About 40 years ago, a young Danish girl read about a holy mountain in India, and a yogi who had spent most of his life in a cave on that mountain.
The mountain was called Arunachala.

Indian philosophy and religion fascinated her, and when the spiritual teacher Swami Narayanananda came to Denmark in 1971, she was given the Indian name Padma by him.

Swami Narayanananda established an Ashrama – the Indian name for a monastery where meditation and yoga is practiced on a daily basis – in Denmark, and Padma joined this Ashram in 1980.

She learned more and more about India without ever having actually been there.

All this was back in the 1970ies and 1980ies.
Then one and a half year ago, in 2003, Padma spoke of her dream about going to India, and when I told her that I also never had been to India, she asked me: “Would you like to join in on a trip to India?”

“I always have wanted to go to India,” I replied. “Just never got around to it. But, yes, I have this conviction that one must have experienced India at least once in a lifetime.”

“So... what are we waiting for? Let's go there together!”, Padma suggested.

“Let’s do it!”

To get a good offer on the air ticket, we purchased it a year in advance.

In each our own way, we were set for our first “pilgrimage” to India.

“Once you are on the train, sit down and relax! The tracks have been laid. No need to stand there with all your luggage in your hand.

Sri Ramana

“Our sages had discovered man's destination – self-realisation – and the path. India's role now is to lead humanity towards spiritual goals. It is this we should be proud of, not rising GDP.”

From the front cover of Life Positive Magazine, issue 10, 2004


WORLD GURU

“India's singular contribution to the world of metaphysical thought is one single phrase, the loftiest ever: Aham brahmasmi. God is within man, not up there.
The Veda is not partial to Indians. It proclaims: Amritasya putrah (all of us human beings are children of immortality).
(...)
Our saints and sages, down the ages, have discovered and developed an endless stream of ways and yogas for Self- and God-realisation. It is these spiritual insights and methodologies the world has increasingly been knocking at India's door for. Our role and mission is to spread this knowledge. We are the world guru, no less.”

Editor-in-chief Parveen Chopra, Life Positive Magazine



STING'S PASSION FOR INDIA

“I visit India very often. I think my favourite city is probably Benares. There's something very magical about that city. I like the Hindu religion more than anything else at this moment,” says rock star Sting who performs in India on February 4 (in Bangalore) and 6 (in New Delhi).
“I will spend the rest of my life discovering your beautiful country. I’ve become addicted to it,” says Sting in an exclusive interview to the Times of India on January 29, 2005.

SPIRITUAL POSITION

“By year 2020, India will regain its pre-eminent intellectual and spritual position in the world...”

Dr Sanjay Paswan, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development in the Government of India

There is a time difference of 4,5 hours between India and Denmark, and between India and Australia.

2.8 million tourists visit India every year.

The average annual income here is DKK 2,700. In Denmark it is DKK 200,000.

It is the same way with the general price level here. Things are 7-10 times cheaper in India as compared to Denmark.

India is the fourth largest economy in the world – after the US, China and Japan. The US accounts for 21.1 percent of the world GDP, India for 5.7 percent, according to The Washington Times' year-end review, Dec 2004.

India is the largest democracy in the world.

Indians hold many remarkable world records in the Guiness Book of Records, such as to stand up in 17 years, stand on one leg in 36 hours, talk nonstop in 360 hours, whistle nonstop in 45 hours and 20 minutes, and to crawl 1,400 kilometers.

The Indian postal service is the largest in the world, with more than 150,000 post offices.

Indian Railways employs 1.5 million people.


INDIA AND DENMARK

Indian companies are entering the Danish market – according to this article (in Danish) entitled: “The Indians are coming”.

“Let us think not of big things, but of good things...”

Mahatma Gandhi

SPECIAL INDIAN NUMBERS

1 lakh means “100,000”

1 crore means “10 millions”



CURRENCY

One rupee is equal to 14 øre
(January 2005).

1 Danish krone (DKK) is equal to 7 rupees.

If you only travel with a creditcard, there are “ATM” stands in almost every city where you can withdraw cash. VISA is the most common.
ATM stands for Automatic Teller Machine.

