alilou's Adventures in Wonderland - all over the map.

[orientalplane]

Magnificent indeed! You have a wonderful gift for describing things so beautifully and observantly. Gorgeous photos too, and everything resplendent with colour and life. Thank you. Just as an aside, a few years ago I tried to swim across the Mekong from Thailand to Laos. Needless to say I did not succeed.

 

[spikydurian]

I've been meditating for so many years. I started just constantly returning to the breath. It took me a long time to realise that I shouldn't be trying to get something from meditation. If you're trying to get something it means you're striving. Now it's not about quieting the mind - I'm pretty good at that, but more about watching and questioning. The mind makes up stories. The issue isn't the mind, or it's stories. It's that we believe them. So my meditations are sometimes just about exploring/resting in the emptiness, and sometimes challenging the mind stories with "is that true?" The question doesn't have an answer. it's simply to challenge any fixed or rigid position of the mind.

Everyone has a roaming mind because we've all been taught to believe that's who we are and therefore need it to survive. Funny thing is at the times there's no thoughts - there we still are

I tried meditation before but gave up ... just didn't try enough. Perhaps some day, I will try again. I find the 'focus' method hardest. Thanks for the experience sharing. I will keep that in mind.

 

[Alilou]

Magnificent indeed! You have a wonderful gift for describing things so beautifully and observantly. Gorgeous photos too, and everything resplendent with colour and life. Thank you. Just as an aside, a few years ago I tried to swim across the Mekong from Thailand to Laos. Needless to say I did not succeed.

Thank you so much for such wonderful praise still, it's hard to go wrong when the subject matter is something as stunning and extraordinary as Shwedagon pagoda.
You tried to swim across the Mekong Huge kudos just for trying! You must be an excellent swimmer.

I tried meditation before but gave up ... just didn't try enough. Perhaps some day, I will try again. I find the 'focus' method hardest. Thanks for the experience sharing. I will keep that in mind.

I kind of fell into meditation as a hippie in my twenties. Everyone was doing it so I decided to try it. Then I gradually discovered how beneficial it could be. I think there's been times it's kept me sane

 

[Buzz]

Thanks for sharing Alilou.

 

[Alilou]

Thanks for sharing Alilou.

My pleasure Buzz. Thanks for reading!

 

[Alilou]

Mandalay! I have a post about Mandalay ready. I had such romantic notions about the city of Mandalay. I was in for a bit of a shock, but still there was plenty to see and do that was amazing - the "docks" (I use the term very loosely) on the Irrawaddy River, the climb up Mandalay Hill, and the Maha Muni Buddha - talk about an enormous pile of gold!

 

[Alilou]

Another spectacular blog post is ready

This one's about the ruins/pagodas left by a megalomaniac king and his grandson, and a fascinating ceremony to welcome young boys into the monastery.

 

[Alilou]

There's a new blog post ready

The saga of our travels in amazing Myanmar continues - this time to more temples (of course!), more ex-capitals, a very long teak bridge, and a much longer boat ride down the Irrawaddy River.

 

[skatesindreams]

I've been catching up with your June entries, alliou.

So much to think about and admire in all of them.
You continue to share ideas/places I'd never be exposed to, without you.

Your blog/you deserve all the "attention" you are receiving,

I especially love Pt. 4, where you were taken to that place where tourists aren't usually allowed.
Ahh...the photos of that "temple of gold", or whatever it was.
Amazing!

I still think that you should submit your work to other publications.
(Even the "high-end" ones).
You could fund your travels for as long as you wish to continue them!

 

[Alilou]

Thank you so much. I'm so glad you're enjoying the blog. And Myanmar definitely is an amazing place. That golden temple! I know! Just beautiful.

Eventually I'll get to submitting writings and photos to other publications. I need time to look into all the copyright issues. Also we plan a book of course - it will be partly travel stories, partly the inner journey of becoming nomads and what that life is like, and a lot of photos.

In the mean time I'm just trying to get the blog up to date

 

[skatesindreams]

I'll look forward to whatever you plan and decide.
Your work deserves a wider audience!

 

[Alilou]

Thanks

 

[Alilou]

I have a new blog post ready - about some marionette performances, the "real" Bagan, and the astonishing sea of temples there. A sea of temples! Really! I've never seen anything like it.


There's also a new post in the Nomadic Life series about how we decide where to go next.
Direct link:
http://alisonanddon.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/this-nomadic-life-deciding-where-to-go-next/

 

[Alilou]

Today I took photos of the front of Toller Cranston's house in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
I am crazy stalker lady

ETA: I forgot to mention there's a "For Sale" notice on it!

 

[Buzz]

Keep the excellent blog posts and photos coming Alilou!

 

[orientalplane]

Remarkable, thoughtful, inspiring and quite beautiful writing. I have tears in my eyes. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

 

[Alilou]

Remarkable, thoughtful, inspiring and quite beautiful writing. I have tears in my eyes. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

You're so very welcome. Thank you for reading. I'm glad it resonated for you.

I guess I didn't mention it here yet that there's a new post in the This Nomadic Life series about how I've changed since we began this journey. I'm assuming that's the post you're talking about. So I mention it now in case anyone else is interested in reading it.

 

[skatesindreams]

alliou, you are mastering the art of adapting to, and enjoying the circumstance/environment where you are.
That's a good lesson for all of us!

 

[Alilou]

Not sure mastering is the word , but I'm definitely getting better at it. It's either acceptance or suffering, and suffering's such a drag

 

[Alilou]

And another new post is ready; they just keep on coming. We're still in the amazing country of Burma, or Myanmar, either way is right.
This post is about:
Vintage peanut oil production
A colourful and unique ceremony for initiating boys (and a few girls) into the monastery - on horseback!
A Buddhist and Nature Spirit temple/monastery at the top of a volcanic plug - 777 steps to climb Fitness rules!

