6/01/09 - Costa Rica (Vista del Valle )

It keeps getting more amazing...we went to San Jose yesterday for a radio interview, in which we were on air (and live online) for two hours, mostly playing our instruments (interspersed with other music, and also as background music as Iside (the presenter) and our friend Leonardo spoke). We stayed overnight with Leonardo and his wife Carolina and son Sebastian - they're great friends that we've made here and we had a great time. We've also been invited to play at a Chinese New Year event.

26/12/08 - Costa Rica (San Jose)

I find myself yet again wondering how on earth I can possibly impart the extraordinary experiences of the last 24 hours. I guess I'll make a start with some general bits leading up to and during this time and then roll with it...

We flew from Faro (Portugal) to London on December 23 (it took two and a half hours to fly, then the same amount of time to get from Gatwick Airport to the Barmey Badger Hostel in Earls Court!) It was with our full complement of luggage, after we'd failed in an attempt to send some winter stuff home - it was going to cost us $180, which we weren't willing to pay!  Though my aching feet weren't keen on the idea, we took a quick spin that evening to Covent Garden, one of my favourite places in London that I was keen to visit again and for Sahayak to experience so at least he can say he's had a little taste of London. It didn't disappoint. Being able to understand the language was a much appreciated bonus.

Christmas Eve began for us when we got up at 3am. An hour on a bus and then over an hour and a half in the check-in queue at Heathrow (I swear it was some 150 metres long, spanning past other airline check-ins and off around a corner!) meant I was over it before we'd barely begun. Add a two hour flight to Madrid, a two hour layover and then an 11 hour flight to San Jose, then add six additional hours to the day with the time difference and then factor in the three or four hours before getting to bed and it was the longest Christmas Eve either of us have ever had - not to mention spanning three countries, which was also a first!

It was great to leave the euro and pound stirling behind and finally get a favourable exchange rate! The pre-arranged taxi driver (via the Fountains Guesthouse we booked into) was full of interesting information, including that Costa Rica is the only country in the world that doesn't have an army. Apparently this peace loving nation disbanded its army some decades back, and re-directed the funds into health and education...how cool is that! Pay attention world!

Also, I didn't know that Costa Rica has a domestic airline called Nature Air, and it is totally carbon neutral and committed to green and responsible travel....how cool is that! I'm liking this place before I've even seen any of it other than night scenes from the taxi. Not to mention that it's much more my type of climate :o)  (Actually not as warm as I like/need, but it's great to lose the beanie!)

We were drawn to Fountains Guesthouse both because it was Spiritual...and only 20 minutes from the airport. What a lovely, lovely place, lovely vibe, lovely people...soooooooooo much up our alley and happily a world away from hostels and the tourist beat. We chatted into the night even though we were wiped out.

So then it was Christmas Day. We were up at 5.30, having no idea what the day was going to bring (or I would have made an extra effort to sleep in!) We both came to appreciate very quickly how enjoyable it was to do Christmas in a very casual, low-key way. We didn't do pressies or cards even, or any fancy eats...we just cruised gently into the day. A few simple food eats/treats that require no preparation (honey drizzled over goat cheese...heaven!) added to the cruisyness of the early part of the day (after going shopping in a local supermarket - weird that many shops were open on Christmas Day!)

Into the afternoon and things started to crank up... 

An ambulance was called for a seriously ill guest, and I intuitively felt inspired to pick up the hang and play it in support of him while all the preparations were happening for his removal from the house by stretcher . As soon as I started to play, what felt like an urgent tempo kicked in that had nothing to do with me. It was so fast I physically found it difficult to keep up with it. In my mind I had intended a soft, relaxing contribution, and although I found the fast tempo not at all soothing, I trusted it was all as it was meant to be and kept flowing with it (even when my hands started to get sore and I wanted to stop!). Eventually I played a final note and had a strong sense of 'it is done' - I didn't know what 'it' was, but knew it was in support of him. Then Sahayak was asked to play the flute, which he did from the room to the ambulance, following along behind the stretcher. The ambo officers probably thought we were weird (as would most mainstreamers), but it was very powerful and we never underestimate the healing the instruments offer.

