First of all, it’s been a few months since I’ve written anything. Since last I wrote, I started a new job, moved into a new place, and took a trip to Ireland. More on all of that later.
Right now, I’d like to share my new years resolutions. Yes, I realize it is the end of July, but if I wait until November or January, I’ll lose out on 4-5 months of potential resolution-completing time. And right now, I need a little motivation just to manage the basic things in life.
So here we go – resolutions for the next few months or years, to be underway by August 3rd.
That’s it. Now get to it.
After 3 weeks back in the US, I took off for Asia once again. This time, I’ve headed to Thailand, for 10 days of detox yoga on Koh Samui. I’ve been to Thailand before, but the last time was 12 years ago, and I’ve never been south. This time around, I arrived late at night at the airport, and flew out relatively early the next day, thereby bypassing Bangkok in the midst of politics and violence.
The rest of Thailand is untouched by the happenings in Bangkok, and nowhere would that be more evident than in the islands, where an entirely different Thailand resides. Here, the main currency is tourism, and foreigners flock to the resorts, bungalows and beaches for some R & R and/or late-night partying.
Koh Samui is popular, but it’s possible to avoid much of the crowd by staying in some little retreat or hideaway tucked away from the beach. In this case, I’m at Absolute Sanctuary, home to some great yoga and a fantastic kitchen.
I’m doing 10 days of yoga and good food, no caffeine, no alcohol, and very little of the outside life, internet not withstanding. We have a TV, but it’s small and not really worth watching. There’s a gorgeous pool, a nice view of the ocean, and did I mention that kitchen?
So, Day 1 consisted of some pranayama and two low-key yoga classes. Breakfast was some amazing vegan concoction involving tofu and peppers and divine spices, plus some coconut-based yogurt and tropical fruit. And pineapple juice with ginger. Lunch was even more yummy, with fresh corn in a sweet potato soup, spicy papaya salad, the most amazing sauteed kale, and a wonderful coconut curry over brown rice. I am sure dinner will be fabulous too but before that, it’s time for my daily massage.
And, in direct opposition to the previous post, here’s a little shout-out to decadence. Brunei isn’t tops on most people’s travel lists. It’s a small country, there’s no alcohol, and it’s a bit expensive to get to and be in. Unless, of course, you are already in Borneo and the border lies only an hour or so away.
So to Brunei, I went. And stayed at what is probably the nicest place I’ve ever been in. It wasn’t phenomenol by today’s standards – I imagine most swanky hotels in Dubai would blow it away. But for a 25-year-old hotel, it still manages to awe, and holds a charm that modern hotels have yet still to earn.
The hotel is the Empire, and it hearkens back to a nonexistent colonial era. It’s thoroughly European (as this American would picture it), but with a distinct Asian flare. The service is impeccable, the decor is gold-plated and ivory, and the rooms are furnished in an outdated whimsy that somehow manages to charm, despite being distinctly unstylish. It helps of course, that the bathroom is the size of a small apartment, the balconies face the ocean, and the pool is a lagoon, complete with white sand covering all 11000 sq m of the floor. Stunning is an understatement.
But the sultan’s brother didn’t stop there; the hotel also boasts several shops, 5-6 restaurants, water sports rental (for kayaking in the aforementioned lagoon), 2 private beaches, 2 lookout points, a full golf course, spa, and probably a bit more. It’s a miniature city, and is it any wonder I never actually got to see the rest of Brunei?
Not entirely true – I did see some oil rigs, and Shell Oil-owned homes. But the highlight, of course, is the Empire.
Wow. So. 2 weeks since my last post. I have no really good excuse for that, except that things slowed down a bit (though still just as fun) once I left Sabah. In Sarawak, I headed straight for Kuching, spent about a day in the city and then booked for the countryside.
