TravelStream™ news feed for member mountainsouls on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mountainsouls en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:13:46 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1187680680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1187680680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1187680680/tpod.html Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:13:46 -0500 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Accra, Ghana

ghana!&nbsp; it's been a dream for as long as i can remember.&nbsp; although i've been before it was as a child and i have very few memories.&nbsp; torn between nervous and excited as we flew from mumbai to nairobi and then to accra, i was thinking about the few memories i have from the first and last time i was in ghana, almost 40 years ago to the day.&nbsp; we were on our way to ghana, home to my father, home to family i didn't know and had only recently been in touch with, and home to a culture i have been curious about all of my life.&nbsp; i have wanted to reconnect with this part of my heritage for as long as i can remember and here we were on our way.&nbsp; it felt surreal. we touched down and felt the heat and humidity of the tropics that we had become used to during much of our travels thus far.&nbsp; after making our way through immigration we went outside and met my cousin owusu who was holding up a sign with our names on it since we had never met or seen pictures of each other.&nbsp; i recognized the family resemblance immediately.&nbsp; we shared the same body type.&nbsp; what i like to call slim but toned.&nbsp; we all embraced.&nbsp; we could hardly let go of each other as water welled up in our eyes.&nbsp; he explained that his brother paa kwesi (pk) was on his way.&nbsp; pk arrived and we all hugged again.&nbsp; i was speechless.&nbsp; i had so much to say but couldn't find the words.&nbsp; i apologized for dropping in unexpectedly.&nbsp; we had arrived 2 weeks earlier than planned because of a schedule change due to our plans to teach in the fall.&nbsp; no problem he said but we had clearly caught them off guard.&nbsp; they were so worried about what we would think and how to take care of us.&nbsp; it was humbling. trying to find the words to express our emotions we took a ride with one of their friends to a guest house that they had arranged for us to stay in.&nbsp;&nbsp; they dropped us off and asked what we wanted to eat.&nbsp; they were happy and surprised when we named some of the ghanaian dishes (palm soup, fufu, &amp; kenke) and returned later with rice balls and a delicious pot of palm soup.&nbsp; the first of many scrumptious meals we would enjoy during our 5 weeks in ghana.&nbsp; they also brought their little brother felix whom we me for the first time then.&nbsp; the guest house was very nice it was in the home of a friend of a friend.&nbsp; pk had set it up and we enjoyed the comforts and delicious breakfasts that came with it for our first few days while we prepared for our trip from accra to asiakwa, my fathers birthplace and still home to much of the family.&nbsp; after shopping at some of the colorful, bustling, markets brimming with life we picked up the supplies we needed for our journey to asiakwa. we took pk's friend bright's taxi to accra because of all of the supplies we had.&nbsp; it was about an hour and a half trip that took us thru the city and then thru the countryside.&nbsp; we passed thru several villages.&nbsp; most had a specialty like tangy barbequed chicken, breads, fried plantain, and smoked fish.&nbsp; we picked up more stuff on the road and made some friends along the way.&nbsp; after the town where we picked up some bread we took a turn and drove thru countryside filled with all kinds of trees that i'd never seen before.&nbsp; there was one species in particular that caught my eye it was very majestic and they stood above all of the others and were spaced out from each other. we started to see a few houses and owusu announced that we had arrived in asiakwa.&nbsp; i felt the same nervous excitement that i had felt when we were approaching accra a few days before.&nbsp; we drove down a dirt road to a compound a group of children who had heard about our arrival followed the car and stared at smiled at us with wide eyes.&nbsp; we went into the compound and met my auntie who is a spitting image of my dad.&nbsp; i looked into her eyes and it was like looking into his.&nbsp; we all hugged and then we started meeting all of the family members as they came by and greeted us.&nbsp; "awaaba" is the twi greeting.&nbsp; we met my uncles, my father's younger twin brothers, their wives and children.&nbsp; countless cousins what a reception it was overwhelming and i found myself speechless again.&nbsp; the kids weren't speechless however as they began to sing.&nbsp; family members and villagers kept coming and we were struggling to remember all of the names and relationships.&nbsp; we decided to give the kids some candy.&nbsp; what a scene that was.&nbsp; they were very excited to receive the toffee (generic term for candy).&nbsp; we had a brief family meeting with the immediate family including my twin uncles the current elders of the family.&nbsp; they brought us up to date and we did the same.&nbsp; then we set a date for a ceremony/celebration for our arrival. later that night we settled down and had our first meal with aunties cooking.&nbsp; Mmmm, delicious!&nbsp; she made palm nut stew and it was out of this world.&nbsp; i have to say a few words about my aunt. &nbsp; not only is she a great cook but what a big heart.&nbsp; she takes care of the kids in the village who need looking after.&nbsp; she is also raising 3 girls and 2 boys booms, mary, aggie, stephen and evans.&nbsp; all of them treated us like royalty.&nbsp; it was unbelievable at times to realize i was here where my father had been born and raised.