INDIA - Mc Loed Ganj

Mc Loed Ganj, India
I finally left Rishikesh but not before doing a 2 day level 1 course in Reiki. To be honest I knew and know very little about Reiki. I had had one treatment in Brussels by a friend Gaelle, one treatment by a nice girl I met in Indonesia, Kristin and both aroused my interests further so I decided to have a treatment in Rishikesh, which I did. After so me consideration I decided to take part in this entry level 1 course. From what I understand Reiki primarily focuses on the body (as opposed to mind) and involves the healing of a person through using the hands and the energies of the universe. I know, sounds a bit far out, bare with me. Reiki aims to replenish the energy centers with new clean energy from the universe but also heal parts of the body (knee, back etc) wherever needed with new energy. Furthermore, practitioners can feel where treatment is needed with some receiving visualizations during the treatment that they can later explain to you what they saw and then you may discuss what the imagery or visions might mean to you. It does sound a bit all in the air I know but as I mentioned before I just want to have an open mind, see what's out there and try a few new things. Who knows from there.

Energy & The Chakras
I will try and explain how the body and its energies work with Reiki. I should also perhaps first mention that modern science is now just understanding and acknowledge the presence of energy within the body and the functions of these energy centers. The body has three energy channels running through it located along the spinal cord from the bottom of our spine to the top of our head. The right side is female, vitality, the left side male, mental force. The middle channel is the spiritual force. Energy is constantly passing through 7 energy centers (Chakras) of which there are seven.
The first, Root chakra, located at the perineum between the anus and balls for the guys and on the posterior side of the cervix for women. It’s connected to the grounded energy of mother nature and our physical life. The second chakra located at the bottom of the spine is concerned with our survival instincts, our libido and creativity. The third located opposite the navel is self-esteem/confidence, personal power and ego. These three chakras are all related to the body. The fourth chakra, the heart chakra is the crossroads or intersection between the three chakras below and the three chakras above that are in turn related to the mind. The heart chakra, being an important chakra relates to all our deep emotions such as love, compassion, envy, jealously etc and also your motivations and (private) agendas. Its w here we keep our wounds deeply buried ...but you know that ha-ha! The fifth chakra located behind the throat is ambition, choice (& why you make those choices), will power, communication, assertiveness. The sixth chakra, often referred to as the Third Eye lies just between your eye brows by the pineal gland. It is the zone of intelligence and intellect. The seventh chakra is intuition and any relationship or connection you might have with god or the universe. Reiki aims at replenishing the body with clean new energy and also balancing the chakras. (Second pic is a photo taken of someone’s energy aura and chakras).

So I did the course, I did find it interesting and on a subtle level I did feel changes taking place within me when I received the treatment and also when I gave it to another student. I had different sensations in my hands when I gave the treatment in different areas. I will def do self-practice with it (I have the technique forever now, we can all do this) and any friend that asks me. I might do level 2. don’t know yet but I am glad I did it. http://www.reiki-for-holistic-health.com/index.html

Tushita Buddhist Retreat
After my reiki in Rishikesh I took an awful bone shattering night bus toMc Loed Ganj, sometimes traveling at 20km/hr on the bumpiest of roads. I had bruises on my arse, didn't sleep a wink and worst of all I couldn't get to my supply of valium because my bag was packed away. Oh well... I got intoMc Loed Ganj the next morning at 6am. Had some breakfast, felt like crap and made my way to this retreat. It was a 10 day introductory course to Buddhism. Tushita, this Buddhist retreat I later found out is a world famous for its teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and meditation (http://www.tushita.info/). People just flew in for the cours e on a month’s holiday. A very serenely quiet and beautiful place, located some 2000ft at the foot of the Himalayas with cheeky monkeys in its trees. We all had food and accommodation provided, there were about 45 of us of which 80% where Israelis with a couple of Brits, Kiwis, Aussies US & EU people. It turned out to be a fantastic group of people.

I was always interested to learn more about Buddhism, more so than Hinduism or any other religion, purely because I thought they had some interesting philosophical views to life and how to live ones life and their authority on meditation. So I checked in, again another 10 days of silence but I guess I was used to that now after the Vipassana. I found out the course is split evenly between the teachings of the Buddhism and the practicing of different meditation techniques, which I found actually worked out well. A good mix. A high level view of the main subjects was taught. These subjects included the mind and how it works, suffering, impermanence, karma, re-birth, death, ethics and emptiness. Some of the subjects I found less interesting whereas others such as ethics, the mind and concentration, attachment & impermanence very were insightful.

Basically Buddhism is concerned with the scientific study of the mind and how it works both on a conscious and unconscious level. This study started some 2500 years ago when Siddharta Gautama, a man born in Nepal studied this and later gained enlightenment. (Buddhism is based on his 84,000 teachings during the 40years he taught). He also taught a very truthful philosophy of how to live a decent, happy and rewarding life. It's not a religion and there's no god, they believe in the laws of physics and nature. Its more science based on how the mind, planet, universe all works.

