Avdentures

The thing about adventures is they are so unpredictable. You can make plans but you can't plan the outcome.
Whenever I travel alone to places overseas I don't have much of a plan. I like to land somewhere, find a room ans see what I feel like doing the next day. After all if you've never been to a place before how do you know how you are going to respond to it?
Sometimes I would have a few places in mind to visit or someone I wanted to meet. When I arrived though it was a matter of feeling it out.
Sometimes I would know that I was in a place I wanted to explore properly and that it may take several trips and a lot of time. Bali and India were like that. Other times I would know that I just wanted to get the hell out. Saigon comes to mind.
Other adventures took me on an inner journey and although challenging were always worth the effort in order to learn from the experience and grow as a person. They humbled me in many ways too.
How have your journeys contributed to your sense of self, to your understanding of the world and your place in it?
I have found that even the most negative experience can be turned into a positive if I learned something from it.
Recently someone told me that I should spend my nest egg on travel and GET A JOB! What they failed to understand is: that writing is a job. You are self employed when you start out. It's difficult, solitary and requires perseverance, discipline, patience, persistence, skill learning and experience. And the courage to expose oneself in many ways. And to make do with no income for a long time living only on your hard won resources. That's another adventure!

Vietnam and another adventure

Hoi An is a great place to have a relaxed stay in Vietnam. I stayed there in 2009 as I had been there before and wanted to soak up more of the river town. It sits roughly in the middle of the coastal strip in Vietnam and there is a beach not far away.

Heritage listed Chinese shop houses are a special treat and I am fortunate to have a Vietnamese friend who owns one. In my book I describe the town, how we met up again and what we did. The old town is unique and there is something very special that happens there on full moon nights. Islands off the coast provide great snorkeling and diving - as do the islands off Nha Trang.

Vietnam is such a picturesque country: Halong Bay, the mountains near the Chinese border, the towns and rivers. Hanoi in the north provides interesting architecture, an Old Quarter, sophistication in dining and art, in contrast to brash Saigon. And the hill tribe people of the north with their hand embroidered clothing and fabrics are a colorful delight.

Have you been to Vietnam? From there China, Cambodia and Laos are accessible too. All wonderful places to visit.

I'm off to Italy tomorrow. Another adventure awaits.....

Thailand and temples

Thais are rapidly embracing a more westernized life in many areas of Thailand. Not just in Bangkok and other cities. However Buddhism is practised throughout Thailand. Most boys enter a monastery for a period of time. Some stay on and embrace the monastic life to live a simple life making daily alms rounds with their bowls. Villagers believe that they accumulate spiritual merit by offering food to the monks as dawn breaks and the monks eat only what they are given.

Temples are elaborate and the traditional gold and red colour makes them stand out among urban or rural landscapes. Magnificent golden spires reflect a golden light outside at the large temples. Buddha statues positioned around the grounds and inside are plastered with gold leaf. Incense and lotus buds are placed in front of them as the Thai people kneel to pray and perhaps consult a monk who blesses them.

I visited a very different kind of temple in Northern Thailand. In my book I describe it  and how it came into existence.