Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Cambodia Detox
I travelled ½ way around the world to not eatJ
Part of the reason for choosing Hariharalaya was that they
offered a detox program – 3 days, water or coconut water and support. One could choose to do a longer detox but I
thought 3 days might be long enough to see what the impact was and if I could
do it.
I’ve looked at detox programs in Canada. There are many prepackaged powders, workshops
and books available to provide advice or support for a detox. There are juice detoxes, brown rice detoxes,
one day and seven day. There are as many
programs as there are seekers (or so it seems).
Knowing myself, I knew I had to do my first detox away from home and in
a supportive environment. I chose
wisely.
Hariharalaya provides access to all the regular programming
(yoga once a day, meditation three times per day) and a detox ‘guide’ who
provides information each day (of the detox) for 90 minutes. The information is about what to expect
during the detox, to share our experiences, to learn about our digestive
system, to talk about how to come out of the detox and how to maintain the
practice of detox in our ‘regular’ lives.
In addition, there is one massage from the blind gentleman who comes to
the retreat and two herbal steam baths.
And of course, all the coconut water one can consume in three days!
I was really lucky – there were three other people who began
their detox either at the same time or one day after me. Some were also doing a three day detox;
others were going for seven or eight days.
Having ‘detox buddies’ was very helpful.
Sharing an experience really does make it easier when there are bumps or
doubts.
As I mentioned, Hariharalaya provides three meals a day in a
pretty structured way. Each meal time is
marked with poetry and/or a circle activity/ohm or yumJ One my first day I couldn’t join for these
activities. I skipped the first part and
drank my coconut as far away from the other diners as possible. The idea of being hungry is so
compelling. I found it is hard for me to
know when I am really hungry. The idea
of lunch time or dinner time is strong within me and I respond more to this
idea than to hunger pains in my body.
Did I mention I’d also decided to not drink caffeine during
the retreat? So from Saturday, when I
arrived, I didn’t take any caffeine. For
those that know me, this is as astonishing as any detox program! This was mostly accidental. I hadn’t found a decent coffee before I left
for the retreat and then it seemed too much trouble to find some coffee the
next day. And before I knew it, I’d been
caffeine free for 10 days! (I am writing this on the 21st). I have been having small amounts of coffee in
the morning for the past three days but it is not incredibly joyful. Maybe the coffee quality? Or maybe it is no longer necessary? Time will tell.
Koby, the detox guide, had met with me prior to the detox
beginning to see what I hoped to gain from doing the detox and to identify any
concerns I might have. During this
meeting, he asked me to consider not taking my allergy medication (there is so
much in bloom here that my summer allergies are triggered) and to not take any
other medication (except for my two prescription meds). Everything we put in our body has to be
processed by our organs. He suggested it
might be helpful for me to allow the toxins from prolonged medication use to
leave my body and minimizing what I was adding would help.
On the second day of my detox, I decided to go to Angkor
City. I had not seen the temples during
my first trip to Siem Reap (due to flu or malaria?) so I was determined to see
them during this trip. The retreat folks
arranged a tuk tuk who picked me up at 07:30 and would stay with me between
temples and then return me to the retreat.
I had a coconut to begin my day and took one with me as I imagined I’d
return in the afternoon.
Cambodia Retreat
On Saturday, Feb.9, I went to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I think I’ve mentioned it in an earlier post
but if you didn’t catch it, Siem Reap is home to Angkor City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor),
one of the world’s premiere heritage sites.
It is also home to the yoga and meditation retreat centre that I chose
to visit for one week (http://hariharalaya.wordpress.com/).
I’m in my 40s and I’ve been thinking a lot about
how I want to spend the next 40 years of my life. One of the areas of clarity is that I do not
want to be unwell for all of those years.
