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Check out my version and then take a look at the original music video (Michael was one of the pioneers of early music video) from 1981.

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Want to stay updated on the latest music and info? “Like” my facebook page, subscribe to the Twitter feed or join my mailing list.

After our time at Sikhism’s most revered temple, it was time to head to the land of Buddhists. It’s been many years since I enjoyed my first cup of Darjeeling tea, so I was extremely curious as we made our way up into the mountains to find out exactly what this Himalayan mountain town (and source of the famous tea from which it gets its name) had to offer. Darjeeling is nestled away in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, and before we even reached the town, the drive proved to be an amazing experience. In the space of five minutes we’d driven past more gorgeous waterfalls than I’d previously seen in my entire life:

Of course, as we wound our way up the mountains and through the clouds, I couldn’t wait to stop at a roadside cafe and sample my first cup of locally grown tea:

Once we made it up the mountain, Darjeeling itself did not disappoint. The people and culture here are decidedly different from everywhere else we’ve been in India – the cultures of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan are all prevalent here, and I felt more like we were in Nepal or Tibet than in India. Even the people, known locally as Ghorkas, are from a clearly different genetic stock.

Though I’ve never been to Switzerland, the town itself reminded me of an Asian version of some of the little Swiss mountain towns I’ve seen in photographs and movies.

We stayed at the Mayfair resort in Darjeeling, a complex of converted colonial buildings overlooking the town itself:

Of course, we had to visit the tea plantations as well:

Next, we headed off to the largest city in the state of Sikkim: Gangtok, yet another place with a decidedly Tibetan / Nepalese feel.

Having practiced Tibetan Buddhism in my younger days, I was especially excited to get a chance to visit the Rumtek Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in the 16th century:

The monastery itself was absolutely gorgeous, as was the view:

And we even saw some young monks trying their hand at basketball!

Before I could say good-bye to Sikkhim, I had to do one more thing: sample the local alcoholic beverage of choice, Tumba (or Chang) a local brew made with fermented millet. They put the fermented millet in a bamboo cylinder, top it off with boiling water and then give you a bamboo straw to drink it with:

It was pretty tasty – sort of like a mild ale – and I enjoyed it enough that I didn’t even mind all the little bugs I saw crawling around on the millet as they prepared it!

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Check out some more photos from Darjeeling and Gangtok:

Darjeeling
By Luke Hill  |  View on Facebook

Gangtok
By Luke Hill  |  View on Facebook

Next it’s off to Calcutta (Kolkata) for a taste of Indian big city life at its finest!

Punjab, a state in northwestern India, has a distinctly different feel from the other Indian states I’ve been in so far. It hosts a large Sikh population (one sees the bearded, turban-clan Sikhs absolutely everywhere), and also plays host to Sikhism’s holiest temple: The Golden Temple. Punjab is an interesting place to visit, especially for a westerner, as its the home of many of the things that the western world has come to associate with India. Specifically their food (the butter chicken here – a local dish – is the best I’ve ever had) and their music. Most likely anyone who’s ever listened to Bollywood music or seen the films, has heard reference time and time again to the Punjabis. In fact, most of the cuisine that westerners typically think of as Indian, has its origins in the Punjab state. There’s a good reason for this; there are more Indian expats living around the world from Punjab than from any other state.

We began our journey at Rangla Punjab Haveli, a theme park dedicated to showcasing some of the landmarks of Punjabi history and culture. It hosted a myriad of exhibits showcasing Punjab rural life, like this bull-powered water-fetcher:

We were also treated to a number of performances, including an Indian street magician and a fantastic Bhangra (a traditional Punjabi dance performance).

After enjoying their food and hospitality, we headed off to Chandigarh, an Indian city like no other. It was designed in the 1950′s by Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier, and boasts a well-thought out, modern design featuring wide roads and easy to navigate city sectors that set it apart from any of it’s Indian counterparts. The city is often referred to as having a decidedly western feel. The traffic is (relatively speaking) virtually non-existent and the roads are wide, well-paved and uncrowded, offering a welcome respite from the insanity that seems to typically characterize Indian city driving.

From there, we made our way to Amritsar, home of the famed Sikh Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), originally built in 1574:

The temple is also the largest ‘free eatery’ in the world, offering free meals to anyone who comes to the temple 24 hours a day; a practice they’ve maintained since the sixteenth century. The dining area alone plays host to 700 diners at a time:

The sheer number of volunteers working to bring the food out is staggering. When you reach the temple you hear a rhythmic sound that sounds like some sort of machinery – it’s actually the sound of 100 volunteers constantly washing the estimated 40,000 bowls, plates and silverware. The sheer scope of the operation, and the fact that it was completely staffed by volunteers was truly humbling.

Next it’s up into the Himalayan foothills to Buddhist country, where I’ll be visiting Darjeeling and Gangtok, Sikkim. For now, a few pictures from my recent travels:

Punjab
By Luke Hill  |  View on Facebook

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As well as being a lifeline for millions of Indians, the Ganges river is the most sacred river for Hindus, and they flock to the river from all over to bathe in its sacred waters. It’s also the place where Hindu faithfuls scatter the ashes of their dead. Our hotel was perched on the shores of the Ganges itself. My balcony window afforded an absolutely gorgeous view of the river, and the Himalayan foothills nestled in the clouds.

