Dream, Create, Inspire

Well it is that time again. I am beginning a new journey. I accidentally deleted some of my posts from last year so had to republish them. Sorry for any confusion.
This year I am going to Croatia to volunteer in a bear sanctuary then will go on to visit the country of Croatia before heading to Naples then Sicily and Malta. I am looking forward to this trip. It is a long journey there as I am now in Atlanta for 11 hours then fly to Munich for 5 hours and finally reach Split tomorrow afternoon. It’s taking me 2 days to get there. I have 3 days in Split before I start to volunteer. Going on a 5 island boat tour and will be going to Bol to see the Golden Horn Beach or Zlatni Rat. Am excited! Pictures to be coming…

Well my phone is supposed to arrive by courier tomorrow. 
I waited for my phone to no avail.  Too much waiting around.  The cab driver texts me that it is in Mumbai and will come soon.  So I wait.

The beaches here are gorgeous.   The sand reaches out what seems forever.  The water is warm.  The surf is about 1 to 3 feet. The local people just love the play in the surf.  The height makes it easy to play.  What throws me off is that no one wears a bathing suit.  They go in the water with their clothes on.  I’m not sure if it is because of modesty, not wanting to get sun tanned or all of that.  I just think it is strange.

The sunsets are beautiful… and when the sun goes down, the tables and chairs go up on the sand, and the lights come up.  What fun… music is loud, the food is great and the drinks start flowing.  I have yet to find somewhere to dance, however.  The nightclubs don’t begin till at least 11 pm. I’ll find dancing somewhere before I leave.

We went on a sunrise hike to this rocky shore area where fishermen used to go and still go.  Nice view, but a relatively easy hike. 

Almost every day we went to a different beach.  Jhit had never been to the ocean before and didn’t know how to swim, so it was fun to watch him learn and experience that.  By the end, he was able to swim!

The beaches are all kinda the same, but yet still very nice.  Warm water, long sandy areas, small waves and lots of water sports.  Para gliding and jet sking for reasonable prices.  You can’t complain.  $5 for a minute paragliding and $8 for a short jet ski.  Of course if you want to go longer it costs more. 

The food was delicious, and there were many restaurants within walking distance from our Air B &B.  It was fun to try as many as we could. The seafood was good… pomfret, prawns, and crab, and the South India food had a different flavor than North India. I think more coconut milk, different spices and Portuguese influence.

One night, after dinner on the beach under the stars and lights, I saw a place where there was dancing.  I quickly went up and joined in. It was great, but I noticed it was mostly guys.  It got a little weird, especially when a guy kissed me on the neck when he dipped me and then did some inappropriate touching.  I moved away and soon after left the dance area… little too friendly.  I did have fun dancing for a while.  I need to go back to Hawaii, where I can dance with no harrassment.

I loved Goa, but what I didn’t like was the pollution in the sky.  No beautiful blue sky like I am used of in Hawaii.  I am also coughing and a bit conjested maybe because of the pollution. 

This was a nice way to end my trip to India… just relaxing and enjoying the beauty of Goa.  I really liked the beaches and the feel. 

Well, my cell phone arrived a week later than it should have, but not without texting and calling to and from the cab driver and the courier.  Finally it came and I thanked the cab driver for all he did.  I don’t know why the courier had so many problems, but finally, it did come. Now I feel complete.  Finally, I got my phone back to where it belongs.  I haven’t been able to text, so some of my friends were worried. My phone came back only because of the kindness of the 2 guys in Chandigarh,  India.

On the last day, Jhit and I decided to get matching tattoos.  Just that his is a little bigger.  The tat he chose was the lotus flower with the Tibetan script saying nying-je … meaning compassion.  I love it, both the meaning and the look.  This connects me forever to Jhit and all he has done for me.  I will remember as long as I live.  Hopefully, I’ve done something for him as well.

