem was suddenly coming into view and I was feeling very very happy. 
The next day we still decided to head to old Goa, heading out on the bus we enjoyed the bangra music and windy streets on our journey there and a bus ride is India is always an experience you wont forget, when we reached old Goa it was a totally different atmosphere from the hustle and bustle of the left side of the beach, there was a relaxed sense with a real European vibe, we bumbled around the streets and basked in the midday sun, visiting the churches and really soaking in the bliss and beauty. 
The following day we headed back to cozynook and after a delightful morning took the plunge and decided to move in, we booked three nights to start off with, but with the enjoyment of the place and the smiles on our faces we ended up staying four, it was a treat and a half, we ate good food, drank amazing drinks and just generally buzzed around totally chuffed at finding this dream haven. Were already planning our next trip and definitely staying in one of the deluxe rooms. 

Our next stop was to Arambol where I was doing a five day yoga course with Himalayan Iyengor Yoga Centre www.hiyogacentre.com, the course was a real self journey and was 4hrs over 5 days, yoga started at 7.30am each morning and was a different yoga to the usual Ashtanga yoga I practice, it was a overwhelming experience and definitely allowed me to learn certain aspects of the yoga I would bring into my own practice. The group was really nice and my northern bonds brought me to a new friend from Glasgow, it always helps having someone you can talk over the class with and we enjoyed our daily discussion of what we had learnt and what we will take away. The course brought up a range of emotions as certain asanas were really moving and took me to a new place in my yoga practice, the inner quietness I felt was really powerful and something I defiantly a feeling I still felt after the course completed. Iynegor Yoga uses a lot of props which is something I sadly won’t use as much of but did enjoy learning more around grounding oneself and trying out something that challenged me to another level, I even managed a full wheel unassisted, which is something I have been practicing and unsuccessfully failing at, so yeah to me. I was really proud of being part of something like this and felt experiencing it in India just made the time more special. 

Arambol itself was quite interesting, the same as Ajuna which is where we ventured after Arambol, because everything was starting to close down it really felt as if our time in South India was coming to an end, like there was no need to stay, as there wasn’t much to be staying for, with the closing of season soon approaching we enjoyed our last few days on the beach and prepared for our beast of a train journey up to North India.

We arrived in Rajasthan last night, sadly we didn’t plan this part of the trip as well as we hoped, its turning into Summer time in India meaning throughout the day its blazing and not the best for ambling around the dreamy streets and bazaars, we have managed to get an adorable room with lake view so have decided to use this as our hideaway and then spend the mornings and afternoons exploring, the city has such a beautiful feeling and I am so excited for the next three days here and the next few weeks in fairytale Rajasthan.

Link to photos - i have added more to the old album so scroll down to the new ones:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152079324491716.1073741835.513626715&type=1&l=5257e9689a

India - A Love/Hate Affair

Since arriving in India I think I have asked myself a hundred questions about myself, my reason for travel, my reason for organised fun, my map of where we must be when and most importantly if I am strong enough to manage a whole eleven months away from family and friends , now some of you may laugh at this last statement but for me it’s probably why I have never travelled longer than five months before and why every time I move away from home I always pulled back to where my family is and where I feel I belong. Being close to my family is so important and when on my last trip my step grandmother passed and for me there was no question I needed to be at home and be there for my family, in our family there has always been things occurring and being apart from my Moomin is like losing a limb, she has always been my rock and sometimes I do wonder without her I may just crumble, luckily with wifi and skype its working out alright, with the aid of viber I have been able to speak to family and friends weekly, kept up to date with the Grandparents and kept in the loop with anything going on, it’s also important for me to be able to offer an ear to those friends going through difficulties and even if I am not there in person I can be there on the phone. 

