Sri Lanka trip

Pequeno clip (3min30seg) da viagem ao Sri Lanka. Soundtrack pertence a uma banda local para turista e todo o material audiovisual e nosso. Por motivos de tamanho do ficheiro e fraca ligacao a internet em Kuala Lumpur a qualidade do video nao e a melhor.

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Auroville - September/October 2008

"Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity."

Auroville Charter
Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.
Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.
Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

Between the 9th of September and the 4th of November i had the unique experience to be one of a few in the world able to testimony a special laboratory for human experiment in a unique and exquisite place in southern India. AUROVILLE. The Vision behind it is rather inspiring, the dream breathtaking, the language and the symbols are mystical, powerfull and for many reasons it is a place where people from everywhere in the world converge in a search from something else, something more. There are those who come to study the aparent anarchy organization - Noam Chomsky followers -, or even the economic system based on voluntary work, local closed economy, those who come to follow a spiritual path through yoga and also those you come for some vacations and out of simple curiosity. My motive was a mix of all these and some more.

During my father's short and rainy visit he commented: "Auroville is like an alien colony, being the Matrimandir the spaceship and the Aurovillians the aliens". Inspiring thought, mainly if ones come from messy stressy India and finds itself within the icy white silence of the Matrimandir or spots a few hundred yellow head kids playing soccer, basket ball or Capoeira while others do Meditation or Tai chi. In some respects this community is a cultural and social island somewhere lost in India or in the world. I would not call them Aliens but the methafor used examplifies one of the carachteristics of the community: its true experimental side that distances itself from what we have known so far.

POLITICS:

If we had to label Auroville politically it would fit most definitly within what is known as Anarchy. Probably not as Bakunin defined it 200 years before but as a logical evolution best described by Chomsky. (I do stress these 2 free thinkers because their work is worthy to understand what is really Anarchy) However there are subtle hierarchis most expressed by the decisions taken by the Auroville Foundation on some key matters and the process to became an Aurovillian. Still it can be stated as a case study by any socio-political researcher.

ECONOMICS:

It is important to distinguish between two different worlds (economically speaking) in Auroville. In one we can place all visitors and Guests who will be normal agents as in any other civilized society; in another totally different are the newcomers and Aurovillians for which there is a very special and very interesting low scale system. It consists on community work, re-invested profit and closed local economy. Here, the idea is to be auto-sustained with minimal environmental impact and getting everyone involved in the work being done for the community beniefit, producing high value products for external markets in order to finance internal research, investment and produce all the basic products for the community necessites. Honestly, this back to the roots, free tarde economy can work but only in very small scales and for a closed community not being a real study case for real world economics.

SOCIO-CULTURAL:

A great melting pot. In 2000 constant inhabitants you can find more than 45 nations from all continents and all imaginable backgrounds. At this level Auroville is very rich, too much one might even say. The people and their unity is what gives all the physical structures a life and its character. The diversity allows for a wide offer of activities and pratices, world views and even spiritual points but instead of being an impedment for progress and cohesion it is what gives the unity its strenght. Under all those different faces and hearts there's a common feeling of repulse towards our bureaucratic and vicious systems of laws and rules that control men ability to freely develop, our unfair and manipulated economic system and an awful and distruthful political system. They come on a search for something else, something more. Spirituality and freedom are present everywhere and altought it may seem a chaotic and rather non-progressal community, people evolve and learn much from what they see and experience here, I DID. In the end it all comes to the point that it all depends on your openess of heart and mind.

INDIA - Auroville

Hellow,
most unfortunatly i could finish the daily report on our trip top the middle east but after Nuweiba we went to Cairo, Alexandria, Dahab, and Israel - Eljat, Jerusalem and tel Aviv. Photos will come along with a short description soon.

By now, and after a pit stop in POrtugal, i'm already in INDIA, more precisely Auroville.
Soon i will post pictures and news from this new experience but by now you can search the website, its worth it!!

Take care.
Regards

03/08 - Nuweiba

After a painkilling night ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba, we badly needed some rest. And we got it!

Nuweiba is an egyptian resort for Israli people that was totally empty. An idiallyc place within paradise beaches, hot water, reefs for snorkling everything but that due to political reasons we found as a ghost city! We were received as kings and treated as such...its a shame and a great deal for those wanting to get out of the egyptian Las vegas - AKA Sharm-el-sheik. It can also be a great strating point to explore the desert with a Bedouin.

