Pilgrimage, Retirement, Immigration and other Odd Ideas

Paragliding and positive ageing

2012-01-16T13:03:00.001+11:00

Around this time last year I was on holidays in Bright, Victoria, Australia. It was there that I discovered paragliding and was smitten, and keen to learn. My delight faded when told by three instructors that I was too old to learn to fly a paraglider. My experience as an unrestricted private pilot licence holder carried no weight with those instructors - none whatsoever. I was too upset to even consider a tandem flight, at that time. My argument, which was quite heated, stressed that I accept full responsibly for my life and would sign a disclaimer to that effect.

Anyhow, all that's changed, as I'm accepted for a 2-day paragliding course this weekend in Bright. Here is the programme:

Saturday 21 January 2012

Meet at the office for administration and equipment familiarisation
Travel to training site
Learn how to inflate, control and land a paraglider (ground handling)
1.00-pm break for lunch
The afternoon includes short flights from a 30m hill or a tandem flight with an instructor - students fly the paraglider.
Flight debrief and issuing of flight certificate.

Sunday 22 January 2012

We conduct solo flights launching from sites 300 to 500m above ground level.

How likely is it that Al Jazeera is able to report events truthfully and reliably

2012-01-15T16:42:00.001+11:00

Qatar and the US has a Defence Cooperation Agreement. Al Udeid Air Base is a military base west of Doha, Qatar. The base houses foreign coalition personnel and assets and is host to a forward headquarters of US Central Command, headquarters of US Air Forces Central Command, and home to both No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group RAF and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing of the USAF. Sheikh Hamad, Qatar's emir, wants 10,000 US servicemen stationed at Al Udeid.

Al Jazeera is owned by the state of Qatar and appears to appeal as a balanced and reliable news service. Yet, political and military leaders made a huge discovery of the sort that changes the destiny of nations – that they can successfully lie to us. Big lies! They lie constantly – because lies work as well or even better than facts do.

For any propaganda to survive and flourish, the media needs to be controlled. How likely is it that Al Jazeera is able to report events truthfully and reliably - without interference - particularly events that concern Qatar and the US and their coalition partners. I can't imagine that that is possible. I will leave it to the reader to decide if the Al Jazeera is a balanced and reliable news services.

My improved Google Reader

2012-01-15T08:06:00.001+11:00

I will not go anywhere near the mass media for news, information, events and such like, and haven't done so for many years - not since the advent of the RSS reader that coincided with my awakening to the systematic propagation of information or ideas by factors together, reflecting the multi-levelled capability of the all powerful arcane, interconnected world of multinational corporations, government departments, think tanks and collectives to exert power over the flow of information.

My RSS reader of choice is Google Reader and I'm currently subscribed to 93 websites, and that's a tad too many. My total switch from the mass media to these many and disparate sites continues to hold my attention to the many forms of abuse and manipulation by the elite. Our leaders made a discovery of the sort that changes the destiny of nations – that they can successfully lie to us. Big lies! They lie constantly – because lies work as well or even better than facts do. Repetition works. Effective propaganda comes from experienced, skilled technicians. Think of this as political infrastructure, factories of disinformation.

Anyway, my preferred browser is Mozilla Firefox 11.0a2 with Greasemonkey userscript: Google reader absolutely customizable 3.10.2011.1130, and Extension: Google redesigned 1.0. This is a fabulous and creative combination.

What Is Left Or Right Wing or Anarchism?

2012-01-14T13:04:00.001+11:00

The terms left wing and right wing are based on the seating arrangements in the French National Assembly, that preceded the Revolution. The basic beliefs of each side are still equivalent to those of the parties seated there.

Left wing refers to "liberal" or "progressive" views (to change things in ways that have not been tried before), based on the belief that people are basically good and the government has a responsibility to care for its citizens to some degree. Taken to its logical conclusion, left wing politics become socialism.

Right wing refers to "conservative" or "regressive" views (wanting things to stay the same or return to how they used to be). It is characterized by a belief in the natural selfish nature of humans and that achievement is equivalent to worth. The government should stay out of people's affairs and not force the more productive citizens to subsidize the less productive. Taken to its logical conclusion, right wing politics becomes fascism.

In Australia the Labor Party is considered "Left Wing" and the Liberal Party "Right Wing." However, there is substantial overlap between the views and policies of these parties. and neither conforms to a classical definition of the two.

Whereas, anarchism is defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority and hierarchical organization in the conduct of human relations.

Use this information wisely my young apprentice.

Linking TV and netbook

2012-01-13T18:10:00.001+11:00

I own a 3-year-old 42LG7 TV and a Kogan Agora PRO netbook of about the same vintage. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate soon after taking delivery The TV is in constant use whereas the netbook had little use. I was going to use the netbook on my travels and outings. But of course that didn't happen.

I happened to be searching for something in the draw, where we keep manuals and such like for all our purchases, and came across a schematic diagram for the TV. I discovered that it's possible to connect a PC to the TV by means of video and audio cables. I purchased these cables and a wireless keyboard and mouse, and within 15-minutes of arriving home this afternoon the TV and netbook were linked and working magnificently. By clicking “Screen resolution” - “Connect to a projector” and by selecting “Projector only” the TV screen is fully filled.

This is my first wireless keyboard and mouse experience. The wireless system includes a transceiver that plugs into a USB port. The keyboard and mouse are powered by 2 AA and 2 AAA batteries. There is no download and no installation involved. In fact it couldn't be simpler. Of course, the actual technology is not at all simple, of that I’m sure. Oh, by the way, this short blog was typed seated on my sofa. Brilliant!

Humans go insane when faced with strangers arriving in their country

2012-01-13T06:04:00.001+11:00

I'm intrigued that ordinary people are so worked-up over others who are different to themselves. Please note, different does not imply better or worse. Different is simply that - different. How then is this negativity towards others possible or manipulated, for that matter, and for what purpose?

Humans go insane when faced with strangers arriving in their country - people different to themselves are viewed as illegal invaders ready to take or is that steal scarce resources from the residents. And, let’s not forget change the nation’s culture with their strange ways of being! The manufactured "crisis" surrounding asylum seekers arriving in rickety boats in Australia is the case in point here.

Humans are simply put not evolved to live in a nation state: their mental capacity reverts to the reptilian cortex of the caveman brain when manipulated by scurrilous political leaders seeking to retain or regain power. How to get food, ritual display, territorial dominance -- these are part of being a resident of a nation state, and we’ve assigned it to the most primitive part of the brain that makes snap fight-or-flight decisions reflected by their willingness to support politicians who promise to deal with these unwanted miscreants arriving on their precious territory.

We may label the condition racism, xenophobia or patriotism, for that matter, an attitude that's easily and commonly inflamed and abused by the rhetoric of political leaders and propagated by the mass media.

