Heading for Typhoon

Where to start, feels like it's been an eternity since the last post. Let's start with the now. About to leave this prehistoric city with it's thousand of temples in ruins, banana, rice and sugar cane plantations giving locals work. I've met some great travelers after a crazy night bus ride from the beach. I've had a sensitive digestive system for 2 days now and heading into a big typhoon in order to do the 10 days Vipasana meditation. It's all about adventures and living new experiences, so I'll be careful for what I ask next time. 

After following other foreigners, that ended up being amazingly good company for the next 2 days, I ended up on a beautiful rooftop restaurant with a view on all the city ruins. Apparently this city was a place for worship and commerce. Everything alive coexists in the same space, cows, chicken, dogs, monkeys, bats, cockroaches and of course humans.

I'm not too much into vising museum and temples but in great company I can spread oceans. I also met another biker who's on a long trip through India and who still has a long way to go, in which I wish him luck. We're all on different journeys sharing the part of the path that brings us together and loved every second of it.

Probably the most impressive temple was the monkey god temple where he was born from the gods of air and fire. Of course it's filled with playful and hungry monkeys on the 570 steps that lead to it on the top of a half mountain.

I will put pictures when I can read my camera card. Until then I can only leave you dreaming of this place and hope that you can find beauty in your own journey.

Since it's also probably the last time I write before new year, I wish you all a Happy New Year filled with joy and happiness!

Love,

Alex

Full power

I love this expression "Full power" together with "Sexy breakfast". Is that your final permanent price? What a great way to spend days on the sunny steamy beach, sipping teas, cokes and beers with other travelers. I spent all day playing Jinga with a couple of other international humans.
Starting to know the older residents and it's fun to share with everyone. I've received a little bit of unwanted drama from 2 couchsurfettes with who I was going out on Christmas Eve for a little innocent joke. Now, I'm happy because thanks to these girls I met an amazing Indian guy with who I had lots of fun for 2 days.
I still have to vent something here, because I'm god on this blog and I make the rules in this otherwise unpredictable world.
Here I go, will keep it short and sour, but before let me explain how I see interactions here. A lot of the travelers are horny and looking forward to get wasted and experiment new partners. Been there done that.
Now my little problem with this is that females(girls, women) use this lack of their fun parts to their advantage by expecting a certain favor treatment.
I can understand that women need to feel special, but why should any human of any race, sex, etc expect something from others like it's a universal rule. I had these interesting talks with these 2 girls, bragging about how they get guys to pay for them every time and it got to me because I would NEVER pay for a girl at first sight. I guess it's part of why the unnecessary drama took place.
If you're a "princess", ask yourself why anybody should threat you differently and if you say because of your looks, hmmmmm, lets talk again in 10-20 years because you're pretty much setting yourself up for a huge failure by getting used to pamper your Ego in this way...
If you're a guy, think about what the goal really is and how you can get closer to that goal, buying affection usually doesn't do it, but if it works for you and you're happy...
Besides that, I keep meeting these great travelers from all around the globe and even locals that are jewels on this earth. The vibe is great, weather rocks and even dolphins come close to the beach to give free shows.
Leaving tomorrow for Humpi somewhere in the midlands just because everybody I meet says great things about it. Don't know where I'll be for new years, but tonight is probably my last night on a Indian beach.

Happy New Year in case I don't get to see you again.