Of course this means I need to pay more attention to what my body needs
and to attend to those needs. For the
most part I still eat like a teenager without much thought to the consequences,
until lately. So, when I knew I was
going to Thailand for a wedding I decided that I would take some time to begin
living a bit differently. I looked in
Thailand but could not find a retreat centre that had a good combination of
yoga, a detox program, a good atmosphere AND an affordable price). I found Hariharalaya when I expanded my
search to Cambodia. It had yoga, it had
meditation, it had a detox program, accommodation included three meals a day
and it was outside the main city allowing for some connection to nature. And it was possible to get massages, steam
baths, take workshops and visit the temples at Angkor City.
I had been to Siem Reap once before, in 2007 and failed to
visit the temples. I’d gone during my
time in Vietnam but was sick with either the flu or malaria for the entire week
I was there. I visited the temples once
but have little memory of anything but the inside my hotel room. It was a lovely establishment and I would recommend
it highly if you go to Siem Reap (http://www.thevillasiemreap.com/index.php). So, I thought Hariharalaya would be perfect,
I could see how I felt about yoga and meditation and detox AND visit this
beautiful world treasure at the same time (I’m such an north american!:) – fit as
much in as possibleJ)
I arrived Saturday night (I flew from Bangkok to maximize
time at the retreat), just in time for dinner!
Dinner is eaten at low tables, seated on cushions.
There is one ‘regular’ dining table, but most
sit on the floor. That night Pazit, one
of the teachers at the retreat, told us about a workshop she and her husband
(Koby) were going to be offering over the following two days on tantra. Of course, I signed up! Who wouldn't want to learn about tantric practice?
The days at Hariharalaya are structured with lots of free time
built in. Each morning begins at 6:30 am
with a soft bell waking everyone up (it is not a scary bell, although I didn’t
know that until the first morning and thus had been sleeping less than
peacefully waiting for the bell!). J). I was
in a private room in the house with a shared bathroom. There are also huts that can be rented and of
course there are dormitories. Here is my
room, named Dharma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_(Buddhism)):
Between 6:30 – 7 everyone can get ready and be downstairs for morning practice from 7 am – 9 am (yoga and meditation).
After morning practice there is breakfast – usually including fruit, garlic bread, sometimes cooked chia seeds and sometimes greens (both really good and the garlic bread takes some getting used to but is quite goodJ). After breakfast one can attend a workshop, like I was planning, or it is free time until 12:30 when there is another meditation sitting. Lunch is at 1 pm. The afternoon is similarly dedicated to nothing or a workshop or whatever else one wants. Another meditation sitting at 6 pm and dinner is at 7 pm. There is no need to participate at all in the structured activities although everyone who has come to the retreat has come because they are interested in the above activities so most participate partially if not fully. Depending on who is at Hariharalaya, there are various activities led by these teachers: acupuncture, thai massage, reiki, acupressure, private yoga practice, etc. There is also a blind masseuse who comes several times per week to offer massages. All of these activities are extra cost but quite reasonable.
This is one time I haven’t taken pictures of the food. SorryL The food is vegan (no animal products) and many of the dishes are Khmer inspired. The staff who prepares the food is Khmer and over the years have been coached to create very tasty vegan options. There is water and tea available from morning till night. And if you want there are snacks to purchase (free coconuts, mango, peanuts, bliss balls). No alcohol or drugs are permitted on the premises but again, anyone can go into town to have a beer or whatever else they desire.
Between 6:30 – 7 everyone can get ready and be downstairs for morning practice from 7 am – 9 am (yoga and meditation).
Here is a picture of where we congregate for morning
practice (and many other activities):
After morning practice there is breakfast – usually including fruit, garlic bread, sometimes cooked chia seeds and sometimes greens (both really good and the garlic bread takes some getting used to but is quite goodJ). After breakfast one can attend a workshop, like I was planning, or it is free time until 12:30 when there is another meditation sitting. Lunch is at 1 pm. The afternoon is similarly dedicated to nothing or a workshop or whatever else one wants. Another meditation sitting at 6 pm and dinner is at 7 pm. There is no need to participate at all in the structured activities although everyone who has come to the retreat has come because they are interested in the above activities so most participate partially if not fully. Depending on who is at Hariharalaya, there are various activities led by these teachers: acupuncture, thai massage, reiki, acupressure, private yoga practice, etc. There is also a blind masseuse who comes several times per week to offer massages. All of these activities are extra cost but quite reasonable.