A little later, Vicki's massage therapist (Rodrigo) emerged from a room where he'd been doing a massage while the drama was unfolding (his Spiritual beliefs don't incorporate Christmas so it was an ordinary week day for him). He said he felt very peaceful hearing the instruments as he massaged, and he also described the sounds as "big healing energy for that man" and the fast tempo hang sounds as "healing support to prepare him". For what I wasn't quite sure, but assume it to be for intensive care. He is currently on life support.

As well as Rodrigo (who is also the massage therapist for the Costa Rica soccer team - soccer is huge in Costa Rica) being at the guesthouse for a good chunk of the day, Leonardo, an Ayurvedic doctor, visited earlier in the day to tend to the patient (and recommend an ambulance!). Both these guys we felt a really good energy from, and had some really synchronistic and uplifting conversations with over the course of the day...and well  into the night over the dinner table as it turned out. As well we were connecting with the patient's girlfriend Ella, Leonardo's wife Carolina, the guesthouse manager Vicki and another guest, Josh...so there were lots of interactions. These of course included the instruments, touching all - as always - and Sahayak seems to be leaving a trail of Matt's flutes behind him - Leonardo has Matt's contact details and intends to order a drone flute!

So, we were among friends and had a lovely Christmas Day, even though we'd all only just met. It rolls on from here as well...Vicki has asked us to perform at an event she is planning at the guesthouse this Sunday. Leonardo has also offered to help us arrange a public performance, and we are discussing holding a New Year's Eve sacred sound/intention setting event.

Another Christmas bonus was that I had a massage - imagine trying to book a massage therapist in Australia on Christmas Day! It wasn't entirely enjoyable due to the 'no pain no gain' factor, but I really needed it and was very appreciative.

There's more to share here but it's very late and Im fading. Best I get this uploaded to go on with!

5/12/08 - Portugal (Algarve region)

The flow has brought us to the south of Portugal (after a night in Seville due to weird bus arrangements). We were invited to visit a young couple who live in a country area not far from a village called Estoi. The invitation was in response to a post I placed on the Hang forum website, seeking to connect with other hang players on our travels. An unexpected bonus, we were picked up from the bus depot in Faro, and after a shopping expedition to stock up on food, we found ourselves in a very warm and welcoming environment with people of like mind, sharing music and conversation. We had originally felt some hesitation after our experience at Shaktydome, but this was quickly dispelled.  In contrast, we find Sergio and Andreia to be quite grounded and balanced in their life and in their Spirituality, and very unconditionally giving. We have been here two days and they have said we can stay as long as we like. A lovely and very generous offer, though we only intend to stay a few more days.

As for where to next, there is something brewing as a possibility and I have a good feeling about it. We'll update you once we know. Meanwhile, we are enjoying ourselves, appreciating the weather - much milder than where we've been, and feeling very blessed for the synchronicity of being here and all that is unfolding. Watch this space!

8/12/08 - Portugal (Algarve region)

Well, what an extraordinary phase of our travels! Extraordinarily nice that is. We've said all along we are not interested in being tourists (even though a bit of that has been unavoidable). We've now been at Sergio and Andreia's place for a few days, and already in that time we've joined in on a performance Sergio was invited to and arranged for us to come along to as well. It was an event in Faro organised by high school teenagers showcasing a lot of young school talent, as well as some adult talent that was available gratis. Sergio and I played our hanghang together - a rare treat for both of us. Sahayak and I played hang and flute together, and I played hang solo and Sahayak played flute solo (as well as Sergio playing his hang solo). The audience response was very positive and supportive - the vibe was truly wonderful, there was some fabulous young talent and we thoroughly enjoyed the gig chatting to the performance organisers and guests. At one point when I was feeling so full of gratitude, I turned to Sahayak with a big smile and said, "I wonder what the tourists are doing?"

Before the gig we went for a wander around the streets of the old city in Faro - not a very touristy place at all, but with the loveliest Christmas decorations I think I have ever seen - utterly enchanting, expecially in the setting. I can't remember how long it has been since I have been so enchanted at Christmas time. It's also been lovely to not be totally over Christmas before it gets here, due to an excessive Christmas vibe...like in  Australia where it starts in October!

Back at Sergio and Andreia's place, we are jamming often in the house, and talking about hang hang and music, and Spirituality and all sorts of mutually interesting subjects. Sergio and Andreia are also revelling in the opportunity to play the hanghang together - they are night owls so we can hear them play as we drift off to sleep. Today we are off to visit some of their friends who we met briefly at the gig. They have a great vibe too so we are really appreciating it all. (Also appreciating a top of 17 degrees today - still dressed in warmies, but feeling quite comfy as opposed to cold! Waaaaaaay better temp than where we've been.)

