I took the flight with BA from Leeds Bradford Airport to London Heathrow. I thought I would give this trip a go by going paperless, the check in was completed via the BA iPhone app, the boarding passes got stored in passbook (iPhone app). Check-in was a breeze, go to the BA desk scan the iPhone and leave the luggage as per normal. As both flights were with BA the checked-in luggage was tagged for Bangkok.
BA customers can automatically use the fast track, if you are flying with another company you can use it for £3. You wonder that if everybody paid £3 to use it, would it still be called fast track?
Once through security I checked into the lounge. A very basic lounge where one can also pay to get in.
Whilst I was texting with the iPhone it crashed! this shocked me, my electronic boarding passes were stored on it! Luckily after a few minutes the iPhone came back to life. Phew that was close!
The flight which was cheap and cheerful was on a Airbus A319 and took one hour.
At Heathrow I got picked up by Randeep my brother in law and spent a lot of time playing with our niece. She is so active and tired us all out!
Randeep dropped me off at Heathrow Airport terminal 3, as I had already checked in and was issued an electronic boarding pass I went straight to security.
The security queue took thirty minutes, after security I headed over to the BA lounge it was pretty busy and in my opinion over-hyped, hot food was meat meat and more meat. There were some cheeses and cold meats as well as the usual soft and alcoholic drinks.
A friendly Sikh lady, called Manjit came over and asked where I was going, I said Thailand and she explained she lived in Singapore.
She asked what I would like. I said it is fine, I will help myself, she insisted and I asked for some veggie food,which she happily brought over. The look from the other passengers was of disgust….they had to get their own food yet here I am being served!
Wifi speed in the lounge is very poor
The walk from the lounge to the gate is around 10 minutes. I was seated next to two French ladies. The seats was cramped and the ladies kept talking to me in French, I replied “oui” a few times!! After dinner the lady next to me fell asleep, her legs and arms were all over the place, at one point her hand was near my turban. Her friend had enough and complained to the staff about her. The lady who complained was moved to the back of the plane. A few minutes later the stewardesses said to me “we need to move you.” We started walking to the front of the plane, I had a huge smile, we walked through club world I thought “hey! We are going to first”. They sat me down in World Traveller Plus!! Still should not be greedy! The plane was a 747-400 I was moved to seat 14 A
I watched Fast and Furious 6 a action movie, no thinking involved!
These seats were pretty comfortable and I nodded off….
I awoke around 7am GMT to hear the steward announcing that hot food was not safe to serve as the equipment had malfunctioned overnight, whatever is left over from first class we would get!!
After landing at Bangkok, I went through customs and collected my luggage, Master Pimu called to say he will be waiting at gate 4.
It was great to see Master Pimu and Shun (his wife.). First gear (do not call him this to his face!) took us to the gym, the journey takes about an hour.
We arrived at the gym and was greeted by the other students. Simon a student from Birmingham asked if I wanted to see a fight at the stadium, I said yes……do not ask me why, as I was shattered! Think it was the excitement!
Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium or, in Thai, Sanam Muay Rajadamner is an indoor sporting arena located in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with Lumpinee Stadium, the Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern Muay Thai. The stadium has its own ranking system and championship titles up to Middleweight (160 lbs).Muay thai contests are held on every Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The fights usually start around 6.30 p.m. Ticket prices range from 500 (third class) to 3,000 (ring-side) Baht.
In 1941, the Prime Minister of Thailand, Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram gave orders to build a national boxing stadium on Rajadamnern Avenue. Imprese Italiane All' Estero-Oriente won the construction rights and the 258,900 baht project foundation stone was laid on March 1, 1941.Due to the lack of construction supplies during the World War II, the project was halted until August 1945. When the war ended and the construction resumed, it took only four months to complete it. The first boxing match was held on December 23, 1945. Tickets were priced at between 70 and 300 Baht. Pramote Puengsoonthorn became the first stadium manager, who remained in the post until his retirement in 1947.The original stadium was an open-air construction, resembling a Roman amphitheatre in design. Six years later, in 1951 a concrete roof was added, making it more convenient and weather-proof. After seven years of government ownership the stadium was running in loss and on May 24, 1953 Chalerm Cheosakul, the stadium manager at he the time, asked permission from the Crown Property Bureau to run the stadium and founded the “Rajadamnern Co Ltd”. The Rajadamnern Co. Ltd operates it to this day and it has become one of the world-renowned boxing stadiums of Muay Thai in Thailand.In 1969, Rocky Marciano attended Rajadamnern as a guest referee for the International Boxing title match between Raksak Wayupuk and Saknoi Sor Kosum. Since then the tradition is kept that the last fight of the night is always an International level fight. Chuwattana Muay Thai & Boxing camp is the official promoter of the Rajadamnern stadium licensed by the Thailand boxing commission.