“God is too big to be inside one religion”

Text on the back of a t-shirt




The word ‘aum’ which is written all over on buildings, trucks, bags and t-shirts, and often heard repeated endlessly in the temples, has over 100 different meanings. One of them is: “Welcome to God”.

ACCOMODATION
PRICES

It is easy to find a “standard” hotel room for DKK 25-35 a night. If you want hot water, tv, and better comfort, the prices start at around DKK 100 and upwards.
Good rooms at beach resorts in Goa cost approximately DKK 200.

indiatimes.com

lifepositive.com

mapsofindia.com

indianrail.gov.in

indianvisit.com

outlooktraveller


HEALTH

rejsedoktor.dk



FASHION

Designer Troy de Costa - Mobile: 09820071069,
email

Leaving Copenhagen at 7:30 in the morning, we arrive at midnight in Chennai. From Frankfurt it is a 10 hour flight.

First thing we meet in the corridor of the airport: a three meter high granite statue of an Indian goddess. “Hi there!”

At 1:30 am, we are picked up by Stephan, a taxi driver who has been waiting for us since midnight. Out of the airport in Stephan's taxi with a stack of rupees in each our pockets. At 5:30 am, we arrive at our destination, Tiruvannamalai. After a bit of searching, we eventually manage to find Jens Valmiki's house, just in time to watch the first sunlight behind the holy Mountain of Shiva, Arunachala.

We have arrived at the “cold season”, just at the end of the rainy season. The clima is pleasant, like a warm Danish summer day. Dry air with small breezes. At night, it drops to 18 C.

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 17, 2004, at 09:13

At 5 am, I am up again after just few hours of sleep, feeling fresh and somewhat “speedy”, sitting on roof terrasse watching BigDipper which is upside down, and Venus right above the mountain silhouet – waiting for daybreak while eating bananas. Had many dreams this night.
As it gets light at 6, I sit for an hour in silence, reading the first chapters of Paulo Coelho's book ‘The Alchemist’ – about a shepherd boy who follows his dream.

The day is spent mountaineering with Jens, and we visit the great temple of the city (where photography is not allowed).

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 17, 2004, at 09:24

We enrolled at the Sri Ramana Asram yesterday, and spent half the day walking around Shiva’s Mountain, Arunachala, together with Ramana Das.

Staying at this ashram is a very pleasant experience. Somewhat like living in a monestary, with fixed eating times, and meals which are rather monk-like (rice and sauce served from buckets on a palm leaf on the stone floor, to be eaten with the hand.)

This Sunday we were up at 6:20 in order to attend the morning prayers, and apart from that we are just taking it easy: reading books, writing, going to cyber cafes, drinking coffee. Enjoying the wonderful summer weather. Being real luxury monks!

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 19, 2004, at 12:26

Spend most of the day climbing up and down Mount Arunachala.
In the evening, we join the singing in Bagawan Samadhi Hall.
Tomorrow, we are up at 5:00 again – for some more mountain hiking.

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 20, 2004, at 21:21

Believe it or not: Today we walk around Arunachala Mountain for the third time, this time along the “inner path”. After that a second visit to the huge Arunachala Temple. Less busy there today.
In the evening, we had the most beatiful Solstice (solhverv) celebration at Jens Valmiki's place.

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 21, 2004, at 19:29

Great non-alcoholic party celebration we had yesterday at Jens Valmiki's place. And what a fabulous morning. Somewhere out in the landscape, a loudspeaker is playing a soft Indian bamboo flute and the "Aum"-word repeated in a never-ending cycle – live devotional music at a temple somewhere – while the light of the rising sun behind Arunachala Mountain changes the colours of the sky every minute.
Today, we are off for Utopia!
More about that later, because now it is time for breakfast here: coffee, bananas, coconut and papaya with lemon. Mmmm!

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 22, 2004, at 07:13

A two-hour drive from here, near Pondicherry – and old French harbour city – lies a very unique community called Auroville.
Don't have time now to write about it, but to start with, here are some photos from today.