Next Stop Cairo, going trough the Sinai!!

31/07, 1/8 e 2/08- Aqaba

2 hour south from Petra is the strategic city of Aqaba. Being the only port of Jordan it is one of the main gateways to the transport of people and goods coming from the Red Sea and beyond.

Besides that, aqaba is sold, turist wise, as the perfect diving place in the red sea.

Well....we were extremly disappointed. The city itself is pretty basic and unworth any visit; The diving/snorkeling is quite pleasent but for me same price you can get much more in Sinai; it even doesn't have the party atmosphere of the neighbor Eljat..summing up: if your aim its to dive continue to Sinai, to party go to Eljat to sleep go to Egypt.

Curiosly we had our first Mcdonald's meal in 1 month..

Transport tip:

DON'T EVER TAKE THE FERRY TO NUWEIBA!!!Besides being too expensive ($60) its also too slow and uncomfortable - we had to wait for 6 hours to get in..there was people sleeping everywhere..total chaos..who would have guessed??Still i had some interesting conversation about the other side of the story - to be posted soon!

You are much better off taking the way across the border..

29 Julho: Amman - Wadi Mussa (Moise's Valley)

For those who feel Jordan as a developed country while walking in the fancy streets of Amman should try their transport service to remind themselves of where they are. Most turists come to Jordan through all-arranged tours, in and of tour buses, and never see the big mess of a country that lies beneath. For those individually trying to get from Amman to Petra there are only 3 options:

a) either you join one of those pre-arranged tours
b) get a taxi to drive you
c) or, you take the minibus as everyone else!!!What an experience...i will tell our experience and you can jugde by yourselves

In our hostel we asked for the bus schedule but it was told us that it is non-existence and we'd better go there early. So we did..bargained a taxi to the main bus station - 15 min out of Amman - and there we were. Quite easily we found the "platform" from where the bus was about to arrive and leave (they told us any moment and it took 1h30min) and waited. When everyone saw the bus coming they didn't even let it stop and they all got inside while the bus was moving...just like that..in 30 sec it was full and throughing people off!!Altought we were there before anybody else we had no sit..again we waited and 30 min after we got a new shot and this time..NO MERCY!!!We got a tiny spot for both and the bags, payed 2 or 3 times more than the locals but we were on the bus on our way to Petra!!!An adventure that real exemplifies the mess of the transport system. It happened again for us from Petra to Aqaba. No time-tables and no fix prices..worse than in Syria or Turkey!!!

"NO WOUNDER ITS A WONDER"

"NO WOUNDER ITS A WONDER", by BL

Petra - recently considered as one of the seven wonders of the world this red-rose stone carved city, home of an ancient people - the Nabatiens - deserves it all. Its a magical and overwhelming place that should be on the 'to-do's-list' of every traveller. From 8am till 6pm we walked, climbed and trekked, sweat out our bodies to exaustion in order to see and feel every place, to enjoy every moment. A great day in a very special place.

Welcome, Welcome: epidemia nacional!!

By now I already feel the need to share a special remark: the proliferation of a number of key english terms which the local population seem to know by hard. Its a national/regional ephidemia..

Top:

Welcome!!
Where are you from??
Come and visit my shop...i will do you a student discount!
Hotel??Cheap taxi??How much?

Best ones:

How many camels for the lady?
Want a taxi with air-condition? (kids selling donkeys in Petra)

Now, after 1 month travelling in this area, i can easily identifie the different steps that a tourist goes through related to the unstopable approach from the locals:

1) In the beggining its nice, you smile, thank, sometimes go in their talk..
2) After you start to be anoyed and realize that most of them are just trying the best way to rip you off
3) You get tired and rude..
4) You finally aknowledge that most of the times they are even jocking with you and then its when you have 3 ways: you laught of them, you despize them or just enter the third dimension..

28 de Julho - Amman

Lets be honest: Amman isn't a city worth a visit for more than a few hours, specially if you are coming from Syria or another Middle Eastern country. Its a city short on historical hot spots and a big mess between a dirty downtown area and a (wanna be) modern and western ring area.

Still, we visited the Citadel with its Hercules temple and walked around its rings..been there, done that, lets go. Destination: Petra!!

(The normal path in Jordan would lead us to the dead sea but due to a leg burn not yet healed that mandatory trip had to be postponed)

Amman is rich in cheap hostels mainly in the downtown area. 5 euros per night per person is a reasonable deal.

