Day 147: Rock Climbing & Torreguardiaro

Sebastian said it best, "Ross has much too healthy of an ego to stop blogging." Thanks again to all of you who showed support for my blog, but no tears need be shed. Of course I am going to keep blogging. April fools, you fools.

I've spent the past week or so in Tarifa learning the art of kite surfing. Being pulled by a three meter kite through the water is great fun. My instructor from 11380 Kite School, is not only an excellent teacher but he has helped me find places to stay and integrate into Tarifa's community. I wish the weather would have been as helpful as Daniel. The course is only three days but even though I've spent almost a week in Tarifa I've only had two lessons due to the weather's lack of cooperation. I digress, I'm getting ahead of myself, this is another post! Let me tell you about the week that I spent in Torreguardiaro before coming to Tarifa.

The view from Nick's balcony. Gibraltar on the left.

I sent out about a million couch requests to find a host for Carnival in Cádiz. One of the folks I was hoping to stay with was interested in rock climbing and meditation. Unfortunately he lived too far from Cádiz for me to stay there during Carnival, but I suggested that we meet up afterwards. So when I left the Alegraluz Tantra Center, I headed a few kilometers South to where Nick lived.

Heading South to meet up with Nick.

After the usual traveling struggle, I arrived somewhere near Nick's apartment. He came to pick me up and we walked back to his flat while chatting. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon with a vibrant blue sky and heaps of sun. Nick lives in sort of a condo paradise surrounded by water where residents can moor their boats. The view from his balcony is magnificent – with the harbor in the foreground and Gibraltar: Rock of the Apes visible in the distance. Nick can literally roll out of bed and begin work. Every smooth surface is covered in brainstorming hieroglyphics, to-do lists, and organizational charts, all rendered in dry-erase marker. Even the fridge wasn't safe – I wonder what this says about Nick's personality.

Getting all artsy with the reflection in the water.

Close up of Gibraltar.

Goodnight!

Nick is a bonzer bloke; a curious Australian with a passion for living. I thoroughly enjoyed living with him because he is active. As you will soon hear, we went climbing the first day, and spent the rest of our afternoons riding bikes, playing paddle, and walking slackline. He's found an equilibrium between work and play, as pointed out by a tarot reading, so I had a lot to learn from him. In terms of learning, we started with desert first, time for climbing.

My first view of Tarifa's beach.

Tarifa from up where we were climbing.

One of the many windfarms around Tarifa.

My first outdoor climbing experience was with a huge rock near Tarifa's Polermo dune. Edwardo, A new friend of Nick's, gave us a ride since Nick's car exploded last weekend. We walked up a small dirt trail surrounded by lush vegatation and breathtaking views. Soon we came upon the rock wall that we sought to conquer. Nick mainly does sport climbing, where the first person to climb clips the rope into anchors in the rock. Once the top is reached the rope is clipped into a special anchor, then the next person can climb with minimal risk. Needless to say, I climbed second.

Mr Muscles getting ready.

Nick taught me all of the basics of rock climbing from how to tie a double figure eight knot, to properly check your partner's set up, and how to belay. Of course he taught me various techniques but for climbing, I was on my own.

The first wall that we climbed had a bit of a slope to it but it still looked intimidating. Luckily Nick had a spare pair of climbing shoes that sort of fit my feet. They mashed my toes together and hurt like hell. However the pain was worth it, and sure enough, I huffed and puffed my way up. Getting to the top was satisfying but the real reward was taking off those shoes. During a second climb I struggled and fell a few times during one point. I didn't think I was going to make it but after a few tries I reached the top. Now it was time for the real challenge.

One of the Spaniards shouting like a lunatic.

Almost there, mate!

We walked along the rock a ways to where the climbs were more difficult. There were people precariously dangling on the rock stretching for the next hold, screaming their brains out as they pushed themselves. The next wall had a big fissure in it and Nick scrambled up it to set the rope up. When it was my turn I was optimistic but I couldn't make it past one part where the rock bulged out. Wrists burning, I tried a few more times but I admitted I had enough when my muscles were too tired to grip anything else. For his next climb Nick wanted to test himself so we went to a wall that he thought was the top of his ability. Watching him climb was inspiring. It took him multiple tries to get from anchor to anchor and as he got more tired I would pull the belay line tight so he could rest for a minute. to the top he was stoked, I felt like I accomplished something just belaying him. Nick, as he put it, "Earned his dinner."

The third wall we climbed, near the fissure on the right.