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 22, 2004, at 23:31

Off for Bangalore at 11:45 am, a 200 kilometers ride in a chartered taxi. Trafic here is something else! Half of the trip is on a smooth and pleasant four-laned motorway, but the fact that cars, motorcycles and ox-wagons have no inhibitions driving in the wrong direction on the wrong side of the fence in the middle, makes the fast driving into quite a “thriller”.
Arrival Bangalore 15:00.
Still 1,025 kilometers to go before I hit Bombay where Deb will be arriving on January 5.

Bangalore is possibly an interesting city, but the air pollution from car exhaustion is immense and ruins it all, as far as I am concerned.
Because I only have little amount of rupees left in cash and instead want to use my VISA-card, buying a 512 MB USB-key becomes a real farce that takes us more than an hour to go through. Eventually I manage to get hold of it for DKK 400, which I reckon is a good price.

Generally, about economy here in India: almost everything is between seven and ten times cheaper than in Denmark. Bus fares, air tickets, restaurant meals, vegetables, clothes, shoes, hotel rooms, a cup of coffee, magazines... Everything almost ten times cheaper. It makes shopping and traveling around here quite a pleasure – when you come from the West.

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 23, 2004, at 22:28

Escaped Bangalore at 9 am yesterday. I really didn't like the air pollution in that city. Can still feel it in my throat and lounges. How can people survive in such a blue cloud of car-smoke?
After a pleasant busride (Rajahamsa express deluxe, costing DKK 10), we arrive in Mysore at around 1 pm, and easily find a hotel near the Palace in the center of town.

Mysore is very different from anything we've seen so far: a town with green parks, wide streets, not much trafic, pavements looking (relatively) clean and nice, and with many interesting old buildings. We take a stoll around the impressive palace, and then four kilometers out of town to yet another holy mountain, Mount Shamundi – as it said on a sign: “This is one of the eight most holy mountains in Southern India”.
We spend the last part of our Christmas day there, and find out that the real Santa Claus doesn't live in Greenland, he lives in a cave, the Cave Shiva Temple. (See photo evidence). We also say hello to the bull Nandi, and have a delicious Indian Christmas supper at the most fancy restaurant in town...

Tomorrow at 8 am, we are off for the jungle and the mountains to meet with some people. A site some 150 kilometers from Mysore. Supposed to be a nice and quiet place, and I'm imagining that it could be a place to settle for some days and get down to doing some (work-related) writing of my own. So... if you don't hear from me for some days then you will know why.

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 25, 2004, at 18:05

Sitting in the shade on the porch in a pleasant breeze. The only sounds around me are... well, to be honest I don't know whether they are birds, frogs or cicades. The classic sounds of the rain forest, anyways. From time to time the wind makes the leaves of the trees give a low hushhhhhhhhhhh...
And at other times, from the kitchen behind the house, some distant voices, a little rattle from a pot being moved, sometimes laughter.
And that is it.
Such peace!
In particular, the contrast is striking after 10 days of Indian City Life.
We have come to a truly heavenly and peaceful place, 20 kilometers away from the nearest bus stop – which equals an hour drive in a jeep or landrover because it is a little road and it is not in its best condition.

To me, this is heavenly. Beautiful surroundings, tasty food, and the most beautiful and hospitable people living here. Bananas picked straight from a tree in the backyard, coffee beans that are picked in the garden right outside the balcony, roasted, and served with Indian ginger snacks.

Finally some time for getting down to writing...

How it looks where I am sitting and typing this right now...

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 27, 2004, at 18:53

Getting online is not easy in this area of Coorg where we are staying presently. Today, we travelled two hours in the jeep to reach a town where they have a proper internet connection.

Though we were sitting at that same beach which was hit three days before it happened, the tsunami tidal wave catastrophe is as far, if not further away from us as it is to people in Denmark. Probably even further, because we don't get the daily tv news here. We only hear about it by spoken words, or sms'es.