As to where next, Spirit has indicated to me for us to go to Costa Rica. We had already inquired there and have a possibility there from April, which is a bit late for us, so we are now exploring what possibilities might be there sooner...

16/12/08 - Portugal (Algarve region)

Where did the last week go? We didn't expect to still be at Andreia and Sergio's place, but here we are...and all going well. Such incredibly well tuned in young people! I wish I had 'got it' like they get it when I was their age (26 and 22).

I spent hours and hours and hours researching flight options to Costa Rica - we had the intention to leave today - and finally I went to book it all, only to find there was a series of unusual events (duly noted) that caused the whole thing to fall over. So I was over it and needed a break so called time out. In the interim we had lunch with some locals - one being a Spiritual lady who was in the know about some possible options here in Algarve. She had a sense we'd be around Algarve a bit longer yet. Although Spirit indicated to me Costa Rica, there was no time frame on that, so we felt just to stay in flow and see what happens. With the  new info we have, we've put out some feelers locally, and we intend to continue exploring flights to Costa Rica. Tricky bit though, is that flights get a lot more expensive close to Christmas, so that may shape our movements. As much as it's going well here, we feel it's time to move on (Sahayak is getting ants in his pants again!). Funnily enough, after so many years of me wanting to go to Egypt and Jordon, and even though fully intending to on this trip, a couple of weeks ago the desire to do so just dropped away. I don't understand it, but it is intuitive, and I trust that for whatever reason, I/we are just not meant to be there. Guess I'll put it back on the 'places to go' list and see if it flows better at some point in the future!

Meanwhile, here in Algarve, we were invited along to another performance opportunity (that's two in the space of 10 days!) - a small art exhibition that a connection of Sergio's invited us all along to play at. There was a guy there singing 'Fado' - traditional Portugese music. He had a goood voice and it was interesting for about three songs, but the 15 or 20 songs after that had us climbing the walls in our heads! Nobody in the audience knew we were going to play, so it was a nice surprise for them once we finally got in front of them. Again and predictably, the instruments touched people, and again the flutes found a deeper place in people...it seems more so in Portugal for some reason. (Sergio and Andreia are going to get one, and it seems a friend of theirs wants one also). Once again Sergio and I played the hanghang together, first with Sergio turning his hang upsidedown and playing the gu (hole in the bottom), then turning it right side up for a really exquisite, soft duet that in usual impro style just appeared magically from 'nowhere' in the moment. Sahayak and I played D Drone and hang together, with Sahayak playing on his own to finish off. Always we have gratitude for the opportunity to be in service.

Other tidbits - I did a trade of life coaching for energy healing with a woman I met through Sergio and Andreia - one of those times when you meet someone you've never met before and recognise them. We both had that feeling, and knew there was something in it.

On a more trivial note, I can't believe how hard it is to find fragrance-free soap in Portugal! And speaking of finding things, I had a flash of inspiration to look on YouTube to check out the winner of Australian Idol (after having missed the series and not being able to access the Australian Idol website videos that are restricted to Australian residents only). I discovered that most of the Idol performances were on there, so I've had lots of fun catching up on it all. A deserving winner, and very likely to have a successful career, internationally. It would have to have taken the show to a whole new level. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds from here.

There's plenty more I could share here, though I feel it would be wiser to get this uploaded and get onto my Christmas letter..

21/12/08 - Portugal (Algarve region)

We're off again! In less than 48 hours we will be in London for an overnighter to catch an early plane out on Christmas Eve - arriving in Costa Rica in the evening! The timing of the flight/arrival is not great, but it was the best deal at a tricky time. Now all that research slog is done, I can focus on how much I am going to LOVE being in the tropics (and how much Sahayak is going to love not seeing my beanie on my head day and night! ...but not as much as I'm going to love getting it off my head!!!!) Plus we will send some winter things home so there's less to cart around.

So, Costa Rica... first thing to mention is that the global sim card we bought does not work in Costa Rica. 175 countries, but not that one! (I looked up all the countries we intended to travel to before buying the sim card, but Costa Rica wasn't on that check list.) So what that means is, anyone who has the mobile number we've been using, give it a miss as of Christmas day. I will still have my Australian mobile number, though it's international roaming so only for urgent matters, and preferably only text messages. I keep it turned off most of the time and check it once a day.

