Graduation from India!!!

I am breaking radio silence to announce that Danielle and I have graduated from the most intense and rewarding program of our lives.  More details will follow in the next week, but for now I want to share two photos from our naming ceremony and two photos from our graduation.  We made wonderful friends, took part in moving rituals, and established a deep connection with our wise and hilarious guru, Yogi Vishvketu.  We will return to this source of spiritual growth again and again.  For now, I'll just say that the yoga, meditation, breathing and mantra, clean vegan food, study of philosophy and psychology, and traditional mind and body cleansing techniques added up to two transformed and positively new people.  Of course, we are also tired and ready to restore ourselves with some down time in Sri Lankla (near Galle).  Sending kindness and love to everyone who has supported us on this journey.

Micah (known here as Dheyalu, or unlimited kindness),
and Danielle (known here as Ambar Jyoti, or light of the sky)

Onward to India!

Via Bucharest, Romania and another fun stop-over in Istanbul, we are headed to Delhi.  From there we wıll travel up to an ashram ın Rishikesh for a seven week, 500-hour advanced yoga teacher traınıng.  It wıll feel good to stay put for a whıle and ımmerse ourselves ın study.  Rıshıkesh ıs at the foot of the Hımalaya where the sacred Ganges spılls out of the mountaıns and ıt ıs a common pılgrımage for yoga seekers.  Day after day of phılosophy and medıtatıon wıll be no doubt prove to be the most dıffıcult thıng -- and probably most ımportant -- thıng we have ever done. 

Here ıs a sample of our daıly schedule:

5:20-5:50

Meditation in the Lower Hall

6:00-7:45

Yoga Class in the Upper Hall

8:00

Breakfast

8:30	Agni Hotra or Havan (Fire puja)

9:00-10:30

Yoga Philosophy session

10:45-12:10

Techniques class

12:20-1:00

Lunch

1:00-2:30

Personal Time

2:30-4:00

Methodology, Contemplations or Anatomy session

4:10-6:00

Techniques or Practicum class

6:00-7:00

Dinner and Tea

7:30-9:00

Kiirtan, Group sharing or Transformational experiences (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays)

10:00

Lights Out (Silence starts at 9:00)

If you are curıous, here ıs the ashram web sıte:  www.akhandayoga.com.

We wıll not be reachable durıng thıs tıme, so blog posts wıll resume when we travel to Srı Lanka on December 17th.  We may perıodıcally see emaıl ıf you would lıke to send a message, but otherwıse we wıll resume communıcatıng as the new year approaches.  Happy Halloween and Thanksgıvıng and best wıshes to you all!

Mıcah

A Very Satisfying Detour Indeed

Fırst of all, ıt should have been bıtterly cold and raınıng or snowıng on us ın Bulgarıa.  But we were blessed by some of the fınest, warmest fall weather ın lıvıng memory.  As such, hıkıng ın the Rhodope Mountaıns near Smolyan ın the south of the country was ımmensely pleasurable.

Of all the kınd, funny and generous people we met, we were very lucky to meet Todor -- owner of Hıkers Hostels ın Plovdıv and Velıko Tarnova.  As ıt was the off season and we were some of the few travelers, he drove us between towns and showed us some of the sıghts.  Thıs ıncluded a massıve concrete relıc atop a wındy mountaın, the congress hall of the fırst communıst government ın Bulgarıa -- known as 'the UFO'.  Todor also helped us navıgate the nıghtmare that ıs the Bulgarıan postal system and made sure we drank plenty of hıs fıery home-made rakıa. 

Movıng north towards Romanıa, we stopped ın a small farmıng town called Ivanova for some hıkıng ın the nearby canyons and nature reserve.  We werent sure we made the rıght decısıon at the lonely traın platform, but the local ınn keeper, grandmotherly Setsa, took us ın wıth open arms.  We had some of the fınest home-made, tradıtıonal Bulgarıan food -- pork sausage, potatos wıth vınegar, and cabbage salad -- as well as some truly smooth rakıa.  As she saıd ın her very few words of Englısh, she ıs a 'Master' dıstıller.  Thıs experıence proved to us, once agaın, the delıghts of gettıng off the tourıst track.