In short, the message from here is: Don't worry, I am okay here! :-)

posted by Mik Aidt on Dec 30, 2004, at 15:03

Happy new year to everyone! Hope you had a nice one.
We are still up in the mountains, and have had a very nice and very peaceful new year's evening here, without party, dancing, music, drinking and all the rest. Again, we were invited out to one of Biddu's five brothers for dinner, and there was an electricity cut as usual, so basically, a good part of our new years eve was spent sitting in a living room on a couch, in darkness most of the time, for all together one and a half hour while waiting for the food to be ready. It was worth waiting for, though. The local Indian cooking is absolutely scrumptious (and hot).

More about the week we have spent here in the mountains of Coorg.

I am off for Bombay tomorrow morning – a trip of 1,000 kilometers, and Padma is off for Chennai. A new chapter is about to begin.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 01, 2005, at 13:49

What a day! Travelling in India sure can be an experience!

Get up at 04:00 am, and have my last cup of coffee together with Biddu whom I have become so fond of, and his coffee as well. He gives me a package of his home-grown beans to bring with me home to Denmark.
At 05:00, bye to Padma who is heading for Mysore and Chennai, going home on Wednesday.
Biddu drives me to Virajpet where I enter a bus at around 6:30. No seats available except in the very back – which is where I sit, jumping up in the air from time to time, cramped together with seven other people on that backseat, until we reach Mangalore at 12:00.
“I'm not going to go on with more busriding,” I think to myself, and take off for the train station, even though I know there are no seats or sleepers available on the train that leaves at 14:40.
Meet up with Faisal, hotel manager and chef who started up a number of famous places in Goa, and is now moving to Hong Kong to work with a big hotel chain. He just came back from the holidays with his family in the very south of India.
Having been in Goa since 1991, he gives me some good advice about the place.
The Matsyagandha Express train ride is an experience which exceeds most train ride experiences from Africa. It is the end of the Christmas holidays, everyone is going home, and there are SO many people wanting to be on this train – in the wagons for those without reservation – that just 10 minutes in such a place would give most people claustrophobia. Long story, I'll leave it for later. Short version: it is tough, but fun too. You get stepped on, squeezed, find yourself standing for hours in weird positions, have people sneeze on you, water and spit spraying on you, and so on. But the negative aspects are outweighted by the fact that there are so many nice Indians around, friendly, polite, helpful. (Some stupid assholes too, I've learned!)

At 8 pm we reach the first station in Goa, and it simply makes sense to jump off, do some research and find a place for the night, get some food, check the email, and then proceed to Bombay in the morning instead.

Goa: quite a culture shock. You literally fall off a train, with blue marks and bruises, after a lunatic (so absurd that it is somehow fun) struggle to get through the crowd with the luggage to the exit door (the door on the wrong side of the train, of course), jump into a single rickshaw which is waiting there in the dark out the station which fortunately turns out to be the right one, Canacona, and then suddenly: coloured lights and fireworks, welcome to another country, or rather, to a perfect clone of Hadrin Beach (Kho Pha Ngang, Thailand) or Nueba (Sinai). Looks so similar I can't believe it. After not having seen a single tourist for weeks, it feels weird to have them everywhere around you all of a sudden. And they look so much like they do in Kho Pha Ngang. Lots of Israelis, of course.
Feels weird and pleasant at the same time.
The beach looks inviting. As the matter of fact, the whole place is attractive, as a holiday resort (which has nothing to do with India). Smells of roasted tiger prawns and gourmet food from the restaurants where couples sit with candle lights and feet in the sand listening to the sound of the waves...
This place is perfect for a honeymoonish holiday, no question about that!
Find a hut for 300 rupees (DKK 40), and then off for a restaurant where I now sit and write these lines while waiting for a Chicken Masala.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 02, 2005, at 21:40

In one of Goa's most southern beaches, Palolem, I have the most beautiful morning. Get up at 6 am, and stroll along the beach, watching westerners doing their morning-exercise and -yoga, checking out different beach shacks and cottages, and from 9 to 13: brunch, coffee and ginger tea together with travellers in an hour-long conversation about life, the universe, Indian philosophy, the importance of communication and networking in a relationship, and similar type of “high-spirited” subjects that falls natural to talk about in a location such as this.