As I leave India, I have many thoughts.  This, I feel, has been my best trip so far.  Maybe it has been the organizations I chose or the countries, or maybe it is just me learning how to travel better and how to make people connections. I’ve loved the volunteer organizations I have been to… Wildlife SOS and Volunteer Journeys.  The people I have met along the way have been awesome.  I feel I have made some lifelong friends.  From meeting Pauline, from Honolulu, on my flight to Tokyo, to the guides in Varanassi, Avinash, and in Jaipur, Sonu,who have kept in touch, to Eiko, the Japanese tourist studying in Varanasi, to Jen Rose, the travel writer I met there and to, Maya, the resturant owner who feeds the homeless, to the staff at Wildlife SOS and Volunteer Journeys, to the amazing hotel manager, Jana, who spent time to get to know me, to the Jain family who hosted me for 5 days, to the shop owners, Apsara Thapaliya  and Pandey Ramesh in Kathmandu, to the laundry guy, Mohit, and the taxi driver, Mr. Cool, to, Nikhalish, the man with the dog named Lucy, to the fellow volunteers David, Emni, Mary, Christina, Sonja, Glo, Susan, Karen, Leone, and to Jhit of Himalayan Scenery Tours and the other awesome trekkers I met along the way.  What a journey it has been… made best by the people I met.  You just can’t make this stuff up… it has been nothing short of miraculous.

What can I say about Kochi and my Volunteer Journeys experience.  It was nothing else but extraordinary.   I loved every minute of it… from the beautiful country, to the other volunteers, and to the participants and staff as well. 
When I first got there, I met Emni from Florida and David from Dubai.  We had a great first day walking the streets of Kochi  and that night went to a music storytelling performance.  The singers played music and interspersed storytelling.  It was a creative exhibition, but there were times I couldn’t quite understand their English.

Afterward, we walked back and stopped for a drink.  Low and behold, they had youtube projected on the wall and played Indian, English, and contemporary videos.  Needless to say, I saw a girl who wanted to dance, so we started, and soon, many others joined us.  What fun, that was!  That was a great introduction to what was to become an awesome experience.

In the meantime, I’m still upset about my lost phone… I locked the phone and my American sim card, so at least I no longer have to worry.  Then I got texts and calls from the laundry guy, Mohit, his Instagram handle (his laundromat is next door to the hotel I was staying).  He was busy trying to locate my phone and said I should report it to the police.  Then he found the taxi driver that took me to the airport and… guess what… he had my phone!  In my rush, I had left it in the back seat of the cab.  The cab driver, Mr Cool, again an instagram handle,  called me and said he went back to the airport to find me, but I had gone already.  He said he wanted to return my phone.  Remember, this was my old phone.  I was using my new phone with the Indian sim card.  I told the cab driver to just give the phone to the laundry guy.  The taxi driver said no and that he would only return it to me.  So I gave him the address of my Volunteer place and my next location in Goa.  He said he’d send it in the next few days.  What a miracle! These 2 guys did so much to help me.  It made me appreciate  India even more. 

In the morning, we met the ladies in the English program.  There were about 15 of them. All well dressed wearing jewelry and looking gorgeous.   I was surprised at how good their English was.  Sonja, one of the other volunteers who had been there awhile, taught the class beautifully.  We work on grammar, punctuation, making sentences, conversing, and more.  The hour and a half went by fast, and I truly enjoyed the ladies. 

The volunteer house provides 3 meals a day, except for Sunday night.  Simple, sufficient, and healthy meals. 

I met the volunteers from all over the world… England, New Zealand,  Dubai, and US of A.  A really great group of people.  I really enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them.

We teach the English classes in the morning and then computer class in the afternoon.  The only day of no classes, besides the weekend, is on Friday.  On Friday,  we can help the embroidery classes.  My friend,  Rosie, had given me friendship bracelet supplies.  I felt this class was perfect for it.  I gave it to the instructor and explained it.  She caught on real fast, and the next day, when I saw what they had completed, I was amazed.  The bracelets looked great.

On Friday, some of us volunteers went on the backwater boat ride.  These waters here are interesting.  Depending in the time of year fresh water enters from the mountain, turning the water salty.  There are these water plants that only survive in the fresh water and they die and return every season.  It is so interesting how it works.  Different sea life depending on the water. 

The ride to the backwaters took about 2 hours.  When we got there we boarded quite the boat!  It was soo fun.  We stopped at the Hindu temple and ate lunch on a banana leaf to be eaten with only our hands. 

