SLIDESHOW-A Farewell...for now

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Glimpses of limitless abundance...images, places, and people we will never forget...we have been touched by everywhere we have been...this journey started out as an idea and we could have never imagined what it would become in reality...we hope this blog has and will inspire you to travel, there is so much out there to experience...new ways of living and seeing the world around you. We are blessed to have had this forum to share this life changing experience with you. Thank you, Namaste.

VIDEO- And In The End...

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This file is big but is well worth the wait...
It's bittersweet putting this final video up, truly the end of a beautiful journey that started last summer in Los Angeles and ends in Bay Area.
Words can't really do justice to our experience, but we have been grateful for the response we have gotten from all of you and hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have. We hope we have inspired some of you to get out there, get a backpack and set off...the adventure of a thousand miles starts with a footsep.
Thanks-Benjamin Jones and Malcolm Guess

VIDEO-Motorcycles...Pure Power!!!

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You just can't tell anyone the rush you feel behind the handle bars of a Yamaha Nuevo...Anyone who has been to Asia knows that without a moto, you can't get around. Motorbikes, motorcycles, mopeds outnumber cars on the roads of Bali, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. For the traveller, it is a necessity to learn how to drive one and how to properly disembark without burning your leg on the right side exhaust which each traveller does at least once as evidenced by the red marks on the tan legs all over south east asia. Hop on board and come for a ride...

VIDEO-Calcutta Tabla Shopping

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We hit Calcutta downtrodden, exhauseted emotionally and physically, we were limping to the finish line...The journey from Nepal to Bodhgaya and then on to Calcutta had been arduous to say the least. We were almost stranded in Bodhgaya and could not take a rickshaw as we were told they were too dangerous at night and we would be robbed. The area is very unsafe and full of bandits and we only made our train by paying a local a relatively exhorbitant amount of money to drive us to the train station. When we arrived to Calcutta's dingey traveller's area we were in bad shape but needed to stick it out to finish buying our instruments. We spent a hot day searching through the various music stores and came away with a very nice set of tablas.

SLIDESHOW-Monkeys

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We have come across many different kinds of monkeys on our travels. Rare gibbons in Thailand, macaques in Bali, langur's in India, and the ones we have stumbled upon while walking down streets, on the beach, in the jungle, or while waiting for buses. My (Ben) mayan birth spell is the Blue Resonant Monkey and I have always felt an affinity with monkeys so I have really enjoyed our many encounters with these creatures that are our closest relatives in the animal world. Enjoy...

VIDEOS- 4 From the Vault

Welcome to our blog!!! If you have a night to kill, we have a lot of videos from our world travels for you. We've decided to go back and pull out some of our favorites and share them with you. Just click on the video image and it will start to download or stream. Enjoy! As always you will need Quicktime to view these do we have provided you with a link on the right where you can get it free from Apple.com.


Dalai Lama: Free Tibet -------------------------From Bali to Bangkok
Laos: Jewel of the Mekong ------------------India: Finding the Beatles

VIDEO-Through a Land of Darkness to Reach the Tree of Light

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It was a tough 4 days as you can read in the entry below, but we made it, even though we had doubts that we would at several times during the journey. When we arrived at this oasis, we were greeted by the sight of monks from all over the world dressed in white, safron, yellow, and red robes chanting and doing prostrations (bowing up and down many times). One cannot but help to feel the profound energy and importance that emanates from this sight, where thousands of monks have been meditating for thousands of years. Upon arrival we circled the grounds which contain many Bodhi trees, temples, and stupas, found a comfortable spot under the same tree as Buddha reached enlightenment and tried to do the same...

