Traipsing thru Thailand

I'm on my second week in Thailand where I've been since 03March. I got out of India none too soon as I was completely burnt out on India.

I've spend the last three days in Chaing Mai, Thailand, doing practically nothing. After landing in Bangkok and taking a day or two there, I took the night bus up to Chaing Mai, new friend, dred-headed Californian man Taylor in tow. As in July, Bangkok blessed me easily for my prayers for a travel companion. Eerily like in July when I prayed for a travel mate one morning and met the Aussie bloke Matthew that afternoon, I prayed Saturday morning for a mate and two hours later Taylor popped up on the street in front of me inquiring if I knew a place he might trade his guitar for a mandolin, or someone who might buy his climbing gear. I was interested in his climbing gear and we ate together and talked and soon decided to travel north together and do some climbing.



We appeared at the same travel agent who calls himself Mel Gibson where I'd taken Matthew in July. Just as Matthew had to get a visa and india plane ticket, Taylor needed the same for his trip to India. Then we got bus tickets together to travel to Chaing Mai.

Two days later we arrived in Chaing Mai and discovered there was a good climbing crag nearby. Crazy Horse buttress proved wonderful with probably 20 bolted routes, a toilet, and a couple thatched open shelters. Taylor and I rented a motorbike and scootered out there with our gear. Three days sleeping in hammocks. Awesome climbing. Taylor proved an awesome climbing coach. Meanwhile I shared Reiki with him open his amazed eyes to the wonders of Reiki energy. Birds that sang into the night, bamboo fire cooked omelets, and trips to nearby sulphur hot springs lead the list of fond memories with Taylor.

He left for Bangkok and his flight to India after 4 days here. I took a couple days to realign and planned to go by motorbike to Chaing Rai. Two days in a row I checked out of my guest house with the intent of leaving, but didn't get out of town. I delayed my departure hearing Aussie Matthew was in town and hoping to see him. We finally met Monday morning and I heard tales of his newfound guru-ji in India where together they will form a world healing grid. Funny Matthew has been networking with people into tree houses... and I've been dreaming of sleeping in a hammock in the woods and climbing and finding a kinship with the dred-headed new age tree hugging back to lander types. After breakfast with Matthew, I once again intended to leave, but was faltering in gumption and sitting exhausted after a late night on the streetside. I glanced up to see the sign for Mr Whiskey's Guest House ... a place where I'd failed acouple times to find vacancy, and where there was a great looking patio hangout space. I felt a buzz of energy and decided to get a bunk and some sleep.

A few hours later I relaxed the most in several months hanging out on the patio at Mr Whiskey's. I realized I was exhausted and hence the indecisiveness about leaving. The next few days proved that this was just what I was looking for. In a few hours I had made freinds and shared Reiki and intuition excercises with fellow backpackers. I met two gay guys! Oddly enough I had been carrying a copy of the Celestine Prophecy workbook and that morning had intentioned tapping into feeling the energy flows.

I think about staying or moving here. Chaing Mai has interesting people, and is a great place to access the outdoors and easy to travel from. I wish I had more than the two weeks left before my flight to the USA, but at the same time feel a need to regroup.

Pushy in Pushkar

I'm jaded on India....everyone in the tourist towns just wants something from you... well, rupees to be exact!




I went to a festival supposedly free by the hotellers with a free camel ride provided. The camel ride was a joke. A half hour wait for the procession to get going, some people waited an hour. Then an hour long crawl through the narrow streets of Pushkar while everyone stares at you. I felt like a stupid tourist idiot up on the camel. Then we arrived about a 10 minute walk from town at a sand dune where a stage was set up and various performers did local dance and music. My camel was lowered for me to dismount and I was nearly off, when someone said, "no, get back on!". So I hop on and am elevated up and find myself with about a dozen others in a photo lineup on our steeds along with the town Maharaja... a local dude in fancy silks and turban astride a very decorated camel. We were left there for about 15 minutes for photo opps. Finally my camel driver takes me aside and drops my camel so I can dismount. Then I go to pay him... a camel tour guy had said it was 50rs, and when I asked the driver for change he said the fare was 175rs. I laughed and said, "No". I looked around for the guy who told me it was 50rs. And I wondered who was lying. Unfortunately I only had a 100rs note. Finally I threw it at the driver and said "F--- you!" Then I found some friends who said it was supposed to be free. I was so mad. I%%