So in answer to the other questions, I have been reading a book lately and have been able to answer a number of these questions and I realise my structure comes down to the fact I need to make sure (in my mind) things won’t fall through, there is a plan and this plan makes me feel safe. Its most probably the first time in my life where I actually do feel fully safe in who I am and therefore I have come to realise why I am questioning my sense of organisation when it’s got me to where I am, in a place of commitment, contentment, happiness and safety. I guess which then leads me to another question of why have I chose this journey of travel, does there have to be a why? For me yes, it makes sense to have one and I hope over the next eleven months it comes to me, it’s interesting, you hear people talk of finding themselves, meeting likeminded people and obviously experiencing new cultures. I think the latter definitely holds strong for me, as for the others I am not sure how much of a journey to find myself I am on anymore, I think a number of hours in a counseling room in Streatham helped me with that journey, but also my own learning in becoming a counselor myself has defiantly allowed me to find an inner peace within my soul and with others who I have had challenging relationships with, where peace has either been made or I have removed their toxicity from my life, allowing a deeper sense of happiness is  found. Spiritually I believe I am always on that journey, working out where my faith lies, when I told a friend once I didn’t believe in god, she asked me why not, I told her I just didn’t believe someone created the world and don’t believe a lot of the bible, she told me she was shocked I could think so one way when god can be anything, this friend told me she too didn’t believe in god as the bible states but she said for how spiritual she felt I was didn’t I believe in a higher power, to which I replied yes, to which she said, well there’s your god. I was slightly dumbfounded by such an easy explanation but it really got me thinking and I realized there is something in me that does believe in something, what that is maybe this travel trip will help me find out. I read an amazing book a few weeks back it was called the colour purple (Alice Walker) and in it a character explains god as the colour purple, this I like, there has been times when I have felt a strong sense of peace and whatever that is maybe that’s my god, to actually finally feel peace within myself at 30 is a pretty beautiful thing and maybe this whole trip is being took as I am eventually happy and free to do it, so why not. 

Let’s begin.
We decided to start this trip in India, somewhere we had both been before, I had only travelled a small part of India so was excited to get right into the heart of it and have our first few months taking in the delight of what it had to offer. We headed down to Pondicherry, somewhere I had always wanted to go, Sam constantly asking me why, my reply, I just want, it sounds so beautiful and that was what we found. Pondicherry has a mix of French, Indian citizens and has a real diverse experience when you go there; you have this idealistic French part of the town then across the road a manic Indian way of life. We spent two days wandering the streets, taking in the sites, people watching and smiling at the colours of the houses around us. It felt nice to be there and a real sense of relaxed from the typical entry into India, the hustle and bustle was quite calming and we were left to enjoy our days humbling and bumbling. 

On our second day we went to a beach side café and whilst there, I bumped into a friend who is very close to me, I sadly haven’t seen her for a number of years due to certain circumstances but it felt like that was why I was meant to be there, the madness is this friend lives around the corner from my Mums house but due to it being too difficult to see one another on a personal level it finally felt right to see each other, here in India, in beautiful Pondicherry. We embraced and chatted for some time and agreed that on my return we would be in contact again, my heartfelt warm and happy knowing she would be back in my life, I couldn’t believe this was the start of my journey, wow what a beautiful way to begin. 

We moved on from Pondicherry to meet our friends Beth and Cian for Beth’s 30th birthday, 6 days in and meeting friends, I felt very lucky, how could I miss home when home was with me in India. We spent the day looking for our houseboat and making sure it had a sun deck (Ms Liddle's must have) in order to experience the Kerala’s backwaters the way they should be. Our mission was completed and we managed to get a bargain price, a crew and a beautiful houseboat for 2 days and 2 nights. The next 2 days were a highlight of the trip so far, we chatted the days away, enjoying the true beauty of what was in front of us, there was so many amazing birds and people watching was just beautiful, to see everyone getting along in their day to day doings, using the backwaters as we use motorways, it was another world and a world I was so pleased to be exploring. The crew were a treat and we enjoyed so many wondrous treats when on the boat, being pescaterian  is definitely worth it in South India, the food prepared is amazing and every bite is just a spice delight, we ate like kings and queens and all felt satisfied with our money being well spent. Sam and I had lugged a bottle of Moet for Beth’s birthday and it was joy to see how happy she was with the gift, we cooled it and had it lunch, giggling at us ‘travelers’ dining on Moet on our boat at lunch time. Our evenings were taking up playing scrabble and stop the bus, with raucous laughs and giggles at who needed a cuddle and who/why would you smack in the face (celebrities this is) – all in the name of a stop the bus category, it was true friendship at its best and I felt so lucky to be sharing this experience with my adorable husband and two very good friends. 