Trekking poles

2012-01-12T13:05:00.001+11:00

I always shied away from trekking poles, and I don't know why that was. Although I do recall several situation when they would have been useful. Anyway, my Christmas present was a pair of trekking poles that I received somewhat unenthusiastically. I decided to be grateful and try them and have used them for the past four days on my daily treks and they are terrific, and my opinion has changed. I looked up some sites for tips on the correct settings and such like, and found lots of useful information. I also view these poles as another line of defence against dogs. I'm a trekking pole convert.

Iatrogenesis and other medical horrors

2012-01-12T12:50:00.001+11:00

I was first introduced to the word “iatrogenic” by Ivan Illich who wrote a primer on the subject, Medical Nemesis, which remains valid to this day. The first line of his book reads:

The medical establishment has become a major threat to health.

The word iatrogenesis comes from the Greek word, “iatros” (“physician”); and “genesis” (“origin”) and refers to health problems and death caused by the medical profession. Yet the term is largely unknown and never enters the public debate on health care. An awareness of iatrogenesis would call into question the mantle of divinity that is bestowed upon the medical profession in cahoots with big pharma, believing that we cannot exist without them.

I am not saying that physicians can’t help the sick and the injured. They can, but so can caring non-medical professionals only much better of that I’m convinced. I'm bothered that the public makes an idol out of the medical profession and is not aware of iatrogenesis - the leading cause of death and that's ever expanding: termination of pregnancy, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Let’s not overlook a long and on-going history of dangerous and harmful experimental horrors on humans. History has shown that non-consensual experiments were/are performed on captive people in institutions, those in the underdeveloped world, the poor or foolish of the developed world; particularly people who society regards as "less worthy" - who are largely unable to decline or reject the experiment and few people will ever know about what really happened.

Doctors are regularly called upon to decide who receives medical care, such as kidney dialysis or expensive medication, and who doesn't. This leads to questions of who is unfit for treatment, and who deserves access to society's scarce resources, the kinds of questions that led to eugenics and euthanasia. The systematic mass sterilization of those deemed unfit to procreate is such an example.

Consider the ever faster cycling of medical fads: tonsillectomy, Magnesium Sulphate post-MI, Oestrogen for osteoporosis, frontal lobotomy. Consider also the business model of big pharma that perpetually and creatively invents new medical conditions to match with their drugs. The mass media, of course, is the tool for propagating this information.

Billions of tax-payer dollars are spend annually to educate doctors and fund medical research. Charitable organisations are established to pry even more money from people's wallets supposedly to fund all kinds of medical research to find cures for anything and everything. We are dealing with an insatiable demand for funds. It's out of control. Let's avoid calling it health care – anything but health care which it is not.

Zen and the art of cooking rice

2012-01-10T20:21:00.001+11:00

Once upon a time, I was a guest at Sogenji a Rinzai Zen monastery in Okayama, Japan. My time there was was challenging stating the obvious, but rewarding. It was a long time ago so I’ve forgotten most of my worst experiences there. It was there that I learned the art of cooking rice. The recipes all state to add 1.5 cups of water for every cup of rice. That may or may not be correct as I never tried it. I was instructed to use my index/fore finger (Digitus Secundus Manus) as a dipstick and fill the pan to a level of the first knuckle above the rice. Perfect rice is guaranteed.

An instant of great insight

2012-01-09T15:41:00.001+11:00

I knew from an early age that I was one of the Buddha's sons. This was well before I had even read anything about Buddhism or for that matter set eyes on a teacher. That had to wait some years. My first read was a book by Travers Christmas Humphreys although I can't recall the title. Of course, being a practicing Buddhist requires retreats. In the early 1980s I was fortunate to discover the fledgling Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia, and I became a regular visitor there: meditator and construction worker. The abbot then was Ajahn Jagaro (he later disrobed), and Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera was handed the baton.

I naively expected to be surrounded by enlightened beings only to discover that these men were ordinary in every which way. They had to deal with the full spectrum of emotions as do all mortals. I recall one full-blown enraged argument between two monks that almost reached exchanging blows. But, fortunately both men at that final moment brought their hands together in the gesture of peace and bowed towards each other. I was stunned! How was that possible? Yet, that was an instant of great insight for which I was and remain enormously grateful.

I learned from that incident that we don't create feelings rather feelings happen to us. How a person feels is important as a sensation and as an indicator for the present moment, but is uncontrollable. Feelings don't control our behaviour. We are responsible for what we do no matter how we feel at the time. Blaming our feelings for our behaviour excuses unkind or irresponsible habits. Discarding such excuses, we create more space for healthy living habits.

Humans are not evolved to drive a motorcar

2012-01-08T07:32:00.001+11:00

Humans go insane when driving a motorcar. Humans are simply put not evolved to drive a motorcar: their mental capacity reverts to the reptilian cortex of the caveman brain. How to get food, ritual display, territorial dominance -- these are part of driving a motorcar, and we’ve assigned it to the most primitive part of the brain that makes snap fight-or-flight decisions. Our mental capacities just bottom out when driving a motorcar. In the year 2000 there were some 1.26 million deaths worldwide. Only God knows the huge number injured.

The dominant culture tells us that car ownership is essential. The motorcar is exalted and people are manipulated and eager to buy and own such deadly machines. Political leaders bend over to be sodomised by the auto industry to attract motorcar manufacturing plants to their patch. And, of course, the media responds by propagating the lies. Australia's news broadcasts and their viewing public relish daily fatal motorcar events as highly newsworthy and entertaining - as do finger-wagging police chiefs who admonish the motoring public but only elevate the event as high drama.

Dead pedestrians are typically presented as old confused tossers or inebriated or a combination of both – people who had no right to step (or is that trespass) onto the roadway. Society is told that the fault lies with the dead or injured – seldom if ever with the motorist. Millions are spend on advertising to promote and propagate that lie: a blatantly silly awful message.

I have an interest to promote walking in this car culture that is promised freedom, sex, happiness but instead delivers death, injury and enslavement. There is much to do to encourage people to walk and that requires action for a safe attractive walking infrastructure, a genuine user friendly public transport system, and much much else. My campaign continues!

Ayya Khema: an amazing and wonderful teacher

2012-01-04T12:10:00.001+11:00

I sat at the feet of many Buddhist teachers. But the most amazing and wonderful of these was Ayya Khema with whom I was truly and genuinely in harmony. I first met her on a retreat at Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry and later at Bundanoon (a private centre). Each morning we tended the magnificent garden together, and she was a joy to be with; her tenderness and kindness shone through whatever it was we were doing. I recall her daily loving-kindness meditations that never failed to opened our hearts.

Ayya Khema regularly set aside time in the afternoon to teach me the precise techniques and skilfulness of the path of practice leading to reaching the jhanas. I did, by the way, reach them and consider myself fortunate to have had such an evolved and enlightened teacher and friend. I had not known any other teacher with that level of knowledge. As a matter of fact, I had encountered teachers who actively discouraged such meditation practices. The knowledge of how to attain the jhanas has been transmitted through a lineage of teachers going back to the time of the Buddha himself, and Ayya Khema was one such teacher.

