Cambodia-Light

Angkor Wat Slideshow -CLICK HERE or on the image to view( 8mb download)
They say you must go through the valley of darkness before reaching the promised land. After 8 hours of the bumpiest bone rattling bus ride of my life from Poipet to Seam Reap, and baring witness to some of the most horrific sites I have ever seen, we knew that there had to be an incredibly magnificent light to be casting these shadows…and their was.
It came in the form of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, a breath taking testament to the Khemer Empire, which ruled most of South East Asia and southern China. It contains over 100 temples over 50 sq. km’s. Some of the temples have been swallowed up by the jungle, tree vines and roots growing over gargantuan walls and faces, reminding us of the awesome power of nature. Words cannot do justice to the experience of Angkor Wat so I hope that the slide show can give you a glimpse of the ancient magic and energy emanating from it.

Cambodia Slideshow

Here is a slideshow with photos from Cambodia. I will be uploading my photos taken at angkor wat very soon. Thanks for all your e-mails! CLICK HERE or on the image to view. If you need Quicktime to view, there is a link on the right hand side where you can download it for free.

Cambodia-Shadows and Light

CLICK HERE or on the image to watch. (21.3 mb streaming)
When I was born in 1977, the place where I sit and write this, was in the depths of an indescribable and unfathomable darkness, of which today, it still bears it’s scares. Between 1975 and 1979, under the leadership of Pol Pot, the country was restructured into a Maoist agrarian peasant-dominated cooperative. This was not the co-operative that me and you think of today as some optimistic dream. 2 million of the countries 8 million were starved or tortured to death. The bodies were piled into “Killing Fields”, that litter the country like a bad memory you are not able to forget. The elderly, sick, and any educated people that could speak any other language besides Cambodian or even wore glasses was immediately killed. The remaining people were put into work teams were they were made slaves, plowing ditches and irrigation tunnels for 12-15 hours a day. Families were broken up, cultural artifacts destroyed. There were no markets, no shops, banks, arts, music, or restaurants. Cambodia was literally taken back to “Year Zero” , thereby cleansing the country of its past.
You cannot visit Cambodia, even 30 years later, and ignore that this happened…it is impossible to do. If you could, it would be a great dishonor to a people, who have so courageously endured this darkness and remarkably, have started to heal and move on, their souls and hearts deepened.
I do not know how I can begin to describe this place and the people and the energy here. When I was at the border, 5 years ago, I turned back because I felt I was not yet emotionally mature to deal with what lay across that invisible line. Today, however, I welcome it into my life and the many lessons it has for me and has taught me already after only being here for a week. If you ever start feeling sorry for yourself, think your life sucks, or are just feeling depressed, I welcome you to come and spend 5 minutes on the Thailand/Cambodian border or on the streets of Siam Reap or Phnom Penh…it will put you on your knees giving thanks for all that you have. Tell the 5 year old without legs, who is pulling on your arm pleading for food so he and his 7 month old sister can eat, that your suffering is great…
This place has put a lot of things in perspective for me. I have been feeling lonely and depressed over the loss of my best friend and partner, but after seeing the desperation and poverty these people live with, I cannot complain. Most of us take our health, access to clean food and medicine, our paying jobs, sanitary living conditions for granted.
The streets of Siam Reap, and Phnom Penh at night are filled with amputee victims, who lost their limbs from the mines that have been placed all over the country during the past 30 years during their civil war, and children aged 6-11, begging for money or a scrap of food. These children should be at home playing or sleeping in a warm bed, but instead fight for their survival. When I was there age, I didn’t even have to think about food or money, let alone have to look after younger siblings. Similar poor children fill the grounds of Angkor Wat, hawking bracelets, postcards, or bamboo flutes. The lengths at which they go to try and sell these to you says so much about how desperate they really are. Our daily budgets have doubled with the amount of meals and money we are giving to these children. But I could give everything I have, and it would still not be enough.
Because of these economic conditions and the war and genocide, which has ravaged this country, everybody is after a buck. Being a tourist, we have been hounded night and day, been scammed several times, and had a guitar stolen. However, we cannot blame these people, because if we were in their situation, we would be hustling too
All of these shadows mean there must be light…