Actually, we’ve been eating with our hands regularly.   Food actually tastes better that way.  Maybe I will continue this at home…

The next morning some of us went on a historical walking tour.  Kochi is quite an interesting place.  Once a vibrant spice trading market, Kochi, in the state of Kerala, also known as Cochin, has had Portuguese,  British, Chinese, Arab and Dutch influences.  Kochi was once part of the Spice trade and still remains famous for its black pepper among other spices.  They still use the Chinese fishing nets and you’ll see a variety of churches, including Christian, Jewish as well as Muslim and Hindu. 

We found some nice places to watch the sunset while we enjoyed the local beer Kingfisher and we always seemed to have alittle happy hour at the next door hotel outside Mai House.

They have a vibrant arts community and started many art cafes, which are interesting places where you can eat, browse merchandise and vew art pieces.  It is very peaceful and serene. 

Tasteful street graffiti and it has been the background of many movies. 

In the afternoon computer class, the ladies do extremely well.  We are getting a computer lab, thanks to a generous donation from a volunteer and her family.  All they need now are a few more working computers.  They are very blessed to have this awesome ac computer lab. 

While I chose to volunteer with the Women’s Empowerment Group, there are other areas as well. Some are working in neighboring schools teaching various grade levels, and there is a special needs school as well.  Our volunteers are quite good, and they lead the classes and provide much needed help.  They are amazing people, to say the least.  They take their volunteer jobs very seriously and put their all out.  Then we come home and laugh the nights away as we enjoy cards, going out and just being together.  What a great group we had for the week or so that I was there.  We even went back to dance and got caught in the rain. Where would you dance with the roof leaking and chairs put up to secure the area? Then they started mopping with towels… it was fun, fun, fun!

We went to see some traditional dancing.  It was very interesting and beautiful at the same time.  The colorful costumes and music took me back to another place.  We were all impressed. 

One afternoon, we went to the nearby orphanage to play with the kids.  Woah… I said play… they were exhausting.  Full of energy and the mosquitos were out in full force.  We were all exhausted and ready to leave in about 1 1/2 hours.  There are so many kids at this orphanage and of varying ages.  I noticed that when the head Sister came home, the kids stopped what they were doing to say hi and help her carry her packages.  It showed me mutual respect and that they must take care of the kids there because I felt love.  You know, when you play, there is no language barrier.  However, the kids seem to know more English than I do Hindi.  The volunteers go acouple tines a week to play with the kids, and we also are trying to help them with other projects, like playground renovations or improvements. 

The women in the program were inspiring.   They were fun as they shared their lives and loves.  We shared ourselves as well, so our bonds grew deeper.  It is hard to leave, but I know they are in great hands here and that the program will never leave them.  The originator of the program is quite the woman, Ridhi Patel.  She is a lady who saw a need and fulfilled it.  She also has a side business designing plastic recycled beach wear.  I purchased some of her swim suits and love the feel and look of them.  Her online company is called Cocopalms.

I left the program a little early to meet Jhit in Goa.  Jhit was my Mt Everest Base Camp guide, and I invited him to join me in Goa.  The trek was life-changing for me, and Jhit was so much a part of that.  I feel a special connection to him, and I don’t feel quite ready to let that go. So we’ll see what Goa will bring.  Kochi has been more than amazing.  I would come back here again.  Will see what happens in the future, but I really think this place is doing awesome things.  I would support them in any way possible.

Never heard of this place, but my friend Karen from Petersburg Alaska referred me to friends she got to know on her trip to India maybe 10 years ago. 

She got to know the little girl and her grandfather during her walk.  Karen, if you know her, is the ultimate traveler and ambassador of kindness.  Well, this encounter led to Karen developing a lasting friendship with this family.  The little girl, Priya, is now a grown woman attending her first year of college in Shainghai.  She is a scholar and is studying Chinese.  When I reached out to Priya, she invited me to spend Diwali with her family, even though she would be in Shanghai.  I graciously took advantage of their kind offer as I was excited to spend the time in an unknown place with a Jain family.  A Jain family belongs to the religion of Jain. They all carry the same last name. They are vegetarians, if not vegans, and believe that all nature should exist in harmony and unity.  This is also a practice that I respect and honor.
Not knowing what to expect, I prepared myself for anything.  I was surprisingly pleased.  They live in a concrete house in what I would describe as in the countryside. 

