Here's Piero at the dining room table during blackout. Here's the terraces where they farm, south of Kathmandu

A A big drop down

Foggy morning in Kathmandu

Piero and Clari at the table.



a board game in Kathmandu

One week in Kathmandu and it's getting chillier and chillier... so many contrasts: I have a beautiful apartment in an old building in a garden behind Piero and Clarissa on a hill above the churning masses below. Marble floors and brass and carved wood balistrades, but none of the outlets work and when I flush the toilet the water comes spraying out the back in a flood. we have had a "puja" or prayer cerimony up the road for a week and we are going CRAZY with the constant sound of it: the songs start at 6:30 AM and then prayers and chants over and over and go on to 9 PM... I went through stages of "wow, that sounds so great and folkloric" all the way to literally wearing earplugs while I'm home or running away to do some shopping at the "supermarket". And this morning it started to sound more and more like "Yellow Submarine" and "Ive Been Working on the Railroad" and "Oh Mamma Take Me Home". The hot milky spicy tea is lovely, as is the buffalo ("buff") dumplings and wild boar stew and so much for vegetarianism: I haven't eaten this much meat in my whole life and definitely more than in the last year. I miss my San Juanico fish!

I cut all my hair off: not shaved my head like most people here though. It looks HORRIBLE. so no photos... I can't wait to grow it out and it's growing so fast I'm not worried. This isn't as healthy as I thought it would be: there's tons of meat, as I said, and fried food all over the place. Well, I have to go pretty soon so I'll put some photos up.

FINALLY IN KATHMANDU

Well, I guess I sort of cut my trip short to Kathmandu, or rather sped things up: instead of going across Burma by land I flew from Bangkok to Kathmandu direct. The news was that you have to get a visa for Burma and then come back the way you went in and all sorts of strange stuff, like having to leave your passport with the authorities while you are visiting Burma.

Anyway, the truth is I was also missing the kids too much and was in a rush to see them. Bangkok was a crazy and beautiful city, full of malls and pollution, great food, very nice people. I will return to Thailand at a later date, when it's not tourist season. It also happens to be tourist season for the Thais themselves so everywhere was booked and overcrowded.

So here so photos for everyone which, if I do it right, will show some sort of progression in my travels, from Penang, Malaysia to Kathmandu, Nepal and some shots of Piero and Clarissa's new place, which looks and is very luxurious. They have the entire ground floor, but there is rarely hot water and the electrical outlets don't work for the most part. There is a programmed black-out every evening from 6 - 8 or 7 - 9 or whatever and we cook and eat by candlelight. Takes a little getting used to but it's fine and the weather is still wonderful: about 70 by day and then chills down pretty much at night. Most of the streets around are not paved but everyone seems to be working industriously around at building. Kathmandu is definitely a growing city. Yesterday we went to the famous Freak Street where all the hippies lived in the 60's. I think many of them still do. so then foks, have some patience with the blog: I'm still learning and the Internet reception at the cafe (The Saturday Cafe in downtown Boudha Stupa) is terrible but the cakes are heaven (:))

kisses

giulia

Did I mention how much I love Singapore. It is fantastic. as you can see from these photos the contrasts are amazing, from the beaches near the aquarium to the huge skyscrapers being built by the thousands (I don't think these people are suffering from an economic depression to say the least) and the religions that mix comfortably. I love the mynas in the morning (I got up at 5:30 AM since I went to sleep at 9 pm!) and the quiet and watching the men go to mosque or temple or wherever they are headed in their sarongs and caps and white shirts. No women to be seen this early in the morning but I'm sure they are rushing around to their offices downtown. Here in Little India the pace seems very leisurely, especially early in the morning. It's about 78% with an almost 100% humidity. I'm loving it and so is my skin. Today is the day to go to the zoo and do some research about tomorrow's departure and where in the heck am I going? Straight to Kuala Lumpur on the much advertized air conditioned bus or go with the poor folks and catch the train? Yesterday was a major and I mean major downpour, but luckily I was undercover at the pub drinking a glass of red wine after a new tatoo. Yes folks, pics are soon to arrive... catch you later, need ...... more ..... coffee......

my favorite photos from my first day in Singapore, which include around the hostel where I am staying in Little India, my new best friend Olya, a great Ukranian chick staying at the hostel who turned out to be a marine biologist on the Great Barrier Reef who had an appointment with the folks at the Singapore Acquarium and asked me to come along. It was amazing.... now I'm going to bed at 8 pm cause I got jet lag bad