Psychology to date as I understand still has little understanding of how the mind actually works and the concept of who is I. It is predominantly concerned with how we deal with emotions and not on how the mind works. Science today however is now beginning to understand that there is more than we see including more dimensions (superstring theory -video). The concept of emptiness and Quantum Physics is the same.

Buddhism believes that "the ultimate truth is that everything is empty of existing independently. Nothing exists by itself or in a vacuum. Everything is interconnected and exists in dependence upon parts, labels, names, causes & conditions and perceiving consciousness".

The essence of Buddha's teaching is that suffering exists (sickness, depression, ignorance, greed, hatred, loneliness, stress, not getting what one wants or losing what one cherishes), that all sufferings have a cause and that the causes can be removed by following the ethics he describes along with concentration (meditation) he taught that in time leads to wisdom and enlightenment (intuitive awareness of reality, free of suffering and negative qualities). Looking more deeply into suffering and the causes we are taught that they lie within ourselves and not outside. What that implies is it’s not the other persons fault, or the situation or the object, it’s actually our reaction to it that causes our suffering, knowing that all things are impermanent. Its not saying don’t enjoy external sensory pleasures but just beware there temporary in nature so the less psychologically attached you are to them the less pain you'll experience if/when they go away. Capri Diem is still my motto!

The mind is non-physical in nature and yet it is intrinsically connected to the body by subtle physical energies which also control our movement and vital functions. This relationship helps explain why physical sickness and discomfort can affect our state of mind and conversely how mental attitudes can give rise to and heal physical problems. As you know yourself the mind is full of very momentary thoughts (mind chatter) and emotions, rising and passing all the time and that is partly why meditation is used. To observe, quieten and control the mind. We practiced many types of meditation such as guided meditation (the teacher talks you through a subject e.g. forgiveness), single-minded concentration (vipassana) and visualizations. So we have to begin by observing and knowing our own individual nature so we can solve our problems. That’s the headline summary I took from the course.

I must say from a learning, growth and healing perspective it was the most insightful and rewarding thing I have done since my travels began some 15 months ago! I took so much away such as the ethics and how to live right.

The concept of attachment and us creating suffering by being too attached to things, people or situations knowing they will change because there are in fact impermanent like everything of the planet (nature, weather, jobs, relationships etc). Attachment being "I want you to make me happy" Love being "I want you to be happy". Craving is us always wanting and aversion being all the things we don’t like, or at least in our current reality believe we don’t like. Slowly I notice when and how my mind reacts to situations, things, people positively, neutral or negatively. If you believe Buddhism it’s said the cause of both harmony and disharmony lies within us not outside, so this is like an exploration of ones mind and body to understand the reality of ones self. If I take anything from this course its the Ethics & Concentration and just try to live more in the now and be present and aware (mindful). If there's any wisdom to come I am sure it will come of its own accord :-).

Below I have copied a poem, Zoe a lovely Scottish girl in our course wrote and read out to us. I hope you like. I have also copied a piece of text from the forgiveness meditation. Almost all the class was in tears including me:-(. I've also added a small intro to meditation.

There is a highly recommended book by a young English woman of 20yrs from east London that goes to Tibet, ....and stays there a long time and ...well, just buy it ($20) and see (I did). It might waken something in you. "Reflections on a Mountain Lake" by Tenzin Palmo. I now know of other good books if your interested, also recommended is How to Meditate by Kathleen McDonald.

Zoe's Poem
Caught in the midst of this fake reality. Shading over lines that aren't really there. Whens there's not even comfort in finding a hard place. Look for something soft but its already changed, gone. The power of wisdom has crept over like a mist, Searching for the path, unsure of it's way. Swiftly there's a glimpse, then it's lost, then it's found.Unsure of when i'll next get to sit down....Now is found.

Forgiveness meditation (text taken from the spoken guided meditation in class)
With all my heart I forgive you for whatever you may have done, intentionally or unintentionally by your actions, words or thoughts that has caused me pain. I forgive you... and I ask that you forgive me for whatever I have done intentionally or unintentionally to you by my actions, my words or my thoughts. I ask your forgiveness. May you be happy free and joyful. May we both open our hearts and minds to meet in love and understanding. As we grow in wholeness together.

How to calm the mind
Sit cross legged on the floor or bed, you can put a cushion under your knees for support and you should put a cushion under your bum and try and straighten your back. Ideally by pushing your pelvis a little forward to help straighten your back. I've found that when I do find the right comfortable position gravity just helps me and my back sits on its vertebrate ok, at least for 15-20mins.

