Kathmandu – Happiness, feelgood weather and rubble

My 2 months in the island paradise of Koh Phangan were done and I headed out to new adventures. The next stop would be a 21 day meditation retreat in Nepal, Osho Tapoban. A generous Indian friend thought I might benefit from such a thing and promised to sponsor a retreat, so who was I to say no to such a gift. Osho had been following me around since Arambol and the bhajan circle on the beach, and after reading some of his books I got more and more curious. I wanted to do the retreat in Dharam sala, India, originally, but since I had no desire to either leave Koh Phangan earlier or apply for a new Indian visa, I settled for Nepal.

So, off to Surat Thani, where I almost missed my flight even though I had planned a generous buffer of time between the ferry and flight. The lovely travel agency made me wait for a lift to the airport from the bus station for 1,5 hours even though I continuously pestered them and told them repeatedly that I needed to be there at 11 and not leave at 11 from the bus station. My mood swung between desperation, resignation and acceptance as the bus snailpaced towards the airport, stopped at seemingly all the traffic lights and even made a pause to fill up the tank. The check-in would close at 12 according to the ticket, and as we still had 10 kilometers to go at 11.50, I mentally prepared myself to shed tears (which wouldn't have been difficult in the mental state I was in) and plead my way into the plane. The bus finally reached the airport around 12.10 and I hit the ground running, or more like waddling with all my stuff. And lo and behold, there was no problem. No tears needed, there were still people at the check-in counter, nobody gave a second glance at my completely overweight carry-on bag or my ridiculously big „handbag“. So I checked in Mr. Osprey and then went to the restroom to have a slight meltdown/relief. Another hindrance averted!

Plane change in Kuala Lumpur revealed what I'd been told to expect: a long line of Indian men all pushing and shoving to get into the plane, as if worried that it would take off without them. I felt at home already! India, here we come. Oh wait, I was going to Nepal, not India. You could have fooled me...

After apparently some delay (I wasn't really aware of the time difference, apparently I was going to timezone UTC +5:45. Who knew there were 15 minute timezone borders! Not me.) we landed in Kathmandu, where all the Indian men promptly jumped out of their seats and started opening the overhead lockers the minute the plane touched ground, much to the (somewhat resigned) annoyance of the air hostesses. Busy busy, these Indians. Mr. Osprey arrived, I entered my details into a visa computer system, got a printed slip stating my application had been accepted and proceeded to pay for the visa at the designated counter. Newsflash: Nepal is super easy to get into. You can apply for a visa beforehand but there is no need, as you can get either a 15 day, 30 day or 90 day visa on arrival by using one of the computers and paying the fee. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. So, hello Nepal!

The hotel dude was waiting for me even though we were delayed, and we drove through almost pitch blach and very very quiet Kathmandu to Kathmandu Boutique Hotel. I was a little annoyed I didn't get a room like the pictures in Booking.com, but my room was huge, with two beds, a kitchen table and counters, so I didn't want to complain. I headed out for a late night snack and bought some interesting deep fried potatoes and mushrooms from a street vendor before calling it a night.

The next day was reserved for getting the lay of the land and doing some souvenir shopping. I was staying on the outskirts of the main (only) tourist area, Thamel. I spent the day walking the streets, stopping to eat at places I'd checked on Tripadvisor and just sniffing the (dusty, cough) air. I really like Thamel. Yeah, it's touristy and the shops sell the same same, but it's beautiful same same. Lots of the clothes I drool at on festivals are made in Nepal, so I could've bought half the merchandise that was on sale here. I didn't, since I don't have room in my bags, but boy was I tempted. Such pretty things!

And the people! Unbelievably friendly. And everyone speaks such good English! Imagine that I had to come to Nepal for that. I'd heard that Nepal was very backward and undeveloped, and that is most probably the case in the rural areas, but the capital (or the touristy part of it) really blew me away. Lots of young, well-dressed, beautiful people (not westerners but local looking people). And even in the tourist area and the surrounding older parts of the city where my stroll took me the general vibe was quite laid back despite the bustle of everyday life. People were smiling, the shopkeepers seemed genuinely friendly and not trying to push their wares at all cost and almost not letting you leave the shop like many times in India. I just sensed that people were happy and content, which made quite a difference to the hectic and competitive vibe of India. If India's energy was nervously busy, Nepal was mellow. I felt at ease despite the huge culture shock of being in a city after the peace of Koh Phangan.