Photos posted at:

http://photos.yahoo.com/dhamiboo

http://gypsywizard.shutterfly.com/action/?a=2AZM2jlu1csXMQ

Khajuraho: Feb14-16, 2006

I took the night train from Varanasi to Satna (11:30pm departure, arriving late at 8:15 am) and then a bus to Khajuraho. I received a surprise sendoff from a group of young men I'd met at the ghats. They appeared at the train station at 11:20pm... what a surprise to see the four of them. I'd planned to say goodbye earlier but got busy packing. I'd been kind of feeling their friendship was for money... they'd implored me to take them all to the movies last week... only 120 rs, about $3, but still a chunk of my 5-10$/day budget. So my faith in them was renewed when they made the journey to the train station to see me off. I gave them each a friendship bracelet. Tomorrow, they said is Seekunder's birthday. I gave them 100rs to celebrate with... they turned it down at first saying "friendship, not money"; but then they took it. After they left, a Hindi man said they were making fun of me and that I shouldn't have given them any money. Don't know what to think about it all.

Sleeping on the train proved difficult... comfortable enough, but when an old lady slapped my feet and awakened me from a deep sleep after an hour or two... I don't know what for... I lost my nerve about sleeping afraid I'd miss my stop. There are no announcements and the conductors pay no special attention. A Korean guy was in the same compartment and going the same way. Between the two of us we kept track of our stop and managed to get off, and take a rickshaw together to the bus station where we got the bus to Khajuraho.

Getting off the bus in Khajuraho was akin to my Sauraha experience. Except there were maybe six tourists to a dozen touts this time. (In Sauraha I was the only tourist arriving on the bus and was surrounded by about 20 beautiful men who all wanted me... almost a dream come true, except they wanted me to stay at their hotel.) I wasn't having any of it. Fed up and a bit jaded after 3 weeks in Varanasi, tout heaven, I said the next person that approaches me, I will vow NOT to stay at his guest house. Still about 6 followed me and my Korean friend as we walked into town. A sadhu passed by and I sarcastically asked him if he wanted a room and pointed to my "tout friends". It must be time for me to leave India!

My Korean friend and I kept asking to be left alone. As we got into town another few touts glummed onto us seeing us with our telltale backpacks fresh off the bus. We separated to look at a few places. I walked on out of town to get a moment alone and compose myself. Looked at four places and went with the Yogi Ashram about 2 km north of town.

This is not a town where "alone" is a feasible concept. Low on tourists, everyone wants your business. Even a small boy befriended me as I rode my rental bike around and insisted I see his school; I literally begged off on seeing his home. I met the principal who seemed nice and offered to show me to the children; he easily backed off when I declined. My new little boy friend said I must come visit the school but not without him. Odd I thought. Later when I read my guidebook, the warning for this town was about school children who hook in tourists to make donations to their school then split the donation with their principle. It was an afternoon of touts as I tried to soak in the town. Another boy was desparate to get me to his house for tea and dinner. After I declined several times and kept running into him, he dejectedly said "you not want be my friend" and rode off. Alone at last, sitting on the road in the midst of town, three Indian men came up being friendly, complimenting me on my beard and piercings. "Ahh... at least they are just being friendly..." Then came the sales pitch for a taxi ride to the nearby jungle to see tigers. Then after the marriarage question, they offered to hook me up with a pretty Indian woman... for a price of course!

Today I dreamed up the following:

Street Lessons for Indians learning English:

Day 1: "Boat? Sir! Boat? Sir! Boat?"

Day 2: "What you like? Hashish?"

Day 3:" Marijuana, Cocaine? Good Manali Cream? I have everything: what you want?"

Formal English Lessons for Indians:

Day 1: "Hello."

Day 2: "What is your good name?"

Day 3: "First time? India?"

Day 4: substitute name of current town for India

Day 5:"How you like [name of country, town, etc...]?"

Day 6: "Where you stay?"

I'm quite sure this is how their english books are written, as this is the unvarying order of conversation.


Continuing in my list of interesting sights on the roads and loads on vehicles:

A thin mattress held upright on a motor scooter by the passenger riding behind the driver.
That was yesterday. Today I saw them with the bedframe!


