Changes

For the last 2 weeks i worked as a cook in a beach kiosk.
I made money so i can afford to fly to Thailand.
I booked a ticket today.
The winter here was hard. people don’t heat their homes and most europeans agree that it is harsher than the european winters. Even though we get colder temperatures.
But the summer has started and i like it. Beaches with beautiful people tanning in the sun. Surfers waiting for the perfect wave. It feels like it has become a different place.
Yet i had enough.
I sold my car and i am getting rid of the stuff that i have accumulated because of it.
I am looking forward to the relaxed attitude of the Asians. It sometimes feels like most things here are about money.
I have an urge to not worry about money anymore to thrive and live, but australia seems so expensive you are on a constant survival.
It is going to be great to go back to asia, meditate and meet old friends before i go back home. Or maybe i will change my mind completely after meditating. Who knows.
I am looking forward to meeting my family and friends again, working in switzerland, and eventually starting to study there.
Loving life today, my job hired other people, so i am not working at the moment, but really enjoying my free time.
Here are some pix of the job.

The cook

The kitchen

The view

The Ice-cream

So long
Ole

leaving port

We are on the way, away from the sloppedy slob of the dry dock, towards cleaner clearer waters.

So far we haven’t had a chance to sail but that is surely to come.

Even though it has only been 6 days we already had a small storm, saw luminescent dolphins (at night time they leave a trail of activated algae which looks amazing..also it was the first time that i saw dolphins this close), went free-diving ( i saw a manta ray and the shadow of a thresher shark…it was so exiting) had nice jam sessions, changed my sleeping pattern to 3 naps a day, was pulled on a rope at 5-6 knots through the water and had my first time breathing underwater in a SCUBA gear.
I am having a great time.

one half of the food shopping…23 people for 6 month..only fruit are bought fresh

good music = good moods

sherif at the helm

steering time at the helm

saving floaty the traveler crab

our boat cat

my first little storm

a mahagony pipe i build…the S/V infinity

floaty the traveler crab equipped with a new sail and fresh food

just chillin at the anchor chain

i should become a windows background photograph

our name and logo

to infinity and…. below

ruben goes down

suddenly a load of fisher boats popped up everywhere

malapascua

marbles our boat cat

Tomorrow we will go to Surgao and i will try to go surfing for the first time in my life, and then we make a six day passage to the diving heaven of Palau…to see big manta rays.

I feel like i am caught in a dream.
Why is not everybody doing this?
so long
Ole
p.s. I feel so healthy, yoga in the morning, push-ups during the day, standing and sitting straight, vegetarian food, warm weather…great
p.p.s. now i just need my instruments back that somebody forgot in a bus and everything would be perfect…but maybe its good that they are not there, because if so something else would probably have been messed up 🙂

Angkor Wat, Gladiators and a word about Tourism

Siam Reap scared me at first.
Having been to Vang Vieng and Bangkok i expected another tourist flooded city….and thats exactly what i found.

Siam reap is the most touristic town of Cambodia, home To Angkor Wat (which was the reason i came here anyhow) the majestic Monument that even made it on the national Cambodian flag, the amazing ancient ruins that…anyways thats for later.

I have been hosted by a Belorussian Kickboxer, which brought me back to “beach body” 😉
Training him for his match in 2 weeks every day, and so training with him in the Gladiator-style Khmer Military Training Center.
And today for the first time in a Year – SAUNA!!!!
I almost forgot what i was missing… O_O

Sascha my host on the Pads

Gladiator Training

On my first day in Siam Reap i went to Angkor Wat after 17.00 thats when the guards go home, and you can enter for free and enjoy the last hour of sunlight…with a bicycle, you can also sneak into the Bayon at night time…but it was a little scary…. err, ah Don’t do it it is really boring to see one of the most magnificent buildings of ancient history at night time, with full moon and no loud tour-guides around, hearing the geckos and frogs… hrmm hrmm

But at this evening the daylight was only enough For one of the hundred temples…so i went the next day and bought a ticket and i did not regret it!

but please, see for yourself:

Notice how the trees look like Ent’s from Lord of the Rings, trying to invade the human fortress.
It was incredible, the archaeologists puzzeled a whole big Temple and the buddha face together from scattered stones…just incredible!

After this 7h trip in full sun, i felt ready for coconuts, vegetables and rice.
A lot of rice…I have my favorite restaurant where i can get free steamed rice…so i ate something like 3plates of rice 😀

I have no idea how i will switch topics now. From Happy at tourist attraction Angkor to Angkor What?, Happy Angkor Pizza, Le Prince d’Angkor, Temple Club, Angkor Beer…etc.
This place is booming because of the ruins, so everybody imitates the Style and Name of the Temples.
Tourists destroy places.
First there are a few Hardcore Backpackers like Magellan, Cook or Marco Polo, who go to places “nobody” has ever been before.
They then tell all their travel friends “Hey you should go there, it really nice”
Then the next wave of people comes there…still used to sleep on the floor, but maybe one Family seizes the opportunity and Builds a guest-house/bar/club/whatever and profits from mouth propaganda.
In the world we are living in the guest-house owner will not stay the only one.
Because of Jealousy, Competition and Customer Demand places start changing.
And depending on the kind of popularity the place will attract a certain kind of travelers (tourist is not a very nice word anymore)
And with every wave there are more potential investors who will Build a five Star Hotel, Spa and Resort. (Siam Reap, Luang Prabang, Chiang Mai)
A Big huge Club or Bar (like Pubstreet here, Khaosan Rd in Bangkok or central Vang Vien)
Ecotourism (Luang Prabang, Chiang Mai, Siam Reap, Malaysia…)

“People come people go” – but something stays

So Long
Ole

The Issan Rockets and Glass-Hill forest monastry

After taking a bus from Laos to Thailand i am in Thailand now.
Wait a moment… i don’t know why but something is of with that beginning sentence.

I arrived in Si Sa Ket, a town that apparently has a temple completely made out of recycled bottles…and a town of which i only saw a pretty but pretty expensive hotel for the night where the Internet shut down regularily..

But from there i went to Huay Tap Tan to meet Tony’s friend Noi.
She is an elementary school teacher for handicrafts and taught me how to make a palm leaf hat.
Also she can massage very well.

Then i went to the Monastery her brother leads.
And spent 5 relaxing days there, amazing food in the morning, 2-4 showers, and a little meditation.

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One day we were sent to go to see the Issan Rockets…rockets, but they don’t explode when they are up.
“Fireworks that doesn’t explode…sounds a little boring” i thought to myself, and i won’t judge you if you think the same.
Well we all could not be more wrong!

when seeing this you expect something big

waiting for something to happen

preparing the rocket

our “troop”

hep

prepping the start

everybody get distant…3..2..1..

Blast

and it’s gone…i don’t want to know where it comes down again :3

Did i promise to much? I have never seen something that incredible.
The rocket we carried actually won the event with a height of 370m about 1 213.9 feet…as i said, i don’t want to be there when the rocket comes down!
Tomorrow i will go to Bangkok my definite and last stop in Thailand.
Let’s see how crazy it really is.
So Long (and without a sunset)
OLE