When we left the mountain for the day I was happy to discover a new sport. Climbing is a puzzle. Using my mind and body to figure out how to climb is great fun. I like the simplicity of climbing, in that it's just me and the rock. Maybe I have special shoes on but that's it; there's nothing else to help me. I will eagerly seize more opportunities to climb that come my way in the future.

Paddy, one of Nick's co-workers, with his daughter.

Team Unbeatable consisted of Nick and me.

Although we only got to go climbing one day, I totally enjoyed the few days that I spent with Nick. It was interesting to see how he lives and works in the same place and meeting his coworkers was fun. I kind of felt like I was 8 and visiting my dad at work. One evening we went to play paddle with one of his co-workers. Paddle is a mix between squash and tennis. We batted the ball around the court and we won most of the games. Cha-ching.

Staying with Nick was 'heaps good!'

Climbing rocked but when I found out Tarifa is the kite surfing capital of the world I knew that I had no choice. I called a place Edwardo recommended and set up a three day course of lessons. Staying with Nick was a pleasure. I hope to see him again and wish him the best of luck moving forward. Keep climbing, mate! I left with a big heart and eager eyes, dead set on kite surfing.

Adios!

Day 143: Gibraltar: Rock of the Apes!

A few days after I had been back from Ronda, Monica and David showed up at the Alegraluz Tantra Center and abducted me. They took me to heir condo where they cooked me a feast. We ate and enjoyed one another's company. We all laughed a lot and told travel stories and gossiped about old friends. I was only going to stay with them until the next morning but I decided to go to Gibraltar with them mañana.

This article is dedicated to all my fuzzy friends in Gibraltar.

From their condo in Estapona the drive to Gibraltar was a little over an hour. The rock was visible long before we reached it. After parking the car we walk began walking. The sky was overcast and a little drizzly. Even worse, there was so much traffic in the area that the air tasted like gasoline. Showing our passports to get in was exciting but then we had to wait for two airplanes to take off from the airport which forced us to wait 20 minutes.

Weird place for an airport.

Being at Gibraltar was a surreal feeling. I didn't know that it was a British colony so the red telephone booths, use of pounds, and police officers' hats caught me by surprise. At last, my chance to try fish and chips!

It was like we were in bloody ol' London, chap!

We did a bit of exploring in the streets at the base of the rock before doubling back to get lunch. Once Monica and David were satiated by their Subway hoagies and I had a greasy pile of fish and chips we set off up the mountain. The weather was dreary but it added to my feeling of surreality. The streets in the lower town were touristy but once we began climbing the vibe changed completely. We were soon lost among a maze of staircases and twisty roads; antennas and clotheslines sliced through the air of Gibraltar's upper town.

I've fallen in love with lots of things in Europe, antennas are one of them.

Cat photos are another passion of mine.

We were totally lost.

The higher we climbed the better the view got. It was a bit discouraging when we learned that it was going to cost £10 to see the historical parts like the siege tunnels and that we could have brought the car for £2. On the bright side by walking we saw a lot of stuff that we wouldn't have had the opportunity to see if we had taken a car. Plus if we were in a car we wouldn't have had as interesting of a monkey encounter.

Hey baby!

I felt like a giant (goon).

I had no idea that Gibraltar was full of monkeys. We saw a few posters advertising the hairy monsters but I didn't think I'd actually see any... boy was I wrong.

Look closely at the monkey leaping off the bus.

Once we were past the upper town, we were walking up roads on the rock for about an hour before we saw them. The first monkey sighting was a scene out of a monkey action movie; one of the fuzzy devils was riding on the mirror of a bus and then PACHOW! he jumped off into the bushes. From there, it was only a few seconds until we were surrounded. We found their stronghold. Knee-deep in monkey territory surrounded by knee-high monkeys. They were all over the place, playing on cars, jumping on people's backpacks, having sex in the street.

"What's up? How are you?"

I wonder if there's Tantra for monkeys.

Even monkeys are into post nookie cuddling.

So cute yet so vicious.

If I were a monkey I'd like to live on the rock of Gibraltar. I would live a charmed life. My diet would consist of whatever goodies the tourists bring (hopefully Twinkies) healthily balanced by some berries and leaves. My life would be one with nature, living outside and playing all day without the worry of predators. Plus, I would be able to jump on all the cute girls without any legal repercussions.

Whoa man chill, it was just a joke!!!

One of these beauties found its way onto the bottom of my shoe.

Finally we found a crazy big staircase that would take us the rest of the way to the top – it wasn't for the faint of heart. Monica and David were funny going up and even funnier going down. David shies away from heights so he wasn't a big fan of a 200 meter tumble down a stone staircase as the result of a mis-step. While I was fine with the height, passing the monkeys on the stairs freaked me out. I kept imagining one jumping onto my face or biting me in the leg. I suppose all of our imaginations run wild, playing out various horrific fantasies.