Our trip sadly had to come to an end and Beth and Cian moved onto Sri Lanka and us to Varkarla, we spent a week in Varkarla, literally just relaxing on the beach, eating amazing food and enjoying the sun’s rays underneath our sun shelter. It was a good week, with extra lbs put on and happy smiley faces. On our last day, whilst having breakfast at our favorite restaurant we were told a pod of dolphins had come close to the shore, we went onto the cliff in anticipation and managed to see them, swimming, bobbing and enjoying the currents, it was a sight of beautiful nature at its best and I couldn’t have asked for a greater gift as we left the Varkarla cliffs.  

From Varkarla we moved to Periyar, again another highlight and took a trek to Periyar National Park, we met a really lovely man who used to work at the park who advised us to take the border trekking trail around the park. What a result, the trek was amazing, we were told we may see no wildlife and to look at the trek as a beautiful walk around an amazing park, it seemed our luck was in though, throughout the whole day we came across 18 elephants, ahhh, amazing and a number of other wonderful wildlife. It’s strange in India, animals are worshipped/used in so many different ways, I watched a dog die yesterday and no one would help (apart from me and two other tourists) dogs are literally like feral foxes and nobody has any care or concern for them, but cows are worshipped??!! The other thing I hadn’t realized before coming to India was how elephants are used; yes I had seen pictures but closed my eyes as didn’t like it. Since being here though I have defiantly found how strong I feel about the use of elephants as working and tourist means, they offer elephant rides everywhere and it breaks my heart that people think it’s acceptable to ride/use these beautiful animals. I just don’t get it, seeing these animals in the wild was where they belonged and not for the use of entertainment or work. One thing India is bringing out is definitely my sense of being pescaterian and how animals should be treated whatever animal – I now lie with the argument around camels, as a friend said are camels not used the same as horses, I need to sit with this one. 

After the amazement of Periyar we moved to Munnar and stayed in the hills in a lovely home stay, it was really nice to just be in and a home stay and not eating out every night, this is something I knew would be a struggle for me as I love being in my home doing the things I like and cooking, to have to eat out every night feels like such a burden and Munnar offered what I needed in staying in and enjoying the tranquility of eating with a family. The Munnar hills were beautiful, being surrounded by tea and spice plantations was kind of surreal but it was lovely blissfully wandering around and soaking in the atmosphere of workers and tea smells. 

From Munnar we made our way to Hampi which was definitely where the love/hate relationship started, Hampi is a place so many people have talked about to me, telling me how much I would love it, how tranquil it is and beautiful. I did find it to be this but also I found it to be a place I didn’t enjoy and felt it had lost its beauty by catering for the stereotypical backpackers dream – nightmare to me, where we stayed was literally full of travelers, there was no culture, beauty just everyone smoking weed, talking of how drugs should be legalized and how many bang lassi people had had, really? Is this what it’s about??!! After a second night of random rubbish school disco music we decided to pack our bags and get out of there. 

It did however offer one day of blissful tidings, where we hired a moped and enjoyed a number of temples, we climbed to the Hanuman Temple on the evening and it was total beauty, we enjoyed the chanting of the Sadhus, watching young boys learn prayer and took in the beauty of Hampi from the skyline, another highlight to add to the travel bank. We then climbed across a number of boulders and enjoyed watching sunset over the beautiful town. At this point Hampi was what I had been told, peaceful, and beautiful and a delight to enjoy. 

Our next jaunt on the trip was to our favorite beach in India, Kudle beach in Gokarna, We arrived Saturday and managed to get a room in our favorite basic beach huts, Kudle beach is a dream beach with a few cafes, a relaxed vibe and a strong sense of peacefulness in the air. Since Saturday I have been practicing my yoga in the morning, reading most of the afternoon, submerging in the warm sea and enjoying the rays, we have over a week here and with approaching our first month yesterday I feel were celebrating in the perfect curly way. 