Some people you just connect with instantly
Dirk from Holland (who keeps a blog of his India journey at www.connectingminds.nl) and Franck from Germany who I met at the jampacked Matsyagandha Express train Sunday evening have both decided to start an 11-day vipassana the following day, guided by a Dutch guy named Gosh. Something I really had encouraged them to do.
So has Devanandan, Portuguise girl who lives in London, and who has taken a two-week Goa-vacation to get away from the New Year there.

More photos from my one day stay in Palolem here

Travelling in India is unbelievably inexpensive, but in return it can also be quite time-consuming. I thought I could make it from Coorg to Mumbai in one day. But no way! That was so naive to think so.

Starting out Sunday at 5 am and on the move until 8 pm, I reached as far as to Goa. Exhausted. From there onwards I am sure to be able make it to Bombay, the remaining stretch being a journey of only 600 kilometers. But no-no! Even with the fastest bus available, it turns out this cannot be done in less than 14-16 hours. Which in my case means I find myself sitting in a bus for something that feels like an eternity, leaving Palolem Beach at 13:00, arriving in Mumbai the following morning at 07:30.

My South India journey's Part 1 has come to an end. Tomorrow, at 16:00 Part 2 will begin when Deb arrives in the airport of Mumbai.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 04, 2005, at 18:59

Have had a very pleasant and smooth introduction to this scary big city of Mumbai after meeting up with Deb's friend Klara who is based here in one of the nicer areas of town. Klara is a Brazilian dancer, living out her artistic dream succesfully here in this India's most vibrant metropolis.

More photos from my first day in Bombay here

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 05, 2005, at 07:09

Day 1 in Miks new life! :-)
Deb arrived as scheduled at 16:40 yesterday, flying in from Sydney.
She looks wonderful, and so does little Bub in her stomach – barely visible from the outside, though. (I saw the ultrasound-pictures. Looks like a little monster...)

It took us an hour to get through rush-hour traffic in Mumbai to our home for the moment – a room on first floor in a private neighbouring house, right next to Klara's, in Chuim Village. A residential area where you don't see any non-Indians.

Dinner at a good Goa restaurant, Soul Fry. Their food turned out to be too spicy for a newly arrived, though. Today, we are going to check out a glamourous Italian place.

Right now, we are heading off for a massage at www.theresortmumbai.com, and generally just taking it easy, catching the flow of the city.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 06, 2005, at 10:52

Left Mumbai yesterday morning. (Placed a few more pictures here.)

Our “honeymush-destination” Goa has made Deb's two-day headache go away. :-) We are slowly accustomising ourselves to the new surroundings, and different “routines” here.

More about our first day together in Goa here.

What could eventually develop into “routines” of the day could be elements such as: the morning walk along the beach at sunrise, the fruitsalad yoghurt and ginger-lemon tea for an early breakfast, the brunch on the beach in the shade of a “beach umbrella”, the reading a book in a cooling breeze in the hammock on the porch, the long midday swim, the playing frisbee in the low sun, the walk to a special rock at the end of the beach for a quiet moment at sunset, the supper at candle light restaurants where one points out that particular fresh red snapper, lobster or huge tiger prawn you'd like to have prepared.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 11, 2005, at 16:52

Oh, is it Saturday?!
Beach-mode has entered: losing track of which day and date it is.

We've been swimming, drying in the sun, walking, playing frisbee, eating and talking and enjoying ourselves, and really not much else. Haven't even had time to be online for days!
Watching the sunset from a nice spot, and preferably a new one, is the only fixed “ritual” of the day.
Food here is great. Last night we had a splendid lobster and fish dinner with “honey moon” drinks for a starter.

Getting somewhat tired of Palolem Beach, though, with its many sellers and artists, and gradually spending more of our time towards the south: at Colomb and Patnem Beach which are more tranquille and undeveloped.
In-between Palolem and Colomb-Patnem is a nice restaurant and “hotel” named Boom Shankar. We'll be staying there if we come back to the south of Goa again.