And the temperature! After the sweltering heat of Koh Phangan, the cooler air was a very sweet thing indeed. It's hard to describe, but this exact temperature of around 25-28 degrees is such a feelgood temperature for me that it's ridiculous. It reminds me of the perfect summer days in Berlin, where you wake up, go shopping at Boxi for some fresh veggies, have an espresso from the espresso guy basking in the morning sun and then spend the day hanging out with friends, enjoying the balmy (for Europe!) summer weather. The never ending, blissful day that stays warm even when the sun sets, and you feel so alive, like all the amazement and joy of life was concentrated on this one perfect summer day. The air even tasted and felt the same here, somehow, even though I was kind of far away. It really is impossible to describe, but I felt so at home, so at peace, even among all the newness that was Nepal. A unique experience; I've never felt anything like this anywhere except in Europe. Brimming with gratefulness <3

I had 3 days in Kathmandu before the beginning of the retreat, and I used the time to walk around, eat (restaurant reviews follow later) and see some sights. I checked out Durbar Square (got bullied to take a guide which was a mistake), the Boudha Stupa (a huge onion shaped temple) and the Monkey temple, which was one of the most beautiful spots I've ever been at. There's just something deeply appealing about craggly trees adorned with millions of prayer flags and awesome views... I'm not usually one to enjoy temples, but if they are in amazing spots like this one and its namesake Monkey temple in Hampi, then sign me up. If you only have time for one spot to see in Kathmandu, do the Monkey temple. Seriously.

One of the Durbar square temples

Memories of the earthquake

Boudha Stupa

Stairway to heaven (or Monkey temple)

Ok, restaurants. If you're not into foodie business, skip ahead now. I had quite a tight schedule as I wanted to try as many of the highly rated places as I could. The first day I started by having lunch at Gaia Restaurant. Their menu looked really yummy but I wasn't that hungry, so I settled for veggie momos (steamed dumplings) and a fruit smoothie. Super super good! And the place was really cute, tucked away at a back alley, very quiet and beautiful, with the mandatory prayer flags and even a library, so one could spend the day there, easily, grazing through the menu ;).

Momo nomnom

For dinner I headed for an Israeli place OR2K. Very beautiful and the menu is an artwork. Sadly most of the Israeli stuff is always very wheaty, and even though I was in an indulgence mode, I opted for a a veggie sizzler. I hadn't had a sizzler since Hampi and the long wait was rewarded: the veggie patty was really yummy and the accompanying thinly sliced raw veggies wonderfully crisp. But what was even more amazing was the dessert: a chocolate souffle to die for! A bowl of smooth, warm chocolatey goo, topped by a thin crisp cake layer. And vanilla ice cream. One of the most amazing desserts I've had on this trip, for sure. A sure sign that this is indeed a benevolent Universe. I can't sing the praises of that dessert loud enough. Go and eat it, if you're ever in the neighborhood! It's so worth it.

Until I go back for a second helping, you will have to do with a picture of empty plates

Next day I did sightseeing, so lunch was had at Boudha. I went there with a local bus, helped by an amazingly nice local guy who guided me to the right bus among the turbulent mass of vehicles and noise. Local buses are such an amazing way to get to see the real life and even have chats with locals. I sat with a friendly Nepali girl and we traded Facebook details. After arriving at the Stupa (and being somewhat underwhelmed... I mean yeah, it's a huge white onion surrounded by prayer mills and flags, but not my cup of tea) I looked for a place to have lunch. What is my cup of tea, though, are conscious food cafes, and I was amazed to find one, Bliss Raw Cafe, tucked away in the inner courtyard, amid all the touristy same same restaurants. I had their set lunch menu, which was pretty but taste-wise nothing to write home about, but the raw cake I had for dessert really was a jackpot. A coconut goji berry raw cake, the likes of which I've never ever tasted before. I so need to try and recreate that. A wonderful find, this cafe <3 

Since you ask: No, I have no idea what that alien thingie on top of the cake was. I ate it, I didn't die.