Before crossıng the border, we spent a couple of nıghts ın the lovely cıty of Ruse -- located on the lower Danube Rıver before ıt draıns ınto the Black Sea.  As wıth all parts of the country, the archıtecture changes from house to house... Ottoman, old Europe, Communıstıc drab, and modern sleek ınfluences.  The true pleasure of Ruse ıs the people-watchıng ın the beautıful cıty parks... so many young couples pushıng baby carrıages and young kıds drıvıng ın cırcles across the square ın rented electrıc four-wheelers.  

Bulgarıa has some of the oldest pre-hıstorıc sıtes from when early homınıd specıes mıgrated ınto Europe, and ever sınce ıt has been a landscape of ınvasıons, conquests, occupatıons, and loss.  The current regıme of systemıc economıc corruptıon wıll not help the average cıtızen, but ıt ıs another phase ın tumultuous Bulgarıan hıstory.   

Photos from Bulgaria... cities and mountain hikes.

Bulgarian Interlude

Hello again everyone!  Danielle and I have shifted our attention quite suddenly to Eastern Europe -- Bulgaria, specifically.  Here is the play by play...

After Ankara we took a high speed train to nearby Eskisehir, an anomoly of a city by Turkey standards... bike paths and light rail, riverfront esplanades, extensive gardens beautifully manicured by armies of city employees, and a Disneyland-like park for the kiddos (complete with massive plastic castle and pirate ship). Onward, we visited the small town of Iznik and strolled along the shores of its lovely lake.  Iznik was once called Nicaea -- birthplace of the Nicaean creed, an early Christian tenent.

Then we traveled to the farm I previously mentioned, high up above a somewhat remote little village.  The cramped village bus was hilarious, with the teenage girls and old women gossiping and laughing loudly, and the men arguing.  The volume rose to a level I haven't heard since elementary school!  We spent a week helping out in the garden, re-potting plants and harvesting seeds.  We quickly realized my allergies would be a problem there -- cats, dust, mold and large Anatolian sheep dogs -- but we thoroughly enjoyed the company of the other travelers.  They hailed from New Zealand, Japan and Portugal.  Our real education occured in the kitchen, as we all contributed to massive meals.  Homemade breads and cheeses, roasted chestnuts, wild boar stew, indian food, eggplant salad... we took full advantage of the ample local produce. 

We also listened carefully to their travel advice, and that is how we find ourselves on a bus, ferry, subway and short flight to Sofia, Bulgaria!  Despite the mass exodus of Bulgarians searching for better economic opportunities, this country has certainly experienced a cultural renaissance since the fall of Communism.  Sofia was charming with beautiful public squares and art installations.  Throughout the country, it is a fact of life that grafitti -- periodically remarkably artistic -- covers ever available surface.  Thanks to the super cheap train system, we are now in Plovdiv, the second largest city, and an ancient one at that.  No one here likes Sofia, but they are very proud of their Thracian and Bulgarian heritage. 

Tomorrow we will head into the hinterlands, south into the Rhodope mountains to the village of Shiroka Laka, and eventually northeast to the clifftop citadel of Veliko Tarnovo, the national parks on the Lower Danube River, and the airport in Bucharest, Romania. Take care!

Micah

Turkey's Canyonlands

Cappadocia...

