Spinning prayer wheels, spinning enfield wheels...

Wow… That’s a long time ago… Like 3 months… A update of what I have been up to. This time in English so all my friends can follow!

NO YOGA TEACHER AFTER ALL

After Rajasthan I arrived in Mumbai after a long but beautiful train ride. I stayed a couple of weeks with my friend Niraj and then took the night bus to Nasik to participate in a one month intensive yoga teacher course… Doing yoga and following classes from 6.00 to 21.00 would give me the tools to be a yoga teacher…

I only forgot that in April it is around 40 degrees or more in this area… On the photos the place looked lush and green but now it was more like a desert. My feeling was screaming: Get the hell out of here. It just didn’t feel right at the time.

So after 3 days I stood in the hot crazy streets of Nasik feeling kinda lost… I cooled of in the holy waters of the river and had a lot of fun with local kids at the Ghats.

THE CAVES

I moved on to Aurangabad from where I visited the impressive temples of Elora and Ajantha. The temples are impressive by themselves but once you realize that they are the biggest monolithic sculptures in the world, it is even more mind blowing. This means that they have been cut out of the mountain. All the space around the temples used to be solid mountain…

OSHO CENTER

I am missing a resting point in my trip and feel the need to stop somewhere. I need some time to travel inwards… I take the bus south to Pune and get a room in the luxurious non Indian Koreagon Park and plan to visit the famous Osho meditation center. When I have a local chai around the corner of my room within 5 minutes I am accompanied by an oldie Osho follower, a so called Sanyasin, who reveals to me his experiences and his inner transformation. Bring it on! I am ready!

Originally I was gonna stay for 1 or 2 weeks but the place is exactly what I have been looking for so in the end I spend 7 weeks at the Osho place. In contrary to the yoga course that felt so strict and serious and almost ‘religious’ to me, Osho is very flowing and fun.

I meet the most amazing people, learn complete new and refreshing ways of meditation and more than all… A lot of dance! One of the main aims of the Osho meditations is to let go of all the bullshit that you have learned and to go back to your own authenticity… One great way is by dancing because it brings you right back to your inner kiddo, just having a lot of fun…

I did two very intensive courses… Breaking through my own conditioned labels and every time feeling more space…


The Osho meditation place is really unique. Especially in super conservative India. Osho was refused in many countries of the world and was even locked in jail in the states because of his revolutionary ideas. Now the center has between a 1000 and 3000 visitors a day… You can check it out here: www.osho.com

So after 7 intense weeks I take the plane from Pune to Delhi with the company that also produces local beer, Kingfisher. My God… the heath of Delhi suddenly is overwhelming.

TERRIBLE TAJ

It is almost 45 degrees. I take a local bus to Agra. I end up waiting 6 hours at a shithole bus station in the middle of nowhere… “The bus is sick”, is the message…

Again I feel like shit. Feverish, weak and dizzy…. I could have stayed in the lush gardens of the Osho center, chilling at the pool, whispers an inward voice.

I arrive in Agra at 2.00 am and can’t get up for sunrise to see the Taj Mahal. The worst decision ever… I spend the absolute worst day in India in the burning sun with 45 degrees… and of all places I spent it at one of the world wonders… The Taj Mahal. I am completely drained of energy. It is so hot that a woman behind me faints and falls on her head bleeding all over the stone floor…

RISHIKESH

Apparently in the north it is cooler so I don’t waste time in Agra and take the night bus to Haridwar and then on to Rishikesh… The place where the Himalayas start and the holy city at the side of the Ganges.

I still feel sick and kinda lost after having left my beautiful friends down south. I start noticing how much an impact the 7 weeks of meditations and courses have had and how new and refreshed I look at the world.

By myself I take a ride with some crazy Sikhs that drive like formula one through the mountains and they drop me off at the waterfalls, I stare in wonder at the hundreds of Babas that stroll aimlessly through the streets and join the evening Puja next to the Ganga where devotional mantras are being chanted for Lord Shiva…

The next day I go rafting over the Ganges. A full day with 8 Indian dudes from Delhi on a tiny inflatable boat with a guide who took himself way to seriously, make up for an unforgettable experience. Because I am sick I don’t have to paddle. I am like the wuzz sitting in the middle screaming with the high waves pounding over the boat!

