Bangalore...

We had a quick one day pit stop in the Indian city of engineering: Bangalore.

Wow! What a shock and disappointment!

It is funny because back on Hampi we had met three young students from Bangalore, to whom we had asked a few tips/suggestions about places to see and things to do for a day in Bangalore. All three of them were absolutely clueless as to what to suggest to us. All they could tell us was that there was nothing to see or do in Bangalore....and well, we spent the whole day walking around and taking buses to get a glimpse of the city, could only confirm what the three students had told us.

Our impression though, is that by far, Bangalore is the dirtiest city we both had seen in India. Surprising that for a city of engineers, no one has yet invested any resources or brain power to tackle this issue.

Very glad to leave Bangalore when we did.

(For myself, I still have to follow up with a friend of Roop who had king offered !e to volunteer with his microfinance organization in Bangalore.)

Hampi...magnificent!

21 hours and a 2 month old baby peeing on my lap later, we made it to Hampi. 1 train, 2 buses and 1 rickshaw rides later... Most definitely on worth it!

Hampi is not like any other place I had seen before.

A mix of rice fields, ginormous boulders, ancient fortress ruins, coconut and banana plantations, and gorgeous temples, all this set up in a hot hilly region crossed crossed by rivers. Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. And beautiful bike trails all over. It is said that throughout history, a lot of ancient temples got destroyed by either invaders and later on by the government. (I still have some research to do about this topic) but the whole landscape rather gives the impression that once upon a time, this whole place was under water.

But like Bagan, 2 to 3 days in such a place is plenty, as despite its beauty of nature, it is filled with tourism, and to some degree lacks cultural identity and authenticity. Furthermore, the presence of so much tourism also prevents you from being in total peaceful and quiet sync with the natural environ!sent around you.

However, like any place in the world, my previous statement is probably no longer accurate once you spend a longer period of time in a place, as then, you can manage to find your marks and zone out the surrounding mass of tourists around you.

When we ventured on the bike paths to visit some of the temples, we got so amazed at how bises of local tourists or even small groups of local tourists would smile at us, and sow so much cultural curiosity towards us. Buss loads of kids would gather around us to chat and take photos. Smile at us and hold our hands. Retired couples would approach us to practice their English and demonstrate the or knowledge of the world. I consider Hampi as our first point of entry into the south of India, and wow people are so warm, open, smiling, and welcoming.

I find very interesting how both north and south of India are so similar in their cultural warmth compared to the rest of India. It doesn't have to be all about business and money, but rather about people interaction and making people's souls smile.

My post is perhaps short but this is only because the length of my stay in Hampi was equally short, and also because I believe that my photos will do much better and truer justice to the beauty of the site than any word I could write.

A photo is worth a thousand words, so why limit myself to 500 when I could simply show you the photos?! Lol

A Final thing to conclude this post: on one of the temple ruin grounds, a small group of christian Indians asked us what was our religion. Their English was quite good, and they sounded very well educated. When we replied to them that we didn't have any religion, they looked so stunned. Their next question thus was: so what God do you pray to then?!

These were college students, not kids from the slums.

I found their reaction and cluelessness so fascinating. It is so strange that some people assume that one must have a religion, and that life cannot be possible without religion.

The other interesting part of their reaction and questions though showed great religious inclusion. Had I said I believed in any religion the world has, they would have been more satisfied than telling them I didn't have any religion.

Though I accept people of all faiths, I am still finding it so strange that most people on this planet prefer to believe in an abstract and virtual deity rather than in the most concrete reality of human nature and the capabilities of oneself. 

Why so much white on your face?

Mumbai...

Mumbai was only supposed to be a transiting stop where Angelina and I would meet up and then head south to Hampi and then Kerala.

The only points of reference and expectations I had of Mumbai were based on what I had read in Shantaram. Ha! Little detail I forgot to take into account, the story in the book happens in the late 70's early 80's...and yes, the city has apparently changed entirely.

