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#19

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Mon Mar 5, 2007 2:52 pm
Subject: Returning to the U.S after one year; a milestone in my travels

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Hello all:

Today is my last day in a foreign country for a while. Tonight I leave Bangkok for New York. If I exclude the facts that I am leaving after midnight and I will be in the Kuwait airport for a few hours, I will be in international airspace after today and then in the U.S.

I have been traveling now for one year and twenty-one days. February 12 was the anniversary of leaving the U.S. I see now on the internet that they are celebrating Holi in India. I celebrated Holi last year in Jodhpur at Singhvi's Haveli. It was one of my more memorable experiences. At the time it seemed like I had been traveling for a while, but really it was only a few weeks into my travels, after a week in Mumbai and two weeks i n Goa.

An question after one year of travel is: have I changed? This deep, narcissitic, obvious question does not have an obvious answer. I will give it a try: I have changed, but probably not in the ways that I thought I might. I did not think I would change at all. Given that I am not the typical 22 year-old traveler, I did not have major epiphanies; I think I went through all of those in my twenties.

But I have learned to handle changing situations on a day-by-day basis. A short trip of a few weeks gives you time to recover to normality when you return home; a long time on the road means trying to find normality while you're on the road. And there is that potential for isolation that comes from meeting only new people all the time. I suppose practice at meditation could help prepare one for this monk-like existence. "Put your mind at peace, grasshopper..."

Ways to make money for nothing did not materialize as I had distantly hoped. Money remains the reality factor, the one litmus test for any plans. I suppose things are better this way, otherwise we'd all just sit on a beach all day. We couldn't have that, now could we?

The website has been a great pleasure of mine. Here was a case where I created something from nothing. I also had to put aside my tendency to find perfection and revel in the real imperfection of the photos and blog entries on the site. I've actually made connections with new people through the site, as well as gave my friends and family back home a taste of my experience as it happens. This has been very gratifying.

My flight back to the U.S. is not an end. First, I will continue to put up photos from my travels abroad. In addition, for a geographer (which somewhere deep down inside I am), every place is an interesting place, and I will keep making blog entries. When I get back to the U.S., I will be staying in New York City for a couple of days, and then going to Disneyworld for a family wedding. I will be staying on a manufactured Caribbean Island Resort. The irony that I am leaving true tropical paradises for a manufactured one in the swamplands of Florida (at ten times the price per day), has not escaped me.

Peace,

Mark

Blog entries since my last email update:

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#18

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Tue Feb 6, 2007 2:51 pm
Subject: Life in Krabi, Thailand

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9:38pm
Tuesday 6 January 2007
Krabi, Thailand

Hello:

In the last update, I had just arrived in Krabi, Thailand. Since then, I took a long-tail boat to Railay Beach, moved over to Ao Ton Sai where the rock climbers hang, as it were. I tried my hand at snorkeling. Twice, friendly rock-climbers from North America took me up a wall. I am not really a climber, but even I could tell that the climbing here is excellent. Addicted climbers come from all over the world just to get their hands on the rock. The limestone here has morphed into every shape, including "jugs" that are like handles built into the rock.

I came back to Krabi Town and experienced small-town life in South Thailand. By motorbike I saw some of the local semi-tourist spots, fed some giant catfish, and swam in a mangrove forest.

For the web techies and curious geographers out there, I did a quick analysis of the countries from which people visit ItinerantWitness.com.

Good sojourn,

Mark

Blog entries since my last email update:

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#17

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:29 am
Subject: Thailand is not India

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1:40PM
Saturday 13 January 2007
Krabi, Thailand

Hello Beach-goer:

I had a pleasant flight from Chennai to Bangkok on Christmas morning. New Year's Eve was interrupted by bomb blasts in central Bangkok, but few were injured thanks to a shutdown by police. I discovered Khao San Road, Soi Patpong, and Sathorn Road. I found a technological supermall called Pantip Plaza. I suffered a little from a fever relapse, but successfully put it down with some antibiotics and had a delayed departure from Bangkok.

Thailand is not India. Everything is different: the people, the traffic, the architecture, the climate. It was a bit of a shock for the first few days -- but a good shock. I walked up and down the street and looked at things. The people are so quiet! There's so much meat! There are so many 7-Elevens!

At the moment I am in Krabi, a long bus ride from Bangkok. I'm about to go to Railay Beach nearby by long-tail boat. We'll see if life on the beach is all it's cracked up to be.

Safe travels,

Mark

Blog entries since my last email update:

A few packed days in Chennai; goodbye India, helloThailand

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#16

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:19 am
Subject: Goodbye India, Hello Thailand; Merry Holidays!