The power of Now

If I can permit myself to give anybody any advice, it's to read the book with the name in the title. For as long as I can remember, I always felt this void inside. I have a couple of friends and had a couple of girlfriends, but always felt lonely. Lately, I was working in a job that I considered only as a way to fill my wallet, I was spending huge amounts of time in my bubble in front of the TV or Internet, which is not a bad thing if it's your passion. I just mean that I was numbing myself awaiting this great trip and it is amazing. I cannot begin to describe everything that I saw in order to have such an inner change. India is magic, like a hammer that hit you just so can realize what pain is, at least in my case. Everyone that comes here seems to seek something and it's rarely something outside since it's not the cutest country. All I want to say, it's that for me, ever since I left, everything had a reason to cross my path, like a timed puzzle. I have never been more alone that in the last days and have learned to see beauty in the smallest things(just understand that my old way of thinking was that I needed people in order to be happy). All of this because of this last book.
Also since the name Vipasana has came so many times to my ears and since I only have one life, I will join a "class" of ten days from the 2nd January to the 13th where I cannot communicate with no-one (except teacher). Normal days start at 4AM with a 2 hour meditation. I can't wait to feel myself.
I came from Arandol to Palolem by local buses as a personal challenge. It ended up taking 5 hours, 4 buses, 3$, 2 bottles of water and 1 hell of a ride. It reminds me of Peru "combis". I felt proud at the end of a journey. I met a couchsurfer German girl and we hang out together whenever I don't enjoy my alone time. Yesterday night  together with 3 Israeli guys from the hostel we went to a silent party where everyone wears wireless headphones, because the government forbidden loud music after 22h. Clever way to go around the law. Besides that I rented a cool Kayak for one hour which costed 2$ and explored the open calm waters. Arambol was full of hippies with dreadlocks which felt like a huge family and everything was shared. Palolem is more of a classy, more expensive spot for the high society. Even then the room is less than 10$, but they wanted more money and I changed huts just for the principle of it. Now their rooms are still empty and will probably move to another spot tomorrow where the owner has fixed prices.
This is it for now, living the present finally in peace with myself in a beautiful place hoping that I can keep the peace while back home.

P.S. I started drawing, maybe I'll post a picture of them
P.P.S. Posted new pics on picasa, follow the link in the last blog if you're curious

Hippies paradise

Adventure was served on a golden platter. Met lots of cool people at my "hotel" and shared stories together. Leading the simplest of lives sharing bathrooms, sleeping on the roof, rewarding the 7th day of travel with an incredible almost full body massage, playing football(soccer) on the beach, swimming, enjoying teas, watching all sorts of people get together and dance under crazy rhythms on the beach at sunset.

Back in Canada, I was under the impression that people considered me some kind of a hippie and now that I share everything with them, there has to be some sort of level between here and Montreal. In the end I'm learning how to go towards people, how to be patient and how to share, because I'm used to having my stuff ever since I was a single kid.

The atmosphere is perfect for childhood flashbacks and "extrasensory" experiences. Just got another book that I've been looking forward for a long time to read called "The power of now".

Leaving on a 20$ a day budget without problems and after new year heading to Chenai for a Vipassana experience which involves a 10 day without communicating with anybody and a way to explorer the inner mechanics of body and mind.

Everything flows here and coexists in the same spot, which has a refreshing effect.

Looking forward to explore some more but feeling intensely lonely for now.

Peace and love my brothers and sisters...

Everything happens for a reason

Walking around lost with disgust and looking for a place to throw my cigarette when a local mumbled towards me with a confused look, "Throw it anywhere, India is garbage". I just nodded as to agree with his holly words and throw it.
I lived many experiences, going out with local to a local bar, meeting a great french couple with who I shared a great day visiting Gandi's museums, had interesting conversation about values and the effect of India, but mostly I have been sharping my senses to find beauty somewhere.
I was born in what I remember as a great place just to go back later and see that my birthplace was small and dirty compared to the 1st world reality. I think I have grown accustomed to cleanness and north American order which has nothing to to with Delhi. I've been disgusted by this place 3 years ago and I just confirmed this now.
Same way as Ying and Yang, in everything there's good and bad. The good is that this challenge of what I thought normal opened the gates to a beautiful place inside. I have relived a lot of my childhood in the last couple of days. Going to the mountains with my parents climbing trees, travelling in train with my dad.
I really think that travel was on my life's path in order to remember...
I used to be a simple kid enjoying the moment by playing and discovering life, now I'm reuniting with him once again. This could have been possible back in Canada, but destiny decided otherwise and sent me on this great adventure that just begins.
There's a great book that I devoured which I recommend to anyone and that sums greatly how I feel now. The name is Aleph and it's the last book of Coelho. It's funny because I have read all his books and it seems to apply to me. Guess that's what make a great writer when people can relate to your books.
The next scene happened 2 days ago, while waiting for a local that I met on couchsurfing in order to have a coffee in a crowded touristy place. Keep in mind that back in Montreal when I go out with the guys in a bar or club I usually spend 4-8$ on a pint of beer leaving 1-2$ tip, but money is just a way to measure the amount of work done and it's importance in society. Back to the scene, since it's a touristy place there a LOT of poor people and the difference between society's block are enormous. I'm used to see kids begging and following me for 5 minutes to ask money, they're covered in dirt and know just the words to break your heart. After ignoring a couple of them to get to the meeting spot, all of a sudden this beggar with a small girl came barely walking asking for money. Since I don't believe in free passes, I politely ignored him, after a couple of minutes he gave up just to sit on the floor, lift his right pant over his knee leaving a huge bulge show. While the little girl looked through garbage to find something to eat, eventually finding some kind of yogurt bottle, her "dad" started pushing on the bulge letting the white infected liquid come out together with blood. I couldn't feel more selfish, imagining already how this human been will probably die of hunger probably leaving the young girl alone. I felt so impotent and selfish, because I could have gave him 10 cents and it would have helped. When I think about it know I feel even worst waiting money on beer and tips when I could have maybe made a difference. Eventually my friend got there and reality shifted.
Funny how some people's truth and values are just products of their social conditioning. For example the local that I wen to the bar with believed that the right way to live is to make money, get married by accepting his parent's choice of women and raising kids. His truth has nothing to do with mine, but I do respect it.
I like to believe in love, destiny and connection, but maybe it's just a byproduct of the great American dream.
I've added some pictures of Delhi on my picassa: http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff

Now, my plane for Goa leaves in about 3 hours and I have to be on my way with a tear in my eyes opened at last. I was looking the other way all this time pushing further the inevitable...time to face the darker sides

Let the shock begin

I will start this blog with a phrase that a zen friend "Patrick Salibi" said once and that I find appropriate:

Things are not good or bad, they're just different.

I would add to that what my other friend Bilo that I love like a brother said and that is "Think about it" with a deep voice and piercing look.

I'm sure that your brain would disagree sometimes, but in the end the quote makes sense. What a shock this is, counting out the amazingly comfy 14 hours flight(window place with no neighbor in the next seat) and 10h30 of time zone change. The airport had a makeover in the last 3 years and it actually looks like an international airport. It doesn't take long to realize that India has kept a lot of its shockers.

Lots of people, extremely tasty food, need for an immense broom and really, really cheap prices(except the first day).

I ended up waiting 2 hours to get a special visa and eventually learned that I was in the wrong place and that it's an expensive piece of paradise that I've gaven up on. Will head for Goa eventually, even if the trains are full until ... at least the 27 and flights are $$$

Let's get back to the magic of this place which I haven't saw yet. I strongly believe that India works on each person internally by shocking our senses and our carefully built beliefs. There are no limits to a human being, we are animals and the only limitations are mostly psychological. I saw people sleep in the dirt probably without a shower for years and eating from the floor. I saw ... come and see by yourself, there are no words to describe which element will touch you most.

Since it's Christmas, there are no inexpensive destinations, so I'm hesitating to integrate an Ashram and meditate for the hollydays leaving the simplest of lives. Just bought Paulo Coelho's last book for about 5$ in an official library, but I'm under the impression that it will be assimilated quickly.

I have a huge mirror in my room which will work in accordance with my egocentric side to practice some yoga, at least until strange crawlers invite themselves. I was going to upload some pics, but the ultra computer crashed shammingly and hopefully didn't infect my usb card. I will try next time and maybe you'll get a feel of beautiful India.

So many more adventures remain unwritten, but like a strong tree in the woods, it remains silent where he is(think about it).

Piece, love and curry

One sun revolution left

Third time leaving for a long travelling adventure and I still can't manage the last days of emotional stress. So many crazy thoughts rushing and ruining the fun possibilities. The good part, if I remember well, is that it will only last for about a week, and then, the nomad inside rises.

Since this blog is about choices, I find it important to define the crazy states that seem to get in the way of achieving something that feels important inside. This stubborn confort zone keeps all new and possibly exciting choices away from the regular walked path.

The secret for me at least is to take baby steps and be determined towards the goal, which brings me to this last day in cold Montreal with my backpack all together and a one way tycket to less hygienic Delhi.

Feel very anxious even if I trust myself to have taken all steps towards a safe trip, but I will definitely not reject any luck that destiny throws my way.

Now back to all of you brothers and sisters out there, I hope to see you soon around the world and if I don't see you before Christmass I wish you happy holidays and a great new year filled with positive choices and adventures.

Namaste,