Gambling is legal and takes place at the second level. The betting is done by hand-signals, as in a stock exchange trading floor. Often such signs are misunderstood by one side and additional fights may erupt outside the ring between gamblers. The security service at Rajadamnern Stadium is managed by armed Military Police officers. Foreigners usually occupy the expensive ringside seats, while gamblers and aficionados prefer the second or third ring of seats upstairs.
There were ten fights, the main fight everybody was excited about was between Saenchai and Kongsak. The fighters were amazing and all we could hear were shins clashing!
Outside the stadium there were various stands selling food, I got a corn on the cob.
As soon as we got back to the gym I put my head down and was out like a light…..
I am looking into training in Thailand at the WPT Gym in Bangkok. The teacher is called Master Pimu, it is a basic gym with non of the tourist glitz…basically a great place where one wants to learn the art of Muay Thai. There have been and still are many world champions train at this gym.
At the time of writing if you fly into Thailand, UK passport holders are allowed a stay of up to 30 days. Coming in by land you only get 15 days. If one wants to stay longer then 30 days a visa is required.
When I first looked into a visa I requested a 'ED' visa the consul in Birmingham, UK, informed me that they now issue a 'B' visa.
The following documents should be presented to the Thai Consul:
Correct Fee – £50.00 for single entry and £125.00 for multiple entries (subject to change without notice) Single-entry and multiple-entry visas are valid for three months and one year respectively.
Visa application form completely filled out & signed
Passport with not less than 6 months after your return
Two passport sized photographs taken within the past six months
Letter of acceptance from the concerned schools/universities or institutes – usually a letter from Master Pimu addressed to yourself inviting you onto a Muay Thai course
Official Note certifying the purpose of travel from the Government Agencies /Embassies and Consulates / International Organisations / State Enterprises in Thailand. Master Pimu will send you a letter stating the companies registration details, this will be in Thai
It is also a good idea to email the consul your documents have them check it over and confirm everything is in order before you pop down.
You have two choices, post the above to the consul or just visit their offices. I went to the one in Birmingham:
Royal Thai Consulate
One Victoria Square
Birmingham
B1 1BD
Telephone : +44 (0) 121 643 9481
Facsimile: +44 (0) 121 643 9485
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 8.00am until 11.30am
Don't be fooled by the Regus building, go in and ask to see somebody from the Thai Consul. A staff member comes down and checks your paperwork pops up and literally ten minutes later comes back down with your visa! Simple and fast!
Flights with BA were getting expensive so I booked as soon as possible. on the BA website I tried to pay by cash and Avios points (The name for BA frequent flyers miles) the the cost was 50,000 points and £800 in taxes. The standard ticket is £600!
I called customer services who offered me a ticket for £422 and 50,000 points, which is much more reasonable.
The better option would have been buy a world traveller plus and then use the Avios points to upgrade to business.
More then likely you will be lucky to witness a wedding at solstice.
The groom
The bride
Kirtan was amazing and performed by Snatam Kaur and family, literally! Her mother, father and husband were playing various instruments.
A facilitator is on a side stage informing everybody what is going on. I found this very good, especially as it was in English! It also helped people involved with the wedding as it informed them what needs to be done and when.
Kirtan by Ravi Kaur
After the wedding I popped to the laundry, even though we were only traveling for three weeks we are still traveling light.
The afternoon was back to the lectures and more yoga. Sometimes, you feel you are just yoga’d out!!
Yoga in another tent
In the food shelter there were a number of stalls selling food, one was selling dhosa for $10 which in my opionon was very expensive and another was selling roti rolls (chappatti rolled with paneer and potato inside.) for $5.00 a very fair priced for a tasty meal.
As I was unable to handle the solstice diet, I started living off the roti rolls!!
In the evening we headed back to the cabin to find another person sleeping in one of the other bunks!!! Until now we had enjoyed the 4 bunk cabin to ourselves. The cabins have 4 bunks and you pay for the number of bunks required………night!
In the morning there was the usual schedule, we went to a class by Gurvinderpal Singh on Kesh (hair), it was okay, he needs more improvement on public speaking.
For lunch I popped to Walmart. Got some fruit and went to pay, I walked out of the store and noticed I had forgotten my iPad in the shopping cart! I quickly ran back and was so relieved at the iPad still being there….phew!