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11:35 AM
Sunday 24 December 2006
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

I'm about to leave India after ten months here. I thought I'd be here about six months. But each place I visited was as interesting and different as the last. Plus I got lost in the Himalayas for four months in the hot months. The Himalayas are a whole other world. Past European explorers have wandered them for years. I could go back in a second. They are a place you could spend three weeks or three months, fly directly there from anywhere in the world, and be out in the wilderness on a trek within a couple of days.

I fly to Bangkok early Christmas morning from Chennai (formerly Madras). Finally another country. I'm looking forward to it, for a sharp change, and an entry into the center of Southeast Asia.

India has been -- well, India has been amazing. I won't try to sum it up. I hope my website has captured something of the experience. And I hope the site is laid out in a way that you can wander around the website and find something new, just as I have wandered around India and constantly found something new.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Best Wishes for whatever your beliefs are this holiday season.

Mark

Blog entries since my last email update:

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#15

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Mon Dec 4, 2006 2:02 pm
Subject: catching fever and ridding it in a Madurai Hospital

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7:25 PM
Monday 4 December 2006
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, South India

Hello there friend:

Since doing the fantastic backwaters trip in Alleppey I have had a fever. After going to the Chinese fishing nets of Fort Cochin and the tea plantations of Munnar with a couple friends, I arrived in Madurai. Still having not gotten rid of the fever, I checked into a hospital.

The testing and diagnosis has been a see-saw story, best explained in the blog entries. Besides, the nurses have only let me out of the hospital for an hour and a half, and I have already broken my time limit to get my blog entries up.

To save you the suspense and worry of reading the blog, antibiotics have gotten rid of my fever and they will discharge me from the hospital in a couple of days when they are convinced it is gone for good.

But you should read the blog anyway. This has been an unusual twist in my travel, totally unanticipated. Once more it tells me my fate is not completely in my hands; apparently it is in someone else's.

Take care, enjoy the December holiday season.

Mark

Blog entries since my last email update:

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#14

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:13 am
Subject: Zigzagging across the Western Ghats of South India: Karnataka to Kerala

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11:25 AM
Sunday 12 November 2006
Alleppey, Kerala, South India, Backwaters Region

Dear traveller:

I've been crossing South India, wandering around the southern part of the state of Karnataka and now I have entered beautiful Kerala.

After the booming city of Bangalore I went to Mysore for the Dasara festival, and got to see a goddess riding atop a giant elephant. Then to Hampi, to wander in a surrealistic pink desert landscape and the ruins of a five hundred year old city. After chilling by a lake and tangling with a cobra, I headed southwest by bus, stopping in Bangalore again en route to the Kodagu Hills. Here I stayed in Madikeri, feeling the cool, rainy weather. I was escorted around Tibetan settlements by a monk from Darjeeling in the far north. A giant Golden Temple rose above the rice fields of South India.

Then I headed to the Honey Valley Estate, a beautiful retreat in the high hills called the Western Ghats, where I tried to peer into Kerala, but was blocked by the low bank of clouds pushed up against the ridge. I crossed into Kerala from Virajpet, descended down to the coastal plain and arrived in the port city of Kunnar. Here I saw a strange religious dance called theyyam. Thus I finished my transect from the high plains of the Deccan Plateau where Bangalore, Mysore, and Hampi are located, up to the hills of the Western Ghats where Madikeri and Virajpet are, down to the coastal plains and the ocean in Kerala. A brief stop in Kunnar and now I'm in Alleppey, center of the backwaters district, where I hope to catch a boat around the miles and miles of backwaters here.

Next will probably be further south in Kerala and then over to Tamil Nadu.

Blog entries since my last email update:

I arrive at Alleppey, center of backwaters district of Kerala

I view the Western Ghats from Honey Valley Estate in the Kodagu Hills

Visited Tibetan settlements in South India in Coorg region

I left Hampi, I'm in Bangalore on route to Kodagu

Rice is harvested at Mowgli Guesthouse in Hampi

Lady Chatterley's views on landscape

Lady Chatterley's views on travel

Manjula and Dharma, society deschooled

Ivan Illich and travel

Laughing Budha, Cobra Hunter

Good on ya,

Mark

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#13

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:12 pm
Subject: Happy in Hampi

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8:35pm
Thursday October 19 2006
Hampi

Hi there.

I've been existing peacefully here in Hampi for the past two weeks. It's kind of like summer camp. There's a lake nearby for swimming, you can get ice cream at the corner shop, and at night you can watch a movie.