When comfy close your eyes and just breathe normally through your nose with your mouth closed. You should just try and focus your mind on your breath that’s all. At first it will probably be difficult; it was for me at the Vipassana. It took me three days to get a bit of a grip on my mind so that when a thought did pop up I would be aware and bring my concentration back on to my breath. And each time a thought pops up bring your concentration back to your breath. Thoughts & sensations continually rise and pass, none remain. At a later stage you will have more and more silence in your mind, it feels good, the silence I mean. You'll always have the odd random thought but less. On the practical side this will give you much better concentration at work for example and help you work more efficiently. Just do this concentration meditation, this breathing for 5-10 or 15mins a day. Morning is best (same place, same time). ...and when a stressy sitch comes just be quiet for a few moments with your breath then act upon it and not react if poss... .

Meditation upon opening the heart
We are not talking about the physical heart here by the way, you must have guesses it’s the heart chakra, the heart energy centre. Again start with 5mins of just concentrating on breathing through your nose, and then take a deep breath into your upper chest, filling the whole cavity with air. When it’s full your breath will naturally pause for a second. At that point, take your attention inside to the middle of your chest, in the area of your heart. The wait a moment. As you do so, deeply ask to grow. Repeat this process. At first it might feel tight but later you might feel a subtle vibration and quiet sweetness - it will expand. Be aware of any relaxation and well being you feel too. It will feel deeper later because what you nurture grows (both happy and sad). This is the basic meditation for opening up your heart. I wonder if you'll see any changes in your life (or more importantly in your mental attitude and ability to concentrate).

INDIA - Rishikesh

INDIA

RISHIKESH
Arriving in Delhi was a culture shock after 6 months in Asia. My flight from KL to Delhi was fine, arrived in Delhi airport and got into an old Buick type cab called an Ambassador, driven by a man possessed that drove at the speed light to my hostel in the Tibetan quarter. He could not read, write, speak English or read any maps i had. Interesting I thought. Wow, India.

Neither the location nor the hostel were nice, dirty - litter everywhere, flies everywhere and it was so hot, 40C/90% humidity. I remember getting off the plan feeling like someone had placed an industrial strength supercharged hairdryer to my back. This was the first time i experienced hot wind like that - and i hadn't even had a Vindaloo curry yet. ...the monsoons hadn't arrived yet, not they would make things any cooler. A month late this year.

I realised very quickly that I was not going to stay in Delhi long and on that same first day I managed to find out how I could get an AC train ticket to Rishikesh in the north, bought the ticket, leaving the next day. Great. The train journey itself was fine but I arrived at 11pm having had to get a bus from the train station one onwards to Rishikesh. I found out on arrival that the ashram I wanted to stay was closed this month to foreigners due to the Shiva festival. Then some random guy came to my help and I managed to find a room and some food, settling in around midnight.

When i woke up the next day there were tens of 1000's of men in orange, religious tourists, all in Rishikesh for the annual Shiva festival. Oh my God. Full on. Busy busy busy. Well i finally managed to find a nice hostel on the banks of Rishikesh, away from some of the noise so then I could venture into the chaos as and when i liked.

I should tell you before i continue that my time in India was always going to be a spiritual journey of self discovery. I felt this and new this even before i started my journey over a year ago. It was just meant to be, that this time was for me, for me inside and not so much about visiting sites. Of course l'd experience India along the way no doubt, but my priority here is me.

Rishikesh being the world capital of Yoga, had many ashrams offering yoga and i managed to find a very nice ashram, Anand Prakash (www.anandprakashashram.com), where i stayed a week and did yoga twice a day. It was clean and comfortable with very nice people working and studying there. The food was tasty and the teachers very open and helpful, Whilst there i also managed to find a 10 day course in meditation. Vipassana Meditation, whatever that was. I had heard the course was very good but very tough. Well i booked myself in and thought very little of it thereafter. I was just enjoying my yoga and my new friends at the Ashram and a bit of chilledness and the last thing i wanted to do was worry about any difficulty regards meditation course.

Vipassana Meditation Ashram (http://www.dhamma.org/en/bycountry/eu/)
Well, i persuaded Joe an English girl (I met at the yoga ashram) on a months holiday in India to come with me to the meditation course in Dehra Dun, an hour away from Rishikesh. She said she wanted a deep course in meditation and i thought i had found just the ticket. It turns out i had. Blimey. We arrived, settled in and had our first introduction talk and a viewing of the programme. Oh My God. 10hours of meditation a day for 10 days, 24/7 silence (no speaking) and the usual No sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking, meat, reading, writing etc. Well l couldn't even speak to Joe after that point. We both just had a look of shock and horror on our faces and even that wasn't permitted by that time. Going back to my room, pre our first meditation that same evening, i just said to myself, take small steps. Just try and handle each moment of the day as it comes and not to think too far ahead. It helped a little but it was hard.