SLIDESHOW-Tough Times, Nepal to Bodhgaya

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We left Kathmandu 4 days ago thinking it would take 2 to reach Bodhgaya, India. We could not have predicted what lay in store for us though. Our pilgrimage started out with optimistm and energy but ended with frustration and freyed nerves.
Bodhgaya is home of the Bohdi tree which Sidartha Guatama, or Buddha, reached enlightenment under. Until, we began researching our trip, I did not know that you could visit the actual tree, I thought it was just a myth or a story, but there is an actual tree.
Unfortunately, to get to Bohdgaya, we had to go through hell. The roughest part of our trip up until this point was going from India to Nepal, but from Nepal into Bihar, India was surpassed it. Never was the difference between Nepal and India so evident. Literally, after crossing the border, the vibe of our trip changed, the tone of the people changed...we were thrown back into fending away desperate people who were intent on selling us something or stealing what we had. I cannot judge these people because they are so poor, I do not know what I would do in their situation... Malcolm has been very ill with Giardia, and we have been stuck on dirty trains, horse drawn carts, auto and bicycle rickshaws who have been anything but honest.
The 2 hour bus ride from Muzamphur to Patna was by far the worst of the trip. We had to literally fight people to get a seat, and when we did sit down we were wedged in by people nad luggage. If the bus would have flipped we would have been done. The foul air, thick from chemicals from plastic waste bonfires wafted in throughh the windows and gave us headaches. In Patna, we could not find a guesthouse to sleep in, apparently because we were foreigners. We finally found a place that catered to tourists and we had to pay the most for lodging that we have so far. Upon collapsing on the bed we were excited to order food asw we had not eaten all day. Unfortunatley, the yogurt in the Lassi drink I ordered was off and I began throwing up in the toilet. The hotel staff would not give us our money back and the hot water which should be standard in a hotel of this price did not work.
We left the next morning and made the final leg of the journey to Bodhgaya by bus and by rickshaw. Bodhgaya, is located in the state of Bijar, by far the most dangerous, poor, and lawless region of India. You must watch your back at all times and unfortunately, Buddha's prophecy that the area would be forever plagued by famine, poverty, and war has been true. It is ironic that the holiest of all Buddhist sites is in the middle of such a place.
At this point we are feeling that we are enduring India rather than enjoying it. However, we have been looking forward to reaching Bodhgaya and the Bohdi tree and are looking forward to meditating under it and soaking up the ambience.

VIDEO-Swayambunath Temple, Kathmandu

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Here is some video from a visit to Swayambunath temple to accompany the slideshow below. Enjoy

SLIDESHOW-Kathmadu and Buddha Eyes...

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Kathmandu...located in a valley amidst the mighty Himalayas, it is crowded, polluted, and beautiful. A calm buddhist air manages to overcome this city despite the hustle and bustle. Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu valley and home of the "Buddha Eyes" that adorn hemp bags and wallets of hippies throughout the world. The temple is located on the top of a hill with lush 360 views over the city. Buddhists and even Hindu's come to worship at dawn making the clockwise circumambulations of the stupa. A collection of legends about the site, the 15th century Swayambhu Purana, tells of a miraculous lotus, planted by a past Buddha, which blossomed from the lake that once covered Kathmandu valley. The lotus mysteriously radiated a brilliant light, and the name of the place came to be Swayambhu, meaning 'Self-Created or Self-Existent'.

VIDEO-Nepalese Wedding Procession

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While walking the streets of Kathmandu, it is not uncommon to come across a grand New Orleans style wedding procession complete with brass and drum band. This quick video will give you a peak at one.

Happy New Year!!

We both want to wish everyone a prosperous 2006, where intentions and dreams are created and fulfilled. Be...be here...be there...be that...be this...be grateful for life...be grateful to life.
We are looking forward to this year and excited to share it all with you. Thanks for all the kind words and support that you have given us during our travels. We still have so much more video and slideshows to share with you so keep checking the site. Go on over to myspace.com and be our friend, and you can listen to our music via the links on the right. Thanks
Ben and Malcolm
KAURA

VIDEO-Pokhara, Nepal

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This is a short video offering a peak into some of the people we came across in Pokhara, a beautiful town in Nepal, used as a launching pad for treks into the Himalayas. With the mountains providing a backdrop, the town is set around a lake and is one of those places you want to take with you.

VIDEO-Bus Ride From Hell Part 2

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If you are ever in Varanasi, India and you want to go to Nepal or vice versa, TAKE THE PLANE, the 3 day bus ride from India to Nepal were by far some of the narliest travel experiences we have had. They will break even the most seasoned traveller. I was seriously ill with a stomach virus, drifting in and out of unconsciousness at various states of the trip. Shit, it was horrible.

VIDEO-Bus Musicians

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On the bus ride from Pokhara, Nepal to Kathmandu, these two young boys who coudn't have been more than 12 jumped on the bus for 5 minutes and played some very interesting Nepalese folk songs on violin-like instruments. Unfortunatley, the other people on the bus treated them like an annoyance. However, I was enchanted by there playing.

SLIDESHOW-OM around the world

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The sound OM, and the symbol that represents it are omnipresent throughout India and Nepal. OM is the original and universal sound and seed from which everything is created. It is used in most chants and mantras and is a tool for meditation. You can literally not walk for 10 feet in India without seeing the 3 like symbol on a wall, a taxi, or hanging from a rear view mirror. Here are just some of the OM's we have encountered while in India.

Subscribe to our blog-RSS Feed Now Available

We have added an RSS feed, which means you can now subscibe to this blog. If you have an e-mail program set up for a newsreader than you can receive our full blog to your e-mail account every time we update it. Pluck.com has a free newsreader you can download.
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VIDEO-Trekking Anapurna

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Words can't really do justice to these mountains and neither do images but hopefully we can give you just a fleeting feeling of what it was like to be at 15,000 feet above the cloudline, walking among giants. Unreal...

