The Blog Stops Here.

New York City.
The Big Apple.
Where the streets are paved with gold.
The city so great they named it twice.
New York, New York.
Where Trust is nothing more than the name on a bank.
If you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere,
Home sweet home.

The Blog Stops Here.  This is where it all began some ten months ago.   A left turn here, a right turn there, a change of plans here, a twist of fate there.  A journey with a mind of its own and I was its cowboy.  We've come full circle now, yet a world of experience has entered my universe.  And as this whirlwind of experience attempts to settle & fade, I can't help but catch glimpses of the people & places.  The cities of Taipei, Hong Kong, Saigon and Beijing.  The foods of Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.  Angkor Wat, the Great Wall of China, the Himalayas, the Vin Moc Tunnels in central Vietnam, the ruined cities in Cambodia, Sri Lanka's beaches, and the ancient cities of Amman, Chiang Mai, Hoi An, Dali, Tainan,  Jerusalem and Delhi.  The architectures.  The colors. The flavors.  The cultures.  So much did each contribute.  I am forever grateful for this gift of a lifetime.

Hey what do you know? The Yanks are on...

China: Because Once just isn't Enough!

The Great Wall

Two months into China and I'm done with atheism because if the Chinese ever take over, God help us.  It's my duty to warn the tourist-going public that the heathens are a tough crowd en masse.  They like to yell, they like to spit, they mob exits & they cut queues. Their ability to rile nerves: second to none.  They've little concept of personal space & they've too little common sense.  My question, if there is one, is why, after 10,000 years of civilization, have they not yet figured out some basics of common social norm.  For if they had, one needn't fight one's way off a subway while the crowd pushes in first.  But this is merely an attempt to tame a chaotic experience with reason and is better left undone. Speaking of which: you don't put corn on pizza!  But China has her own way about her.

Situated on the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai is the largest city-proper in the world. And like Hong Kong, Shanghai was built off European opium trade.  Today, it is the showpiece of a booming China.  The British arrived in 1842.  The French got here in 1847.  The Japanese came in 1895.  In 2011, I decided it was my turn.  Rich in structure & architecture, the art-deco French Concession on the Bund, the ultra-modern shopping arcades, the world-class history museums, the state-of-the-art skyscrapers towering over Pudong, the large & floral People's parks, the super high-end Mag-Lev rocket-rail transport system, and the bountiful plethora of supreme Shanghainese foods are all unforgettable! And just as in the days of old, the women will try to rob you, the men will try to cheat you, and the city will do all in its power to challenge you. Visitors who are less than savvy are sure to be "Shanghai'd" in this long-venerated metropolis where the ruthless thrive off the naive.

The military, political, educational, economic, cultural & historical capital of Big Mother China is Beijing.  It has a freakishly long history of being defeated & dominated by an endless line of dynasties throughout its ages.  Beijing has been ruled by the Tang, the Zhou, the Song, the Liao, the Shun, the Jin, the Yuan, the Qing, the Mongols, the Manchus, the Ming, you get the point... Today, it is the People's Republic of China.

Ideal for sightseeing & adventure, Tienamen Square is the largest city square in the world & the site of two pro-democracy movements.  The Forbidden City, the old Imperial Palace and home of the Emperors for more than 500 years, was built in 1406 by 1,000,000 men and houses 8707 rooms in 980 buildings... it deserves a day.  True enough, these Chinese guys have been building gigantic walls since the 8th century B.C., but the creme de la creme of all great Chinese walls is the Great Wall of China, a 4000-mile stone fortification built to protect its northern border against intrusion hundreds of years before baby Jesus.  It, too, deserves a day and makes for a strenuous yet pleasant afternoon outing in the cloudy mountains.

Hutong are clumps of narrow alleys connected.  They are the neighborhoods of Beijing. They run east-west and face south.  They are legacy from Genghis Khan when he conquered and leveled the city in 1215.  They are a real China experience.  They deserve a day.  But get here soon because they are being demolished to make way for boulevards & buildings. It's the beauty of progress and you can see it in the air!

Back to the Future

I attest that being in Hong Kong this time around feels hella better than last.  Perhaps it's the nostalgia of revisiting a familiar place that feels welcoming?  Or possibly it's the joy of respite from the grit & chaos of Southeast Asia that feels endearing.  Or maybe I'm primed & overdue for the modern day world of a modern day city.  Whatever the case, I'll relish in the comforts of first world environs.  I'll dwell amongst the absence of horns. I'll gulp lungs full of fresh air.  And I'll adore the liberty of being ignored.

Hong Kong is THE futuristic city.  With miles of elevated catwalks, wacky-looking mirror-plated skyscrapers, double-decker buses, pristine MRT subway systems, polished streets, neon, glitz, glamour & shine, it is a far cry from the likes of Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Bangkok and Saigon.  I have come BACK TO THE FUTURE!  And right now it feels good.

The skyline: ridiculous.  The foods: fantastic.  And after six strict straight weeks of eating vegetarian in India, I will proudly go to Hong Kong and indulge in the non-vegetarian dishes that make Chinese cities great.  Chicken, pork and beef oh my. Yes. I'll have some. Thank you.

