Conclusion; always leave a window open, otherwise you might find yourself dying frozen on the floor from dropping body tempruture fainting from a leak in the gas shower, somewhere far away from anywhere you might recognize as home, in a pointless death. 
 But on the other hand, is dying this way any worse than any other useless death?

Fainted and frozen in a cold shower room 5000m high in a Nepali Himalayan village, no pulse or active brain activities already for dozens of minutes.
Blends of peaceful feelings, immensely good, flying between borders of now, past and welcoming future of other dimensions, thoughts floating extremely slow through her mind peaceful.
She is surrounded by relaxing pink clouds,
Stairway to heaven?
Who am I?
What am I?
An amoeba? A fetus?
Am I being born?
Where am I ?

The collapse of empires, we are all small-scale universes which collapse into the void in one point.

It is one thing none of us can escape from.

Yes it is true, but I didn’t finish my book!

This is what came through her mind, after long time passing out…

She has to finish the book she started before she is allowed to let go and move on.

She can feel the time having passed only according to the stiffness of her body.
 Or is it only seconds since she passed away?
Distance calls next to her ears, names, whose is this name?
In a slow flight reaching back.
Who are these people??
Is it her name being called by this stranger?
Does she know him? He looks like Mongolian prince,.
Am I In a Mongolian palace?
Where am I?
What am I doing naked on a cold floor surrounded by all these faces?
Why everything around is blurred and in slow motion.

The pain. Now finally she feels the pain drilling in her forehead and through her cold and stiff body.

I have to ask him.

“
Excuse me. May I ask you a question? Am I dying?”

He gives her a royal big smile, extremely relieved.

We will all die one day; just some die, at least almost, before the others.

“Good to have you back in this life cycle”

(This short story is based on a true story told around a fire, 5000 meter high in the Himalaya mountains, shortly before i got the beautiful book “many lifes, many masters, by Dr. Brian Weiss” from Cloe our sweet friend trekking with us. Everything is connected)

Sure it’s fun traveling and its such an adventure!
But still, it’s hard because I miss everything I left behind.

I can still speak with my friends on Skype, Facebook and stuff but it’s different. Not the same as laughing with them in the class and at the brakes.
For me going for such long travel is on one hand really fun & exciting cause I love traveling to new places and meet new people, but on the other hand I also really wanted to stay with my friends.
Even now, after already traveling more then 2 months I still don’t know what I want more; traveling or going back to school with my friends.

My father says I always can come and say to him that I want a one-way ticket to Holland…  maybe I will use this option one day!! Hahaha

Nepal is beautiful country and I would love visiting there again!
The people, the food and the country itself are so wonderful!
We keep meeting beautiful people on our way, not only in Nepal but also in India.

We treked the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, 21 days, over 160KM. The first days was really hard for me but after a while I got used to it; waking up at half past six in the morning and walking 5-6 hours a day in the beautiful nature.
And the food! Man I just loved the food on the way. It was just so delicious!
And the mountain views on the way was just AMAZING!!!

Really, I just loved Nepal <3

Varanasi in India is also a very special city.

It’s so old and it has so much history.

And cows! So many cows everywhere! And of course the cow shit…
Holly shit! Hahaha!

And ofcourse THE BLUE LASSI <3
BEST LASSI IN THE WORLD!

Man I love that lassi and the family that are running it, they have such a big heart, for few weeks the Blue Lassi became our home in Varanasi.

Christmas and New Years Eve in the Alka hotel was really fun: music, food, drinks & dance! And CAKE!

(My Crazy father with friend from Korea practicing cake eating !!)

We also went to Bodhgaya for the Kalachakra Buddhist ceremony to see the Dalai Lama & hear him giving lectures 50 meter in front of me.
Dalai Lama Lalala! <3

It was really interesting but very crowded!
So much Buddhist people! I never knew there were so many monks in the world! All you saw was red, nothing else but red!

Some more photos we made on the way,

Keep following us, i will do my best to keep posting what ever i am experiencing.

What an amazing world we live in with so many beautiful and smiling fellow human beings, and breathtaking and inspiring places.