Bangkok-Slideshow

We are using Bangkok as a homebase for the rest of our travels throughout South East Asia, so we usually stop in for a day or 2 to resupply, upload video, and visit some temples. Here are some photos from our last trip before we left for Cambodia. CLICK HERE or on the image to view. (6.5 mb)

Bali and Bangkok Video

Hello Friends
Here is a video with some images from Bali and Bangkok, Thailand. It is 25.1 mb streaming. We are using Bangkok as a homebase of sorts for are travels throughout South East Asia due to its proximity to most countries here. CLICK HERE or on the image to watch.

August 19th-Reflections on Bangkok

August 19, 2005-Bangok, Thailand
Back again in Sin City, where the good, the bad, and the ugly all seem to co-exist in some sort of symbiotic symmetry. Malcolm and I are taking it all in, including the exhaust smoke which veils the city like a protective cloak.
This city is intense, no doubt about it. The heat is like nowhere I have ever been to before and we are in the middle of the monsoon season. It is thick and when the sun comes out it hits you like an open oven. You can not drink enough water to keep up with the sweat pouring out of your body as your clothes become damp and dank.
The environmental problem here is huge like all the other South Eastern Asian countries, including Bali. Litter is everywhere including the rivers and canals. People literally use the streams behind their houses to dump the trash. In Bali, if something isn’t done soon, I think in 10 years it may resemble a small garbage dump. Trash cans don’t seem to exhist here, when I have a water bottle, I sometime walk for a mile before finding somewhere to put it.
Amputees, glaucoma victims whose eyes appear pupil-less and empty, young mothers with starving children, and beggars covered in sut, their skin barely visible through the grime reach their hands out to me with a desperation in their eyes which seems to tell me that they are about to give up. I give what I can and walk on, but where is the line??? My heart feels their pain for that moment when our eyes meet and I see myself and I see you and I see God. I walk on and give thanks for my health and the love that surrounds us everyday. This is probably nothing compared to what I hear we will encounter in Cambodia and especially India where the poverty is debilitating.
A 12 hour bus journey awaits us tommorow morning at 7AM when we travel to Seam Reap, Cambodia, the home base for 4 days at one of the most incredible religious monuments every made…Angkor Wat. I have been waiting for this pilgrimage of sorts for years and I can only imagine what it will be like in person.
We have been getting up fairly early to fit in our busy days, and being witness to the early morning in Bangkok is a spectacle not to be missed. The sellers preparing their wares, outdoor markets coming alive, and the thousands of food vendors wheeling out their carts onto the streets for the days first customers as the streets fill with motorcycles is an amazing experience. This morning, I journeyed by foot, skytrain, and bus to the modern dental hospital on Sukhumit Rd. The Dentists there are western trained and the equipment is just as good as what you would find in the west. I had 4 fillings done today for what it would cost to have 2 done in America even with dental insurance. If any of you have some major work to be done, I would highly suggest this place, friends of mine clued me into it and I had a great experience.
We have yet to journey outside Bangkok as we have just used it as our stop over point for our other visits but am looking forward to going up to the North and to the South when we return from Cambodia and Laos. It is easy to get impatient and discouraged here with the heat, the exhaust smoke, and the sheer number of people, but Thailand, the land of the Siamese Dream has so much more to offer.

Gamelan/Dance Performance

So I wanted to share with you some photos that I took at a gamelan instrument maker's shop and from a Legong Dance in Ubud, Bali. Arts and music are such a strong part of Balinese life and we feel blessed that we have been able to experience so much of it and encorporate it into our own music. Click Here or on the image to watch.