Sitting on the porch of the backpackers' hostel "The Inn Crowd" in Little India in Singapore, wow. I'm the only "aged" person around but everybody smiles and is sweet to the little old lady finding her way around the free coffee, toast and hardboiled egg breakfast that the hostel offers. Everybody is "blogging and twittering and iPoding and texting" and God knows what else on their electronic devices. There is free, city-wide wireless in Singapore :) Listen Up America! The also have free mosquitos! That are munching on my ankles this morning. I made friends with Olga, a girl from the Ukraine and a marine biologist so we are pretty much hanging out together today and the she has an appointment with the Acquarium in Singapore and asked me to come along! Yay! I'm so excited about everything. Olga also said the this area, Little India, is the last remaining old part of Singapore and so it's extra special. She's been here about 7 - 8 times she said and just discovered this part of town, so I really lucked out. Here's some photos folks, Olga and I are going shopping!

getting closer and closer and closer oh my

Wow, Sunday is coming up fast! I've packed my backpack about 50 times in my brain while I'm trying to sleep (not). I'm only reserved the first 3 nights at a Singapore Hostel (The InnCrowd :o ) and then it's on the road, first stop the train station to get a ticket for Kuala Lumpur.... and then on to Bangkok. But first some exploring the east coast beaches. God I love this place, it will be hard to leave here.

Here's a cute little video...

I feel like a racehorse getting ridden into the starting gate

I'm scared and excited and wondering what in the hell... anybody know a cool place to stay in Singapore? And any other ideas about the Malasia and Thailand and India and Bangladesh and Nepal and so on is more than welcome. So I'm thinking: buy a donkey in Bangkok and ride it to Kathmandu.... poor donkey. But they might let me through Burma that way. I mean, what crazy woman would ride a donkey through the country? She must be a devil. And so leave her alone to do her thing. I will keep you posted.

stay in my place while I'm travelling the world!

For anyone interested in staying in a very RUSTIC place but with lots of charm, near the ocean, you are welcome to come stay here.... let me know by email that you wish to go while I'm away and I will set it up for you. Giulialatini@hotmail.com

Beaver, Utah

OMG, seriously stuck in Utah on the border with Nevada: crazy snow storm and trying to get home to Sonoma. Here's Isa with me in the Motel room (in Beaver, Utah, no kidding) and I also seriously hope we get out of here tomorrow. There's something SERIOUSLY wrong with town that every store is closed by 8 pm and nobody has a wine bottle opener... going cold turkey tonight with no glass of wine to make me all warm and fuzzy and get a good night's sleep. Oh well, howabout some tea.... :(

Colorado Mountains

Here I am, back in Ridgeway, Colorado... haven't been here for years, since I left Telluride. But that's another story. Snowing already and the peaks are already covered. The hot springs at Orvis (near Ouray, pronounced Youray) are fantastic so we're staying another night. And then making a mad dash for California, trying to stay in front of the advancing storms.

Well, here's the first tat on the trail. It's actually backwards (it says Taos in real life) since I'm photographing from my computer and it turns it around for some odd reason. Just got my passport back with my visa for India good for 1 year. I'M SOOOOO STOKED about this trip.

first tatoo

well, i had this crazy idea to start a series of tatoos up one arm across the back of my neck and then down the other arm, all during my travels, to commemorate each significant place and so my first was yesterday: TAOS with a slim, black arrow pointing up the arm. As soon as I get back to my own computer I will take some pics. Today we (my friend Isa Jacoby and I) are headed west from Taos, heading for Colorado I think, to find some hot springs on our way to California.

3 weeks before departure to Singapore

Ohmygosh: my first blog... hopefully I'll get better at it so bare with me :0

So.... to get in the spirit of things I'm starting it now, about 3 weeks before my scheduled flight to Singapore (from SFO for less than $500 on Singapore Airlines through CheapoAir.com: do you think they're legit? I sure hope so)

Right now I'm in Taos with my friend Isa, out in the countryside. Went fishing in a little river by myself yesterday and started getting scared about my trip: WHAT AM I DOING? I'M AN OLD LADY FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE. Oh well, I guess that has it's advantages travelling though, doesn't it? People actually pay attention to you for all the right reasons. ("my eyes are up here you duffus") I think I'll get a tattoo today to start the trip on, something sequential.

I just bought my travelling boots in Santa Fe: Spanish, ankle high and expensive but zip up and just like they grew on my feet: so so comfy: El Natura Lista, leather and recycled souls. gotta get some light, durable skinny pants too. Gotta backpack already, small Osprey from REI. Weeeeeeee. As soon as I get back to my own computer I'll post some photos too.