Ah yes, it's a pleasure being back in Hong Kong.  And although this visit will be short lived, it feels rewarding & enjoyable.  I'll secure an entry-visa to mainland China, take a day-trip to the Portuguese port of Macau, and spend the weekend exploring, wandering, meandering and sightseeing.  Something tells me that post-travel life is gonna be harder than this. 

The Holy City India Tour

Taj Mahal  Est.1632

I expect India to require all of my travel experience and expertise to cope.  The place is massive, it's spread out, there's a lot to see & do, and it demands time.  It will be hot, it will be sweaty, it will be work, it might be tough, it could get difficult, you will get sick, you may feel rough, you may lose your bags, and you might get scammed.  Great. I'm all in!

As far as I see it, there're many ways to skin this cat.  I've opted for sensibility & efficiency. I've been on the road for nearly nine months and I'm dreary.  I'm gonna empty the tank visiting only the greatest places India has to offer; in my opinion, the Holy Cities.

Heat, hot & more heat, we traveled via night bus from Delhi to Pushkar, the holy city of the Rajasthan Desert, where all plastic refuse goes to die.  Home to enormous ghats (religious bathing pools), Brahmin (the priest class), and temples (houses of worship), Pushkar, with all of it's hashish growers, colorful architecture, cheap foods, and nature trails is an interesting, ancient and abnormal place to be.  Monkeys swing from the powerlines hurling feces at passers-by.  Goats, sheep, dogs and boar run amok.  So do limbless beggars. Camels wander the streets unattended.  And the bulls are on parade. It is wildly reminiscient of bad acid flashbacks from a younger year.  Yet, atop all of this, Pushkar offers insanely surreal sunsets over Pakistan, gloriously colorful sarris, spiritual mysticism and a look into the eye of the soul of Hinduism.

From Pushkar to Uttaranchal, the next stop is Rishikesh- an ancient & holy spiritual city at the base of the Himalayan mountain range on the banks of the Ganges River northwest of Nepal.  The birthplace of Osho & Yoga, Rishikesh is home to countless ashrams and is quaint, quieter and cooler than the Indian lowlands.  Many westerners come here seeking to gain their spiritual fix, and as a result, spirituality is for sale here with its "Om" t-shirts, yoga schools, alternative medicine books, transcendental courses and meditation retreats.  The Rishikesh Hindi hold a nightly puja, sending flowers and candles down the icy cold waters of the Ganges in the direction of Varanasi (the holy city where all corpses go to die); it's an awesome sight!  The hiking in the area is superb, the vibe is relaxed, and all feels peacefully mellow.

Further afield, a quick visit is paid to Amritsar, the holy city of the Pashtun region up on the Pakistan border.  It is home to the Golden Temple and the nightly India-Pakistan border showdown.  I thought this could be worthy of a layover.  It was.

In a most valiant attempt to escape the oppressive, brutal & relentless heat, I've bee-lined for Dharamsala.  It's all monks, nuns & tourists up here.  The air is cleaner, the nature expands, and things get even more relaxed.  Yet Dharamsala is very important to the Holy City tour as it's the base of operations for the Tibetan Government in Exile and home to the world's most famous refugee, the Dalai Lama. Upper Dharamsala, or McLeod Ganj, is the spiritual center of exiled Tibetan Buddhism while the Dalai Lama is Tibet's spiritual savior, superhero, political leader and living Buddha all rolled into one.  I have to give a big-ups shout-out & 'respect yourself' to India, for with all of it's problems of poverty, overpopulation & a lack of resources, it has allowed thousands of ex-political prisoners and Tibetan refugees to seek asylum in it's hills despite China's condemnation.  The hardest part about coming to Dharamsala is leaving Dharamsala.  I have spent a month here and it's been comfortable.

But the show must go on and the final piece in our Holy City Tour (for what has been the northwest section of India) could be none other than the Taj Mahal. Three by hours train to the southeast of Delhi, Agra is home to one of the most remarkable manmade architectural triumphs in history.  The feeling of the Taj Mahal's presence is unforgetable.  Reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel or Washington D.C.'s marble grandeur, I consider the journey to have been worthwhile despite the 120 degree heat. From here, we'll return to Delhi and fly to Hong Kong.  Again. 

Holy Cow!

The Streets of Delhi

I cannot recommend India to amateurs or anybody with a compromised immune system. It's a very unforgiving place.  One wrong move and you can lose EVERYTHING.  One wrong ice cube and you'll wish you never came.  Home to the most beautiful and promising sights, sounds and smells lies the most horrid and horrendous sights, sounds and smells in the known universe.  It is full sensory overload.  It is the good, the bad & the ugly.  It is India.  It is a nation that dares to be different.  It is a world where scary airplane landings are applauded.  A world where passengers tackle each other in a scrum at the door while the plane's still moving.  It is in this world that I decide to get off last. And, much like the tunnel we experience at the moment of death, our exit ramp goes steeper and steeper, forcing us deeper and faster into India; Delhi to be exact.  Good Lord.