This is one time I haven’t taken pictures of the food. SorryL The food is vegan (no animal products) and many of the dishes are Khmer inspired. The staff who prepares the food is Khmer and over the years have been coached to create very tasty vegan options. There is water and tea available from morning till night. And if you want there are snacks to purchase (free coconuts, mango, peanuts, bliss balls). No alcohol or drugs are permitted on the premises but again, anyone can go into town to have a beer or whatever else they desire.
Hariharalaya is situated about 12 km outside of Siem Reap in
a Khmer village.
During the day one can see folks going about their daily business (going to market, taking cows to pasture, children going to school or returning, tractors going to and fro and tourists being taken about in bullock carts looking red and bothered). Sometimes from day to night you can hear someone celebrating – a wedding, a birth, a birthday – at outdoor party palaces (speakers stacked three or four high, fairy lights, etc.). Everyone joins in the fun – invited or no!
During the day one can see folks going about their daily business (going to market, taking cows to pasture, children going to school or returning, tractors going to and fro and tourists being taken about in bullock carts looking red and bothered). Sometimes from day to night you can hear someone celebrating – a wedding, a birth, a birthday – at outdoor party palaces (speakers stacked three or four high, fairy lights, etc.). Everyone joins in the fun – invited or no!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Busy Day in Bangkok
So, on Friday I decided I needed goals. I need objectives. I needed to get things done!
And then I went back to sleep. (hey, I’m on vacation!)
I left the hostel at about noon thinking about lunch. It is so easy to not eat a lot when it is so hot. I find I am averaging two meals a day with various fruit drinks thrown in throughout the day. On Thursday I had gone to Terminal 21 – this humongous mall a few station stops from the hostel.
The mall is a trip! Literally. They’ve designed it like an airport (kind of). Each floor is a different destination and there are small scale models of famous landmarks and the stores are designed to fit in with the theme. So you can go to Istanbul or London or Rome or San Francisco. This is all fun and I’ll take some pictures on another trip but the best part of the mall is that on the fifth floor there is huge food court.
It is the floor above San Francisco so it has a Pier 21 feel to it (I think you can even buy the famous clam chowder in a bread bowl:) You buy a card that you’ve ‘charged’ with however much you want to spend (you can redeem it for any leftover cash) and then you go around and decide what you want to eat. There are proper sit down restaurants around the perimeter but in the middle are different food and drink vendors. And you can eat a meal for under 100Baht (like $3.50). Here are some pictures of my meal on Friday.
One vendor sells only vegetarian food so I can’t tell you exactly what everything is but it involves rice, vegetables, soya, fresh basil, bean sprouts and a cabbage salad. My second favourite vendor sells fruit ices. This was my second day in a row asking for passion fruit (they advertise it as a choice). I reminded the woman who works there that I had been looking forward to a passion fruit drink all day. She advised that passion fruit was not in season so she was having trouble getting it. However, she went in the back and asked her staff to give me one of the few she had purchased. Here it is (I'd eaten the first half when I realized I should probably take a photo:):
What a lovely gesture! I decided on watermelon juice instead.
After eating I was in search of a place to get threaded. For those of you who don’t know, threading is a way of removing hair from the face and body that doesn’t involve shaving, waxing or chemicals. People who do this use two threads to pull the hair out of you without a great deal of discomfort or time. Dear had said she had not discovered a place in Bangkok so I turned to the ‘net and in no time I was headed to Khoobsurat. It was one more skytrain stop over. After I had taken a walk down the road it was meant to be on I was discouraged but had ‘found’ a Bangkok institution – “Cabbages and Condoms” – a restaurant that is a social enterprise – putting money into population control programs. There is all sorts of information in the menu, you get a condom instead of a mint when you pay the bill and there is a great shop that sells all sorts of themed items. I will be going back to buy a few gifts and to support a good cause.
