Liebe zur Erde... - Liebe zur Erde

Through Singapore back to Dornach in Switzerland

Singapore is in Asia, no doubt - but it is regulated and ordered in such a way that one starts to wonder. Singapore is a stopover and I spend a lot less time here than the city would actually be worth. In Singapore, I also break my professional "fasting" : I am staying at a Waldorf family and experience in their home an incredible hospitality and openness. It gives me back the feeling, how mankind can be - and how good it feels to be back among people who do not additionally want to sell something, but welcome the guest as a person. And after all the months in which my appearance has driven to a variety of people greedy eyes and cloudy brows, wondering how much they can wring from me - the apparently rich woman, without a man on the road, obviously an easy prey for big rip-off in favor of their own dreams...





Oh yes - and has anyone ever tried to eat crabs with chopsticks?




Singapore is almost exactly on the equator. For the city, this means almost constant climate throughout the year, sunrise and sunset are virtually always at the same time. The city is full of cleanliness, rules and order, any small deviation from the predetermined standard is punishable by heavy fines. After 6 months of managing Asian traffic madness now crossing a road becomes a science that wants to be considered:




and though not so much controlling police is to bee seen - people stick to the rules. The streets are clean - you could almost eat from the ground. I especially like that they have obviously left the big trees during construction. So many of the streets which lead to the center go through avenues with tall tropical trees, which sprawl shade with their foliage.





And many a house is overgrown on balconies and roofs with greenery - often as whole trees! What - unusual in Asia - mainly is to bee seen on the roads are skyscrapers, large sedans on the streets, but no people (and no mopeds). Where the heck are all the inhabitans?







Spectacular are the views from the skyscrapers. Famous is the
Rooftop pool from Marina Bay Sand Hotel on the 57th floor:




Here, however, only one can bathe who is willing to pay 500 US$ for an overnight stay:




Given the hefty price I have to say: the Marina Bay Sand Hotel is run like a German train station, and so is the athmosphere: with self - checkin and self - checkout, a totally confusing situation in the buildings, a 500m long entrance hall uncomfortable as a railway station which is also set up as one.



The uninformed tourists cattle are carted for 28$ on an observation deck. However: worldly arrogance carries even me in the company of a backpack in the restaurant / cafe next to the pool for free, where one can, well kept sitting, spend the 28$ (or less) then in a cappuccino and Moctail. And well - in terms of the views ... - If I had slept there, the  views would have annoyed me.




If you aim high, a recommended destination is in the financial district the "Altitude1 Bar" on Raffles Square. This one is good and happy some 50-80 m higher, the view goes all around the city. However, this is an open air bar - closed in bad weather, because otherwise it blows everything down...

Top of the sight is the Light show of the Hotel Marina Bay Sand, seen from the bar Altitude1 which takes place daily at the same time.

And here below is the down view from Altitude 1-280 m high above sea level. Down here is flying everything you let go - but you pay for the fun in an instant with a jail cell ...






Chinatown looks like the tourists are imagining Chinatown :




Likewise nice it is around the Arab Street in the Arab quarter - but watch out: First check the prices before you go drink coffee! There bombastic fabric stores, from which people grind the material in whole bolts. And this mosque stands here, too:






Then there is in Singapore a workshop on eurythmy therapy:




At the end of "readjustment" to civilization is my flight home - but in a new adventure. Shortly before my departure in the summer we did move ad hoc to Dornach in Switzerland. And now I am going there, to brand new foothold. For a limited time, now a place will be my home, from which many people around the world desire to be able to visit him only once (and , OMG - the PRICES). We live 10 minutes walk through the woods away from the Goetheanum, the center of global Anthroposophical movement and location of countless trainings, meetings and initiatives.

Here the Link to a tour at the Goetheanum in the summer time:

http://www.liebe-zur-erde.eu/lang1/dornach.html

With me coming home neither my life nor my trips are completed. At least one trip is planned for the next few weeks and possibly the year carries me professionally again to Asia, who knows. And there are still so many parts of the world in which I have never been!

Indonesia: Sea and Wind, Earth and Fire?

Here we spend - now again the two of us - a wonderfully peaceful time. On the Gili Islands off Lombok ( the neighboring island of Bali) is the word of the time "relax" - 11 days we are on Gili Meno and we can´t say what we did there else than actually look out on the sea.



Gili Meno is in the hectic and noisy Indonesia a small miracle: the island with its white sand beach can be surrounded in a 2 hours walk and has no traffic and no other means of transportation than horse-drawn carriages. At night, no barking dogs and the disco party noise from the neighboring island of Gili Tarawang (the locals call the  party island humorous Gili Trallala) penetrates the dark only as a distant rumbling through the palm groves. The white beach is full of pieces of coral from the reefs around there, where you are to see beautiful things, even if you are only snorkeling.




