Vagabonds United

Dear readers,
I have really relaxed for the last 2 weeks, so much so I am not even in the mood for writing. Luckily I have met up with my beautiful girlfriend Rose again and she agreed to write my first guest entry. I am happy, as she is a published author.
I hope you enjoy the fresh style.
Enjoy:

Hello Ole’s fabulous fan club! I am so very honored to have been invited to guest write on his most inspiring blog. Hopefully this will be the final push to start one of my own! https://initiationtowonder.wordpress.com/

So after a month and ½ apart, out of all our infinite choices Ole and I decided to rendezvous in Thailand! A mystical enchanted land and of smiles, elephants, monkey’s, jungle bungalows, massages, alien fruit, white sand beaches, golden naga temples and some of the most epic spicy delicious food on the planet.

We chose Krabi, because of its dramatic cliffs and the beauty of the surrounding beaches and islands. Ole was waiting for me at my gate from my flight from the Amsterdam with a sign saying Chaska which is my Mayan name meaning Star. He’s so sweet and romantic!
It’s the end of the rainy season here, high season starts next month, which we want to miss.
I booked a nice bungalow beneath the famous Krabi cliffs (Aonang Cliff view resort link) for us to stay while we scoped out the area the first few days. The place was so cute with a fabulous pool, surrounded by the towering cliffs, fan palms, tropical flowers, peacocks, baby bunnies and cats. We were so happy to be re-united and our bungalow was cozy and romantic. We relaxed to the sounds of thunder and rain enjoying our reunion immensely.
In the mornings we were awoken with the sound of Thai boxing at the gym next door. We explored the Aonang beach nearby, eating curries on the beach, enjoying mango shakes, mangosteen, spicy papaya salad and Thai massages.
The town is a bit of tourist armpit complete with a creepy red light district but the beach is lovely and we just took our free shuttle back to our cozy and peaceful cliff bungalow, away from all the touristic turmoil.

We were offered a very cheap deal to do a 4-island tour from our bungalow resort for staying 4 nights there. We’re not really your typical tourists so it was an experience. The Thai long boats they use here are pretty loud but super photogenic and efficient. Our funny tour guide lined us up like sheep and packed us into a unique wooden long boat. It felt like a elementary school trip. The tour was filled with deaf Malaysians talking in sign language. Our first stop is Pharaong Cave beach where we found herds of Chinese tourists, caves filled with wooden penises and young fit hotties climbing cliffs.
The beach and cliff islands are gorgeous although we only get 40min to look around. Then off to the next island for some zombie tourist snorkeling in life jackets. The place is overrun; the coral is sad but still beautiful. We manage to not have to use the life jackets and swim away from the masses and enjoy the beautiful fishes.
The next island is for a lunch break we set up our hammock and eat rice and veggies overlooking the white beaches and clear blue water of Koh Jub. There is no bathroom for all the tourists and there is a lot of them. Our guide says to go in the water. Eeeeeeeew…
At the last island (Koh Poda) we have a jam session with the monkeys, the place is trashed, filled with tourists and old falling apart buildings, despite that all it’s still so very pretty.
Just as we are leaving the afternoon rain starts and we get soaked on our way back to our bungalow.

We learned quickly that the best food is with the street vendors. Everything is so delicious and I’m amazed that Ole can eat even hotter stuff than me.
Even though the whole time we have been together he never eats spicy things? What a freak.

We moved to a bungalow on a beach called the Dawn of Happiness, the ocean is right out our window with the cliffs in the background across the bay. They are getting ready for a reggae party and have built a cool tree house DJ booth which they say I can DJ in. Lecker!!
We rented a motorbike and head into Krabi for the Sunday night market. We get caught in a rainstorm, its pretty exiting. In Krabi we eat so much delicious street food, Curries, morning glory, mushroom soup, quail eggs, amazing pad Thai, fruits, Thai iced tea and yummy sweets. It’s so fun and romantic.