I toured the temples this morning. Beautiful sandstone sculpted works of art chock full of relief statues... many horses, elephants, warriors, and Ganeshas. And then intermixed many erotic sculptures of men and women in kama sutra positions. Quite beautiful temples.

I had lunch at "Amy's International Restaurant" which advertised Indian, American, Italian, Continental, and Japanese foods. When I tried to order a bean burrito, the manager said he was sorry but the market has no beans today. So I went for an Indian thali. While I tried to wait and have some peaceful moments alone, the manager started a "conversation". How he'd started the restuarant with and American woman Amy who he loved and missed as she was out of the country right now. He droned on about how the electric was shut off because he couldn't pay the bills because tourists were few this season. But he had big plans for cheap rooms to build for a tourist guest house "Amy's Guest House". And he said how Americans would love getting food they are familiar with while travelling. All good thoughts, but I wondered if they ever had the beans for the burrito?

Varanasi Revisited - Jan-Feb 2006

January 21-22

My Nepal visa expires today so I make a sad farewell to Sauraha, a Nepali Village by the Chitwan Jungle. I've spent several days riding a rental bicycle around the Tharu villages full of wattle and daub mud huts, elephants, and the local jungles where I've seen peacocks, deer, crocodiles, and storks.

Me and the two others on our "tourist" bus are excited that there are only 3 of us on the bus. But we soon learn the methods of Nepali thrift when we stop in every village to try to take on passengers. At one village we wait 10 minutes at the gas station accumulating passengers before pulling up to the pumps. I'm guessing the driver was waiting to have enough fares to pay for the gas. It's a short 4 hour ride before I am dumped a few km from the border in a small village bus depot. The touts beg me to take a rickshaw, but I know there is a 8rs bus. I ask around and get pointed in the direction of a jeep packed full of locals, with 4 standing on the bumper. The conductor motions me to throw my backpack on the roof rack and for me to ride up there as well. So I get the princess seat! It's a short 15 min ride to the border town of Sounali. I am thankful for the short ride as I'm sure a long ride hanging onto the roofrack could be quite a thrilling adventure.

As we pull into the bus depot at Sounali, a shaggy hair and bearded man gives me the Hawaii thumb and pinkie wave peering from beneath his low slung hemp hat. I meet Ariel formally at the Nepal immigration counter as we check out of Nepal. Ariel is a 20 something Israeli guy into tantra and Reiki. I feel a strong energy between us and surmise some mystical travels are starting up for us. We end up taking a tourist bus from the border to Varanasi. Planned to bus 3hours to Gorakpur and take the more comfy train from there, but didn't want to risk having to overnight in Gorakpur if it wasn't possible to get a last minute train ticket. And as the bus tout reminded us, we could just get on this tourist bus with no other worries til Varanasi... and the bus would get us to Varanasi aat 6am rather than the train's 2am... better to look for a guest house after sunrise.

There were a half dozen Hindi guys hanging out on the bus.... it was three hours before departure. They offered to sell us hashish. The suggested the "best seats". We had initially been promised double seats for each of us... but that no longer held since we had bargained 50rs off our ticket prices. At departure time, all the worry of seats turned to nought when we discovered there were only 3 passengers! Me, Ariel, and an Italian guy, Alberto.

I remember the old big wheeled bicycles of the 1800's were called boneshakers. That ought to have been the bus' name. The sliding windows missing their latches vibrated open every five minutes letting the cold night air in. Try to sleep? Forget it. The bus felt like it was shaking apart... like we were going through the atmosphere, but never quite getting to hyperspace. About midnight, I started coughing badly as we passed through a town of burning plastic rubbage. Uggh, I thought, the air is bad already and we are not even to Varanasi. I thought of the 5 remaining hours... looking forward to sunup. Sleeping was impossible. Holding onto the seat was about all I could manage. Then, miracle of miracles, one of the couchmen says "Wake up! This Varanasi". "Here? Varanasi?" I replied...seeing it was only 1 am. Sure enough, it was no joke, he woke my friends and we were dumped into Varanasi at 1am! A mixed blessing since sleep might be possible now, but roaming late night Varanasi where everything closes and locks at 11pm wasn't ideal. A jovial autorickshaw tout glummed onto us promising 50 rs rooms. We took him up, but demanded to be taken to the ghats, where we knew we wanted to stay. Somehow the five of us and our luggage crammed into this autorickshaw: the driver and his henchman, Ariel, Alberto, and I.