&nbsp; the entire village was very kind to us we were of course somewhat of a spectacle.&nbsp; everyone went out of their way to greet us.&nbsp; we were invited into countless homes.&nbsp; owusu acted as our tour guide and took us everywhere from the local orphanage to the towns sophisticated water supply system to a several funerals.&nbsp; i knew that funerals were an important and complex part of ghanaian culture before coming but know we really have a much better appreciation for the role they play in the culture. black and red are the traditional funeral colors.&nbsp; music is integral as is dancing.&nbsp; there is a place for the elders to sit and you greet them and pay your respects when you enter.&nbsp; there are pre-funeral, funeral, and post funeral ceremonies.&nbsp; the pre-funeral ceremonies are to plan and prepare for the funeral.&nbsp; the funeral is actually 2-3 events including a gathering ceremony, burial, and another gathering.&nbsp; there are regular ceremonies to mark anniversaries of deaths as well.&nbsp;&nbsp; we saw small ceremonies as well as one for the son of an important chief. there was always some music in the air and so it was natural to move to the rhythm.&nbsp; dancing just happens.&nbsp; music was all around and it just felt natural to dance.&nbsp; everyone was encouraging and helping us to speak twi.&nbsp; we definitely got better but still have a long way to go.&nbsp; we visited 2 other towns near asiakwa while we were there.&nbsp; one was where a big funeral for a chiefs son was taking place the other had a market where we found some material that owusu insisted we buy for ghanaian garb to be worn at the celebration we were planning for the community.&nbsp; it's customary to put on a celebration upon returning home.&nbsp; we had picked up many of the supplies in accra but we still needed a few things like outfits, fresh vegetables, kenke, and of course a goat.&nbsp; we picked up everything except the goat and the produce that like plantains and cassavas which came from the farm at the local market.&nbsp; we went looking for a goat at some of the neighbor's houses.&nbsp; the family has several goats but they are all females and not to be eaten since they bear offspring (tough to be a young male in most animal species).&nbsp; we didn't find one but owusu located one which he took us to see later.&nbsp; the next day which was the day before the celebration he and a friend killed the goat.&nbsp; amy and i watched (she hung in as long as she could).&nbsp; it was done very humanely and with reverence for the goat.&nbsp; after the blood was drained into a pit that had been dug and they put it on a fire that had been built to burn off the hair.&nbsp; then it was butchered.&nbsp; everything was saved including the tail, head, and hooves.&nbsp; the intestines, testicles, and internal organs were prepared immediately and as guests of honor amy and i were invited to share. the rest of that evening and most of the next day starting at dawn was devoted to preparing for the ceremony.&nbsp; there was harvesting, fufu pounding, shopping at the market, and of course cooking.&nbsp; goat stew, ground nut soup, pk's famous fried chicken, jollof rice (prepared by amy with instruction from pk), various vegetable dishes, palm nut soup, fish stew, fufu, kenke, and banku were all on the menu.&nbsp; everyone was busy cooking or helping the cooks.&nbsp; stephan and evans were busy pounding fufu all day long.&nbsp; i took a turn and it was hard work, hard on the hands and a good workout.&nbsp; pounding fufu is a two person job there is the pounder whose job is to pound the fufu mixture in a large wooden bowl with a large stick.&nbsp; the other person has the job of adding ingredients to the bowl, folding and needing the mixture while avoiding getting their hand smashed by the pounder.&nbsp; it's a real art that that has a rhythm that is fascinating to watch.&nbsp; while all of the cooking was going on a large canopy was erected to protect from the sun and/or rain.&nbsp; people from all over town came by with chairs as the courtyard began to fill up.&nbsp; when the food was finally ready in the late afternoon we all went get cleaned up and dressed.&nbsp; amy and i put on our new outfits that had been rushed to be finished by one of the local tailors.&nbsp; when we got there half the town was already there.&nbsp; everyone was dressed in beautiful and colorful garb, music was playing and people were dancing.&nbsp; a large cheer went up as we arrived and we joined in the dancing.&nbsp; after working up a good sweat we decided to give some candy or toffee as they called any sweets out to all of the kids that were there.&nbsp; we were mobbed in a good way.&nbsp; 20 minutes later with sweet tooth's appealed and after being rescued from the mass of children it was time to begin the ceremony. we were introduced to the crowd and i gave a short speech and introduced amy as my wife.&nbsp; we were welcomed into the family by my aunt and uncles.&nbsp; stories were told about my father and his visits.&nbsp; he would come to town and set up a clinic and treat anyone who wanted treatment for free.&nbsp; he also was instrumental in the planting of the orange and cocoa orchards that are so critical to the family. we also heard a lot of stories although i find them hard to believe about how wild my brother and i were during our 1st and last visit 40 years ago.&nbsp; i was surprised how many of the older people remembered that visit and would come up and introduce themselves and talk about when were there as small children.&nbsp; my few memories of that visit were of chasing and being chased by chickens and a big thunderstorm.&nbsp; kids still chase and are chased by chickens and we saw some big storms while we were there. the rest of the evening was more story telling, dancing, and general merrymaking.&nbsp; it was a night to remember.&nbsp; the rest of our time in asiakwa we spent touring the town.