Myanmar (Burma) - A rich country living in the Middle Age thanks to it's military government

Myanmar (or Burma, as it's called traditionally) is a beautiful and very rich country, shamefully impoverished by one of the most clumsy and selfish military dictatorships in the world today. Unfortunately, being a Buddhist country, the people are too nice and peaceful for an uprising revolution that would have happened a long time ago in many other parts of the world. But that's also part of the beauty of Burma: it's human asset - kind people who prefer to live in peace and place their faith on their buddhist beliefs, while working hard to survive and paying worship at the temples and shrines.

The shameless military government has been in power for too long already (more than fifty years), and is the longest military despotic government in power in the world today. For many years there was a tourism ban imposed on the country in order not to help finance the government, but that ban was lifted 2 or 3 years ago, and now it's booming with tourists. And it is a wonderful place to visit, indeed!

Inle Lake and the floating village Monastery - Myanmar (Burma)

Inle Lake is usually part of the must-see tour in Myanmar. To travel there from Yangon (the capital of Burma) you can take a plane at the airport, and then hire a driver to take you to the lake, where you can spend a couple of nights at any village. Taking a flight in Myanmar is the simplest procedure in the world. You can usually show up on the spot and buy your ticket right there. The airport is very old-fashioned, but thanks to that it is friendly and totally lacking of the global security paranoia that is unknown and unnecessary there.

Among the best trips in the area is the floating village. You can do a boat tour around the lake and visit some of the many floating villages that are there. Many of these villages are many centuries old, and are floating in the lake. It's interesting to watch how the local community works building homes for the newer families, and visiting the floating factories, shops and houses. Some of these factories how can visit include paper, jewelry, silverware, lacquerware, weaving, food, and many other. The floating plantations are quite amazing as well. At some places the boatman can let you get-off the boat to step on some of the huge floating plantations. But usually only one person may stand on a same small area, so as not to sink. The natural flora that forms the bushes where you step are sometimes just enough for one person to walk on at the same time.

Dubai - The ugliest city I've visited

I've only been 24 hours in Dubai, so I can't really claim I know much about the city-life. But I went around the city and also met some friends there that also gave me some good tips and showed me around.

Dubai is a very impressive city, because it's undeniable that the architecture of the buildings is astonishing. The city is neat, clean, and has many luxurious buildings, malls, best cars, and very good subways. However, that's all there is about this city. It's all about spending petrodollars to impressive rich-tourists with its trillions of tons of concrete. But I can't say Dubai is a city with a personality of itself. I cannot say it's friendly, because it's totally the opposite. At the most I can say that people are correct, but there is a strong racism towards dark skin and Southeast Asians, and towards the menial workers. These can be even hit by their employers as a common thing. And other types of humiliation are too common.

The sacred Shwedagon Pagoda - Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

Everyone will agree that the Shwedagon Pagoda is by far the Number 1 place to visit in Yangon city (Rangoon), Myanmar. This huge religious and historical complex requires a two or three hours visit and includes some of Burma's holiest jewels, as well as Buddhist relics. Inside of the dome of the main pagoda (in the center) it is said that there are hairs of the last Buddha (Shakyamuni) and also relics from the previous Buddha. The shrine is considered to be 2500 years old, and is the holiest site in the country.

If you are visiting Beijing there are several places you have to visit. But the number of options is so great, that you need to have a priority list. This is what I try to offer here after two and a half years living in that city. I will number them by order of importance, the 1st one being the more transcendent must-see in the capital:

La Pizza - Considered by all the best pizza in Beijing

Most people agree that the best pizza in Beijing is La Pizza. This is a pizza restaurant that belongs to a guy from Naples, and it is arguably the best "pizza napolitana" in the capital. More than once they've wont the Best Pizza of the Year prize by some local magazines, and most Italian chefs in the city will also agree that it is by far the best pizza.

It is located at a corner, and you will see it is all glass. You wont miss it. There is one in San Li Tun and another one in Solana (LiangMa Qiao).

It is expensive, but that's because it's simply the best in town. It is just half a block away from Yashou market, and right at the corner of the food street where the biggest concentration of dancing clubs is (right between the North Village and the South Village, or Tai Ku Li, as it is now called). Address: 3.3服装大厦1楼, 33 Sanlitun Rd, Chaoyang, Beijing, China

If you want to taste the really best pizza don't go for a standard Margarita. Try go for the real special pizzas. Open the menu and look for those long pizzas (not the round ones). Usually they come with some rucula salad and cost 120 RMB. That's enough for a big hungry man, or for two less hungry people. You will like those!

Traveling to Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar or Burma (as it was traditionally called) is and amazing country still under one of the basest military dictatorships in the world. However, since some few years ago, the country has opened to the world and is now receiving many tourists. But the prices are increasing very fast, and if you want to visit, you better go now.



In many ways Burma is very unique. I went there with my wife in February 2012, during the Chinese New Year holiday, while we were living in Beijing. So, here I will give you an example of how prices are increasing rocket-high.

We were two persons, and we had two friends that had traveled together the previous year, at the same time of the year (also during the Chinese New Year holiday), and also leaving from Beijing. So, the point of reference couldn't be better.



Our friends were very happy with their trip, so we asked them to share with us their itinerary, the tourist agency that had used, and the contact person. They sent us the pdf with the whole trip plan. It was USD 850 for 9 days traveling around Burma to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, and Inle Lake, including guides, drivers, 5 star-hotels and most meals. It just didn't include the flights from Beijing and back to Bejing.

We forwarded the pdf the same person at the agency that had prepared the itinerary. We said we were friends and wanted the same trip plan. The agency had to send a new quotation because in that one year prices had increased. And that itinerary jumped from USD 850 per person to USD 2450 per person! In one year only!

If possible, try to avoid travel there during the Chinese New Year because that season is more expensive. This is when the great majority of Chinese can make a long trip. It's usually around end of January or beginning to mid-February.

I had to return three times to emailing the agency to let them know that we didn't have that money, and to put us in the cheapest hotels they could find. I reassured them every time that we were only interested in visiting their culture, and not in the comfort of a cosy hotel. Still I had to ask 2 times more to lower the budget ever more, until I realized it was safer to stop, because I was perceiving they were losing interest and taking too long to reply (because they have too much work at that time of the year).

At the end, the lowest budget we got was USD 1350 per person staying at 3 and 4 start-hotels. The trip was still amazing and unforgettable. But if prices had increased so much from one year to another, I wonder how high they must be next year in 2014.



http://amazingmagictrips.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-sacred-shwedagon-pagoda-yangon.html

Uruguay is country of the year. But not everything is so well as may seem.

Recently Uruguay came on focus from everybody because The Economist nominated it "best country of the year". I believe it does deserve the nomination due its historic tradition of being the most stable country in Latin America socially and politically, despite the difficulty of maintaining itself as neutral as possible from its neighbors influence (Argentina is 13 times bigger and Brazil is 43 times bigger). Uruguay has the highest and GDP per capita in Latin America.