In keeping with India’s striking contrasts, Rishikesh itself (also a very popular destination amongst western Yoga practitioners), seen from the opposite side of the hotel, had a decidedly different feel:

Going half way around the world to one of the most revered bodies of water in the world, I had to take a swim in it, but that wasn’t all; another popular activity here is white water rafting on the Ganges’ quick-moving rapids:

It was great fun! Not only was it a rush, but they guides let me dive into the Ganges right off of the boat and navigate the waters with nothing more than a life vest.

After a few days in Rishikesh, we took a much welcomed break from the crowds and spent a few days at one of the top resort spas in the world: Ananda Resort, located up in the mountains, just a short drive from the city. I can’t show you much of what we did there (you’ll have to wait until the TV show is released), but here’s the view from my balcony (Rishikesh and the Ganges are in the distance):

I received an Ayurvedic evaluation from their house doctor (turns out I’m pitta – the fire dominant type – no surprise to anyone who knows me), enjoyed specially prepared Ayurvedic meals and even got a wonderful two-person Ayurvedic massage. Here I am wearing the Kurta they provide to all the guests, taking in their gorgeous waterfall staircase in the morning mist:

Now we’re off to Chandigarh, a city which, many claim, has the most contemporary, western feel of any city in India. A place where (for India) traffic is low, and one can take a break from the crowds, traffic and pollution that are so ubiquitous here. In the meanwhile, a few pictures from the past week:

Rishikesh, Ganges and Ananda Resort
By Luke Hill  |  View on Facebook

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First, we took a morning walk through Bugle Rock park. It’s known as a ‘walker’s paradise’ with 750 to 1000 people visiting the park every single day. The park gets its name from the huge 3000 year old rock formation of the same name, which housed a watch tower built by a previous Indian ruler, Kempe Gowda II, over 400 years ago. The watchtower is still there today:

The park is lush and verdant, has waterfalls and fountains, three temples and an amphitheatre:

Perhaps the most striking thing, however, was the bats. The trees overhead throughout the entire park are almost unbelievably full of the “Indian Flying Fox” a species of megabat with a wingspan of 4 – 5 feet long! It’s hard to get a sense for their size (or their numbers) from the photo, but every single one of those hanging things is a sleeping bat:

Later in the day, we visited Lal Bagh, a 240 acre botanical garden in south Bangalore, which was originally built in 1760. It houses a number of different trees from all over the world, as well as India’s largest collection of rare plants. It also features a beautiful glass house, modeled after London’s Crystal Palace, which hosts a yearly flower show:

The gardens surround one of the towers built by the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda I, perched atop Lal Bagh rock – one of the oldest rock formations on earth, dating back 3,000 Million years!

From atop of the rock, you can see Bangalore city’s skyline:

Finally, we ended the day with a trip to Janapada Loka, an institution dedicated to preserving the rural folk culture of Karnataka (the Indian state Bangalore resides in). The displays feature various pieces of folk art, costumes and sculptures:

They also had potters at work on various clay pieces. The pottery wheel is spun by hand:

One more day in Bangalore and then we’re off to northern India…

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It is, indeed, loud here. Very loud. Bangalore (considered India’s “silicon valley) has grown by leaps and bounds in recent decades and is currently the third most populous city in all of India. It definitely has the traffic to match. Street lights or signs are few and far between, so drivers instead signal their every intention with a quick honk. This honking, along with the virtually non-existent emissions standards contribute to a vehicular cacophony which is really unlike any other place I’ve ever visited.

It’s hard to get the full impression without being here, but to give you an idea, I stood on a sidewalk and recorded a few seconds of audio with my phone:

Bangalore is busy and bustling seemingly non-stop. There are people everywhere, often darting through traffic with a boldness that would make Evel Knievel look like an amateur. There are stray dogs on most every street corner, and cows do, indeed, roam freely in the streets. I’ve often been told that India is a land of contradictions, and Bangalore is certainly no exception – the buildings varying from crumbling shacks to gorgeously appointed architecture that would make any city in the world proud.

We didn’t do too much today, just spent a little while walking around the city (and a lot more time stuck in traffic). Whenever I think of India, I think of Hindus, and whilst they still make up the majority of the population (around 80%), the Muslim population (at least here in Bangalore) has a strong presence as well; when we got to the market street, I was surprised to see so many of the men and women in traditional Muslim attire. The pollution here is very bad – when stuck in traffic the air can get practically gray from all of the exhaust, and after about an hour of walking around downtown, I felt like I’d just sucked down a carton of cigarettes. Still, I find the city and India as a whole compelling and feel like I haven’t even begun to wrap my head around it. The people I’ve met so far, seem genuinely warm and friendly, and I’ve felt nothing but welcomed (and the object of occasional curiosity).

Time to wind down, pop on the headphones to drown out that noise and get my first sleep in two days that isn’t in an airplane seat. I’m looking forward to seeing what the coming days will bring. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted, but in the meantime, here’s a random selection of pictures from Day 1.

India - Day 1
By Luke Hill  |  View on Facebook

The songs have been adding up, and I’m just about ready to release a solo acoustic album comprised almost entirely of new original material. I’ve had to push back the release because of my travels to India this year, but I’ve been so anxious to put some of my new music out into the world, that I didn’t want to wait until the end of the year to share at least a little something with all of you.

So here it is… a quick-and-dirty rendition of one of the new songs from my upcoming album, played on my new Cigano GJ-15 guitar. It’s a Latin-inspired number I call Mexican Paradise. Hope you enjoy it!