&nbsp; we visited the school my father attended in the 30's, the local orphanage, the town's new water treatment plant, the edge of the bush (forest), and lots of people.&nbsp; owusu who amy gave the nickname "governor" seemed to know everyone and was an excellent tour guide.&nbsp; we also started a restoration project on the family compound where my father grew up and where auntie currently resides.&nbsp; &nbsp; we left asiakwa after 2 weeks and headed back to accra where we celebrated amy's 30th birthday ghana style!&nbsp; we had a pre party at pk, owusu and felix's.&nbsp; many of their friends and neighbors also joined in.&nbsp; happy birthday was sung which in ghana has 3 verses followed by 3 very vocal hip hip hoorays.&nbsp; we had a good meal and some of the local beverages before heading out to hear some live music at a very nice outdoor club were all danced for hours until a drenching rain put a damper on things.&nbsp; i think a good time was had by all. after the party we left to visit the cape coast region of ghana.&nbsp; we spent a few days in the area.&nbsp; we visited elmina the former slave fort.&nbsp; as you can imagine it was a very somber and sobering experience.&nbsp; it makes your blood boil to imagine the atrocities that occurred there and all of the other places that slavery desecrated.&nbsp; the negative energy is still very palpable there.&nbsp; we had a very good tour guide who was informative as well as passionate about the history of slavery.&nbsp; the stories he told along with actually seeing the dungeons and cells made for a horrifying experience.&nbsp; the cruelty of man knows no bounds. fortunately the cape coast area has some very uplifting experiences to be had as well.&nbsp; we toured the city and ate at a wonderful oceanside restaurant.&nbsp; the university of accra is ghana's first and largest university but cape coast is home to cape coast university the most prestigious of ghana's universities.&nbsp; kofi annan is its most famous alum.&nbsp; we also visited kakum national park home to one of the worlds few rainforest canopy walks.&nbsp; the park offers lots of hiking and camping.&nbsp; it is home to lots of wildlife including pygmy elephants and some of the last chimpanzees of west africa.&nbsp; these animals and most of the other animals live in the remote parts of the park and we didn't see any but we did enjoy a hike and the canopy walk.&nbsp; the canopy walk allows access to the upper part of the forest which is usually inaccessible.&nbsp; there were seven suspension bridges between enormous trees suspended up to 40m (125feet) above the forest floor.&nbsp; they afforded spectacular views of the forest landscape as well as a few birds and insects (most notably some beautiful butterflies).&nbsp; it was a truly unique experience. after cape coast we went back to accra.&nbsp; after the first few days we had taken our cousins offer to live with them and their neighbors in an area of accra know as la paz.&nbsp; it is a very poor (economically) part of town that is very rich in friendliness and hospitality.&nbsp; there were frequent blackouts here despite the fact that power remained on in the more affluent parts of the city.&nbsp; there was no plumbing as was the case in asiakwa (we were used to this by now from our time in india).&nbsp; water for drinking, cooking and cleaning had to be carried about half a mile from large tanks.&nbsp; young felix bore the brunt of most of this difficult task. it was very comfortable there and our cousins took very good care of us.&nbsp; they did so much for us despite our protestations.&nbsp; felix did most of the chores.&nbsp; he is between high school and a hopeful admittance to some type of post high education.&nbsp; pk was the cook when he wasn't working.&nbsp; he is a hair dresser and recently opened his own shop.&nbsp; owusu was our tour guide.&nbsp; we went all over the city on tro tros.&nbsp; tro tros are vans or mini buses that are privately owned but run along regular routes and are a very efficient and economical way to get around not just the city but the whole country. we saw the national museum, markets, a beach, and went to visit pk at work.&nbsp; amy got her hair braided by one of pk's co-workers soon after we arrived so we would go and visit them from time to time.&nbsp; for the most part we just hung out with the cousins and their neighbors while we were in accra.&nbsp; after a couple of weeks in cape coast and accra we went back to asiakwa for another visit.&nbsp; it had been raining quite a bit while we were in accra and it continued when we were in asiakwa.&nbsp; further north it had been raining even harder and caused severe flooding.&nbsp; we witnessed one downpour that was amazing in terms of the sheer amount of rain that fell.&nbsp; the paths and roads in town became muddy brown swollen streams and rivers.&nbsp; &nbsp; a few days later however after some sun things dried up enough that we decided to visit the family farm.&nbsp; the family has extensive lands which are farmed by different members of the family.&nbsp; the land also contains an orange orchard that my dad established years ago and a couple of cocoa orchards.&nbsp; the orange trees are past their prime and slowly being converted to cocoa.&nbsp; ghana is one of the world's leaders in cocoa production.&nbsp; &nbsp; it was very interesting to see the cocoa plants, pods, and beans.&nbsp; we had never seen cocoa plants before and luckily it was harvest time.&nbsp; we saw the pods picked, the seeds or cocoa beans extricated, and then dried before being shipped to chocolate makers around the world.&nbsp; some very fine chocolate is produced in ghana as we discovered. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; we went to the farm with owusu, cousin joseph and booms (girl who lives with auntie).&nbsp; we hiked the mile and a half or so to the family farm on a trail that many of the other town folk used to access their farms.