However, unfortunately it is far from being the ideal country that many think it is. With all it's beauties, and it's strong and stable democracy, the rule of law is being shaken by the party that today is in government. It's known to the whole world that South America is passing through a period of populist left governments that still live the romanticism of the revolutionary ideas of transforming their countries through violence into what they consider to be the ideal communist or socialist State. And when I talk of violence I don't only mean guns and bombs, but also violence against democratic values and the Constitution. Examples of this are Chávez, Maduro, Evo Morales and the Kirchner family of presidents in Argentina (Néstor and Cristina).

China Eastern - The worst airline in China, and the worst service I've ever had!

Chinese airlines were never famous for being very good. At least for Western standards. Still, among the many Chinese airlines there are better ones and worse ones. Of course, by far the best ones are the Hong Kong airlines like Cathay Pacific. But that's also because HK is a piece of China that has been governed by the English until very recently, and the city has it's own peculiarities that differ from mainland China.

I've taken so many planes in China that I can't remember how many airlines I've flown with. But I will never forget my experience with China Eastern in 2011, by far the worst airline ever!

Laguna Garzón - The most natural untouched resort near Punta del Este, Uruguay

Laguna de Garzón is the area along the coast that comes next to José Ignacio. The famous beach resort of Punta del Este, Uruguay, is said to begin at Punta Ballena and to end at José Ignacio, about 60 kilometers ahead along the coast (although the city of Punta del Este properly is just the city concentrated around the Peninsula.

The area called Garzón begins at the "Laguna Garzón", or Garzón Lake, some few kilometers after José Ignacio. The Laguna Garzón is the natural division between the provinces of Rocha (where Garzón lies) and Maldonado (where Punta del Este lies). Garzón also lies on the oceanic coast, but unlike the beaches from Punta del Este, these are huge peaceful and tranquil beaches where you may not see another tourist in kilometers. Nevertheless, the area I prefer to focus on now is the one on the opposite side of the road, around the lake. This is one of the very few beach resorts that still remain virtually untouched by urbanization. One of the reasons for this is that the people from Rocha have been complaining against the construction of the bridge, because they insist it would cause masses of tourists to flow into Rocha and thus transform it into another noisy city. So, although the Ministry of Transportation provides a raft-transportation from one side to the other of the lake for free (for people and vehicles), this still works like a psychological barrier for many tourists to turn around instead of going any further. However, the beauty and peacefulness of the whole natural environment is inspiring and unique. Just a few sand streets are made for cars to go around. For most of it you need a jeep. The autoctonus flora from that area is still virtually untouched, and the few houses that have been built there are dispersed from each other by a half a kilometer from each other, among the trees, sand dunes, forests and bushes. And usually they try have a privileged view of the Laguna Garzón.

The whole environment is also ideal for trekkers, because of it's natural beauty and the peacefulness. Although during the summer it gets too hot due to lack of tall trees. And during the winter it can get swampy and muddy in many areas, due to the lack of roads and infrastructure in that untouched natural beauty.

To preserve the environment and the cleanliness, it is forbidden to camp. However, as a trekker you can just spontaneously decide to spend a night there and then leave early in the morning, if you find a shelter where to lodge.

Playa de la Boca - La Barra, Punta del Este: A quiet place to meditate

Punta del Este and La Barra are the highest-end beach-resort in Latin America, and during the high-season it gets so crowded of tourists that you can't often find a tranquil and peaceful place to be with yourself and relax or meditate if you will.

The beaches of La Barra, beginning from the famous bridge of La Barra, are "El Arroyo", or the end of the Maldonado river where it almost ends in the Ocean. Later, where the river mixes in the ocean, is La Boca. That place is never available for bathing because it is dangerous 365 days/year. However, the beach beside it is called Playa de la Boca ("playa" means beach). This is the most tranquil beach for those who are looking for some peace. Also, since the beach is very wide, it has enough space to be by oneself, play in the sand, do sports, etc. Although usually people who choose to go there are of the peaceful kind that are looking for a tranquil and more lonely beach.

Inside the water it is quite shallow for quite a distance inside. Depending on the year, it can be more or less shallow. But quite often you have to get in for some hundred meters before you loose ground in the water. That's also why families with children often prefer this beach to let their children play in the water without so much stress (always be sure to go more towards the rocks, or to the left; because towards the right is La Boca, although it's far away enough to be normally safe). This beach provides also with several sand-banks inside the water and quite near the shore. So it forms natural smaller water pools beside the shore where children may play without any risk.

The sand of this wide beach is very white and thin. As for rocks, this one has one of the best places where to lye down or where to sit in peace between the rocks. Some wide flat spaces between the prickly rocks that are an ideal place to sit for hours watching the sea and the landscape undisturbed in deep contemplation, and where you can also take your private baths by the rocks.

The other beaches following this one are more fashionable and touristic. These are La Posta del Cangrejo, El Curro, Montoya, Bikini, Manantiales, and the coast continues for many kilometers more. Montoya and Bikini are perhaps the most fashionable, chic and touristic of all the beaches.

Crepas - Probably the best crepes in Punta del Este

Staying at La Barra I came to know this creperie called "Crepas" that is along the main road, some 300 meters after Las Palmas (the old traditional commercial center of the town) and on the opposite side of the road from the beach. The shop is small but cosy and with a cool environment. Although not cheap at all, it is a crepes-option that was missing. The size is the standard size, so usually a person gets his full share with 1 unit. However, men may wish to have a second one, mainly because they are very delicious. The price per crepe is 210 pesos (USD 10).

Punta del Este, Uruguay - What to do and what to see.

Being in Punta del Este, Uruguay, my opinion is that it is the most beautiful beach-city or beach resort in all Latin America. As for natural beauty, I cannot say that it is better than Brazil or the Caribbean. But nowhere else in the world have I seen a more beautiful combination of nature, sea, the rustic of older fishermen-village that once was, and the luxury and beauty of probably the most sophisticated beach resort in South America. The impressiveness of the enormous houses and flats is stunning, but mainly because of the beauty of the design, where the local style demands that houses and buildings are not enclosed by high walls or gates. Privacy just provided by beautiful trees, plants and grass-dunes.

Uruguay: Country of the Year 2013

I arrived yesterday in Uruguay, and today I read the news that Uruguay was nominated Country of the Year 2013 by The Economist:

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21591872-resilient-ireland-booming-south-sudan-tumultuous-turkey-our-country-year-earths-got

 I'm right now in Punta del Este, which is not the most representative city in Uruguay as to judge the country from that. The country is doing well in many senses. With this year's GDP growth Uruguay will once again surpass Chile in GDP per capita, and regain the 1st place in Latin America with the highest GDP per capita. Uruguay is a very small country with only 3,25 million inhabitants. Fortunately or unfortunately, the population growth has been stagnant for a long time already, due to the high education level and to the cost of living. This provides social stability, but makes the market remain as small as ever, and thus producing anything is comparatively expensive. This was strongly visible when the country joined the Mercosur and local industries had to close due to lack of competitiveness. So the country had to recycle itself into a service oriented country, by capitalizing its higher level of education. But being so small, and having neighbors that are 13 and 43 times bigger than itself, only make it very vulnerable to political bullying and to it's neighbor's crises.