Dinner after marvelling the Monkey temple was had at Rosemary's kitchen, another Tripadvisor recommendation. A beautiful place with seating indoors and outdoors at a inner courtyard, which was sadly already full, so I had to settle for a table indoors. The staff was super friendly and attentive, and in no time I had a delicious butter chicken masala and a homemade mint lemonade in front of me. Yummy, but not überspecial. Dessert: an ok fruit salad. Nothing amazing. But the other, heavier, menu items, like the speciality rosemary chicken sounded really good as well, so maybe next time I'll try something else. They also had all sorts of cakes and yummy sounding desserts, but I was on healthy mode and chose the fruits.

The last day of the Kathmandu stay I went trekking. A guide for the day plus a taxi there and back cost 80 USD, which is apparently quite an ok rate for such a package. I didn't do that much research, but at least one website advertised the same thing for 100 USD, so I don't think I was ripped off. We drove to Changu Narayan and checked out the oldest temple in Nepal and then headed up towards Nagarkot. The weather was cloudy like it is almost all the time now, so close to the monsoon, but the views were still pretty decent. The trek meandered through forest and small villages and it was very interesting to see how basic the living conditions outside the city really are. I'm talking sheet metal and plastic here. And there were Oxfam and Red Cross tents still around, remnants of the earthquake.

Oxfam shelters still very much in use

Red Cross was here

Either I'm in worse physical condition than I thought or the altitude (around 2 km) did its duty, but the 3,5 hour trek was quite demanding. I was huffing and puffing and my muscles screaming as we finally reached Nagarkot. Lunch was had at a cute restaurant called Berg something (a tradtional Nepali daal bhat, which is the equivalent to Indian thali. It wasn't really that good, to be frank.) and then we took our taxi to a nearby viewpoint before heading back to Kathmandu. The only view that was to be had were the milling locals who seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the light drizzle and the fact that there was absolutely nothing to be seen of the view because of the clouds. But I enjoyed seeing the locals have fun :)

Thali Nepali style

The view on the viewpoint consisted of locals

Back in Kathmandu I tried to find a sister restaurant for the Cookie Walla in Arambol as I didn't get to try their over the top desserts in India, but I never found it :(. But I did find the next best thing, one of the cutest restaurants I've been to: Places. I treated myself to a fruit salad with ice cream and a mint lassi. Yum! 

The last supper was had at Green Organic Cafe: a huge portion of grilled veggies and cheese with tomato sauce. Not super amazing, but very good in a basic kind of way, and it was really nice to get some organic veggies for a change. And the paneer type cheese was really nice and salty. Plus they give you a stamp card where you get a stamp for every 500 rupees you spend, and after 3 stamps you get 20 % off your next order. Sweet!

So, that was my Kathmandu! Next stop: meditation in Osho Tapoban. And now for some more photos

More Monkey temple

...and more

Monkey temple monkeys

Dinner and dessert? :P Well, it IS a weed, so makes sense it grows like one...

Clarity, well-being and healing – My Koh Phangan

Hi there! Long time no post. That's what happens when you stay in one place for a longer time. Especially if you're lived in the same place before. You don't take the camera out nearly as often as in new places, and the magic is experienced mainly internally rather than externally.

My 2 months on the island are almost up, and it's time to take stock. The fact that I really would like to stay tells quite a lot. There is so much here that just makes me love this island more and more each day. The nature is wonderful. The sea is right there, around every corner. The small town feel of Srithanu area, where you see friendly and familiar faces everywhere. The deep, healing energy. The spiritual community with so much to offer, ranging from yoga to workshops to rituals to get-togethers. The food is simply amazing, the Thai as well as the Western, vegetarian/vegan. Even the Indian restaurant is better than many I tried in India. The climate is absolutely perfect (even when the rains are late and the 34 degrees feels like 43). The list could go on and on.