Ayya Khema's teaching are readily available in various print and electronic media. My favourite is her book 'Being Nobody, Going Nowhere' and refer to it regularly. A teaching that is indelibly imprinted on my mind followed from a discussion one evening concerned with 'free-will.' It is the image of the tethered goat that locked it in my memory. The elements the interplay are concerned with: determinism, kamma formations (past and present), the thinking mind, past choices, the environment, and there may be others (as best as I can remember them).

Imagine a tethered goat. The rope is our old Kamma. The goat can move as far as the rope stretches. If he does only good things in his domain, then the rope gets longer and longer; and more possibilities of doing good and evil come about (not verbatim rather as I remember the talk.)

Ayya Khema teaches us that we have free-will to make choices, but we are also conditioned or determined by our past choices and environment. By making more and more good choices, we can open up our opportunities and become less deterministic.

SOME NEW RIGHTS FOR THE 2010s: A NON-DECLARATION OF SOME NON-UNIVERSAL RIGHTS

2012-01-03T10:04:00.001+11:00

There have been many versions of the Ten Commandments, such as Arthur Hugh Clough`s poetic parody The Latest Decalogue (1862). Declarations of (human) rights are also prone to manipulation, distortion and ridicule. The present list is intended as a modest alternative to such grand affirmations as the preamble to the United States` Declaration of Independence (1776) or the United Nations` Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

1.1    A right to cause offence to others [But Preferably Not Too Often (BPNTO)].
1.2    A right to be caused offence (BPNTO).
1.3    Nobody has a right never to be caused offence.

These suggested rights are linked, in that all three have to do with the same thing, with causing and being caused offence, but any logical or moral connection between them is loose, so that you could accept any one of them and reject the other two without necessarily committing a logical error or being open to moral criticism on that score. In considering the merits of these rights, it is interesting to note the view of some utilitarians, that when the possible “felicific” outcomes of possible actions are being compared and evaluated, it is reasonable to disregard any suffering (pain) arising solely from being caused offence. Only 1.1 looks like a full-blown right (whether or not it is accepted as valid). Exercise of 1.2 would require the existence of at least some other persons having a duty or disposition to cause you offence (and not merely a right to do so). 1.3 is a “non-right” or “no right”, a kind of “right” that lawyers and others can find hard to relate to conventional accounts of rights in relation to duties, claims, enforcement arrangements, etc. (Such “rights” cannot be called “negative rights”, since that term is already in regular use with a different meaning.) It is a feature of a social order that values personal freedom that many “rights” of this kind will be acknowledged.

2.1   A right to challenge the beliefs of others (BPNTO).
2.2   A right to have your own beliefs challenged (BPNTO).
2.3   Nobody has a right never to have their beliefs challenged.

“Beliefs” is to be understood here as covering a broad spectrum of opinions and views, including but not limited to matters of fact and questions of right and wrong. As with 1.1-1.3, these suggested rights are linked, in that all three have to do with the same thing, with beliefs being challenged, but any logical or moral connection between them…(as above). Only 2.1 looks like a full-blown right…(as above). Exercise of 2.2 would require the existence of at least some other persons having a duty or disposition to challenge your beliefs (and not merely a right to do so). 2.3 is a “non-right” or “no right”…(as above).

3.1   A right to question the actions of others, even when they claim that they are acting in accordance with their own customs and traditions (BPNTO).
3.2   A right to have your own actions questioned, even when you claim that you are acting in accordance with your own customs and traditions (BPNTO).
3.3   Nobody has a right never to have their actions questioned, even when they claim that they are acting in accordance with their own customs and traditions.

As with 1.1-1.3 and 2.1-2.3…(see above).

4.1   A right not to answer (some) questions.
4.2   Nobody has a right to insist that all their questions be answered.
These suggested rights sidestep the perennial debate about whether and in what circumstances it may be morally permissible to lie in answering a question, in which it has often been assumed or implied that all questions have to be answered. Instead they focus on the distinction between questions that should be answered and questions that do not have to be answered, the latter in one of the many ways that answering can be avoided, ranging from the serious (such as insisting on a court order; pleading an over-riding right, such as to privacy or non-incrimination; affirming that, at your discretion, you will only answer questions from those who can show that they are entitled to have an answer; claiming that the cost, in time and money, of providing an answer would be excessive; refusing to answer; or simply staying silent) to the ingenious (such as giving an evasive response; pretending not to hear the question; changing the subject) and the absurd (such as affecting an inability to communicate in speech, writing or by any other means).

5.1   A right to stereotype others (BPNTO).
5.2   A right to be stereotyped (BPNTO).
5.3   Nobody has a right never to be stereotyped.

As with 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.3…(see above).

6.1   A right to misunderstand others (BPNTO).
6.2   A right to be misunderstood (BPNTO).
6.3   Nobody has a right never to be misunderstood.

As with 1.1-1.3 and 2.1-2.3…(see above).

7.1   A right to ignore others (BPNTO).
7.2   A right to be ignored (BPNTO).
7.3   Nobody has a right never to be ignored.

As with 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.3…(see above).

8.1   A right to make mistakes affecting others (BPNTO).
8.2   A right to be a victim of the mistakes of others (BPNTO).
8.3   Nobody has a right never to be a victim of the mistakes
        of others.

As with 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.3…(see above).

9 A right not to be seriously physically harmed (shot, stabbed, violently assaulted, murdered, etc) without first being told the reason why.
10 A right to have (some) allowance made for your circumstances and your weaknesses by your family and friends and those in authority over you.

11   A right to (sometimes) not do as you would be done by.
12   A right to (sometimes) be angered and/or cast down by misfortune and adversity.
13   A right to (sometimes) not respond to uninvited messages: not answer the telephone, not reply to emails, texts and letters, etc.
14   A right not to be worried about, fussed over or pestered by well-wishers, except in moderation
15   A right not to be always at your best.

These suggested rights are at the opposite pole from absolute rights - rights seen as universally, permanently and unconditionally valid. I do not see them as universal in either of two main senses of the term. The first, that all rational compilers should in principle be able to agree whether a candidate right is valid, is clearly not true of the rights on my list. (On the contrary, it is only my list, reflecting the sincerely held views of myself and some of my contemporaries. I am not, however, advocating a wholly relativist position, since I would hold both that a fairly strong case can be offered in support of all these rights, and that some of them, especially those in the first three blocks, underpin the notion of intellectual freedom without which some institutions, including the modern university as a centre of scholarship and research, cannot thrive.) And secondly, I would hesitate to claim that all the listed rights are possessed by the whole of humanity. Moreover, while I several times refer to those who can possess (or infringe) rights as persons, I use that term loosely, with no implication that only human beings can possess (or infringe) rights. Equally, these rights are plainly neither permanent nor unconditional. They are impermanent in that there is no reason to suppose that, were they to find favour today, they would still appeal to the same extent at all future times, nor that someone like me, setting out to create a new list in, say, 50 years time, would come up with anything closely resembling the present 2011 list. Nor should they be regarded as unconditional: possession of a right cannot in itself provide adequate warrant for its exercise. Take, for example, the case where exercise of a right would involve doing things that, in the particular circumstances, could lead to serious harm to others, whether intentionally or otherwise. It could be argued that the right should not be exercised unless, at the very least, it was possible to justify the possible harm by offering good reasons in its support.