What's the matter with the airports in Brazil?

Last night I had to fly form Brasilia (capital of Brazil) to Montevideo, to spend Christmas, New Year, and a bit more with my relatives. Living in Brasilia is very nice. The city is beautifully built. The arquitectural plan of the city is unique worldwide. The city was 100% planned and built from scratch about 45 years ago where there used to be just forests and not a single house. The place is so green that for those who love to jog or walk, there can't be a better place. The city is full of trees, and these trees are mangos, jackfruit trees, cajuns, avocados, mandarin trees, almonds, pitangas and others. You just need to walk some meters in your own block and choose the fruit you want to pick-up. It's as simple and natural as that! And, the people are kind, nice and educated as you can get in Brazil.. And the services of the city are good. 

I left Brasilia via Sao Paulo. As you may well know, Sao Paulo is Brazil's main finance center and biggest city. And it's also the main airport hub for South-America. And if that were not enough, it's going to be the second main city to host the World Cup 2014 after Rio de Janeiro!

All this said, you would expect that the airport would at least acceptable, but it's as chaotic today (6 months prior to the World Cup) as it was 5 years ago. It's actually one of the worst important airports I've been to! Not only it lacks places where to sit down and eat or drink a coffee (mainly in the area around the gates, after you went through security-check), but the place is famous for those loooong queues where you have only one employee working and all the rest of the staff is doing nobody knows what. I don't say that they are just goofing around. It's just that there is a lack of organization. What works the best is the security-check. And in second place the migrations (although I recently was about to be fined by the federal police, because the girl in migrations hadn't stamped my passport and hadn't even register me in the system).  At least, despite the airport is a mess, I have to concede that the whole staff is nice and amicable. Actually that is usually the case in Brazil, where spontaneous and friendly smiles are the norm.

Pilgrimage to the top of Sri Pada Mount in Sri Lanka - Part 1

View descending through Hatton path, Sri Pada

Sri Pada, or Adam's Peak, is the highest mountain in Sri Lanka, and it is also the main pilgrimage destination in the island. The most sacred relic is found on the top: a huge footstep engraved on rock which has been there for centuries or millennia; nobody knows exactly. For all the buddhists this is revered as the sacred footprint of the Lord Buddha when he was in Sri Lanka over 2500 years ago. For the Hindus, this is believed to be much older, and they affirm it is the footprint of Lord Shiva. The Muslims sustain it is the footprint of Adam, the first Man. And for the Christians, this is the footprint of Saint Thomas the apostle, who introduced Christianity in that land.Be what it may, one thing is for sure: This place is of immense relevance for a huge proportion of the human race, and because of this it has already been declared World Heritage by the UNESCO.

Chinese glamour - The cult for money and power

I took this picture one day after I left from work. I think this was in the neighborhood of ShuanJing, Beijing (China). I couldn't help but take a picture from this first class in bad taste and extravagance. I happened to be in the mood of taking a picture that day, but in fact this kind of style if predominant in the Chinese capital: pink Masserattis, pink Mini Coopers, Satin designs on fluorescent Mercedes-Benz, pink Porsche, are just some examples.

Lonar Lake, the biggest meteor crater on stone in the world - Aurangabad, India

Lonar Lake is a lake of salty and very alkaline water. It was formed in the crater left by a meteorite that crashed, it's believed, about 52,000 years ago. However, more recent investigation from 2010 has concluded that the impact probably happened at least 500,000 years ago.

Still today, Lonar Lake is object of scientific research trying to analyze the chemical composition of the water streams and the life that is in it. NASA has also been reported to have visited the lake on a regular basis.

Ajanta Caves - Buddhist caves carved in the mountain rock 2000 years ago - Aurangabad, India

Ajanta Caves is a huge complex of caves carved in the rock of the mountain between the centuries II B.C. and V or VII A.C. But to say these are caves is a bad understatement, as these are huge and majestic constructions of refined art and masonry.

Climbing Mount WuTai (WuTai Shan), the holiest buddhist mountain in mainland China

In July of this year, while living in Beijing, I took a night train from Beijing to WuTai Shan railway station in Shanxi province, and then took a bus up to the mountain. Once you get-off the train and exit the terminal, it's easy to know what bus you take, because there'll probably be more or less pilgrims also going to climb the mountain as well (unless you are wanting to climb in Winter, which would be a risky feat, being the temperatures at night sometimes below -30 degrees Celsius).

According to the Tibetans, Wutai Mountain is also the mountain where the buddhist god that is represented by the Chinese emperor lived. Tibet had been for many centuries a Chinese protectorate, and so they revered and prayed for the Chinese emperor. And this mountain was seen as the most sacred one inside the Chinese territory.

Ellora Caves in Aurangabad, India - An amazing heritage from Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism

Near de city of Aurangabad, in the region of Maharashtra (India) you will find the Ellora Caves and the Ajanta Caves. Of the two, the Ellora Caves are much nearer: just 29 km. from the city of Aurangabad.

The whole complex is formed by a series of 34 "caves" built on the rock of the mountain by several communities of traveling monks between the centuries V - X A.C. However, to name these majestic architectures by the name "cave" is a severe understatement. Because these are amazing temples and whole monasteries carved in solid rock on the mountain-side.

Vietnamese Weasel Coffee - The Best Coffee in the world?

I was aware of the famous Kopi Luwak coffee, from Bali. But it wasn't until I visited Ho Chi Minh city in September that I came to know about the Weasel Coffee, which I was told was even better. Upon doing some little research I found out that actually Kopi Luwak, civet coffee or Weasel-coffee are different terms for the same kind of coffee. This type of coffee was first discovered in Bali, although it's also produced in the rest of the Indonesian archipelago, East Timor, Philippines and Vietnam. Although only in Vietnam it is known as Weasel coffee (actually the animal is called Asian Palm Civet).

Climbing Tài Shan, in Shandong province, China

Tài Shan (literally "Mount Tai") is one of the "Five Great Mountains" in China. Taoism and Buddhism have it's holy mountains in China, and Tài Shan or Taishan is the holiest amongst the Taoist mountains. And from a cultural and traditional perspective, it's probably number one. For almost 3000 years emperors have done pilgrimage climbing the mountain. It was considered that every Chinese emperor had to climb it at least once, and the significance and importance this mountain had was enormous.

