Director's Cut: The group email that was never sent.

I had planned on sending this email on my last day in India. But for reasons I can't remember (I think I was tired), I left it half-finished; and only completed it today, day 6 back in Australia. I figured it was absolutely stupid to send a travel email from Australia, so instead, for the benefit of those readers who were actually interested in my trip, I would post it on "Passenger". It is not my best piece of writing, with probably hundreds of grammatical errors; but if I changed it too much that would be unfair. I wrote it on my trip - the last day - it deserves, well I thought anyway, to be kept in its original form. Even if it is shit.

Enjoy......


Dear All,

Welcome to the final instalment of these group emails from my time on the road: described by some as "massive", "lame", and "an attempt by me to develop my personal branding." So, in light of this "positive" feedback, I'll try (emphasis:try) to stay away from the rhetoric non-sense; if I don't though, my apologies beforehand.

I have become cynical these last months - especially towards group emails. They are, after all, just another ego trip - an outlet of backpackers to gloat in their glory; consolidate their experiences and give it a sense of achievement. We post our photos online - look at ME, ME, ME. (Meanwhile outside the Internet cafe, a kid has no food and is begging for a rupee.) We write our blogs - giving our travels this narrative element to it; yet the reality that we call our "adventure" is the same one where people struggle to survive. We write these group emails - for who? for what? Do you guys really give a damn what I have been doing? Or I am writing this thing, just to boost my pathetic western ego. The curse of tourism. We travel to try understand the world; yet we leave understanding near to nothing, only the superficial side that we could have gained just sitting at home watching ABC. Like I said, I have become cynical. Time to go home.

Nevertheless, with one day left on the road, I will leave my cynicism aside, I just write this damn thing. Tick off the list. Put it in writing so I don't have to explain it all again. Finish this trip once and for all.

Here it goes....

Nepal:

After the logistical nightmare of Tibet, Nepal was breeze; pleasant: like the warm welcoming of a mother's arms as a child. The food was delicious. (especially the Japanese). The people could actually be trusted. The landscape was stunning, despite the incessant rainfall that resulted in endless cloud cover and rain.

And in the same way when you go back to see your mother, I got a bit lazy, successfully spending two weeks in Kathmandu Valley, doing next to nothing - indulging in fresh fruit juices, playing pool with locals, listening to cheesy cover bands, and devising strategies to hide from these two random guys who keep following me around wanting to be "my best friend". Weird.

When I finally got off my proverbial couch, I managed to get a decent amount of exploring done, including spending time at Chitwan, Pokara and Lumbini. (Translation - in order - a National Park, a picturesque lakeside village, and the birthplace of Buddha). I did the usual - a combination of mixing with the locals and being a blatant tourist - enjoyable yes, but after a while, I was getting irritated by it all.

Nepal was easy: it's the kind of place that people with mid-life-crises should run away too. Or if you want to go on a trek. The international tourism market is certainly sorted there. Politically, well that is another story that I will save you from hearing in this email. The Himalayan Kingdom was certainly enjoyable, but I had this constant yearning for hard travel - the kind where you sit on 16 hours bus trips, where you don't know where are you going. Challenging travel.

Northern India

I had this rather lame idea that Nepal would somehow be a good transition from Oriental Asia to Hindi Asia. I could have never been so wrong. India was a complete head-spin. I have never been to a country that I have loved so much, yet so irritated with on a 24 hour basis. As I have said to some friends, India made China look like Pleasantville. My first stop in India, Varansai, the holiest of holy for Hindis, was like entering into the set of Lord of The Rings Circus. Cows everywhere. Stray dogs crumpling through rubbish. Dead bodies flowing down the river Ganges, including one dead baby I saw with a group of Koreans.

And so began India- I cursed my wish for challenging travel. I mainly concentrated in Northern India - through the Uttar Pradesh, up into the Northern States of Punjab/Haryana and Himach Pradesh, and a grand finale exploring the desert state of Rajashatan. Which probably means near to nothing for most of you, but culturally and regionally passed through very different worlds - harsh deserts, the modern and poorest of poor, the holiest of holy, hellish cities, Tibetan, Sikh, Hindi, Rajash, Punjab. At times, I felt like I was going to different countries than provinces. And that was only a small percentage of the country.

