For four weeks I drove to Makeni early on Monday and returned on Friday. I went with three guys; one Dutch and two Sierra Leoneans (or Sleones). I had the smallest bag of the four. The Dutch guy had this huge suitcase ... for five days and four nights! He couldn't work out how I managed to fit all my stuff into this tiny bag (a Longchamps bag - can't live in Paris without one).
So here are my travel tips:
- Roll don't fold (actually Lis taught me that years ago)
- carry a small sharp knife (preferably with sheathed) but in your checked luggage if you are flying
- toilet soap is as powerful as detergent - don't need extra soap to wash underwear)
- use shampoo to wash delicates (including wool)
- Wash underwear every night (then you can go forever with three pairs of knickers)
- have one user-friendly high SPF skin cream
- Don't wear perfume (it attracts mosquitoes)
- while you can wear the same clothes - never wear the same shoes two days running (if you have to stand up all day)
- Only your toothbrush, passport and some money is indispensible ... everything else can be replaced or you can do without.
- The only real requirements of a hotel are clean sheets and water. Electricity is good, air-conditioning can be wonderful and running water is a luxury: all appreciated so much more when you haven't had them for a while.
20 posts tagged “travel”
| Jan 26 - Feb 2 | VANCOUVER |
| Schedule of Events | |
| Jan 30: Buddhist Approaches to Counselling Workshop | |
| E-mail yaya@amidatrust.com | |
| Feb 2 - Feb 6 | VERMONT: 'Todo Institute' |
| Feb 6 - Feb 9 | ONTARIO: 'Blue Heron Zen Center' |
For further information e-mail caroline@amidatrust.com
Some excellent advice, from the wonderful blogger, peacemaker gypsy, who has bags of experience - and only needs small bags of luggage ;-)
..at the Buddhist House late afternoon after a long journey involving a diversion as the A1 was closed by a horrible accident. (Cynthia SatNav - on my BlackBerry - was a great boon as the police hadn't marked all the diversionary route out, that not being a priority one can imagine, and I was on foreign-to-me roads) Sudana has been an excellent Guest Master. And I've met the gorgeous Buddhist Baby, Jake - 9 months old and the son of Amida Chaplain, Mudita....I'm in love! Now for an early night before our day of Ministry Team meeting.
Dates for your diary:
Dharmavidya David Brazier and Prasada Caroline Brazier are to give a five day seminar on Buddhist Psychology at Esalen Jan 27th Feb 1st 2008
Esalen is a place with a global reach. It is a place, as Thomas Wolfe said about America, where miracles not only happen but where they happen all the time.
See http://www.buddhistpsychology.info/ for more information on the Psychology programme, or email courses@Amidatrust.com
Home again after travel...with a lovely cup of Lapsang....ahhhh!
Packing again after the washing, ironing and email turnaround - I'm off to Cumbria soon. Not to stay in the lodge, as Dharmavidya and Prasada are there for the week (I'll spend tomorrow with them) but to stay with my sister Kathy and brother-in-law Dougal at Caudale Beck. I'll be seeing my sister Janet and my Mum, too, as they are staying nearby. Taking the camera, of course.
Taking waterproofs and wellies, too, of course - they might be needed
in Cumbria at any time of year but how much more so at the moment, with
the extreme weather the UK has been experiencing recently, with more on its way. Hoping my Amida Sheffield buddies aren't awash.
...down to Bolsover, to stay with Joy. It's an Amida Order weekend. I haven't seen any of them since the December retreat, so I'm feeling excited at the prospect.
The left foot is still strapped up. Apparently the break has healed, but it's also sprained. Thankfully it's my left foot, so I can still drive - glad Peter persuaded me to get an automatic car, which I fiercely tried to resist. It's amazing how much a painful foot slows you up - I took lots of parcels down to the Post Office this morning (Dharma talks on CD) and it took me three times as long as usual.
Dharmavidya's first hours in Japan:
The journey was arduous for being 18 hours of travel with very little sleep, but it was also a pleasure to be in the hands of Cathay Pacific airline whose staff I found more naturally and genuinely attentive and concerned for one's well-being than any others I have encountered. I was met at Kansai Airport by Rev. Ryokyu Endo and taken to midnight chanting at Chion-in. I was interested to learn that he practises shiatsu and is the author of
• The New Shiatsu Method: Helping the body to heal itself, 2004, Tokyo, Kodansha.
He also has some independent ideas about religion - "Buddhism in Japan has already died, but I am looking for the rebirth" - and is involved with a group supporting tribal people from CHT. He was extremely helpful and I enjoyed being in his hands.The night time chanting event is part of a series of events in memory of Honen Shonin. It is held in the room in the upper part of the main gate of Chion-in Temple. These temple gates are large and this particular one massive. The room is only opened on special occasions such as this. It has a painted ceiling with dragons and a large shrine area that takes up about half the floor space and is centred on a wonderful golden coloured sitting Amida rupa.
::continue reading here
What are your weekend plans?
It's rather late to be posting these. Friday evening I travelled by
train to Sheffield. Little wheeled backpack loaded with the usual stuff
plus robe, bell, copy of ceremony in smart French folder, iPod and
those wonderful noise-cancelling headphones from Bose. And a reserved
seat! Which I had no shame in reclaiming from the guy who was sitting
in it, my energy and feet still feeling the effects of Freshers. I so
rarely travel by train but think I'm going to do so more, particularly
as the prices will be mitigated by my Senior Railcard - yippee.
I was met by Sundari and back to her and Bhaktika's house, where they were about to host a Process Work weekend of interviews for courses and exams. A gorgeous meal of red bean stew and an early night with one of the books on the course, which sounds fascinating (I've since ordered a couple of Arnold Mindell's books on Amazon).
In the morning, after a leisurely breakfast and meetings with a number of the interviewers and interviewees over coffee, we drove to Ray and Sue's on the outskirts of Sheffield. We had a more relaxed and cosy ceremony for the Renewal of School Membership than a year ago, when they entered the Amida School. I was so pleased to be able to conduct the ceremony in front of Ray and Sue's own shrine and to include the four friends in the same ceremony. We then had a gorgeous lunch - Amida Sheffield collectively are acquiring a reputation for rather good food!
I was taken back to the station and travelled back, able to see more of the countryside in daylight this time.
Today has been restful, reading the Sunday papers and catching up with
some of my e-mails. In half an hour we're off to the city centre to see
An Inconvenient Truth, which has finally reached the UK, at the Tyneside
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