Bali Slideshow Part 2

Greetings
One slideshow (or 100 for that matter)is not enought to encapsulate the wonder and beauty of Bali so here is one more for you. I am in Bangkok for 2 days before we head off to Angkor Wat. Click Here or the image to watch. Much love
Ben

Bali Photo Slideshow Part 1

Greetings,
So I finally have some photos of Bali for you,CLICK HERE or on the image. As always you will need Quicktime to view them. Your computer should already have it and if it doesn't you can download it by clicking the link on the right hand side under LINKS, its free and easy. Hope you enjoy, drop me a line if you would like.
love
Ben

Luscious

Today at the suggestion of Jessica Bottomley, I woke up an indulged in a traditional Balinese massage followed by a White Jasmine full body scrub, yogurt rub down, and to finish it of, a long soak in a flower petal filled bath. I am a bath freak, so getting to lie in a bath full of white, red and purple flowers was heaven. I felt like a child playing with the petals, covering my arms with them, scooping them up, and creating flower waterfalls with my hands. All of this while sipping on ginger tea and lime juice covered papaya and pineapple, truly luscious. The best part is that the cost of this indulgence was a mere $12.50, another reason why I love Bali and South East Asia in general because you can live like a king for so little. Jessica and Isaac definitely knew what was up when they bought their house here (which I am going to visit in several days.) Right now, I am in a mosquito net-covered bed in a small village called Tirta Ganga, home of a huge water palace, where you can soak an swim in the holy waters that are set amidst rice paddies that look like they are straight out of the pages of National Geographic. Our guest house is perched hundreds of feet above the valley with cinematic views over the fields and down to the ocean. Tommorow we will head out to the North of the island to Lovina, home of black sand beaches and world class diving and snorkeling on some of the islands best coral reefs.
We have been flooded with musical ideas and because we have brought our laptops we are able to record them. We hope to do a lot of writing of songs that will eventually end up on Kaura’s first album. Every single sight we have here is new, fresh, and often mind-blowing. We have not gotten used to the huge world of difference between Los Angeles and South East Asia yet, and a part of me doesn’t think we will and doesn’t want to either. I still have to pinch myself as we drive through this dense thick, palm covered island driving past women with baskets expertly balanced on their heads 4 feet in the sky. I still cannot get over how different our lives are from the people here. Due to the lack of income and education here, the large majority of Balinese never leave Bali, and are content with their lives selling goods, caring for rice paddies, wood carving, painting, or being involved with the tourist industry in some fashion. When I have spoken to the young men and women here, they do not have lofty aspirations to travel the world or become rock stars or doctors or lawyers, they are content with their lives, the closeness they have with their families and communities, and the rhythm of their daily life which includes a strong does of religion, art, and music. In many ways, I am jealous of their seeming spiritual contentment that lacks the burning unrest and desire that most Westerners constantly feel. The Balinese also have an openness that I is pleasantly unfamiliar to me coming from America. Their smiles are genuine, not forced, I have not gotten denied a smile when I smile at them and they are always curious to know where you are from or to help you with any questions you may have. When I tell them that I am from California, they often say, “Kaleefornia, Red Hot Chilli Peppers!! Dream of Kaleefornication!” Which cracks me up, last time it was “Yaah, Welcum to the Hotel Kaleefornia.” It is so bizarre what being from California means to them, they think we know these celebrities and hang out with them like it is a small village like where they live. Their estimation of you goes way up when you tell them you are from the Golden State. When I tell them I am in a rock band, forget it!!! Autographs usually shortly ensue!!
I am working on a slideshow for you all, so keep checking back in, in the next few days. Be Well!
Love
Ben