Most impressive are the large turtles that are nearly invisible on the sea floor or occasionally glide through the water.







Before us lies the volcano of Lombok , which is now in the rainy season usually shrouded in clouds. Some days, it rains almost continuously, then there are a few days of sun in a row. In general, however, we note that the large islands are more often in rain and clouds that rain down on the slopes, than is our little island in the sea.




Bali



we always see Bali only on the walkthrough, and Ubud seems to be our personal medical station - one of us at least is sick when we are here to stay for a day.




Bali is distinguished by its handicrafts, which seems to pervade the whole island. In addition, Bali is predominantly Hindu, and the whole tropical nature spirits and deities are still very much alive and are reflected in the art and sculptures: the whole island seems to be a single craft shop and temple. So, in an elementary way figures look out of every corner, every shop, every garden on you  - some remind to animal looking faces and I particularly marvel at the sculptures from the all black lava rock.







Above: monkey forest, Ubud




Two real highlights are Sulawesi and the Bromo volcano on Java, a sort of " Must see before you die" :



The northern tip of Sulawesi - which now in turn is predominantly Christian, houses on the north side the Bunaken National Park: one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Since Andreas is diving, we make the trip here - and spend the time of our life here in the few days. Because you do not have to dive in order to experience the extremely impressive riffs world around here.




From my 3 Snorkeling tour ( the reef was virtually on the doorstep of our hotel, without strong currents and therefore relatively harmless, even if you are swimming alone) , I return with the phrase on the lips: If you are not religious - Here you will become so. The islands of the Bunaken National Park are in origin volcanic, with a base which breaks off abruptly and very steep, partly in one go down to 900 meters total, but it can also go down to 1800 m. Corals worlds formed at the base walls of the islands, which difficult find their equals elsewhere in the world and are home to an abundance of life forms, including around 3000 (!) Fish species. In addition, the unique perspective of 30 meters visible sight is under water, and simple snorkeling can be an experience. And yes - there are even manta rays, sharks, and who knows what else, but it's yet not a tourist been eaten ....













Java


A completely different world than a tropical paradise awaits us on Java, the main island of Indonesia and one of the most densely populated spots on earth. The volcanoes that line up like pearls on a string on the south coast, provide immensely fertile soil and not the earth itself, also the traffic is bursting everywhere out at the seams here. Java now in turn is Islamic - and Islam here has left not to much of neither of the tropical spirits nor from the creative beauty. The island is a business center, an economic engine: clean, loud, ugly. Only if one breaks in the more inaccessible areas, one discovers Java ( former) beauty: the magic of the rice terraces, the volcanoes in the background , which fog and cloud fields that draw up to great heights is a spectacle in the sky. Famous among many other volcanoes on Java is Bromo , to which the Tenegger Bromo National Park was created.




Its last eruption was in 2010/11 and today he delights the visitor with intense smoking and puffing . With all of the transport, which is possible suitable for the rip-off of tourists , one comes to below the crater rim and then has still independently climb a staircase up to the crater rim itself. In principle there  is a narrow path around the crater, you could walk around it so. Who has no difficultis with steepness and heights, and at the same time immune to the sulfur fumes ( sulfuric acid together with moisture in the lungs to breathe! ), can give the surrounding path a try. From the crater rim it goes steeply down until that opens up as a vertical mouth of the crater vent - a powerful sight !








Impressive to see are also the wonderful aesthetic terraced fields on the steep slopes: here bursts the fertility of the earth at the seams!





In the region there is also a recomended waterfall.


Again, this has also already become the tourist trap: who hires a supposedly necessary tour guide for 50 000 rp, is not only exposed to the fact that other vultures their way into the steep ravine to participate. They are pleased to sell minutes before one reach the waterfall, the own rain capes: because you have to go through the waterfall, which will soak you to the bones. No, when you return you will be aditionally rewarded with the news that the tour guide for the 80 minutes he joined us on the reported and partially paved road, charges 50 000 rp PER PERSON! - Well, we are used to these kind of cheating. Given the choice to get blankley nothing or keep the 50 000, he decided at the end when we left to the agreed amount .

 




Those traveling on Java should opt for the train: The seats in the business class are spacious and each has a socket so that you can also work. From out the train you can see the original village structures and agriculture , in the car / bus , however you drive hour after hour in heavy traffic and right and left unsightly concrete structures are around only, most small businesses .