So in some ways, yes, I was very disappointed. Mumbai is now a mega city. Spread out beyond expectation with numerous neighborhoods not so different the one from the other, except perhaps Colaba who is trying hard to remind somewhat of a mini hub for naive tourists who will assume the rest of the city is the same.

Anyhow, after a lot of walking all over the southern part of the city to soak as much culture and people interaction as possible, we were both very happy to leave Mumbai.

Three interesting things happened though, which made the visit so much worth it:

- before I arrived, Angelina had had the time to connect with a small organization working at helping former sex workers diagnosed with HIV/AIDS to improve their livelihood. So we met again with them on out last day and spent the whole afternoon with them trying to identify a project that we could support them with that would allow these women to regain some self confidence and make some sort of income to sustain themselves. Kind of a social business. The short term project we settled on was selling undergarments to sex workers and possibly other women in the community. Angelina through her long experience in community and social projects during her journey is quite an expert in this and has managed to raise quite a sum of money throughout her journey (18 months already) to put to use for such occasions. So after a quick brainstorming we went off, taxi and train to the wholesalers neighborhood to buy a large load of women undergarments that the women would start selling the very next day.
Should you want more info on the organization and similar projects please let me know.

- second, while walking through Mumbai's main slum, we walked for a while with these four kids, brothers and sisters from the same family. At one point the older brother asked me bluntly: why so much white on your face?
I found the question so unexpected and brilliant at the same time coming from a 12 year old. Kids have a way to be so curious in the most direct and simple way. I had no clue what to reply. He barely spoke English, and explaining to him that in other parts of the world people have different skin tones (among other things) would have taken some time and effort. But this simple question coming from a kid of such a huge, international and developed city as Mumbai's threw me back on a reality check as to how, without realizing it, people in other  much less developed places I have traveled through till now, must have seen me as a being coming from another planet. As international and relatively well educated travelers, there are so many things we take for granted, being totally unaware of the depth of the differences between us and the more secluded and less educated populations of the world. It is definitely good for us to get such reality checks from time to to!e to bring us back to the reality of this planet and remove us from the absurd nativity in which we blindly accept to live our privileged lives.
I am in such admiration when I meet people from such secluded places of the world who tell me that they have spent their life savings to travel to Europe of north america to discover new cultures and done the touristy trails. These people could want to put their money into a better comfort at home or more material things that would increase their social status in their community. But no, they chose to educate themselves in the most direct and real way, by traveling. I can't attest to what they actually do with this additional knowledge, but I find amazing that though they tell me they have loved the experience, in the end they still prefer to remain in their town, perhaps to live a much more real life, where people matter a lot more than things. Which is headed in the right direction with regard to the pursuit of happiness (let's be honest, all of us, in a way or another, are after the pursuit of happiness). I have my opinion. I will let you make your own...but perhaps, before you do, travel a bit to those remote places.

-third, my last evening in Mumbai, and before catching a night train to Hospet (to connect to Hampi), I managed to reconnect with Bilitis, who was at the same rehab facility in the Alpes when I got my knee surgery in 2007. Back then, we were very close friends, as it helped in order to get over our pains and struggles of wheel chairs and crutches. And I hadn't seen her since 2007, yet knew that she lived in Mumbai where she had gotten married and just recently given birth. And so I managed swing by her apartment uptown for a quick one hour catch up. It was so good to see her, and so cute to witness that now she actually speaks English with the strongest Indian accent. Though it took an hour to get to her place and one hour back, for only 45 minutes of hanging out, it was so worth it. Ever taken the public commuter train in one of the most crowded cities of the world during rush hour and with huge backpacks? Ha! A real adventurous experience in itself!!! And on the way back, that day was a huge Muslim celebration (of the birth of the prophet I believe), so the streets were loaded with parades and chants, and people dancing and waving flags, ALL OVER!!! Regular traffic jams in Mumbai are nothing compared to that evening. And so to get from Bilitis apartment to the train station, though we naively believed we could have down it all by auto rickshaw...well, we had to walk most of the way. At least 3 km I would say. Walking, as fast as possible, with gear on, and in the middle of an avenue, against traffic, and in and out of parades was such a spectacular way to end our visit to Mumbai. Such a rush of adrenaline! Will we make it on time to catch our train? Will we get hit by a car? Such a potty to not have the time to partake in these celebrations. All these were our thoughts for the half hour we had to walk/run.