I got up at 4am the next day (same everyday) for my first 2hr session before breakfast. We were to simply focus our awareness upon our breath. The breath going in and out of our nostrils and each time my mind would wander off on a tangent, from one thought to another i would bring it back to my breath. I noticed actually that my mind usually thought of the past or the future, of pleasant experiences or not so pleasant experiences and rarely was in the NOW. I was to bring my mind back to focus on my breath. My mind didn't like this. To focus only on one single thing. My breath. It may sound simple from an intellectual perspective however doing it is something very different. (Try it at home for 10-15mins and see how you go).

We practised this task for the first three days, its all we did for 30 hours. Can you imagine. I was going insane and just wanted to leave, all the time. Thereafter we were to observe any sensations around the area of the nose, then later only the area between the bottom of the nostrils and the top part of the upper lip. The reason why were doing this was once we had the control of our mind (no more random wanderings) we would then focus the mind single mindedly on the body to feel any sensations that rose and passed away. I can hear you still asking, Why? OK, I will explain what i understand.

I have been taught that to learn how to live harmoniously you have to find the cause of disharmony. The cause(s) always lies within so this is like an exploration of ones mind and body to understand the reality of oneself. I know, you are thinking - Crystal Clear Luke. Thx.

The Technique
This meditation technique, its words and methodology have come directly from Siddhartha Gautama, AKA Buddha, the enlightened one. Buddha discovered (in 600BC) and then later taught that the cause of all human misery and suffering is created by our cravings and aversions, our likes and dislikes. When anger, hatred, delusion, fear, passion arise (often with regard to an external event), tension is created within, one starts tying knots inside. This process is continually repeated throughout our lives, thereafter one starts distributing this negativity to all they come in contact with. Misery is created from within.

The concentration of the mind is not the end goal, however by focusing the mind on the sensations of the body (itching, heat, tinglings, vibrations, pulsing, pain, tension), the sensations being the effects of external causes, I am taught to remain impartial to these sensations. By remaining completely aware, objective and equanomonus to these sensations, by not reacting (not itching or scratching) but by only observing, one notices that the sensations always rise and pass away. After much practise one is able to remain objective to all situations that take place externally. Meaning a difficult situation arises externally with someone and instead of re-acting, one centres/breaths and then with a more balanced (less emotional state) acts to the situation. So the theory is by practising the mediation daily, by living in the Now, by accepting and not reacting to or judging each moment in our lives one starts to live a more peaceful and happier life. Thereby free oneself from misery and suffering. The end goal is the purification of the mind, eradication of all mental defilement's, negatives within and thus attaining liberation from misery and suffering so that you can live peacefully, harmoniously and happily. (I really wonder how many of you this makes sense to. Please do write a comment of the blog or mail me).

I must be honest, i found the course very hard and it did not get any easier each day. Partly because i have never done any serious meditation before, i found it difficult to focus for such long periods of time (10hrs a day) and I didn't feel that connected to my mind or body either to be honest. I did feel some gross sensations but hardly any subtle sensations never mind about sweeping through the body (phase 3). I did at the end of the course speak with others who appear to have made real progress but i appreciate we are all unique individuals progressing on the path towards enlightenment and a higher consciousness at our own pace. So I don't feel disheartened. To the contrary. I was very please that I completed the full 10days and didn't give in although i thought about quiting many many times every single day. This is my first meditation course. I do plan to take some other meditation courses during my time in India and see what is out there and see what suits me.


I must say that something very strong inside me just told me this felt very right, meditation I mean, a natural thing to do in my progression and growth as a human being. I know now that my mind is very powerful, I also know that if directed by me (the self) it serves me better as opposed to my mind being the master and it leading me, which could be disastrous. I am now thinking about making meditation a part of my life. At least to see what practical effects and positive impacts it has on my life. At the experiential level to see what truth lies within through my own actual experiences with my body and mind. I realise I will have to work persistently and only through continued practise of meditation will I be successful and bare the fruits but my hope is that it will get easier as a I practise more. Time will tell.

I am now back in Rishikesh and am staying here for a few days. I met a lady that performs Reiki, i already had a treatment from her before my meditation course and have now decided to do my Level 1 in Reiki this weekend. Thereafter, I am heading north to Dharamsala where the Dalai Lama lives. I am taking a 10-day introductory course in Buddhism. More of out curiosity than anything. It will touch upon the key subjects that Buddha taught during his 40 years of teaching and also includes a daily yoga and meditation session. Of course I will tell you about both when i am done. I am not sure what i am doing after that, we shall what comes across my path.