I did have a touch of something a few days ago, but after a few days rest and relaxation I'm back to my old self.

Hampi is far from the city. It is medieval Indian ruins of a great empire set among gigantic boulders, coconut trees, and rice fields. Hire a scooter for a hundred rupees and in minutes you are in rural south India, with a lot of smiles and people living simply.

A few blog entries since the last time:

Cheers,

Mark

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#12

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:23 am
Subject: The contrast between Mysore and Hampi

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10:15am
Tuesday October 10 2006
Hampi

Hello fellow travellers:

Forward this update to a friend!

Since the last email, I have travelled from Bangalore to Mysore, where I saw the Dasara Festival. After a week I took an overnight bus to Hampi, the famous ruined city of Vijayanagar in north Karnataka. I am here now.

At the beginning a television show I saw recently, Anthony Bourdain upon arriving in Indonesia said: "Now is the part of the program when I summarize an entire country in a few sentences. Instead of doing that...." and he just walked down the street to a food stall and tried the local fare. That made me laugh. Whenever I consider writing something for the ItinerantWitness.com, my mind jumps to try to capture the entire experience. It's the perfect recipe for writer's block.

Every place I have visited has been different from the last, usually in significant ways. Mysore was packed for the Dasara festival, full of Indian tourists. Every night there were many cultural events at different venues, ranging from groups dancing to Bollywood numbers to traditional instrumental performances. In the center of the city near the palace, the streets were full of people trying to sell me something, some taking a direct approach, others trying to draw me into their confidence. It was enough to put me on edge when I left my hotel room and went on the street, keeping my eyes open and anticipating whatever may happen. This happens all the time in India: wherever there are tourists, especially foreign tourists, there are people looking for an in to their wallets.

Hampi, in contrast, is more peaceful. Certainly it is oriented toward tourists - the entire place is a tourist destination - but the edge is gone. Maybe it's because it is the off-season, maybe it's because the vendors here prefer a softer approach. The sell is here, but it is easier to handle. The other thing is the setting: rice paddies and coconut trees and hills and giant boulders and ruins of an old empire scattered throughout. I feel the past here. And maybe I also feel the slow rural South Indian pace of life here far from the city.

My expenses have dropped drastically since leaving Bangalore. In Bangalore my hotel was 680 rupees a night; in Mysore it dropped to 150 rupees; in Hampi it is 50 rupees (Bangalore, Hotel Ajantha: US$15.50; Mysore, Hotel Maurya: US$3.75; Hampi, Laughing Budha: US$1.10; . But the low prices will skyrocket as the winter season approaches. Travel costs in India vary tremendously depending on where you go and when you go and so are difficult to predict.

Blog entries since the last letter:

Peace,

Mark

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#11

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:18 pm
Subject: Leaving Bangalore, headed to Mysore Dasara festival

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Hello there!

After a pleasant stay in Bangalore re-charging my batteries, I'm headed to Mysore.

Mysore is known for fancy silks, a Victorian Palace that is lit up at night, and the Mysore Dasara Festival.

KarnatakaTourism.org says about Dasara:

"Treat yourself to the pomp and pageantry of the Dasara festival in Mysore . This festival commemorates the victory of the Goddess Chamundi over the demon Mahishasura. Pageants, parades and music create a kaliedoscope of colour and gaiety. Crowds jostle to catch a glimpse of the glittering palace. On the last day, a colourful procession of soldiers in ceremonial dress, cavalry, infantry, caparisoned elephants and colourful tableaux wend their way from the palace gates to Bani Mantap, where the torchlight parade and a magnificent display of horsemanship mark the grand finale."

Dasara festival in Mysore

And la-di-da-di-da. The festival started this past Saturday the 23rd of September and finishes this Sunday the 2nd of October, 2006. It is supposed to culminate in a grand procession of elephants and in between have various cultural events.

Here's a link to the 2006 Dasara schedule.

I will probably go to nearby Somnathpur which is supposed to have excellent architecture from the Hoysala era, whatever that is. Actually, reader Dan recommended going to Somnathpur, and I thank him for doing so.

Hoysala architecture in Somnathpur

After that I will most likely head to Hampi back via Bangalore, and then try to loop around Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

As always, plans are subject to change and are not guaranteed by your blog operator.

The latest blog entries, at http://ItinerantWitness.com/blog/itinerant.............

Go Irish!

Mark

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#10

From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:31 am
Subject: Living in Bangalore

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Hi travel readers:

I am living in Bangalore, the high tech city of South India.

