Anastomosing

a stream consisting of a series of channels that wander, branch, and reconnect, creates a braided pattern, known as anastamosis

high camp at dawn

December 21, 2012
by Erin
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Where did you sleep last night?

One of the most exciting things about travelling is not knowing where you’re going to sleep at night.  When you’re on the road, everything you need fits in your pack.  If you’re super prepared (unlike me) you may even carry a sleeping bag, opening up a whole world of interesting sleeping possibilities.  In my year in Asia, I’ve slept in some pretty interesting places, usually because I show up late or unprepared in an unknown city (something that can be avoided if you prefer to use online booking websites).

Below is my Top 5 favorite/interesting sleeps of the past year. Continue Reading →

the Golden Temple

December 17, 2012
by Erin
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Exploring the Golden Temple

I left Rishikesh on a night train en route to Amritsar, a Punjabi town close to the Pakistan border.  The sleeper class berth was cold and noisy.  I was surrounded on all sides by champion snorers and I don’t think I got more than an hour’s worth of sleep.  Needless to say, when the train arrived at the station, I was in a daze.  We found an auto rickshaw driver and asked him to take us to the Golden Temple, the world’s largest Sikh temple (Gurdwara), home to the Sikh holy book the Adi Granth, and the town’s largest tourist draw. Continue Reading →

Rishikesh Bridge at Sunset

December 12, 2012
by Erin
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The Slow-Down on Long-Term Traveling

As every long term traveler knows, sometimes, it’s time to slow down.  Imagine you’re on a year-long, round-the-world adventure and you only spend 4 or 5 days in every place you stop—you rush from sight to sight, booking your bus/train/plane out of town just as soon as you arrive.  At a pace like this, anyone, even the most intrepid of travelers, will drop from exhaustion (both physical and emotional) after only a few months.  Continue Reading →

Diwali 1

November 29, 2012
by Erin
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Diwali is

Diwali is the biggest festival in India.  It is referred to by westerners as the festival of lights, though, if you ask an Indian, they are more likely to say the festival of light (no s), which signifies the triumph of Good over Evil.  During Diwali, Hindus pray to Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesh, the god of wisdom, to guide their lives. Continue Reading →

which class should i take....

November 24, 2012
by Erin
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Opening your mind in Rishikesh

It’s been almost two weeks since I arrived in India, and I’ve spent almost the whole time in Rishikesh.  Rishikesh is an easy place to get caught up.  It’s called the Yoga capital of the world and students flock from every part of the globe to study here: Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi, Reiki, Ayurveda, Indian Music, Hindi.  It seems that everyone is here to learn something, and those who aren’t are still trying to make or be something.  The positive productive energy of the city is palpable.  It seems that everyone you meet is smiling. Continue Reading →

monks enjoy the view

November 20, 2012
by Erin
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Three temples of the Kathmandu Valley

The population of Nepal is made up mainly of people who define themselves as Hindus or Buddhists.  Hindus are generally from the lower-lying areas in the lesser Himalayan foothills, whereas Buddhists commonly live higher in the mountains, closer to Tibet.  In the Kathmandu valley, however, everyone gets moshed together along with minorities of Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs.  The valley is home to some of the holiest religious sights in the country. Continue Reading →

Dashain Swing in Fulkharka

November 16, 2012
by Erin
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Celebrating (and lamenting travel during) Dashain

The end of our trek coincided with the beginning of the Dashain festivities in Nepal.  Dashain is the largest Nepali festival of the year–a Hindu celebration of the goddess Durga’s defeat of the evil demon Mahishasura.  The story goes that, a long time ago, an evil demon terrorized both the land of the gods and the people of the earth and wreaked havoc, killing farmers and livestock, and spilling blood wherever he went.  Try as they might, the people could not defeat the demon.  Many gods and goddesses who tried were also thwarted.  It was only after a 10-day battle that the goddess Durga was able to slay the demon. Continue Reading →

day 27: poon hill

November 13, 2012
by Erin
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Photoessay: Poon Hill – the Annapurna Circuit Trek (Part 3)

The Poon Hill trek is one of the most popular treks in Nepal.  With only one week (or less) it offers views on the whole Annapurna range as well as Daulighiri, Tukuche and Machupuchare peaks.  With that said, it’s easy to understand why this part of our trek was the most highly trafficked.

Day 25: to Sikha

Continue Reading →

day 16: group on top

November 9, 2012
by Erin
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Photoessay: a daily breakdown of the Annapurna Circuit (Part 2)

Our departure from high camp marked our departure from the Manang Valley and our entry into the Mustang Valley, which was strikingly different.

Day 16: Thorung La Pass to Muktinath

The climb up to the pass was long and hard and cold.  The landscape was barren and otherworldly.  Glaciers poured down from the mountain peaks on either side of the pass.  When we finally came over the last ridge and caught sight of the hundreds, no, thousands of prayer flags, we were elated.   Continue Reading →

day 12a

November 3, 2012
by Erin
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Photoessay: a daily breakdown of the Annapurna Circuit (Part 1)

If  you’re planning on trekking the Annapurna Circuit, you will read that most people do it in 14-16 days, but not us.  We’ve got no porter and no guide and no time limit.  And in retrospect, this seems like the only logical way to do it.  With no schedule, you are free to take rest days in villages you discover on the trail.  You are free to do spontaneous side trips, and you don’t feel bad about stopping after lunch if it’s too windy, or too rainy, or your legs are too tired.  Emma and I spent a total of four weeks on the trail, and we wish we could have taken even longer.  The following photoessay is a day-by-day breakdown of our journey.

Day 0: the bus to Besisahar Continue Reading →