INDONESIA, BORNEO

INDONESIA - BORNEO

I had been travelling for nine months now and l slowly started to get a feeling of being a little tired of travelling. I don't know, it just happened. I still really wanted to experience the wild jungles of Borneo and Sumatra and was very keen to see some wild Orang utans, but these islands are miles away from Bali or anywhere else. Certainly an expensive flight or two. Well then i had an inspirational idea. Why not try and do some voluntary work on one of the islands at one of the sanctuary's or national parks. That way i could spend time in the forest, not travel around and give something back which i thought could be a rewarding experience. Well l acted upon the idea that same week and sent a few emails out. I thought if its meant to be someone will write back with a positive response. A couple of days later, i got a reply from one of the six emails i sent saying that they have a couple of projects on the go in Borneo and i was welcome to spend a month with them and help out. I called them, spoke with Asep the office manager, figured out the cheapest way i could get there and job done. I booked a cheap flight from KL to Kuching in Malaysia Borneo then took a 10hr bus and a 6hr ferry on to West Kalimantan in Indonesia Borneo. I was there in two days!

BORNEO, West Kalimantan

Borneo is the third largest island in the world, (FYI Sumatra is the 6th largest). Borneo has some 3,000 species of tress, 2,000 species of orchids and 1,000 species of ferns. Kalimantan province is the richest of all the Sundaic islands for plants, both in terms of total species richness and diversity. It supports the largest expanse of tropical rain forest in the Indomalayan realm. It is the main centre for the distribution of Malaysian flora and Indomalayan fauna making it a major centre for plant diversity. It has some 10,000 to 15,000 species of flowering plants in total along with, 420 species of resident birds, 222 mammals, 166 snakes, as well as 13 species of primates. In fact, Orang Utans only live on the islands of Borneo (80%) and Sumatra (20%), now where else in the world and West Kalimantan has some 8% of the worlds population equivalent to roughly 7,500 primates. Other charismatic mammals in Kalimantan include the Asian Elephant, Proboscis Monkey, Bornean Gibbon, Clouded Leopard and the Sun Bear. FYI, all these animals are listed as endangered and have been placed on the IUCN red list of threatened animals and in the last decades, the Sumatran Rhinoceros has disappeared and may now be extinct in Borneo. Why, because these animals require large home ranges to obtain their living resources. These ranges are disappearing each year at a very high and completely unsustainable rate because of our needs, or perhaps, due to the ignorant way we meet/source our needs.

Arriving off the ferry boat, Joseph from the local office picked me up and we drove to the small town of Ketapang where the office was located. I soon found out that I was going to be doing voluntary work for FFI Fanua & Flora International of the UK. One of the longest standing and respected NGO's in the field of conservation. Bonus. Get right in with the Pros that's what i thought. I met all the people from the office and very friendly and welcoming they were. The two key areas of activity that FFI in Borneo focus on is Bat research and a socio-economic programme with the local indigenous people. When in the office i slept there, it's like a large house converted into an office with a kitchen and bathroom. Other colleagues slept there too. And when in the field i slept and ate what my local colleagues did.

The rain forests here are one of the purest untouched in the world, much like the amazon in Latin America. Home to some of the oldest (400yrs old) and most valuable (both in commercial and conservation terms) trees in the world sch as the Dipterocarpaceae tree reaching some 65m high into the canopy. However there is a huge problem here in the world today. I will explain as best i can but first one must understand although Indonesia is a very big country and a country with enormous natural resources such as timber it is also a very poor country. Its easy to judge too quickly. On the one hand the national parks and non-park forested areas are too large to protect and conserve with manpower. It just costs too much and the value of the forests may not be properly understood. To make things worse, the government, both national and local are one off the most corrupt in the world so it only serves to make matters worse. What happens is as follows. First the most valuable timber is extracted illegally by the logging companies. Once these roads into the forest have been made, the smaller timber and some valuable wildlife is taken, such as primates for onwards sale. Thereafter an oil palm company will submit a request to slash and burn the now considerably less valuable forest with the objective of making an oil palm plantation. But that's not the end. Oil palms take five years to produce their first harvest however the rain forest soil is actually poor in nutrients due to its sallow ground, perhaps half a metres. All the trees roots grow out horizontally as opposed to vertically. The nutrients within the soil come mainly from the continual falling of leaves and other vegetation and animal matter that in turn decompose naturally. Without this natural process the forest floor is only nutrient rich for a max of two years. Due to the nature of the oil plantations requiring more nutrients man made chemical fertilisers are used throughout to aide the harvest. The overflow of these toxic chemicals in turn flow into the rivers and contaminate the food chain (fish etc), leading to the further increased degradation of the environment. (the pics taken form a plane show first a natural forest having been cleared the second the oil plantations in place of the forest)