SLIDESHOW-Hitting the Cloudline, Himalayas

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We woke up at 5AM at Gurapani and made the hour long hike up to Poon Hill to catch one of the most awe-inspiring views of the Himalayas that you can get, short of being up on Anapurna itself. It was cold, the air was very thin, but we made it up there as the sun broke rose above the horizon. We were amidst the clouds but as the wind swepft the top layer off, we gasped as the peaks of 8 mountians exploded into our sight. It was one of the greatest moments of the trip so far and a feeling we will hold close to us forever. To the left is our trusty guide Lok.

SLIDESHOW-Beginning the Trek-Anapurna, Nepal

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We cannot describe the feeling of hiking the Anapurna trail in Nepal, one of the most amazing high altitude treks imaginable through the majestic Himalayas. I have dreamt of the day that the Anapurna mountain range would be within my eye sight...it took 28 years but we are here, and soaking up every minute of it. Our Nepalese porter/guide, Lok, is amazing, a kind soul who takes care of us like we are his children. The scenery is undoubtedly the most beautiful I have ever encountered while backpacking and is lush and green. A huge river creates mamoth waterfalls over huge boulders and a rhodedendrum forest is waiting to bloom. Song ideas are coming fast as we are coming up with soundtracks to suit this awesome landscape.
We have not encountered the Moaist insurgents yet, who have made travel here dangerous for the foreign traveller, until a recent ceasefire was arranged with the government. If it hadn't been for that we would not be in Nepal right now. We expect to encounter them on our way up to Poon Hill, where they collect a $15 "voluntary Tourist Visa" even though it is far from voluntary.

SLIDESHOW-Nepal

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We left Varanasi thinking we would have a somewhat hard 2 days of train and bus travel to Pokhara, Nepal where we would start the Anapurna trek. Unfortunately, it took 3 days and was some of the worst travel conditions yet, and I was was feeling the sickest I have felt in my life. I picked up yet another stomach bug, and when you are travelling on a rickety bus with chickens in the seat next to you, horns honking non-stop, it can make you wish you were home in a hot bath. However, you cannot, we pressed on, and we finally arrived to the glorious sight of the Anapurna range on the horizon. Unfortunatley, my iPod was stolen from me while I was passed out sick on the bus, but we are both ecstatic to be here. These photos of are our first day in Pokhara, which we love. We are headed out trekking in 2 days, which will give me a little more time to recover. Stay tuned...

VIDEO-Famous On Trains

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When we travel by train in India, we seem to attract an awful lot of curious attention. If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a monkey at the Zoo or a Rock Star then hop on board the India Express...

Musical Gods

The sanskrit word for musician is bhagavatharm which means "thee who sings the praises of god." They are people who dance with spirit, who interpret the language of the gods and turn it into something that we can hear. They are thus given the respect that I feel musicians in the west are deserve, but are not given.
Music plays an imprtant role in Indian's spirituality and Hindu religion. Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma, the eternal trinity, were the first musicians. Shiva, the cosmic dancer, worked out the infinite modes of rhythm in the process of universal creation, preservation and destruction. Brahma and Vishnu accentuated the beat with cymbals and mriganga's. Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom plays the mother of all string instruments, the Vina, while Krishna plays the flute, calling the human souls lost in Maya delusion, bacl to their true home...

VIDEO-Ganges at Dawn

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Taking a row boat at dawn down the Ganges was a magical experience and I hope this can convey some of the energy we felt through this video.

VIDEO-Musical India

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We laughed as we walked down the narrow streets here as ragas and the drone of the tambura wafted through the air, we couldn't believe our ears. We are so happy to be here as Varanasi is known as the music capital of India and offers up a smorgasboard of musical perfomances, shops, and lessons for the interested traveller. Every night we checked out a different performace, from the guitar-like sarod, to the sitar, flute, and tabla. We even managed to sneak in some lessons for ourselves in between all the yoga and meditation.

SLIDESHOW-River of Life and Death

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Waking up before dawn to take a rowboat along the Ganges' bathing, burning, and ritual ghats was a surreal experience to say the least. To be around people with such devotion, and belief in ceremony and ritual was very moving as Americans in general are so far removed from these things in their daily lives. Video footage of this will be coming soon.

VIDEO-Varanasi...ceremony, ritual, and spirit

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Once you step outside of your guesthouse in Varanasi, you enter a world like no other you have experienced...the cobble stone streets are stained with cow dung and shiva's footprints. Holy people, holy rituals, holy water, and holy spirits...