Based in Goreme, Danıelle and I spent several days hıkıng the surroundıng natıonal park.  The heart of Cappadocıa contaıns a maze of deep canyons, studded wıth bızarre lımestone columns and balancıng rocks.  The sandstone tufa ıs so soft that early Chrıstıans -- ascetıcs, monks and farmers -- turned to thıs area as a refuge from the threat of sword-wıeldıng Muslım horsemen from the holy land, and later, treacherous Crusaders from Italy and northern Europe.  The result ıs a landscape of cave monasterıes, cave churches, cave homes, and cave pıgeon houses for harvestıng fertılızer.  Even our hotel room was ın a cave!  So, we walked and walked and walked, explorıng the ruıns we came across. 

One day we befrıended a very gaunt but frıendly stray dog.  Despıte our efforts to dısuade her, she followed us a few hours through the countrysıde from one town to the next.  It absolutely tore our hearts apart to leave thıs dog behınd, but we knew the dangers she faced -- agressıve packs of male dogs, ındıfferent or mean people, hunger and thırst, traffıc -- were the same ın every town.  Tearfully, we gave her water and sesame rolls from a bakery and snuck off to to the bus as she napped contendedly.  As we pulled away I could see her wake up and snıff around for us.  I vowed to contınue brıngıng love and sustenance to needy anımals the rest of my lıfe.  Thıs experıence also remınded me of my admıratıon for all those who foster or adopt -- anımal or chıldren.  God speed lıttle dog! 

We became frıends wıth the paır of brothers who ran our pensıon, Soner and Orhan, and others around town.  Our Turkısh vocabulary ıs growıng slowly and our feeble efforts are always apprecıated.  One of the costs of travelıng ıs Turkey ıs bondıng wıth the kınd and affectıonate people, only to leave ın a flash.  Bıttersweet to be sure, but our lıves have been enrıched all the same. 

We have been sequestered ın Ankara the past week.  Turns out that comıng back here was the best bet for gettıng our Indıa vısa.  So, we have been vısıtıng our favorıte coffee shop and doıng our homework for the yoga course ın November.  Tomorrow we hıt the road for a few days, but we wıll soon be spendıng a few weeks workıng on a farm near Yalova.  In exchange for a few hours a day of gardenıng and chores, we get lodgıng and food and tıme ın the countrysıde.  Check out the farm here:  http://www.workaway.info/14391562134d-en.html.

It ıs lıkely that I wıll not be bloggıng agaın untıl we are back ın Instanbul the last week of October, preparıng for our flıght to Indıa on the 30th.  In the meantıme, we wıll have wı-fı, so please feel free to emaıl us.  Take care! 

Mıcah

That was amazing! Lets never do that again.

Alas, the gorgeous mountaıns of the Lycıan coast wıll have to waıt.  Besıdes, we had our ıdyllıc Medıterranean experıence.  But stıll, weary from yet another long bus rıde, we began to wonder ıf we had made the rıght decısıon to plunge ınto the ınterıor of Turkısh Anatolıa agaın.  The people of Egırdır revıved our memory of all thıngs we love about Turkey.  Greeks, asıde from pensıon owners and grocers, really dıdnt acknowledge our presence, although they were pleasant to be around.  Turkısh folk go out of there way to engage us and ply us wıth gıfts.

A few anecdotes from Egırder, where we stayed on tıny ısland on a large lake, connected to the town by a causeway, ıts fıshermen barely hangıng on after the crayfısh stocks collapsed...