At this point as I write I am trying to think of highlights, but I can't think of anything specifically per se. Of course, the food, but that was a given. Perhaps I loved the way religion and life were so intertwined in India - they were one and the same. At home, you go the Church and that is that. In India, you pray to Lord Shiva on the street; In Delhi, you walk past a Buddhist, a Muslim and a Hindu monk in the space of one minute; or, in the desert city of Jaimsalmer when I was there, you burn down Muslim villages and hold a strike in a city when a farmer accidentally kills one of your cows. Intertwined.

And, of course, a thanks to all the people - only in India have I ever gotten absolute pyscho at someone for cheating me, and then a minute later, the victim happily wants to take about cricket. Oh yes, and to all those Indians who commented on how "good" my English was, thank you - I have never been so angry by one innocent statement in my life.

If it had it been for my yearning for home, I would have stayed longer in India. Six weeks is no where near enough. You need six years to see this country. But enough of India - god, it was amazing - a complete utter mind-trip to use a better word, so colourful in every way that it makes Oz look so damn boring.

The final paragraph that is meant to summarise 11 months.

Traditionally at this point - the ending of one's travels - that group-emailers usually finish off with some grandiose statement, acting like Paul Coleho wannabes - how it changed me, how AMAZZINNGGG it was (right, sloandog?), things of that nature. The travelling "ego" trip as I said before. But for once, I'll put aside my tendency to ramble, to weave travel PR, and describe it has honestly as I can...right now.

At times, it really sucked - the endless bus trips, the haggling, the hell at preschool, the occasional droughts of sickness. There were moments when I was actually bored. And then at other times, I have never felt so inspired. Natural beauty has it seemingly uncanny ability to make you feel invincible.The small rushes of adrenaline I use to get arriving somewhere, not knowing anyone or anything, knowing that somehow it would ultimately work out - its the best; I'll miss that. Umhh, so maybe I ain't so cynical after all.

Thanks for putting up with these emails. Don't worry there won't be any more...at least for a little while.

Off to catch a plane. Looking forward to seeing all of you.

Eddie

In one word.

Shanghai: Fun
Turks: Knob
Amit: Knob
Sloany: Knob
Oscars: Memories
3 and 3 Blingual Development School: Hell
Apartment: Sick. (As in good.)
Ayi: Awesome
Mongolia: Random
Nomads: Cool
Smoking Habit: Destructive
Yunnan Province: Beautiful
The-Random-Dude-who-got-me-a-black-market-ticket-into-Tibet: Magic
Beijing: Olympics?
Getting needles stuck into your eye: Painful
Tibet: Tragic
Everest Base Camp: Surreal
Nepal: Relaxing
Masala Chai: Heaven
Nepalese Locals: Weird
Japanese Food in Nepal: Amazing
Books: Sanctuary
Long Bus Trips: Meditation
Spanish: Amazing
Swedish: Amazing
Kiwi-who-live-in-the-UK: Awesome
India: Head-Spin
Varanasi: Deadbabies
Kingfisher Beer: Rotten
Pokara: Heaven
French Toast: Routine
Himach Pradesh: Beautiful
Camels: Stinky
Journal: Friend
Home: Nerve-racking
India: CHEAP!!!!
China: Frustating
India-Pakistan-Border: Run-DMC
Travel: Freedom

Dharmasala, India

In Dharmasala atm - arrived about 2 hours ago after a eight hour bus train, which, on a side note, was suprisingly painless. I cannot figure out whether it was the bus itself or my pain-threshold has reached new limits - long bus journeys are never "long" anymore - it is more an opportunity to zone out and think about life. Dharmasala for those who are not aware is the home to the Tibetan-Government in exile: the town itself is very Tibetan. My plan is to stay here for a week or so - it is a nice place; restaurants everywhere; small cinemas playing all the latest flicks; meditation courses on offer. I am sick of all the travelling anyway - I need something else beyond being a tourist.

