Arab Land

After spending a quility week back in the civilized world in London, and then in Dublin with Fraze, I was quite ready to get back on a plane to Toronto and head home. Done. Finished. I'm tired and I want my goddamn bed. But not just yet - for I arrived in Marrakesh, Morocco two days ago.

What a step back into fucking time. This place is medieval and cool as shit. Snake charmers, story tellers, acrobats, and jugglers congregate here at the Djemaa el Fna , in what is perhaps the finest open aired space in the world. The souks (old, traditional markets) have the most beautiful artisan crafts I have ever seen. Rugs hang from the ancient street walls, glass stained lanterns provide the light of the nights, and the open air BBQ's bring a smell mixed with all the scents your senses can handle.

And then the people. Ancient tribesman who for centuries have been caravaning the Sahara sharing their stories, their goods, and their smiles. The colours of their clothes is that of a rainbow. Stunning. Absolutely stunning, to see a black Arab man in a strong and vibrant blue silk dress, bright orange turban, and yellow scarf covering everything except his eyes. This shit is straight out of the 1200's I swear.

Anywho, I'm off on a 4 day trek though Oasis' and deserts. I just wish I had more time here, and mark my words I will be back. But yeah, after 20 months abroad, I'm missing my fucking bed.

May 12th here we come!!!

London

You meet a lot of great people on the road and you as you part ways we say to each other how we will keep in touch and the like. This rarely happens.

That is what made last week so special when 8 of us who lived together in Sydney met up 15 months later in London, England. Luke, Adam, Ryan, Guiseppe, Anna, Emma, and Maria it was a blast catching up with all of you guys again! Shout outs to Rachel and Emma who came along for the party too - the more the merrier!! Chavala and Neil - you guys have to plan things out better to reach the next one! We can do with out the Frenchies, but the Swedes best be in, same with Kev, and of course The Baroness along with Annabelle.

So what do you say? Every 15 months we meet up somewhere on this planet and get our piss on! I'm thinking Rio next.....sound good?

Thanks again!!!

The Himalayas

If you asked me 2 weeks ago if I would want to come back to India my answer would have been a dry 'maybe'. Sure the country is amazing, but I just think that I tired myself out of Asian travel.

Now my answer is an enthusiastic 'YES'. Not since the jungles of Loas has one spot captivated my interest and inspired pure awe of my environment and surroundings. My treking through the Kullu Valley amongst the Himalayan Range did this too me. But I tell you - this is no easy trek.

Usually a 3 hour trek that a local recommends takes me 1.5 hours of brisk walking through the various jungles or forests. The Asians have small legs, and tend to walk quite slow. Up here in the mountains, a 3 hour trek easily turns into a 5 hour one, challenging everyone physically and mentally to haul ass up to the next village nestled high up in the Valley. No roads lead to these places; legs and arms being the only vehicle up these steep climbing paths, and sometimes risky vertical ascensions.

The Villages were those of tradition make - with many Nepalese and Tibetan variations - as many refugees live amongst these Indians up in the mountains. Shooting out from the steep ridges, the front of houses sprung out on stilts to keep the house on an even slope. Traditional woodwork and stonecutting would make up the house, with centuries old elevated fields allowing vegetables and grain to be grown high up in the altitude. The nearby streams supplied the village with enough water, and their fields and trading amongst other villages supplied them with enough food.

These Villages were perhaps one of the most spectacular things I have seen. And again the locals - such beauty. Their skin tone is that of what looks like a mix between the Japanese and the Native American Indians that once roamed our plains. Red tones, tanned skin, and huge smiles.

Within these massive valleys and mountains there are a many of fresh water streams and waterfalls, created by the slowly melting snow capped mountains. Many of the Mountain passes, and in turn the villages, were inaccessible to me because of the massive amounts of snowthat stood in my way. The treking season starts in another month or so still, as the snow is just to difficult to pass. But I still made do and made it too a few villages where I stayed for a few days at a time, and enjoyed my peace and quiet.

I can only hope these words can display the pure awe these mountains held over me. It is truley another world up there, and I mark my words - I will be back. I urge every single one of you who is reading this to go out there and challenge yourself. I gaurantee that the experience willl change you forever.

And boy oh boy, I haven't even began to mention the quality of the strawberry fields up there - absolutely unreal.

Moving on, tonight I will be displeasing the travel Gods, for I am flying to London via Moscow with Aeroflot. This Russian airline is supposed to be the grim reaper of airline travel. But fuck it, it was the cheapest flight to London and so I took it.

I'll be staying with my old housemate Luke, from my Sydney Oz days. 5 or 6 of my other English housemates are coming down to London for the reunion too so I can't wait!! It's funny how the people that I first started out living with abroad are some of the last people I will see on my trip some 19 months later.

The air is cleaner

The air is cleaner and crisper up here, among the mountains and the valleys that make the Himalayan Range. I spend most of my time staring at the mountains, caught in a daze trying to figure out why anyone would even think about living anywhere else. The sea speakes to me yes, but it's the mountains that captivate me. I could talk all day about these mountains and what I have found amongst them, but here is not the place. We'll have a cup of tea one day and chat about it, adding some other crazy stories I have picked up along the way.

Anyways today I feel extra special. I woke up and had my first Yoga experience, and I guess feeling inspiried to take the world on, I learnt chess. I am 0-5.

I do feel bad about those Leafs, very good about those Raptors, and excited for the Jays. The Big Hurt what?!?!?

See you all soon

My last 7 Days

It all started with that rafting trip beginning at the source of the Nile in Jinja, Uganda. Tipping on our last rapid gave me a little limp and some scars on my right foot from the rocks I hit while I was being manhandled by that outrageously strong current. I want to do this rafting business again.

Day 2: My Family and I spent our last day in Kampala's Sheraton Hotel, sitting poolside ordering food and reading books. By 4pm I was on the back of a motorbike zipping through the downtown traffic so I could catch that bus from hell back to Nairobi.

Day 3: Having arrived downtown Nairobi early in the morning and exhausted, I met up with my friend James and crashed at his place for a few hours. The day saw me in and out of casinos (constantly betting 50 cents on red at the Roulette table - I swear Red is the way to go) and the National African Archives Center which was a museum like center for African Art. This night found me eating a fine meal sipping my first Canadian Club and Coke in cloes to 2 years, flying 35,000 feet above Somalia and Saudi Arabia on Air Emirates flight 716. Allahdamn those Arabs know how to fly well. Emirates fully deserve the distinction of the world's best airline!

Day 4: Dubai, Dubai, Dubai. Hani, you are a King amongst men. Thanks for your generous hospitality by taking me around this truly remarkable, truly crazy city that was once nothing but sand dunes. The buildings were fantastic, the weather gorgeous, and the beers cold. Taking a quick dip in the Gulf was a tick of the old to-do list as well. Tell Bouchra I say Hello! - I'll be back - and I'll bring Caudle with me.

Day 5: Back to Bombay, India. As soon as I exited the plane, the humidity in the air bitch slapped me in the face. Goddamn it got hot here! I got a few errands done, and said hello to my afternoon class that I was volunteering with 3 month ago. Man does time fly. The kids look older and smarter already, and I really will miss them and their teacher Shefali!

Day 6: New Delhi. I'm tired of big Indian cities that make no sense. I'm outta here.

Today: Manali, up in the Himalayas. This is Seventh Heaven. Let me rest - I go to sleep now.