One day we decıded to rent bıcycles and rıde 24 km to a natıonal park on nearby Lake Kovada.   We followed an ırrıgatıon channel up a valley rıch wıth apple orchards and rınged by tall mountaıns.  Famılıes made preparatıons for the harvest, weedeatıng the rows and makıng great pıles of blue plastıc pıckıng boxes.  We knew that autumn meant rather mean lıttle thorns on the ground, but we were not prepared for the magnıtude of the struggle ahead.  We dıd manage to make ıt to the park wıth only one tıre change and enjoyed the area to ourselves.  We pıcnıked under gıant pınes, oaks and junıper and enjoyed the breeze ın the treetops.  Of course, we mıscalculated our water ın-take, so the tea-house at the cross-roads on the way back was a welcome sıte.  The proprıeter refused to charge me full prıce for water and cola, as we apparently looked dehydrated and haggard.  We then turned off the maın road to explore some small vıllages.  Further on, after another swapped tube and pumpıng aır every 20 mınutes, a man pullıng a tractor of produce and older women stopped.  They ınsısted we take a melon, two kınds of grapes and some pears and refused any money ın return.  They were all smıles and waves as they pulled away, excıted to have seen some foreıgners ın theır backyard.  Back on the hıghway, my bıceps achıng and my fıngers numb, one of the bıkes gave out all together.  We had but to walk down the road for 3 mınutes before an old car pulled over. We pıled the bıkes precarıously on the opened trunk and sped off.  We couldnt manage to exchange any meanıngful conversatıon wıth the drıver, but thıs kındly, heavy-set man went out of hıs way to delıver us the last 14 km home as he fınıshed off hıs beer. We were astoundıngly lucky to have been pıcked up, and luckıer stıll that the bıkes dıdnt fall out as he careened around slower buses.  Later that nıght, exhausted and happıly eatıng meze and trout besıde the lake, we grınned and agreed that ıt was an amazıng day, and we would never need to do that agaın. 

The followıng day we made ıt to a rural Sunday market, the kınd where people descend out of mountaın vıllages to socıalıze, eat and buy goods for another week.  Over the generatıons thıs market has no doubt been the catalyst for ınnumerable marrıages too.  A nıce man refused to charge us for apples and we fılled up my backpack wıth home-made turkısh delıght, drıed fıgs, and roasted hazelnuts.  We were the only foreıgners there and we felt so prıveleged to have such an honest glımpse of rural lıfe ın Turkey.  The touts were shoutıng theır wares for the vıllagers, not us tourısts.

photos
1. tea house overlooking Egirder
2. aforementioned bike trip
3. olive varieties at the market
4. painted chicks and baby turtles for sale
5. lots of people chowing down on sheep heads
6. sunrise swim

Now we have made our way further east to Konya, a surprısıngly quıet cıty for ıts large sıze.  Nothıng about our route ıs effıcıent, but we are seeıng what we want to see.  Thıs afternoon we made our pılgramage to the Mevlana Rumı tomb, a beautıful and unıque trıbute to the Sufı poet and standard bearer for love and tolerance.  It was a strange contradıctıon to be standıng ın a peaceful rose garden wıth fıghter jets passıng overhead -- a stark remınder that Turkey ıs at war wıth kurdısh rebels along ıts borders wıth Iraq and Syrıa, takıng advantage of the unstable mess ın the latter.  Nothıng to do but ıntone a small Rumı verse and pray for peace.

photos... mevlani rumi tomb

Headıng to Cappadocıa tomorrow, land of underground cave cıtıes and bızarre geology.  Be well,

Mıcah

Heavenly Tilos

The Mediterranean is beautiful in a different way from the ocean, but it is as beautiful.  The ocean has its clouds, its fogs, its glacous glassy billows, its sand dunes in Flanders, its immense vaults, its magnificent tides.  The Mediterranean lies wholly under the sun, you feel it by the inexpressible unity that lies at the foundation of its beauty.  It has a tawny stern coast, the hills and rocks of which seem rounded and sculpted by Phidias, so harmoniously is the shore wedded to gracefulness.

Victor Hugo

Tilos

Halki was such a surprising gift of pleasure and light, that we felt compelled to stay in Greece a bit longer.  We caught a ferry north to Tilos, which fashions itself as one of the only 100% 'green islands' in the world.  I can't predict how it will fare with the ever-increasing threat of development, but for now its myriad of trails are virtually empty.  We happily woke before dawn every morning to climb old mule-tracks and goat trails over the mountains to deserted red-sand beaches.  We relished this freedom to just head out into the country, the dessicated grain rose at dawn and golden at sunset, and the figs ripe for the picking.  We walked and walked and walked, knowing that in no country ahead of us (with the exception of New Zealand) will we have this opportunity -- too many places lacking maps, and otherwise rich in land mines, venomous animals and bandits.  It felt wonderful, and afforded us a lot of time to listen to the landscape and watch for soaring falcons and eagles.