Today, we've decided to move up north. Our nice taxi driver, Femmy, is going to take us there, and I look forward to the trip, and to get to see more of Goa.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 15, 2005, at 08:13

Saturday, we drove for a couple of hours, saw Old Goa and two temples on the way, and eventually settled in North Goa at Anjuna Beach, a place called Villa Anjuna. More “civilised” accomodation here (hot shower!), but not at all as pitoresque and charming as what we've come to know at Palolem.



North Goa is known to be where the rave parties were in the 1990ies, and it is still supposed to be the most likely place to find the Goan party beat.
We spend the evening at “Ingo's Saturday Night Bazaar” which is a huge Goan market with lots of quite exciting things to offer. Hundreds of stalls, live music, performances, lots of good food, etc. Well organized event!

Waking up after a good long night's sleep at around 8 am, we hear a distant techno beat somewhere out behind the hills. We find the party to be happening at “Hill Top Guest House”, a party that apparently has started at 6 am this morning, and will run until midnight.
After an hour or so the generator colapses, and we leave the party to explore the surrounding areas.

Deb is making her own blog/postcard-page, and you can see some more pictures here.

Rest of the day is spent at the swimming pool of the hotel – where these lines are written. The place would probably have been kind of nice and good value for the money if it didn't happen to be crowded with annoying pale fat drunk and dum-looking Russians.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 16, 2005, at 14:45

So many beach-walks, dips in the blue waves and scrumptious restaurant dinners later now. We have been “busy” with going out the tangent of living like “package-travellers” for a while, and have had no time to go online all week.

Basically what is happening at this end is that Deb and I are enjoying some quiet, comfortable holiday/honeymush-days together, taking pride in doing as little as possible, and from time to time continuing our “conference”, IMC3, where we make plans for the future.

We have rented a neat little house in the center of Calangute, near the beach – with living room, kitchen, bed room and toilet with warm water (1,200 rupees a night = DKK 150) from a friendly and orderly Swiss-Indian couple who run a guesthouse called Coco Banana.

Our house in Calangute.

Delightful to have our own fridge with ice cubes and juice.

Tuesday night, we enjoyed a beautiful classical Indian concert with Manab Das at Kerkar Art Complex in Calangute. They have had concerts every Tuesday there during the last ten years.

Bharatnatyam dance by Mala Gaur.

So, you want to know about Goa?
Maybe you want to go there?
When you decide to go, read this introduction.
Here is Mik's “Goa for beginners”

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 21, 2005, at 13:03

Mandrem Beach, beautiful place. I often feel as if I am somewhere in Africa here. Sometimes it looks as if we are sitting on the verandah of an East African farm, overlooking a river with hippos and birds. At other times, the place resembles an oasis in the desert of Northern Africa.

Where I am sitting and writing this.

This is such a pleasant change from the hectic “beach-city life” of Calangute. No other sounds here than those from the birds, the wind in the trees, the distant waves of the sea. An empty beach, several hundred meters wide. Space! Air! Ahh....

We are staying in a place called Mandrem Beach Resort, costing 1,400 rupees a night (DKK 200), and worth every rupee. Such a lovely spot!
Neat and clean.
Nearby there is a little grocery, Osaiba General Stores, the local hang-out, where they played Bob Marley's music while we were there, spending some time talking with the friendly owner, Guru Naik. He tells us there are lots of Danes around. In 1991, a Dane connected with the Robinson tv-programmes came here and stayed at Guru's place. The following years, more and more of his friends started coming. He shows us a new house nearby which “the Danish man” helped them build.
While we are talking, several Danes pass by, families with children.
A week ago, 13 rooms at the Beach Resort were rented out to a Danish charter group. Today, it is so quiet here it feels as if we are the only visitors remaining here. We are the only ones using their restaurant, anyways. It is based on a terrace on a little hilltop, with a view to the beach and the sunset in the evenings.