[Reproduction in whole or in part permitted, provided source is acknowledged.]
E: gabrielnewfield@tiscali.co.uk
31 December 2011

It's Christmas morning and we should all be feeling happy

2011-12-25T10:03:00.001+11:00

It's Christmas morning and we should all be feeling happy if with our families and have maxed our credit cards on presents. So we’re told by the dominant cultural media. Is that true? It does not necessarily follow, of that I'm sure. Christmas is not a time of unalloyed bliss. Christmas is in fact a crap time for many, and family violence tends to spike at Christmas.

Writers without fail flounder when trying to philosophise about happiness, either falling back on hackneyed definitions derived from the classics, or fumbling around on the edges of the trite language of self-help manuals. No-one looks so foolish as the person who says they will now tell us all about happiness, as though they know what it is, as though happiness is a quality that can be acquired by buying particular objects, or reading certain books, or attending courses or conferences. The 'happiness' conferences pose the question: “Can we learn to be happy?”

The new science of positive psychology is at the forefront of research into how we can use our own minds to create happier lives. Meanwhile, neuroscience is reporting on the connection between training the mind to be more positive and actual changes in the structure of the brain. Both of these fields hold the tantalising prospect that happiness can be enhanced by mental training.

These conferences are huge events with well-respected speakers from around the globe.To be fair, I don't think I can really judge the value of such a conference without attending. Yet embedded is the promise that if you attend you will learn how to be happy. Can that be? (My experience of conferences is that they are all drudges, even the recent two-day teaching by HH the Dalai Lama could not keep the audience awake.) I don't believe that "happiness" is a legitimate or worthwhile end to be fishing for.

You may have heard a song which says, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It’s a wonderful song but it’s a very difficult thing to do. It’s extremely difficult to stop worrying about something just because you tell yourself to do so. And it’s also difficult to make yourself feel happy through the sheer force of your will. The stronger we desire something, the more we want to succeed, and the greater our anxiety about failure. Our worries and fears are reminders of the strength of our positive desires. Our anxieties are indispensable in spite of the discomfort that accompanies them. To try to do away with them would be foolish.

I very rarely have the feeling in the present of being happy, of loving simply what I am living, Yet, I have experienced moments of real bliss but that's rare. I recall walking the Bellarine Peninsula Rail Trail. I was plugged into my media player and selected Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing and experienced a moment of genuine peace, bliss, freedom contentment - happiness. I recall an early balmy morning when crossing Spain. The sun was rising over my right shoulder, and there was a moment of happiness. Another time when I returned rather late to the albergue in Finisterre, Spain. I observed my pilgrim friends fast asleep and experienced a powerful connection with them - feeling tenderness, love and happiness.

It is clear that we have no hope of controlling our emotions, and thus can hardly be held responsible any more than we can be held responsible for feeling hot or cold. Thus I'm not responsible for how I feel but neither am I responsible for how you feel. I repeat our feelings are outside our control. (An unawareness of other’s feelings is outside the scope of this essay and will have to wait for another day.) We do, however, have complete dominion over our behaviour, and that is a sacred responsibility.

Reaching the O'Keefe Rail Trail by public transport

2011-12-23T11:36:00.001+11:00

The dominant culture suggests that a car is essential. Well it’s not! Victoria is vast yet it has a comprehensive public transport system that reaches most places. It is modern, comfortable and not expensive. I depend on public transport and it’s great to get around!

I love rail trails and long-distance trails and have travelled many all over Victoria, Australia, and the O'Keefe Rail Trail of 19-km is one. The trail follows a flat terrain and passes through box-ironbark and yellow gum woodland. This walk is a splendid day’s outing. The start of the trail is one kilometre from the corner of the McIvor Highway and Taig Road.

Outward from Bendigo railway station
10:05 Bus service: Bendigo to Heathcote (weekdays only)
Bus stop 11
Set down: Corner of the McIvor Highway and Taig Road (trail’s start)

Inward from the Midland Highway (trail’s end)
Bus 8 to Bendigo railway station (3-km), a frequent service

My pilgrimage to Jerusalem

2011-12-22T11:04:00.001+11:00

My pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Israel began in 2008. I began from my home in north London and walked to Trafalgar Square to link with St Martin-in-the-Fields’ annual pilgrimage to Canterbury cathedral and followed the via Francigena to Dover and by ferry to Calais and crossed: France, Switzerland (followed the north shore of Lac Leman) to arrive at the Great Saint Bernard pass and crossed into Italy and continued through Aosta to Rome to finish at the Basilica of St Peter.

My journey continued in 2011 when I returned to Rome, Italy and reached Bari, Italy by the ancient Roman road, the via Appia. I was unable to continue and returned home.

I feel tremendous relief having decided to complete my pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the new year. I feel excited and happy about the coming year. You have no idea how good it feels having made the decision and commitment. (My original plan was to walk from Perth to Melbourne, Australia but that will have to wait until 2013.) My aim was to reduce the overall distance (I turn 69 in the new year) and introduce a fun element to this ambitious life affirming project.

I have an interest in the Greco-Turkish wars and those events that led to the destruction of Smyrna (now Izmir) by Turks. Smyrna had flourished under Ottoman rule and the decentralised Ottoman system of government allowed it to function freely through the First War. It was the Megali idea of Greece's Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos supported and encouraged by Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Britain to smash the Turkish state. None of this excuses the atrocities perpetrated in September 1922, and the ethnic cleansing of Greeks in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish war, is a stain that persist to this day.

I'm delighted with my proposed route: Durres, Albania following the ancient Roman road the via Egnatia via Macedonia, Greece to reach Tekirdag, Turkey to bypass Istanbul. From Tekirdag cross the Sea of Marmara by ferry to Bandirma. My route follows the coast and island hops: Samos, Patmos, Kos, Rhodes, Cyprus. From the Republic of Cyprus it's either by sea or air to Israel and that will determine my route in Israel (either from Haifa or Tel Aviv) to reach Jerusalem, my destination.

The Hitch is dead. Long live the ... what?

2011-12-19T12:12:00.001+11:00

I read that Christopher Hitchens belonged to a circle of writers – Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, Julian Barnes, Salman Rushdie - who were fiercely protective of him. I never read any works by Christopher Hitchens, Martin Amis, Salman Rushdie. These wankers are simply too smug, too pretentious, too precious for my liking.