Travel tip - good idea to have a visa debit card - it was $60 cheaper than a visa credit card to book two flights. (To use a credit card on one flight website there was a charge of nearly 19 pounds - $40-ish - whereas debit card was free.)

We've ended up staying with Sergio and Andreia for three weeks - far longer than we expected, but it has been great all round, everybody wins, we have loved the non-touristy experience of Portugal, and we will probably have some Portugese visitors at some point once back in Oz!

Summer time, here we come! Time to dust off the thongs and swimmers! YAY!!!!!!!!! I have no idea when the next blog update can happen...so if we go quiet for a while you'll know why. We might have a bit of a Christmas break in any case...?

Which means it's time to say a huge MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all, and also solstice celebrations for those who observe them.

Ready or not, here comes 2009 :o)

29/11/08 - Spain (Barcelona) 

We've managed to get a bit behind with the blog entries and pics, as can so easily happen with unpredictable travel! Hopefully making amends now with a big catch up. We've added 'Dolce Aqua' to the Italy photos, plus we've added some pics from France and Spain. Spain is 1000% easier to access broadband/wireless, and it is even included free with accommodation most of the time - a far cry from spending $6 per hour in Ventimiglia!

So much to tell...   We said our goodbyes at the ecovillage and they were genuinely sorry to see us go, which is nice. Such lovely people, just too cold for this little bod! France was very expensive so we are glad to be clear of that. For a similar distance in Italy, a train trip in France cost us three times as much! (for example, in Italy $80 for the two of us, in France $240!) The cheapest food in France is things like Vietnamese and kebabs so we didn't try any French food. Ironic, but we're budgeting!

Also, we absolutely picked the wrong time of year to visit 'Shaktydome' - we were told it was cold, but a micro climate and that with a bit of creative thinking we could probably work out how to stay warm. Well, cold is a relative thing! What locals consider as cold but tolerable, we considered as damn near artic! We were keen to visit the place because of the massive geodome structure (energetically amazing), and the emphasis on music there. Well, a massive geodome is very difficult to heat! We ended up mostly in our overcoats and the works...indoors, apart from one day when Shakty cranked up the fire. And no, we couldn't keep it going the whole time as it consumes a massive amount of  wood - intended for very large gatherings! We erected a tent inside the dome so we could put a little ceramic heater inside it so we didn't die of hypothermia overnight! Facilities were very basic - almost like camping indoors. We love camping and are happy to rough it, but not in such extreme weather conditions. When we got there we invested in staying longer (bought some food and a couple of gas bottles for our cooking and hot water needs) but ended up bailing after three nights! Also, being winter, there was only Shakty there - apparently in the summer months there's a fairly constant stream of interesting people breezing through. It's a stretch to call three people a community :o) Shakty is a great musician though, but surprisingly we only ended up having one jam. For the most part, it was a weird and not very enjoyable experience, and we would definitely never go back, though we appreciate it was for a reason and all is well. So, that was France, apart from three hotel nights as we manouvered our way around (by the way, if you are even going to Carcassonne, be warned the bus set up is tricky - we got badly stranded there for 24 hours through confusion, misinformation, and being told five different things from different people who should know - two bus drivers and three tourist office staff! Not speaking the language adds to the confusion!)

So, then we hit a relatively warmer and much cheaper Spain - more specifically Barcelona. Firstly, the metro trains are great...best so far. Very straightforward and everything is spelt out. Having said that, the buses are far cheaper. We found a hostel for $60 a night, which is very good for Barcelona, especially given we have our own bathroom and there is free internet access, an elevator (soooooo important and not always an option!) and kitchen facilities for cooking. It's also quite central to the area we want to be in. It's very basic but we're saving heaps by being here.