This afternoon, the sangat celebrate ‘Peace Prayer Day’
1:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Guru Ram Das Puri, New Mexico
A Day of Music, Dance and Prayer—International Peace Prayer Day is a gathering on the sacred land of Guru Ram Das Puri where we can express our gratitude and hope for the future through yoga, meditation, chanting, and the Sacred Healing Walk. This is a potent time to offer your prayers for the peace, healing, and unity of all humanity, to bless and honor this sacred land, and—for those participating in the Summer Solstice Sadhana, to set ourselves to go through the transformative Solstice journey.
All are welcome to attend this free event.
The Peace Prayer Day Program
1:30-2:00 Snatam Kaur and Children
2:00-2:15 Bhangra
2:15-2:25 Miri Piri Academy Presentation
2:25-2:35 Gurmukh Kaur
2:35-3:00 Radhanath Swami
3:00-3:30 Live to Give Grant Winners
3:30-4:45 Kundalini Yoga with Nam Nidhan and Mirabai Ceiba
4:45-5:15 Guru Singh
5:15-6:00 Sat Siri and Sacred Healing Walk
6:00 Dinner
7:30-9:00 Mirabai Ceiba Concert opening with Matamandir Singh
Snatam Kaur and Children
The Sacred Healing Walk
The elders tell us that every hundred years the ancients and warriors would meet on this land and pray to the One Creator, the Great Spirit. They believed that anyone who walked the mile and a quarter circle on this site would be healed. It is said that the healing energy generated by the drums and the walk integrate your physical and mental being with your spirit. Be a part of this ancient ritual at the Annual International Peace Prayer Day.
Yogi Bhajan’s Vision of Peace
Yogi Bhajan inspired people to lead healthy, happy, and holy lives. A master of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan was committed to helping create a loving world. The founding of International Peace Prayer Day–joining people of all faiths to pray for and celebrate peace—is one of his many legacies to humanity.
“Most beloved of God are those who are peace, at peace, share peace, and bring peace to all.” ~ Yogi Bhajan
International Peace Prayer Day History
Since 1986 musicians, entertainers, peace activists, public servants, and interfaith leaders have gathered together to celebrate International Peace Prayer Day. Come and experience the ceremony of the Sacred Healing Walk, live devotional music and dance from around the globe, the power of voices uplifted in prayer, and the sharing of joy and laughter in community.
Driving Directions
Map to Guru Ram Das Puri
From Albuquerque
Take I-25 North towards Santa Fe
Upon entering Santa Fe city limits, take the St. Francis Drive/Highway 285 exit. Drive through Santa Fe on Hwy 285/84 towards Española (approximately 25 miles).
In the town of Española, Hwy 285/84 turns into Riverside Drive. Follow Riverside Drive until you come to Fairview Drive (there is a Bank of America on your left). Turn left onto Fairview. The next stop light (across the bridge) is Paseo de Oñate.
Continue up Fairview after crossing Paseo de Oñate. A half a block down, look for the 3HO sign on your right and turn right, then look for the next 3HO sign very soon, and turn left onto what will quickly become a dirt road.
Follow this road up the mountain for approximately 8 miles.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY as the road from Española to the site is mostly unpaved. Look for the 3HO signs located along the road as you drive. The Guru Ram Das Puri campsite is eight miles up this road, on the right-hand side.
Driving Times
From Albuquerque – 2 hours
From Taos – 1.5 hours
From Santa Fe – 1 hour
From Española – 30 minutes
What to Bring
Sheepskins or mats for sitting
A water bottle (fresh and pure water is available on-site)
Reusable plates, eating utensils, and cloth napkins (in support of our Mother Earth, we do not provide disposable dinnerware/paper products)
Head covering (hat, scarf, etc.)
Sunglasses
Sunscreen and lip balm
Closed toe shoes for varied high desert terrain
Three offerings to leave at each Altar during the Sacred Healing Walk
Peace Flame Runners
This flame circled the globe before finding a permanent home in northern New Mexico at the Santuario de Chimayo. It originated with the torch that was carried around the world in 1986–the first run designating a United Nation’s International Year of Peace, and has burned at the Santuario ever since.
The same flame has been used in the Chimayo Prayer Pilgrimage for Peace every year since 1987 (the 5th year of the Peace Pilgrimage). It has been carried by International Peace Prayer Day runners to the Jemez Mountains site of International Peace Prayer Day at Guru Ram Das Puri for the past 26 years.
Be part of this uplifting event, as a Peace Flame Runner or part of the Support Team. Or join the Global Community at Guru Ram Das Puri to welcome the runners and the Peace Flame. Contact Dham Khalsa
May we “keep the flame alive” in our hearts. It represents the love of God within us which people of God are called to share with one another and with all of Mother Earth’s creatures.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Peace Flame Run:
Is this a race?