The next day I break a personal record and save 100 rupees at the same time… I take the shared rickshaw to Haridwar… It is made for 6 people but I count 12 adults and 3 kids and 2 persons next to the driver… I get out with the iron pierced up my ass.

UP IN THE MANALI MOUNTAINS

I arrive right on time for the government night bus to Manali… The Indian government buses are like the Guatemalan chicken buses. I don’t even have time to buy water and spend the first hours very thirsty.

The driver is either insane or has a serious death wish. I am all in front and spend 10 hours in tension staring at head lights that approach way to close to the bus.

After 10 hours the driver is replaced… The next dude drives more mild but has some serious ego issues. At 4.00 am the bus stops and all lights go on. All people are suddenly wide awake. The driver looks at me and my Indian companion and screams in Hindi while hitting on our feet that are hanging over the front railing. I don’t understand him but I assume he is screaming something like: “ keep your dirty stinking feet out of my cabin.” I just assumed having my feet near his poke would help him to stay awake.

In Manali your suddenly in the middle of the mountains and there is clean and fresh air. Wow… Beautiful green valleys with crystal clear mountain creeks flowing through them and all around the impressive mountain chains of which the giants are covered with snow.

I make a walk in the mountains but get lost… I take a bath in the local hot springs. A cement bath of 2 by 2 full of Indians with big soap bars and shampoo… I get out more dirty as when I got in.

I take a tuc tuc up to a ski resort. There is no snow now but for 100 rupees (2 bucks) I sit in the middle of a big inflatable ball and two Indians push me off the hill. This phenomenon is called zorbing…

Next morning I meet up with Homy… A buddy I know from Pune. Today is a big techno party in Manali… Organized by Israelis. Now this place is even more confusing… The scenery looks like a mix between India, Switzerland and Canada… culturally it has influences of Mongolia, Nepal and Tibet and then suddenly you are at a rave full of chillum smoking Israelis.

THE ENFIELD BULLET

Originally our plan was to hire an Enfield motorbike in Manali and drive all the way up to Leh… An amazing ride through snowy passes… I kinda chicken out so the next day we rent two Enfield bullets 350 bikes and make the ride down into the Kullu Valley. I lost my Dutch bank card and only have a Guatemalan card that is not accepted by any of the ATM’s in Manali. We cruise through the mountains along the creek that is getting wider and wider… My motor buddy Homie, an American of Persian origin, has had many bikes and we make a good duo. At first riding the bullet I need utmost concentration because the gear and brakes are on reversed side. In moments you need to brake instantly I sometimes hit the clutch instead of the brake… Breaking this habbit is hard and you can’t afford a mistake here in these mountainous roads.

On this roads there is the law of the strongest… Sometimes a big bus is passing traffic and just drives straight at you. The only thing you can do is escape in the gravel next to the road.

But all in all it is pretty easy driving here through the mountains…

HOW TO GET MONEY?

After a nice ride we arrive in Kullu and all people informed us wrong. There is no HDFC bank here and I need to drive another 60 kilometers further down to Mandi… I have not much of a choice because I only have 500 rupees lefty in cash…. We go through the most amazing landscape. Monkeys chill next to the road and we stop at temples and waterfalls.

We drive through an exciting long tunnel leading straight through the mountains.

With pounding heart I insert the card in the slot of the HDFC Bank in Mandi… My God… What a relief when it starts rattling and spits out my money… I am saved for now.

Homie is having some serious issues with his bike. His self proclaimed “piece of shit” won’t start and just keeps on shutting off on the way. After hundreds of times hitting the kick start and bruised legs he breaks his helmet by throwing it on a rock. Now he has to go back through the dark without a helmet.

We stop at an Enfield mechanic and he has the problem fixed within 15 minutes. We arrive late at night back in Manali. I have to pay 300 rupees because my backlight and number plate fell off somewhere along the way.

UP TO LEH

The next day we take the minibus up to Leh. It is going to be a rough ride. 19 hours crossing over the second highest pass in the world. I wake up early in the morning and see that we are driving on a narrow road with on each side 5 meters of snow, melting little waterfalls crossing the streets and stalagmites hanging on the rocks. Amazing.