27 de Julho: Syria - Jordan

(On the request of some friends the official language of the blog will be english from now on..hope you understand)

Following what is becaming our sunday habit/tradition, this morning we were in our route to Amman, capital of Jordan. Altought only 200 km away, our journey lastest for 5.30h due to border traffic and bureaucracy.

2 special notes:

American jeeps - One of the highlights when crossing a border in these countries is to see the huge American GMC jeeps all from Saudi Arabia or Kuwait completly full of people and trash and totally sand dirty from crossing the deserts....its their place: cheap (almost free) fuel and big roads!

I will also add that Syria could be a great place to buy old american cars very cheap as they are everywhere..its unbeliavle the amount of lincolns, Chevrolet, Mustang that you can find in the streets of Damascus or Aleppo.

Departure Taxes - I still can't understand - and nobody could explain me - why here we have to pay an exit tax. It seems like one more measure to take money from turists...10 euros in Syria, 5 for Jordan, 5 for Egypt..even for Israel!!

26 de Julho - passeio a fronteira!!

6.30 am - Toca o despertador no belo Al-Rabie Hotel em Damascus. Razao para um acordar matinal tao madrugador: visita a Beirut, capital do Libano.

Confiantes e com algum sono mas elevada expectativa la chegamos ao autocarro a tempo e horas e seguimos na curta viagem(50km) ate a fronteira Syria - Lebanon. Estavamos ja psicologicamente preparados para mais uma maratona de carimbos e vistos mas ora que somos supreendidos pela tipica mentalidade 'rip off the turist' dos nossos amigos arabes e, aquilo que seria uma pacata viagem ate Beirut tornou-se rapidamente num potencial cash-flow redondamente negativo: taxas para sair do pais, taxas para entrar, taxas para o tio,para o primo...a certa altura estavamos a somar mais de 30 euros apenas para um satinho de um dia!!Nao nos concediam transit visas porque....sei la, era domingo, e ainda nos obrigavam a pedir novo visto a entrada na Siria.

Ridiculo e muito caro, logo, saimos de um lado da fronteira, saltamos para o outro lado ,metemo nos no autocarro de regresso e voltamos apos a nossa visita matinal a fronteira..

Fica mais um conselho a futuros viajantes: pecam com antecedencia visto de multipla entrada nas embaixadas necessarias.

25 de Julho - Damascus

Frustacao!!!!

Nao podera existir outra palavra para descrever o nosso espanto ao sairmos para um passeio em Dasmasco neste bela 6a feira e depararmos com tudo fechado!!Vamos sublinhar: TUDO FECHADO!!pior que um domingo em estarreja..nao havia vivalma nas ruas e ate os agitados souqs eram agora longas ruas mortas..fica entao a dica a futuros viajantes para estes lados do mundo: a sexta-feira aqui e dia de descanso e familia!!

Mesmo assim passeamos e visitamos alguns dos pontos e interesse na cidade - por exemplo o Azem Palace, construido em 1749 e cuja arquitectura remete para o estilo damasceno (foto), colmatado com um belo jantar sobre o olhar contemplativo da grande mesquita - construida em 705 AD - a ultima casa de Saladin, um dos grandes herois arabes.

24 de Julho - DAMASCUS

Com uma historia suficientemente extensa para escrever varias encliclopedias a cidade de Damasco e uma daquelas cidades do mundo em que se sente a forca da sua historia em cada esquina. Com uma populacao actual de 5 milhoes de habitantes, a cidade, fundada em 7000 A.C., e actualmente a capital da Syria e o seu centro cultural, economico e politico. 8 imperios deixaram a marca - Egipcios, Assirios, Persas, Gregos, Romanos, Umayyads, Mongois, Turks e ate os Franceses - da sua presenca nesta cidade que desde tempos imemoriais e um centro de comercio entre o Mediterraneo e a Asia.

A expectativa era alta mas a Grande Damascus ja nao possui o carisma que as palavras dos livros escritos sobre si e os que filmes realizados - exemplo: Lawrence da Arabia - tentam transmitir. E hoje uma confusa metropole encalhada entre a modernidade e a antiguidade. A sua old city continua a ser certamente o bairro mais esplendoroso da Medio Oriente mas a magia da cidade ja se perdeu entre os inumeros anuncios megalonomos a marcas estrangeiras e uma vontade de desenvolvimento rapido mas sem estrutura.