No, this is not a race; it is a group torch run to promote world peace.
How long is the run?
It is 20 miles long.
Do I have to run the whole 20 miles?
No, we have a support van that follows us the whole way, which you may ride whenever you please.
How fast is the pace?
We generally run a pace of 10-12 min/mile
What is the weather been in the past?
The weather can range from the mid to upper 90’s, with wind and dust. In the last 10 years of this run, it has only rained once.
Can I walk the course?
No, because this is such a small event, it is considered a group run.
What kind of support is provided at this event?
The following items will be kept in the support van for the participant; water, Gatorade, cola, bananas, oranges, Fig Newtons, first-aid, and sunscreen.
How long does the run take?
It usually takes 5-6 hours total. This includes stopping for hydration breaks.
Are showers available at the finish?
Yes, there are showers at the finish; only cold water is available.
Is the course difficult?
The general consensus is that this particular 20 miles is as difficult as doing a complete marathon.
Is this a timed event?
No, this is a group run.
Is there an entry fee?
No there is no entry fee. This is a non-profit event.
Do all entrants receive an event T-shirt?
Yes, there will be event T-shirts available to all the participants.
How do I register for this event?
Contact the event organizer at [email protected]
Will food be available at the finish?
Yes, there will be a free meal at the finish.
Where and when will we meet for this event?
Contact the event organizer for directions, times, and shuttle possibilities.
The evening’s programme by Mirabai Ceiba was amazing, hopefully video/pics coming soon.
The sacred healing walk is done by the native Americans, as I did not understand this and the ceremony behind it, I decided not to participate.
Well had a very rough night’s sleep, the wind was howling. To sleep in these basic conditions, one has to be a hardened camper!! Really not sure how Sangeet did it. She was having the cold shower at 3am when the outside temperature drops to it lowest, I was frozen!
Once I did manage to get up, still feeling like I needed a lot more sleep. I tried out the showers, apparently if you stay in the showers long enough the water is supposed to get warm……this is so untrue, I had my arm under the shower for at least 15 minutes the water remained cold, very cold!! Okay now we have an issue I need at least one warm/hot shower a day, preferably as soon as I awake…I washed my main parts (I will let you figure that out!). Headed over to the main shelter.
Breakfast was being served.
There is a solstice diet, which was designed by Yogi Bhajan (except for lunch).
Dinner
Mung Beans and Rice
Beets and Carrots
Solstice Hot Sauce
Golden Milk
Yogi Tea
Naturally, the lines for the portable restrooms move along quickly!
Golden Milk is milk with turmeric paste dissolved in it, and it is served at night after White Tantric to ease muscles sore from long hours spent in meditation. This is what Yogi Bhajan had to say about turmeric: “There is nothing more effective than turmeric to clean your body and purify it. There is nothing more precious on this earth but turmeric. Turmeric, it solves every problem which cannot be solved.
After breakfast we had the karma sewa meeting. On registration the participants can choose what karma sewa they would like to do.
What is Karma Yoga?
Karma Yoga (also called Seva) is a necessary aspect of Kundalini Yoga. It is based on the law of Karma: “Everything you do, comes back to you tenfold”. This is true for all your negative actions, but also for whatever you do positive and selflessly. Without Karma Yoga, there is a risk that doing yoga just for yourself, instead of slowly dissolving the ego, hardens it and leads to narcissism. Karma Yoga supports the creation of community and leads to friendship, love and group consciousness.
My karma yoga was security, we had to monitor traffic coming in and out of the solstice site, also have a walk around the area making sure people are parking where they should…
At the beginning of the meeting we did the global sardhana meditation.
What is the Spirit Voyage 40 Day Global Sadhanas?
The Spirit Voyage 40 Day Global Sadhanas is an opportunity for you to come together with a global sangat (spiritual community) representing over 75 countries and numbering over 20,000 participants. For 40 days, led by Spirit Voyage, a community comes together to all practice the same Kundalini yoga meditation, mantra or kriya. Participation is free. The Spirit Voyage 40 Day Global Sadhanas are a place for you to come home to yourself, to feel connected to a community no matter where in the world you are, to get the inspiration to stick to practices that you might not otherwise try, and to experience the incredible power of Kundalini yoga for yourself. They are gifts to you from you, and each has its own special gift to unwrap. During the Spirit Voyage 40 Day Global Sadhanas, people from different nationalities, races, faiths, genders, sexual orientations, and walks of life lay all their differences aside and celebrate their similarities as beings of light and as people of love.
