Cook for Peace

Ooh, how wonderful is sharing food - a most precious ritual, culture to culture, home to home. Families celebrate over roasts, reward with sweet meats and show appreciation with treats. But these days sharing food is a revolutionary movement!
My lovely Catalan friend Estella, who is part of the love love love of the Love Bis - Malaysia Chapter - a seeker of good people, truth and (cheap sustainable) travel, joined the ragtag group collaborating Food Not Bombs here. They cook and share food regular Friday nights..for free! Yes, yes, free food!

Food Not Bombs is a peace movement sharing vegan and vegetarian food in over 1,000 cities around the world!

Holding the belief that while people are starving not a single dollar more should be spent on WAR. Food from bakeries, packaged food from dumpsters, surplus stock are collected, cooked and shared with the community...those people...'out there'.

The immense wastage of our Western societies is ignored, government and corporate priorities are SKEWED and as a result, billions of people starve. Thusly, a loose-knitted group of activists collect free, surplus and thrown away food and cook it up to distribute to the homeless and poor, FREE.

...and it's yuuuuummy!


It reminds me of my first Nimbin trip. Haha.

Starving and exhausted we pulled into town as the sun disapeared over the hills. The town was desolate (hippies retreat to the hills to pump water and fix solar panelling in their yurts). Our hungry bellies rumbling and not expecting to eat...

But then, a white van stopped on the main street in dim circle of street light adn two people began unpacking... a line of fold-up tables a huge feast began to materialise.

Huge pots bubbling with pea and lentil soups, fresh brown seeded loaves, steaming cauliflower and vegetable casseroles, cream cakes, chips and biscuits and plastic cups full of raspberry cordial and juice. Our eyes bulged at the miracle assembling itself on the desolate street.
From the dark shadows hairy, dreadlocked hippies emerged, torn tie-dye shirts, clinking talismans and dirt stained feet. Over soup, I chatted with a boy, Josh's age, covered in cake from stuffing his face, he had wild eyes and was living in a house in the hills making jewellery, this was his first proper meal in a while.

I was told that the man who created the feast was called Les. From his own pocket, he had been feeding people in the Lismore region every Saturday for 20 years!

There are angels among us..feeding us..and cooking up a little peace*

Magick River and the Star Children of the Diamond Constellation

It's about time I properly introduce Magick River...Mother Mary and child of the light Antares, Anora, Ahowl and all the truly magical soul beings who are sharing light and love with others who come along their path.



Some years ago, a home was created among the asli (aboriginals) of Malaysia next to a smooth flowing, clean river. Originally made from bamboo and set high in the hills I'm sure there were just as many parties then as now.

Nowadays, the home they have made is called Magick River and through their dreaming, have created a home for us all. A beautiful bamboo house aptly named the 'Bamboo Palace' is open to all, and set in the sublime green hills near Kuala Kubu Baru which is about one hour by bus from KL.

The asli have long created homes next to rivers. One thoughtless decision from the local government to build a dam brought ruin. Mary, Antares and a group of like minded locals fought the decision to no avail, the dam was built and inevitable flooding occured destroying the asli's homes and community.

The homes were rebuilt later and the community was brought to the banks of the current site. Little white houses neatly built in a row, with gardens of tropical flowers and fruits..full of kids, games and families.

Just up from our bit of the river flows the Mother Falls..

..a tremendous powerful three tiered waterfall, the cauldron is a place of bubbling power where the boys are playing in this picture

The water has carved out a perfect round cavern and the water is...

oh so coooo-ldddddd!!

One luscious afternoon we made the trek, I went straight into the roaring cauldron with Estel-la (a Catalan gypsy) and after nervous giggling, we jumped into the pressure centre. Estel-la jumped first and was immediately squashed down into the powerful gushing stream. After splashing about, I went to take a wee peek over the edge of the falls and ... WHOOSH... disappeared over the edge! My feet taken from under me by the strong current, I bounced from side to side down the 'sluice' and plunged deep into green darkness pushed by the power of the water above me. A total heart stopper..hehe, not banged up, just feeling a little silly, but it was worth the ride!

So, below is a little shout out to the most amazing feature of Magick River..the 'mother and father'..MARY and ANTARES ..

Le Village Guesthouse

Although I never stay in guesthouses..as far as they go, this is one for those who make it. KL is a ravenous city, ready to swallow up anyone who dares take their eyes off a map or off the insane drivers ready to swerve into oncoming pedestrians..

Le Village is located in China Town and sanctuary in a sea of chaos and air-conditioning. When I walked through the door, I spied many many shoes ascending the staircase like a lost shoe stairway to heaven..sneakers and sandals, sketchers and slip ons, weary road boots and little tiny heels..

The footwear's owners are an array of colorful characters in this hippy haven cum guesthouse. Go up the stairs to meet long lazy figures stretched out on old sofas. Guitars leaning against art covered walls and colorful travellers intent on conversation, relaxation and ducking in and out of the kitchen to bubble up a tea or three.

A man strums a ukelele...in front of three intense in conversation about Thailand. The girl on my right is covered, absolutely covered in henna and wears her hair in a mohawk. She's intent on perfecting a henna roll with colorful wrapping paper that she learned from a man down the street. Many are heading to India..and it reminds me a bit of Tu's Place, it's a place, on a road on the path (through a long visa process) where time to chill is very much needed!

There are many levels in the building and levels of enjoyment happening on all of them. Guitar and chats anyone..life here stretches on..

I find a comfortable spot on a couch and managed to squat for the night...like a sneaky sleeper..

Visit and connect!

99A Jalan Tun HS Lee
(Look for the gated door..you might see a sign, you might not..the code is 757575..I think, but look for the numbers which are worn away from use!)
 
PLEASE NOTE: Le Village burned down last year!

MAGICK River - Kuala Kubu Baru

Wet waterfalls and skinny swimming..Brother Josh and sister Lan Anh next to raging mother river chilling with the original people of Malaysia, the Orang Asli.

And the good news is you can stay too!

Antares and the Children of the Diamond Constellation welcome all dreamers, star gazers, poets, musicians, star speakers and of course hippies with wide arms and flowers in our hair...

From everyone's favorite spot in KL, Le Village, take the 35 bus to Rawang, then the bus to Kuala Kubu Baru..when you get to the town give Antares a call - 0102007346 - and he'll tell you what to do!


Check out my album on Facebook Magick River Photos

Magick River and Nine gypsy hippies LINK

Chiang Mai

The beautiful city of Chiang Mai is about 700km north of Bangkok and surrounded by mountainous territory and jungle with tribes still dotting the high hills.

It's been a long awaited visit, Anna and I heard so much about it 7 years ago, but never made it this far north. Arriving in the cool light at an ungodly early hour of the morning, I tracked down the Canvas Cafe, a local public art-house, and dumped my bag..which for some reason is getting heavier and heavier!!

The Canvas Cafe is lovingly decorated with art, roosters welcome you at the front and there's a small green jungle out the back. Lek and Nong and their cute monkey child helped me out with a drink and a tip to the local art gallery and store. They have owned the house for four years and play host to alternative events in Chiang Mai including the Cycircus (a travelling troupe of musicians and clowns I juuuust missed)!

Chiang Mai is a city of temples, with 308 wats dotted around the 700 year old city, it's easy to walk and walk and walk. The four canals that border the old town are ringed by the ancient Thae Phae gate. It's an easy enough place to get around, mostly eating and visiting markets...if I was staying longer I would hire a bike though. (Never mind, Thai foot massages are cheap and everywhere!)

On my last night we were sitting watching UP..a mind blowingly beautiful animation! It's incredible to think that there are movies like this. Adventure, floating houses, conservation and an 80 year old main character! I was as entranced as the chubby little baby, Abaydi.

I went from this colorful mind-candy for a car ride with a couple of people I met through the house. Northgate Hotel has live jazz jams every Tuesday night and tonight jazz saxaphone, trumpets and a funky drum section were rocking the tiny corner bar. I sat and played congos in the corner for an hour and had a blast.