A surreal late night circus, Ariel and the driver and henchman laughed and screamed joking like banshees as we careened the late night streets where sleeping cows were the main traffic. The first two guesthouses proved to be 250 rs expensive! Finally by the Hanuman Burning Ghat Ariel got us a 120rs room for the three of us. We got 4 or 5 hours sleep before searching more permanant quarters in the morning.

23 Jan

Today I walked down a narrow alley and was delayed as a rickshaw laden with furniture navigated the narrow passage. Every few yards, there was a step or obstruction to squeeze the load around. We got to a intersection where an oncoming rickshaw had to pass. It seemed impossible, yet the rickshaw wallahs were somehow making room around each other. Then a cow peeks around from the other alley at the intersection and in a moment walks right through, somehow bending space and getting around the rickshaws on this narrow alley! Oh, the Holy Cow of India!

Feb 11

As I strolled out after my lunch, I wandered a narrow alley towards the ghats wondering what to do. I came upon a dying cow surrounded by 3 tourists and a couple of locals. The tourists were attempting some love and healing for this poor cow. I saw some Reiki hands in the air and realized Spirit had something for me to do. Apparently the cow no longer gave milk and had been neglected by her owners. She'd been shitting water for nigh on a month and daily passed on her way to the Ganges. This morning she fell over and lay here all day. An Israeli woman seemed to be heading the care. A Canadian lady and a Dutch guy lended some loving hands. An a Hindi hoteller was enthusiastically helping. I laid my hands on the fleabeaten cow, giving her some Reiki and hoping she would pass easily.

The Hindi guy said he thought an injection would help. Meanwhile he poured some kerosene on her feet whcich drove a stream of maggots out. It was clearly a case of many cooks in this kitchen of love. Hindi's came by and everyone had a different idea. Me and the Canadian gal were hoping the cow would give up on life easily... even if she got up, she'd need some longterm care, and likely no one could give her that here... her owners certainly had abandoned her. The local guy suggested a fire near the cows belly for warmth... some garbage and wood appeared and a fire was built. Every once in a while the cow would mover her leg, knocking the firecircle stones and rest her foot in the fire. Soon the Israeli gal and the Hindi helpmate went off for some injectionible drugs. We gathered they were going for life saving rather than euthanasia drugs. While they were off, some locals came up. Different ideas. One brought some herbs and put them in a water bottle and we held the cows head up and poured the mix down. Another guy brought some herbs and put them on some coals by the cows nose as an inhalent. I feared they'd singe her nose. Someone came and said a vet was in the area if we wanted to call him. The Israeli gal and Hindi helper returned with what appeared to be antibiotics. Some injectible and some to be crushed and fed. The gal wanted to mix the edible drug with sweets, but the aurevedic guys disaggreed... no sweets for the cow they said! It was one of those cases where I wondered the cow wouldn't die from everyone trying out their idea of what was best!

Only in India... Anything is possible... I thought to myself and laughed. I was helping hold the cows head mouth up to the air to swallow her medicine... others were prying her mouth open... the drug mixed with sweets got in and now cupful by cupful they were trying to wash it down her throat with water. So I'm sitting there helping hold her head when a mouse drops down on my lap from overhead! I jokingly wondered if one of the monkey's that had peered down from the roof had thrown it. The mouse scurried around and around, going across my feet several times. After a couple of injections, based on the group consensus. Everyone went off for a break. Meanwhile the cow lay with a fire by her belly. The Canadian gal hoped the cow wouldn't burn herself.

In India, Any thing is possible!

I walked by a few hours later and the cow lay cold and dead... I pray someone removes her.... in November a dead dog lay in a busy alleyway next to samosa/fried food stand for a day and a half... I thought that was bad until I mentioned it to a guy at my guest house and he said the dog was laying there dying the day before!

In India, Any thing is possible! and it usually is!

About me...