SLIDESHOW-Varanasi, Holy Smoke

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Varanasi…the holy city of shiva, holiest in all of India, sitting along the banks of the Ganges, where life and death coexist harmoniously. It is one of the world’s oldest cities dating back to the 6th century AD. It is a “crossing place” that allow devotees to access the divine and enable Gods and Goddesses to come down to earth. A Hindu who dies here, attains instant (moksha) or escape from the cycle of life and death. Because of this, many sick and elderly come here to live our their final days.
At first arrival, Varanasi seems like a God-forsaken and even God-less city, but if you give it a chance, it will slowly seduce you and reveal its soul to you. It truly is filthy, it is nearly impossible to walk 6 steps without walking in cow shit, and red paan (after-meal tobacco chew) stains cover most of the walls. The smell of the place is quite hard on the nose and you are offered charas (hash) every 5 minutes and silk and saris every 2, not to mention the car horns that incessantly blow all the time in your face. The first couple of days were quite draining but the characters who inhabit this place and those who make the pilgrimage to bathe in the sacred Ganges, make it all worthwhile. Ironically, the Ganges is one of the dirtiest, if not the dirtiest, river in the world, plagued by chemical pollutants, dead bodies, garbage, and poo poo. It is odd that this river that the Indian people revere with such passion, gets physical respect, but that is one of the many “why do they do that” things that are abound in India. Along the 7km stretch in Varansi, where there are over 26 bathing and “burning” ghats, over 30 sewers discharge into the river. The pilgrims and locals are literally washing in their own shit. Water safe for bathing should contain less that 500 faecal coliform bacteria per 100ml (a small glass of water) of water, the Ganges contains over 1.5 million!!! However, by far the worst problem affecting the river is the chemical waste that is discharged into the river.
Yesterday, we visited the burning ghat, where bodies are cremated and then released into the river. It was one of the most intense things I have ever seen as the bodies were very visible on top of these beds of wood and you could see and smell the flesh and organs burning right in front of you. It is the most auspicious place for a a Hindu to be cremated as the fire is supposedly lit from the same fire that Shiva’s wife Parvati made. The wood is carefully measured weighed out as they know exactly how much it will take to incinerate a body. Wood such as sandalwood and mango wood is more expensive and the uppercaste are usually cremated with that in a separate area cordoned off as to be separated from the lower caste Hindi’s.
One of the most fascinating things to watch here are the morning Puja rituals and evening time Ganga Aarti rituals. At dawn, thousands of people come to the river to perform prayers and songs to the river. The mellow morning light gives the river a mystic glow as Sadhus perform elaborate rituals waist deep in the water appearing from a distance to be fantastical creatures from another world. At sunset, Ganga Aarti is performed where thousands of floating candles, flowers, and food are released into the river and young priests oversee the affair with an elaborate ceremony involving lots of fire and incense. To see people with such reverance for ceremony and ritual is truly inspiring to me even though most of the time I understand none of it. I have enjoyed just sitting and watching the parade of people and plays go by me as I try to take it all in.
Seeing that Rishikesh did not live up to our expectations, we will be doing extensive yoga and meditation classes here as well as music lessons as Varanasi is the musical capital of Northern India. Breathe with me...

To Varanasi we go...

We left behind the explosions of firecrackers at midnight and had to overpay greatly to find anyone who would take us to the train station in Ajmer, 30 minutes away on this final night of Dewali. Our ears still ringing and my stomach still reeling from the horrible and debilitating stomach illness I have been in bed the past 3 days recovering from, we boarded our train for what may be the hardest and most intense time for us on this trip so far.
Varanasi, the holiest city in India, is also the most talked about among travellers' circles. Some hate the crowded and dirty streets while others are captured by the holy vibes emanating off of the river and the ceremonies performed there at dawn and at sunset. Sadhus from all over India pilgrimage to bathe in the holy waters as do thieves to prey upon the google-eyed travellers. We have been told to watch our backs andexpectations we have and let the city unfold before us...expect the unexpected, fascination abounds. be aware of the many scams that fill the city. We are trying to dissolve any preconceptions and expectations we have and let the city unfold before us...expect the unexpected, fascination abounds.

VIDEO-Indian Dreams

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India...a paradox, an enigma, loving it, hating it, crying, laughing, repulsion, fascination, nowhere else in the world would I rather be than right here right now.

Pushkar, Rajastan...dust, desert, camels, saris, and M-80's.