&nbsp; the landscape is beautiful it's very lush and full of trees.&nbsp; every so often several hundred meters or so there is an enormous tree.&nbsp; unfortunately i forgot the name of the trees but they are very majestic. &nbsp; we passed many people who were returning with lots of produce including plantains, bananas, cassava root, various vegetables, coconuts, palm nuts, fire wood, and cassava leaves (for the goats).&nbsp; we visited the farm first we met a man who is working some of the land for the family as he was preparing some forest land to plant more cocoa. &nbsp; i'm happy to say that the cocoa in this area is all grown in a very sustainable manner it is planted with very little impact to the surrounding habitat.&nbsp; in fact we didn't even notice the cocoa sometimes.&nbsp; it doesn't require direct sunlight so it's an ideal crop for the forest environment.&nbsp; it's also being grown mostly organically for the most part as well.&nbsp;&nbsp; hmmm organic cocoa.... there must be a market for that.&nbsp; one of the many projects i discussed with owusu who also shares the business idea gene with my father and i. &nbsp; we were going to do some harvesting ourselves but we decided to first head to the local river and have a look at that.&nbsp; half a mile later we came upon a family living in the middle of the forest.&nbsp; they had a nice house some animals and a big rack with cocoa beans drying on it.&nbsp; owusu explained that they have been working the land for many years and have a very close relationship with our family.&nbsp; we visited with them and then they took us to the river which provided a chance to cool off.&nbsp; then we went back to their house and the father showed us how palm wine one of the local beverages is made. it's a very interesting technique involving the use of fire and a reed which is blown thru to facilitate the extraction of palm sap. &nbsp; we said our good byes and headed back to the farm were we harvested some plantains, bananas, cassava roots, cassava leaves, and gathered some firewood (down and dead only).&nbsp; we then loaded up for the hike back to town.&nbsp; not easy work hauling our load back to town let me tell you.&nbsp; we had nothing to carry anything in so we just had to gather up our goods and try to keep it together on the walk home.&nbsp; i was humbled by the ease with which booms carried her load perfectly balanced on her head, a skill which all the women in ghana seem to possess.&nbsp; &nbsp; we made it back to town amid shouts of "iko" which means something like well done in twi.&nbsp; no time to rest however, once back with the goods it was time to prepare dinner which meant pounding fufu and palm nuts, cooking, and feeding the goats, just a small example of village life.&nbsp; there is electricity in town but it often goes out and while i'm sure there are some appliances like washer and dryers we never saw one the whole time we were there.&nbsp; our laundry was usually done for us against our protests although we did manage to do it a few times by ourselves. &nbsp; it's a hard life endured with little in the way of resources other than what the land provides.&nbsp; yet there was joy everywhere we looked.&nbsp; the same joy we experienced in the slums of india.&nbsp; we spent a few more days in asiakwa and then it was time to say a tearful good bye. &nbsp; we went back to the city where we had a few days before our flight.&nbsp; we just hung out, with the cousins and neighbors (extended family).&nbsp; families would cook for each other and watch each others kids.&nbsp; great community!&nbsp; the only other things we did were to visit pk's new hair salon and check on some exporting classes for owusu.&nbsp; it was still being worked on but it already looked great.&nbsp; its open now and i'm sure business is great.&nbsp; owusu and i looked into some exporting classes that he wanted to take as well as the process for him to get his business license.&nbsp; we also dropped by the national museum which has some very nice cultural displays including displays on drums and textiles two products ghana is famous for. &nbsp; speaking of drums while we were in asiakwa we toured a djembe making operation with cousin joseph who makes drums as well as many other types of art including some beautiful sculpture.&nbsp; &nbsp; sadly the day came when we had to leave.&nbsp; it was a very emotional day many tears were shed.&nbsp; it was very hard to leave.&nbsp; we had been there 5 weeks and it felt like home.&nbsp; we are very indebted to all of the family and friends in ghana who took such good care of us.&nbsp; it feels very good to have made the family connection. &nbsp; &nbsp; it was time to head back to thailand and the world of work which we have been avoiding for the past year or so.&nbsp; but first a stop in kenya..... &nbsp; &nbsp; if you haven't seen them yet there are lots of ghana pictures at smug mug.&nbsp; hope you enjoy. <i>
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1194509820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1194509820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1194509820/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 05:58:06 -0500 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Mumbai (Bombay), India

