since some of my friends refuse to learn german, I’ll have to got through the blog and make it googletranslate-able… or just write a little summary in English. guess what.
here is the summary.
hat happened so far:
well the idea of travelling the world, which is a big plan to start with, got me at the tender age of 16 – but fear not, I’ll not bore you with a recollection of my high school years.
There was the idea to travel without being on a time restricted holiday. 2010 seemed a good year and so i got my shots (including rabies), read about what I’d need, got an idea where I wanted to go – there are many more lonely planets than you can potentially use – and what legal matters to take into account – and applied for visas.
Time seemed to accelerate and I found myself on the airport. going to a profound time of fear and anxiety combined with joy.
The first stop was Nepal. Travelling through India was too short to say anything at all, but arriving in Kathmandu was an adventure. People, vendors, traffic, burning garbage in the middle of the city, shrines, temples – it was unbelievable. The trek to the western Part of the Himalayas and venturing mere 2 km from the Tibetan Border was a path trodden only by pedestrians. No motorbikes, no cars, no nothing. Working in the Field was like it used to be 100 years ago. The only improvement was the solarpanel on the roof and the occasional waterpowered prayer mill.
Getting out of the mountains was worse than arriving in Kathmandu. I felt like not being capable of crossing a street. The busy city got on my nerves and I was happy to escape a little earlier than planed.
Arriving in Bangkok was nice, as the weather was good and the Thai people were very friendly and very layed back. After seeing all sights in Bangkok and having no fixed plans I headed south to a dream island – Koh Tau, the island of the turtle. I headed not only south but also towards a tropical storm, which brought so much rain, that the ferries stopped operating, the train would not get through and the airport on Koh Samui was closed. Still the island is pretty and the snorkelling there was de luxe, Patrice’s bakery served prime coffee and food. I liked the island for it felt relaxed and not as touristy as possible. After getting off (that is another story to tell, beside how to get to Koh Tao) coming back to Bangkok felt almost like coming home.
With the weather not improving in the south I pondered what to do next. So instead of climbing the limestone cliffs of Krabi I went to Ko Chang, The Island of the Elephant. And got entangled in the party scene, which has no sense of mercy hitting the dance floor hard as I type and drinking shots by the bucket – literally.
In the end i got to Krabi (Ton Sai) went climbing, loved it, but had to leave as my visa expired. Cambodia was a very interesting experience. Poverty and friendliness a certain sleazy kind to do business, in the end i can speak only highly of Cambodia. There might be a time to come back.
I travelled from the southmost border in Vietnam to Can Tho and to Saigon. Saigon was great and full of scooters.