A Yogi On Toes, A Man On Pause

Check this out my friends. My goodbye to everyone.....

The Journal of My Journey - PART 1

28 November - As many of you know that i have taken a stand to leave malaysia for good and for many many reasons. They may not be in agreement with many people's beliefs or principles, but hey, who's living my life but me?

The decision of taking a 2 month backpacking trip through IndoChina came when I was going through some rough times and reflecting on my life in KL. One of the things was on my trip to Siem Reap to see the majestic AngKor wat. I thought, how i wished to have my life surrounded by such beauty and splendour of the city. Its not just AngKor Wat but the friendly and accomodating people, their genuine kindness, their ever so willingness to help and how wonderfully inspiring everything was.

I began to tell close friends and acquaintances shortly after the decision and since then, everyone who knew, wanted to help me in one way or another, be it in the form of sharing information about a destination, helping me with accommodation or hooking me up with someone they know somewhere. I cant help but feel honoured and grateful for them and that is why i wanted to start the journal of the journey today, four months before take off.

30 November - Some of the information about the countries that I am going to visit I got them from reading a book, Half The Sky written by husband and wife Nicholas D Kristoff & Sheryl Wudun, 2 foreign correspondents and editors of the New York Times who both won the Pulitzer Prize award for journalism for their coverage on Tiananmen Square democracy. Nicholas went on to garner his 2nd Pulitzer for his columns on the genocide in Darfur.

Half the Sky is about the couple's journey through Indochina, South Asia and Middle East, countries where they work closely with foreign aids, human rights watch and NGOs to help girls and women who are discriminated, tortured and rape due to culture or religious ordinance. All the information in the book have inspired me to lend my skills to charity or at least volunteer with charities that help these unfortunate women and girls.

Apart from the above, I was also recommended to read A Fortune Teller Told Me, a travelogue written by Tiziano Terzani, the italian journalist and writer who was known for his extensive knowledge of East Asia and about western penetration of the Asian culture. This book was written based on Tiziano's journey through the Far East which covered many of my journey's destinations. So as you've guessed it, this is going to be my next read.

1 December - A few days before, I got a reply from Nataraj Yoga NGO asking me if I could organize workshops and replace yoga teachers who will be on leave due to the Khmer holidays in April. I agreed and after seeking advise from experienced friends, asked the NGO for a USD25 per diem just to cover food and incidentals. I am very excited to start on the workshop mechanics and planning to make it as fun as I can.

3 December - Karin, told me today that she would be in Saigon from 17 May, so it would be nice to have a familiar face to hang out and practice with! I hope the plan for me to teach there does not go custard.

12 January - SO many things have happened since the last blog report. Things that I would not want to discuss anymore. But that's only because I have managed to let it go. Now, at this moment, I am so so happy and as of today, Azmi Bin Samdjaga is officially DEBT FREE!!!!!! and guess what? I have completed my budget for my epic journey of enlightenment!!

The journey would begin on the 1st April from Aeroline bus station at One Utama and returning to KL Sentral on the 31st May. A book that I am currently reading has me on the edge of my seat as the excitement of the contents just could not have me wait till 73 days later!!! Tiziano Terzani wrote the book, A Fortune Teller Told Me about his travels on land and sea from italy to bangkok via singapore with all his heart and soul. The adventures he had are ones that I would be on par with on my imminent journey.

This journey would take 61 days, covering a round distance of 6,871 km, staying in 11 cities and traveling on foot, 3 buses, 2 speed boats, 1 junk boat, 7 trains and a whole lot of common sense. How more exciting can that be?! I wish I have a friend or 2 to travel with, sharing and taking in all those breathtaking sights and sceneries.

What I am really looking forward to would be the epic train ride from Saigon to Hanoi. A 1,780 km train ride over 3 days (32hrs), along the coast of South China Sea, through a National Park and up the mountains. And after that, travel to what UNESCO declared as a World Heritage site, Halong Bay where 1,976 stupendous, ethereal, magical limestone pinnacles jut out right before your eyes and stun any eyes that befall them! To get there, I have book a couple of night stay in a junk boat that will sail around the pinnacles... Ahhhhh..

Check this view of halong bay.

As much as I am excited to leave, my heart's also breaking knowing that I will leave the wonderful friends that I have made here. My lovely students whom I will leave my legacy with. My teachings are the only things that I could leave them. But we have to part to come together again.

Below is a summary of my itinerary and maybe you could find a spot where you will find the possibility of joining me somewhere in my journey. Ouuuuh that would be so so lovely!!

1/4 - KL to Penang on Aeroline Bus.

3/4 - Butterworth to Bangkok on train.

6/4 - Bangkok Full Moon party.

10/4 - Bangkok to Siem Reap on train, walk across border in Poipet and bus to Siem Reap town.

20,21/4 - Siem Reap to Phnom Penh on speed boat.

1/5 - Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on the Mekong Express bus.

8/5 - 3 day train ride from Saigon-Danang-Hanoi.

16/5 - Hanoi to hill station of Sapa on Vietnam Train.

20/5 - Hanoi to Halong Bay on bus and junk boat.

22/5 - Hanoi to Vientiane on sleeper bus.

28/5 - Vientiane to Bangkok on train.

30/5 - Bangkok to Butterworth on train.

31/5 - Butterworth to KL on train. THATS ALL FOLKS!!!

19 February - First of all, I'd like to wish my beloved Wizard a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! without whom none of this would happen and being the most supportive of all, as always, he had generously contributed a sum of money that would cover accommodation and transportation costs and see me through the first half ofThe best thing would definitely be the fact that he will help with some financial need!!! That said, I have already booked my main train rides.

Routing 1: SAIGON-DANANG, 8th May 2012, SE4 Train (2300/1430+1).

Routing 2: DANANG-HANOI, 10th May 2012, SE4 Train (1442/0500+1).

Type of ticket: Soft sleeper 4 berth sharing compartment

Routing 3: HANOI-LAO CAI, 16th May 2012, Livitrans Express, SP7 Train (2035/0455+1).

Routing 4: LAO CAI-HANOI, 19th May 2012, Livitrans Express, SP8 Train (1930/0420+1).

As for accommodation, I am very pleased to have confirmed bookings for the first 4 destinations of my trip, and they are Penang, Bangkok, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. FYI, they have already been paid for, so I hope I wont get any more confusing recommendations as to where I should stay. :) With 4 destinations down, I've got 6 more to go, which include short stays in Danang (1n), Sapa (3n), and Halong Bay (2n). The other 3 being Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Vientiane.

I am still contemplating though, on whether I should purchase any travel insurance. There have been mixed views about it so I will have to go over it and look into all the options. Especially with my traveling alone, I figure that it would be essential to have some form of medical assurance to travel with a peace of mind.