How Long does a Dream last?...

I’m sitting at the side of my swimming pool in Anjuna, Goa. Palm trees overhead. Probably about 39 degrees and not a cloud in the sky! I have been to a German bakery/ Pescetarian cafe. I am looking into Pranayama & Meditation class. Every day at 5:30 near where I’m staying! There are quite a few different types of yoga and meditation class. It’s called Brahmani Yoga. www.brahmaniyoga.com. I have not checked the link out but I’m sure it won’t be able to start to explain the tranquil energy that these places in Goa give off. There are many activities like this in Goa and you can find people practicing aligning their chakras on large rocks 10 meters out to sea. On cliff tops at sun rise and sunset people draw energy from the sun using all kinds of mediatory techniques. It’s very peaceful and incredibly chilled.

There were two beautiful kittens in this cafe no older than 3 months. It is spring in India at the moment so the whole country as would find in England and the rest of the world in any spring time a burst of energy with small undernourished offspring of every kind bounce about everywhere.

There is off course due an under educated and lesser developed country, poorly treated animals but at the same time try to take the positive from this and in many other parts choice of domestication. The dogs in the city are wild. But most dogs in Goa for example will look nicer to touch and are granted permission from restaurants to be fed very well may i add. It’s not every day that fluffy has the slightly undercooked -not sure if I want to risk eating this ill just stick to my butter chapatti- Vindaloo Veg Curry and a cheeky saucer of 8% Kingfisher beer to wash it down with so not to offend the ever so slightly unhygienic waiter that just wiped my plate with the same cloth he used to dry his brow.

I choose not to go into too much detail on the lack of control of neutering and in your face misinterpreted fables of most religions in my eyes that preaches living in harmony with all of God’s creatures, but rather focus on many other beautiful people who have set up animal shelters who are welcoming holiday makers, travellers and all animal lovers to help walk 15+ puppies, mend broken eagles wings and take care the best they can of any animal that comes through their door. Supported majority by donations and Support of locals. They have stools at the famous Anjuna markets where they take donations of books people have read to sell. You won’t have to ask too many people to how to find these organizations. An hour or two before you go and sit on the beach puts a very nice tone on the day trust me.

I have a recipe for you! Cinnamon is a bark- that I did not know- and you need to try and get it in its rawest organic form, as though you have snapped a small piece away from a tree, 2 or 3 capsicum seeds, and the secret ingredient, the world’s most expensive by weight commodity, Saffron. Not much but a few centimeter hairs will do. After all saffron is a gift from the Gods and should resist being greedy in front of them. Boiling Water and you’re done! No need to mention the brewing of such a hot delicacy perfect at any time of day or night! But may I strongly recommend appreciating a drink such as this in one’s own time when feeling spiritual and have time to gather each hint of flavor with every sip...

Anyway more about where I have been resting my pert white bottom recently, getting lost in my book while my skin turns back to my natural Italian complexion I had in my previous life when I was and Italian lesbian spiritual guru. True story.

It’s very hard to explain this tropical land i find myself in. But i can say that it has got a very touristic side as the best beaches with very few local entrepreneurs trying to offer you the very same sarong you bought no longer than the last time, half an hour ago, she passed or the fruit woman who at 2:30 after not looking up from my book for an hour is very welcome, but as i keep explaining to her exactly what too much fruit does to my plan of taking a number 2 every other day thus minimizing the lack of enjoyment i once experienced from sitting waiting for numb cheeks rather than hovering ones exit hole above many various, quick and hard to predict creatures who like those places to hang out! Although Gandhi and Dahl (because he is the same colour as the cumin and tarragon stained Dahl that is a perfect snack with a hot garlic naan) my friendly bathroom frogs that come from the drain to say hello every time i take a shower are of course different. I’m pleased their mum had twins rather than Pentakaideons or centurions. There isn’t actually a word in English that has the same meaning as the frog language for having 300 brothers and sisters, but i like my description more than anyone who finds their inquisitive mind leaving this tab to open a separate window to check Wikipedia for any actual exact words that may exist.