O and her brother Tomo were two of the Thai out with us, their mother had died recently after a long illness and they were out with their friends before 7 days of funeral ceremonies. They said monks would come to their home and chant, ensuring the spirit leaves as it is meant to.

Before I left, O said to me with a serene smile, that she knows her mother will be back again and hopes she can see her mother's spirit before she leaves. It was incredible to see how they were so trusting and content with their beliefs. I can only hope to be as calm and positive when my time comes to experience loss.

Learning, loving, canvas art, padding streets, smiling dogs, teeth cleaning, hippy babies, light and lots of it, sausages, fruit shakes, new leather, new string, new faces and plently of things to smile about!

From here, it's a 7:30 bus and a 3 hour straight shot to PAI!

Canvas Cafe
Phrapokklao Rd
Soi 9

Bangbang Bangkok

Time's up again...visa run!

From the serenity of Laos to the concrete intensity of Asia's busiest city - Bangkok. It's been 5 years since my last visit and the streets are as colorful and crowded as ever. Bangkok is a beautiful, clean and bustling metropolis full of gorgeous glittering temples, monuments, impressive palaces, exotic foods, clean streets and orderly traffic...it's big and it's noisy, polluted and packed to the gills with backpackers.

Luckily, I landed directly on the soft cushions of Tu's Thai oasis. Another lucky find all those years ago, Tu's place is a sanctuary of calm. He's opened his house to travellers and hippies since 1988 when he was a travelling hippy himself following the trail to America and back...

Now the house is full or instruments, history, stories of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Lewis and other amazing artists, sitar playing, percussionistas, Rainbow kids, tailors, healers and artists..it's a wonderful place to recover and get back into the tie dye and inspired! I love Tu and there is always something happening in the house..

After Bangkok I'll be going to the city of Chiang Mai for a few days in the mountains..I've always wanted to go :)

So here I go!

Dreamtime in Laos

Merry Christmas everyone! Mum, it sucks we can't email anymore, how can it be in this century that we can't communicate!!

I am living and working in an eco resort in the Lao jungle. Dreamtime is a beautiful place created by a dreamer, designed to protect and conserve the forest and offer a welcome space for travellers and other dreamers! It has the feeling of a North Queensland forest retreat - open platforms and open spaces for dining, cushions and mats on wooden floors. Trees, bamboo, misty mornings and handbuilt log cabins scattered throughout 30 hectares!! BLISS!!

I feel lucky to have landed here, in addition to learning Laos, my Hebrew is getting better, haha. It's jungle bliss, with no electricity, gourmet meals and a river to bathe in..

.. here's a photo of my little bungalow :) There are projects to be created..new compost bins, the garden plot, arranging spaces for goats and chickens. For now my main task is to decorate the bungalows. I collect materials from the forest floor and design dreamcatchers. There are also hemp paintings to design and curtains to sew..it's been very creative and I've surprised even myself.

There are also less fun tasks, such as hauling water, checking trails, making new trails and washing..but all in all it's been a blissful rest! Mid-afternoon when it's hot, I swim in the river and find a nice hammock to curl up in and drink tea or smoke the remainder of the day. There are some beautiful travellers and Christmas was spectactular with an amazing fire feast and drumming and music! I was thinking of you!

There are pieces of surrounding property available..did someone say start a commune and live in Laos?

If you're ever in Lao, go and bliss out in the forest!

http://www.dreamtime-laos.com/

Love you!

Backpackers & Guesthouses in Hanoi

To begin with in Hanoi, you'll probably want to stay around the Ho Hoan Kiem area..this is where you'll do most of your shopping, see the most of Hanoi city life and get harassed the most by local touts and sellers of bananas and pineapples!

I haven't stayed in many hostels or backpackers but I have friends who have and these places below seem like the best picks for many budgets and many levels of comfort...

Hanoi Youth Hotel
It's located on a very busy road, but it's smack bang in the middle of the district! My good friend Cedric works there and it's slowly becoming a real funky place to be with a pool room, lounge and pretty good food downstairs.. bargain, because you'll definitely get a better deal...
33 Luong Van Can St
Hoan Kiem District.
T: (04) 3828 5822, (0167) 274 2493

Hanoi Backpackers
It's really, really clean and has dorms. A pretty damn typical tourist place without a trace of originality, privacy or love...but cheap and in a really good location. It's tucked in a corner near St Joe's cathedral..but is pretty easy to find!
48 Ngo Huyen
Hoan Kiem District.
T: (04) 3828 5372

The Drift..um, yeah..again..soulless..but it's clean
42 Truong Han Sieu St
Hoan Kiem District.
T: (04) 3944 8415

If you can afford to pay a little more, I would recommend Vinaway Hotel. It's called the 'Freaky Hotel' but some of our more gregarious couchsurfers. Vinaway is a pretty bizarre hotel and has great, great, great staff who will help you with anything. Plus, it's down the road from Chris' place..so you can drop in for a tea of meditation! See his CS profile here" target="_blank"

52 Le Van Huu Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
Tel: (84-4) 39433845 - Fax: (84-4) 39448409
Email: vinaway.hotel@gmail.com

Chris

Chris is the only man I know who tries to be love all the time. Remaining connected to the continuous beat of this universe one breath at a time. Always conscious of movement, speech and consequence, he moves through his life like a careful caterpillar taking many steps in one movement.

His home gave me sanctuary in Hanoi, a quiet, peaceful space exudes care and attention. And he himself is like his space. Calm, quiet, orderly, neat, with a peaceful vibe and a certain fragility.

Chris writes stories, gives gifts, massages, energy, feeds people, helps, plays music and cleans - all naturally and softly with great care. He has a house in the treetops overlooking a busy street of Hanoi. When I step in, it's like entering another world. A world where plastic is a disease. not to be touched or brought home, mess is sacrilegious, music is joy and Love is God.

And art and human expression - is welcome. Find him on couchsurfing Chris
But give him plenty of time if you want to stay, he's a busy boy! He's always always welcoming musicians, artists and alternative souls...so even if you can only drop in for a cup of tea, a quick meditation session or a chat...get in touch!!

The many couchsurfers that grace his doors, also grace his walls, here is some of their art..

I heart couchsurfing

I lovecouchsurfing!

I enjoy living alone, but there is something about sharing your home and your love for your city with new people.

And there is something to be said for inviting wonderful strangers into your life, I've met more than a few.

Luke, a shamanista from Mexico who shared recipes for sour dough and painted beautiful pictures, and gave me an eagle feather.

Sharon and Israeli coming from India with stories of communes, workshops and flower healers, who read my astrology, shared stories and inspiration.

Lisa and Seb a couple of flower child hippies from Germany, who waltzed into my kitchen and made breakfast every morning they stayed.

Francois a French stilt walking clown, built a compost bin out of scrap wood and lost my house keys :(

Travellers riding their bicycles around the world, camp New Yorkans, French biologists, Polish anarchists, 60 year old vegans, Spanish hippies, Australian jazz singers and and and ...it's been a riot of information, color, humor and food..and a few beautiful friendships.

Of course the idea is an old one... people with houses giving a room to people with none...simple. I've had my fair share of perpetual house guests and I've crashed on more than my fair share of floors..or tents in the backyard ;)

Couchsurfing is organised , structured, informative. It gives things a form, a spirit and makes it easy! You meet like minded travellers based on their description, personality, interests and most importantly references from other people who have met them in person. More than a simple flatmate interview will do for you!

It's an online community, with a system of checks and balances. It's a spirit of sharing and learning..there's free accommodation!

www.couchsurfing.org

General Statistics

CouchSurfers	1,263,267
Successful Surfings (approx)	1,273,016
Friendships Created (approx)	1,457,026
Positive Experiences (approx)	2,333,104
Unique Countries Represented	232
Unique States/Provinces Represented	2,734
Unique Cities Represented	62,229
Unique Languages Represented	1,270

Renting accomodation in Hanoi

So you want to move out of the backpackers and into a nice place like mine! Hehe, it's a nice place... The easiest way is to check out the classifieds on the New Hanoian website, there are tons of expats and teachers looking to share accommodation!