we had another great train ride.&nbsp; love the train!&nbsp; rolling through the landscape with lots of other folks is a great way to go.&nbsp; we weren't expecting much from mumbai but were pleasantly surprised.&nbsp; we enjoyed ourselves.&nbsp; great food, architecture, and art scene.&nbsp; its also home to bollywood but we didn't make it there.&nbsp; we did meet another member of servas.&nbsp; kamal met us for lunch and did us the great service of watching a bag full of stuff we didn't want to lug to ghana.&nbsp; what a guy!&nbsp; we stayed in colaba in a small guest house near the ocean and spent our few days there wandering around and getting a feel for the city.&nbsp; mumbai is home to a wide range of people from all over the world.&nbsp; it is very international and cosmopolitan.&nbsp; if you want a unique and very interesting view about mumbai pick up "shantaram" by&nbsp; gregory david roberts.&nbsp; its not a quick read but i couldn't put it down.&nbsp; our flight was at 3am so we hung out all day and caught an cab to the airport around midnite.&nbsp; we were finally headed for africa and ghana specifically.&nbsp; first time for amy and an exciting and emotional return after 40 years for me...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1194509760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1194509760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1194509760/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 05:44:36 -0500 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Delhi, India

Our second trip to Delhi was more or less a "business" trip.&nbsp; Our main purpose to be back in Delhi was to get our immunization (Yellow Fever) and our Visa for Ghana.&nbsp; It was relatively smooth process, however, if Danso didn't have a Ghanaian name, and family there, it could have been a challange to get the visa in India. much thanx to my cousins owusu and paa kwesi for putting us in touch with the ghanain ambassador to india.&nbsp; when we were in delhi previously we tried to get our visa but they wouldn't even let us in the gate without a long laundry list of forms and misc. documents.&nbsp; it represents all of the difficulties that indians and most other people in the world have getting visas.&nbsp; once we had the ambassadors name and cell number needless to say things went smoothly and we had our 60 day visa for ghana.immunization was smooth if you call a 5 hour wait in sultry conditions smooth.&nbsp; we figured there may be a few people showing up for yellow fever vaccinations at the hospital during the two innoculation hours.&nbsp; we should have known by now that in india there is now such thing as only a few people.&nbsp; all and all it was a very well organized system.armed with our ghana visas and bloodstreams full of (supposedly) latent yellow fever virus, we were ready to book our train to mumbai where we were flying to ghana.&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1184742960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1184742960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1184742960/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 05:38:44 -0500 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Leh, India

its only 465 km (295 miles) but to get to leh from manali requires a 2 day bus trip. this is no ordinary bus ride however. you acutally have 2 options. option 1 is a 21 hour marathon ride in a small mini-bus/van. we decided to take the 2 day big bus based on comfort and time to enjoy the views. the trip goes thru some spectacular (sorry if i overuse this term) scenery and over some of the highest passes in the world. it only opened to travellers in 1988. http://www.jktourism.org/cities/ladakh/getting/index.htm &nbsp; we started out around 6am from manali. our initial climb took us up into the nearby mountains and although the weather was somewhat overcast we still got some view of the peaks and their glaciers. the first pass is called rohtang pass and it offered great views and a look at high altitude village life. locals make camp up here during the warm months to graze livestock. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohtang_Pass after rohtang we continued on to another little town where we had breakfast and experienced our first checkpoint. checkpoints are where foreigners have to have their passports checked and recorded. there were several along the way due to the sensitive nature of the area to india. these areas are very close to the borders of pakistan and china and are the cause of much tension and conflict. after breakfast we found out we would be delayed while the 1st damage bridge of our trip was repaired. an hour and a half later we were on our way. the landscaped changed to a winding road following a swollen and raging glacial fed river. although still overcast we could make out many of the jagged peaks and the hanging glaciers that rested upon them. we climbed again and went up and over another pass baralacha (4,892 m, 16,050 ft) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bara-lacha-la the weather became less cloudy and the rain stopped. we went thru 2 more check points and had lunch. the road became very narrow and the dropoffs steep. the skill with which our driver passed other buses and trucks would have been amazing if it hadn't been so scary. after a beautiful sunset it began to get cold. we came upon a small group of parked vehicles as the last of the light faded away. they were stopped because another bridge was out. we were told to prepare for a night on the bus as our camp was still quite a few kms on the other side of the water. we all got our warm clothes out of our backpacks. i went to look at the bridge and it didn't look good. the steel plates covering the frame of the bridge had been torn out of place exposing the 5 foot gaps between girders. we were just settling down for an uncomfortable night on the bus when the driver's assistant excitedly boarderd the bus and told everyone to get off. the driver started the bus up and before we could all get off was heading for the bridge (i guess he didn't want to let the traffic from the other side get the jump on him). we watched as the headlights revealed the plates which had been placed back in their positions and rested gingerly on the frame. the driver slowly crossed the bridge and you could hear the plates moving but thankfully none shifted enough to drop between girders and we were across and on our way again. we arrived at our camp around 11:30pm. camp was a group of canvas tents with cots. a meal was included but we passed as the price had been severely inflated. we were