Let's not ever forget that Hitchens supported the invasion of Iraq by betraying his principles, so it is claimed. I have no idea what these principles were. All I know is that anyone who supported the invasion must be warped, twisted, grotesque. Out of his mind, in fact! There is no other possible explanation.

It is time that ‘Respondeat superior’ is applied to those responsible for the invasion of Iraq and the casualties of that conflict. Of course, supporters and propagandists are equally responsibly.

Yet this was a man with a ferocious intellect, contempt for cant, a disdain for religion, a huge memory, and a capacity to entertain and enthral the intelligentsia with his writings - books, articles, interviews on TV. These outpourings are questionable in the light of his conventional approach to his illness. He turned to the mechanistic medical model. How could a man of such stature do that? I don't know what killed him: cancer, medical intervention, and that's beside the point.

Hitchens was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus. It was another Iraq! He betrayed his principles again when he realised that he too pisses, shits, fucks, and does not want to die any more than us mere dumb-arse mortals. He conventionally and cowardly handed over his living body to an oncologist to experiment with as he so willed aided by the deadly products of big pharma. Yet, ultimately for all his knowledge, intelligence he reacted like the most poorly informed among us do. He did not shine. He did not live his life in an exemplary manner rather it was lived in some insignificant crass intellectual bubble. I doubt that Hitchens leaves a worthwhile legacy such as A. C. Grayling's The Good Book: A Humanist Bible.

Get out of my way you fuck’n bastard!

2011-12-17T07:59:00.001+11:00

I’m angry and want to scream. Yesterday I had another near miss and came close adding yet another fatal pedestrian statistic. I’m annoyed by this stupid idiotic car culture that is promised freedom, sex, happiness by the dominant corporate world but delivers little if anything.

I'm viewed by Australian motorists as fair game along with kangaroos (corpses are strewn everywhere) that dare enter their asphalt domain. In 2008 there were 193 fatal pedestrian automobile 'accidents' - an oxymoron if ever there was one. A typical motorist would never adjust their speed when faced with a pedestrian (such as I) crossing or walking along an awkward verge of a rural unsealed road or anywhere else for that matter. This is unheard of and scoffed at and simply not understood. "Get out of my way you fuck’n bastard!” is a typical outcry. These people are bewildered and perplexed that anyone would dare invade and transgress their space. That is not recommended in Australia if you want to live! Australians are the most brutal and stupid motorists I have ever encountered, and the planet's most underdeveloped.

Including the dead pedestrians a total of 1,464 people died on Australia's roads that year. Australia's news broadcasts and the public relish these daily fatal automobile events as highly newsworthy and entertaining - as do finger-wagging police chiefs who admonish the motoring public but only elevate the event as high drama.

Motorists ensconced in their air conditioned reclined space have lost the skill to communicate with the outside world. They don't understand the need to communicate with a low-life pedestrian such as I once inside their cocoon that advertisers have promised much. As a pedestrian I would like to be assured that the motorist is aware of my intention and signals accordingly. Australians do not understand the need for this nor for that matter that headlights can be used for that purpose. How is that possible given that thousands of Australians each year travel the world? Conformity, I suspect, is a possible answer but there are others. That leads to a review of social identity and stereotype theory but that will have to wait for another time. In the meantime take care on Australia's highways and byways.

Survival: Our immune system; physiology and making the difference between life and death

2011-12-04T14:36:00.001+11:00

Our immune system is a silent wonder. While we are aware of our heart beating and the breaths we take, we are less aware of our immune system that protects us from thousands of potentially deadly attacks every day.

1. The first line of defence in our bodies are physical and chemical barriers - our skin, stomach acids, mucous, tears, vaginal opening, of which the last three mostly produce lysozyme to destroy harmful incoming pathogens.

2. In our bodies the second line of defence is non-specific immune responses - macrophages, neutrophils, interferons, and complement proteins. This line of defence also includes fever and inflammatory response as nonspecific defences.

3. Our third line of defence is specific immune responses - T Cells and B Cells. There are many types of each which work like a close knit team to destroy pathogens.

If pathogens try and succeed in penetrating the first line of defence, then the second line of defence is ready to act. If both the first and second line of defence fail, then the third line of defence will act. It is when all three lines of defence are breached that we get sick and are subject to disease.

Our immune system is a set of mechanisms of defence, protecting us from infection by identifying and attacking pathogens. This is a difficult task, since pathogens range from viruses to parasitic worms and must be detected with absolute specificity as they are "hidden" amongst normal cells and tissues. Pathogens are also constantly changing themselves to avoid detection and successfully infect and destroy their hosts.

4. When it comes to injury, our bodies are built in a way that gives us maximum mobility while protecting vital structures. The ribs provide a bony yet flexible shelter for the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys. A wall of muscle tissue and a curtain of fat tissue protect our intestines. Our skull protects our brain.

5. Our muscular tissues are built for protecting ourselves from attackers, or running from them at high speed, if necessary.

6. Maintain the strongest possible immune system possible by:

A nutritious diet that’s right for your particular blood type. Four blood types; four individual diet plans:

Blood type O thrives on a lean, high protein diet.
Blood type A thrives on a primarily vegetarian diet.
Blood type B thrives on a mixed diet of meat, fish and dairy.
Blood type AB thrives on a modified vegetarian diet.

And, further supplementing our diets with a balanced multivitamin is essential.

A regular exercise programme (e.g., a regular brisk walk can bolster many defences of the immune system, including the antibody response and the natural killer (T cell) response).
Reducing stress through achieving higher levels of spiritual harmony by techniques such as meditation and yoga.

We must all attend to all three areas to achieve our optimum health.

Some people eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly, but are so keyed up in their lives that their stress levels overcome all of the success they achieve in the first two areas. Other people might have successfully modified their mental and spiritual state but are eating unhealthy diets or are sedentary. Others might make significant advances in all three areas, but are doing foolish and harmful things to their bodies, such as smoking or using excessive alcohol, which take away from their achievements.

We can take advantage of our body's inner ability to heal by eating well, exercising regularly, and striving for spiritual well-being. Eliminate negative factors such as drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other insults to the our bodies.

7. Survival is the struggle to remain alive and living. What you do could make a difference between life and death. Remember, you are responsible for your life and you can affect your own destiny. Be confident to cope with the situational stress.

Be aware and pay attention to your environment so you know what to do in a crisis situation
Assess risk, take control and prepare for action
Ignore peer pressure
React immediately
Time is of the essence
Do the thing right the first time

Only you can put it all together and it cannot be achieved overnight. There is no better time to start than now.

Characteristics of today's pilgrims

2011-11-29T15:46:00.001+11:00

Pilgrimages are walking Zen; step by step the practitioner makes his or her way through blue sky temples and white cloud monasteries. Conducted in the traditional manner - on foot, in old-fashioned garb, carrying no money, accepting whatever comes - pilgrimages are among the most demanding, and therefore most rewarding, of all religious disciplines. (Martin Roth & John Steven, p. 108, 1985)

A pilgrim is naked exposed vulnerable isolated. He or she is a person with courage and determination. When the going gets tough the tough pilgrim gets going. What are the characteristics of today's pilgrims?