We're actually in Mexico. The blog is still 3 months behind

 

[spikydurian]

A Buddhist and Nature Spirit temple/monastery at the top of a volcanic plug - 777 steps to climb Fitness rules!

777 steps? Not for my old creaking knees! Is there a reason for the 777 steps? Is the no. of any significance?

The temples are amazing. Their 'gods' remind me of the Hindu gods.

 

[Alilou]

I'm not aware of any significance for the number of steps - I think that's just the number they needed to get to the top. It was a pretty easy climb actually because we had to go slowly because it was quite crowded in places, also there are seats on the way up so you can rest if needed.
Aren't those Nat spirits fantastic - they remind me a bit of all the Hindu gods too - so colourful, and each has it's own personality. The guy on the horse with all the bottles of liquor is the nasty one apparently.

 

[Alilou]

There's a new post ready, the first of three about Inle Lake. Inle Lake was definitely the highlight of our trip to Burma - well Bagan and Shwedagon Pagoda were also both pretty spectacular, but I think Inle was best of all. Here's the beginning of the Inle Lake saga via the link in my sig line.

There is also a new post in the This Nomadic Life series about how being nomadic has changed us.
Direct link:http://alisonanddon.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/this-nomadic-life-whats-changed-don/

Having one of those very lazy days where I don't want to do anything at all. Going to read a mindless book now

 

[orientalplane]

Ali, is the solidified palm sugar the same as that which is called jaggery in the Maldives and Sri Lanka? I remember that but it may be different. The photos of the village with the procession of the young boys and girls soon to be monks and nuns are so vibrant and vivid! The 777 steps sound a bit horrifying so I'm glad there were seats to rest on; in any case, it's obviously worth the climb for the colourful glory at the top. Do you know the name of the trees with the golden flowers? And Lake Inle with its incredible hotel! I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd just decided to stop your travels there and stay permanently. Unfortunately there's always the money aspect..... Loved the lumpy, stumpy Buddhas and the carved watermelon! Surely smoking the cheroots must result in a lot of health problems; it made me wonder what happens to these people if they fall ill? You were so lucky to see the leg-rowing race; perhaps in time Oxford and Cambridge will try this! And though it might sound strange to you, at first glance the lake streets reminded me of severely flooded towns that we've recently seen here in England ; of course it only takes a few microseconds to realise that it's nothing like, but still...... they are remarkable. Thanks for this journal entry with its beautiful writing and rich, memorable photos - I'll look forward to the next instalment!

 

[Alilou]

Yes, as far as I can tell it's jaggery though in India (and probable Sri Lanka too) it's made with sugar cane or date palm sugar. In Burma (and Cambodia) it's made with toddy (or palmyra) palm sap.
That monk ceremony with the boys on horses was spectacular, the more so because it was completely unexpected, and the 777 steps weren't so bad - in places it was very crowded so we had no choice but to go slowly. And we're both pretty fit anyway. We like to climb things
I tried to find the name of the trees with the golden flowers but was not successful. We saw them in Laos and Burma, and then we came to Mexico in late March and lo and behold they were blooming here! In Mexico they are called primavera which of course means Spring so very appropriate.
We tried to stay the whole time at Inle Lake at the hotel in the middle of the lake. It was so magical we would have blown the budget for it. It was also fully booked. I think we were very lucky to get a room for even one night.
Burmese cheroots are not nearly so bad as western cigarettes. They are all natural ingredients (no added chemicals!), wrapped in a leaf, very little tobacco, and flavourings added like tamarind. I haven't heard of significant health problems from them. Not like cigarettes anyway.
Leg rowers at Oxford and Cambridge! That would be a sight to see. Yeah I was thrilled to see a race - really lucky.
I didn't know there had been flooding in England. In Calgary too I've heard. We don't get the news much. Well we mostly try to avoid it. I hear about most world events by a quick scroll through the thread titles in OTBT here on FSU - that tells me all I need to know
So glad to hear you're enjoying following along on our adventures. Sorry I've taken so long to reply - been putting a new post together.

 

[Alilou]

And now there is a new post ready. This is about two of the amazing markets in the Inle Lake area, and some floating gardens that have to be seem to be believed. Quite ingenious, and astonishing. I was blown away. Again!

 

[Alilou]

Two new posts! Count them! Two! We've been busy at it.

Mr alilou has written a post in the This Nomadic Life series about "you get what you get"
Direct link http://alisonanddon.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/this-nomadic-life-you-get-what-you-get/

And there's a new post about the extraordinary country of Myanmar - still in the Inle Lake area. The link in my sig line is direct to that.

One more post on Mynamar and then, finally, I'll start doing some posts on Mexico where we've been for the past 4 months. It's hot here

 

[Alilou]

I have just published the final post on Burma - this one about a day-long hike in the hills above Inle Lake, and a Pa-O wedding. Beautiful country and fascinating people.

We then flew back to Bangkok, from there to Vancouver for a little housekeeping, then to a beach in Mexico to recover

 

[Alilou]

Finally got to blogging about Mexico!
Getting to the the end of the stories of our journey through India and SE Asia feels like I've reached some kind of milestone.
This latest post is about the little fishing village of La Manzanilla where we lived for four months to recover. Heaven.

 

[skatesindreams]

I'm so glad that Manzanilla turned out to be the "Idyll" you needed after the stresses of Asia.
You've made me want to go there!