Since I was there I had coconut water. Here it is:
Yep – just the coconut (and a flower for decoration). Yummy!
So, I re-traced my steps looking more carefully at the shops. Of course I hadn’t written the address down, just general instructions. But I located the shop. It was in a mall, a bit off the street. The women working there were great. In no time flat, I had a much smoother complexion and had listened to an Indian woman speak in Hindi/Thai. It was pretty cool.
Take care.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Dinner with the Happy Couple
As most of you know, I am in Thailand for a friends' wedding. Dear invited me to join her and Arak for dinner. With a wedding in less than two weeks, it was a very generous offer of hospitality. Arak had only arrived that afternoon. Dear and I had met earlier in the afternoon to have a Thai massage (one hour of amazing massage for the equivalent of $6!).
So we met at this great place that is very commonplace in Bangkok, called MK (Gold in the case of this incarnation) and known easily by only these initials. It is a place for hotpot. Very popular amongst Thai people (of all ethnicities – I saw a table of ‘my’ people have a jolly good time) and one of Dear and Arak’s favourite culinary outings. We were joined by Arak’s lovely aunt who is a serious foodie! She was a good guide for my first hotpot outing.
Hotpot involves a hotplate in the middle of the table containing a pot of vegetable broth (and yes it was vegetable broth because we argued amongst ourselves and had the wait staff ask the kitchen about it) that is warmed up. When you arrive, you turn it up so it is getting hotter. You also order a variety of items to go into your hotpot (and drinks and rest of the normal dinner experience). You can order whatever – meat, seafood, vegetables. We ordered a great deal of vegetables and Arak’s aunt expertly put them into the hotpot. Each person is also provided with their own sauces and they come with extra garlic and extra chili so you can change your sauce to your liking. There are individual ladles and one soup ladle so you can fill your bowl when you believe something might be ready (or when the foodie at the table believes you should eat :).
The pictures are of the hotpot, the vegetable tray and the sauces. And of course some to show the wonderful company we kept.
It was one of my best evenings of dining. I would happily do this again and plan to before I leave Bangkok (once if not more times). Normally you receive your food and it is prepared. This allows you the childhood pleasure of playing with your food AND eating incredibly well!
These last few shots are of me and my dessert. It is a young coconut filled with tapioca and young coconut and two different types of nuts. Very, very yummy. I wasn’t able to finish it but now, I wish I’d tried. (I will post these later - the internet connection is very slow - trust me, the dessert was yummy!)
I’m writing this from Cambodia and at the end of my first day of my detox program. I’ve had coconut water all day but nothing else. So I think of my dessert with some longing.
More on Cambodia in future posts.
Take care and love each other.
So we met at this great place that is very commonplace in Bangkok, called MK (Gold in the case of this incarnation) and known easily by only these initials. It is a place for hotpot. Very popular amongst Thai people (of all ethnicities – I saw a table of ‘my’ people have a jolly good time) and one of Dear and Arak’s favourite culinary outings. We were joined by Arak’s lovely aunt who is a serious foodie! She was a good guide for my first hotpot outing.
Hotpot involves a hotplate in the middle of the table containing a pot of vegetable broth (and yes it was vegetable broth because we argued amongst ourselves and had the wait staff ask the kitchen about it) that is warmed up. When you arrive, you turn it up so it is getting hotter. You also order a variety of items to go into your hotpot (and drinks and rest of the normal dinner experience). You can order whatever – meat, seafood, vegetables. We ordered a great deal of vegetables and Arak’s aunt expertly put them into the hotpot. Each person is also provided with their own sauces and they come with extra garlic and extra chili so you can change your sauce to your liking. There are individual ladles and one soup ladle so you can fill your bowl when you believe something might be ready (or when the foodie at the table believes you should eat :).