6 weeks in Nepal was a heartwarming experience, amazingly friendly people with such big hearts, all over, and a relaxed by nature.

We decided to go trekking the famous but challenging full Annapurna Circuit, a range of amazing mountains that are part of the top 10 highest mountains in the world in the Himalaya-mountains for 3 whole weeks, walking a circle-route around the three Annapurna-peaks, which are between 7500, and 8100 meters high. You feel so unbelievable small but at the same time so charged, blessed and powerful, being part of the immense eternal universe.

Life is indeed a precious gift!

Every day we were waking up with sunrise, hiking all day with amazing views to lush green valleys with turquoise foaming rivers and  fantastic mountain-peaks swept in blue layers one after the other; in the evenings lodging with friendly local families or small guesthouses along the way, eating delicious homemade food cooked over open fire in their basic kitchens.

Thereafter relaxing for a couple of hours reading a book or playing cards around the wood-burner, resting tired feet, feeling worn out but in a beautiful way; and already at 8-9 o’clock crawling into our sleeping-bags under thick blankets in often icy cold rooms where the wind sometimes swept through gaps in the walls and temperatures would fall below zero in night-time (but nice warm in daytime).

Living and breathing in tune with nature, the sun and darkness, with no sense of weekdays or dates.

It took us some time to really let go of all the pollution and stress we had accumulated before leaving Holland, and to start to relax and really recharge, but the medicine could not have been better, a magic herbal remedy of sun, fresh air and freedom at the top of the world!

The highest point we reached was the Thorong-La Pass of 5416 meter and it felt like a milestone when we after 14 days of walking finalized that specific day of 11 hours walking, arriving to the closest village on the other side just in time with the beautiful sunset.

The altitude went fine due to taking the increase in height quite slowly and also adding a couple of rest days when we were above 4000 meter; the only symptoms were being slightly short of breath the last couple of days and a bit of stomach pain and headache, but nothing serious. We met people who had to return and didn’t manage to get over the pass, but that happens when you go up in altitude too quickly.

The children were really amazing all along the way, especially when you know that they were carrying their own backpacks since we did not want to take any porter. Kai found the distances sometimes quite long, but with enough small encouraging breaks he was normally eager to get ahead, fully charged even by arrival. He really was in his right element, being able to be in physical activity and outdoors all day long. Lin on the other hand was walking steadily every day without a word of complaints, but concluded after ending the trip that “This was the last 3-weeks-trip ever!”. Kai was ready to start a new 3-weeks trek immediately after ending this one!

We would love to be back soon. Nepal is beautiful and the people even more.

We traveled in Nepal and Trekked the Annapurna Circuit range for few weeks, with two  beautiful souls and long time close friends of us from Amsterdam, Cloe & Guy, that sold their successful business in The Netherlands and stepped out from the system to travel the world and look into alternative way of being and contributing back to society.
On their first Trek to the Langtang Trek in Nepal, they create a mini personal inspiring project to help a Tibetan poor family and manage to turn completely the wheel of luck for them.
The action they took, the contribution and the impact on other peoples life with personal effort and little budget inspired us in all fronts, understanding that it is possible to make a small changes, one at a time, we all can.

Here is their inspiring story as sent out to friends :

“Hey there, we just had a remarkable experience in the mountains of Nepal. Here is our story.

On the Langtang trek through forest and open mountain valleys we meet Tsering, a Tibetan teenage girl. She invites us to her traditional village. After 2 days walking we reach Mundu…. with an adventure awaiting us.

We sleep with her uncle Gyalbu and his beautiful wife Pema in ‘TipTop lodge’. Their stone house is in the green Langtang valley with big mountain peaks watching them. With simple and cosy wooden rooms. From the bed we see high snow-capped mountains, with no other tourist places around, the place seems exclusively for us. In the evening we eat sitting on the floor, around the fire they cook on. We can order from a menu but it turns out they don’t have much. Though they don’t have many ingredients, we see them cook with passion.  We observe the family conversations while our plates keep being refilled with well-made food. Gyalbu proudly offers us his home-grown potatoes. Their warm hospitality and generosity make us feel spoiled by people who don’t have much themselves. They offer us whatever they can while telling stories of how they live in this remote place without much local work. It doesn’t seem an easy life, but each time I look into their eyes, I just see humbleness and love.  For a moment, we forget we’re visitors and join in the family events.