I had read about altitude sickness but I thought I’d be ok. But no… My head is pounding and I am so nauseous. I am so relieved when the driver declares that we have a flat tire as it gives me an half hour break to say goodbye to my breakfast and lunch…

I am exhausted when we reach Leh… It is as if you have left India… This region, Ladakh, is also called Little Tibet… The people have Mongolian/Tibetan faces. All around are stoempas and the vast majority is Buddhist here.

Along the roads are big prayer wheels and old Tibetan wrinkled woman with pointy shoes and little curled typical hats spin them around… I start to get angry with myself that I left my SLR camera in Manali together with my backpack. I wanted to travel light…

But this region is so different, so remote… It makes every photographer blush… It is a good exercise however to be even more in the now and just absorb it all. And Homy lets me use his little camera…

We acclimatize some days and then rent some bike in Leh. This time we get the Royal Enfield Thunderbirds… A new model… Mine even has electric start… And the clutch and brake is on the “right” side! All this for 10 dollars a day.

TO THE MONASTERIES

We leave Leh and drive passed many army bases. After we realize where we are. Vast mountain chains all around us… Surrealistic… In front of me a cloud of dust left behind by Homie… I am soo happy on the Enfield….

We visit 3 Tibetan monasteries. They are drooling with mysticism and antiquity. These places are build high up in the mountains in remote areas. Enormous Buddhas and Maitreya statues are a welcome change from the elephant and monkey gods in Hindu India.

We keep the bikes… They are strong and reliable. Now it is time for the real action… We start the bikes and leave Leh behind us.

CROSSING THE HIGHEST ROAD ON EARTH

Today we will climb over the highest motor able pass in the world: The Khardung La. It is 5603 meters high… Every time you think the landscape can’t possibly be any more beautiful, Goddess prays another trick on you… Around the corner it is more breathtaking.

It is getting pretty damned cold. We are 20 kilometers from the top… My rented fake china made north face pants are good. I am wearing thermal onderwear, 2 fleece jackets and another jacket over top. I look like mr Michelin himself. The mistake I made was renting the cheap ass gloves.. My hands are freezing. We have a quick discussion wheter we are really up for it but at the next army emergency point we buy some bivak hats and I get some better gloves… Let’s do it!

As we climb higher it starts snowing and hassling. Both of us have a headache. On top we drive through all the cars that are stuck by a snow shovel clearing the way. On the other side of the top it is rougher. There was just a snow storm and it is very slippery… The army is helping the local bus up the snowy road… It keeps sliding back although it has chains around the tires. We are forced to the very edge of the road. Not the right place to loose your balance as there is a steep cliff.

It is so slippery… I need both feet to keep the bike straight and I have to use my front brake… It doesn’t really help.

Another small discussion wheter we can really do this but we squeeze our shrinked balls en go on with the show.

NUBRA VALLEY

The road gets better and we drive through icy narrow tunnels… we descend into the Nubra Valley… I don’t have a bucket list but were I ever to make one I would put on top: Going over the highest motor able pass in the world by Enfield and into the Nubra Valley. I almost cry by the beauty… We see strange animals. Some sort of fat slow hamsters the size of a dog that moves like a seal and a mixture between a penguin and a dove that runs over the path like a chicken without head.

Ahead we see a group of wild camels in a desert like landscape between the mountains. This is unreal. This landscape is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

We drive on to the village of Panamik where we relax our muscles in the hot springs in the mountains. It was just a perfect day!

Going back we are lucky. The one and only gass station is refilled and the pass is sunny. No snow.

MY FIRST LONER RIDE

Two days later Homy and me split up. I keep the Enfield and drive to Lama Yhura… In this remote mountain village there is a big 2 days Tibetan festival with the famous mask dance and it is being attended by the head lama of Ladakh. Even though I am still feeling weak and sick I have to see this. I fill up the tank and take the road up to Srinagar. What a ride… what an adventure… Sometimes it just gets too much for me and I start screaming and laughing in my helmet. Goose bums, adrenaline rushing through my veins. A sort of cocktail between ultimate freedom, gratefulness and tension!

