KELLY'S GONE AGAIN
…AND HERE'S WHERE I'M AT!Archive for Wildlife
#23. Sydney: Monkeys, Elephants… Why Not Koalas?
Updating Post #22 with some photos of the Saturday a.m. trip to a local nature preservation center. Unfortunately I don’t have much to say here other than it’s a good cause and the animals there are really cute. Koalas, kangaroos, reptiles, tons of birds, tasmanian devils… the majority were in cages, but some hung out free-style in the children’s petting zoo. Just guess where I spent most of my time.
#18. Rishikesh: Loving Lakshman Jhula
The yoga conference is over, and the ashram is, by no coincidence, better. Quieter, easy, much more my speed. That doesn’t stop me, however, from taking a break from yoga and meditation and heading up to my new favorite location, Lakshman Jhula.
The Jewel, as I now call it, is about a 20-minute walk from the ashram, in between the two bridges that connect the sides of Rishikesh that are separated by the river. Streets are wider, a bit more modern, lined with shops and handicraft stalls and henna artists, lazy cafes with music ranging from chill Indian to reggae to classic rock (circa late ’60s). Today I met friends for breakfast of Nutella crepes and ginger honey lemon tea, and we’ll soon head out for a little trek to nearby waterfalls. Tonight we plan on hitting up a local Indian chef for some private cooking lessons, which she provides in her home for the going rate of $7.
The “we” does tend to vary, though lately it includes new friends, Mia, a nutritionist from San Francisco who bought a one-way ticket to Mysore a month earlier, and Cameron, an Australian art dealer. My newest and closest musketeer, however, is David, a very tall Scottish surfer-and-sailor from the UK.
David’s story is worth recounting here, for he’s a brilliant example of the friends I meet these days. After getting a degree in chemistry, he did some internet searching and found that very rich people would pay him to sail their boats around the world. He promptly took a month-long intensive in yacht sailing, started his new career, and already has had quite a life. He’s animated and fun and a foodie, and says things like “crikey!” and “wicked!” a lot.
Though David’s work takes him all over the world, his main hub happens to be in the south of France, a trip I’ve been plotting for a couple of years now. He has suggested that I consider a potential yoga teaching job with friends who live in the area. As I contemplate this opportunity, I wonder what I was doing on this very day, at this very moment, exactly one year ago. And I smile.
On the way to LJ
View of the Ganges from my daily walk
Monkeys and Men
#13. Lampang: Yoga for Elephants
So I completed my amateur mahout course this afternoon, and it was fantastic. I’d be perfectly happy to have done a longer training, though my thighs and side body are probably happier to be done.
#12. Border Crossing: Laos to Thailand; Lampang: Thai Elephant Conservation Center
Hey friends. So, I started my journey into northern Thailand on Friday. From Luang Prabang, it went like this: slow [cargo] boat up the Mekong to Pak Beng, slow [cargo] boat up the Mekong to Huay Xai, ferry across the Mekong to Chiang Khong, mototaxi to bus station, bus to Chiang Rei, bus to Lampang, mototaxi back to Lampang after missing Lampang bus station, bus towards Chiang Mai with an exit at “Km 37″ road mark, and walk 1/2 mile towards Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC). It’s Monday. How was *your* weekend?
#9. Siem Reap: Angkor Temples; Luang Prabang: Morning
Yesterday I woke up at O-dark-thirty (specifically around 4 a.m.) to go out to the Angkor temples by sunrise. It’s said to be a peaceful, magical time there, the world’s largest religious site, and I can confirm that as true.