Cao Dai: Vietnam's most unique original religion

One of the best things of traveling is that you get to discover cultures and customs that are so different from what you know or are used to. By getting used to seeing such diversity, and understanding in mind and soul that our ways are not the ways of the world, which has so many different ways unknown to us, we naturally become more tolerant in every aspect, and thus improve as human beings. That's why as a Westerner I prefer traveling around Asia than around any other place in the world. Not because I think Asia is better, but because there is where I personally feel more in awe and learn of more new ways and traditions that ultimately inspire me in different ways.

In mid September I went backpacking to Ho Chi Minh city as part of a bigger trip. Personally I liked Ho Chi Minh very much. Since I didn't want to spend more than 8 days in Vietnam this time, and I heard that Ho Chi Minh had much more to see than Hanoi, I went there and added some days around the Mekong Delta, which was an amazing experience. But here I just want to focus on Cao Dai, that is a relatively recent religion that is unique to Vietnam, and of which the main temple is in the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh city, about two hours by bus from the city center.

Katmandu, city of souvenirs

I already said what I though of Katmandu city in my previous blog about the Annapurna Circuit trek (to read click here), where I praised it history and it's people. In this article I don't want to imply that Katmandu is just a city that sells souvenirs, but the fact is that, in addition to all the other amazing things that Katmandu city has to offer, it's also the best place in Nepal for shopping and to get a bunch of interesting souvenirs and tibetan relics or antiques.

Cannabis plantations around the Nepalese Himalayas

Here is a short video of some natural plantations of Cannabis around the Nepalese Himalayas. You can find these al around from Besisahar to Chame, if you do the Long Annapurna Circuit. Although I'm not into it, I learnt a lot from locals and trekkers alike, on how they take the flowers and patiently and diligently they rub them in their palm for a long time, until they get a sticky resin; they they add more flowers, and keep rubbing. The locals pass it among themselves so everybody rubs for a while. That's how they get the best out of it. It's funny, because where I come from it's almost a mortal sin to have one of these, and here you can see kilometers of them growing in the wild. Even in the guesthouses where we say, they are inside among the bushes that you see beside the dining rooms or by the kitchen.

I learned that there are three different qualities of marihuana in Katmandu, the one called "Cristal" being the highest quality. One kilogram of this stuff costs to the locals the equivalent to USD 65, which is ridiculously low.

In the Pashupatinath Temple in Katmandu, the main Hindu temple in Nepal, there are many Sadhus (Hindu holy renunciants, considered saints) living inside many of the smaller shrines scattered around, and they use to share a pipe of this stuff together with their devotees. I've been in there and it's funny to see these hermits who renounce alcohol, sex, money, clothes, meat, and many other worldly things, but they smoke marihuana on a daily basis as a spiritual tool for being in a permanent state of ecstasies and meditation. Without judging, I spent some of the most interesting time together with these Sadhus in Katmandu. They are friendly and very open if you are open too and want something more than just take a picture and leave.

http://youtu.be/z3apEteJArY

A trip to Shirdi, the village where Sai Baba of Shirdi lived and passed away

In August 2013, during my second visit to India, I flew to the city of Aurangabad, capital to the region of Maharashtra. Me purpose was to visit the village of Shirdi and stay some days there. Aurangabad is the nearest main city to Shirdi. Kopergaon, though quite nearer, not having so much infrastructure, nor airport. The airport of Aurangabad is a new one and quite tidy, although lacks a proper public transportation service. When I arrived, I went to speak to the airport manager so as to be sure I would get correct information. I was disappointed to find out that due to recent national security policies now it wasn't possible for foreigners to buy a SIM card for cell-phone, and that at that time (it was afternoon) there were not more busses from the airport for the rest of the day.

The owner of a transportation agency (as usual, always going forward after what smells like possible business), realizing that I was not in the mood of hiring a car by myself, suggested me to wait until next flight arrived, because probably there would be more pilgrims willing to go to Shirdi. Luckily enough, I met a family of Sikhs that had travelled with that sole purpose, and we shared a hired car. I was specially comfortable traveling with them, because from my experiences in India I learned to trust them more than the rest of the locals. And they proved to be a charming and kind family.

We took about three hours along a nasty road to reach Shirdi, including a short stop to drink some Chai (Masala tea) at a tea-shop for just 5 Rupees (USD 0,08) a glass.

On arriving at Shirdi, the driver left us each at our pre-booked hotels. It was already night, so I just prepared for bed.

Before traveling, some Indian friends, kindly worried about my safety during the trip, suggested me to book all the lodging beforehand. That's what I did. However, unfortunately that proved to have been a bad idea at least in that case. Because I realized that I was overcharged in all the hostels I stayed in India (except the one in Varanasi) for having pre-booked using reservation-websites like hostels.com and alike. So, I ended up paying a relatively high price. Let me be clear, I paid peanuts, because I stayed in low-budget hostels. But I realized that I would have paid quite less had I book right there on the spot. And all the hostels had availability, and there were lots of them, as well as family homes offering rooms for rent at a better price than I paid.

My room didn't have a view, was depressing, the sheets and blankets were torn and pricky, the light was weak and they cut the electricity during the day. There was a leakage dripping from the ceiling of the room near the entrance; the door of the toilet didn't close (anyway, I was alone), there was no shower, just a squat-on shitter; no place to place your things on, and of course, no soap and no paper. And a warning threatening to charge a fine if you used too much water in that dry region in the middle of the Indian subcontinent. But that was fine. I was prepared for all that. What I found more annoying was the impertinence of the hostel staff pushing me and insisting for me to hire their services (all kinds of services, because, as it seemed, they were experts in whatever trade!). Anyway, nothing serious. Just the usual thing in those regions.

Virtually all there is to do and see at Shirdi is inside the enclosed and protected Sai Baba compound:

- The Dwarkamai: the dilapidated mosque (not dilapidated any more) where Sai Baba lived and spent most of the time, and received his devotees. Here also was (and still is) his Duni or sacred file, which hasn't ever stopped burning since his death, thanks to the foundation that has been founded by his devotees. The Udi (sacred ashes that are believed to possess miraculous effects) proceed from this Duni, and is still distributed for free inside the compound.

- The Chavadi: Located beside the Dwarkamai. Here Sai Baba used to sleep every other night.

- The Temple of Ganesha.

- The tombs of several of Sai Baba's most notable disciples and devotees.

- Sai Baba's Temple. This temple was built with Baba's consent by one of his devotees, and was finished just before his death. Before dying Baba expressed his will (in a peculiar way) to be put there after his death. Since then, here lye his mortal remains, and therefore is the main pilgrimage site in the whole compound. Here is where the devotees go to receive Darshan, and here is where his Puja is executed.

- The Lendi, or garden that was transformed from a shabby place into a beautiful garden by Sai Baba, and that he took care of until his last days.