Apes in trees.

Just a few more steps, Monica!

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

When we got to the top of the rock, the same fog that coated our day kept us from seeing Africa. Spooty fog! Looking down over the edge was awesome because you couldn't see anything and then the clouds would part for a second and show you how high you are. The view over the harbor was superb. I met a dude from Morocco who fed a banana to one of the monkeys and a girl who wore one of the monkeys as a hat.

We made it to the top!

Some people use shampoo...

A mother's nipples have a rough life.

Who's the monkey now?

Family bonding.

Attack!!!

Isn't Monica the cutest?

Laser eye.

Primary scooters.

Haha. You're wearing a funny hat.

Thankfully we got back to the car in time to avoid any fees on the parking meeter. I was glad that we walked not only because of all the spectacular views and weirdness we encountered but my stomach felt a lot better after working off some of the fish and chips. We were all exhausted from the climb and I fell asleep in the back seat.

Back at the Alegraluz Tantra Center I asked Peter and Elizabeth (a new recruit) if they wanted to join us for paella. Fortunately they agreed and we all piled in the car and headed to a local restaurant for some seafood paella. I had the black version that's made with squid ink while I was in Cádiz and I was excited to eat it again. We ordered it for four and they brought it out in the biggest frying pan ever. Delicioso!

I bet the monkeys would have enjoyed this meal.

Saying goodbye to Monica and David was really nice. It meant a lot to me to spend some time with people that have known me for more than a few days. Old friends are so comfortable and natural to be around. I love meeting new people because I grow faster with them but old friends are like anchors. It may be a bit odd to admit saying goodbye was nice but it made me realize how close I am with both Monica and David and reinforce how special our time together was. I cannot wait to see them when I return to the United States. Peace, love, and monkeys.

Adios!
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Day 137: Alegraluz Tantra Workshop

Another morning at the Alegraluz Tantra Center. I woke up to the sun shining through my window and warming my face. The morning breathing and breakfast all went as normal, however today was a special day. Today was my first day as a student since I graduated. Martin gave me the opportunity to take place in his Tantra workshop.

Tantra me, baby!

This workshop was to train two ladies from Denmark in the ways of Tantra. They were clients of the center and I was fortunate enough to go along for the ride. Anna came to the center after I had been here for a few days. She arrived late one night and smiled when we were introduced but I got a bit of a cold diva vibe from her. The next morning when I added her on Facebook I understood why – she is a model. Over the next few days before the workshop we spent a lot of time together getting to know one another and as she opened up, we quickly became friends. The other student was Jane. Jane is a friend of Anna, and also from Denmark. She's a warm woman that's the mother of two with some visible remains of her crazy younger years. She's a lot of fun and easy going, but it was with Anna that I found a special bond. Without Anna, I would have been completely unprepared for these workshops.

The workshops were not my first introduction to Tantra. My first day here Martin told me about Tantra giving me "opportunities to see myself" but I didn't understand until I experienced it. Anna started training with Martin almost immediately and soon she needed someone to practice on. I was in the right place at the right time.

Following my shower, I walked across the hall into the massage room. Soothing music mingled with the incense, Anna was sitting on the mat. She greeted me and asked me to sit with her. After a brief introduction we began breathing together in the Tantric style. Breath is extraordinarily important in Tantra. Tantric breathing means breathing deeply into your lungs so that your stomach swells and breathing out making a sigh in the tune of a vowel, "aahhh", "oohhh" or "eeeee".

So Anna and I are breathing together and going through various Tantric poses. We would lay together and breathe, moving our hips and the breathing would become faster and faster until we would both take a deep breath and let out a big sigh. It felt extraordinary. We were naked and many of the poses were sexual, but even without penetration, it felt like having sex. I felt this energy flowing through me that I had never felt before. In fact when I would breathe heavily my hands, shoulders, arms, and mouth would all tense up. At one point Anna asked me how I was and I laughed because my mouth was so tense that my words stumbled out of a small porthole that my lips made. It was an odd mix of comical and spiritual. As we finished up our session I had little clue what had happened but a comforting feeling of intimacy and unspeakable understanding of Anna and myself. We had a few of these sessions and it's funny how not having sex brought me more understanding of sex than having sex. Now I understand that having sex is not about penetration or orgasms but about the exchange of energy. Anna's sessions were the perfect introduction to Tantra and now it was time for me to learn some of the techniques she used.

Martin's photos are brilliant – this is the Meridian Tantra ritual.