Photos so far…    

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152079324491716.1073741835.513626715&type=1&l=5257e9689a

enjoy (even without a facebook account you should be able to see these snaps - copy and paste into tool bar and fingers crossed)

A brief hello - India time.

I have realised it's been a few weeks since I have blogged and thought this morning it will be a few weeks more before I get a proper one uploaded as wanna do the first month of our trip justice with a nice juicy post. Therefore I felt I would just do a quick update and a few phone photos I have taken. We decided not to bring a computer away (which now being away we have realised could have had its plus's with the ease of uploading pictures) but heyho Internet cafés it is! 

We arrived with a smooth journey and actually the first two weeks has been really easy (I say easy for India, them words don't normally work together from my last experience of travelling in India). We have moved around a few places and are enjoying a week at the beach this week, moving on Tuesday to see some elephants in one of India's beautiful national parks. 

I promise a big blog soon but for now enjoy a few simple shots. 

Long Wintery Days

As I walked to Brixton this morning I still felt shocked at how cold it was and how wrapped up Sam and I were for a simple walk to the market. It made me excited for our holiday in May and our travels to Vietnam; I have always wanted to go somewhere beautiful and new for my 30^th and when Sam suggested I look at Vietnam I was so excited by what I found, trips to Ha Long Bay, birthday time in Hoi An, travels up to the Hills to see Elephant Falls and a week in Pho Quoc relaxing in our eco lodge and enjoying the sandy beaches, May 7^th can’t come sooner.

 

I heard back from university and was told my application had been made unsuccessful due to my GCSE results not meeting the required entry. As sad I was I feel it may have been the best decision as I feel I have been study constantly since leaving school and feel it maybe best to have some time off to find out where it is i want to be with my career and not just delve into a quick option to gain my HCPC registration. It is so hard at times to know where i want to be as feel i should know and feel my training has taken me so far, i think the problem i am finding is that there are many different ‘groups’ i like working with and at present i am working with both vulnerable children and women, the problem is i want to be able to mix the both in some way, i feel for now i need to keep going as i am build up the working experience i am having and decide from there where my work is to take me, i am sure whatever i will get there eventually.

I found out this week i had passed my counselling exam, which is fantastic news and is one step closer to being qualified, roll on June for my hand in and completion of my diploma. I have decided i will keep my placement working with women exiting prostitution going until next year as feel the experience is valuable and is only strengthening me as a counsellor.

When talking with Sam about taking time out from studying we both agreed that studying is not what either of us want to be doing right now, were just married and enjoying our life so much that we don’t want to put extra stress onto us when were happy as we are. We both have good jobs and although changes are happening we have both come to such high points in our career that we don’t feel we want to push ourselves any further when we feel we don’t want too or don’t have too. I love Sam way of thinking, he grounds me so much when it comes to pushing myself and i thrive to be the way he is when it comes to expectations. 

A friend of mine talked with me recently about what we want by the time we are 40, i discussed this with Sam and for both of us it was a job we enjoyed, a brilliant relationship, enough money to enjoy life, travel and family, were both so lucky to have elements of all in our lives but we both miss the sense of travel so much so with knowing we had achieved most we have decided its time to fulfill our travel element and as mentioned in my last blog we were unsure we know now its definite and were taking the trip we want, 2014 a year of adventure.

2014, travel, so far we know were going to leave around Feb 2014 and buy a one way ticket to India and see from there where we head, there are places we both want to see and explore so with savings in the bank we are going to spend a few years of us and the world, Sam hopes he can get a career break and my job goes come Feb so all in all a perfect time to go!!

With a beautiful Summer ahead i know the rest of this year is going to be a good one.

2012 in Pictures.

New Year in India 2011/2012

Summer Solstice

Wedding time.

Italia Honeymoon

Beautiful Blur

Shambala

Ibiza

Scotland Yurt time