My Odyssey

On October 9th an article appeared in the New York Times addressing the new patterns of life taken by twenty somethings after college. I love when I come across an article like this and I've even blogged about a few of them. They offer me some comfort and encouragement for my actions that seem anything but ordinary to my parents generation and many of my friends.

Since college, I've hopped from job to job and bounced across the globe, seemingly without any direction. Here I am now, 26 years old and searching for a new job from my parent's couch. This used to be a position that afforded much criticism and humor from the employed, but I have been happy to learn of at least four other people I graduated high school with doing the exact same as me.

I know that I apply too much pressure on myself to find a job and be more like everyone else. With wise words like this article though, I realize that I need to savor my situation and enjoy my days of Odyssey while they last. It reminds me of a scene from Garden State when Zach Braff yells to his new friends as they leave, "Good luck exploring the infinite abyss." Who's with me?

My Summer - In Short Form

Okay, so I dropped the ball on blogging my entire trip. A brief summary:

I made it out of India unscathed, save for an intestinal infection that had me in the WC for a few days. Dubai was HOT and nothing more. Istanbul was a beautiful city, reminiscent of San Francisco, and a great time with good friends. Bordeaux is gorgeous and I enjoyed relaxing at Francois' estate, but I barely communicated with anyone all week. I tackled Paris in one day and Rome the next. The next week in Italy was spent sightseeing with my mom and sister and enjoying some delicious food and wine. I got to see Micah and Jacy my final two nights in Florence and enjoyed their company as always. Air India ensured that my trip to the States was nothing short of miserable. Chicago was a blast with Collin and baseball.

And then it was over.

My words are few about my trip, but my photos say it all. I hope you have time to view them all.

Nepal -- India

Its a crime how fast I'm blowing through this trip. I've been to some amazing places that you could spend months in, but I only have a few days. But like they say, you have to leave something to come back to. I'm leaving entire countries.

So we drove from Tibet across the Himalayas into Nepal. I stayed in Kathmandu and relaxed for a few days. The food was amazing and the people were very nice. The main landmark I visited was the Monkey Temple. Its is over 2000 years old and crawling with monkeys which now give me the creeps after a few bad encounters.

From Kathmandu I took a bus to the India border and then another to Varanasi. On crossing the border, my first impression of India was 'get me out.' I was ripped off on the bus ticket and every single person I met was rude to me. However, now that I've been around a few days I've learned that they are just intimidated by foreigners and once you start talking with them they are extremely kind.

Varanasi is known to many as the 'oldest living city' in the world. It dates back over 2500 years. It is the holiest city in Hinduism and is situated on the Ganges river which is both the holiest river in the Hindu religion and one of the world's most polluted rivers. Bathing in the Ganges can bring salvation, but also terminal infections.

My bus ride from Kathmandu was over 20 hours long and I arrived in Varanasi at 4am. Luckily I was up and the sun was just beginning to rise. I was with 3 others and we promptly hired a boat to take us out on the river. Locals were already gathering at the water's edge for a bath. It was an amazing sight and quite surreal to see them from the water. They wash themselves, swim, drink the water, and everything else imagineable. Just to the side of one of the ghats there were ten men taking their morning poo. I even saw a body float by which must have been sent off to the river as I arrived. Next door to my hotel was the burning ghat where they do cremations.

Varanasi certainly was lost in the past. Its streets were only wide enough for a cow to pass which was often the case. There was a very medieval feel to the atmosphere. Livestock roaming the city freely like a citizen, beggars everywhere and merchants carrying their goods around on rickshaws or their heads. The sounds of Varanasi are unique to the city and Hinduism. A constant noise of drums, whistles, scooter horns, cows, screaming and more. A remarkable city.

From Varanasi, I took a train down to Calcutta where I am now. As opposed to the ancient city of Varanasi, Calcutta was founded only 300 years ago by the British. It seems like nothing has changed since the British left during WWII. The cabs are ancient, buildings antique and decrepit, and the monuments are crumbling. The Indians just can't afford to maintain the city or they don't care to remember the British Imperialism.

I went to the flower market this morning and was a celebrity. I just wanted to take a few colorful photos of the flowers and hoped for a couple candids of the locals. As soon as one person got the guts to speak to me, I was the man of the hour and everyone wanted a picture. I must have had 100 people pose for me and I spoke with many of them. Others offered me flowers, tea or hand made jewelry as a gift. Deep down they are truly kind people.

I have one more day here before I fly to Dubai for a couple days. Then I'm off to Istanbul to be with some great friends for a week.

Seven Days in Tibet

Its already been over a week since I landed in Lhasa with Francois. The flight was too easy and it didn't feel like we really traveled to the top of the world. I spent a couple days in Lhasa getting used to the altitude and the culture. The Tibetan people are so nice and glad to see Westerners. I've been invited into many homes and cafes for tea and a chat. The food is terrific. I've had yak in every meal since I got here. Yak burgers put beef to shame.