- The Gurustan: This is the tree where Sai Baba was seen for the first time when we has just arrived at the tiny village of Shirdi being a teenager. Sai Baba would spend most of the time under that tree, do penance, and even sleep. It is believed that his Guru's mortal remains lye below in a small underground temple. Baba told his devotees to reverenced this place and this tree, which todays is believed to possess miraculous powers.

- Sai Baba's Padukas: These are his foot-prints, that have been taken by one of his devotees while he lived, and that were and still are reverenced like Baba himself.

- The well where Sai would go daily to get water for drinking, washing, cooking, and watering the Lendi.

- The museum where can be found many objects and artifacts that have been used by him and by his devotees. There is also an interesting collection of photos.

- A book-store that belongs to the Sai Baba foundation, and where you can purchase books and DVDs and a ridiculously low price.

- The office that distributes Baba's Udi for free. You need to queue-up.

- The buildings that was built by a couple of his devotees to lodge pilgrims that came to receive Darshan from Baba.

Here you can also find the administration from the foundation that looks after the whole compound, as well as other things of lesser importance.

The whole compound is protected by an outer wall with several gates around it, protected by guards, and some basic infrastructure for devotees to queue-up. The guards check that you get in barefoot, and that you are not carrying along any cell-phone or camera. For just 2 Rupees there are some stalls where you can leave your shoes. Although as from the second day I simply preferred to leave my hostel barefoot. After all, the filth was everywhere, and it made not much difference.

The temple opens every day at 6 AM, when the Puja for Sai Baba is performed. This ceremony includes washing the marble statue that represents him inside the temple, and dressing it up. This ritual was performed by his devotees request while Sai was alive, and still continues to be performed today, through the statue. This Puja or ceremony is open to public. You have to queue-up as if going to receive Darshan, and when you pass by Sai Baba's statue and tomb, you can just stop for a brief moment, because the guards are keen that the queue keeps moving. While in he queue you can hear the devotional shouts Hai Sai, and chants form the devotees while they wait to get it.

Sai Poornima: Thursdays are Sai Baba's day, when a special procession used to be made carrying him around the village, and is still performed today.

The main Temple can be seen from outside the compound, and it's two high golden turrets look very beautiful. Outside the compound the only things worth visiting are:

- The bazar that is located behind the compound.

- The tiny Khandoba temple along the main road, from which Mahalsapati greeted Baba "Hai Sai" when the latter was returning to Shirdi.

- Two more blocks ahead along the road there is a small temple dedicated to Baba and his disciples.

In full day is enough to visit all that there is to see in Shirdi. However, if you are traveling from very for away as I did, you may want to stay 2 or 3 days, and repeat the itinerary some few times. However, other than this, there is absolutely nothing else to do here. And in Shirdi, as in all the rest of the Maharashtran region, there is a real language barrier, because people don't speak English. Since their local dialect in Marati (instead of Hindi, like in Dehli), their second tongue is Hindi. And you very rarely meet trilingual locals that can also speak English.

The bus terminal is a few blocks away from the compound and temple, westwards along the main road. It's very easy to get there; however, it took me some time to make myself understood what I was looking for. From there you can buy a cheap bus ticket, in a sleeping cabin, to go back to Aurangabad city.

Varanasi and Sarnath

In August of this year I travelled from Aurangabad to Varanasi, via Mumbai. Afterwards I was to fly to Thailand to stay at a retreat at a forest monastery. It was my second visit to India, the first one having been in October 2012 with my wife and my father-in-law. That time we had done the Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), and although the experience had been good, my wife and father-in-law said they wouldn't put a foot in that country again. As you may know, India is no country for the light-hearted. You have to put up with a lot of dirt, harrassing, scams, negotiating for things you have to buy, plus, if you get out of the cities that speak Hindi, you also have to deal with the language barrier. That is because the areas where they originally speak other local dialects, like Marati for example, as a second tongue they choose Hindi instead of English. In Delhi and Varanasi people speak Hindi, so, as a second tongue, they speak English. That makes sense, right?

Despite de hazards, I found India fascinating. So, I decided to go back on my own whenever I had the chance again. Fortunately this year, before leaving Beijing to move to Brazil, I had the opportunity to spend 3 months traveling around South and South-East Asia. That included Aurangabad (because I wanted to visit Shirdi, the place where Shirdi Sai Baba lived), the surroundings, and of course Varanasi, The City of Gods.

Varanasi or Benares is probably the most ancient living city in the world today. By "living" I mean that today the people still maintain virtually the same customs and rituals as 2000 or 3000 years ago. That's what they say. And that makes it a cultural and religious wonder.

For those who haven't been there before, let me warn you: The three cities where with more scams and harassment to foreigners in all India are Agra, Varanasi and Delhi. This I read in the Lonely Planet guide, and personally I would put it in that same order I have written it. So, you have to be prepared and in the right set of mind. Specially if you are a woman traveling by yourself or with other women.

However, the positive thing is that the city is swarmed by militarized-police men all around. I haven't seen so many army men watching a city even in Tel-Aviv. But that made me feel much safer. Also, if you have a question to make, you better ask one of these army/police-men, because the city is full of scams, and if you let somebody in the street help you, you may later want to charge you a ridiculous amount of money. And this is another thing you have to be aware of: While you walk the street, you'll get annoyed frequently by locals asking you where you want to go or what you are looking for. Just avoid them and try not to give them the slightest chance to "help" you, because very probably they'll want to rip you off afterwards for their "service".

Despite all this, after I got used to the city, I have to say I felt safe. However, let me say that I'm a man, and I was walking by myself, shabby and dirty, and I realized that when you walk slowly as if going nowhere (as beggars do) you are much less disturbed than if you walk in a hurry.

Another piece of information I read about, and I obeyed, was not to buy any tea or drinks in stalls that are too near the Ganga (Ganges River), because most likely they just rinse the glasses in the dirty waters from the river. Oh, sorry! I should have said holy! Nevertheless, for a foreign body that is not used to the local bacteria, that water is very inconvenient.

However, definitely do not miss the chance to buy some Masala milk-tea (Chai, as they call it) from a street stall. It's the best in the world! I got addicted to it and would have five or six per day. And after I left India, I would try get some at Indian restaurants, although they were not as good.

Also, you can't miss the Varanasi sweets. Get into their sweets-stores (that's what they have instead of our Western bakeries), and choose different types of their local sweet made with condensed milk, nuts, and different kinds of condiments. This is a tradition in Varanasi. These sweets are typical in the whole Indian subcontinent, but they originally come from Varanasi. So, this is the right place to experiment them.

Another treat is their Lassi, or Mango Lassi. This is a yogurt that you may have plain (with salt or sugar), or with fruit shake. And, there is a local lassy as well that has some hashish or marihuana inside. I read and heard that it really stones you. Many shops have official permits to sell this drink. Other times people can sell them illegally. Just be aware of what you are ordering whenever you ask for a Lassy!