In some ways I've been on a walk about for years. In 1989, fresh out of grad school, I finally followed my heart's dream of farming. I sold my car, bought a horse, buggy, and plow, and learned to farm. The used set of wheels I happened to get for my buggy, were painted yellow, with bright red hubs. At the time, I was interested in being more "plain". The local Amish began to refer to me as Rob Yellow Wheels... my wheels sticking out from their plain black wheels. I painted my wheels black before taking a 1 1/2 year walk about with my horse Emma and the buggy from Pennsylvania to New York. I ought to have taken Spirit's hint more seriously. After 7 years with my horse, farming a handful of places in PA and NY, I ended up in San Francisco coming out as a gay man. About years there found me evolving into a rather queer shaman, practicing Reiki and shamanic energywork. In 2004, I felt the call to disband my home there and take up the nomadic life once more. In NYC, I met GregO a nomad from HongKong who said, "Most people can't be gypsys because they are too attached to what works for them... and too attached to what doesn't work for them!" I heard the words in my heart and knew it was time to roam the world a bit. The vision was of a wandering mystic. But sometimes I forget my power and lapse into the mundane.

Kathmandu Climbing - Jan 2006

05Jan06 - Climbing with Para-Command

Today was the second day of the climbing class. A routine of a morning commute, walking along the Assan Market to Kantipath, then hopping on the #5 Kathmandu Tuk Tuk - an electric 3-wheeled van that holds maybe 12 people. A stream of them runs along the Kantipath artery and provides cheap (6 rs ... about 0.10 US$), quiet, fumeless transport. I picked up a loaf of "Swiss sesame bread" to go with my yak cheese (actually nak...the female), carrots, daikon, and onion for lunch.

Like yesterday, the Nepali army was at the climbing wall for practice. My cohorts Tasha and Kathy and I climbed the vertical wall again. A Army guy approached me and asked if they could take a photo. I agreed and then found out they wanted me hanging off the wall. I got my camera so I could have a pic too. They gave me an army cap to wear, strapped me in the belay and I did my best to get up the overhanging wall until they yelled to stop for the photo opps.


Back to class afterwards, we practiced the vert wall and bouldering, then a few attempts on the overhanging wall... very hard for me. Cathy was the only one of our threesome to top it and it took her a long time with many stops. The Army guys called me over for buiscuits and tea later, chatted me up, asking what I thought of the Nepali Army. "Great!", I replied, "they give me tea and buiscuits!" They explained they were in Para Command... paratrooper training.

06Jan06 - Climbing on Exhaustion

Last night I awoke at 3 am for a bowel movement. I went to the toilet expecting diarhea, but was pleasantly surprised. I tried to Reiki my stomach as I returned to sleep. Apparently I didn't Reiki enough because I awoke at 6am to a wet spot in my sleeping bag! I'd shit myself! Uggh. Never did that before. A dismaying way to wake up. Fortunately, not so much of a mess, I cleaned up. Returned to sleep a little before going to the Dairy Center on Durbar square for my morning yoghurt. The beneficial bacteria I figured would restore my gut to it preferred microflaura. Some bannanas from the market. This is my 30rs usual breakfast.

I prayed for regular bowels and did my morning commute. Didn't feel much energy for climbing, but did better than I thought and tried route 3, got about 2/3's up the wall, and found it easier than route 1, which is supposed to be the easiest of the overhanging routes.

We learned our third knot: the fisherman's knot for joining two ropes. The first two were the figure 8 and bowline knots for attaching to the belay.

No dhaba today, I stuck with macaroni and cheese at Ganesha where they play HBO on the television. The movies are usually horrid violent action movies... no wonder our country is at war. My stomach settled down, thankfully.

06Jan06 - Climbing on Exhaustion

Last night I awoke at 3 am for a bowel movement. I went to the toilet expecting diarhea, but was pleasantly surprised. I tried to Reiki my stomach as I returned to sleep. Apparently I didn't Reiki enough because I awoke at 6am to a wet spot in my sleeping bag! I'd shit myself! Uggh. Never did that before. A dismaying way to wake up. Fortunately, not so much of a mess, I cleaned up. Returned to sleep a little before going to the Dairy Center on Durbar square for my morning yoghurt. The beneficial bacteria I figured would restore my gut to it preferred microflaura. Some bannanas from the market. This is my 30rs usual breakfast.

I prayed for regular bowels and did my morning commute. Didn't feel much energy for climbing, but did better than I thought and tried route 3, got about 2/3's up the wall, and found it easier than route 1, which is supposed to be the easiest of the overhanging routes.

We learned our third knot: the fisherman's knot for joining two ropes. The first two were the figure 8 and bowline knots for attaching to the belay.