The father, Lokesh, is a supervisor for the hydroelectric company.  He drives a scooter to work, and they walk daily, maybe once or twice in their neighborhood.   It is a lovely place.  The people are wonderful.  We often stopped in to visit someone and were treated to tea, milk tea, cookies, and water.  They were all so friendly and pleasant. 

The son, Sambhav also came to visit, and we all drove the Reslawar, a Tibetan Hindu village.  It was so peaceful and beautiful there.  I loved seeing many people walking around the Lotus shaped Lake, holding their prayer beads.  I met an older monk, and we smiled and acknowledged each other and did our best to communate as I helped him find a seat at the local coffee, tea, and street food establishment.   It was wonderful.  We all walked and enjoyed the scenery. 

The father also took me to Minala  a nearby town that is known for their temples.  We stopped along the way to see his friend in the insurance business and again was offered water and tea.  We also got some help to the bus as we were carrying lots of vegetables and grains from the market.  I would have stayed longer but decided to head to Chandigarh.  I truly enjoyed my visit with the Jain family, her mom, Nitu, made awesome homecooked food, and the father, Lokesh, was a hoot as he talked just about everything.  

The son was also pleasant and helpful.  I also got to meet other friends.  I got to know Priya’s mom quite well.  We shared stories, and she shared some of her dreams and goals.

I hope to go back and visit again.  We surely will keep in touch.
Chandigarh was something else.  I stayed near the lake.  I enjoyed walking to the lake and visiting the rock garden.  There, I met a man as we bonded over a dog named Lucy. 

It all started with me walking on the path, and I saw this dog, which looked like she was chained to the bench.  I went over just to find out, but he was just laying under the bench.  As I stayed, I enjoyed the scenery  then a man came walking straight over and sat down.  I thought that was weird but then realized that he came to see the vdog… not me.  We started talking and visited for over an hour.  Then I went on my way to the rock garden. 

The Rock Garden was amazing.  Anyone who knows me knows that I like rocks and have from different areas that I have traveled to.  Well, this rock garden consisted of clocks of all shapes and sizes, other fixtures made into shapes.  So creative.  Just loved it. 
On my way back, I passed the bench, and low and behold, he was still there, but without Lucy.  We talked again… this time for maybe 2 hours.  We shared contact info and will keep in touch. 
Well… I met the laundry guy a few doors down from my hotel.  We talked and he was really nice.  Showed me a picture of his son.  When I went shopping the next day I bought some some dried fruits and nuts. 
Then it was off to the airport.  I woke up a little late, so I ended up rushing.  The hotel booked a taxi for me, but I felt it was a little late in timing.  Well, it was.  The cab driver was concerned, and we tried to check in, but it was too late.  Upon arrival to the airport, I rushed out to the counter , and they said it was too late even though I had about an hour to take off.  They sent me to the counter, and she found another flight that would get me to Kochi earlier in the day.  That was OK, so I headed towards security.  When I passed security I was looking for my phone… I use two phones – the older one for text messages and the newer one has the India sim card in it.  I could locate my older phone.  Security tried to help me and sent my things back through the machine to help find the phone.  To no avail and I had to catch my plane.  So anyway, I figured I left it in the hotel room in my rush.  I’d have to figure that out later.  Then I remembered the laindry guy next door who I had been messaging him through Instagram.  I sent him a message to please go talk to the hotel.  Then I boarded.
Stopover in Bangladore, I found wifi to check my messages.  He said the hotel couldn’t find my phone.  Now, I am really confused.  Maybe under the bed or something. Well, gotta get on the flight to Kochi…

Well, after a 7 hours wait for my helicopter ride and landing in a different location, I am finally on my way. 
Due to the late arrival… around 3:30.  I met my guide and porter.  Jhit and Krishna. They seemed nice… Jhit speaks English so that is good. 