Driving no faster than 40 kilometers an hour -stupid English educational lack of conversion knowledge- about 30ish miles an hour maybe? Exploring around Goa has to be the freest and most adventurous way of seeing the most of what Goa has. I would say it’s the hardest place to take photos for two main reasons. the main reason is there really isn’t any camera (not even my daddy of a camera that apparently takes 3D photos) that can capture the beauty of Goa and its organic beauty that cannot escape the hint of peoples footprint at every slice of natural beauty and the second being that 1800 rps into my budget after sand buggered up zoom on my perfect over price toy that i only hope does show a 10th of how cool, beautiful and incredibly different this land of India is to happy choppy sitting in paradise thinking of the rain and chill that people close to me back home are probably complaining about as if unusual for us to not have been used to our whole lives. But then who am I to talk, I’m sitting listening to Jimmy Hendrix rock it out on my Mp3 Player whilst dipping my crusty toe nails in a swimming pool made only warm by this hitting 40 degrees sometimes sun!

One last this that may cheer you up to know, is that I have looked up and found very common all across India the various species of arachnids, many harmless and most larger than ones that lurk in tiny cupboards generally not used much. ‘Many’ and 'most' were used for a reason. It’s actually the 'few' and 'Smaller' opposite descriptive words I would rather not think about. My question, 'Is it a good thing I have not seen them yet'? I mean there are bats everywhere. But like fuck do you see them in the day. But they are defanitly there!

Everyday brings new experiences and changes of ideas about India. One day I might write in my diary about the encounters I have with the local people and anderstand more and more that everything is business. But To why and how this is changes. India is a massive import and and export country with opportunities to be made everywhere. I visited a block printing on textile company who imports to Monsoon a major high street shop in England. A Piercing specialist who makes tunnels, plugs and various earings with hand painted designs on them who have customers ordering huge quantities all around the world. There are artists who can sculpture and create some of the most amazing pieces of art for the smallest amout of profit and continue to do so everyday of their working lives. Sons of fathers whom have built a business up over 20 or 30 years building a network of international clients passing on their knowledge of business through the generations. People trade and live in many different exsistances beside each other. you have the poorest people working 20 hour days 6 day weeks travelling tens kilometers everyday next to jewelers and stall owners whom have been what seems like to be successful and do not need to work so hard. All with a calm ease of life and nothing needing to be hurried. They all share several things in common. Family and religion. you cannot walk down a road without seeing a shrine of some kind. Mostly Ganesha you see in allot of shrines with offerings from local people however poor being left in front. Flower chains and insense and i even say someone leaving food in front of one the otherday. Islamic chants eco across cities from mosques 5 or 6 times aday. Families travelling miles away to see distant relatives getting married. I am very lucky to arrive in wedding season so am seeing at least 2 or 3 wedding processions a day holding up traffic with out anybody being wound up. Really makes you think about what is important and unimportant and how selfish I myself can be living in England. Shanti Shanti is the indian way of life meaning 'slowly slowly. To take every moment and enjoy is at this moment only comes once and will never come again.

Rathampoore Wildlife reserve was worth every second getting there and penny spent as well if not only for the wildlife but for the peace and quiet of no tuc tucs tooting their horn every second of the day. No tigers but saw plenty of other unusual wildlife such as vulchers, Jackels, owls, baby crocodiles, blue deer and some cool birds. After there we travelled to Jaisalmer near the India and Pakistan border where I did a 2 day Camel Safari into the Dessert. Led by 3 Indian guides me, Jordan and Natalie my new american friend who are awesome and Julia and Phillippe a German and swiss couple equally as cool. We ate pretty basic food, camped round a fire that I used my Bear Grills skills to start and played my bagpipes into the early hours before sleeping under the stars and waking to sunrise over the dunes. I am travelling from city to city at the moment with both couples and sharing rooms with them meaning were staying in some accomodation some nights for 300 rupees between three which is a little under £4 between us. Jordan and Nat are well travelled and are so easy going its nice to spend each day chilling and chating without ever getting bored. We got a little drunk the other night in Jodupur the blue city on 8% beers and got back to our guest house later than we should have and decided to shave my hair off. The owners wernt too happy with the giggling from the balcony in the early hours but left the next morning but think we would have been welcome for another night. Udaipur was our next stop which has to be one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been. From our hotel roof top restaurant you look out over a massive lake made by a Mahurajah in the 17th century. With an amazing 800 euro a night hotel in the middle. Moutains disapearing for miles around and generally cleaner than all the other cities I have been so far. I am writting this sat outside a cafe on the lake looking along the edge watching Idian life going by shanti shanti. People washing cloths and themselves in the lake which i would not say is clean by any means. When they have been doing this for thousands of years then the pollution just becomes an unavoidable acceptance. There has not been any place however remote that hasnt had pollution. But I think that as much rubbish as I am noticing isnt anymore than back home just we have a paid system tgo hide and deposit rubbish away from our eyes helping us to see how we are destroying this amazing world. Even in the dessert you cant see the sun disapear in the horizon due to the layer of smog in the sky.