Well, our driver drove us as near as he could to the outskirts of the forest then we started walking. We walked for five hours into the rain forest with our backpacks, crossing rivers and streams, climbing over and under logs. One sad sight along the way was the large piles of timber illegally extracted from the forest. We had walked for three hours deep into the jungle and i could still hear the chainsaws ferociously busy, an awful sound when i was in such pure nature. My heart just saddened.Finally we got to the forest rangers station which was to be our home for the next week. I was very fortunate, no tourists are allowed here, only conservationists and the park rangers. I shared a very basic hut (see pic) with Matt, just on the edge of the stream. The river water was so clean we used it to refill our drinking bottles each day (no stomach upsets), we cooked with it, we washed in it and when i did the little fish ate away at all the dead skin on my feet. It gave a funny tingling sensation. (I later saw in KL people pay money for this cleaning in shopping malls).

Bat Research

The reason why any organisation performs bat research within a particular forest is because the presence of many bat species (of which there are 1150 species - humans are just one single species!) living in the forest is a very good sign of the bio-diversity of the forest. Why, because bats have a very varied diet that includes insects, small birds and fruits & nuts among other foods. Many bats means many other animals to feed upon. I was to help the team with the capturing, measuring and releasing of the bats we caught. Matt & Tiga, two conservationists from the UK and Sepe from the local office were my teachers, the forest rangers being our local guides. We patrolled the immediate forest within an hours radius of the research centre (rangers station) walking along the same tracks used by the local indigenous forest people. We were looking for clear trails that high foliage on either side to lay our large Harp bat nets. Bats fly out and forage for food at dawn and dusk only, they often use the same trails made by the tribal people to get around the forest. We would set up six or seven bat nets during the day, 50m apart along our chosen trails. Then around 8pm and 7am we would go back to the nets and collect any bats caught. Place them each in individual cotton bags and bring back to the station for analysis. Their species, gender, calls, size, weight would all be meticulously recorded by the team with the aim of collating this information in to a database that will later be used for two purposes. A document is compiled with this and other information, one for a potential donor to further contribute funds to the work being done. And secondly, a second report is complied and submitted to the government in Jakarta with a request to preserve and save this particular area of rain forest due to its high biodiversity value. This is the final objective as to why all this work is done. Both progress and success is slow but this work must be done otherwise it will literally be generations before this primary forest is ever to be the same again. If ever! It was the first time this work had been carried out in West Kalimantan by any NGO and the initial research results were very positive. We caught some 10 species of bats and some 100 individual bats during our time there. Later back in the office i read the 90 page report being produced by the team and discussed the use of a Management Summary. I explained the concept and having read the full report they agreed to me going ahead and compiling a summary which i did. Once I'd completed the three pager doc the team reviewed it. It is now been used to help sell/position the work being Now its a wait and see with some additional lobbying to be done by the team to the government and donors.

One important additional point to be made is that Oil Palm is used in 100's possibly 1000's of consumer products such soap, shampoo and many many food products. Today, the large multinationals are still not that concerned with their suppliers being sustainable. Meaning, there is still little regard today as to the source of oil palm, how it has been produced. What sacrifices, legal or illegal have taken place to produce this oil. I write this because its important. I realise that one key way to get things changed in this world is through education to us the consumer and us acting/voting with our dollar. Ideally there should be a certification system within the EU and US, whereby independent conservation auditors validate the source and the suppliers. Much like one has today with financial auditors validating the finances of a company that are later inserted into the annual report. With the certification and clear labelling of sustainably sourced products, us the consumer would be fully aware and there could be some form of tax penalisation (higher price) for the products and their respective companies that continue to ignore a sustainable certification process. Or, these products might just not be allowed to be sold in our markets. That would also help send the right message to the corporation. It has to come from us though, the consumer. They won't change!

Socio-economic programme
Later in the month i went out on another field trip with another team. Their objective was to better understand the current boundaries of the forest in relation to the surrounding villages. Clearly understand their key issues to survival, their current resources of income and how we are able at the practical level to improve the quality of their lives. Traditional local communities inhabiting the area earn most of their income principally from revenue from rubber sales (50%), logging (15%), or working as employees in the oil palm plantation. The balance or ratio of how income is earned is changing however, with fewer and fewer commercial timber now available and with Oil palm plots now maturing, local people are staying where they are but the land has changed, from primary rain forest to oil palm fields stretching as far as the eye can see (from a plane window). Apart from working to generate cash income, the local Dayak communities are commonly engaged in a range of traditional activities to satisfy their daily needs such as growing rice, fruit and vegetables, collecting other non timber forest products, and catching fish in the rivers and streams and hunting pigs, deer and other wild animals. Of course there is the issue of forest encroachment but that must be taken in consideration and balance with the needs of the local rural people. We stayed in the village chiefs house in Sungai Putri, 30 km from our office in Ketapang from where we worked with the local guides to map out the boundaries of the village and its adjoining farmland. we also captured the key down issues they had, whether it be a broken dam that used to block the sea from coming inland and now threatened some of their land or whether it was a lack of knowledge or land or whatever the issue might be. In fact, separate consultation talks were held with the villagers to better understand the issues and so being able to better target financial and other resources. It was very tough work, walking in the 40C heat, walking around the villages and surrounding fields to map out with a GPS the exact lay of the land.