We've continued our inquiries for places to go - heard back from some and it's either not the way to go, or not the right time. We are yet to hear back from a few other places. Meanwhile, Sahayak is seeing Barcelona for the first time, while for me it is a return visit. I like the vibe here as much as I did last time. Yesterday we did a day trip to Montserrat - a trip I was keen to do 12 years ago but didn't get to. What an extraordinary place! See our blog pics, and you'll say the same. The basilica there was beautiful too - and I've walked in and out of quite a few where I think 'same, same'. Not this one - really quite special. It also has the original Black Madonna featured, which is a bit different! They have made a copy of it for the cave/grotto where it was originally found. Montserrat was absolutely freezing though...as if we haven't had enough of a dose! Got down to about 2 degrees. When your pure wool thermal leggings feel like they have been dipped in ice water even with a pair of trousers and a two-later skirt over the top, you know it is cold! 

Other bits...there's the saying 'careful what you ask for' - which applies to us in relation to all the gear we've been carting around. We keep wishing we had less weight to carry...and since then one of my blow up cushions packed it in, plus I have left Sahayak's thermarest blow up seat in a train, then we left our water filter and eco water bottle at Shaktydome (which we intended to have posted to us but we met with some obstacles and that's the end of that) and then I lost my gloves in Montserrat! Especially tricky the cushioned seating and the gloves, as I need them for busking - though that's a bit of a joke given we've been away almost three months and we have only managed to busk once! There is always some good reason. The reason here being two-fold - it's cold and it has also been raining, and buskers are mostly noticeable by their absence so we are a bit suss on why that is.

I've finally had a haircut - first one since three weeks before leaving Oz. It's very expensive in Europe so I have been carrying a hairdresser's razor blade comb with me and hacking into my own hair...which you can only do for so long before it needs some professional help! I finally found a hairdresser in Barcelona who quoted $26, which was less that half the price quoted in another salon, so I was rapt. Funnily enough, nobody sees it anyway, as I am just about living in my beanie, which is also why I haven't bothered to dye my hair even though it is seriously overdue! Hopefully I won't be living in my beanie for much longer!

I have also been very disappointed not to be able to easy follow Australian Idol on the Idol website. I've watched it every year (apart from the appalling auditions part) and loved it. I thought I'd be able to watch it all on the web, but didn't realise that it is not available for people outside Australia to view. Major bummer. I will havee to catch up on it big time once I get  home. I saw that Wes won. He was my fave (the last show I watched was where it was trimmed from 100 to 24) but I was really hoping for him that he would come second instead of winning. I can only wish him all the best aand hope that he is happy with the contract. He does reinforce though, what genuine talent is in the Idol series and it will probably help give Idol more credibility. Apart from the stupid auditions shows, it actually deserves it (more credibility that is!)

So there you have it...big blog update, and there's one from Sahayak as well. Who knows when next we'll get to it...

30/11/08 - Spain (Barcelona)

So now, after a lot of stuffing around working out how to actually do it, we are off to Cordoba on the night train. I am looking forward to seeing the Mezquita again, and Sahayak is looking forward to seeing it. That's why we are going there, and it is special enough to warrant the trip. (Google it if you are curious). I was keen to go back to Salamanca, but it's mid north and likely to be colder than what I can live with at his point in time...totally over the cold weather! I have lived in Europe over a winter before, but my capacity to tolerate it appears to be severely diminished!

25/11/08 - France (Limoux)

Super quick tune in on our whereabouts and next stop. As I type we are in transit in Limoux train station waiting for our next train ride - to Narbonne today and then to Barcelona tomorrow. Lots has been happening (interesting but not entirely fun unless you like freezing to death whilst stranded in a massive, unheated geodome six kms from the nearest public transport :o)  Barcelona is the nearest big city, so we are heading there so that we are in a very handy, central (and cheaper!) place for planning the next stage of our travels. We are feeling very highly motivated to head to somewhere a lot warmer! Who knows, though, where we will end  up next...?

maia's blog

20/11/08 - France (Nice)

Quick update on the run: With Italy now a country away (albeit only some 50 minutes away by train) we're in France, heading to a disbanded community near Carcassonne called Shaktydome. There's  a story in that, to be saved for when there is more time to share it here. In the hotel in Nice tonight we've had the 'luxury' of TV in English, and it didn't take us very long to be totally over it! (CNN) We've also had the luxury of free wireless internet, so I'm adding this update as we have no idea how long it will be till the next one...

The most current blogs are below (from the bottom up) 
- see 'blog archives' for previous countries and adventures...

Maia caught candidly by Sahayak - doing it tough in Costa Rica!

2/01/09 - Costa Rica (Vista del Valle Plantation Inn, Rosario)