Life is easy for me here. I adapted to this lifestyle while working for an IT (information technology) firm in Washington, DC. Here they have American IT firms, pubs, restaurants with all types of cuisine, clubs, internet cafes, and cultural events. I even see Americans who work for IT firms lurking in the streets, although I haven't met any of them.

I am at a turning point in my travels. I have been traveling for seven months now. I arrived in Mumbai on February 14th. I have traveled the craziness of North India and and the toughness of the Himalayas. Now I will see the relative peacefulness of tropical Asia: South India and perhaps the countries of Thailand, Laos of Malaysia.

My strategy of choosing my route as I go has served me well. As I have traveled I have gathered information about interesting places to go. I have also adapted to go when the weather and tourist seasons have been ideal. My friend David described it as a very Zen way to travel. I chalk it up to not worrying too much about the future and not allowing myself to feel I'm under a time crunch. I have found a pace of travel that fits me and I have enjoyed seeing every place I have visited.

I have added a web page to my site called source. On this page are links to material that I find interesting. For now, the page has Amazon links to the books I have read while traveling.

I have made a number of blog entries since my last letter. All of these entries are at my blog, http://ItinerantWitness.com/blog/itinerant. The titles and links follow:

How do I decide where I'm going?
J.Crew family promotes McDonalds in Bangalore
Sonia Gandhi worshipped
Watching sports on television in India
I added a new section to ItinerantWitness.com: source
Salsa dancing and steak at Nineteen Twelve in Bangalore
Every place I've been to has had the same thing in common: globalization
Photos of City Market and Majestic in Bangalore

I wish you well.

Mark

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From: "Mark Wiltberger" <mark@...>
Date: Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:45 am
Subject: Bangalore, tropical city with not much monsoon

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Hi Friend:

I left the high Himalayas in Leh, Ladakh, India by plane and flew the length of the subcontinent of India. I stopped for twelve hours in Delhi where I caught up with a trekking friend at Haus Khaz.

Bangalore turns out to be a pleasant tropical city with little Western indulgences like shopping malls and coffee shops. I was afraid of oppressive humidity and torrential downpours but have instead found perfect temperatures and just one rainshower.

I have visited a few friends here and tasted some authentic South Indian food. And I have tried out the Bangalore IT nightlife which finishes early but is embraced fervently.

Today is a feast dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of good fortune.

I wish you the best on this upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Mark

The latest blog entries at ItinerantWitness.com :

Bangalore street photos

Bangaloreans dance

Photos from Leh to Bangalore

I'm staying at the Ajantha Hotel in the center of Bangalore

The weather is nice in Bangalore

Spiti Valley is Ladakh without the tourists

Ladakh is Tibet without Chinese repression

I'm not sick

I traverse the subcontinent to arrive in Bangalore during monsoon

Just finished An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire by Arundhati Roy

I am in Delhi en route to Bangalore from Ladakh

India faces critical shortages of change

Bangalore street photos

Submitted by itinerant on Sat, 08/26/2006 - 3:25pm.

Canvas tiger above auto-rickshaw driver's head

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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:48 am
Subject: I see a sand mandala and get sand blown in my face on the world's highest road

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Hello Internet Junkies:

The latest blog entries at ItinerantWitness.com:

The monks finish a sand mandala at Thiksey monastery

I head to Nubra Valley

Searching for cheap flights to Delhi and Bangalore

I travel the 'highest motorable road' by motorbike over Khardung La to flood-damaged Nubra Valley

Peace,

Mark

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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:16 am
Subject: Blog entries with good photos of landslides, bridges, and Buddhas

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Hello there!

I finally got into my laptop computer with some photos I wanted to get up and posted them in some blog entries.

I get sick again in India No photos here.

Photos of landslides on manali-Leh road

Photos of the washed-out upper bridge in Changspa

I find the Buddha in Bangspo

All of these are in the ItinerantWitness Blog.

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Mark
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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Tue Aug 8, 2006 1:42 pm
Subject: Heavy rain in Ladakh for the first time in fifteen years

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Hi everyone:

After a remarkably singular journey to Leh from Manali, I've spent a few days in town because the roads have been closed. I have written a few blog entries about it and uploaded some photos.

http://www.itinerantwitness.com/blog/itinerant

We'll see how things go here then on to the next place.

Mark

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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Tue Aug 1, 2006 2:43 pm
Subject: I'm whizzing up to Ladakh, and I've added some features to ItinerantWitness.com

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Hi all:

I made quick travel to the Nepal border, and then had a tough two days of solid travel by train to get back to Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

I have a day here in Manali and tomorrow I travel for two days by bus over a difficult and dramatic road to Leh in Ladakh. The route passes over the second highest road pass in the world at 5300 meters (17,400 feet).