told that we were leaving at 6 so we hit it. at 4300m it was a very cold night and our summer bags helped but we were a little stiff by the morning. what a sunrise though! the climate had changed dramatically to high (very high) desert. with no clouds we soon felt the warmth of the sun. the landscape reminded us of death valley (plus 10,000 feet). iron rich mountains and a wide rolling valley. following the source of the zanskar river we made our way down to leh. as we descended we started to see ancient looking stupas (buddhist monuments). we also started to see houses with a tibetan design. flat roofs with ornate wood work around the windows. we have been considering a flat roof when we finally build a little house and we we're immediately inspired by what we saw. we also passed by 2 spectacular gompas (buddhist temples/monasteries). the architecture was sublime. the ladakh area is home to the ladakh people who have much in common with tibetans. which is evident in their culture and architecture. historically they were occupied by china or tibet. today they are occupied by india. it seem to be a fairly amicable relationship but as more indians move into the area there may be some strains. leh gompa as we got close to leh we started to follow the indus river. roaring with glacial silt it joins the zanskar river near leh. together the two provide water for hundreds of communities and millions of people in india and pakistan. its devastating to think what the climate change is going to mean for all of those people. following the river a few more click we arrived in leh. bigger than we expected for being so remote but not too big. disembarking the bus we looked around and noticed the great views. <i><i> we decided to stay in changspa which is up above town a little bit (because we weren't high enough). it offered nice views of the valley, mts, and town and it was were a lot of people in town to trek stayed. we ended up in a little guest house with a local family. it was very interesting to see how they lived. they had a great garden and a very intricate irrigation system that fed the garden from a small glacial stream that had been diverted from the melt. the whole valley used this complex yet simple system to create an almost lush environment in the high desert. our plan was to take one of several treks in the area after a few days of rest and acclimatization. a few days turned into a few weeks and although we were active (yoga, day hikes, climbing up to stupas and gompas) we weren't motivated to take a trek. we were very comfortable in our little room with a view. we got into a nice rountine something we hadn't been able to do for a while. very interesting and friendy people whether they were the local lakakhis, nepalese, or indians. small town vibe with a buddhist feel. with only a few days left i got itchy to do something and after looking at it day after day i decided to to a climb stok kangri is the tallest peak in the area (6120m or 20,078ft) but it isn't a technical ascent (so they said). the stok kangri story will be separate for those interested. amy made a wise choice and took a meditation course while i was gone. when i got back we had to more days to make our travel arrangements and say good bye to leh. we had been there just over 3 weeks. longer than we'd spent anywhere thus far. it was beginning to feel like home but such is the life of a traveller, time to move on. we had to get back to delhi and take care of a few minor things like getting a ghanaian visa, being innoculated with yellow fever(some say against) and making more travel arrangements (planes, trains, and buses) in preparation for our journey to africa... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladakh see lots more photos at http://mountainsouls.smugmug.com/ <i><i><i>
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1184742780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1184742780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1184742780/tpod.html Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:59:39 -0500 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Manali, India

we arrived in manali courtesy of a relatively short 7 hour all night bus ride.&nbsp; the sun was rising as we drove next to the raging beas river.&nbsp; the mist was wafting in between peaks that were a glowing dawn pink.&nbsp; below the peaks the mountains were green, covered with lush vegetation.&nbsp; down further you could make out the colors and patterns of agriculture.&nbsp; apricot and apple orchards, rice patties, and various other crops.&nbsp; we were at over 2000m or 6000 plus feet and the air was crisp and sweet even compared to dharamsala&nbsp; http://www.hill-stations-india.com/manali/http://www.travel-himalayas.com/himalaya-travel-attractions/ manali-travel-tours.html manali, historically was an&nbsp;mountain&nbsp; valley paradise that has been discovered and now serves as a&nbsp;base for hiking, climbing, skiing, and other adventure sports.&nbsp; the views are breathtaking!&nbsp;&nbsp;we stayed in old manili which was only 2 kms from town but much quieter.&nbsp; while in manali we enjoyed some hiking in the nearby mts, some real coffee, and some of the best chocolate chip cookies and pizza we've ever had.&nbsp; don't get me wrong we had plenty of good indian food as well, but fresh homade c'chip cookies?&nbsp; couldn't pass them up.manali was beautiful and we wish we had more time there but we wanted to get to our next destination leh.&nbsp; leh was no easy trip from manali...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1183564200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1183564200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1183564200/tpod.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:01:22 -0400 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Dharamsala, India