Somehow I just belong here. These past 2 months have brought me so much clarity. Yes, there are still days when things feel foggy and confused, but the stretches of time when my mind is not running the show anymore but letting the real ruler, the inner voice, be heard, are getting longer and longer. There is so much balance, calmness, determination, courage. I just feel good, plain and simple. So, it is starting to look more and more like I might have to return to this island for an even longer period of time than 2 months. This time I went the cafe route: I worked (or volunteered, more like) in a wonderful place called Art Cafe, made brownies, energy balls and ice cream for sale and learned how to make all sorts of different caffein related beverages. I also did tantra workshops, but sadly had not so much time for yoga, although I have a solid personal practice in place. Next time I'll definitely do more yoga, but there is also a really major thought about future plans taking shape. I have sent a clear intention to the Universe now, and will start arranging my life to make it happen: I really want to live here long-term, practicing yoga and making desserts and offering them to cafés and restaurants for sale. That would be a dream come true. So, Universe, let's make it happen, shall we?

Next stop on this leg of the journey will be Nepal, and a 21 day Osho meditation retreat. Then Europe for the summer, and then, who knows. I am at peace with the fact that there is no plan. But I'm pretty sure that plan will involve more travelling, and progress towards making my Koh Phangan baking dream reality. Maybe practice on some markets in Berlin during the summer? Maybe see what Feastos brings? Flow. Trust. That's what my plan is, for now.

Honey Valley – Trekking wonderland in Karnataka

The conqueress of Raja Seat

The next stop on the journey took me truly back to nature and off the beaten path. Honey Valley estate used to be the largest honey producer in India till 1994 until a virus killed off all their bees. Now they're running a coffee plantation (also offering local wine and chocolates, yum) and a homestay in about 1 km height in the Western Ghats. The place is gorgeous and only reachable by a jeep. I took a bus from Mysore to Virajpet and another local bus to Kabbinakad junction, which turned out to be one "hotel" (not the accommodation kind) and one shop. The road uphill with the jeep made me amazed that any vehicle can go up such steep and stony paths, but ours did and we arrived. I'd booked a single room which was tiny but ok for the purposes. The views were spectacular and I found a place for my hammock just outside my room! What else can a girl wish for? As we were in the jungle, I also found two largish spiders residing in the bathroom, who I lovingly named Resident evil 1 and 2. Yay for pets!

"The village"

The proprietor and her super cute house

Room with a view <3

The first afternoon I did a little warm-up trek called the Ridge walk, which turned out to be the beginning of the Mount Taddiandamol trek. Spectacular views, wow, and not another soul in sight. The whole mountain range and jungle, just for me! Such a lucky girl, me <3

The roads less travelled, part x

The next day I was feeling quite spent and weak, plus I needed to go get some money (and talktime + internet balance on my phone), so I headed down the hill in the jeep again with a Bangalore couple who were leaving (and who offered me a place to stay for a night in Bangalore, awesome!). Kakkabe (teehee, Finnish joke) is where the nearest ATM is at, so I took a rikshaw just to go and be told that it's the second Saturday of the month, which means the banks are closed. Duh. Well, at least I got my phone needs fulfilled and scored some bananas, so it wasn't a completely wasted trip. The rest of the day: hammock time. At dinnertime I met three lovely youngsters (Spanish, German and American) who were studying in Bangalore and we decided to head out to the mountain the day after. I was slightly concerned that I wasn't fit enough, but after having chicken for dinner (mega spicy, like everything here) and an omelette in the morning, I noticed I had so much more energy than the previous days. Yay for protein <3

So, off we went, us 4 and a guide. The beginning of the trip I'd already done on the first day, but I got more and more excited the farther we went. Look at me, trekking a mountain! I've really learned that I love trekking, and I see way more of it in my future. Being in the nature and doing something physical just makes my heart sing. Awesomesauce <3. At some point the guide (non-English speaking) started getting slower and slower and then eventually stopped. We were on a path in the middle of dense junglebush and heard rustling. We'd seen elephant dung on the path before, so there were apparently some of the jumbos around. I didn't think they'd be a danger to us, but the guide seemed to disagree, as after peeking in the bush, he quickly started ushering us back the way we'd come. So, mission Mount Taddiandamol: aborted due to unexpected elephant action. I was slightly disappointed, but what can you do? 

