Apr 29
Sanjay was clean-cut and dressed in an American 80s style. He looked like a dark skinned version of the guy in Threes Company, but with a mustache. A baby blue athletic shirt with cutoff sleeves was tucked tightly into his jeans. I sat with Sanjay under the canopy, looking out over his things for sale at passing tourists.
Sanjay asked me what my dreams were. I was caught off guard, not expecting such depth to a conversation with limited English. It took me some time to communicate all the big and exciting things I want out of life. When finished, I asked him the same.
He faced his palms to the sky and waved his hands over the dusty trinkets in his shop.
This he said.
What do you mean? I asked. This is what you want, nothing more?
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Apr 28
I got on the sleeper bus from Jaisalmer bound for Jaipur, but made some friends during the night and decided instead to get off with them in a place called Pushkar; a town that surrounds a holy lake, with holy monkeys and holy cows everywhere. A place where the pace of life is slow, spirituality is big, and meat and alcohol is forbidden. Lots of travelers come for a few days and end up staying weeks or months. I skipped all the sights, and instead found a roof top restaurant where I spent hours watching the lake and reading and writing. After two nights, I escaped to the North as planned. Here are a few pictures I took while I was there.
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Apr 27
In the recording of this song its easy to get distracted by the mysterious Marwar language and loss of rhythm or tone, but being there I didnt notice.
The moon was full and gave more light than the small crackling fire. The sand was warm and endless and a steady breeze blew on my back. We sat in a circle with the guides grouped closely together. Their drums were empty water bottles and cooking oil jugs. They were four including my friend Kamal and the twelve year old Mr. Win.
Even through the off beat drumming and vocals, if you listen, I think you can hear their love for the desert. It shone from them like the moon and the fire that night.
Listen Now! | 4min 44sec, 5.6megs
Apr 25
Work for an Adventure Camp
During my final semester of college, I had no idea what I wanted to do next. I was burned out from studying Quantum Mechanics all day, so I started searching for outdoor summer jobs. I made a few applications online and ended up getting offers for a couple different positions.
The first was as a white water rafting guide on the Kennebec River. I had been a guest with the rafting company the year before and .interested in a job there since, so I was pretty sure I would take the offer. Before I told them Id spend my spring break at guide training, I got an email from Sara Johnson at Longacre Expeditions saying shed like to do a phone interview with me.
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Apr 23
Id never seen a camel in real life before. They stunk, which was fitting I thought. The sounds they made were loud and abrupt, a deep gargled whine that sounded almost human, but unearthly. The only mental connection I could make was the Star Wars character Chewbacca. My camel was docile, but Lindas was manic. The way theyre controlled is a steel spike is driven through the bridge of their nose, to which ropes are tied. The sound of their cries, wincing of their eyes and blood from their wounds made me uneasy. For lively hood, an animals pain is acceptable, but Im becoming uncomfortable with trading it for tourism.
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Apr 21
I’ve had these clips sitting on my computer for awhile, waiting for me to add voice-overs. Im accepting the fact that video takes too much time to make it as good as Id like, so I promise Im going to start uploading more footage. I have got hours and hours. Itll be mostly straight stuff, with little information, so if you have any questions, ask me or my friend.
These clips are from Siem Reap, Cambodia. It starts with a buffet dinner Stacey and I went to, where there was some Cambodian dancing. Then some footage Stacey took of us doing a little bit of walking in Angkor Wat, where we pass some street musicians and little kids trying to sell us stuff.
