Sacred Spaces

You know those little places where one goes to find refuge from the drown and monotiny or the madness and confusion of everyday life. Well i have found two of mine. The first is a lovely little indian restaurant called Bagdad Cafe (after the movie). I believe i may have already spoken about it but it deserves more attention. It is owned by a lovely Korean woman by the name of Chu Young who speaks great english and has a very warm and inviting nature and a nepalese man whose name i do not know, but he is very good looking and says namaste in the most sincere and natural way as you enter this little sanctuary. The restaurant itself is set up like any lovely indian restaurant with warm colour and cushions, candles and incense. The food and drink are prepared by three indian men, who always greet with a smile. My favourite thing to eat is the Aloo Gobi with garlic naan and chai. It is all made to perfection with the right amount of spice and garlic. I find myself going there once a week and lounging about for hours wipping my chai and reading or writing in my journal. No one bothers me or stares at me. I am free to wonder of into my own little world and reconnect with the inner consciousness.

My second little haven is at a little pension near the sea which is only a 10 min scooter drive from my house. It is called Caffe Mokambo and is managed by a funky chick by the name of jenny. She has two staff, Johnny and New girl who both have an air of welcoming funkiness about them. The cafe is in a beautiful building with wood accents and cozy velvet couches. There is an amazing balcony that looks out on lush vegetation that meets the sea and makes you feel like you are out in the bush while still in a comfortable chair. The food is italian and quite authentically so (it actually has pepper and garlic and is not sweetened like most other versions of western food here). Even the cheesecake is real made with real creamcheese and not some strange mix of cake dough and gelatinous cheese stuff. I can easily find myself whiling away the hours eating delicious food, reading, writing and doing yoga on the beautiful balcony.

I must admit this is starting to sound like a review for a magazine. But if it was i would definitely give these amazing restaurants top marks. The real love i have for these sanctuaries ishe way they allow me to relax and forget about whatever maybe worrying me. I can sit there for hours and no one says a word, they allow me to enjoy and take in a little peace.