It was one of my best evenings of dining. I would happily do this again and plan to before I leave Bangkok (once if not more times). Normally you receive your food and it is prepared. This allows you the childhood pleasure of playing with your food AND eating incredibly well!
These last few shots are of me and my dessert. It is a young coconut filled with tapioca and young coconut and two different types of nuts. Very, very yummy. I wasn’t able to finish it but now, I wish I’d tried. (I will post these later - the internet connection is very slow - trust me, the dessert was yummy!)
I’m writing this from Cambodia and at the end of my first day of my detox program. I’ve had coconut water all day but nothing else. So I think of my dessert with some longing.
More on Cambodia in future posts.
Take care and love each other.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
First Impressions
After a grand total of five hours of sleep (lots of morning light through the curtains and some jet lag), I greeted Bangkok!
Arriving anywhere late at night, after a long day of travel, doesn't really prepare you for being there. You find transport, notice the climate, check in and drag your bags to whichever floor you're on (4th, btw, and no elevator!) and get settled to sleep.
It is the morning that really allows you to take stock and appreciate that you have ARRIVED!
Here is the view from my room and a shot of my room (did I mention I'm staying at a hostel?)
Yep, an HI hostel called HI Sukhumvit (http://www.hisukhumvit.com/firstpage/index.php)
Of course, when you're on holiday there is no reason to rush anything. So after some luggage rearrangement, a most fabulous shower and a short nap, it was downstairs to see what my new hometown away from home had in store.
May I first mention that it is hot? It is warm (http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/thxx0002) and it is only winter (well, spring) not summer! Crazy!
Those of you who know me well know that I sweat. So yesterday I sweated. The one thing I forgot to pack is a hat which is something you need in the tropical sunshine. Thank goodness for a private room with airconditioning! I am sure I will soon get used to it!
Breakfast started at the hostel (instant coffee, toast and the option for cereal) but ended at Au Bon Pain, a lovely little cafe up the way from the hostel. I had kiwi juice! Most wonderful! and a real coffee to make up for earlier version.
And my last first impressions are in this video. Let me know how it plays (I was having difficulty testing it). If it plays well, I'll post another one or two.
I wanted you to see how some of the streets/sidewalks look. This is about three blocks from the hostel at about 11 am in the morning on a weekday. Apologies for the finger. I was trying to non-obtrusive with the camera by holding it at waist level as I walked. I hope you enjoy it.
Alright, after one hour of upload time, I'll have to try something else.
Have a great day!
Arriving anywhere late at night, after a long day of travel, doesn't really prepare you for being there. You find transport, notice the climate, check in and drag your bags to whichever floor you're on (4th, btw, and no elevator!) and get settled to sleep.
It is the morning that really allows you to take stock and appreciate that you have ARRIVED!
Here is the view from my room and a shot of my room (did I mention I'm staying at a hostel?)
Yep, an HI hostel called HI Sukhumvit (http://www.hisukhumvit.com/firstpage/index.php)
Of course, when you're on holiday there is no reason to rush anything. So after some luggage rearrangement, a most fabulous shower and a short nap, it was downstairs to see what my new hometown away from home had in store.
May I first mention that it is hot? It is warm (http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/thxx0002) and it is only winter (well, spring) not summer! Crazy!
Those of you who know me well know that I sweat. So yesterday I sweated. The one thing I forgot to pack is a hat which is something you need in the tropical sunshine. Thank goodness for a private room with airconditioning! I am sure I will soon get used to it!
Breakfast started at the hostel (instant coffee, toast and the option for cereal) but ended at Au Bon Pain, a lovely little cafe up the way from the hostel. I had kiwi juice! Most wonderful! and a real coffee to make up for earlier version.
And my last first impressions are in this video. Let me know how it plays (I was having difficulty testing it). If it plays well, I'll post another one or two.