Thus now my last days come which I spend in freedom, the journey is coming to an end. Still there is Java to traverse, then a stopover in Singapore. The end of January I will be back in Switzerland, Dornach - and then hopefully find the time to report on all the countries and impressions that have now come much too short. And as always after a long journey this time is also true : you can book us for picture- and storytelling evenings , and we are pleased to report our experiences!

With a golden Buddha from Myanmar through Thailand to Indonesia
a trip with adventurous character

Myanmar or Burma - an until recently in many ways closed and isolated country, goes through upside-down changes since the 2011 events: tourist numbers have tripled twice in the last two years 2012 and 2013 compared to the previous year and in the high season the rooms are now not only extremely scarce, but also adventurous expensive. Money changing used to be only possible on the black market at reasonable prices  - now there are ATMs in the big cities  - almost over is the time of the required absolutely new , ironed large dollar bills with special serial numbers, without which you did not come earlier in Myanmar on local cash . And so it happens that I, too decide spontaneous to visit the country: I want to see Bagan. The country in turn proves by its long isolation as very impressive, but also disconcerting - read more at a dedicated page of the website, when it is finished in the next months.




Above: the Buddha of Mahamuni temple, a sanctuary in Myanmar

In Myanmar, I am just the weeks before Christmas. Since I am going to meet with my partner at Christmas in Indonesia, my eyes are opened wider than usual for beautiful art, even though I 'm actually well equipped with gifts. But it hits me in the evening before my departure: hidden somewhere between the countless shops with gilded things around Mahamuny temple - where the golden Buddha is worshiped - I meet him: MY Buddha. And I do believe it is the same shop where others have not come unencumbered by: it is real art, which is produced there! In short: The Buddha must come with me, even though I realize that the transport will not be easy: the good piece is plated with gold, which the Irrawaddy leads with it and is then washed out by the people there. This in turn means that every X check will reveal the nature of my backpack.


Something about the situation in December 2013:

The Foreign Office in Germany doesn´t speak of any restriction of exports of religious objects from Myanmar / Burma. But the big inch panels in front of the X-ray check the next morning in Mandalay say something else: here the export of religious objects requires a written approval by a special authority. That, of course, I can´t provide anymore. Uncomfortable: what's right or wrong now?

Bigger is the problem, however, in Thailand: the country will be a 20 hours transit home to me. From here, I can definitely not export a Buddha, because all religious statues are believed to be spiritual beings and are therefore considered as sacred. It is generally advised to have things in doubt declared upon entry and treat the Buddha in transport respectful. The result is at the willpower of the officials.


Worried hours:

The contingent of officials at the radiation baggage check at the airport in Mandalay is scary. And I have so much stuff with me (currently I travel with about 45-50 kg ) that I can´t run quickly through and away . So I must take all the time in the world to nurse money belt, cell phone, hair belt, belt and everything else which is beeping equipment at the body check, back into place on me. The officials see on the screen what I have, pointing on it - they look at me, but they do not stop me. First hurdle done. Thailand will hopefully not send my little Buddha back to Myanmar when I'm with it at customs ...

When I arrive in Bangkok I take the Buddha out from the backpack, wrap it in nicely again in garment and place him on top of the baggage car. That way I go looking for the red customs area, where a whole group of people is standing but nobody wants to check me - they want to wave me through. Oh no, I think, where can I bring tomorrow morning at 4.30 the proof that the Buddha came with me from Myanmar? So I stop and start to speak with the officers and explain the problem. Now they become curious - and careful. Official language regime is that an export license can be granted in case of a single Buddha per person which one person can easily carry. The officials recognize therefore quickly that my over 30 cm high piece must be of wood. 6-8 people standing around me, looking at the unwrapped Buddha and discuss the matter. Then one hurries me further into a hidden corner to an other official who checks again also more accurate. At the end is clear: the Buddha may come with me (but may be also, because I 'm only as a transit through Thailand?) And the statue can get out tomorrow, too. In order to confirm the process the little Buddha, who is a Christmas present for my partner, recieves a customs seal on his arm.

The next morning I let the Buddha at the baggage check in Bangkok in a backpack and not initially report it also . The seal is attached to the arm that is not gold-plated, and therefore visible in the X-ray machine. Anyway, I am not stopped - at least not because of the Buddha. For the next flights and days all inspectors are suddenly of the opinion that I transport " food" in my laptop case: however, they look for it in vain ...

Now the Buddha is with us, could come with me this morning to the coral beach and pleased us very much. On the flight home my partner goes over Islamic countries, wich will certainly transport Buddhas with no problems. Nevertheless, we leave the customs seal from Thailand off as a precaution - who knows what else is coming ....

