By now, most people (with the exception of many psychotherapists) recognize that the self-esteem movement officially launched by California in 1986 has been at best silly and at worst injurious to society, despite whatever small benefit it may have had to some individuals. The movement was begun by California Assemblyman John Vasconcellos. As The New York Times reported, "Mr. Vasconcellos, a 53-year-old Democrat, is described by an aide as 'the most radical humanist in the Legislature.'"In an interview at the time, Vasconcellos told me he had personally benefited from…
from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/11/30/want_to_raise_a_good_person_stop_nurturing_your_childs_self-esteem_108086.html
Minas, Uruguay
Minas ligt iets meer in het binnenland en wordt normaal niet veel door toeristen bezocht. Ik kwam er wel omdat ik een vriend ging bezoeken. Paolo was een Italiaan, die ik ontmoette in Florianopolis en die mij had uitgenodigd op zijn ranch in Minas. Zo gezegd, zo gedaan, alleen had ik zijn adres niet. Dus een mailtje gestuurd, maar het antwoord kwam veel te laat, omdat hij geen elektriciteit of internet heeft op zijn ranch. Dan maar in een kleine hostal verbleven en op mijn eentje er op uit getrokken.
Ik vertrok voor een dagje hiken naar de bron van Salus (het lokale bronwater). Alleen wou ik niet via de weg gaan, omdat het landschap hier zo mooi is. Dus ging ik door weien en bossen, over riviertjes en een groot aantal hekken, langs de koeien, bergen en dalen met alleen een aangegeven richting en zonder kaart om tot aan mijn doel te komen. Dit was avontuur zoals ik het graag heb. Vergezeld van prachtig wandelweer heb ik meer genoten van de tocht dan van het einddoel. Mijn innerlijk kompas had een lichte afwijking, want ik kwam na 6u stappen niet aan de waterbron, maar aan de naastliggende bierbrouwerij uit. Vandaar was het nog een klein eindje stappen tot aan de echte waterbron.
Ik had gedacht om nog een dagje te blijven voor het Tibetaans klooster of de watervallen in de buurt te bezoeken, maar het eerste was alleen op zondag open en het tweede was niet bereikbaar via openbaar vervoer. Het bezoek aan de ranch zou er hier ook niet van komen, maar ik had al een couch in Colonia waar ik dan wel op een echte ranch zou verblijven. Dus alles bij elkaar geteld, was ik klaar om naar Montevideo te vertrekken.
from: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svenhermans/1/1289861424/tpod.html
So after 2 weeks of basic living in Kerala, we decided we deserved a little bit of luxury and booked into the Le Meridien hotel in Delhi. The hotel sent a car to pick us up from the airport, as soon as we got in the car the driver produced ice cold face towels to cool us down, then gave us soft drinks from the cooler box in his boot. It was a good start !
The hotel didn’t disappoint and they very kindly upgraded us to a suite so it was bliss, I didn’t want to leave! Jed described it as heaven. (he was to subsequently describe other places as hell).
We had been trying to book a train to Agra whilst in Kerala, but the India Railways website always had a problem when we got to the payment page, some people have mentioned that they don’t accept non Indian credit cards, but I don’t know if that’s true or not. The alternative was for the hotel travel desk to arrange it, which cost us a bit more, and by then the train we had wanted to get was booked up. So we were booked onto the Kerala Express in a 3rd class air con carriage.
One of the reasons the trains were so busy was everyone was going home to celebrate the Diwali Festival (we’ve been doing well sampling all the various festivals).
Next morning we left our suitcases and adopted our part time persona of backpackers and headed off in the hotel luxury car to the train station.
We arrived at New Delhi train station to absolute bedlam. After pushing and shoving our way to the platform, we settled down to wait for the train which was due at 13:25, whilst being stared at by most of our fellow passengers (we were the only white people on the platform). 13:25 came and went and finally the announcement came over the tannoy. The train due at platform 4 at 13:25 is 6 hours late (yes that’s not a typo, 6 is correct). Followed by ‘Any inconvenience is deeply regretted’. This empty apology and the ones we subsequently heard then explained the thousands of people sat around waiting for trains.
We then heard an announcement that the next train due at platform 9 stopped at Agra, so off we went to platform 9, stopping on the way to check that it was OK for us to get on this train. The train guard said yes it was OK, so, on we got, found an empty seat, and then proceeded to wait for 1.5hrs before the train actually left the station. Meanwhile the people whose seats we were sitting in, turned up, but very kindly bunched up, so we could stay. Thanks Govie and family!
Just to explain in 3rd class there are 3 tiers of bunk beds and the middle tier folds flat, to allow people to use the bottom bunk as a bench seat. The boys spent the entire journey swinging between the top bunks like monkeys.
Half way through the journey the ticket inspector came along, and informed us our ticket wasn’t valid for this train, so we had to pay again (2100 rupees approx £30).
Originally, we had the romantic notion that we would take the train from Kerala up to Delhi – a 48 hour journey. Following our 4.5 hour journey to Agra, arriving several hours late, we were very glad that the Indian Rail booking system had thwarted our attempts to book it!
from: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/thecannons/1/1291167528/tpod.html