I ended up at a little place in a village called Santubong, right on the South China Sea. It’s really quite astonishing to go from living in a land-locked country to seeing so much water. I’ve pretty much spent the past 2 months near (or right on) the ocean, and I’m still overwhelmed by the vastness. In Santubong I stayed in a cute little retreat, far away from the real world and quite idyllic. It was the perfect getaway and soooo relaxing after running around Sabah.
Then it was off to Mulu Caves to meet my cousin. Mulu is a World Heritage site, and while it’s something to see, it’s not quite as phenomenal as I was expecting. Partly, it’s been built up for tourism, so you feel a bit like cattled being herded through the caves. I realize, of course, that you can get off the beaten path (go to the Pinnacles for example), but it’s kind of a lot of effort. And since Borneo is such an easy place to travel, and perfect for the lazy traveler, it’s a bit hard to muster the energy to attempt a trek through the jungle. And yes, I realize how silly that sounds. The whole point of going to Borneo is to trek through the jungle, but since when have I been the typical traveler?
So I did the spa tour of Borneo instead. Starting in Mulu, heading to Miri, and then Bandar Seri Begawan. The hotels are beautiful, the ocean views gorgeous, the beds enormous, the sunsets fantastic, the spas blissful. Nothing like a scrub/soak/massage/facial extravaganza to make life goooood.
This is the nice part of traveling (not-so-nice part: so sick of my clothes!) – being able to change up your plans and, on a whim, check into a fancy-schmancy hotel (with a movie theatre!!) and eat nachos by an 11000 sq m pool.
In Seoul now. More spas. But sadly, it’s cold. I miss the warmth of Borneo already.
Two weeks. Beach. Lots of yoga. Yummy food. Nice people. It doesn’t get better than this. Here’s to India, and my 5 weeks here. Yogashala was a fabulous place, and I am so happy to have met Padma and spent time in her glowing presence. She is a wonderful person and a great teacher. My practice has deepened so much.
Tomorrow, Kota Kinabalu and the mountains and jungles of Borneo.
Jack Kornfield has this amazing book called After the Ecstasy, the Laundry. It is about what it sounds like – life after enlightenment, and all the little things you still have to do to lead your life.
In some ways, I’m reminded of that book right now as I sit here in an internet cafe. I’m halfway through my decadent yoga holiday, in which, for two weeks, I do nothing but sit on the beach, do yoga, and eat fish curry.
All of which I am doing (though less fish curry and more banana lassi and thoran, I find). But that’s not all. I also diligently sweep my room and clean my bathroom every day, and wash my clothes (by hand) every few days. I’m also planning next moves (ie, Borneo and Korea), job hunting, getting my eyebrows threaded, figuring out how to pack everything, working out my finances, and basically everything else I do when I’m not on yoga holiday.
Which all leads me to think two somewhat different but in some ways similar things: 1) that “vacation” is an exotic-sounding term we use to describe something that is NOT our regular lives (and therefore, in some ways, an unattainable nirvana), and 2) who needs vacation when we can transform our seemingly mundane daily lives into something more profound? I mean, if I still have to do laundry and wash my hair and assess my finances in nirvana, why wait til nirvana to feel like I’m on holiday?
The laundry has to get done anyway. And on vacation, I have to wash by hand – far more work than my washing machine back home. So instead of making some false distinction that makes more sense in fantasy than in reality, maybe instead I’ll take my normal, every day life and turn it into a permanent vacation.
Which I guess is a long-winded way of saying that instead of waiting for some idealized perfection in some distant future that will never happen anyway, we can just enjoy how things are in the moment, because you know, enlightenment isn’t that great. You still have to do laundry.
So after a few hectic weeks of travel, I’m on the beach in Southern Kerala – Kovalam to be exact. I’ll be here for 2 weeks, doing yoga twice a day and generally just relaxing. It will be a welcome break before I head to Malaysia for more hectic travel.
Kovalam is pretty touristy, but I’m sure it is nowhere near the scale of Goa. Still, it’s pretty hard to avoid sellers, tour operators, money exchangers, restaurant hosts, etc, haranguing you to come and “have a look” in their shops. I’ve already succumbed and had chappals made, and a couple pairs of pants. Tomorrow’s errand might have to be the post office.