You can easily find second hand furniture to make your place nice. However, most apartments and houses come with furniture already, usually fairly tacky Asian armchairs and coffee tables.

The real estate market in Hanoi is very erratic. "Investors" (speculators) have built too many "high end" "luxury" residences, that most Vietnamese people cannot afford. Many are renting luxury abodes for much less than they would like to foreigners willing to pay higher prices.

A 4 bedroom apartment in Ciputra can be had for $1000 when the original asking price from any real-estate agent would be $2400. A three bedroom can be had for around $800. Agents usually ask for one months rent in advance.

Be careful in Hanoi when choosing property as there is an enormous amount of construction in this town! You don't want to end up with a jackhammer next to your ear at 6am...but mostly this cannot be avoided..as my poor friend Mal found out moving to three different houses with the same problem!!

Good luck!

209 Doi Can Street

I'm saying goodbye to Alley 209 Doi Can and packing my backpack... again.

My next place will be the fourth house I've lived since July. Still searching for a place to plant my roots I suppose...I was never one for share house living.

From the start I've lived around the Ba Dinh area. It's only 15 minutes to the city and best known for the distinct mausoleum, rollicking Ete bar and the many language schools.

I'll be sad to leave this three storey gorgeous French style home. My room is on the ground floor and if you've read the post about my 'bird's nest' bedroom on Van Bao street, you'll understand ground floor living is a nice change.
http://happylittlefeet.blogspot.com/2008/08/home-in-hanoi.html

The house is surrounded by fir trees with a pond in the center of community style housing. Huge turreted French houses with gabled windows rise above it. It's all very peaceful and safe.. geez and I'm moving from here in to an ex brothel!?

I move into my new apartment in TWO days, gosh, I am very excited. I've been dreaming of the space since January. Lots of work needs to be done, but I've always loved a fixer upper! Plus, it's located above the Buddhist meditation center. I'm looking forward to many good vibrations floating up through the floor.

But for the meantime, it's packing the stuff one seems to accumulate so quickly, contacting the taxi tai company and figuring out how one moves furniture out of an alley that cars and trucks can't squeeze down...

Please wish me luck. Moving house in Hanoi, you NEED it!

Taxi Tai - 04387313131
(Trucks are ordered by dimensions (meters) large and small, and be aware, they don't speak English.)

Home Sweet Sweet Home!!

Finally!

An update on our Hanoi hacienda...
Mal, Simone, Houdini (the magic kitten) and I are now fully installed in our beautiful house...

Yes, it’s true for a weekend while we were here it was still a fully functioning school with 100’s of small children running up and down the stairs yelling and screaming. Yes, it’s true, the building was dirty, the walls had been drawn on, there was no furniture, no gas...

...and yes, the idea of moving into a school although bold and exciting, was probably not the most well thought out plan, but looking and living in this incredible living space now, I am glad we did.

It took a while but the house is fully equipped, sign taken down, oven included (which is rare here), beautiful bamboo furniture, walls freshly painted, floors scrubbed clean. It’s tall and thin like most Vietnamese houses, 5 stories in all.

My bedroom and bathroom are on the 4th floor. This means there are 54 stairs from the ground floor to my bedroom... I’ve counted. (But considering I'm in a perpetual state of butter-chicken-bliss here in Vietnam, I view these stairs in a positive light.)

So starting from the top...

Yoga/ exercise room on the 5th floor (again who can complain about stairs when you are working out), a roof terrace which houses a gigantic Vietnamese altar and our laundry. My room is on the 4th floor with the band room directly opposite (lucky me). Mal and Sim’s room is on the 3rd complete with ensuite and opposite them is a guest room for friends and family.

(deep breath, there's more)

...the 2nd floor holds the office and three desks and what will be a movie/lounge room. On the ground floor we have a lovely kitchen and a chill out space. There are a good 15 living spaces in this house, 7 rooms, three bathrooms, two lounges… and a fish pond (still to come).

Beeeeeeaaaaaaaaauuuuuuutiful!

For those of you viewing this on a click through from the house advertisment, click for bigger pics or visit www.flickr.com/tabithatravels for MORE!!!