But we made it just in time to catch our train...bye bye Mumbai. A short journey, but great memories.

I'm leaving on the jet plane...

...don't know when I'll be back again...

January 9th 2014, 3:35pm.

I am writing from aboard the train going from Marrakech to Casablanca airport.

This is my very first post of 2014!

Today I am flying back to India, after two weeks of rest and family time in Marrakech where I came to not only spend time with my family, but most importantly celebrate my dad's 80th birthday.

It has been two fabulous and relaxing weeks. Well, as relaxing as family time can be. You all know that whenever reconnecting and catching up with family is not all that relaxing. Family meals, conversations, taking mom grocery shopping, visiting dad in his studio, feeding and playing with little Lola...only leaves so much time to read and zone out. But it was all so worth it and wonderful.

My dad's surprise bday party was also quite a success. Bravo to my mom for organizing it and for managing to keeping it a total secret and surprise for my dad. You should have seen his face and the moment of absolute confusion and loss he was in. It was so enjoyable to see that. I remember how I felt the same way when my mom and Julie organized a surprise bday party for my 18th bday.

After being almost constantly on the move for the past 9 months while traveling, I managed to actually stay put while at home. It felt good. I always manage to do this when I am at home. Stay put, and enjoy my family fully. No party, no clubs, no outings whatsoever.

And "best" of all, my parents don't have internet access, so in two weeks, I only accessed internet twice. In itself, a vacation. Hahaha!

Oh, and once again, I realized how little importance new years has in our family. Indeed, we were all in bed by 10:30pm on the night of the 31st...and that after struggling to stay awake since 9pm. My mom had cooked an exquisite diner though! It is quite hilarious when I think about all these people who have planned the party of the year for Months and who spend thousands of dollars just for that one night.

So yeah, that was my break at home...time to relax, recharge, make some adjustments to my traveling gear, eat delicious non risky food, sleep in the best bed ever, and spend quality time with family.

Lucky me, during my day long layover in Abu Dhabi, I got to spend yet some more fantastic catching up time with Nasser, my second roommate when I was living in the dorms at AU. (Thank you a million Nasser for your fantastic hospitality!!!)

I am actually finishing this post on the landing strip in Mumbai airport...

My neighbor passenger on the plane from Casablanca to Abu Dhabi didn't know how to undo his seat belt, nor the use of ear plugs...it gave me a it of a reality check on how privileged my life is and how many gaps there are between cultures, generations, countries, social levels, and educational levels...very timely reminder as I was about to re-embark on the rest of my journey.

Happy new year! Bonne annee! Feliz anio nuevo 2014!!!

Dear friends,

My apologies for the delay in sending you my new year's wishes. Traveling back and forth between India and Morocco and not having access to internet has not been helping.

In any case, I would like to wish for al of you an absolutely fantastic 2014. May it be beyond all your expectation and may it make 2013 feel like a boring and bad year.

2013 has been such a spectacular year for me.

I started the year by taking a hard and drastic decision to end my employment with LVMH where I had spent two unbelievably challenging yet insightful years learning about the luxury world but more importantly about sales, marketing, finance, and overall business. 

I must admit that turning 33 years old in March was an excuse I used in order to make all the key decisions of that year. Quit my job, and backpack across Asia. What a grand way to celebrate such a trivial day. But I do not regret one second the choices I have made.

I became the uncle (for the first time) of a beautiful little Lola on June 5th. Such a quiet and joyful baby. And my sister is expecting a little boy for this coming May!