The highlight of the city is the old-city. That is where you have the Galis and the Ghats on the Ganges. Galis are the ultra narrow streets that form a crazy maze where you can very easily get lost. Despite being unbelievably narrow, they are shared by people, stalls, bicycles, scooters and motorcycles, and even animals such as bulls, cows, dogs, sheep, monkeys, pigs, and even buffaloes. Sometimes I had to graze the tip of the horns of a bull with my chest in order to pass through. I was very nervous, but a local lady said with a simple look that everything would be ok. This is the kind of things you have to get used to. And if you are flexible and adventurous, you will find the magic in it.

Of course, in such a messy place, you will be stepping on dung and shit all the time. So, try to carry a back-pack instead of a suitcase or a carry-one, in order to avoid dragging your luggage through all the crap. If it rains it gets even more messy, but just relax and were your oldest boots, or just go around in slippers or sandals and get used to being all splashed with shit!

When you get to the city, the locals will realize you are just arrived, and will scam you to take you to you hotel. If you are going by yourself, this part can be tough, because it'll be very hard to get rid of all the scammers that will force themselves to follow you whether you like it or not. The trick is, they'll try to convince you to go to a hostel/hotel where they will receive more commissions. They may even try to persuade you not to go to your destination inventing stories about fires and floods. And, even if they cannot drag you to where they want you to go, they will follow you, and get inside your hotel and speak to the staff they he took you there, so he can get a commission, which may consist of a 20% - 70% of the real price of the room. And this, of course, will be charge on you later. So, if you go alone to find your hostel, you will need to fight hard to get rid of all the nuisance.

The heart of the city life is in the Ghats. These are the steps at the river bank, where are the rituals are performed. You have many Ghats, and each one has it's characteristic. For example, Manikarnika Ghat is the main Ghat, and there they do the cremations of the corpses. It's free to go and look at any time (working 24 hs.), but do not attempt to take a single photo; and if you are carrying a camera along, try it to be well hidden, or you may be in trouble with some sour local. And try to avoid all scams that invite you to their private terrace where they say you can take pictures. The professionals that take pictures of the cremations for documentaries or magazines, pay a fortune to the local government to get a special permit to take photos for half an hour, or an hour.

Along the Ghats you will come across many Sadhus. These are the Hindu Holy-Men or renunciants that have left all possessions behind in order to live a chaste life, become vegetarian, and avoid dealing in business, and even touching money. The real Sadhus will never beg. However, about 90% of the people around the city that are dressed as Sadhus (in the traditional orange robes and long beards), are fake Sadhus; and they will be begging for whatever they can get.

While staying in Varanasi I didn't want to let pass the chance of visiting Sarnath, the holy city where the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni (Siddharta Gautama) went right after becoming enlightened under the Bodhi Tree, and gave his famous first sermon: the Sermon of the Mount. Sarnath is a much cleaner and peaceful town than Varanasi, just 10 km. away. That morning, since I wasn't in the mood of negotiating with the tuc-tuc mafia-men, I decided to walk a

ll the way to Sarnath. At the beginning, mainly until I got out of the city of Varanasi, I was annoyed by some tuc-tucs that didn't want to let me go without accepting their service. One of them was particularly annoying, because he followed me for about a kilometer, but eventually gave up. Along that way, still inside Varanasi city, but outside the touristic part (old-city and Gahlis) I came across the two only situations of relative aggressiveness. One was two teenagers when going, and the other one was a 12 year-old brat on my way back. The first two pretended to bully me and eventually pretended to punch me when I ignored them and pass by them. But there was no real physical contact that I remember. The second case, the kid took my arm and pretended not to let me go until I gave him some money. Then, spontaneously I let go a "Fuck off!", and he let go shocked. That was all. Nothing really serious. Just a little bit of discomfort that is good to be aware of and mentally prepared for.

The main place to visit in Sarnath is the protected area that holds the exact place where the Buddha gave his sermon, plus one of Ashokas Pillar, and the remains of a very ancient city that was also build by Ashoka, the famous Indian emperor that converted to buddhism in the III Century B.C. You have to buy a ticket to get inside.

Beside that protected area, there is a Sri Lankan Temple, beside which there is a Bodhi Tree that is an offspring of the one that was taken to Sri Lanka from the original Bodhi Tree where the Buddha became enlightened. The original one, in Bodhgaya, India, is dead, since Ashoka's wife killed it in a seizure of jealousy.

There are other temples and historical places worth to visit in Sarnath. In all, one full day should be enough to visit it all. Including the Jainism Temple (don't miss it) that is beside the Stupa that marks the place where the First Sermon was given.

I strongly recommend to carry a GPS to go around. That will spare you the stress of relying on the locals whenever you don't know where you are standing, or how to find your hotel, or how to get where. Mainly inside the Galis, it's like being inside a labyrinth! Unfortunately, when I went to India that time, they didn't sell SIM cards to foreigners, due to a very recent security policy that forbade it. I even heard that for locals it took three days to get their chip (the previous year I hadn't had any problem to buy one). Fortunately, my smartphone had a integrated GPS, and that helped a lot. Also, many places in Varanasi offer Wi-Fi.

The core of the city for the Hindus is the Vishwanath Temple, which is the main temple in India dedicated to god Shiva (the main god in the Hindu trinity Shiva-Vishnu-Brahma). This temple is surrounded by military men, to protect if from attacks from the muslims. Unfortunately, foreigners are not aloud inside. And sometimes you are not even allowed even along the Gali that passes beside, and you may have to go around to reach wherever you want to go.

Hiking and trekking around Beijing

Beijing is not the most fascinating city as for nature and a healthy life. However, since it lies on a valley surrounded by mountains on two sides at least, it's a great place for going hiking and trekking. Some of the best parts of the Great Wall are right there, for tourists to visit when they are in the capital. The most popular segments that have been restored for visitors are Badaling and MüTianYü. However, if you go to the mountains to the north, north-east and north-west of the city, you will find hundreds of options to hike in the mountains along the old ancient segments of the Great Wall that are still original, not restored by the government. For this same reason, these are not touristic treks, and you can enjoy peace and nature, along the ancient Great Wall of China, in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by blossomed apricot trees in Spring, and mountain lakes where you can swim or cross in Summer, or walk on in Winter.

For residents in Beijing, as I was during 2 and a half years, there are many groups you can join if you want to go trekking every weekend. The most popular ones are:

1) The Beijing Hikers, which is quite commercial and charges something like USD 50 per day trip (including transportation, water and some snacks). They also organize excellent longer trips around China, for adventures in the forests, desert, mountains, etc. For the weekend, or even more.

2) There is the Beijing Walkers, which is just for fun, and you just pay something like USD 17 for the transportation an d the beer at the end of the trip (you have to carry along your own lunch and water for the hike).