Bali

Bali
After a very hectic and disorienting 3 days in Bangkok Malcolm and I made our way through Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Bali, Indonesia. The time we spent in Bangkok was spent running around the city buying any last minute things we needed such as clothes and electronic equipment. We did not get a chance to take in any of the temples but we will be back in Bangkok again as it is a departure point for many of our travels.
For those who have not been to Bali, it is a small island full of ceremony, ritual, tradition, monkeys, and some of the friendliest people in the world. It is also a major tourist destination but luckily the tourists tend to stay in 3 areas, and you can get into some serious indigenous culture with only a 5 minute drive of these places. People here live very simply, it seems that they have their priorities in the right place: family, community, fun, and religion. The Balinese are Hindus and they take great pride in holding up their religious obligations. Beautiful palm offering plates full of flowers, rice, and incense are offered up to the Gods in return for safety, protection, and abundance every morning outside homes, places of work and worship. Statues of Hindu Deities and figures from the Ramayana such as Rama, Sita, and the monkey god Hanuman are everywhere. This along with the ancient Chinese influeces architecture, and terraced rice paddied jungles make Bali one of the most awe-inspiring places I have every been. Unfortunately, most tourists don’t leave their safe enclaves and don’t get to experience the real Bali. We have been renting motorcycles and today and Jeep and have ventured into the heart of the island to visit its remote villages and temples.
4 days ago, we were privellaged to meet a local man Wayan, who took us to a small village called Tiungung, to visit his uncle’s Gamelan instrument shop. We got to see the entire process that goes into making Gamelan Bells, and Keys called Ryong and Gensar respectively from the melting down of the bronze tablets to the pouring of the molds to the shining and finishing process. As some of you know, I was introduced to Gamelan music and at my college, UC Santa Cruz where we had a Gamelan performance class. I have gone on to use Gamelan in my band Kaura’s music, so coming here was a top priority for us. We ordered a set of gamelan bells and it feels great to know the person that makes your instrument and to know that such good energy and prayers go into it. In the West we are so used to just going into a shop and buying something and having no connection to where it came from or the energy that went into it.
The monkeys here are something else as well, the Meras or Mecaques are all over the place and very friendly. I have gotten a chance to play with some of them in a wild setting which was very rewarding as I LOVE monkeys, the baby's are ecspecially cute. Anyway, I don't want to bog you down with too much text now. Take care
Ben

Bangkok

Aaah Bangkok ,oh Bangkok…the true definition of hustle and bustle…a 3rd world coming to grips with its Americanization and Modernization, gold-encrusted Buddhist temples, shanty town tin shacks, ultra-modern shopping centers, and the river canals that are proof why this city used to be called the “Venice of the East”. The maze like streets are full of black smoke emitting glorified go-carts called Tuk Tuks, taxis, motorcycles, and buses all ready to take you to everyplace you don’t want to go for “a special price for you handsome man.”
The people…the smiles, a spirit rarely encountered in the west, they know...and they smile...love. 6 million of them, saffron robed monks, suited businessman, backpackers in their new thai threads, legless beggars crouched on the dirty street with their hands held above waiting for any sort of donation or for God to take them to another place…trani-boys, reclining Buddhas, conmen, shamen and the young Thai men and women whose energy and smiles are intoxicating. Truly, the land of smiles! People here base their decisions on the “sanuk” (Fun) factor.
One must have their bearings, mind, and patience together to be able to traverse this city amidst the lung stifling exhaust that clouds the air, not to mention all the drivers that seem to think that they are participants in Death Race 2000, the humidity that makes you sweat like you didn’t know you could, and the constant barrage of people trying to sell you something or take you somewhere. There is something here though, an energy that makes it all worth it..
Malcolm and I descended on Khoa San Road to pick up any last minute supplies before the proper adventure begins in Bali in a few days. “Chaos” San Rd., famous backpackers colony, meeting grounds for all the brothers and sisters who seek more, whose curiosity cannot be quenched within their country’s borders…English, French, Australian, Chilean, Japanese, Spanish, American, Canadian, African...blinking lights, pumping music, brilliantly colored fabrics, neon signs, the zoom zoom of tuk-tuk taxis, 25 cent street cart pad thai. Vendors selling you everything you could never want, smiling, buying, laughing, loving it and hating it...khoa san rd.
The past two days have been very strenuous, getting adjusted to the sweltering heat, the third world culture, the time change, and having to make a radical switch in perspective can take a lot out of you. After living the reality of jobs, deadlines, band practice, bills, strict time management, and the mental mind state you have to be in to survive, not to mention flourish in Los Angeles, it can take some time to make that change. I think once we hit the jungle arts utopia that is Ubud, Bali on Saturday, our minds and bodies will be much farther along on that evolution.