I met such amazing people since the beginning of my trip and really rediscovered the beauty of friendships and human being interactions. 
Rebeka, Maria, Marina, Sheila, Jason, Julie, Frank and Delia in Malaysia Borneo. 
Jon, Orie, Federico and Giulia in Kalimantan. 
The Kurva (Ximena, Mauro, Chantal, Jyrki, Pierre, Marie, Aslan) gang in Sulawesi.       Janice,Dina, Kartika, Amaelle, Roland in Tana Negara.
The Warm Heart crew, Thea, Lourens, and Russel in Thailand.
Sha in peninsula Malaysia.
Nik, Alberto, Sergio, Elgina, Susi, Afri, Maruli, David and Sara in Sumatra.
Angelina, Ho, Karen and Denis in Burma.
Om, Babu, Carmi, the whole SECMOL crew, Naina's family in India.

And I also got to see all my DC crew right before leaving for my adventure, and my Toronto crew for Carlos wedding. Gosh I miss my friends!!!

I met numerous other wonderful human beings along the way, and have no doubt that I will meet many more as I keep on going.

Many people have asked me what was my favorite part of the trip thus far. Ha! What a hard question to answer.

My trip has been a series of magical moments every day.

Indonesia and the people I have met made me become conscious of how much I care about the environment and how dramatic the situation of the planet is simply due to a lack of education. Indonesia also made me discover a passion for scuba diving, and a respect for the ocean. Indonesia is probably also by far the country where the locals, were the most welcoming, curious, and kind toward the stranger that I was. (This opinion is perhaps bias since I spent 4 months there and since it was my first real long stop in my trip...).

Malaysia, well...not a big fan at all of the culture, the people, and the scenery. If it wasnt for Sha, the Indian food, and the night dive I did, Malaysia would rank way worse.

Burma, magnificent mix of religion, colors, ancient architecture, and a country stuck in between two centuries. A bit like what I felt in Cuba, but with the religious factor more, and without the music and dancing.

And India, well...it is so hard to sum up the land of contrasts. Magical, chaotic, colorful, dusty, flavorful, loud, peaceful, joyful, dense, sad, very sad, polluted, pure air, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, huge, tiny, green, grey, safe, dangerous, monkeys, goats, buffalos, cows, camels, yaks, bicyles, trucks, cars, pedestrians, cripples, cricket, cricket, cricket, cricket...whatever happened to soccer???!!! the only country in the world (where I have been) where soccer is almost nonexistant. 

And well, my very first meditation course...a 10 day Vipassana silent meditation course. WOW! talk about a life changing experience. I must admit I was very doubtful before doing it. I wasnt sure what to really expect from meditation. Vipassana is not just any kind of meditation. Practicing makes you work so deep in a way that takes you a while to realize how it is impacting your life and your mind. And so yes, I believe I have changed in so many ways. And I really like how I have become, and intend to do more courses. As a matter of fact, I have decided to celebrate my 34th birthday by taking a course in Rajastan. The last day of the course will be my birthday. 

 As you can see, I have a lot to say about my 2013 and my adventure so far. But I will stop here. I just hope that in some small ways, my adventure is inspiring a few people here and there, the same way that I got inspired by reading other people's adventures before deciding to travel. We often tend to get stuck in our little routine that we forget or ignore the magic and magnificent beauty the world around us has to offer. And I truly believe that the more we interact with people who are different from us the more we learn about ourselves but also about the world. And globalization is taking such a toll on the world, the sooner we start the better prepared we will be for the future and in many ways for the present.

One of my initiative during my trip is to write a blog, as detailed and expressive as I can regarding what goes in front of my eyes and through my mind, and to share photos to illustrate my adventure...so that when one day I have children, I can share my journey and adventures with them.

May 2014 fill you up with inspiration, love and compassion.

I sincerely hope that our paths will soon cross again.

Enormous hugs from Mumbai, India.

--
Grégory 
www.dare2dream2013.blogspot.com

"Experience is what you get when you did not get what you wanted."

Happy new year! Bonne annee! Feliz anio nuevo 2014!!!

Dear friends,

My apologies for the delay in sending you my new year's wishes. Traveling back and forth between India and Morocco and not having access to internet has not been helping.