3) And the third most popular group is through a social network called Meet-Up. This one also charges about USD 17 just to pay the cost of the bus and some fees, so it is not commercial either. But it's a huge bus (or two), and sometimes you got hikers which are not really hikers, and they can ruin the fun for everybody else. This is what happened the time I joined them. There was a snow blizzard (not really a bad blizzard, but a strong snow), and climbing Luangshan (2000m +) some girls hadn't even carried along a Winter cap nor gloves (WTF???), so we had to return before reaching the top.

There is another one, but it's more touristic for all-purpose, and even if they have hikes, they are actually more moderate ones, meant for families and people who are not too fit for something more rough. It is the China Culture Center (CCC), which is located in LiangMaQiao. You can find their website. They also have many longer trips all around China and even to neighboring countries, but I find them too expensive, and l didn't like the fact that you were carried everywhere, spending too many hours inside a bus, and everything was pre-arranged as for elder people or families with children. Still, for somebody new to the city and who doesn't know anybody yet and doesn't dare travel by himself, this can be a good choice, because in fact their service is very good.

You also have many other smaller private groups of people that get together to go hiking on Saturdays or Sundays, but they are not as well-known or organized, or professional. You need to be there and live with the locals to hear of them.

The mountains to the West of Beijng city can be a bit higher, but they don't have the Great Wall, which usually is the highlight. So most hikers try go into the mountains to the north. You also have to hike through more or less bushes depending on the trail you take.

In the last years, the villagers that are living in the area have been taking as a business to bully foreign trekkers to give them money in change of letting them pass to reach the mountains. Since there is virtually no rule-of-law there, you have to be careful, because you can get punched and kicked by a group of xenophobic villagers. But this is not the case if you try to remain respectful even with the disrespectful. The times we had those problems, it helped to be with Chinese friends (or driver), who would argue fiercely (just let the Chinese fix their own business and don't get involved). Or, when already hiking on the wall, and a Chinese carrying a stick shows up requesting a "fee", first you can just try to ignore him (they works sometimes with men; not with women, that get grabbed by the arm). If you notice they are getting aggressive, try to negotiate a group-price. Try not to pay for the price they say. Sometimes these fee-collectors are "official", although you will not see any uniform ¿?. Anyway... they may show you something like a ticket that makes their rip-off more believable. In any case, it's never a big sum. Just negotiate for peanuts, and go ahead. Unfortunately each time more of these nuisances are pestering the trekkers along the non-touristic routes.

Beijing has four very differentiated seasons, and you can go hiking with any of these three groups all year round; even during the cold Winter at -10 degrees Celsius on a very cold day. There you have to be specially careful not to slip on the ice covered rocks, but it's a totally different experience and scenery that is worth the effort.

If you like Via Ferrate, there is also one in the mountains north of the city. You can google it. It's a 2 hours drive form the city, and the whole equipment (including the metal grips held to the rocks) are French. I guess that helps release some anxiety! :-D

Cu Chi Tunnels - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

During the Vietnam War the village of Cu Chi in the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh city became famous for their courageous resistance against the American army. The were not Vietcong, but they took it to fight the Americans, because the latter needed to pass through their territory to control and protect Ho Chi Minh, which then was the center of the Vietnamese political power.

The villagers of Cu Chi, being just farmers living in the jungle, built an amazing system of underground tunnels several kilometers long, in which they would hide from the Americans and show up in a second to kill, and hide back in the tunnels. That's how they made their enemies crazy of panic and fear. The holes to get in were so narrow, that only a Vietnamese could pass. At the same time, it was covered with a wooden plank and disguised with leaves and branches on top. The tunnels were full of curves and never continued straight for more than 20 or 30 meters, so that, in case an enemy could get in, he wouldn't be able to shot a Vietnamese escaping ahead, nor would his electric torch help much either. The Vietnamese were already used to the complete darkness inside the tunnels. 

Another extremely effective weapon was their primitive traps which they knew how to hide in the jungle, This included the booby traps, bamboo spike traps, mines, and tens of different types of traps. The villagers recycled the explosives from the unexploded bombs that the Americans dropped in their land, and they converted them into their own weapons. Also, they would steal the hand weapons from the dead soldiers.

In order for the villagers not to fall on their own traps (since there were many men and women building them), the whole area was divided in sectors, and one villager from a different sector couldn't go to another one unless he got permission and company from somebody that was guarding it.

The Americans sent some tanks to the jungle, not to fight (because tanks are clumsy weapons in the middle of a jungle), but to smash the tunnels which were too difficult to find. One of those tanks, blown up by some Vietnamese land-mines, is still standing there.

The village is a must see for anybody visiting Ho Chi Minh city. You can get a half day tour from any of the thousands of tour agencies that swarm in the city, and the price is peanuts. At the end of the tour whoever wants may pay for some rounds of shooting with weapons from the War. There is a shooting alley over there that is controlled by the local army.

Before leaving they make you watch a somewhat ridiculous propaganda film where they demonize the American enemy, and idealize their local heroes. The tape is interesting because you can the faces of the people that participated of the war, and some more historical facts. But the style is so obviously ridiculous, exaggerated and propagandistic in the old communist old-fashioned way, that I had the feeling that the locals in charge and the guides felt a bit of embarrassment mixed with their typical warrior pride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XXI8u2vLBs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1w0cqQRuWk

Annapurna Circuit Trek

I happened to make the long Annapurna Circuit trek in the months of September and October, 2013. I left from Beijing and went with two Chinese friends. Since one of my friends had already been to Nepal before doing the Everest trek, and since she is such a good and jealous organizer, I unfortunately didn't do as much research prior to the trip as I should have, other than insisting to visit Lumbini, because I wanted to visit the birthplace of Lord Buddha. So, I was mainly expecting a sporty trekking, and Nepal (especially the Himalayas) proved to be much more than that.

After our long trip Beijing-Hong Kong-Kathmandu, we stayed 1 day and 2 nights in the capital, and then took a bus to Besisahar village in the lower Himalayas. From there we began our 15 days trek through the mountains, villages, with our main purpose to go through the Thorong-La Pass at 5416 meters. The nature, environment and magic of the mountains range is amazing; but the real highlight is each of the ancient villages we walk by or stay at for eating, drinking tea or lodging. Some of these are over a thousand years old, founded by Tibetan refugees that settled long ago, and where the Tibetan culture is still as immaculate as it was hundreds of years ago. This is the case especially with the villages from the region or district of Mustang, also know as the Forbidden Kingdom. Still today, inner Mustang is considered one of the most inaccessible places in the world, and that explains why in no other place in the world do the ancient Tibetan customs survive as pure and original as there, were even remains of the pre-buddhist Bon religion exist. Foreigners are not allowed into Inner Mustang, unless they get very special and expensive permits where they pay for the day, and are not alowed to go alone. Even so, it's very unlikely to meet Westerners who have been there. And those who dare try it at their own risk may be imprisoned for a very long time in Nepal, or, even worse, just stoned to death by the ultra-protective locals.