Some pictures from Mandrem beach here

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 22, 2005, at 12:32

Every Sunday there is an “afterparty” at Hill Top in Anjuna, starting from 6 in the morning and running all through the day til 10 in the evening. Last week, the generator collapsed, and all through the week, we've hardly heard a single trance beat.
This Sunday, we finally manage to get a feel of the Party-Goa we had been looking for. A nice set-up in a coconut palmtree grove, with the DJ platform situated in the shade under a huge mango tree. People, many of them barefoot, in all ages, from babies to old grey-haired hermits, in all nationalities and all sorts of different types, dance and dance on the ground which is sprinkled with water by the staff to keep the red dust down. In particular the Israelis and the Japanese are represented in a large number. All together we are around 400 people, I reckon.
There is a good and warm atmosphere, smiles all round. Cheering and arms-up-in-the-air when the track is good. No entrance fee, people just come and go, as if it was a party on a beach.
The music sounds great and “clear” because of the outdoor acoustics, and the smoke from the numerous joints and water pipes doesn't bother anyone because it is open air. The palm treetrunks are coloured in psychedelic colours, and some coloured strings are spread out, as if to resemble laser light.
At 1 pm, DJ Riktam from G.M.S. enters the DJ stage, and he gives us a couple of hot 'n' sweaty hours on the dance floor. Big music!
Funny, and actually very pleasant, to be dancing like this, all through the day, instead of all through the night. And on top of it, for Deb and me: without any alcohol at all – while everyone else around is more or less spaced out. Many haven't been to bed at all last night.

No cameras were allowed there – which is why I can show no pictures from there.

(Hill Top contact: 9370567980)

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 23, 2005, at 21:57

Had a couple of great days in Gokarna, just an hour south of Goa but quite a different world. The state there is called Karnataka.
Gokarna (also spelled: Gokarn) is a peaceful little temple town, full of cows and religious men, and a comperatively small number of travellers and “Europeans-turned-Indian”.

Pictures and more words here.

Today, we are closing a circle, back in Colomb Beach (south of Palolem) where we started 17 days ago. The two hour bus-ride from Gokarna to Canacona (near Palolem) cost 24 rupees (DKK 3,50).

When I met Faisal at at train station on January 2, on my way to Goa for the first time, he gave me the address of a place he had taken part in starting up, and which he recommended highly, Sevas Huts & Caravans. But we never went there. And this time, we had decided to go to the most expensive place we could find in the guide books in Palolem, a place called Bhakti Kutir, and asked the taxi driver to take us there. Without realising it, it was staff from Sevas Huts & Caravans who welcomed us at the gate where the taxi dropped us off, not Bhakti Kutir which has its gate on the opposite side of the road there.
We hadn't planned to stay at Sevas, but nevertheless ended up here, as if it was meant to be so – just to close that circle properly.

Sevas Huts & Caravans

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 27, 2005, at 21:57

Back in Mumbai and the fast-moving city life!

Left Seva's in Palolem at 12:00 sharp (taxi drivers are reliable with time appointments and prices in this country – which is a pleasure!), arrived at the airport at 13:45, (a smooth journey costing only 800 rupees = DKK 110), took off with Dekkan Air (a 2,000 rupees per person ticket = DKK 280) at 16:00, arriving in Mumbai at 17:30.
All in schedule. India works! ...sometimes, anyways.

Had a little “adventure” while getting out of the domestic Mumbai airport. Shouldn't have trusted that guy who was telling us some story about a “prepaid taxi” arrangement of his, and was busy writing out a receipt for us and showing us a plactic-laminated paper with some area-prices, until suddenly he gets out of the taxi (with the money), and things start to look very shady. The taxi driver begins to move the car, but we open the door, shouting we want to get off, and insisting on that he stops the car. Eventually he does, and we quickly get the luggage out from the backseat and the back, while I get the money – 250 rupees – back from the guy who is about to run off with them. Everythings goes so fast, and while we enter a little TucTuc (three wheeler rickshaw-taxi) we are somewhat surprised that we actually did get the money and all our luggage back safely, and laugh about the whole incident. We saved ourselves out of some sort of a swindler-mess we shouldn't have got ourselves into in the first place. The fact that we got out of it made the attempt seem innocent and almost cute.