Oh yeah, and I am coming home this time next month. Very exicited. More exicited than ever - even as I write this, I am getting the little butterflies in my stomach, similar to the ones I encountered when I first came to Australia those many years ago. Though I know as soon as I return, I'll wish I was back on the road. Such are humans - craving the future and when it comes craving the past.

I'm off to have a milkshake.

Part 2: Travel Quantitatively

5 months on the road. 9 months away from home.

Numbers sometimes speak much louder than words....

Needles in my Eye: 2
Aussies I have travelled with: 6
Swedish I have travelled with: 1
Diary entries written: 150
Blog entries: 8 since Shanghai.
Facebook messages: 200 I reckon. I am a SEO-ed, as Kirsten Mort would say.
Calls to Mum: 15 times. (especially in Beijing.)
Appearances on National Television: 1
Trains: approx at least 20. (Some spanning 32 hours or more.)
Buses: approx 20. (Some extremely painful.)
Credit Cards stolen: 1
Guitar lost: 1
Moments where I have chatted with locals, but have no clue what they are saying: 15
Times where I should have been outside rather than at an Internet cafe: 30
Hitchhiking: 2
Nomads stayed with: 3 (Two Mongolians; One Tibetan)
Horses rode: 2
Monasteries camped in: 2
Hostels stayed in: 100's
Hikes: Umhhh I am thinking maybe 4 or 5 by now.
Everest Base Camp attended: 1
Low-Points: 2
Tex Mex Burriots eaten: 7 (thanks Chengdu)
Motorbikes ridden: 2
Missed transportation: Surprisingly 0
Books read: 8 or 9
Random outbursts of anger: countless. (more so at Chinese.)
Missed things in this post: 100's

There are some things you can't count. For everything else, there's Mastercard.

Group email to Family and Friends

Dear All,

The time has arrived. The necessary and painful task of writing "the group email". Necessary because it provides a sense of sanity for one on the road; that, yes, there is a reality out there;but more importantly to inform you all that I am still alive (and with both eyes - explain later.) Painful because to summarise four (or round that) months of intense travel into one email, whilst simultaneously not boring you to death with my tendency to ramble, is an arduous task.The delicate art of writing. Nevertheless, travel is never done alone; it is a story and it must be shared.

Here is mine.

(As per last time, for purposes of readability, I'll summarise my travel into countries. Much easier to explain stuff in linear fashion.)

Mongolia
Mongolia was always an obsession of mine - I think I was attracted more to the "idea" of going to Mongolia than actually having any interest whatsoever in the country . 5 weeks later, I was hooked. Mongolia was an experience to say the least; in retrospect, it felt more like cultural immersion 101 than real travel. It was pretty challenging at times; the language barrier being the main obstacle. But I survived and all the better for it.
(Get to the point Eddie, I can hear you saying....)

Mongolia was so beautiful in everyway: the people, the culture, the landscape (minus Ulaatar Baatar). A country trying to come to gripes with the modern world, entrenched in its Soviet past; the collsion of the past and present was evident in Mongolia. (ie: A nomad herder on a mobile in the middle of nowhere.) I stayed with a host family; an interesting experience: the main being that I got to see a side of Mongolia that I wouldn't have as a tourist. Tourism can be such a barrier: mixing the real and superficial, till you don't know what is what.

Anyway, highlights included: camping twice - once with some locals, the second with some tourists; meeting up with an old friend from Seattle who I hadn't seen in 14 years; clubbing with my Mongolian buddies in UB; and, of course (and I know some of you know already) but an apperance I had on Mongolian National television. I spoke absolute rubbish, but since half of the audience had no idea what I was saying, it didn't really matter. I am tempted to keep on writing, but this is an email, not a novel, so I'll carry on to chapter 2.