The ocean is gorgeous, though I haven’t brought myself to go in it yet. Maybe tomorrow.
In the meantime, lots of fruit (even mangoes!), fish, coconut, lassi, and fresh lime soda!
I’ve been in Kerala over a week and I kind of don’t want to leave. It’s not only beautiful here, but the people are friendly and welcoming. Plus the food is good.
We’ve seen and done a lot here, and I’m hard-pressed to name my favorite part. But one thing in particular stands out – life moves at a hectic pace here, but still slower than our usual day-to-day. Here, I feel like I can slow down a bit and enjoy what I’ve seeing and doing. True, we are going quickly, a day here, a night there, but at the same time, I feel like we are taking the time to really appreciate our experience. There has been more than one day of just wandering around, sitting reading a book, and obviously, checking internet.
Tonight for example, I’m sitting in my hotel room watching star movies and eating tapioca chips. Tomorrow morning I take an early train to the northern part of Kerala, less visited and maybe more pristine. There, I will sit on the beach and relax, but also try to see a theyyam ceremony and maybe another backwaters tour.
Regardless, I’m planning on only relaxing and doing nothing, and the small backwater villages are the place to do it.
But even the bigger cities in Kerala afford an opportunity to slow down in a way not really seen in the rest of India. Here in Kochi, I can just wander around, popping into shops, watching the fishermen on the beach, and sipping coconut water, while the city bustles around me.
It’s really not surprising that this is always a top destination choice when people come to India.
Yesterday, on our random wanderings, we came across a women-run cooperative selling spices. Seven women, tired of being shafted working for the man, and watching shoppers get fleeced on prices, decided to open their own store. The owner we met was a wonderful woman, and very helpful. For less than $10, I picked up some delicious vanilla pods, something I’d estimate would cost over $40 back in the US (and something close at the more touristy shops here). Plus, I got to support a local women’s initative. Not a bad time indeed.
There are a lot of gurus in India. Some of them are probably charletans, out to get your money and good intentions. Some of them are genuine, but maybe mediocre. And some of them attract such an immense following that the sheer energy of the group is overwhelming and maybe something exceptional.
Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi, is one of those. At face value, there’s not really anything extraordinary here. Maybe she’s performed a miracle (who hasn’t?). Maybe her story bears a remarkable similarity to Krishna’s and St Theresa’s (not surprising given Kerala’s religious makeup). Maybe she’s a genuinely nice and compassionate person.
But she displays no amazing phenomena. Really, she’s just really touchy-feely. Her gig is hugging, and hugging she does – hours and hours and hours on end. Once, for 27 straight hours.
But in this seemingly mundane, ordinary act, maybe there is a glimpse of the Divine Presence. Maybe the universe, in its infinite grace, pauses a moment in this human body to convey compassion to its multitudes of lost souls. Maybe so much Love can build up in one person that the only way to release this energy is in the simple joy of touching another human being and acknowledging, “we are in this together, you and I.”
I am not a mystic. But Amma’s ashram in Amritapuri holds a kind of magic, where a Benetton ad in white sits in lawn chairs and watches her hug person after person for hours and hours. Amma’s darshan is this touch, and watching it is like receiving a blessing.
Of course, receiving a hug itself is a special kind of blessing. I can’t say my life was changed in any way, but I was not annoyed at waiting nearly 10 hours for a few seconds in Amma’s embrace. Whether or not she can really cure your ills, or offer you peace, or heal the world is probably forever up for debate. But that one person exists who devotes her life selflessly for others is enough evidence of divinity for me
My departure from Mongolia is imminent and my travel adventure is about to begin. I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends again, and spend time in warm weather. I’m also excited about my “yoga holiday” – 2 weeks at a small yoga facility on the beach of Kovalam.
Definitely sad to leave here, but so grateful for a phenomenal experience and some amazing new friends.
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