That night we get to understand why their guesthouse is so deserted. Per year, just few tourists would stop by. The guidebooks advise the tourists to stop in the touristy village Langtang, 20 minutes before Mundu. Unfortunately, most tourists follow that advice and TipTop remains unnoticed, even though they have a much better location and more to offer. The wheel keeps rolling; because they don’t have money, they can’t make the place look attractive to tourists, they can’t buy food, pay for their children’s school,  and so the wheel goes on. Despite all, their attitude is not one of a poor one, but one of gratitude and cheerful happiness.

The next day we wake up, look at each other and say: “Let’s help them!” We didn’t now how, but a fire was lit. During the following days of our trek, ideas sprout rapidly and so do our enthusiasm. We return to Mundu to mirror our ideas to their desires and capabilities. They have never asked us anything, nor complained they don’t have money. They seem positive about our ideas and when we say we finance everything, they react with deep gratitude. We ask Gyalbu to meet us in Kathmandu in 10 days.

During the continuing of our trek, ideas keep developing and I sketch a logo. We arrive back in Kathmandu with a plan for TipTop restaurant and a little TipTop shop. Guy devotedly runs between wholesales to research suppliers. I design a business card, a menu, and several promotional posters. 3 Days later we meet Gyalbu, time to start our mission!

2 days later we have a gas cooker, gas balloon, tables, chairs, kitchen equipment, a sound system, an inverter, a UV water filter, decoration, all ingredients for the menu and for the shop. With a big fully loaded jeep we drive back to the Langtang valley. With 7 porters carrying each 40 kilo on their back, we walk as an expedition for 2 days through the mountains. On the way, we stop in guesthouses to hang promotional posters. Many locals get enthusiast from our project and people want to help.

Upon arrival in Mundu, there is a special atmosphere of surprise and disbelief. Pema expects us to return with just gas and tables. It is a celebration unpacking all the boxes. The gas cooker marks the beginning of a new time; no more dependency on chopping wood to cook.

The next morning we arrange the terrace. Before we finish fixing everything, the place is full of customers. Orders with cappuccino’s, espresso’s and sandwiches pour in while  Gyalbu and Pema are sitting aside looking in disbelief: “What’s going on on their patio and in their house?!?” Guy and I are running between taking orders, preparing dishes. All day we have no time to teach Gyalbu and Pema how to work.

The second day is the hardest day. They wake up late and nothing is prepared. The yaks are not milked and there is no cheese. As the first customers come in, everything is in a chaos, also for the rest of the day. There is hay floating in the milk. Guy asks to hand over the pesto, and Gyalbu replies: “Pesto, hm, is that coffee?” This moment, our confidence hits the bottom as we think: ‘What did we start on……?’

That night as we walk 3 hours to pick up the cakes from the neighbouring bakery, we explain them about priorities, customer service and structure. Gyalbu eagerly starts making notes and we buy an alarm clock. The hardest things to teach them are to prepare the food on a table instead of the floor, basic hygiene, to organise the house and to work systematically. The next morning the alarm goes at 6am, from 7:00 till 16:00 its business-time! This day, things start to roll more smoothly. In the moment they don’t have a toilet and shower, its costs 120 Euro to build it. They tried saving that for more then a year, but didn’t manage. We explained this to the customers, and within a few hours raised enough money.

Through the coming days, Gyalbu and Pema start working more and more independently. We see big daily improvements and they enjoy their new job very much. The sixth day before we leave, we see Gyalbu inviting passer-bys from the street with a smile, taking their orders and proudly making a cafe latte and an espresso. Pema makes the sandwiches. Before we leave, they put a Tibetan necklace around our neck symbolizing family bonds. Gyalbu spreads butter on our head before we leave as a blessing.