dharamsala is located at around 5000 ft in the state of himachal pradesh.&nbsp; it is similar to sedonna, az in its availability of spiritual pursuits.&nbsp; yoga, reiki, tai chi, chi gong,&nbsp; buddhist meditation including vipassana, ayurvedic studies, etc.&nbsp; as mentioned in the last entry it is also home to the dalai lama.&nbsp; he spends most of his time traveling around the world giving teachings and promoting tibet's cause.&nbsp; as luck would have it he was arriving in town just a few days after we arrived.&nbsp; actually we knew this and weighed the pros and cons of being there at the same time and decided in favor.&nbsp; since we found ourselves in the fortunate position of being in dharamsala/mcleod ganj during one of his scheduled teachings at home we decided to check&nbsp;attend.&nbsp;this meant registering with tibetan security and getting a id badge.&nbsp; we also bought a radio to listen to the english broadcast of his teaching as he would be speaking in tibetan.&nbsp; although we got up early we still found ourselves near the end of a long line cued up for security.&nbsp;it was very much like going to a concert.&nbsp; the gompa (monastery) was packed.&nbsp; we each had about 20square inches to sit on.&nbsp; we caught a glimpse of him as we entered and despite the tight quarters which we could have avoided if we didn't want the potential view, the atmosphere was very tranquil and uplifting.&nbsp; the monks served tibetan butter tea to all and we listened to our tiny fm transistor radio with earphones as the lessons were translated.&nbsp; after the teaching h.h. departed and walked thru the crowd greeting us all.&nbsp; he is very much worshipped much to his dismay i think.although he would be teaching the next few days we decided we would get more out of some walks in the area and of course more yoga.&nbsp; we did a nice walk to some of the nearby towns and were adopted by a dog as we started out.&nbsp; we were joined by a few more as we went despite the fact that many encounters with other dogs were less than friendly.&nbsp; soon we had a small pack.&nbsp; we spent some time at a small lake before heading up to another town and some temples.&nbsp; soon we were down to our original companion who proceeded to terrorize an old lady and her herd of goats.&nbsp; we tried to explain that he wasn't really with us but she gave us a nasty glare and threw several large rocks that i wouldn't have guessed she could have lifted with surprising speed.&nbsp; we hi-tailed out of there and continued on our journey.&nbsp; on the way back we ran into another goat herder but luckily our friend was better behaved.&nbsp; as we made out way back to town we stopped at a small tea stall and had some chai with a group that had just finished a 10 day buddhist retreat at a local site in the surrounding mts.&nbsp; interesting to hear about their experiences and watch them as they enjoyed exercising their vocal cords after a long period of noble silence.&nbsp; hmm...&nbsp;&nbsp; our friend waited patiently and joined us when we left.&nbsp; unfortunately we lost him before we reached town again.other hi-lites from dharamsala included a delicious little northern (tandoori style) restaurant, a walk to another town and a waterfall, meditating at a shiva temple&nbsp;(amy gave an impromptu course)&nbsp;and the amazing views of local peaks when the clouds broke.&nbsp; what a great spot!&nbsp; couldn't get any better than this could it?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182786300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182786300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182786300/tpod.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:00:23 -0400 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Rishikesh, India

rishikesh is known as the yoga capital of the world.&nbsp; we arrived after a late nite train/autorickshaw ride.&nbsp; after finding our way across the ganga (ganges) via an old suspension bridge we found lodging.&nbsp; the next day we awoke to the sounds of vedic chants from one of the many ashrams in the area.&nbsp; the views were of the holy ganga river and the foothills of the himalaya.&nbsp; we spent the 1st day just checking out the area and looking for yoga classes.&nbsp; we settled on one recommended by our hotel owner.&nbsp; it was good but we ended up trying classes in two of the nearby ashrams.&nbsp; it was primarily hatha style.&nbsp; we only learned a few new asanas but lots of pranayama (breathing) techniques.&nbsp; in addition to yoga it was off season for international travellers like ourselves but peak season for indians making a pilgrimage to one of the many temples and ashrams.&nbsp; lots of sadus (hindu monks?) were also in the area.&nbsp; we were blessed by several (for a small fee).&nbsp; very interesting watching people visit the hindu temples in the area and bath in the holy river.&nbsp; we got our holy baths too when we went for a whitewater rafting trip on the ganga.&nbsp; the water was chilly but also very invigorating considering the heat.&nbsp; we went on the last day of the season and were lucky to get to go as the water level was extremely high.&nbsp; beautiful scenery combined with fairly mild class III rapids made for a very enjoyable trip.&nbsp; the food was also good in rishikesh.&nbsp; we had lots of food indian but also the occasional wester dish.&nbsp; good to be in at least the foothills of the himalaya again and really was rewarding to get a holistic approach to our yoga practice.&nbsp; most days we had 2 classes a day.&nbsp; it was very hot and humid but 8 days later we were in good yoga shape and ready to move on to dharamsala.&nbsp; home to thousands of tibetan refugees including the most famous one his holiness or hh, the dalai lama.&nbsp; he's always on the road though so fat chance of seeing him...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182613380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182613380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182613380/tpod.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:59:03 -0400 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Agra, India