I wanted you to see how some of the streets/sidewalks look. This is about three blocks from the hostel at about 11 am in the morning on a weekday. Apologies for the finger. I was trying to non-obtrusive with the camera by holding it at waist level as I walked. I hope you enjoy it.
Alright, after one hour of upload time, I'll have to try something else.
Have a great day!
How do you lose and then gain the same 2 hours?
Note: These are my musings as I travelled 22 hours to reach my destination of Bangkok. They may have sounded more profound in that state of mind:)
So, I left Vancouver at 1 pm (-ish) and soon after our flight, we had crossed the International Date Line (http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/dateline.htm), leaving the 5th behind and leapfrogging into the following day. It was 4:30 pm when I arrived in Tokyo and we were leaving for the next flight at 6:30 pm. Our arrival was slated for 11:15 pm in Bangkok after a 7 hour and some minutes flight. Do the math.
I lost two hours flying into Tokyo and by flying to Bangkok, the same two hours re-appeared! Just think how discombobulating it would be to keep going... the same hours lost by crossing the international date line would re-appear (not to mention the carbon karma you'd cost yourself, but that is for another post:).
Time and time zones are fascinating. Usually when you fly, you just lose time or gain time. Never have I lost and gained the SAME time on the same trip!
Again, I had not slept for a good long time when all of this occurred to me... although it is still pretty cool:)
So, I left Vancouver at 1 pm (-ish) and soon after our flight, we had crossed the International Date Line (http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/dateline.htm), leaving the 5th behind and leapfrogging into the following day. It was 4:30 pm when I arrived in Tokyo and we were leaving for the next flight at 6:30 pm. Our arrival was slated for 11:15 pm in Bangkok after a 7 hour and some minutes flight. Do the math.
I lost two hours flying into Tokyo and by flying to Bangkok, the same two hours re-appeared! Just think how discombobulating it would be to keep going... the same hours lost by crossing the international date line would re-appear (not to mention the carbon karma you'd cost yourself, but that is for another post:).
Time and time zones are fascinating. Usually when you fly, you just lose time or gain time. Never have I lost and gained the SAME time on the same trip!
Again, I had not slept for a good long time when all of this occurred to me... although it is still pretty cool:)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Two more days - Thailand and Cambodia!
Two more days!
Two more days and three hours I will be on a plane headed (eventually) for Bangkok!
22 days of sunshine, tropical fruit, relaxation, tropical fruit, massages, laughter, and did I mention, tropical fruit? :)
My friends are getting married in Bangkok and we will frolic together in celebration on an island near Phuket. Before and after the wedding, I thought I'd re-explore this lovely corner of the world.
I'll be in Bangkok for a few days and then off to Cambodia for a 7 day retreat at Hariharalaya (http://hariharalaya.wordpress.com/) - a meditation and yoga retreat in a Khmer village near Siem Reap in Cambodia. Siem Reap is known for being near Angkor (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668), an amazing, overwhelming archaeological site which I will visit for at least one day.
22 days sounds like a lot but I know it will fly by. I'll share as much as I can, as often as I can.
Enjoy February wherever you are!
Now.... back to packing!
Two more days and three hours I will be on a plane headed (eventually) for Bangkok!
22 days of sunshine, tropical fruit, relaxation, tropical fruit, massages, laughter, and did I mention, tropical fruit? :)
My friends are getting married in Bangkok and we will frolic together in celebration on an island near Phuket. Before and after the wedding, I thought I'd re-explore this lovely corner of the world.
I'll be in Bangkok for a few days and then off to Cambodia for a 7 day retreat at Hariharalaya (http://hariharalaya.wordpress.com/) - a meditation and yoga retreat in a Khmer village near Siem Reap in Cambodia. Siem Reap is known for being near Angkor (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668), an amazing, overwhelming archaeological site which I will visit for at least one day.
22 days sounds like a lot but I know it will fly by. I'll share as much as I can, as often as I can.
Enjoy February wherever you are!
Now.... back to packing!
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