As we walk though the dusty streets, kicking up the dirt beneath our feet, we enter Pushkar, the city of Brahma. A city built around a holy lake, where many Hindus come to bathe and place flowers on the water for Puja, offerings to Brahma for good luck. We aren’t the only ones arriving in Pushkar today. Along with us there are many travelers, Indians, gypsies, beggars, street musicians, vendors and numerous others coming to this holy city for the Dewali celebration. What Dewali is the celebration of, we still don’t really know. What we gleaned after asking several people was the vague understanding that it’s a day when all of Indian people are happy, beyond that no one seemed to really know, but we absolutely found out HOW they celebrated Dewali - with explosives! In the days leading up to Dewali we noticed that there were progressively more and more M-80’s, bottle rockets, thunder bombs and other insanely loud firecrackers going off. We, at first, just figured that these Indian kids just loved to have a good time by blowing things up. Wearing earplugs when walking down the streets was mandatory for preventing the unfortunate misstep of walking passed an M-80 just after it had been lit by a little boy. If you closed your eyes it wouldn’t seem to be a stretch of the imagination to be in a war erupting around you, with machine guns, pistols and hand grenades exploding in every direction. The video might give you a slice of what it was like. But not all the excitement was celebrated with explosives. Sweet shops kept their fires and vats stoked late into the morning hours boiling up small mountains of sugary treats for all to consume during the festivities. Small clay dishes with lit oil wicks sat burning, around every corner, stoop and step. Incense wafted from every miniature shrine, while there were gatherings for prayer in every shop keeper’s store. The whole town took part in the celebrations and I even saw a cow festively stomping on a pile of bang snaps. Dewali, after all was said and done, or rather, all had been lit and exploded, turned out to be a what we were told it would be…a time when all Indian people were happy. I’m still curious to know how many little fingers were lost from that evening's display of haphazard fireworks.
Though there was a constant but erratic rhythm of explosions throughout the days we still managed to find some places away from the noise and chaos. One of those places for me was when I hiked up the small mountain just outside of town to where a temple was built at its peak. I sat on the stone-walled roof of the temple, with the distant sounds of the town below me to the East and the orange and amber glow of the setting sun to the West. I took in the peaceful stillness while I sat,inhaling the soft scent of burning incense from the temple, caught in the arid desert breeze. I used that time to reflect on where we had been for the past 3 months and why we had chosen to set out on this journey. We were on a mission to seek out and collect instruments from these various countries as well as immerse ourselves in the experience of being…being in worlds that were completely foreign to anywhere we had ever been, experiencing new things, and opening our minds to new thoughts. All of these were the pearls of life, which often times were hidden within the hard and unyielding shell of traveling. It was the steep and arduous hikes up mountains which offered us the beauty of an evening sunset, or the long and grueling bus rides which brought us to a desert oasis. The hard work and determination of opening that shell was worth every ounce of energy once our eyes reflected on the shimmer of the pearl inside. In a short while we’ll be returning to the States to pour our experiences into new instruments, new songs and a new album. So in those moments of reflection on the top of the mountain, I was able to lift my head, take another breath before immersing myself once again for the last month of our travels through India and Nepal.

VIDEO-Pakistani Rebel Attack on Film!!

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We've just escaped from Pushkar, India with our lives. You may have heard about this on CNN, but this may be some of the first footage to get out there. We are just thankful to be alive and to be able to get this to you.

SLIDESHOW-Laugh Out Loud

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We have come across many funny and sometimes disturbing images on our travels. Fortunately, we have had our camera cocked for some of them so we could share the laughs with you...enjoy!

SLIDESHOW-Pushkar...Colors of the Desert

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What first hits you when you arrive in Pushkar, Rajastan is not the smell of the cow shit everywhere, but the vibrant colors that shoot off of the cool desert background in the form of sari's, pastel painted walls, and jewelry. For some reason, the women in Rajastan are into bright colors and it is beautiful...
Pushkar is the town of the God Brahma. It is believed that Lord Brahma set out on a quest for a tranquil spot to perfom a yagna (ceremonial sacrifice) when a lotus fell from his hand. A lake sprang forth from the ground at the spot where the lotus fell. The town is centered around this holy lake and pandas (Brahmin priests) some real, some fake coerse you into perfoming elaborate ceremonies on the edge of the lake for your family members and then demanding ridiculous amounts of money for it. It is also the home of the only Brahmin temple in the world. The town is dusty and laid back and a perfect place to chill out, drink a lassi and watch the colorful parade of people and camels stroll by. Unfortunately, I (Ben) got a very bad stomach virus and spent most of my time in bed.

VIDEO-Search for the Beatles Ashram

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Ever since the 4 Beatles came to Rishikesh in the spring of 1968 to study transcendental meditation with the Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi, Rishikesh has been a mecca for westerners on the spritual path. I was fascinated to visit the ashram in which they had stayed knowing that they had written many of the songs on the White Album while there and had seen film footage of the trip. When I arrived, I was told the ashram had been closed by the Indian government years ago, due to tax reasons but I could pay a guard who was stationed there 10 rupees to get it. I spoke with some locals and made my way down the banks of the river to try and find the ashram, with sadhus pointing me in the right direction, I found it, dodged the monkeys guarding the outside, payed the guard and got inside. It was a beautiful day and I had the entire place to myself. It was completley overgrown with shrubbery and had a very mystical quality about it. Small transcendental meditation domes were abound everywhere and I managed to find the two large ones on top of the main building where John Lennon wrote "Across the Universe". Check it out...