I had already booked a tour through part of the region and I spent some time recruiting others to go with me in the car to keep the cost down. Together it was Francois and I, two girls, the driver and the guide packed into a Land Cruiser. We've been on the road now for 5 days together.

We've seen some amazing scenery and met some great people. I've toured at least four Buddhist monasteries and talked with many monks. Yesterday I woke up with Mt. Everest out my window only five miles away. Simply incredible. And, the stars at night out number any other view in the world.

We've had some adventures bribing gate keepers, touring closed monasteries under construction and acting violently ill so the police will let us pass. Altogether Tibet has been a great adventure.

Now I am waiting to cross the border into Nepal. They have a shoddy system and the road doesn't open until the border closes so I lose a day here, but that's part of the Chinese experience I guess.

Next stop - Kathmandu.

Thailand

I've already been on the road for one gorgeous week in Thailand. I arrived in Bangkok and just spent the weekend hanging out with Francois around the town. He had to work and I didn't want to sit around so I shopped for airfare around the county and bought the cheapest one to Krabi which is in the very south on the coast of the Andaman sea.

Krabi is a very chill town with quite a few guesthouses for all of the travelers going between Bangkok and the outlying islands. I spent one night there hanging out with the locals and playing pool. They reminded me very much of Carribean culture.

The next day I took the ferry to Phi Phi island. Neither my words or pictures can describe how stunningly beautiful the islands were. The water was the prettiest blue-green color and the warmest sea I've ever swam in. Giant rocks jutted out of the ocean and towered 300 feet above the beaches below.

One day I went with a couple from Barcelona on a tour of the island Phi Phi Ley which is where the movie 'The Beach' was filmed. If you were to paint a picture of the perfect beach, it would look exactly like Phi Phi Ley. Amazing.

I also experienced the best snorkeling you can imagine. The boat captain threw a few pieces of bread into the water and instantly there were fish everywhere. Under water you can't avoid being completely surround by schools of different fish. They swam so close that their fins were hitting my mask.

Like I said, neither words nor pictures can describe the beauty of Phi Phi. Now, I'm going back to Hong Kong for two days then off to experience a different type of beauty in the Tibetan Himalayas.

Hong Kong Fading

Things are finally winding down here in Hong Kong. I only have five more days of school with my class and that makes me kind of sad. They're asking me what I'm doing after summer holiday and are confused when I tell them I'm staying in the USA. Otherwise, I'm so excited and ready to leave. I have an amazing summer all planned out full of exotic places and great friends.

I'm ironing out some final details now and getting the visas all ready. I'm pretty nervous about Tibet because some crazy Americans did a 'Free Tibet' protest at Everest Base Camp in May and its much harder to get a travel permit now. I'm not even sure they'll let me on the plane to Lhasa, but I'll give it a shot.

I'm also anxious about my future back in the States. My only plan now is to land in Houston and start all over. I get excited thinking about the opportunities that await, but I'm also worried about a job and money. I won't have either.

I leave for Bangkok in two weeks to meet Francois. Here is the finalized itinerary: Thailand - Tibet - Nepal - India - Dubai - Turkey - France - Italy - Chicago

Giddy up!

Asia Montage

Back in March, I bought a new camera in anticipation of my travels this year. In the past, my camera was a constant frustration due to is underperformance. The pictures never came out right, so this time I got serious and bought a real camera.

Now, I can call myself and 'amateur photographer'. I've taken about 1,500 photos with it so far. Here are a few of my favorites that no one else has seemed to notice yet.

Blue Days

We are experiencing what some people consider a natural phenomenon in Hong Kong right now. After a full week of rain, the pollution has been washed from the sky. The clouds have now parted and the sky is...Blue! For the second straight day the air has been clear and we can see clouds and a beautiful blue sky. I haven't seen this much sky since I moved here and that's a terrible shame. Hopefully the great weather will stay until this weekend so I can join the masses on the beach. Until then, I have to enjoy the view over the harbor from school.

Get out the Atlas

All I can think about lately is my itenerary for this summer. I cannot wait to strap on the pack and cross the globe. Most everything is planned out and I've started booking tickets. I can't wait to see my friends scattered across the continents and experience new cultures. Two months of teaching left and then its two months of trekking.

Quotes

I have a student, Wong Man Shing, who has neither an English name nor any grasp of my language. He has been in my class all year never spoken to me. Wong Man Shing is a definitive 'space cadet' and I have urged his mother to move him to a Chinese class since he speaks no English.

Today he walks up to me and says, "I'm gonna go piss." and walks out the door.

I stand corrected. He does speak English.