However, we were lucky enough to reach and stay at some few villages in "outer-Mustang", which for me were the highlight of the whole trip, and the main reason I'd like to go back. The main villages in outer-Mustang where we stayed were Muktinath, Kagbeni and Marpha (Or Marpha outside?).

Out of the many treks that Nepal has to offer to tourists, the main ones are Annapurna Long Circuit, Everest trek, ABC trek, and short Annapurna circuit. The longest is Everest trek. Annapurna Long Circuit is the second longest, but the most fascinating one from the cultural point of view and if you are interested in religions and ancient rituals.

After we descended from the Himals we went to Pokhara to spend 3 or 4 days. There is a huge lake over there, many Westernized restaurants with live music, a couple of Tibetan refugees, and several Hindu temples. Also, you can trek to the nearby mountains and even do paragliding. However, I found the city too damn touristic. It's the most expensive city in Nepal, and culturally I found it to be the least appealing.

Afterwards we went to Lumbini, where we spent 1 full day and 2 nights. The highlight of Lumbini, which is a small town very poor in infrastructure, is the Mahadevi Temple, where Lord Buddha was born, and in front of which still stands the Ashoka Pillar, where the ancient Indian Emperor wrote that this was the birthplace of the Buddha Shakyamuni.

Also, inside the international protected area where the Mahadevi Temple stands, there are tens of other temples and monasteries, built and supported by different countries in recognition of the importance that place has for humanity.
 

Note: if you go to Lumbini, The Korean temple offeres free lunch and free dinner for everybody. This is specially good if you don't have much time to waste to leave the protected area and then get in again to continue your rounds around the temples. The Chinese monastery offers Puja every morning at around 6 30 AM and at 6 or 6:30 PM.

Pictures of Kagbeni

Our trip ended in Kathmandu, where it had begun. There don't miss Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple, Bodnath Stupa and Tibetan refuge, Swayambhunath Temple (also known as the Monkey Temple), and walking around the old city around Durbar Square, and stopping at an old-shabby local tea house to have a Nepalese sweet milk-tea. Kathmandu is a fascinating town full of mistery and history that you will enjoy, unless you are the kind of person that cannot cope with earth-roads, horns and the typical traffic caos of most Asian cities (most, not all).

Buddhist meditation retreat at Wat Suan Mokh monastery

I've recently been in Wat Suan Mokkh doing their 10 days meditation retreat. I did it in September 2012. Actually, the retreat is 10 days and a half, because there is an 11th day when you leave early and then have an optional tour around the monastery and the Dhamma library.

The only possible way to register is by getting there in early on the registration day, and registering before it is full. If you go in the low season, as I did, that will not be a problem. But in high season (check their website: http://www.suanmokkh-idh.org/) you better get there early to register the last day of every month, because the retreat goes from the 1st to the 11th of every month of the year.

The Dahmma International retreat center is in the opposite side of the road from the original monastery that was founded by Buhddadasa Bihkkhu. The International Meditation center was built later, also by Buddhadasa. It is indeed one of the best and most prestigious buddhist meditation retreat centers in Thailand, which in turn is one of the best places to go do a serious retreat.

If you will, you can go a bit earlier and stay one or a few days at the Monastery, sharing a visitor's hut with some other pilgrims. The stay is free of charge, but you have to register at the reception of the monastery, and, at the end of the stay, leaving a donation is something fair to do.

During the 10 and a half days of the retreat you will not be staying at the monastery, but at the lodges built for pilgrims doing the retreats. However, the type of lodges and the lifestyle are very much monastic. Of course, men and women don't share the same building.

During the whole retreat there is an absolute silence vow that must be respected 24hs. It's very unfortunate when there is somebody out of place there who tries to speak to somebody even if hiding and in a low voice. The rules are fair and clear: you choose to stay and follow the rules, or not stay.

You have two meals a day and a hot chocolate in the afternoon: breakfast at 8 AM, lunch at 11:30 and hot chocolate (they call it "tea" time) at 6 PM. All meals are vegetarian, of course, and quite delicious despite simple. Everybody has to get up at 4 AM with the tolling of the bell.

The retreat includes some sitting meditation, walking meditation, loving-kindness meditation (meta-meditation), canonic-chants chanting, Taichi and Yoga (although Taichi may have been an exception that time) and Dhamma talks. And some few chores that each one has to sign up for, such as cleaning, serving meals at table, raking the leafs, etc. These chores are purely symbolic and don't take more than 15 or 20 minutes per day per person.

There are also natural hot water spring pools to go relax. All the participants of the retreat may go there during the breaks. It's specially good for your joints and knees after long sitting meditation sessions. There are separate pools for the men and for the women. Even the passageways are away from each other, and they cannot even see each other.

There is also a dress-code that needs be respected: long clothes for women; no exposure of tummy, shoulders, legs, and back. Men are not allowed to were shorts, except when they go bathe in the hot water springs. But when they go and return, they even must cover their shoulders with either a towel or a shirt. No walking around exposing shoulders or chest. In the lodging there are no showers. You need to bathe using a bucket of fresh water, and you can't be naked (not even with other's from your same sex). Those are the Thai customs, and must be respected there. So, you have to "shower" wearing either a longi or shorts. Interesting, isn't it? But you get used to it. In fact, the whole experience is beautiful.

The environment is absolutely amazing. A green forest with protected animals living in the wild, insects, trees, plants, fruits, ... All typical from a tropical forest monastery, because that's what it is. Once the retreat is over, you can return to the monastery and stay some more few days at the visitor's hut, and use the time to read, meditate, walk, enjoy the environment, hike to forest hills, etc. But you have to be prepared to meet many insects! From big spiders crawling possibly crawling on you while you meditate in the open, to being aware of scorpions, centipedes, careful of snakes (although rare), seeing lizards, and swarms of ants. Don't panic. And don't kill any living being. That is another rule of the retreat! :-D

The price for the retreat is 2000 Baht, which in September was about USD 63, all included! The price is obviously symbolic.

How to get there: Go to BKK with enough time, and buy a train ticket to Chaiya at the main train station. The one way ticket for a second class sleeper costs about USD 14-20. If you travel in 3rd class or by bus its even much cheaper. In the website of Suan Mokkh it says which trains you can take. It's a night train that leaves in the evening and gets to Chaiya at around 6:15 AM. When I went there I had fortunately put my alarm to wake up and I was looking at the GPS, because when the train stopped at the station, there was no notice, and I had to open the door myself and jump-off just before the train resumed it's course. At the village I had some breakfast, and then took a motorcycle-cab upto the monastery. The motorcycle-cabs charged 80 Baht (USD 2,65), but if you share the pick-up cab I heard it's only 20 Baht.

One of the monks that gives the Dahmma talks is an English man, in his 70's that is particularly interesting and understanding of a Westerner's search for spirituality. He has an amazing lot of experience and is a jewel with you it's worth while talk if you have the chance.