Mesmo assim experiencei um fantastico banho Sirio com massagens incluidas por apenas 2 euros e um passeio muito recompensador nos seus souqs e ruelas perdidas entre as muralhas da citadela.

23 July - Hama

Algures perdida entre Aleppo e Damasco surgiu-nos a cidade de Hama. Apesar de um pouco fora dos principais roteiros turisticos, a cidade revelou-se uma agradavel supresa (possivelmente devido as baixas expectativas e a leve nostalgia de Tomar) . Com efeito a cidade estende-se ao longo de um vale banhada pelo rio Orontes, sendo que a sua principal atraccao sao as famosas NORIAS - grandes rodas de madeira para a distribuicao e canalizacao de agua dos rios. A maior da cidade tem cerca de 22 metros de diametro!!Existem cerca de 6 em apenas 500 metros de rio. O seu principal uso era a distribuicao de agua pelos campos agricolas.



Uma cidade calma e pacata onde descansamos antes de irmos para a grande Damascus!

Pedro, O Grande

Terminei!!

Em contraste com o calor desta ' summer trip', viajei nestas ultimas duas semanas pelo frio exuberante da Russia czarista do seculo XVI. Pedro foi um fiel companheiro para horas de descanso e repouso e a escrita de Tolstoi uma agradavel supresa.

Um romance intemporal que recomendo vivamente a todos os interessados em historia mundial.

Pedro O Grande
Alexei Tolstoi

21, 22de Julho - Aleppo

Al-salaam alaykum!!(may the peace be with you)

Novo dia de passeio e visita nos meandros da cidade..

Uma experiencia muito rica, principalmente se tivermos em conta o reduzido numero de turistas nesta epoca e a sua aparente virgindade (ou nao ocidentalizacao)..

Ficam as fotografias!

20 de Julho - Syria

E absolutamente impressionante como uma fronteira pode mudar tanto a paisagem e as pessoas!!!

Fizemos apenas 60 km de Antakya ate a fronteira e mal entramos na Syria sentimos um choque de tal forma intensa que poderiamos pensar que tinhamos feito algumas horas de aviao e aterrado num sitio totalmente diferente.

Na fronteira entramos sem problemas e chatices apesar de todo o processo de conseguir os elementos necessarios para o desejado carimbo mais se assemelhe a um turbilhao de entradas e saidas em gabinetes e cabines para assinaturas e cotoveladas entre gritos e notas espalhadas..uma aventura que correu com muita animacao devido ao prestavel trabalho do nosso condutor Mehmet.

Primeira paragem na Syria...meter gasolina: 30 centimos o litro!!!!(No comments)

Segunda e ultima paragem: Aleppo!

Com uns impressionantes 4 milhoes de habitantes, esta vibrante cidade partilha com Damascus o facto de serem as cidades mais antigas constantemente habitadas do mundo. Enquanto centro de comercio a cidade conheceu ao longo da sua historia muitos povos e muitas riquezas..podemos ainda hoje passar da cidadela (construida pelos cruzados no seculo XII) para os confusos souqs passando na imponente mesquita onde se chega a encontrar um pulpito com a cabeca de Zacarias, pai de Joao Baptista, ate cehgar ao " christian quarter" repleto de relojearias e restaurantes de luxo entre igrejas e hospitais cristaos.

Uma grande cidade, com um transito digno de nota devido a inexistencia de regras ou qualquer tipo de respeito, suja e com odores intensos (nos souqs as especiarias, nas mesquitas os pezinhos, nas ruas os esgotos e afins.

Aqui, e apesar da liberdade existente de que nos falaram ainda existe muito conservadorismo sendo que 90% das mulheres utilizam a burka toda fechada e todos os codigos islamicos sao respeitados ao pormenor.

A comida e muito barata e nas ruas e usual encontrar pontos de venda de sumos de frutas (por sinal muito saborosos e vitaminicos por apenas 30 cent) e kebabs. Cometemos o luxo de frequentar o melhor restaurante de toda a cidade e apos uma farta e completa refeicao siria a conta apenas se situou nos 4 euros a cada!!

A maioria dos homens fuma e pontos de recolha de lixo sao quase inexistentes (cheguei a percorrer metade da cidade para encontrar um lixo de rua)!

Estou tambem a aprender arabe e ja consigo escrever os numeros!!

Allah ma'ak
Tisbah'al khayr