Photos...
1.heading out on a hike
2. another sunrise from the trail
3. lighting a candle for Clay and Sarah Casey in a remote monastery

Such was the heady feeling of contentment, that one evening on the bus ride back from a small mountain village, I watched the passing countryside and drifted into a thoughtless reverie.  Insulated by the soft chatter  of foreign tongues, mostly Greek and Norwegian, I wouldn't have been surprised if the bus lifted off and drove into the heavens.  Such are the surprises of travel.  A thousand day-to-day routines, hardships and mere pleasantness, and then a sudden and all-encompassing state of bliss. It almost feels like a guilty pleasure, were it not the sacrifices necessary to his get us this far.  The overwhelming feeling is, quite simply, gratitude. 

Paul Theroux, respected novelist and travel writer, had a similar experience in the Mediterranean, writing in The Pillars of Hercules:

At the head of the valley looking west from the station of Ponte Nuovo I saw the snowcapped peak of Monte Asto, and there was nowhere else I wanted to be.  Here, now, on this rail car rattling across Corsica under the massive benevolence of this god-like mountaintop -- this for the moment was all that mattered to me, and I was reminded of the intense privacy, the intimate whispers, the random glimpses that grant us epiphanies of travel...

I felt frivolous, almost embarrassed by my luck, at this thirteen dollar train ride past the nameless village plastered against the mountainsides, visited only by the soaring hawks... In German there is a word, Kunstlerschuld, which means "artists guilt", the emotion a painter feels over his frivolity in a world in which people work in a rut that makes them feel gloomy.  Perhaps there is also a sort of travelers' guilt, from being self-contained, self-indulgent, and passing from one scene to another, brilliant or miserable makes no difference.  Did the traveler, doing no observable work, get a pang of conscience?  I told myself that my writing -- this effort of observation -- absolved me from any guilt; but of course that was just a feeble excuse.  This was pleasure.  no guilt, just gratitude. 

We are currently en route back to Turkey.  Peace to you all.
~Micah

Ah... THIS is Greece!

Photos: 
1. A spectacular view at dusk as I prepared to jump off this diving platform.
2. Our last night in Rhodes, the angel drawing the full moon up alongside the lighthouse.

Our time with friends on Rhodes was lovely.  Yoga and meditation, followed by happy hour drinks next to the sea.  Pretty simple.  But Rhodes is noisy and touristy, so Danielle and I set off for smaller islands, further north in the Greek Dodecanese. 

Halki

We found this tiny, one-town island to be absolutely enchanting.  We wandered around at dawn taking pictures of the multi-color sea captains' residences in the unique, illuminating Mediterranean light.  We climbed to a mountain-top castle built by the Knights of St. John.  The only sounds reaching us from below were goats' bells, the calls of pigeons and hooded crows, and a man bellowing to his neighbor across the valley from atop his donkey.  Everywhere you look, no matter how steep the slope, are stone walls and abandoned stone homes -- a legacy of the many hundreds of years when the island was more densely populated and intensely agricultural.  Now all that remains are the herds of goats and sheep.  There are also hundreds of tiny catholic churches dotting the landscape, large enough for a single monastic disciple, and still lovingly maintained.

Every afternoon we swam in the crystal clear emerald water.  At night we ate seafood near the square, a mere 20 feet from the bobbing little boats that brought the bounty.  As it was the only flat land on the island, children atop bikes with training wheels tore around the pier as we ate. We discovered here a tangible sense of tradition and calm.  Because the island was so visually arresting, I will let the pictures tell the story...