VIDEO-Land of Enlightenment

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We had a lot of expectations for Rishikesh, the “yoga capital of the world”. Arriving early one brisk morning at dawn, we crossed the pedestrian bridge over the Ganges river as a heavy mist/smog settled on the water. There are many ashrams in Rishikesh and we were excited to try yoga and meditation classes at some and pick where we would set up camp for the next 2 weeks. This is the same place where the Beatles spent two months post Sergeant Peppers to delve into their spirituality and write songs for what would become the White Album. Since then, Rishikesh has become a mecca for foreigners. Being on the banks of the holy ganges it also attracts a large amount of sadhus, beggars, and pilgrims. The caves in the hills that overlook the town are filled with baba’s and others seeking enlightenment and make for a very interesting hike. However, upon taking our initial stroll through town, the reality of the situation dawned on us. This was not the beautifully idyllic place, where you could “sip ayurevedic tea, while taking in the good vibes” as lonely planet had put it. It was a cow shit infested concrete ghetto. The ashrams felt like prisons and were surrounded by imposing walls, the grounds inside were not conducive to calming the mind, often filled with ugly plaster statues of the Hindu deities. The rooms in San Quentin must put the rooms in these ashrams to shame, they were horribly depressing. I guess we had really envisioned an inspiring place like some places I have visited in California like Esalen, but this was not the case. We took some yoga classes and were not impressed by the teachers. We have had better yoga classes at the YMCA in Los Angeles and this is supposed to be the yoga capital of the world. It became apparent that our time here would not be as long as expected and we would have to get our yoga and meditation fix elsewhere, because staying at a place like this for 2 weeks after being in Mcleod Ganj, one of the highlights of our trip so far, was not appealing.
We mustn’t discredit the place entirely though, because we did meet some people there who were enjoying the place and the yoga, it was not for us though. The highlight of the trip for me though was getting into the defunct and derelict ashram of the Maharishi, where the Beatles stayed. You can see the video for that in its own entry that we will post soon. It all worked out well though, because it freed up time for us to head west to the colorful desert of Rajastan, in Western India, which was not on our itinerary initially as well as adding days to our trip to Nepal.

SLIDESHOW-Rishikesh

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We bid a sad farewell to Mcleod Ganj and headed on an overnight 12 hour bus journey from hell, which seemed like it didn't hit a straight stretch of road for more than 20 seconds. We did not get much sleep and arrived to the fog covered Ganges river and a sleepy Rishikesh at dawn. We headed out to find an ashram where we would spend the next 10 days studying yoga and meditation...

VIDEO-Free Tibet

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While in Mcleod Ganj, what was once a bumper sticker on a car or a t shirt became very personal to us. For those of you who do not know about the situation in Tibet, China violently invaded Tibet in 1949 and has murdered over 1 million Tibetans since then, as well as destroying anything to do with their culture or religion. It is a serious problem and right now George Bush has the power to hold China accountable but is not. If you are interested please visit Free Tibet.org to learn about the issue.

We have spent days strolling around the town, talking with the monks and Tibetan refugees who have all, every single one of them, made the dangerous and arduous escape over the Himalayas from their Chinese occupied homeland to safety here in Northern India. One man's story particularly struck me. He is a Tibetan massage therapist named Gampo who made the journey 7 years ago. He was the only one in his family to have done so and therefore is away from his Mom and Dad and his 6 brothers. He could not stand the repression involved with living there and decided he had to leave. He has not seen his family since, but his Mom and Dad will make the journey here in February to visit him for 3 months before they return to Tibet, it will most likely be the last time he sees them…
There are thousands of stories like Gompos all over Mcleod Ganj/Dharmasala, India. Yet these people, in large part due to their faith in Buddhism and the peaceful and compassionate leadership of the Dalai Lama have remained hopeful, forgiving, and happy despite the fact that over 1.2 million Tibetans have been killed by the Chinese. It seems ironically appropriate that we kill off the people who have been studying the human mind and consciousness for thousands of year and have the potential to unlock so many secrets about ourselves and ways of knowing if we would only let them.