The above play botton should start the Humee Hum track, if you are having issues please do comment with the operating system and which explorer you are using. Thanks in advance for your help.
The theme of this years summer solstice was ‘Recognize the Other Person is You’
For your information here is the information on the meditation
Ram Das Puri
After the meeting we went to Dr Sham Rang Singh Khalsa’slecture on the kara. We first met the Dr in Nevada City. The lecture was very good.
Due to stomach issues I am unable to eat the solstice food, luckily there was freshly cut watermelon, in this heat it was great to eat that. Temperature during the solstice event was between 90 to 100 degrees F.
Now time for my security sewa, I was given a radio, which was probably a big mistake. I kept trying to order pizza. Also kept saying there is a taxi waiting for Jesus. As you can tell my security sewa did not last long! Time to find another sewa group!
In the evening there was an international party, this is held by one of the sangat members, they cooked a fantastic dinner, also hosted the party at their home where around 300 solstice members attended. This year we were also blessed by 25 yogis from China and 25 from Taiwan. One of the Chinese ladies gave a demonstration of Kung Fu and Thai Chi.
The party was fantastic. Great music and amazing food.
We have registered for the Summer Solstice 2013, today was registration and settling in…For the past few days we have been living in luxury, a very comfortable bed, a fantastic powerful shower with hot water. I was very sad to leave phenji's house. Phenji did say we can stay and commute to the Solstice site, which is about 20 minutes away. As we had already paid for the cabin we decided to head up the hill and stay there.
We said our long goodbyes to phenji…..
We decided to grab our last lunch before going onto the solstice diet, so we headed over to Annapurna's in Santa Fe. WHilst having lunch I gor a text from Harijot Singh asking where we were. I replied saying n Santa Fe. He asked if we could pick up his friend and we agreed. We picked up Jasdeep Singh who is from Richmond, Canada and together we set off to Espanola. On a Thursday there is a community lungar, as it suggests, it is open to everybody. It was great to see many friends who were there. Everbody was looking forward to solstice and there was a fantastic buzz in the air.
The site of The Summer Solstice Sadhana Celebration is called Guru Ram Das Puri. It is 8 miles from Española up a dirt road. The Solstice website directions say “PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY on this portion of your trip” As you pass other cars, especially SUV's who were speeding the other way, the cars sprayed us with pebbles. Clouds of dust rolled up all around the car. Viewed through the milky white filament of the slowly dissipating dust the surrounding landscape of dry yellow soil, scrubby green brush, and the dimming blue sky was so beautiful.
Guru Ram Das Puri is a 160-acre preserve of land in the Jemez mountains. On the land is a very large tent called the Tantric Shelter. It has a concrete floor and a high roof and stays cool and breezy under the worst conditions. The three-day long meditation called White Tantric Yoga will take place here, as will Sadhana. Meals are eaten in the Tantric Shelter sometimes, and the bigger teachers—Harijiwan, Guru Singh, Gurmukh—hold enormous classes here as well.
There are three main camping areas. Tantric Hill is known for being windy and crowded. The Water Tower area is known for being popular with families and also, for its proximity to a loud generator. The Valley is known for being more protected, quieter, and a bit mellower, but further away
There is also a tent, on one side of which food is served, and on the other side of which is a bazaar, where the kind of items one would think would be sold at a Solstice gathering are sold: yoga wear, yoga music, crystals, books, and spiritually profound jewelry, like malas, which are beaded necklaces used as meditation aids—rosaries for hippies.
At the edge of the property, up above a few acres of parking lot, are a few cabins.
Once you get to the site, one has to register so we headed over to registration. We had registered and paid online a month before, but the process of the staff finding our registeration forms and badges took 45 minutes!! Sangeet could see I was getting very annoyed and wound up, she said we know plenty of sangat members the last thing you want to do is cause a scene….I stayed calm, which was a miracle!
After a long winded registration process we headed over to the cabin.
Cabin
Outside view from the cabin
I am tempted to go back to Shanti phenji's house or even book into a motel, especially as we had paid more money for the cabin then a motel room! Ah well let's see how it goes.
In the evening there was a welcome speach, Sangeet and I also helped with setting up the Gurdwara.
Afterwards, Nirvair Singh did the gong meditation. Then off to bed…………..early start tomorrow…….
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, feel free and have a look around.Here is a bit about me, as you may or may not have guessed my name is Mandeep,I work to travel as opposed to work to pay bills and die!Every trip for me is an adventure, I have been very fortunate to stumble across amazing places and meet awesome people along the way.
Why gaygoat? When I first started this blog I was a vegetarian, so gaygoat – happy goat! Also you have to admit it is catchy and a URL you will not forget!
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