So, we headed back to the junction where almost all the treks start from, and managed to get the guide to return back to Honey Valley by himself (after half an hour of miming and waving and all sorts of sign language), and sat down to have lunch (local picnic pack: a packet of toast, one slice of live-forever processed-to-death packaged cheese, one tiny tub of jam, a whole cucumber, a tomato, a boiled egg with satchets of salt and pepper, and a packet of biscuits). After lunch we did a small trek to the bottom of a waterfall, which was a trickle of water as was to be expected as it is dry season, but the place was gorgeous, so we sat and chilled for a couple of hours, listening to the bubbling and gurgling water and admiring the jungle around us.

No live animals were harmed during the photoshoot. This veggie mouse might have got its head bitten off.

"Waterfall"

The youngsters had to return to Bangalore the same evening, so the next day I geared up for another trek by myself. I wanted to get on top of the large mountain ridge to a place called Raja Seat, so I headed back to the waterfall, crossed the stream and took the path through the jungle. I had a booklet with me, describing the walk, and the next part went "head left and up the hill through the grassy area. The path will be unclear, but you will end up eventually on a clear path". Well, I didn't. I kept taking detours, weaving in and out of the forest line, trying to find the clear path. I imagined I found a path eventually and followed it into the jungle, but eventually I needed to stop kidding myself and admit that there was no path. I saw some cliffs I'd seen earlier higher up the grassy hill, so I headed towards them, thinking I might see the path from there. No such luck, but boy was I rewarded with a view! Not a soul anywhere, just me, in the middle of the Indian mountain range. Such a rush. I was so proud of myself, taking the roads less travelled, going somewhere so remote by myself and loving it. Go me!

But then it got tricky. I thought I knew roughly where I was and where I was supposed to go, but the jungle made everything difficult. In the bushes it was impenetrable, the grassy hill started to drop down so steeply that I couldn't go back there, and in the jungle itself I couldn't see where I was heading. I went around in circles, cursing the spiky and thorny bushes and eventually gave up and went back to the cliffs and tried to find the imaginary path I'd been following earlier on. No path. A slight panic started tugging on the edges of my mind, painting all sorts of horror pictures, imagining my body in place of a deer carcass I'd seen before. But I regrouped my wits and plunged back into the jungle, determined to head in the direction I thought was the right one, and go towards the sound of the waterfall. It was rough going, but finally I made it to the cliffs where the water was trickling down. I had no idea where I was at this point, but I figured that if I followed the waterfall/stream down, I would eventually end up at a bridge or path or something.

So, time to learn some new skills. How to climb down at times almost vertical and slimy rocks? By starting to do it and not stopping. So, watching for thorny trees and bushes I slipped and slided and climbed down, reached the actual streambed, and continued my riverbed-scramble downwards. The place was gorgeous, but I found it a bit hard to concentrate on anything except trying to calm my mind that wanted to go to all sorts of not-so-helpful places. I stopped and had some bananas and nuts, eyed the almost vertical jungly hillsides on both sides of the stream with slight desperation and continued on. And to be frank, I actually enjoyed it. I mean, yes, I was lost in the frickin' jungle, had no reception in my cell, and I could twist my ankle and all that jazz, but I was alive, doing something quite cool, the temperature was perfect and the day was young, so I was around 80 % confident I would make it out alive. I had a faint idea about where I was, since I was pretty sure at this point I'd actually started going down the stream/waterfall a little down from where the actual „waterfall“ was where I'd crossed the stream earlier on, and now would just have to keep on going down and trying to spot a path of somekind. My subconscious was shaking its head, going "Girl, look at the places you put yourself in! Well, at least you got an adventure!"...

For the women who make their own paths...

Doesn't seem very imposing in the pic, but yes that is a vertical cliff right there. Better stay on the bottom of the thing...