The trek today was difficult. The last hour was in the dark.  Jhit held my phone for light, and we managed our way to the guest house.  He asked me if I wanted to try to go to Namche tonight.  I thought about it but decided to rest up for the night.  We got to the guest house around 7:30. It was good and the meal was delicious.  I slept well that night and woke refreshed. 
It is a good thing we didn’t go on to Namche because that trek the next morning was a killer.  I would not have made it.  There are too many steps, and if not ,  just walking uphill.  We crossed Hillary bridge and more uphill.  I began wondering why I chose to do this.  This is really hard work.  It doesn’t seem to end..

Finally made it to Namche.  Our hotel is also on the top of a hill.  Namche is a small town built on a hillside.  I bought a warm sweatshirt and withdrew some more money to make sure I’d have enough to tip my guide and porter at the end.  I have to pay for my drinks and, if I decide, a sim card, because there is no wifi very soon.  I may go without the wifi, I’ll see.  So here I am cold inside my room and coughing from a bit of congestion that I had from before.  I am 10,000 feet above sea level and feel fine, except for being cold and dreading the uphill hiking to come.  Jhit says it will only get worse!!  Omg! 
Tomorrow, he wants me to trek to Mt Everest Hotel, which is at 13000 feet high.  He said it is a 4 hr hike that is more difficult than today… I am going to die!!
Well, it wasn’t that bad.  It was bad, but not as hard as I was thinking.  It did take us 3 hrs to get up and 1 1/2 hrs to get down.  The hotel was built by a Japanese national and as a result they had japanese food.  I got the vege maki sushi to share.  The guys had never tried it before, and it was surprisingly good.  The rice was Japanese rice.  There was, unfortunately, no view due to it being cloudy today.  Just a little glimmer of sorts. 

We walked down and went to the bakery I’ve heard about.  Got the chocolate cake and coffee.  I had cappuccino, and they had americano.  It was yummy.

Came back to the hotel to rest.  We start another strenuous  trek tomorrow.   I feel good, except for my congestion.  My legs feel strong.  My breathing when going up still very difficult.  Jhit tells me things will get tougher from now due to the elevation. I took a hot shower, probably my last for a while. Jhit is my rock … I’m so glad he’s here for me. 

Well… it got constantly harder.  I walk very slowly, and my breathing is labored.  Step by step, but it is getting harder.  We made it to the next destination, and the next day, we did a hike to gain elevation.  Wow, that was a killer.  It took a lot out of me. We are at 14000 feet. 

The next day, it was not too bad a hike but still very labored breathing. 

Prepared the prayer flags for mom (who passed away Aug 23) and Venni (Jhonsen’s mom who passed away a week after my mom).  I want to leave them at Everest Base Camp.   It brought back lots of thoughts.  The tears that hadn’t yet been shed fell through the night and in the morning.  I don’t think I dealt with my mom’s death till now.  Maybe the elevation also makes me emotional. Jhit is worried about me, but I told him it had nothing to do with him. I just could not share it yet… maybe tonight.  I will be alright. It’s just something I need to deal with.

My steps are slow but somewhat steady.  We stopped for lunch, and there we could rest for the rest of the day. I felt inspired to dance when I saw these two young teenage looking Nepalese girls.  I asked them if they wanted to learn some American dancing.  They said yes, so l later I went to where they were and we  tried to do some dancing.  It didn’t go too well… especially considering the very uneven cement floor and lack of space… but we did some things.  They sure are cute. 