I ride next to the Indus River for most of the time. A little dude with a red flag stops me on the way… I have to wait: “Three explosions sir” The army is making the river wider and few seconds later I witness three enormous explosions and see dust and stones slung high into the air, followed by a dozen of echoes through the mountains around.

The ride is not completely free of danger… I look up a steep hill and see a big rock rushing down the slope. I have to decide to either go faster or brake. I hit the brakes and it rushes passed me like 2 meters in front… I put on my helmet again.

A bit ahead a part of the road is blocked by rocks. The BRO (border roads organization) is clearing it with a big machine. I have to ride through loose stones…Ahead I have to ride through a thick layer of loose sand. There are moments where I can’t see more as a few meters ahead. I am covered in dust…

ULTIMATE MEDITATION

It may sound strange but I love it. The danger and the tension lead me to such sharpness and concentration that my mind is completely quiet… In this space there is not much space for thoughts… In this sense, riding a bike is the ultimate meditation for me.

When I arrive the festival is in full progress. Monks are dancing with big daemon masks on. When the most important lama arrives all the villagers bow down on the ground and make a path for him to cross.

All is even better as in my wildest dreams…The old little women shanti spinning their prayer wheels, the young kid monks running through the dust, the old men with big pilot sunglasses covering their old ravened faces.

FUNNY PHOTOGRAPHERS

I am amused by three tourists with enormous cameras… One even has a GPS build in… They look like hunters as they run up and down passed the wide courtyard where the ceremonies are taking place. They are constantly making up for their rude behaviour, by making little bows to the villagers and by placing their hands in front of their hearts… But when a new monk comes on the courtyard they run to the other side… I am more even amused because I forgot my camera and I realize I am exactly the same. I would stand right next to them if I had brought it.

In my guesthouse I meet a guy who has stayed in our hostel… Funny.

MEDITATING WITH THE LAMAS

The next morning I watch the dances for a bit and the head back in the direction of Leh. I will spend the night somewhere in the middle in a village named Alchi, where according to many is the most beautiful Monastery of Ladakh. I agree. It is a very small and intimate monastery. The monks are doing a full 2 day Puja, meaning they are chanting from morning to evening. Normally tourists have to sit all the way in the back but one of the lamas points to a bench.. I can sit right in between the monks… “Now you are just like us” , says a friendly monk next to me with a big smile.

The monks chant with deep voices reading the texts from ancient paper rolls… In between they blow rusty copper horns and slam on big drums… The young monks are in the corner. They get impatient and blow chewing gum balloons and when the pause is they spurt outside to play… I am fully in this moment… With closed eyes absorbing these beautiful chants… meditating with the lamas in an ancient monastery… That is a good number two for on my bucket list!

WEIRD PROJECT AND FRESH MILK

Later I drive up the hill to explore the environment. I pass a local farmer who is carrying big bottles of milk. I give him a ride and to my surprise up in the mountain there are many baraks… Here live over 500 workers… I sell my mik to people of the “project” is the explanation of the farmer.

He shows me the way ahead and I stare over an enormous hydro electric dam that is in the progress. This is going to be Ladakhs main power supply… I drive the farmer back down and he invites me in his house. Mommy serves me some fresh yak curd and I drink the best chai ever made with fresh yak milk.

The farmer shows me his beautiful vegetable garden. Most houses here grow their own food organically in the summertime. I see beautiful gardens full of carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, cauliflower and much more. In the winter the farmer and his family eat more dry fruits.

Back to my guesthouse… I am the only guest and it almost feels like a home stay… I get a bucket of hot water to wash myself. I lie down on the bed and reflect back on the last three months of my life. I am ONE lucky bastard to have had the chance to experience all this!

ALMOST OVER

Within 2 weeks I will fly to London… And then back in Holland where I will spend the summertime. Then around September back to Guatemala…

But first I will make another Enfield Ride. My last ride will be to Pangong Lake. Rent a tent a sleep in the wild next to the lake. The stars are soo amazing here. It is almost as if you can pick em out of the sky…

People…. Go to Ladakh… To me it is the most beautiful part of India… I haven’t uploaded new photos yet…. But they are coming!

My dear friends… See you soon!

All my love,

Matthias