My social work career in London

2011-11-28T05:48:00.001+11:00

I rounded off my social work career in an Intermediate Care Team in north London. Thus, my career had come full circle as a front-line social worker. One day, soon after I joined the team, a colleague (a gorgeous black woman) approached me and said, "I was told that you're a vegetarian and don't eat meat. Is that so?” I replied, "Well, actually that's only partially correct. I don't eat dead flesh but living breathing panting flesh I do, of course." She roared with sweet laughter and my response spread like wild-fire within and without our office.

I loved my colleagues: their brazenness, their vulgar but honest language, their intelligence and wisdom, their uninhibited criticism of management and managers, their dedication and commitment to their professions and clients, their totally raucous out of control behaviour, their unconventionality. I recall days of total dysfunctionality and fun.

My twitchy mouse and myopia

2011-11-27T17:22:00.001+11:00

Three years ago, my son's partner returned to study and when an assignment was due her PC literally exploded in a cloud of sparks and acrid smoke and she rushed out and purchased a new one. Just like that! She arrived on my doorstep with the PC and explained what had happed and offered it to me. I gladly took over the malfunctioning computer running Windows XP Home Edition. I opened the case and cleaned the accumulated dust and checked the various connections and replaced the power supply. I closed the case and hooked up the myriad of cables and soon the PC was up and running. Next, I reformatted the hard drive and installed Windows 7 Ultimate and a host of essential favourite programmes.

Fast forward three years. My mouse began to behave erratically: a single click was mysteriously transformed to a double click and that was an irritating problem above all else. My focus was on mouse drivers which I updated, and such like, but which did not rectify the problem. Not at all. I searched the web for a solution. No matter how I approached it the problem remained. After several weeks, I shifted my focus from software to hardware, and a new Microsoft USB Basic Optical Mouse v2.0 (IntelliPoint) did the trick. There's a lesson in there somewhere!

El Camino de Santiago de Compostela

2011-11-22T14:08:00.001+11:00

Pilgrimages are walking zen; step by step the practitioner makes his or her way through blue sky temples and white cloud monasteries. Conducted in the traditional manner – on foot, in old-fashioned garb, carrying no money, accepting whatever comes – pilgrimages are among the most demanding, and therefore most rewarding, of all religious disciplines. (Martin Roth & John Steven, p. 108, 1985)

Question
Who is planning to undertake the pilgrimage El Camino de Santiago de Compostela or some other destination(s)?
My pilgrim curriculum vitae
I have always enjoyed walking – especially repetitive long-distance walking. I became interested in the Camino de Santiago de Compostela some 14 years ago. I read some articles on the Camino, there was a documentary on television that excited me, and I met two pilgrims who had recently returned from Santiago de Compostela, Spain who spoke about their experiences. My wife and I became members of the Confraternity of St James and attended an open day and listened and learned from knowledgeable speakers and mingled with experienced and budding pilgrims. We decided to become pilgrims and pored over maps of France and Spain and chose Le Puy-en-Velay, France as our starting point. We negotiated extended leave, purchased our equipment: rucksacks, sleeping bags, guidebooks, and made our way to Le Puy-en-Velay. We attended Holy Mass in the cathedral, and the kindly bishop sent us on our way with his blessing and gifts. That was a memorable moment.
I have a stirring that leads me to want to walk in the footsteps of earlier pilgrims and directly experience holy places. No matter how weak and far from the Christian religion I may feel before going on pilgrimage – during the time on the road I’m changing and experience lightness and freedom despite the hardships and on-going uncertainties (the availability of nice nutritious vegetarian food is high on my list of on-going uncertainties), and the monotonous routine of repetitive long-distance walking and daily chores. I explore new horizons. I’m in contact with God.
2000, The cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay, France to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela to finish at the Faro de Finisterre. The route GR65 (Grande Randonee) passed through Conques, Figeac, Cahors and Moissac before reaching St Jean-Pied-de-Port in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and in Spain through Roncesvalles, Pamplona, Puente la Reina, Estella, Logrono, Burgos, Leon, Astorga, Ponferrada and Sarria before it reached the City of the Apostle James.
2002, Winchester cathedral, Hampshire, England to Le Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France. The route passed through Portsmouth and by ferry to Cherbourg, Barfleur, the Normandy coast, to Saint-Mere-Egise, and Genets on the north shore of the bay that was crossed with a guide to the iconic Le Mont Saint-Michel.
Notes
In the Middle Ages Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England.
1066 – A large medallion fixed to a rock in the harbour marks the Norman departure from Barfleur before the Battle of Hastings.
1120 – The White Ship, carrying Prince William, only legitimate son of Henry I of England, went down outside the harbour.
1194 – Richard I of England departed from Barfleur on return to England following his captivity by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor.
6 June 1944 – Normandy Landings
2005, Saint Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose Abbey to Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off the coast of Northumberland.
2007, Camino Portugues from the cathedral of Porto, Portugal to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
2008, Le via Francigena to Rome, Italy. I began from my home in north London and walked to Trafalgar Square to link with St Martin-in-the-Fields’annual pilgrimage to Canterbury cathedral and continued to Dover and by ferry to Calais and crossed: France, Switzerland (followed the north shore of Lac Leman) to arrive at the Great Saint Bernard pass and crossed into Italy and continued through Aosta to Rome to finish at the Basilica of St Peter.
2010, Cami de Llevant runs from the cathedral of Valencia via Albacete, Toledo, Avila, Toro, Zamora, Ourense to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela to finish at the Faro de Finisterre, once again.
2011, I returned to Rome, Italy and reached Bari, Italy.
I’m actively planning my pilgrimage from Durres, Albania to reach Jerusalem, Israel in 2012.

A map of European routes arriving at Santiago de Compostela.
The mystery of El Camino de Santiago de Compostela
A history of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (City of the Apostle) could ask how the Galician cult of St James morphed into an international one attracting thousands of pilgrims from distant parts of the world. The answer may be lie in the approach taken by church, political, and commercial Galician authorities, as in earlier times. These authorities recognise the value of pilgrims to the economy of that autonomous community.