With my lungi wrapped around my waist I entered the workshop room. It was pleasantly warm – Martin, Peter, Jane, and Anna all smiled as I entered. When I sat down, Martin began. Over the next two days we would be learning twelve Tantric rituals which can be used to help patients. These twelve rituals were divided into three types, the first four focused on breath, the second touch, and the third energy. Martin would demonstrate each ritual, then we would practice the ritual in pairs. As a pair we took turns, one person would give the ritual and the other would receive, then we would swap.

The twelve rituals we learned were:

Breathing:
1. The Tantric Greeting (appetizer)
2. The Hug (heart to heart)
3. Bonding (Laying on top of one another)
4. The Game (agressive, sensual, seductive)

Touch:
5. The Blanket Pull
6. Ring Finger Rub
7. The Butt Push
8. The Meridian

Energy:
9. Worship
10. Self love (lips, breasts, stomach, groin)
11. The Trifecta (buddha, scissor, sit)
12. Namaste

After every ritual Martin asked each of us what we felt. Feelings varied from person to person but most of our comments were similar. In fact, there were some rituals, namely bonding, the meridian, and the trifecta, where I was overcome by the feeling that Anna and I experienced the exact same thing. I can't explain but I was sure whatever I was feeling she was feeling also. Sure enough, when it was her turn to speak, she smiled and agreed.

A part of the Worship Tantra ritual.

Experiencing these rituals was profound. They are designed to induce a higher state of consciousness and they did so successfully. I felt like I was meditating because my mind was switched off for most of the time. The mindless feeling that I described is a curious one. Most people would think that a mindless feeling is not a higher state of consciousness because for them consciousness only exists in the mind. Through meditation and now through Tantra I have been discovering that we are much more than our minds and our bodies. Especially in the Western world, we have so much to learn about spirituality. Similar to meditation, you don't notice the benefits of these exercises until you've completed them. After many I could feel energy surging through my body –  like bubbles or vibrations charging up my spine, through my head, back down, through my arms, legs, and toes.

This beautiful pose is part of the Trifecta Tantra ritual.

This was my first time experiencing these feelings and quite opposite to drugs, with practice these feelings will get stronger. Tantra is awesome and I want to experience more. Tantra is a technique for discovering parts of yourself. You cannot discover these parts of yourself through the mind. There are no passages you can read or thoughts you can produce that will even give you a glimpse. The only way to learn is through experience, which is why Tantra does not tell you, it shows you.

As the session closes we show respect and gratitude with Namaste.

It goes without saying that the two days of workshop were life changing. I feel like I have silently gotten to know myself in ways that I cannot express. It dawned on me the other day that we are conscious of so little of what we experience. In these Tantra sessions there were some thoughts I was conscious of, some things I was semi-conscious of but unable to express, but I have a feeling that about 90% of what happened during these exercises I am completely unaware of but am still able to benefit from. I cannot thank Martin enough for including me in these workshops as they have been one of my most enjoyable moments of growth on my trip. I feel more whole, more confident, more relaxed. Thanks again, Martin.

Adios!

Day 134: The Alegraluz Tantra Center

Once again I find myself immersed in an unexpected situation. Carnival in Cadiz ended and I needed to stay around the South of Spain in order to meet up with my dear friend Monica who was coming to visit from the States. I cannot express how excited I am to see her. It's been four and a half months since I've been around someone that has known me for a long time. She is also bringing a package from home which includes my drivers license, medical card, and my debit card which I've been without since my third night abroad. Instead of CouchSurfing, I wanted to try something new.

Welcome to a Spanish paradise.

In the first week of my trip I signed up for HelpX, a website that connects volunteers with places that need them. Until now CouchSurfing had met all of my needs, but since I had a week to burn and the weather is warm, I thought working on a farm would be the perfect hangover cure. Before I left Cádiz I sent out a swarm of requests to interesting places in Andalusia. A few days later a group in Marbella said they could use me. Their description was pretty vague but they said they could use a graphic designer so I was excited to learn more. As I left Cádiz I had no idea what I was in for.

Since I didn't hitch hike, the trip was boring. Thankfully I arrived so late in Marbella that they were all asleep so I spent the night in the bus station. The next morning I was off to San Pedro, a small town near Marbella where these people live. Despite not knowing where to get off the bus, luckily my timing was perfect and soon I pushed their door bell. An incomprehensible young voice crackled through the speaker. "It's Ross!" I said, and I was in!

I jumped in the pool. It was rather cold.