  Then after went the dining hall where there was more space and it was pretty empty, so I tried to teach Jhit rumba and waltz. He was a good sport… a little hard, but he kinda got it.  Then I stayed and practiced my line dancing.  Went to my room, and it sure is cold.  Came out for dinner and managed to warm up and ate some sherpa stew, so I felt somewhat better.  Don’t know what tomorrow will bring.  I am getting tired of walking.  I feel ok, but tired and not 100% .  It is a little miserable… cold, a bit uncomfortable … the scenery is beautiful, though.   I don’t sleep real good. I’m light sleeping at the best. My stomach is sensitive.  I am not really hungry. I know I should eat, but nothing really sounds or tastes good, except the sherpa stew. My cough has gotten better.   Think I will be ok as long as I go slow and take rest.  I am cold to the bones in the evenings and mornings.  The guest houses have wood stoves, thank goodness … I crowd around them in the evening.  On bed, the comforters are warm enough after getting snuggled in. 
Last night I woke up to go to the bathroom and when I came back to bed I couldn’t breathe.  It was really scary and I couldn’t sleep because I felt like I didn’t have enough oxygen. Then I had to go to the bathroom 3 more times, which was very unusual.  I think my body was just shutting down.  I walked and moved really slow, but still, it was difficult.  My mind began to put me in panic mode, and I felt like I really needed to get out of this place and get some oxygen!  I wanted to call Jhit, but my whats ap wasn’t working.  The next morning, I told Jhit what happened, and  he was concerned, but we decided to go forward, just slower.   We made it, though, but I was really tired. Every step and breathe was taxing. They said I could rest at the next village for lunch, but then they suggested we go to Pyramid Hotel.  Said it would make the walk tomorrow easier.  I groaned inside but did as they suggested. I am really exhausted.  Worried about my breathing. My face and arms are tingly (later to find out it is a side effect of the Diamox).  I am drinking garlic tea.  It is supposed to help with a lack of oxygen. I started taking Diamox this morning, so maybe it will help.  My oxygen level had gotten down to 67.  Tomorrow, we’re supposed to trek to Gorakshep then to Mt. Everest Base Camp.  I hope I can make it.
It was a grueling trek to Mt Everest base camp, climbing on and over boulders, but made it! I am feeling much better now. We took the respective pictures and enjoyed snicker bars together. We put up the prayer flags for mom, dad, Venni, Renard, Gramma, and grampa. 

It was a thrill just sitting there amongst the crowd of other people reveling in their triumph. 
I was dreading the return and toyed with the idea of just taking a helicopter out, but Jhit and Krishna wouldn’t be with me.  So I will walk… with them.  Jhit said it would be easier to go down, so I trust his judgment. On the downhill trek, on the 25th, Jhit and Krishna surprised me with a birthday cake and more! We celebrated my big 7-0 in a guest house with the staff, chocolate cake, candles,  cream, and plenty of smiles and laughter. 

It was wonderful!  That was a birthday I will always remember. 
Jhit was right when he said going back would be easier.  I was feeling better with the drop in elevation, and each day, I felt stronger.  We finally made it back to Namche Bazar.  Felt I could finally enjoy an alcoholic drink, so me and Jhit had some beer and relaxed a bit.  The next day, we were in Phakding, and we all went out to shoot some pool and have a few more drinks… I do like the Nepali Ice Beer!
The trip has been wonderful!  Met amazing  people along the way.  Sat with a Chinese National, Russian American, and me, a Japanese American and wondering why it is that we can sit down and enjoy a meal and conversation, yet our countries can not.

  Met other Americans, Indian Nationals and Japanese Nationals, and others all embracing their lives and being totally encouraging to me whether they knew it or not.  My guide, Jhit and Porter, Krishna, were my rock and saving grace.  They were always with me, making me feel safe and secure.  They walked my pace and provided assistance when I needed it.  What can I  say, but I love them both very much.  If it weren’t for them, I certainly wouldn’t have made it like I did.  It was just that one night when I felt that I  couldn’t breathe. 

Well… Lukla, we did make it… horray!  Didn’t really know if I could complete this.  I’m so proud that I did!  Mostly due to Jhit and Krishna, who were so supportive, comforting, and encouraging. I am so grateful for them.  I feel like I died and have come out with a renewed spirit.  I really suffered that one night and into the next day.  I never felt like I was unable to breathe before… then your mind starts to play tricks and puts you in panic mode.  I never have had anxiety attacks, but now I think I know what it’s like.  Try as hard as I could… I was finally able to settle my thoughts and become at peace.  I have learned so much on this trek.  It most surely was not about the end… in this case, we reached the base camp but returned to the beginning.  So, it truly was about the journey.  It is what we learned along the way.  I have learned that I can meet challenges and succeed in my way.  I am stronger than I think I am, mentally and physically.   I need others for help and support.  I am worthy, and I am appreciated.  Thank you, Jhit, Krishna, and Himalayan Scenery Treks, for making this happen.