It is the filthiest place you can never imagine; a wild combination of piss & shit with phlegm and flies and earth under massive piles of garbage surrounded by hot, sweaty and dirty crowds.  The honking and begging never ceases.  And 48 degree Celsius temperatures just seem to wreak havoc on all of it.  Or so that is my opinion.  The locals know the rolling cramps as a "No shower, full power, 24-hour" stomach ailment.  The world refers to it as the Delhi Belly. Whatever you choose to name it, it cripples even those with a steel gut, and it comes for free with every visit.

Oh, the romantic symphony of chaotic horns; the deep blasts, the high-pitched beeps, staccato honks, the fog horns and the musical notes, you'd think Delhi is blind and driving by sound.  Here, the pecking order is as follows: Pedestrians yield to bikes, bikes yield to rickshaws, rickshaws to tuk-tuks, tuk-tuks to cars, cars to trucks and buses, and everything yields to the King of the Road,  The Holy Cow.

Ah yes, the Holy Cow- the source of all of their problems.  Patties large and small melt and bake in the heat and sun as flies fester and spread shit to the kitchens and tables of all who will dine while in India.  If Karma is the result of action, then it is their karma to be sick forever.  People toss trash on the ground as if it'll magically grow into fruit trees.

Delhi is a series of 8 cities that have been ruled and ruined by sultans, slave dynasties, horse traders, Mogul Kings, and of course the British Raj.  It is decrepit and worn down by centuries of invasion.  Delhi is victim to plundering, squandering, depletion and desertification.  It has been lain to ruins ten times in its history; the streets last ran with blood in 1947 and 1983.  Major underemployment, the lingering caste system, the legacy of British Imperialism, and a lack of education, resources & infrastructure have led me to make attempts to avoid Delhi like the plague that it is...

Here, O Israel

Temple Mount's "Dome of the Rock" above the Kotel, Jerusalem

Jerusalem, once hometown to prophets and Kings, has evolved into a modern day freak show.  Roiled by bitter conflict for more than 3 millennia, it's the focal point & ground zero for bad religion.  You've got ultra-orthodox Jews, Christians from all denominations, Muslim missionaries, pilgrims, mystics, tourists and raving lunatics all mixed together with their spiritual baggage in tow.  Loads of brainwashed simpletons dressed in costume come to Jerusalem to spread the "good word of God" while the Israeli Defense Forces stand ready to keep these Men of Love and Peace from killing each other.  And although I deem this place a festival of ignorance, paying homage to its majestic religious sites feels enriching; it's the wild cultural diversity that is Jerusalem's lifeline.

Jerusalem is built to last, they just don't make 'em like they used to.  The first time I laid my eyes on the Wailing Wall I cried.  Forever a photo of a place far away, the chance to know it is indescribable.  At 11 million, the Jews are but a tiny fraction of the global community yet the whole world knows them.  They are the Lions of Zion.  They have averted extinction more times than the Yanks have won the pennant.  Every nation that has set out to destroy the Jews, be it Ancient Egypt, the Philistines, the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Crusaders, the Spanish Empire, Nazi Germany, & the Soviet Union, have all been eradicated.  Is Iran next?

Being Jewish is exclusive.  Recognized only as someone born of a Jewish mother, there are only a finite number of Jews in the world and all are a spark of the soul who were present when Hashem gave the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.  Today, as I stand in awe of the Western Wall, (the 2,500 year old ruined remnants of the Second Temple built by King David's son, Solomon,  and gutted by the Romans), a massive Torah has been unveiled from its cloak and is carried around like a rugby trophy.  Everyone comes to touch & kiss it.  The Jewish Holy Bible is in the middle of a mosh-pit.  This place embodies the spirit of the Jewish people and their spirit is strong, alive and well.  It's powerful to see. 

The Middle East; Welcome to it!

Downtown Amman,  Jordan

At the Oman border crossing, fat barrels of machine guns peak over sandbags while signs in Arabic read, "Welcome to Oman."  It's very clean, very Muslim and very ready for a contagion of revolution. Very illegal to snap shots of Oman's government's militia's prearations to repel dissent.  But allow me to assure you the tanks are in the streets, armed, loaded and passively awaiting those who will fight for their right to party. 

Jordan: Very old.  Very Interesting.  Relatively inexpensive.   Relatively quiet.   And with the exception of one late-night taxi ride, relatively safe.  But unamusing is the way life goes from being perfectly normal to totally fucked up before you can say,  "What's going on?"  The ol' Filipino-style 'switch-the-cabbie' scam had me in a sudden & vulnerable kidnap scenario.

As my driver took me down a dark alley and walked away without taking payment, a new driver jumps in, floors the accelerator and has me in the neighborhoods of downtown Amman you'd rather never see. As I advise him of my requested destination, he warns me, "Welcome to Jordan."  Holy shit!  I need out of this bad dream right now.  To dive out the back door- impossible; it's child-locked from the inside.  My bags are in the trunk.  The drama ended at a slightly up-market business hotel whose commission to the driver was sure to bring in late-night guests.   Fortunately, they didn't play kill-the-infidel.  As my blood pressure descended to normal, I realized how lucky I was that I didn't get scragged.