I passed through a heavy wooden door into what appeared to be a vacation resort. Sitting behind a green lawn and clump of banana trees was a large house, swimming pool, grilling area, and two smaller houses. I followed the red tile walkway straight, past the pool, unsure of where to go. A face appeared behind the glass of one of the smaller buildings in front of me. The glass door opened and out flowed a warm greeting sealed with a hug. Her name was Ansa. Amazed that I made it here, she showed me around and soon I met the rest of the crew.

The back door of the big house.

Paradise is inhabited by four people. I was greeted by Ansa, a kind woman from South Africa. The next person I met was Peter, who is from Ireland and organizes the volunteers. He was the one who I corresponded with through email. Then Maria, a vibrant woman who travels the world healing clients and wife to Martin. Martin is the heart of the operation and owner of this business which I was about to discover.

Martin with myself and Anna, a student.

Peter sent me Alegraluz's websites, but exactly what they did didn't sink in until I heard it in person. "Most people think we're a bunch of sex freaks," Martin told me. Talk about unexpected situations; Alegraluz is in the business of Tantra. I was comfortable to begin with, but I was coming from a point of no knowledge. As Martin described more about what they do I became more comfortable. He told me that "Tantra gives you opportunities to reconnect with yourself." While most Tantra schools focus on states of bliss and 'happy endings', Alegraluz strives to help people rediscover themselves in order to live their lives from within. "We have everything we need to live a fulfilled life inside of us," Martin continued. It was immediately apparent that there was much I could learn here.

Ansa, Anna, Peter, and Martin starting their day.

As Martin got up to continue his work, Peter began to show me around the house, describing my duties and the rules. In exchange for free board and meals I needed to work five hours a day. Most importantly I needed to post ads on free classified sites promoting upcoming Alegraluz events. Posting ads is the only religion here. Apparently, all of Alegraluz's income comes as a result of these classifieds. It sounded like drudgery. I hoped to do some hardcore labor like lifting hay bails or something. Sitting behind a computer posting ads all day was not what I was looking for.

 

After CouchSurfing for so long, this was a big change of lifestyle for me. The first two days I spent with the Alegraluz crew were lovely but I felt uncomfortable and upset with posting these ads and spending so much time on the computer. Looking back now I realize that it was because of this preconception that I felt uncomfortable. Thankfully, once I accepted that I had to post these ads, I was able to focus on the positive aspects of my environment.

Ansa enjoying the sun.

The people, the lifestyle, the location, the food, and learning about Tantra has made my life over the past week immensely pleasurable. Every morning just after 7 my alarm goes off. At some point before 7:30 I get out of bed, fall into my pants, and shuffle into the living room where we do breathing and stretching for an hour.

The vibrant colors of the fisherman's boats are beautiful.

By 8:30 I'm eating a breakfast of museli, honey, fresh fruit, raisins, yogurt and cinnamon (it's my own concoction). Sometimes I meditate in the mornings after the breathing and stretching but usually it is enough of a meditation. After breakfast I try to get my ads out of the way within two hours. I've also been taking photos of the crew in order to revitalize their website and improve the ads. I'm happy that my design skills can be of use.

Lunch outside in the sun.

Lunch is the big meal of the day. Everyone here is an amazing cook and we all take turns. Normally there is a salad that compliments a few pots replete with nutritious deliciousness. When the table is set I'm always reminded of the feast scene in Hook.

Anastasia made one of the most delicious meals I've had and didn't eat any.

I usually recover from lunch by taking a walk to the beach. The relaxing sound of the small waves lapping against the rocky sand. Blue sky illuminating the brightly colored fishing boats. A ways down the shore I can see the white buildings of Marbella and across the sea I can see Africa. Paradise.

The beach!

Night has fallen when I finish the rest of my work and then it's yoga time. Peter leads a nightly Yin Yoga session which makes me feel like I'm dying. There's one pose called 'full saddle' where you sit on your feet and you're supposed to lay all the way back. Beginners use pillows to raise their back up off the ground to a comfortable level – I use the sofa. The best part about Yin yoga is also the worst part. The poses are held for around 5 minutes each. After 5 minutes of 'full saddle' I feel like my legs are going to explode.

I went for a jog one morning and found these horses.

The smell of tea and call to meditation signal that it's time for bed. Sometimes a few of us will get together and watch a movie or play cards. I've also been reading two books by Osho. Unfortunately I can't read for long before I pass out. It's nice to have my own room and place to sleep.

Full moon the other night. Amazing over the sea.

Now that I've gotten over my initial mindset of lifting bails of hay, I've become extremely comfortable here. The people of Alegraluz are warm and genuine and through them I'm learning about life and growing spiritually. We've become great friends. In fact, a few days ago Martin did something he never does. He let a volunteer take place in one of his Tantra workshops; but that's a story for Friday.

Adios!