Will be stocking up (new designer-and-tailor-made suit, shirts, spices, etc) here in Mumbai, and fly home in middle of next week. Beginning to warm up for a new exciting chapter in the (cold!) Northern Sector. Our days are numbered now... I'll be flying out Tuesday, Deb on Wednesday.

A few pictures and words from Mumbai-Revisited here.

posted by Mik Aidt on Jan 30, 2005, at 12:31

Went to designer Troy to pick up a tailor-made suit. Never had such an elegant suit before. It has been a pleasure to work with Troy and his tailors – I can certainly recommend him if you happen to be passing by Mumbai and are in need of some new stylish clothes.

Troy de Costa

Monday was my last day in India.
Sitting in airport, Gate 5, now, waiting for the boarding of LH757 to begin at 02:55. There is a pleasant sound of an Indian bamboo flute in the loudspeakers, like an “audio trade mark” of the spiritual India I have come to know, spreading a nice and relaxed atmosphere in the room, quite different from that of customs officers and airport staff in uniforms.

Had 34 kilos of luggage (20 kilos allowed), and 14 kilo in the handbag (8 kilos allowed), plus a suit in a separate bag. Managed to charm the lady at the counter sufficiently to only pay for seven kilos in excess luggage. (Rs 6,500 = DKK 950)

Health has been good all the way on this journey of mine. In one and a half months, the only health problem I experienced was one single day with a bit of a “thin stomach”, while in Goa. Nothing that mattered.
Until this my last day here.
Must have eaten or drunk something poisoned yesterday afternoon, (was it that apple juice from CrepeStation? It did taste very strange. Or was it something in the snacks we tasted at Home D'elite?), because already in the early evening, I get this sensation in the whole body that something is wrong. Fever and stomach trouble on its way. During the night: vomiting several times and strong diarrhea, feeling freezing cold. Around noon, the vomiting process finally reach its peak, and soon after I begin to feel better, though weak and tired.
The rest of the day goes down the drain with trying to quickly recover from this stomach poisoning, in order to be ready for the flight to Europe.

So, this is “goodbye” to India for this time. It has been a truly inspiring journey for me, and I am happy that I now, finally, (after having heard about it for so many years) have established a personal relationship with the Indian culture and music. To be continued! Like Sting, I am fascinated by the intense spirituality and positive mentality of this country. A whole country which to such a large extent praises and appreciates immaterial values, in spite of the many economical short-comings around here... – honestly, that is truly astonishing to me. There is something very unique and beautiful about India, regardless of the chaos, the dust, the pollution, the smells and all the unpredictable and sometimes unpleasant things which happen. Somehow it all blends in, once you have been here a while. A country of contrasts it is indeed.
India gives you something to think about, and something to take with you home for further digestion and appreciation. I have my bags filled with music, magazines, materials, clothes, food, and so on.


Deb stays in Mumbai til tomorrow night – she is flying on an Australia-Denmark-ticket with Qantas, while I am flying Lufthansa.

I guess this is the end of my blog here, but I'll keep updating the pages if things come up, so don't hesitate to send me your comments, corrections, links, suggestions, etc.

And stay well, Incredible !ndia!

posted by Mik Aidt on February 1, 2005, at 02:59

We've arrived in Denmark! :-) – and to the next chapter in our lives.
Denmark is grey and misty... but we are keeping warm indoors.

These were some pleasant news to come home to: Danes are the happiest people on Earth.

Unpacking... in what will now be our home.

Our skarfs hang out together, and seem to get along well.

Deb bringing home some Danish pastry: Fastelavnsboller.

The rest of today we'll be going round town getting some different offizial biznezz done.
So... over and out.

posted by Mik Aidt on February 2, 2005, at 14:47

You are most welcome to write to me at home@mikaidt.dk.
I can't keep up with all the mail I am getting, but I will do my best to return to you as soon as possible.


Some responses