China.
I brought Mongolia back with me from China. And, no, I am not talking in any kind of spiritual way, no no no. Thanks to Mongolia, I came back with an infected eye. For the first week, my eye was plagued by any kind of light,my right eye was filled with googy liquid (sorry if you are spewing); it was bad. Very bad. (Ask Turks.) At first, I believed it to be just a minor case of conjunctives; something in the past I had left and had disappeared naturally. The diagnosis: a severe infected cornea (whatever that is), meaning that if I didn't get it fixed then and there, there was the chance I could have gone blind. (Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, I did cry out of fear.) Thus my return to China began perfectly: two weeks stuck in Beijing, going to the hospital every day; and twice having eye specialists watch over you, as one of them sticks a big needle into your eye. Luckily, it wasn't too sharp. Thanks Mum for listening to me in pain and bitching about how much I hate China.

And now onto the travel.

I will skip the names of the towns and places: they serve no purpose to a reader who is not familiar with the country.They can distract a reader from what you really want to say. My two and half months in China was diverse in almost everyway. Landscape: the hellish and depressing landscape of North; the pristine tropical provinces of the far south; to the mountainous and rugged terrain of the west. Journey: a mixture of solo and group travel; endless rides in buses and trains; absurd discussions with fellow backpackers and locals. (Joey..you know what I referring to.) Culture: the slow discovery of a culture that comes with travelling in one country for a long period: learning of its people, its enormity, its ugliness. (And boy can it be ugly. I will miss the splitting.)

To be honest, the best times I had were on the long and painful train rides. Talking with the locals through a phrasebook, as they explain to me why Chairman Mao is a hero. Domestic tourism has saturated almost every people spot in China; subsequently, it felt as though it loss a bit of its grandeur and beauty. Like you were just another ant trying to get a glimpse at the Queen. Nevertheless, China was an absolutely amazing to see (occasions: frustrating). Next time, you think of going to South East Asia, skip it, and go to China. Trust Me. But don't forget your phrase book.

Tibet:
Although technically still a part of China, with all its mysticism and popularity in the west, I thought Tibet deserved a special catergory. (On a side note, Tibet, or Tibet Autonomous Region, is not a reflection of Tibetan people. There are actually more Tibetan outside the TAR than in.) Again, my motivations to see Tibet were simple: the whole "idea" of it once again (like most Westerners who journey there); a method in which to cross into Nepal; and, lastly, to see for myself, the "magic and haunting nature" (Lonely Planet, 2002) of one of the most talked about places in the world.

Lhasa, its captial, to use a better description was...well...funny. Here:

Chinese tourists snapping away, completely oblivious to the tragic history of the place.
("Who is Dalai Lama, Eddie?).

The "liberation of Tibet" monument that was patrolled constantly by guards. (Yes, it looked very free to me.)

The Bahkhor - the heartland of Lhasa, where tourists and pilgrims walked side by side: one pure capitalistic in nature; the other pure spiritual. (American tourist: Ah, look at those Tibetans, we should buy them something.)

And although it was funny in Tibet, it was by no means easy. After a protest on Everest Base Camp a month ago, the situation in Tibet had changed dramatically. Permits for this. Permits that. I could not leave the surrounding Lhasa area without this elusive permit, which you never saw anyway. And one point, when I befriended some Chinese university students and decided to go on a trip with them, I was pulled up at a checkpoint and told to go back. I wasn't allowed to travel with Chinese. I was a foreigner. Absurd. Chinese bureaucy at its finest.

The main highlight, of course, was the seven day journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu. Fairly costly, but I had no choice. The journey was pretty enjoyable: it was nice to sit back in a Land cruiser and let it all float past, unlike before with all the horrible bus rides and screaming Chinese. Our guide was amateur at best. He knew nothing about Tibet. He did however have a vehement hatred of the Chinese authorities, referring to them as crocodiles, which provided a bit of light entertainment, but also a reality-check that Tibet is ultimately, no matter which way you look at it, still a police state. (Eddie, look at crocodile, that is all they do. Snap Snap.)