Carbon Credits

I must mention another key motivation why the villages are working with us aside from receiving some direct practical resource. There is one key, new aspect that i quickly learnt about which is a way to protect the forest while provide direct financial resources to these villages whilst allowing corporations to operate. It's called Carbon credits. A tract of rain forest holds millions of cubic tons of carbon in its soil. Carbon taken from the atmosphere by the trees and held in the soil. If this tract of land is slashed and burned the equivalent of this amount carbon held in the soil is realised into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, which further exacerbates the green house effect and the amount of pollution in the atmosphere. It is one reason why Indonesia is the 3rd largest polluter in the world after the US. With guidance of the Kyoto protocol both companies and countries are having to be increasingly aware of how much they pollute (their carbon footprint) for fear of being fined. So if company X wants to set up shop in Indonesia to produce whatever, it will also produce a carbon footprint - pollution. Its inevitable however small. To avoid being fined either by the government of Jakarta or by its origin country it pays an amount of money annually to Jakarta to be allowed to pollute (its not perfect i know but hey the world isn't right now). This money is then directed annually to the villages surrounding that specific piece of forest with the agreement from the villagers of saving that particular piece of land for the carbon it holds. The scheme is starting to take off, hopefully with all stakeholders being satisfied. I don't know how long this system can or will work, it may take off and flourish. However it's definitely a step in the right direction to think more laterally to solve some of the big problems our generation has inherited in the world today and allow our children to see and experience what i have been fortunate to have experienced.

My time and work in Borneo felt so right. I stopped travelling, stayed in one place. Learnt so many new things and hopefully also gave back what i could with my knowledge hard work and spirit. I found the experience of giving so rewarding, it made me happy. I also taught English twice a day when i was in the office to a young boy working there called Ripin. Later i met his headmaster and agreed to give his the students of his school a talk on why its so important to learn English in the world today as a door to open and look for new opportunities.

I would like to personally thank all the team for their time, support and generosity, for letting me be apart of their team and their work. Thank you Asep, Sephy, Joseph, Mary, Adek, Adji, Emma, Matt, Tiga, Gustina and Ripin.

(Sorry this video was filmed horizontally)

INDONESIA, SULAWESI & GILI AIR

INDONESIA

SULAWESI
I was so so excited to see Claudia again. The last time was two months ago in Thailand and during the past two months we had only had contact through sms, phone and maybe video skype, so it hadn't been easy but we were very excited to see each other. She flew into KL (Kuala Lumpor) and we stayed in a nice hotel there for a couple of nights. I managed to arrange tickets for the last night of the musical Siddhartha. What an experience. The music was very powerful and moving, the costumes full of bright exuberant colours, the lighting was so cleverly used with effects and we even had subtitles in English so we could follow the story of the young prince leaving home against his families wishes and gaining enlightenment. We only stayed a couple of nights in KL before flying to Makassar in Sulawesi and heading south along the coast to Pantai Bira but it was nice just to be together.

Pantai Bira, Sulawesi
After finally arriving at our holiday destination, a plane and a bus later, we settled into our beach bungalow which i thought was ok. To be honest i did have other higher expectations in mind but Claudia loved it. You see, Bira isn't in the Lonely Planet, i just heard about it from a local Sulawesi guide i came into contact with and he recommended it if we were looking for a secluded place. Well it literally was at the end of the world...but in a good way. l think we came across three other western couples throughout our ten days there. There were just large white expanses of beaches with extremely clear turquoise waters with odd fisherman. Claudia said she had never seen any beaches or water as beautiful as this ever. They were exquisite.

I think we were walking around on our first night looking for food when we came across this other place that also had bungalows, but but bigger bungalows with open terraces sitting high up on large stilts over the water. Well when i saw these, i thought, wow, if we could stay here, well...so i spoke to the man, discussed availability and prices, then talked to Claudia to get her feeling of it. She had a look, and also liked them very much too, even more so than where we were so we moved in the next day. Fantastic.

To be honest we didn't do an awful lot when we there. Just talked a lot, swam, sun bathed ate and slept. We just wanted to be together that's all. You know how it is when you're in love ;-). We did the odd walk, i did lots of snorkeling but i had to go far out over the beach reef due to the fisherman using cyanide in the past to catch fish. All the coral was dead near the shore, but it was better further out. On one our walks we did find this absolute paradise of a beach, swaying coconut palm trees hanging over the white sand, blue water and just no one there. No one on the beaches except the two us. Amazing. Even i haven't experienced that much on my journey! I think you'll agree the pictures do do it justice. Simply pure and beautiful.