No dhaba today, I stuck with macaroni and cheese at Ganesha where they play HBO on the television. The movies are usually horrid violent action movies... no wonder our country is at war. My stomach settled down, thankfully.

08Jan06 - Climbing Strong!

Finally today, I found some strength developing! Instead of trembling to hold on, my hands and arms are strong enough to relax a bit and work on technique. I was a bit discouraged, but now feel excited. The instructors say climbing is not about arm strength because you should use your legs to push up the wall, rather than pulling yourself up. And you should hug the wall, and balance on your feet. But I feel like a basis of hand and arm strength is needed... and I didn't have that base of strength.

09Jan06 - Climbing Frustration

Still no luck in topping the wall on any of the overhanging routes. And my goal of transversing the lower wall, bouldering style, seems to flee from me. Our instructors attempted to have us "lead climb", placing the rope in runners as we go up the wall. They mistakenly had us try on one of the overhang routes, which was really beyond our strength. Finally, after everyone got a bit frustrated, they had us try the vertical wall. And we were able to accomplish that.

A couple of Nepali med students were climbing and I joined the two fellows to take turns belaying for each other. They were easily tired and finding it challenging too. I felt better in our common weakness... I was really feeling a bit unworthy. They were well versed in Reiki and alternative healing modalities and we enjoyed some great conversation about how Reiki works. I was impressed by their open minds and interest. They will be good doctors with such openness. One walked much of the way home with me and told me of his experience with the village "dhami" or shaman. We agreed that God and Spirit are beyond words and sometimes better left a mystery. Science sometimes robs us of our power and experiences merely because science doesn't have the tools to measure some things.09Jan06 - Climbing Frustration

Still no luck in topping the wall on any of the overhanging routes. And my goal of transversing the lower wall, bouldering style, seems to flee from me. Our instructors attempted to have us "lead climb", placing the rope in runners as we go up the wall. They mistakenly had us try on one of the overhang routes, which was really beyond our strength. Finally, after everyone got a bit frustrated, they had us try the vertical wall. And we were able to accomplish that.

A couple of Nepali med students were climbing and I joined the two fellows to take turns belaying for each other. They were easily tired and finding it challenging too. I felt better in our common weakness... I was really feeling a bit unworthy. They were well versed in Reiki and alternative healing modalities and we enjoyed some great conversation about how Reiki works. I was impressed by their open minds and interest. They will be good doctors with such openness. One walked much of the way home with me and told me of his experience with the village "dhami" or shaman. We agreed that God and Spirit are beyond words and sometimes better left a mystery. Science sometimes robs us of our power and experiences merely because science doesn't have the tools to measure some things.

I walked home--about an hour and a half, enjoying the views and people watching.

10Jan06 - Stoked on Climbing - GLOWING

This morning we met at the climbing wall. Cathy's Mom came along with their driver, Ajay, who took the bulk of us to the King's Royal Forest to climb on natural rock.

We chatted abit about the policital situation... apparently the King was visiting various districts trying to gain support for the upcoming elections. He disappeared for 45 km without any guards on some travel of his own in the country. No one knows who he chatted with. Maoists were speculated. Apparently the King doesn't offer much information, so no one really knows what is going on. He controls the army and police, or vice versa. There are a half dozen political parties, the King, and the Maoists in the lineup. And apparently they can never all come to an agreement. Though the Maoists are considered "terrorists", just as the colonists of the US in the 1700's would be considered today, much of their cause is for basic human rights. As far as the elections, it seems a bit farfetched that they will come to much because most people are too busy working and trying to support their families to risk time and potential conflict and dangers at the polls. Its an interesting situation... in many ways the struggles are transparent... life goes on here, people are busy with their work and families... I mean that I might expect complete turmoil and upheaval, and instead, life goes on. Being bred with democracy, even though the US is primarily a two party system, rather than a real consensus based system, the 7 or 8 groups in Nepal sounds potentially more democratic. And yet if these groups can never agree, what will happen? The philosopher in me wonders what would happen if people ignored the government and just focused on their families and neighborhoods and their "lives"...in some ways that appears to be what happens here... perhaps the government will just atrophy and people will create systems to live from the grassroots?

Enough digression!