The answer may be also found in modern day pilgrim behaviour. For example, what is the passion that drives pilgrims to Santiago? Many return time and time again despite the hardships, deprivations, illnesses, costs that many can ill afford, and often increase the distances of their journeys. On their arrival at the cathedral, pilgrims embrace the statue of St James, and lavish him with hugs, kisses, caresses. Under the main altar of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, inside a silver urn, is the Tomb of St James. It is allegedly where his mortal remains, together with those of his disciples St Athanasius and St Theodore, rest in peace, and where modern day people sit and pray.
The route known as the Camino de Santiago is not a single route. There are any number of routes to reach Santiago de Compostela. Today thousands of pilgrims each year set out from their homes, or from popular starting points across Europe. The most popular route is the Camino Frances on which most pilgrims start from either Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees or from Roncesvalles on the Spanish side. Much of the route described in a 900-year old guidebook is still in use today. It is a route that writer James A. Michener calls "the finest journey in Spain, and one of two or three in the world." He did it three times and mentions passing "through landscapes of exquisite beauty."
The decline in church attendance coincides with a marked increase in pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. Over a period of 25 years pilgrims numbers have increased from 690 in 1985 to 200,000 in 2010 (estimate). Modern-day pilgrims walk for days, weeks or months to reach the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. A few travel on horseback; and many by bicycle. In addition to people on a religious pilgrimage there are those who walk for non-religious reasons such as for enjoyment, travel, sport or the challenge of walking in a foreign land. The Camino brings back the critical elements we have lost as we have moved further and further away from more primitive conditions and are as follows: engaging activity (reducing excessive mental rumination); physical exercise; sunlight exposure (Vitamin D supplementation); social support (avoiding isolation); proper sleep.
The modern Camino fundamentally remains the same as it was for medieval pilgrims. It is a repetitive long distance walk, and at the end of the day, to maintain a healthy body and mind, pilgrims require a comfortable bed, a shower, a toilet, nice nutritious food and thirst quenching drinks, facilities to wash their clothes. The infrastructure is growing and are operated by religious orders, but more commonly by municipalities or associations while others are private businesses. Typical are albergues with bunk beds in dormitories and communal shower and toilet facilities. Of course, pilgrims have access to other types of accommodation.
The pilgrim carries a credential which is stamped daily and serves as proof that the route has indeed been walked or cycled. When registering at an albergue, their credential verifies that they are genuine pilgrims. In addition, upon reaching Santiago de Compostela, at the Oficina de Acogida de Peregrinos, pilgrims present the credential to confirm having walked the prescribed distance as walkers or cyclists (the last, westernmost 100-km for walkers or 200-km for cyclists), whereupon they are issued a certificate that certifies their pilgrimage.
What is it that binds pilgrims together on the Camino de Santiago? The Camino de Santiago is a community of spirit among pilgrims, a peace brought by the simplicity of that life, and a common goal, that binds us together. The Camino, with its winding roads and footpaths, offers respite from the business of modern existence. It provides an opportunity to reappraise our direction, and helps us shift to a more evolved state.
The Camino allows time away from the familiar and habitual so that new insights can be revealed. A wider perspective opens up, where we begin to realise who we are and what we came here to do. Each day is lived in the simplicity of the Way where we travel at a more natural pace. This allows time to witness the rising sun, the landscape that surrounds us with its array of fauna and flora. We proceed towards the welcome that awaits us at the day’s end where the hospitalero (a term from which we get the word hospitality) of the next albergue greets us.
Mindful walking is a form of meditation that reminds us of the divinity within ourselves and all life. The passing landscape of Spain reminds us of that spirituality that connects us, irrespective of our differing religions and philosophies. We find ourselves in the company of like-minded community of nomadic people. The Camino de Santiago transcends our differences to unite us in an eclectic bond of openness and shared values.
Many pilgrims’ stories contain a hint of let-down or anticlimactic feelings at the end of the journey. It’s hard to return home without being a changed person. You return to your regular life, and struggle to re-integrate into your previous daily routine. Some manage to after a short while, whilst others make radical and drastic life changes. The Camino de Santiago de Compostela redefines ourselves by pushing our limits, challenging our beliefs, and learning about ourselves.
History
The account of St James in Galicia reads like a fable. Soon after Jesus’ crucifixion, St James sailed to Galicia and commenced his ministry amongst the people of the Celtic and Iberian Peninsula tribes. (Of course, there is no evidence to support any of this.) He later returned to the Holy Land, and was captured and beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in 44AD. After his martyrdom, St James’ body was taken to the coast and placed in a glass boat which guided by angels carried by the wind beyond the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar) to land near Finisterre, at Padron, in north-western Spain. The local Queen, Lupa, provided a team of oxen to draw the body from Padron to the site of a marble tomb that she provided. According to legend, St James was buried there with two of his disciples. And there they lay, forgotten until the 9th century.
Early that century, Pelagius, a hermit lived in that part of Galicia, and had a vision in which he saw a star or a field of stars that led him to an ancient tomb that contained three bodies. He reported this to the local bishop, Theodomir, who declared the remains to be those of St James and his two followers, and in turn reported the find to the King of Asturias, Alphonso II, who forthwith declared St James to be the patron saint of Spain, or of what would eventually be Spain.
A village named Campus de Ia Stella (Field of Stars) and a monastery were established on the site. (Or possibly the Roman word for cemetery, "componere": to bury, is the source.) In any event, news of the discovery spread and a trickle of pilgrims began to arrive. Miracles were attributed to the site, and the miracles encouraged pilgrimage and pilgrimage elicited more miracles. Archbishop Gelmirez of Galicia and the cathedral authorities actively promoted Santiago as a pilgrimage destination, as did the monks of the Abbey of Cluny in France who supported the Spanish Church in its struggle against the Moors on the Peninsula.
There is some historical support for aspects of the story and, on the other hand, there are complications and contradictions. The 1884 Bull of Pope Leo XIII Omnipotens Deus accepted the authenticity of the relics at Compostela, whereas the Vatican remains uncommitted, while continuing to promote the more general benefits of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It is impossible to know whose bones were actually found, and precisely when and how. (But the same can be said about other relics, and perhaps it does not matter.)
The earliest records of visits to the shrine of St James date from the 8th century. This became the most renowned medieval pilgrimage; and the custom of those who carried back with them from Galicia scallop shells as proof of their journey gradually extended to other forms of pilgrimage; for example, the palm of Jericho symbol was the most well recognised pilgrim badge travellers brought back from their journey to Jerusalem. Across France and Spain the pilgrimage routes led from shrine to shrine, just as a caravan route leads from oasis to oasis.
Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela reached its peak during the Middle Ages and constituted a major cultural aspect of that period of history in Europe. By the 12th and 13th centuries, half a million pilgrims made their way to and across northern Spain and back each year. It is likely that many were directed to undertake these journeys as a form of penance by their priests, acting as God’s intermediary.
Thus began the millennium-long relationship between the holy, political, and commercial. An infrastructure developed to support pilgrims and, not coincidentally, to gain profit from them. Roads and bridges were built to draw pilgrims to certain cities and they prospered. Pilgrim hospitals and hospices were chartered by religious orders, and kings and queens. All manner of businesses were established to support pilgrims. The Knights Templar patrolled the Camino, providing protection, places of hospitality, healing and worship, as well as a banking system that became one source of their fabled wealth. Cultures mixed, languages merged and history was affected by these developments.
After its peak, the phenomenon of pilgrimage to Santiago tapered off, and politics, disease, religious, and technological advances were among the likely causes for the decline in pilgrim numbers.
Comfort
Every now and then, I will speak of my pilgrimage experiences. And, some are impressed and spellbound, and others will quickly and predictably state that such journeys are beyond them and that they need their "comfort". A little probing will reveal that a major concern is with bed hygiene. They focus on dormitory accommodation and that beds are occupied 365 days per year by a different person: young or old, male or female, unwell or well, white or black or some other shade, and that causes repulsive shudders to reverberate. However, when I stop to ask how that is different for hotel accommodation. Some are visibly shocked when they realise that the realm of starched sheets and fluffy towels hides the reality of bed occupation by total strangers from all walks of life and with all kinds of potential infectious risks. Both situations are liable to health risks. This was minimised on the camino by the issuing of packaged bedding: single use sheets and pillowcase that are binned and properly disposed off on departure. And that’s an excellent remedy.
Equipment
I’m repeatedly asked for equipment advise by pilgrims. My advise is simple: think ultra-light-weight and pack only what you will definitely need en route. It is important to be open to technological advances in shoes, tents, rucksacks, mattresses, sleeping bags, and the list goes on. Give some thought to your actual capacity need of the rucksack. There is no point buying one that’s too small or too large or too heavy. Think ultra-light-weight. Compare. Discuss. Search online.
For example, the sturdy leather boot has had its day and is readily replaced with trail running shoes. (I know, I know that view is not universally accepted, and ankle support is immediately raised as essential, and that’s a myth!) My point is this, your shoes will significantly determine your well-being (or otherwise) en route. You will engage in long-distance repetitive walking and for that it’s essential to wear the best fitting, ultra-light-weight and most appropriate footwear to engender a feeling of deep comfort. Your shoes must ideally feel like your favourite slippers. I want to emphasise that our feet are unique to each of us and change size and shape during the course of our lives and have special needs for long-distance repetitive walking.
Your budget should be sufficient to cover the cost of: 1) ultra-light-weight trail running shoes or similar; 2) podiatrist’s fees to assess and possibly treat your feet; 3) orthotic inserts if indicated; 4) suitable socks; and 5) lotions to maintain your feet fresh and healthy.
The enjoyment of comfortable and trouble-free long-distance repetitive walking is priceless. If you rip off your shoes at every available opportunity and seek remedies en route you had not given due care to selecting and preparing your feet and footwear – so select your shoes with extreme care. This advise applies equally to all your pilgrimage equipment needs. Travel well!