Its been called the greatest monument to love ever built a perfect place to spend our 1st anniversary(wow, time flies when you are having fun) we figured.&nbsp; A 4 hour trainride south, we arrived in Agra home of the Taj Majal.&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course its touristy but we're tourists and everyone says you can't miss the Taj.&nbsp; By the way its a member of the new 7 wonders of the world for whatever that's worth.&nbsp; Here are some facts.The Taj took 16 years to build, completed in 1648.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is&nbsp;generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. Emporer Jahan had the mausoleum built for his wife who passed away during the birth of his second daughter but their 14th child overall (that <i>is love).&nbsp;The Taj is a beautiful sight.&nbsp; From afar and on the steps to the dome, every angle, and every piece of marble and gemstone, it is an amazing feat of architecture.&nbsp; From the backside of the Taj, we caught a sunset, with the Taj beyond a river.&nbsp; The next day, we spent the afternoon inside walking the complex and taking many many many photographs with the Indian tourists.&nbsp; By the end of the day it got to be a much, if I had to guess, we maybe took 20 photos with random people.&nbsp; They are not shy in asking for a photo with you and their family.&nbsp; There really wasn't much else to do in Agra.&nbsp; We saw the baby Taj, and we toured around by some auto-rickshaw drivers, taking us to the usual jewelery shops and marble shops.&nbsp; After 2 nights in Agra, we took another 2 trains north to Rishikesh.&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182181200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182181200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1182181200/tpod.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:58:04 -0400 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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New Delhi, India

Another train ride, from Siliguri to New Dehli.&nbsp; We rode in a overnight sleeper train that took about 20 hours.&nbsp; The ride was enjoyable, as always, our cabinmates were very friendly.&nbsp; In this particular ride we met a Indian man who was actually on his way to Pheonix.&nbsp; The train fed us every&nbsp;2 hours and the food was pretty darn good.&nbsp; We stayed with a man named Arya for 2 nights about 20 km outside of New Delhi.&nbsp; We met Arya through an organization that we joined before we left the states.&nbsp; Servas International is a large group of individuals all around the world seeking and promoting peace.&nbsp; This was our first stay with a Servas member.&nbsp; It was pleasant.&nbsp; We didn't spend much time with him, but the small amount we did was enlightening.&nbsp; He is a Auyervedic doctor, and scholar of Ghandi.&nbsp; He has been part of the Servas organization since the 70's.&nbsp; In New Dehli we spent a day going to the the National Museum and the Ghandi Museum, and just putzing around town.&nbsp; We enjoyed Dehli.&nbsp; We got mixed reports from other travellers, most of them not liking the city at all.&nbsp; However, we felt differenlty.&nbsp; It was much more diverse socio-economically, seeing it is the capitol of India.&nbsp; Luckly we had just missed the 114 degree heatwave, the weather was a tolerable 100 degrees.&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1181576160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1181576160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mountainsouls/hunee_moon/1181576160/tpod.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:57:04 -0400 Amy & danso's hunnie moon trip around the world.

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Darjeeling, India

we got a random email weather report that said the next morning might be clear and so in hope that&nbsp;the weather would be good for a day or maybe even two, so instead of heading for kalimpong we headed back to darjeeling with the thought that maybe we would get to see the big mountain Kanchenjuga free from clouds. &nbsp;we were able to switch tickets and although we got in late we got a room at the guest house with a great rooftop view that was full last time we were there.&nbsp; we set the alarm for 2:45 again so we could catch a ride up to tiger hill and the views.&nbsp; we got up and it was raining so back to bed we went.the next&nbsp;morning the owner of the guesthouse&nbsp;excitedly knocked on all of the doors shouting&nbsp;&nbsp;" PLEASE TO GET UP, THE MOUNTAIN IS OUT, THE MOUNTAIN IS OUT!". He was so cute, I can still sense his enthusiasm. &nbsp;We dashed out of bed, and went to the rooftop viewing area and stood in awe for nearly 2 hours. &nbsp;It is very rare that the mountain is out this time of year, in fact, people talk of being in the area for a few months and never catch a glimpse. &nbsp;i can only compare it to viewing denali after a week of rain and then while on a backpack having it appear larger than life taking up the entire skyline.&nbsp; tough to appreciate how big it is.&nbsp; twice the size of mt ranier!&nbsp; we felt very fortunate.&nbsp; our intentions were to go hiking (trekking, still confused on what to call it). &nbsp;but the weather got worse, so we hunkered down for a week in darjeeling. &nbsp;we finally found a good breakfast spot that served REAL coffee (oppsed to instant), amazing oatmeal (or porridge as everyone else in the world calls it), and brown bread. &nbsp; &nbsp;during the week we visited a tibeaten refugee and attempted to visit a tea garden (that was closed).&nbsp;&nbsp;our week in darjeeling was relaxing. &nbsp;we watched a lot of rain fall.&nbsp; our batteries recharged it was time to head east...
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