SLIDESHOW-Love from Tibet

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Mcleod Ganj/Dharamasala... There is so much to take in...he impressive artwork and mandalas that fill many of the shops here, the Tibetan chanting and horns that wake you in the morning, the monks in their daily practices of lively debate, and the views of the Himalayas which I have been awaiting for years. We have taken several walks around the Temple Complex and home of the Dalai Lama, watching Tibetan pilgrims and monks making the clockwise Kora(religious circuit) around the temple swinging their prayer wheels. The food has been great and we have enjoyed many lunches of Momo’s, traditional Tibetan dumplings with ultra spicy red sauce. The images and deities associated with Tibetan Buddhism are enchanting and fascinating to learn about as they are so ancient in their origins. Several times a year, intricate colored sand Mandalay are painted and then ritually destroyed to practice non-attachment, a key Buddhist principle as attachment only leads to suffering. Hopefully, some of these images will transport you there for a minute.

VIDEO- A Tibetan Pilgrimage

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In Mcleod Ganj, there is a beautiful complex that houses a traditional Buddhist temple as well as the residence of the Dalai Lama. Pilgrims come from all over India and from Tibet to make the clockwise circuit around the complex known as a "kora". Walking this circuit with these pilgrims and monks was a very special feeling. Unfortunatley, they cannot practice these same religous rituals in Tibet due to Chinese persecution so here in India and in Nepal are the only places that they can take part in these important exercises in their faith.

Slideshow- Mcleod Ganj- Tibet in Exile

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We moved on from the frantic craziness of Dehli to go to Northern India, more specifically Dharamasala/Mcleod Ganj, which since 1961 has been the home of the Tibetan Government in exile, the Dalai Lama, and over a hundred thousand Tibetans who have made the dangerous trek through the Himalayas from Tibet.
We were looking forward to delve into Tibetan Buddhism, which fascinates us, as well as the music and culture of the Tibetan people who are struggling to keep their history alive as the Chinese try to exterminate it. The people are so kind here and their faces hold such a mystic quality which is enchanting. These people have truly suffered and to see their optimism and lack of attachment to suffering or anything for that matter is inspiring. The Dalai Lama is in town and we will be attending a special talk of his tommorow, we are buzzing with the excitement of this. Namaste...

VIDEO-Instrument Shopping in Delhi

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While in Delhi, we headed to the row of music stores near Chowndi Chawk market in Old Delhi to start our search for sitars, tablas, sirongis, and sarods. It was a fun experience as we were often given little impromptu "concerts" by the owners showing off the instruments and their skills. Now we just have to figure out how we are going to get these things home...

VIDEO-Bicycle Power!

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One thing that is unique to Asia but is quickly dwindeling is the use of cycle rickshaws or pedal powered taxis with a seat for 2 even though as many as 6 can be crammed on in some cases. We have taken many a ride on one with our backpacks and all and some of these guys are just animals!! Talk about strength and endurance. To see the real Delhi, you have to take one of these around on the crowded streets of Old Delhi...come along.

VIDEO- The Odyssey Begins

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It was definately an intense time for us as we made the journey from Thailand to Bangladesh to India. A feeling like you are about to get yourself into something you don't fully understand or comprehend and don't know what to expect. There are plenty more videos and photos to come, we just have to find a place to upload them as facilities here are extremely limited. Thanks again for all the supportive e-mails and comments, you guys rock and make this all worth it!!

SLIDESHOW-First Days in Delhi

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Our first days in Delhi were an eye opening experience. Even the most seasoned traveller's find arriving in Delhi a trying experience. Nothing can truly prepare you for what you can come across. If you can imagine stepping into one of these photos then you can begin to get an idea of what it is like.

INDIA Awaits

As I sit here on the cold tile floor of Bangkok’s Don Meung International Airport, waiting to board our Biman Bangladeshi Airways flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh and then on to Delhi, India, I am overcome with a sense of anticipation, anxiousness, nervousness, and excitement. India has been a mecca to myself and Malcolm. Ever since I can remember wanting to travel, I always thought of the day when I would hike the mighty Himalayas or wander down cobblestone streets filled with colours, scents, and sounds that conjure up images of saris, silks, sitars, samosa’s, and sadhu’s. India is known for its ability to inspire, frustrate, thrill, and confound all at once. It is a multi-dimensional technicolor country, with each region offering its own food, culture, religion, and geography. We have been told that the poverty is confronting and alarming and the sheer crush of humanity can turn walking down a street or entering a train station a struggle. However, the rewards are tremendous, as the culture is so rich, it’s religions among the oldest.
As we only have a limited amount of time, we decided to not try and do the entire country but rather focus on one region so we could fully appreciate what it has to offer. Our trip will see us in the north where most of India’s main spiritual sites and musical offerings are located. We begin in Delhi where we will be staying with some friends from Santa Cruz, Jessa and Mike who live there now. From there we will head up into the Himalayas and to Mcleod Ganj, where the Tibetan government and people in exile are located and where the Dalai Llama lives and teaches. I cannot think of a better place I would want to spend my birthday! We will be taking some classes in Tibetan music and volunteering our time teaching English to newly arrived Tibetan political refuges. We also hope to take in a small lecture taught by the Dalai Lama himself. From there, we will be doing some trekking in the Himalayas and then down to the yoga and spiritual epicenter’s of Hardiwar and Rishikesh. We will be doing yoga and meditation while there as well as taking some traditional Indian music classes. We then head south through Delhi again to pick up some traditional instruments and then it will be off to Varanasi, the city of Shiva, the holiest city in India where pilgrims come from all over to wash away their sins in the Ganges. From there we will either continue heading east along the north of India to Bohdigaya, home of the Bohdi tree, where the Buddha achieved enlightenment, Buddhism’s most revered sites, or we will head up to Katmandu, Nepal depending on the time and money we have left. Nepal has some instruments that we are very interested in so we are hoping to make it there. We finish our trip in Calcutta, the intellectual and cultural capital of the nation, known for its Bengali dance, music, film, and food, and unfortunately, its squalor and poverty.
. We are looking forward to sharing the many sites and sounds that we will be encountering there and know there will be no lack of photos and video. The only thing that we can hope for is that we will have access to fast internet connections to upload our images. Expect the unexpected…