The candle on the cake (can I use that metaphor?) was the two day stay at Everest Base Camp. To see "her" was a surreal experience: 8844.43m to be precise - that is one tall lady. Her snowy peaks painted in the most intense white; the sunrise slowly going down: a shade of pink brushed on its side. The altitude did affect me a bit - I was sick one of the days. The shock, though, was to see that base camp was merely just a street of dilapated make-shift huts and restaurants. Nevertheless, I saw Everest. I figure I am allowed to brag...just this once.

Despite all my whinging and carrying-on, Tibet was a special place. The monasteries that are slowly being repaired after the cultural revolution. The tibetans and their smiles- god, they had the best smiles I have ever seen. The picturesque landscape accentuated by the fields of yellow oil flowers (or whatever they were.)...Kodak moments left and right. I will definitely come back to Tibet more prepared: I had arrived in the T.A.R after only hearing Chinese propaganda continuously for eight months. But, have no fear, I won't try to recruit you on a Free Tibet campaign when I return. You'll have to see it for yourself.

Nepal:
Well, I only arrived in Kathmandu yesterday, so I am by no means in a position to describe the country. Actually I haven't even ventured beyond Thamel - the epic centre of backpacking world. So far though: Nepal has been amazing, probably due to the fact that the previous country I was in was such a pain-in-the-rear. Kathmandu: Western restaurants....Natives who speak perfect english... Japanese hippies playing guitar and smoking weed...A reggae band is playing right now, I can hear it in the distance. A city can never be seen as a reflection of a country - I am looking foward to seeing more of Nepal.

As for the immediate future, well, sadly (for some of you anyway), I have decided not to venture onto Europe. More so due to my lack of finances than anything. That, and of course, I really don't want to work; the freedom of doing anything you want, however you want, is just too good. Solo-life is hard at times, but I think it will be good for me: you know, character-building, personal development, yadah yadah yadah.

I am planning to head to India in the next month or so, catch a flight from Mumbai to Thailand, hang at the beach for a while and observe the drunken 18 year olds at the Full Moon Party, and then head home with the knowledge that I have to start my life. Reality. Work. Credit Card Debt. That will be fun.

And if any of you have not bothered to read this email: don't worry I understand. Rambling is a nasty habit of mind. I would probably be the same. I will probably tell you all again in detail upon my return to the land of green and gold. But group emails are a necessary and painful endeavour: the story must be shared.

I can continue on now...sanity in check.

Missing you all. Be home in November.

Eddie


Oh yeah, I am sure I forgot many people on this list. (Facebook doesnt allow you to copy and paste email addresses.Mark Zuckenburg sort it out!!!) You know what to do. May the force be with you.

Kathmandu, Nepal.

Heaven. Paradise. Western Food. Taxi drivers who speak English. Amazing People.

Nepal.

After the insanity of Tibet - the endless permits, the horrible toilets, the Chinese bureaucracy that never ends- I have finally made it to destination-number-3-of-places-I-want-to-see-before-I-die: Nepal. I arrived in Kathmandu a few hours ago, after enduring a painful 20km walk through this rugged mountainous region in No man's land between Tibet and Nepal; and a bumpy three hour bus ride. The Stark contrast between the two areas is apparent - one minute I was in the plains of Tibet, the next minute I emerged in this lush, almost tropical like landscape. I guess when you go down 3500M in the space of two hours, the scenery is bound to change.

I will miss Tibet - I would have liked to stay longer to be honest, but with the permit situation and the Chinese government, travel "on the roof" can be very very hard. I'll go back there for certain.

(Oh yeah to go on a tangent, a side story you might call it, I was very very lucky in Tibet. The day I made it to Everest Base camp, the Chinese government decided to stop selling tickets to foreigners. The reasons varied: 1) another protest (I didnt see one, unless you count me when I raised my Aussie flag 6000M up; 2)the floods made the road impossible to cross; or 3) Tibetans need to be protected. Take your pick - or rather let the Chinese government pick. After EBC, I met heaps of foreigners who had been waiting for days to try to find a way to Everest. Point is: I was lucky, very lucky. Faith was definitely on my side. On another note, it is very refreshing to finally be able to bag the Chinese government without the fear of blog monitoring. Praise democracy.)

Back to Kathmandu. What a place so far. My first impressions in the place of six hours: educational advertisements everywhere, natives who speak English, beautiful landscape...almost New Zealand-esque. Westerns galore - I almost forgot in China that natives do actually speak the language and that getting from A to B doesn't take two translation books. As for my plan, I am just going to take it easy here in Kathmandu. Read. Walk. Internet. Explore. At that point, I will start my adventures outside Kathmandu. I have this feeling that Nepal would be a nice starting point, an learners license if you will for India. Insanity but with the comforts of home nearby. And since I will be doing nothing for the next few days, I will update this blog properly: photos, more blogs and other random shit to waste your day.

But, in summary (finally Eddie!), all is well. Lihfe is good. (yeah I know, get over college.)

A new chapter begins.

Driving Friendship

Quick Update.

Leaving Lhasa tommorrow and heading off on a 8 day journey down to Kathmandu. Along with an Irish couple and an eccentric Swedish girl I met, we are journeying along the famous friendship highway, stopping at numerous sights, monasteries and lakes. The highlight that I am undoubtedly looking forward to is two nights at Mt Everest Base Camp. We had originally intended to only stay for one night, but opted for two in case one of the days doesn't provide good weather. It should be an intense trip, but one to remember I hope.

Sort of sad to leave Lhasa. I was enjoying wandering the Bakhor, sitting at random cafes, observing the strange mix of people in Lhasa - a blend of Tibetans, Chinese Tourists, Americans on a mammoth tour packages, Chinese Hui Muslims, and a kid in a spiderman costume who ran past me yesterday. I would have liked to stay longer in Tibet, but with the whole permit situation, it makes it extremely difficult to travel independently.

Will write in Kathmandu.

Eddie.

Today

Today, I sat on a rooftop and watched the sunrise, its array of colours were intoxicating and breathtaking to the point where I questioned my atheism.

Today, I wondered through Lhasa's streets with no direction, no purpose, I simply wandered. A old Tibetan lady smiled at me and then proceeded to point her tongue out, a sign of friendship in Tibetan culture.

Today I had a great conversation with an Oxford exchange student, discussing the meaning of travel and the sheer beauty, yet tragedy, that is Lhasa.

Today, I went and paid for my Nepal Visa. And since I was a loawai (foreigner), I was allowed to skip the line of Chinese and process my application first. It made me laugh.

Today, I got some amazing photos. With the lighting perfect and my creative eye at its fullest, I captured some majestic shots; small moments in time that will never occur again. The Potala palace was at its best.

Today I had a banana smoothie and read my book in a beautiful Tibetan restaurant. And then feel asleep for about an hour.

So often on the road, we are driven to see the sights: we have to go to this zoo or see this monastery- as somehow if we don't, we are destined not to have seen a place to its fullest. So often in life, we are always analysing the past, worrying about the future without ever experiencing the "now", and thus leaving us oblivious to our surroundings.

Today I did not see anything, I did not do anything special.

But today I lived now. And it was great.

Mapping Lhasa

I was flicking through a Lhasa map today and found some interesting and amusing landmarks that I thought I would share with you all.

Here it goes:

- Anti riot detachment department
- Tibet Armed Police Guest House
- Municipal Experiment Kindergatern
- Office of Reception for Returned Tibetan Compatriots.
- Tibet Control Centre
- Prefectural Propangada Department
- Chicken Farm of Framing and Farrier Research Institute
- Civil Feedstuff Factory
- Union Construction Brigade of Civic Fatigue Duty Company
-Making Oxygen Company
-Tibet Herbs Company
- Civil Epidemic Prevention Station
- Office of Taiwan Affairs under Tibet United Front Work Department
- Prefetural Crude Medicine Factory
- Prefectural Deformed People's Union

Luckily they had this as well: Tibetan Red Cross Disaster Prepardness and Relief Centre. With all the places above it looks like they certainly need a red cross.