Four weeks later, we get a phone call from Gyalbu. He says they are so happy. He says guests have slept in the rooms every day since we left, and their restaurant is running successful. He now has money to buy more ingredients to make more food. An English couple have taught him how to make Italian pizza’s on the fire and he wants to learn more. He sounds full of inspiration. We hope the wheel has been turned into a positive direction now.

Guy and Cloe.

Dec. 2011

 We have spent 5 days of preparation and buying in Kathmandu, 3 days travelling to get to Mundu and we stayed with them for 6 days to teach them.

We plan to go back in March to work there again. If you are interested in experiencing TipTop’s atmosphere by helping them in Nepal during march or april please contact me.”

 ***Facebook page TIPTOP PROJECT NEPAL. ***

]]> http://www.alternativetraveling.com/2011/12/a-tibetan-man-and-his-espresso/feed/ 0 http://www.alternativetraveling.com/2011/12/water-power-the-source-of-all/ http://www.alternativetraveling.com/2011/12/water-power-the-source-of-all/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:07:10 +0000 alt@dmin http://www.alternativetraveling.com/?p=950 Continue reading →]]>
Watching the water in its various forms all around us, while walking in the amazing nature of the Annapurna circuit trek on the Nepali himalaya mountain range , observing the power, the beauty, the natural sculptures and organic art form created and served to enjoy by the nature is highly inspiring and fill us with creativity.

Karmany evaadhikaraste ma phalesu kadacana

Ma karma phala hetur bhur ma te sango’stv arkamani
Paritramaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam
Dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge

Fall over myself
Don’t mean to interrupt
I was miles away
Things I forgot
Are the footstools of God
That’s how I behaved
I frighten myself and folded my hand
As you talked to God

I love the way you dream, I love the way you dream, I love the way you dream

Even my most base complaint my sweet
My aims were lower
And even though all my restraint my sweet
My aim was clumsy
And even if there’s only one thing I want for you
I want for you

I love the way you dream.

I love the way you love the way you dream, one for me one for you
One for me, one for you.

What’s In Your Backpack?

When you  travel, you want to pack with the mindset that you will  be able to carry all your stuff anywhere without it being a burden, but at the end this will your home for the coming months, specially if you travel with family, and you want to have the comfort and still travel as light as possible.

Important realization you better remember is that almost everything you could possibly need (as long as it’s not personal or very specialized) can be bought in other countries around the world.

Clothes:
- 3-4 shirts
- 2 shorts (1 day us shorts, 1 sports shorts)
- 2 pair of pants – light but strong material
- 3-4 pairs of underwear
- 3-4 pairs of cotton socks (though I try to avoid wearing shoes as much as possible)
- 1 rain jacket/poncho 

Of course the list might change according to weather conditions and mountain stay

- Good Quality sandals – you will probably use them on daily bases

- hiking shoes for outdoor adventures & sporting we bought the light Salomon, they look
reasonably good and very comfortable and strong.

- Small paperback books that are easy to carry and easy to swap with other travelers

- Electronic book such as Kindel or Bebook – great choice for light weight and having
lots of books with you in any time.

- Carry cloths bags – very useful to sort all clothes and separate dirty from clean

- Good Quality Pocket knife

- Quality head torch

-Binoculars

- Small Medical kit

- Green soap

-Towel – quality, compact

-Deodorant

-Toothbrush/Toothpaste

-Hat/Bandana/Head cover of any sort

-Toilet paper/Wipes

-Mosquito repellent -  must have with you anytime

-Sunscreen

-Digital Camera with HD Video

This is the memories that will be left after you are back beside what resides in your head, it is essential that photos/video you take will be of good quality but in the same time the camera should compacta & easy to use.
Canon G12 is one of the best in the small size category i found at this moment

We decided to take with us very good super light (600 gram) goose feather sleeping bags ( Sherpa outdoor ) , its serves us in all conditions out door and indoor.
Super light sleeping mats ( by Exped )

Final advise : Start packing few days before your departure.  if you see that the pile is too high and you start worrying about your weight, it’s time to analyze and scale down!