Christmas greeting from Indonesia

Between this and the last entry from Thailand lies the visit of a whole country: Myanmar or Burma. And as much as I can say already now: it was so far the most impressive land of my journey, and full of the ups and downs you can expect in a place like this.

Meanwhile, I arrived in Indonesia, where I will spend a quiet Christmas period with my partner on the tiny Gili Islands off Lombok, neighboring island of famous Bali. Here I will hopefully find some time to update the site with the recent happenings!

To all friends and readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas with a fulfillment of all that your heart is really looking for!

Bangkok - City of the Angels in turmoil

Part 1: city in turmoil
Part 2: unintended stroll in the protest camp
Part 3: Candle Light Ceremony for the Kings birthday


Irony of fate? On the evening when I arrive in Bangkok after 16 hours of bus ride, a state of emergency for Bangkok comes in place by the government - because of escalating unrests. Well, I just escaped the party and sex tourists crowd, and now again my nose is dipped into the next social problem - gradually I begin to wonder.

So now, what?

The recommendation is, to stay away from crowds , because violence in Thailand can also very directly escalate. So I initially take a hotel in the north from the center, in a nice and quiet Thai neighborhood without to much tourist traffic. From here, I explore the city along the route which is promised to be the calmest: by boat. My first trip leads me to look for simcards - and obviously I have to go to the city center, to the largest and most expensive department store in Bangkok: Siam Paragon . There I am flabbergasted to find out that in all the surrounding shops prepaid cards are sold out!? Do the demonstrators have themselves since equipped with additional "Buziness Phone Numbers"?




The athmosphere on that Tuesday afternoon is a foreboding of doom, ominous and gloomy, and I try to take it in to me for a while. Without having any idea of the political situation, I get the impression that there is a play with the fire here for personal purposes, with the fuse that is provided by the protest of the people. How bitter . Over the week, the impression gets confirmed .





So I try fundamentally during the week to go out of the protesters way and get a feel for the city and people .

The city, formerly called "Venice of the East" because of the many channels, has fundamentally changed. The famous floating markets - disappeared. Many of Channels: filled in to make space for roads . Bangkok has modernized itself for the price that much of the old charm is buried in the past: it is a clean, organized and very modern metropolis itself - with plenty of traffic jams.

Only the people are an unchanged source of wonder to me and Bangkok proves to be the most pleasant Asian metropolis at all, in matters of travel concerns: first place, there is no specific tourist harassment , no special tourist begging, no mess, no scam, no thievery - mostly honest traders to which I pay the same as a local - where did I see the last? But the more amazing and crucial thing is: these people have a mental friendliness and beauty that I have never seen before . An encounter is then "complete" when both have been found each other mentally in a kind of harmony (or another feeling depending on the situation) and settled in that feeling, an element that we know in Europe only as a rare highlights with friends. Here we find that at each kiosk: IF the Westerners can perceive what is going on and can react accordingly. A phenomenon, and what a culture! No wonder these people are so beautiful!



Another highlight is found in the vicinity of the Royal Palace and so close to the violent riots towards the weekend:

The golden reclining Buddha:



his expression is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in Asia so far: awake, mellow and full of peace, he looks into the distance to what may come next. And I would hope that the protesters and their leaders would even occasionally come here to find peace ...

so I can only hope that the Thai people remember and reflect on the size of their culture for this moment of political unrest. Buddhism provides any chance to see the country's problems in a different light, to think also about the future karma of ones doings and to relativize personal interests.




View from the bar of the State Tower, 65th floor


The next two days now, the country and the city are supposed to get some rest and become a place of celebration: the country is preparing for the birthday of the beloved and respected king, who gets 86. What happenes afterwards, is completely open.



Part 2: Impressions of the protest movement
(this translation is may be not free of mistakes. If it creates misunderstandings, pl come back to me through the contact page on the website)


Yes, it was a ceasefire agreed for wednesday and thrusday because of birthday preparations. So I 'm running to see the attractions that were not accessible because of the disputes. And promptly I run into the activist groups - or their blocked road with propaganda equipment. But first things first:

First, it's already happened to me yesterday that I ran into an angry whistling crowd that had gathered in the middle of the most nobel shopping area in front of the Central World on the road ( ie the place where actually everything should be safe ) - and they gather together in no time:




the occasion for the people seems to be on the opposite side of the road where singing policemen lined up in the police complex. Maybe they practice for the birthday of the king, who knows. And who looks at the picture in more detail, can see: these are middleclass people with money. The international press calls these people protesting group the " spoiled Bangkok Thai elite who do not want to lose their privileges."