In any case, I would like to wish for al of you an absolutely fantastic 2014. May it be beyond all your expectation and may it make 2013 feel like a boring and bad year.

2013 has been such a spectacular year for me.

I started the year by taking a hard and drastic decision to end my employment with LVMH where I had spent two unbelievably challenging yet insightful years learning about the luxury world but more importantly about sales, marketing, finance, and overall business. 

I must admit that turning 33 years old in March was an excuse I used in order to make all the key decisions of that year. Quit my job, and backpack across Asia. What a grand way to celebrate such a trivial day. But I do not regret one second the choices I have made.

I became the uncle (for the first time) of a beautiful little Lola on June 5th. Such a quiet and joyful baby. And my sister is expecting a little boy for this coming May!

I met such amazing people since the beginning of my trip and really rediscovered the beauty of friendships and human being interactions. 
Rebeka, Maria, Marina, Sheila, Jason, Julie, Frank and Delia in Malaysia Borneo. 
Jon, Orie, Federico and Giulia in Kalimantan. 
The Kurva (Ximena, Mauro, Chantal, Jyrki, Pierre, Marie, Aslan) gang in Sulawesi.       Janice,Dina, Kartika, Amaelle, Roland in Tana Negara.
The Warm Heart crew, Thea, Lourens, and Russel in Thailand.
Sha in peninsula Malaysia.
Nik, Alberto, Sergio, Elgina, Susi, Afri, Maruli, David and Sara in Sumatra.
Angelina, Ho, Karen and Denis in Burma.
Om, Babu, Carmi, the whole SECMOL crew, Naina's family in India.

And I also got to see all my DC crew right before leaving for my adventure, and my Toronto crew for Carlos wedding. Gosh I miss my friends!!!

I met numerous other wonderful human beings along the way, and have no doubt that I will meet many more as I keep on going.

Many people have asked me what was my favorite part of the trip thus far. Ha! What a hard question to answer.

My trip has been a series of magical moments every day.

Indonesia and the people I have met made me become conscious of how much I care about the environment and how dramatic the situation of the planet is simply due to a lack of education. Indonesia also made me discover a passion for scuba diving, and a respect for the ocean. Indonesia is probably also by far the country where the locals, were the most welcoming, curious, and kind toward the stranger that I was. (This opinion is perhaps bias since I spent 4 months there and since it was my first real long stop in my trip...).

Malaysia, well...not a big fan at all of the culture, the people, and the scenery. If it wasnt for Sha, the Indian food, and the night dive I did, Malaysia would rank way worse.

Burma, magnificent mix of religion, colors, ancient architecture, and a country stuck in between two centuries. A bit like what I felt in Cuba, but with the religious factor more, and without the music and dancing.

And India, well...it is so hard to sum up the land of contrasts. Magical, chaotic, colorful, dusty, flavorful, loud, peaceful, joyful, dense, sad, very sad, polluted, pure air, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, huge, tiny, green, grey, safe, dangerous, monkeys, goats, buffalos, cows, camels, yaks, bicyles, trucks, cars, pedestrians, cripples, cricket, cricket, cricket, cricket...whatever happened to soccer???!!! the only country in the world (where I have been) where soccer is almost nonexistant. 

And well, my very first meditation course...a 10 day Vipassana silent meditation course. WOW! talk about a life changing experience. I must admit I was very doubtful before doing it. I wasnt sure what to really expect from meditation. Vipassana is not just any kind of meditation. Practicing makes you work so deep in a way that takes you a while to realize how it is impacting your life and your mind. And so yes, I believe I have changed in so many ways. And I really like how I have become, and intend to do more courses. As a matter of fact, I have decided to celebrate my 34th birthday by taking a course in Rajastan. The last day of the course will be my birthday. 

 As you can see, I have a lot to say about my 2013 and my adventure so far. But I will stop here. I just hope that in some small ways, my adventure is inspiring a few people here and there, the same way that I got inspired by reading other people's adventures before deciding to travel. We often tend to get stuck in our little routine that we forget or ignore the magic and magnificent beauty the world around us has to offer. And I truly believe that the more we interact with people who are different from us the more we learn about ourselves but also about the world. And globalization is taking such a toll on the world, the sooner we start the better prepared we will be for the future and in many ways for the present.

One of my initiative during my trip is to write a blog, as detailed and expressive as I can regarding what goes in front of my eyes and through my mind, and to share photos to illustrate my adventure...so that when one day I have children, I can share my journey and adventures with them.

May 2014 fill you up with inspiration, love and compassion.

I sincerely hope that our paths will soon cross again.

Enormous hugs from Mumbai, India.

--
Grégory 
www.dare2dream2013.blogspot.com

"Experience is what you get when you did not get what you wanted."

Varanasi...in photos!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157639734600334/

Photos well overdue!!!!!

Burma:

- Yangoon

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157637336200853/

- Mandalay

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157638349091465/

- Inleh lake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157639001173446/

- Bagan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157639004312474/

India:

- Leh part 1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157639397158684/

- Leh part 2, Moharam Muslim celebration

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157639399047383/

- Leh part 3, SECMOL where I volunteered for three weeks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157639398641805/

- Leh part 4, Thiksey Monastery festival

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157639401199534/

- New Delhi and Naina's wedding

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52537245@N00/sets/72157638325581443/

Kolkata

Kolkata was never really on my "to see" list in India. However three elements made me change my mind. Angelina had a gut feeling that told her she had to go to Kolkata. Then, when in Varanasi, out of the blue, I received a FB message from Sumita (whom I studied with at AU in DC, but with whom I never really hung out at all, and hadn't seen nor heard from since maybe 2002) acknowledging my presence in I did and inviting me to stay in her family in law's house and visit Kolkata. And last, I must admit that the name of that city had something of mysterious and "end of the world" like to it.

So ok, after a long and obviously delayed train ride from Bodhgaya, we arrive in Kolkata. Such a modern looking place with a decent infrastructure compared to Ladakh or Varanasi.

We ended up spending 5 days in that city. And each and everyday walked a good 20km to visit it and see as much of it as possible. Such an interesting colonial place. It actually used to be the capital of India, and was the very first colonial city of India back when the British took over the country.

Kolkata, it appears, used to be the center of literature and arts in India way back then, but after a continuous sort of "brain drain" towards the Mumbai and Delhi, is no longer such place. But in some ways, one can feel the cultural heritage left in the blood of the city.

The architecture is superb. The Muslim neighborhood is magnificent and so dynamic. The ghats are extremely disappointing yet very interesting as they are where all the slums are located. There is no such touristy river bank as there is in Varanasi. And well, the flower market under the bridge is such a spectacle of colors but also of culture and life.

But most of all, and aside from the quality and amazing time I spent with Angelina, the highlight of my visit to Kolkata was probably the fact that i reconnected with Sumita (and met her husband). Both of them are such fantastic people with such a fascinating background and incredible personalities. Kolkata without them would definitely not have been worth the detour at all!

And Sumita's parents in law's house is just so nice. The vibe from the different rooms were so incredible. All giving you the impression of traveling back in colonial times, and sending such a peaceful and relaxing feeling despite the chaos happening outside.

When we departed from the city, the train station really gave us a concrete sense of the size of India and the dynamism and chaotic behavior of its people. And making our way through this craze was such a challenging and fun mini trekk, perhaps not so challenging at all actually, but definitely fun! Hands in our pockets making sure to not get pick pocketed, and scouting out for our wagon...with all our gear on our back.

Though the train had a 3 hour delay at departure, it had a 12 hour delay at arrival...yes, India! :-[

So we ended up spending 31 hours to go from Kolkata to Delhi...and despite it all, we both slept really well, and managed to stay entertained the whole time...and arrived in Delhi by night. What a trip!

The next day, while Angelina made her way to Ajmer for her third Vipassana course, I got invited to my second Indian wedding, a few hours before hopping into a plane to Morocco...