Had an amazing jamming session in a bar last night with an English and French guitarists, German Drummer and me on the Pipes. Definitely pleased I brough my bagpipes around the world. Music truly has no enemy and can be used to comunicate love and peace with every race and nation.

Landed Safely in Mumbai and then up to Jaipur. India is incredible and people are amazing. Jaipur is Really busy and market stalls everywhere. Many friendly people who are helping showing their friends a and families places where it is best to buy things from with less pressure to actually buy something which is in itself a bastard cause you sort of have to buy something. Already over spending but have good accommodation eventually! My first hotel that was booked, i was moved from to a not such a nice one, so not such a great start and saw my first wonder of the world yesterday! People are amazed by westerners and the attention is intense but i suppose it aint that uncommon for me to like attention...

I was invited to an Indian wedding in my first couple of nights which was an honour to bring my bagpipes and play for them. As a westerner you are a very popular guest and to to bring and exchange knowledge or music brings an experience in itself and are greatly honoured.

Allot of English Tuc Tuc drivers are very keen to show you around and take you many places you might not even want to go to and encourages you to spend money. Have had to become more assertive and take my time doing things in order to feel more comfortable. I expect they usually meet tourists with larger budgets and are willing to do and see everything. Unfortunately for them they have a budget traveller on their hands and doesnt want to be healed by a spiritual healer quite yet or see Tiger Fort as well as the Monkey Temple and all the temples or forts that are 1000 rupes away from each other...

Most Rickshaw drivers will tell you to trust no one else but them who at the end of the day never expect their time and advice to be free. Have realised the best advice is to say you have been and done allot of the attractions and have been in the area for a while so to be sure they dont think I am Blue as I feel!

Have been to see the Taj Mahul in Agra which is incredible but quite hard work with my first experience of travelling by train for 5 hours at 5am and then back the same day. I bought a ticket from a travel shop but they add 300 rupees on to the ticket each way which as I realised going to Agra is more than the train ticket itself. Spoke to a couple of Spanish friends who bought tickets direct from the station which works out allot cheaper. I plan to stay as close to the train stations as I can now as the taxis and rickshaws in most cases cost more than most things... I am still yet to work the bartering system out but mostly be prepared to say a price before you get in a vehicle and If they agree straight away you have been done, if not stick to it and work out the distance or time and know that is about right. People do expect you to be paying more and think all tourist are flush and can afford to do EVERYTHING!

Has no one in India heard of the highway code? I have almost died 100 times over and yet never seen an accident yet (touch wood). People do not seem to get angry the way that the fucker on the right just cut me up ill beep at the bastard! They just accept it and keep driving and beep constantly. And the roads... well chewed up by giants by the look of them... One side of town to the other today and passed camels, elephants, hourses and cow driven carts and carriages. Tuc Tucs, battered cars, bikes and nothing seems to not have had a chunk taken out of it.

Would like to stay longer in Jaipur and actually see everything but the road must continue and am being called to other places. Rathempoore Wildlife is next and cannot wait but have deliberately missed a 15 hour train to Varanasi and back again as need to feel my feet more before embarking upon stupidly long journeys which apparently only must seem crazy to me as Agra was ONLY 5hours away the guard said.