But eventually the ground evened out a bit and lo and behold, there was something that looked suspiciously like a path! So, off in to the forest again, and wow the rush of gratitude when I saw that the almost-imaginary path turned into a real one and I saw a roof of a house in the distance. Gratitude turned into new panic pretty quickly though, as the guard dogs came rushing at me, with their teeth bared, forcing me back into the bush. So, no calling for help, no asking for directions, then. Ok. Shaking, I took the path the other way. Which took me to a BRIDGE! A road! I was on the map again! Or so I thought. I struck out along the way I was sure would lead me closer to home. But there was another house. And more dogs, barking like mad, so I had to turn again. I was getting pretty close to tears at this point, as it seemed like everywhere I tried to go there were vicious dogs, and no way I was going off the road again after finding it.

I got ready to call the Honey Valley people (I hoped I had reception again; I'd turned the phone off to save battery) to come and rescue me, but I still didn't know where I was. So I walked the road the other way, crossing the stream and saw a VOLLEYBALL FIELD which was clearly marked on the map! With newly found courage I armed myself with rocks and a stick and braved the dog territory again, determined not to give up and call for help. I would survive, I would make it! I knew where I was and the road back wasn't that long. And thank the universe, this time the animals stayed on their yard so I managed to go past. Gods, what an adrenaline rush! Brrr.

As you probably guessed, the story ends well. I was indeed where I thought I was, and without more animal encounters I found my way back to Honey Valley, dirty and exhausted, but just in time for lunch :D

Pfeew, what a day. Lessons learned: Once you're off the path in the jungle, good luck :D Scaling down cliffs and balancing and scrambling on all fours along a riverbed is surprisingly fun, but I would rather it not be a necessity next time. 90 % of all jungle plants are spiky. There is no such thing as a friendly dog in these parts. And the most important lesson of all: trust trust trust that you'll make it, and you will. In the end, I was very proud of myself of how I handled it all. Just slight tugging of panic at the edges of the mind, no full-blown anything, no tears (well, maybe 2 after almost getting eaten alive by the dogs). And the great reward of seeing all those amazing places where not many souls wander to, I imagine.

The idea of finding the Raja Seat hadn't left me yet, though, so next day I set out again. This time I had a secret weapon with me, though: Suresh, a super nice Indian guy who'd trekked these paths several times. And we had a lovely day trekking: finally got to the Raja Seat and sat there for a couple of hours, discussing life, universe and everything (and picking off thorns and thistles and all sorts of spiky stuff off our clothes and hair). After a slight detour and pushing our way though more spiky mountainside brush we found the promised "obvious path" and tried to make sense of the (very outdated) directions in booklet. Every road leads somewhere, we figured, so after stating we had no real idea where we were, we settled out for lunch. The language skills of Suresh also were invaluable, as this time I got a lunch pack with idlis and sambar instead of the wheaty stuff. So we ate on a jeep road somewhere in the middle of a huge coffee plantation, feeding the friendly chickens and marvelling at life in general. Eventually we did end up on the same road that the instructions pointed to, and once again Suresh's experience came in handy, as he recognized the place from the previous trek. After some more uphill downhill action, we made it back to base again. Talk about a day well spent! After the trek, the last super spicy dinner was had and Suresh and me amused ourselves by watching Tom Cruise be killed repeatedly in Edge of tomorrow. So, a wonderful last day in Honey Valley, all in all <3

Me and the so-far-unscaled Mt. Taddiandamol in the background. I'll be back!

Biscuit-greedy chickens

Suresh and the Finnish red-nosed reindeer

The trip in India is nearing it's end, so the next day I paid my bill (a bit under 6000 rupees = 80 euros for 5 nights of accommodation, all meals and a couple of jeep trips up and down the hill) Suresh took me to Virajpet (Indian roadtrip! Tamil music! Wheeeee awesomesauce <3) where I made it to the nice and comfy Volvo bus with generous 3 minutes margin (Pheew!) and rode to Bangalore. As I watched the scenery go by I was once again overwhelmed with gratitude for these experiences and this life as well as love for India. I did not imagine I would fall so completely and utterly in love with this country, but I have. I will be back very soon, with an empty big backpack and my soul thirsting to sample more of what this wonderful, vibrant, lively place has to offer.