Everyone met at the Royal Forest to get through the gate... everyone has to be on a list and check in and check out so no one gets lost on the King's land. The two Nepali students who have been a shadow part of our class catching up after their work, etc, and the other instructor have travelled by different means and we all have to enter together. The paperwork gets sorted and we head in. One student and instructor pair up on a motorcycle and try to ride the gravel road in. It appears they ought to be wearing some belaying gear or something as they squirrel around on the gravel. We park after a bit, and walk into "the rock". There are about 20 routes laid out with pitons on the rock face. A couple of climbing groups are busy going at it.

I'm wondering if I really like rock climbing. The artifical wall was hard. I'm still a bit scared of heights, and I wonder why or if I want to do something so hard. We get our toprope up, and like usual I get to climb first. I start up the rock face and get about 30 feet up to where I saw the instructor struggling a bit when he put the rope up. Its about a 6 foot smoothish outcrop to get around. Six chefs from the kitchen below try to suggest recipes for me to get over this outcrop. After 5 minutes that seem like 20, I yell down, "Ahhh... this is what they call a 'problem'!" And everyone laughs at my discovery of how rock climbing terminology makes sense. I am really thinking I ought to give up, when somehow I move... a foot here, a hand there, and the belayer's pull hard on the rope and I've gotten past the problem!!!! I'm excited, yet tentative as I climb the rest of the way up. I begin to feel that feeling I had as a kid climbing the rock in our back yard. My hands roam the rocks for grips. I begin to forget about everything except the next move. I reach the top! The belayer says to come down. Fears of coming down flash through my head. Jutting outcrops of rock to bruse and cut the skin line the path down. This is not the overhanging artificial way at the gym, where it's a clean shot to the ground. The belayer yells "Come down! Slowly!" And I move, and in my movement, my fears dissolve in to the reality of one step at a time with the intention of safety.

I hit the ground, nearly falling backwards, as my perception of which way is up after walking backwards down the wall is a bit slow to catch up. The instructor catches me with a laugh. And all the endorpines rush to my head. "Wow, that was cool!", I say. I describe to Cathy and Tasha how I found the climb physically easier and mentally more challenging than the artificial wall. You have to search the real rock for features to hold onto and step on.... while in the gym, the grips stand out like sore thumbs. Everyone has a go a climbing the route. Cathy is afraid to come down and it takes 5 minute to convince her. One instuctor walks the back way up to the top to coach her. She is so scared she forgets to walk down the face L shaped. Pema's brother gleefully climbs like a monkey. He's five, maybe eight year's old and has climbed for a year already. He's a bit timid coming down as well, and I joke that he's supposed to come down like a capital L, not a small l!!! Tasha psyches herself out...saying she's too weak. She gives up, and refuses to go past the troublesome outcrop, though we offer to lift her over it. Everyone else makes it, and we all cheer each other on. It's funny how 6 people on the ground get so involved in the climber's dilemma and yell out far too much "beta" and struggle to communicate right and left feet and which ledge might have a grip. But it was fun!

We move the rope to an easier route, hoping Tasha will have a go at it. She refuses. The rest of us have another climb.

We return about 3:30pm to the artificial wall. I am feeling a bit sad that my time here is ending. The seven days with these friends and cohorts and this wall have grown on me. Having been nomadic for a year and a half, I find myself easily clinging to any semblance of permanence. I give my last try at transversing the wall. I find myself much sharper after the real rock experience. Much more enthusiastic. I try the transverse repeatedly for 40 minutes and finally I nail it! Yay! That was one goal... the other to top the wall... but I'll let that one pass!

After a week, my arms feel strong. Though they still tire, it feels like there is a backbone of solid strength there. I so enjoyed the real rock... touching the Earth through her rock... It's been several years since rock climbing came to my awareness when I joined the climbing gym near my home in San Francisco to work out at. Then the last year, it's been on my mind to take a class. Now I fulfilled that step and honored a subtle call from my Spirit to rock climb. I can't wait to do more. I've got to get some gear. Find some rock in India and Thailand.

I'm glowing as I walk home. Feeling fully empowered. Stoked on life. Glowing with Life. Reminds me of when I committed to living with my friends Bob and Karen years ago in Penn's Valley Pennsylvania... and I started learning to work with a draft horse and honor my farming dreams. I wandered home. On the Ring Road, an attractive man road by on a bike and yelled "hello" to catch my attention. Without missing a beat, I replied "Hi Sexy!" No fear, no repression... just glowing with life.