I have a couple of new features on my website including a places page, where I am writing longer stories about places I have been in my travels.

The first stories posted there are: "You can get it in India" about Khar, Mumbai; Delhi surprises me; Dam! Dams! in Himachal Pradesh; My first impression of Manali; and By hook and by crook, I cross the Nepal border about Banbassa, Uttaranchal.

I have also added an equipment page where I talk about what stuff I've brought and also see if the links will generate any money, for the fun of it.

Be like Fonzi, Be Cool.

Mark

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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:33 pm
Subject: Went to the Himalayas, now to Nepal for one day, then back to the Himalayas

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Hi all:

I'm in Delhi and about to take a night bus to the Nepal border at Tanakpur/Bonbasa in order to get a little stamp in my passport.

I have done a lot of travel through Kinnaur and Spiti valleys and have added some blog entries, including a map:

Where have I traveled the past few weeks?

No new pics posted as of yet. But if you haven't checked out my photos of the first four months of travel, they are located here. They are in chronological order so the last group of albums are of the Himalayas.

After the Nepal border I will head up to Ladakh somehow, which I've been aiming at for a couple of months now. It is part of the Tibetan plateau and one of the highest areas in the world. Then I may end up heading to south India.

As always, I hope you are doing well and wish you the best.

Mark

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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Wed Jul 5, 2006 11:10 am
Subject: Arrived in Spiti Valley

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Hello blogreaders!

I've arrived in Kaza in Spiti Valley, home of rugged terrain and Buddhist monasteries. I've written a long blog entry here:

http://www.itinerantwitness.com/node/273

The internet connection here is not very good, so no new photos of the past two weeks for at least another week or so. But they should be a good collection when they are. This is a beautiful and rugged place, with similarities to Tibet right across the border.

Cheers!

Mark

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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Mon Jun 19, 2006 7:53 pm
Subject: leaving Manali to explore Kinnaur and Spiti Valleys in Himachal Pradesh

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Hello listmembers!

I'm leaving the very pleasant little town of Old Manali to visit the valleys of Kinnaur and Spiti. Kinnaur promises to be green while Spiti is supposed to be dry and have Buddhist monasteries. The trip should take one or two weeks.

After that I will head up to Leh, in Ladakh, a very high region on the Tibetan plateau.

I have uploaded pics right up to today on the website, with some additional blog entries. See the blog entry:Photos posted of Hampta Pass Trek and Old Manali .

Peace Out!

Mark

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From: Mark Wiltberger <mark@...>
Date: Tue Jun 6, 2006 6:04 pm
Subject: report from Manali

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Hello faithful and patient listmembers!

I am in Manali, a town in the mountains in Himachal Pradesh. It is supposed to be the trekking capital of Himachal. There are a lot of trekking companies here, but organizing a trek is a little bit of work here. A few days ago I met with a few agencies and along the way hooked up with a guy named Orr. We joined up together and started to compare prices and negotiating.

This will be the Himalayan style of trekking. We've hired a guide from the trekking agency and he is arranging a cook and porters to carry the gear. It seems a little bit strange to me as I am used to carrying the tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear, and food. We will have a small team of people carrying this stuff. We have five trekkers and probably the same number of crew.

I will be out of touch for four days and back on the evening of June 10th, in time for the U.S. - Czech Republic opening World Cup game on June 12th. Manali and Vashisht are picturesque places and very laid-back. There is a mixture of Indian tourists avoiding the heat in the south, foreigners, and locals. The locals are busy harvesting barley. There is also a lot of construction going on here, as there seems to be all over India.

You can see photos of these things in the gallery.

This past week I uploaded photos of my entire journey to the present, with captions. It is also possible to view albums as a slideshow and to add comments.

Hope you are well, wherever you are!

Mark

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mark
mark@...
http://www.itinerantwitness.com

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Hi Friend:

I left the high Himalayas in Leh, Ladakh, India by plane and flew the length of the subcontinent of India. I stopped for twelve hours in Delhi where I caught up with a trekking friend at Haus Khaz.

Bangalore turns out to be a pleasant tropical city with little Western indulgences like shopping malls and coffee shops. I was afraid of oppressive humidity and torrential downpours but have instead found perfect temperatures and just one rainshower.

I have visited a few friends here and tasted some authentic South Indian food. And I have tried out the Bangalore IT nightlife which finishes early but is embraced fervently.

Today is a feast dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of good fortune.

I wish you the best on this upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Mark

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