How do I prevent blisters and take care of my feet?
Is my Backpack too small?
How to train for the Camino de Santiago?
How much money should I need for the entire pilgrimage?
Are socks important when walking the Camino de Santiago?
What should I bring with me?
When is “The Way” available on DVD?
How difficult is it to get a cheap bed in july and August?
How much does the Camino de Santiago cost?
Is it safe for a woman to walk alone?
I have 3 weeks to walk, where do I start?
I have 11 days to walk, what stages do you recommend?
Can you suggest a packing list?
What is the most effective way to wash clothes?
Poncho or Raincoat for the Camino de Santiago?
Backpack Recommendations
What is the most scenic Camino?
What was your most expensive “unscheduled” cost on your Camino?
Will my debit cards, Visa electron and Maestro work in Spain?
Should I bring my DSLR camera on the Camino de Santiago?
Roncesvalles: albergue or youth hostel?
What is the weather like in july?
How to get from the USA to Saint Jean Pied de Port?
Footwear on the Camino
Blisters?
How do I travel from Madrid airport to St. Jean Pied de Port?
How to get from Paris to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port?
Sleeping Bag or just Silk Liner?
Is Via de la Plata really not walkable in July?
Nervous about walking the Camino de Santiago?
How many stamps do I need per day in my pilgrims passport?
Can I walk the camino with a dog?
6 questions from a Budget Traveler?
How do I call home from the Camino de Santiago?
Socks?
How do I wash my clothes?
What kind of footwear is best for the Camino de Santiago?
What NOT to bring with you on the Camino de Santiago
Vegetarian food on the camino?
Hiking Shoes, or Hiking Boots?
ONE thing I wish I had taken, ONE thing I wish I had NOT…
Where can I get bike boxes in Santiago de Compostela?
What is the one Albergue not to miss?
Telephone calls from Spain to Home?
Did you get medical care on your Camino?

Questions and discussion
© 2011 Alfred L. C. van Amelsvoort Ph.D

Equipment advise for pilgrims

2011-11-21T16:49:00.001+11:00

I'm repeatedly asked for equipment advise by pilgrims. My advise is simple: think ultra-light-weight and pack only what you will definitely need en route. It is important to be open to technological advances in shoes, tents, rucksacks, mattresses, sleeping bags, and the list goes on. Give some thought to your actual capacity need of the rucksack. There is no point buying one that's too small or too large or too heavy. Think ultra-light-weight. Compare. Discuss. Search online.

For example, the sturdy leather boot has had its day and is readily replaced with trail running shoes. (I know, I know that view is not universally accepted, and ankle support is immediately raised as essential, and that's a myth!) My point is this, your shoes will significantly determine your well-being (or otherwise) en route. You will engage in long-distance repetitive walking and for that it's essential to wear the best fitting, ultra-light-weight and most appropriate footwear to engender a feeling of deep comfort. Your shoes must ideally feel like your favourite slippers. I want to emphasise that our feet are unique to each of us and change size and shape during the course of our lives and have special needs for long-distance repetitive walking.

Your budget should be sufficient to cover the cost of: 1) ultra-light-weight trail running shoes or similar; 2) podiatrist's fees to assess and possibly treat your feet; 3) orthotic inserts if indicated; 4) suitable socks; and 5) lotions to maintain your feet fresh and healthy.

The enjoyment of comfortable and trouble-free long-distance repetitive walking is priceless. If you rip off your shoes at every available opportunity and seek remedies en route you had not given due care to selecting and preparing your feet and footwear - so select your shoes with extreme care. This advise applies equally to all your pilgrimage equipment needs. Travel well!

Gisborne Bushwalking Club: The Three Lost Children Walk (modified)

2011-11-18T06:59:00.001+11:00

Date: Wednesday 8 February 2012

Distance: ~15.0-km
Terrain: undulating with testing ups and downs
Duration: ~6 hours (including breaks)

The route passes through Hepburn Regional Park and Wombat State Forest. We leave the Three Lost Children Walk to continue north on Jubilee Lake Road and stop for rest and refreshments at the Jubilee Lake café. We continue to the town centre by the Great Dividing Trail and roads.

Map

Our schedule
09:05 Bus from Woodend to Daylesford or independent arrangement
10:00 Meet at Koukla, 82 Vincent Street, Daylesford Victoria 3460
10:15 Start walk from Koukla
17:10 Bus from Daylesford to Woodend or independent arrangement