Our time ended, as is inevitable but it was wonderful. We both thought it was one of the best holidays we ever had. Coming back to KL we spent a couple of days there, Claudia did some shopping and then i took her to the airport, BUT, at the same time my sister Abbie was coming to visit me. In fact Abbie landed a couple hours before Claudia left so they met each other and i wasn't alone but now to be with my favourite and only big sister. How lucky I was!

Gili Air, nr. Lombok, Indonesia (with my sister!)
Abbie and l hadn't see each other for a year. Although we do live in different countries, she in Spain and me in Belgium, we always see each other five or six times a year for 4-5days at a time to spend some quality time with each other. Well a year had passed, with only random phone calls or sms so we had a lot to catch up on. I was so happy and grateful she came out to see me.

Another flight and bus later we were on Gili Air. The Gili islands comprise of three islands, Gili Trawangen, the party island, Gili Meno, which is extremely quiet and Gili Air which has a perfect balance of a few bars and restaurants with people and yet the atmosphere and pace is very chilled. I knew Abbie would like it. Having landed we got some food and then checked out a few places to stay. The island is only 1km by 2km so its pretty easy to get about on a horse and cart. We decided to stay at the Gili Air hotel which was very nice, however after being there a night or two Abbie felt it wasn't nice enough or clean enough or whatever, ...so we moved.

We stayed at these lovely modern clean cottages at Manta Dive where Abbie decided she would try and do her PADI course. I must say, based on her fear of depths of water I was a little surprised but very supportive of her doing it. We first went out together and did some snorkeling just to show Abbie the beautifully coloured fish and coral and to show her that the fish don't bite, in fact they are more scared of us than we should be of them. It worked. After a couple days of snorkeling she no longer held my hand and was out there beside me snorkeling around and exploring pointing the special fish out to me. Magic.

Abbie started her PADI course a couple of days later and i went out with her on the boat and snorkeled above her just to be there for her. You must understand, when one faces any particular, deep routed fear, its a very daunting, testing time. It's not easy as l'm sure you'll appreciate. She was very brave and took baby steps each day. Learning the theory and then applying it in the water with practise. To begin with progress was slow but there was progress each day and we'd talk about it in the evening, the skills, the technique, the fears being faced etc. She was doing well. While at Manata Dives we realised our weeks booking was up and they couldn't prolong our stay due to another booking, but it wasn't a problem, we had both spotted another lovely place to stay. Another dive shop in fact called the Blue Marlin dive centre. A very welcoming and social dive centre in Gili Air. We moved in there for our last week and in fact loved the place. Definitely worth staying at. Again we had a lovely clean modern cottage that we shared and Abbie continued her PADI course. Each day practising her skills in the water and then going out with the dive master to apply what she had learnt. I also came out with her either snorkeling or as on two occasions i dived with her which was a great experience. Diving together in the water, looking at all the coral and fish some 12metres underwater. It was a first for us both together in this wonderful environment. Abbie was successful in gaining her Scuba Padi dive certification which allows her to dive up to 12meters in depth. The teachers we really supportive and Abbie did so well.

Aside from Abbie doing her PADI we just chilled out. We did venture out and visit the other two islands for a day each, which served to show us on the one hand that we had picked the best island that was right for us but it was nice to visit and did enjoy the two islands. We mainly just spent time talking, sunbathing, swimming, eating and sleeping and enjoying some amazing sun sets. It was her first proper holiday in four years, in fact since we went to Sardinia together so chilling out and recharging the batteries was the top priority. I hope and think we were successful. It was very good for me too. I too needed a break from my travels (i know, your thinking oh poor old Luke, what a hard life he has now) especially before going to India so i loved to just chill and do very little.

Shortly thereafter we flew back to KL where we spent a night and then Abbie was off the next day back to the UK and i was busy trying to arrange my visa and flight to India. I was successful and left a few days later, but before buying a small notebook laptop from where i can, in a relaxed way write to you all and share with you in a little more detail my thoughts and feelings about my experiences.

I've tried to add some nice pics so you can get a feel for the island and where we stayed. I would definitely recommend Gili Air as a holiday destination to anyone interested. It has a really nice vibe.

Well its off to India now. I do feel a little anxious. I have heard you either love India or hate it. It is 'sensory overload' I understand. Well we shall see but one thing is for sure, I will not be racing to visit places. The last 12 months have been amazing but travelling for such a period of time can take its toll and with India i have a different agenda. India for me is about my spiritual journey and growth, to learn new things, to possible feel new things within, so again baby steps, we shall see what comes across my path - 'Inshaallah'.