VIDEO-Editing Video

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.When we have any sort of downtime, this is how I spend it...editing video, sometimes literally for days on end, ecspeically when we are in Bangkok at Happy House, our home away from home. I can easily just get into a zone as evidenced by this video.-Ben

Kaura featured in The Music Edge

KAURA featured as 'Spotlight Artist' on NAMM website The Music Edge alongside Ministry, Franz Ferdinand, and Thrice.

We were interviewed just weeks before taking off to travel by the Music Edge and you can check it out by CLICKING HERE

Thanks to Paul Coover for sticking it out in the LA traffic (-:

VIDEO-Phang Nga...God's Playground

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Phang Nga National Marine Park in Southern Thailand is truly one of the most stunning places we have ever been. We chartered a long tail boat that took us through this archipelego of islands and limestone pieces that jut out of the water like they had been dropped from the sky. You may recognize the island to the left as Scaramaga's hideout in the 1973 James Bond film 'The Man with The Golden Gun.' This video does not do justice to it but it is all we can do.

What so funny about peave love and understanding?

Elvis Costello said it best.
What’s the meaning of this?…This is the one question that we’ve been asking ourselves recently. The subject of this question is pointed to the violent and destructive energy that’s been following us, and in general, seems to be erupting all over the world lately. When we arrived in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai and Pai were just recovering from disastarous flooding which took lives and livelihoods of people living there. The next tragedy to strike was the furthest from us but closest to hit home when Hurricane Katrina decimated Louisiana. What was almost more atrocious than the damage done by the hurricane was our own countries efforts to help the people in need. Then hurricane Rita hit not more than a week later at just about the same time a typhoon ripped through the Northern Vietnam in our hemisphere. All of the global unrest seemed strangely parallel to the violent energy that was present in our immediate surroundings. Everything from witnessing a man being beaten in the street on Khoa San road to seeing two street vendors quarrel, leading up to the man beating the woman in front of her child. This was the cresendo to our own run in with the group of Thai men who attacked us. Yet it didn’t stop there. Once we left the scene of Ko Phang Ngan, we walked onto the set of yet another violent play when we arrived on the peaceful island of Ko Phi Phi, where one evening while sitting on our porch we heard a gunshot ring out, only to find out the next morning that it was the sound that took the life of a local man who was shot dead on the floor of his shop, and who we had spoken with a day earlier. When we arrived on Ko Phi Phi, the locals were just getting back on their feet after the Tsunami of last Decmber. Some of the people we met there had lost their entire family and everything they had owned, but they, themselves, were still alive, trying to find a way to live with their loss. Then after leaving the islands we heard of the bombings in Kuta, Bali where we had just been weeks before. This tremor was just the precurser to destruction of the earthquake which shook parts of Pakistan and India. So again the question was asked….What’s the meaning of all this!? Well it’s hard to say exactly what the ‘meaning’ of all this suffering is but maybe the answer to that question isn’t one that ends with a period but rather one that ends in a question. Maybe the question is really one that we should be asking ourselves…asking us to look around ourselves and at ourselves, to see the connection between the destructive energy in the world and the destructive energy within us. Maybe instead of finding an answer to our question we should find a new question…”What’s the meaning of this, and how is the energy that I put out related to this.” Am I a part of the suffering in this world or am I part of the healing of this world. Are the choices I make choices which help or choices which hurt. Maybe through the experience of suffering ourselves we might be able to identify with the suffering of other people or another country…and recognize it as the same.

SLIDESHOW-Thai Islands

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Even though our time on the islands was cut short by circumstances beyond our control, we still managed to have some adventues and make the most of it. Enjoy