Now Demonstrations are to me already somewhat familiar due to the mostly civilized protests against Stuttgart21 in Germany. Here, however, surprises me the hatred, the aggression of these "normal" people of Thailand's middle class (well, you can´t hear that in the picture) - And I'm glad to swiftly run away from the line of acoustical clash.





So today, I 'm so at Stroll, with the firm intention to stay away from all problems. And that came out it:

My real goal, the Marble Temple, is located in the government district right behind the seat of government. There, everything is full of police cars, army vehicles, and otherwise the area seems dead - except for the cleanup troups. The area of the Ananta Samakhom Palace (pictured below) gives a contested, tattered impression, while the building itself looks like dead (...?) - very strange.





On the way back from the temple, I find myself back in front of the headquarters of the Royal Thai Army Guard and the Royal Thai Government House Office. At the same time leaves a convoy of sure 20 trucks and buses of army vehicles (and defaced license plates) the Headquarters and let soldiers get in and out in front of the Government House.






Everywhere are people with increased vigilance, which also can´t  be teared from their attitude by my curiosity: obviously they find something not very funny . On Twitter I learn then that a whole group of protesters again today tried to storm the building - and where just admitted to avoid further clashes until they did leave again .

In the next side street corner are still several hundred men to see and a truck with loudspeakers from which are echoes down slogans:





Just a little further I run into a blocked road: Tents are constructed here with supply of food, medicines and obviously there's also a PC central inteligence. What I discover on a closer look:






Since I can´t decide on the question of whether I can just go through here, I am directed to an English-speaking man. His saying is: Yes, that is right, here the protesters are gathering , and they are active every day . A bit queasy I feel here, even though everything seems calm. I need a while to realize what I see :


There are a number of well-dressed Manager sort of types and ringleaders who plan in conversations the next moves for the protesters, but do not speak English (!). Then there are the ordinary people, mostly women, which supply the camp with all that is needed. That in turn are not people of the middle class, never ever. Someone pays for them being here - because these are people who have to work for their livelihood.



What  more: barriers, party tents, rostrum, speakers, electrical power, cabling, equipment such as medicine and food - where does the money for it come from? Who organizes and directs it? And then they block a whole huge main traffic road ... they block an entire area that way.




But that's not all: every few minutes a small group of young men strolles by and by, they come from the side street further back, where the activists have heard the slogans. And I stop short: what kind of are these men? Some of the young people are in a level of self-assertion intoxication, where the control center of the brains is temporarily paralyzed by hormones. Young men are clothed like city Indians: with shredded jeans and other outfit which characterizes them as fashion-conscious rebels of the middle class. Some junkies, yobs. The whole spectrum of tweens and men who get clamped for and are possessed by political beliefs which they don´t look through, without knowing themselves for what they are really on the road here. Last but not least, I would not be surprised if there are still a couple of bodyguards which take part in the fight.... - Oh children, I do not like that!


I ask my respondent, who complaints so much about the corruption of the current PM, about these Suthep: whether he trust him to be better than the others. His answer startled me, though I don´t know at first why: "This is my leader: he has embraced my chief in the morning, just shortly he was still here around - he cares about us."

I got out of the conversation the frightening feeling that here is a demagogue at work, who knows how he can win people over. And someone with backers who have the money and equipment to channel the anger of the popular uprising of the people.


In the evening in the city I have to observe of a few things more : Meeting in Bangkok tourists have made a joint attack on the Royal sites today because they are these 2 days risk free available: the city is full of them. And the roads are congested as never in the week before - obviously more people trust their selves out of the houses. Last but not least, I now see young men who were so not seen in the previous week: they all still bear the traces, psychological injuries and the adrenaline rush of the struggles of the past few days with them: strange young people. Definitely not the educated class, but junkies, the neglected, full of aggression. Men in their 20th. They are Thais, no doubt. But these are not the poor, government-related groups - these are here fallen through the cracks of society and social systems: those who have nothing to lose, certainly with hatred of the political regime. Strange young people, which does not quite fit into the city, as I have experienced the city the past few days. But precisely: because they were obviously involved in other places and turmoil.


And what the freshly filled sandbags are good for, nobody in the mainstreem press will tell you- or do they protect against tear gas?






Part 3: Candle Light Ceremony for the Kings birthday

On the kings birthday the truce is stable and millions celebrate on the streets. On the whole, however, there are rarely children to be seen on the roads around the candle light ceremony and in some places like close to democracy monument make a tense impression.

Here I include an amazing video from the candlelight ceremony at Sanam Luang, where the Thai sing for their King. I hope for this country that they keep in mind the greatness of their culture and religion to find a peaceful way for the issues: