City of Light

The narrow streets of Varinasi are crammed full of people, cows, dogs, motor vehicles, bicycle rickshaws, poop from a variety of living creatures and piles of trash and yet the city glows with wonder and magic. 

It is filled with temples, altars and a populas of worshipers who adorn the streets with litter as they adorn the statues of the gods with flower petals. It may seem confusing or even disrespectful, but the real spirit is found in this cities ability to worship everything. 

If you choose to only see the chaos, then that is what you see. But if you can stop for a moment and blur your lines, that is, see all things as matter waiting to decay. Then the beauty rises like a phenoix from the ashes of burning trash piles and funeral pyres. 

Varinasi is like no place else. It exist in a different dimension. 

For the past week we have been waking up at 5am to the sounds of our Varinasi alarm clock, holy men blowing their conk shells by the Ganga river and the monkeys fighting on our balcony. 

Once awake we wait for sunrise and then walk along the ghats of the forever holy Ganges river. The Ganges, or Ganga, is used for everything: bathing, washing, drinking, collecting trash and sewage. The cement steps of its urban shore are used for ceremony, from pujas (prayer and ceremony) to the burning, washing and sinking of the dead. It is said that to die in Varinasi ends ones cycle of rebirth. You may transcend to Nirvana. So many people come here to die. When they do they are buried by the river waters or burned by the shore.

 These waters are truly holy and keep those who use it healthy. They do not become sick from bathing or drinking it.   All in one, and all together. Bring your sin, your filth and toothbrush to the rivers edge. 

Into the Woods

Nestled in the marshlands and towering pines sits Hostel in the Forest, a collectively run, sustainable oriented get away.

We had the joy and privilege of staying for free. The hostel has a new " play for trade" program where musicians stay for free in exchange for a playing a concert for the guests. We arrived just after sunset and fumbled our way in the new moonlight through the forest paths. Someone had taken the time to draw hearts and messages in the path using pine leaves and sticks.

We got a dark tour of the grounds and the. We were taken to our room, a towering wooden box on stilts.

 The commune style staff can only all live there for six months at a time, in order to keep the energy in constant fluctuation.
I, accidentally, sat in on a staff meeting one night, the main order of business being to name the rooster. No one really agreed on a name, so everyone scribbled on some paper their vote and placed it in a hat, from which I, being the neutral party, selected the roosters name. His name is now Jesus, which they all agreed was the best name, seeing as they planned to kill and eat him sometime in the spring.

Along with the roosters there are many many chickens. They roam free in the forest eating grubs from kicked up leaves. Next to the chicken coop is the outdoor cob kitchen where two guest baked a mountain of bread our first night. It was delicious and sweet, covered in sunflower seeds and raisins. You eat like a god at the hostel in the forest. The indoor kitchen is stocked with herbs an fruit. Every night, all the guests gather together and eat a feast of lentils and root vegetables and greens from the garden. Before dinner everyone gets in a circle and talks about what they are grateful for, then they stomp their feet and yell "CHOMP!" This tradition goes back to the beginning of this hostels inception, sometime in the early 1970's



When we were not feasting and playing music we were exploring. The hostel is situated on a ton of land with all sorts of hidden nooks and cranny's. We spent a good hour, our first morning, sitting on a swing by the lake. Walking around the lake's perimeter we found a teepee, sweat lodge, fire circle, and tons of fruit trees. As we walked back to the main house along the weaving wooden boardwalk we passes an screened area with a big bathtub and candles all around it. There is nothing like sitting in a hot tub and staring at the tree tops and stars.



It's amazing how one can create such luxury in a sustainable way. Other notable parts of the hostel are the enormous stone labyrinth wrapping itself around an ancient oak tree, as well at a glass house situated right over a lake, a perfect place for yoga and meditation.

Time just melts away at the hostel in the forest. The days pass with no consideration of the outside world. It's a beautiful place to lose (or find) yourself. We Are so grateful to have found this hidden gem in the backwoods of the Georgia coast and we will visit as often as we can.

Mushroom Rock

Buried deep in the heart of Kansas lays Mushroom Rock, a unique formation of towering eroded stone.
The bottom of the rock is made of softer stone and has been eroded by wind and water, while the top stone is more solid and sits upon it now stone stalk.

The State Park dedicated to these rocks sits at the end of an abandoned dirt road, with only hand painted wooden signs pointing its direction.

























The softer stone is covered with carved names and messages of visitors who aid the wind and water in their erosion. Slowly the stone "stalk" crumbles away and eventually it will be nothing more than a boulder on the earth.

Used by native explores as a landmark, Mushroom Rock is steeped in folklore.
We are glad to have seen it in its glory, one day soon it may only nothing but a rock and a story.

Things you should see before you pass on

A Sealion in its natural habitat

Things you should see before you pass on

The Redwood Forrest

Wild west what?

You know goldrush got real when you pass through a town like Placerville, California which was originally known as "Hang Town". The main street even has an historic marker for where all the hangings took place. There is no messing around with this once, wild west rough, now touristy, Placerville.

This town contains so much energy it floats are like a fog. Such an interesting balance will not be forgotten.

Part of the Salish Sea

Congratulation the region of Puget Sound, Washington!
You've been added to "places we might have babies in"
























Though I am sure we need to come back in the winter to get a true sense of your climate, you have been nothing but beautiful during our week off in your embrace.

Surrounded by lakes and bays, beautiful inactive volcanoes loom in the distance while seagulls cry to remind you that the ocean is near.

























When it comes to natural beauty Puget Sound is stunning. Giant Douglas Firs fill the close National parks, while yachts and houseboats fill the crystal lakes.





















 



The locals seem to think these lakes are the perfect temperature for swimming, though a bit chilly for east coast blood, I'm sure it is something you just get used to.

Theres a Cat in Kalamazoo, who Loves Biscotti Too

Reunited and it feels so goooooood

Jameson made it back to Virginia, safe and sound.  We have been (sort of) hiding out in Northern, Virginia, resting.  His second day back my Mom asked  us to make our special vegetarian sushi for her friends.  The cooking was therapeutic. 

A Post Camino Thank You:

Thank You:

To my hat (for your shade)

To my bag (for weighing very little)

To my sleeping bag (sorry I kicked a hole in you on our first night and I had to stitch you up with rope)

To my water bottle (for holding water)

To my poncho (for keeping me dry and warm)

and To my shoes (I cannot believe you made it the whole way)

Fun Facts:
(all numbers are approximate)

Walked: 342 kilometers
Drank: 25.5 liters of water
Ate: 1,475 grams of nuts
Followed: 3,815 yellow arrows
Stepped in: 6 piles of livestock poop
Blisters: 0

Family and friends, I have safely completed the Camino Portugués, plus a little extra.

I walked my planned route in about one week and had a few days left over, so I continued to Muxia, on the coast as did many ancient pilgrims who followed the Camino de Santiago.

Just to give you a brief history on the Camino:

Santiago de Compostela is a city in northern Spain, an area known as Galicia. The cathedral in the city center contains the beheaded body of Saint James. According to legend, after he was executed, his apostles brought the body by boat back to northern Spain for burial in the land where he practiced his ministry.

The exact burial site was lost over time, but in 820 AD remains of a tomb were found and the body was confirmed by the Catholic church along with other civil authorities to be those of Saint James the Greater.
The area his remains were found eventually became the city of Santiago de Compostela.

The pilgrimage to Santiago has been a tradition since the body's discovery, with monks and devoted catholics from all around Europe walking great distances to pay their respects to Saint James. Many continued past Santiago de Compostela to end their journey in either Fisterra, which at the time was considered the end of the known world, or Muxia, where Saint James's ministry began and where his apostles began when they journeyed with his body for burial.

According to legend Saint James was visited by the Virgin Mary, who sailed on a boat made of stone to the coast of Muxia to aid Saint James in preaching the gospel. The remains of the stone boat can still be seen on the coast today. Though you sort of have to use your imagination.

This journey was very important for me. I had a list of things I wanted to work on within myself and I learned lessons along the way that I had never planned to learn.

It was an absolutely beautiful trip and I hope to return to you as a better person for having done this voyage.

I leave in the morning to start the Camino Portugues, a 12 day pilgrimage that ends in Santiago de Compostela (northern Spain).

I am very much treating this walk as a pilgrimage and plan to do a lot of spiritual and medatative work within myself during these next couple of weeks.

As a result I will not be accessing the internet much and will post some photos and thoughts when I finish after June 12th.

If you'd like to see descriptions of the route simply search 'Camino Portuges'.

Wish me enlightenment luck!