The next day we finally make it out to Railey beach to scope out a nice place to stay.
We arrive at low tide, which I cannot recommend if you have a ton of baggage, as you will have to walk through several hundred meters of knee-deep water.
I don’t like the vibe in Railey at all. It’s completely overrun by tourist hotels. It’s like a bad movie, back to back tacky resorts, and there is trash everywhere. There are a couple trashed restaurants that look as if an evil curse was placed on them and they are now abandoned, graffiti and garbage everywhere. Pretty zef. We look at a few places but the vibe is sketchy. We do find a bohemian rock climbing spot (the coffee house on the walking track to Tonsai Beach) and drink some chai and try to make friends with the jaded locals.
We go in a cave called diamond cave and play music on the stalagmites.
On Railey west the cliffs create this echo from the waves and all the longboats. It is not very peaceful, yet impressive. We climb over some rocks at sunset to Tonsai beach, which is supposedly a more bohemian spot with more young rock climber types. Its definitely mellower but the vibe is still edgy. We check out a few more bungalows but they are stacked like sardines and smell musty and gross.
After our trip out to Railey we definitely appreciate our beach bungalow a lot more, it’s so mellow and quiet compared to the madness.
The reggae party at the Dawn of Happiness was amazing. My DJ set got cut short as they were late setting up the sound system, but supposedly I was the first person to play in the amazing tree house DJ booth. The bass from my tunes sounded so yummy, it was fun. Then the bands started and Ole played Didge with the first band for 30min or so. He sounded so good.
Dancing to reggae on the sand in the jungle was so fun. We ate sushi and blew bubbles and danced the night away. It was lovely.
Now we are planning our last few days here. Looking forward to the possibility of horse back riding, kayaking, photo shoots, rock climbing, checking out a fossil beach, hot springs waterfall, tiger temples and an emerald lagoon.
Then it’s on to Bangkok for Halloween. We want to dress up as Howl and Sophie from Howls moving castle, or maybe Ganesh and Pārbati. Anyhow enjoy and thanks for reading Ole’s first guest writer on his fabulous, inspiring globe trotter blog!
Tschüs, Tschüs! Rosita.

This is it, all that has happened over here in paradise. I hope you enjoyed her post.

International media apparently covered that there was full on Ukranian-style riots over here, but everybody seems to disagree. It is just not the laid back thai style.
So everybody at home, don’t worry its fine here, very fine 🙂

So Long
Ole

a backpackers life

hey all my readers, how are you?
and who are you?
It would be amazing if everybody who reads this, if i know you or not, leaves a comment saying “i do”.

Anyhow, back to topic, a lot has happened.
We left sydney.
It was a hard decision, should i stay in Sydney with my girlfriend Rose or travel north together with my best friend Ludo.
I decided to go work on a mandarin farm up north.
We took our time and stopped along the way.
We left on the birthday of my little sister, which i forgot.
And i am soo sorry for that.
We stopped and bought a air matrace and a body board for the big waves.
We took some hitchhikers slept in Coffs harbour.
A little town where we met up with a friend from the horseback riding trip.
He made ludo drink the supposedly worst beer in australia.
According to Ludo VB was “shit but not the worst i ever drank, that was some Spanish beer”
Then we continued, we went to a surfing spot called Skennars head, it lays very exposed and has gigantic waves. Also dolfins close to the coast 🙂
Then we went to a fracking protest with people chaining themselves to roadblocks, where i met my good old pirate friend Lev again.
It is scary what rights the mining companies have here in australia, a farmer has no right to the things under ground only above ground. so a mining company can come and drill on his property and there is nothing he can do against it.
We stayed in the camp for 2 days helping out and for the first time in australia we saw alive aboriginal culture…original australian culture…
They told some of their stories, and one of the elders held a touching speech that they are taking responsibility for what is happening with the land. We white people have no idea what is going on around us, he said, it it their responsibility (aboriginal people carry “the law” of the land/the earth) to bring balance.
The next day he left to a big meeting of 500 native australian tribe elders in the middle desert.
We went on to the mandarin farm, what shock was it that the farmer told us we couldn’t start working for another 2 weeks.
Luckily there was a farm job just 12h car ride away… and we were desperate for a job.
SO here we are.
In the middle of nowhere, charters towers is the name of the town, but we live 20km away on a farm. Picking Limes and pruning grape vines.
We already saw a zombie parrot, a baby python, tons of spiders with incredibly strong nets, kangaroos in the morning sun and hunted kangaroos by our farm dog smokey…he never catches any
The money is not very good, but the people are very nice.
I don’t really know what to do next, but our friend from Melbourne knows somebody who is in labour hire/construction in Queensland. I might try to ask him for help.
Also our car registration ends today, but it is a public holyday…no good.
Anyhow my dear readers, i will take care.

If you want to see pictures and videos, please click >HERE<! Ludo writes in german, but he has a computer. Yes my computer is falling apart.
And please write a comment.

so long Ole

Goodbye Thailand – Bangkok never sleeps

My last time in Thailand I spend in Bangkok, after a 10h train ride (which was filled with reading and watching the landscape pass by)

Arriving in Bangkok i immediately went to Khaosan Rd with my CS-host.
….Khaosan is crazy!! Hookers, [a lot of] Ladyboys, loud music, faked passports and a lot of alcohol.
You can be sure every “girl” that shows a lot of skin is probably not a girl…
The next day i, for the first time in my life, went wake boarding.
After about 20 times falling face or ass first in the water, i figured out how to take of.
After 3h of wake boarding i felt really good, exhausted and as i would finally again be sour the next day 😉

In the evening i went to the modern day Bangkok-“Metropolis”
I did not feel like i was in Thailand anymore, but somewhere or should i say some-when in the future.
I bought an Ukulele and a Harmonica, which i already indulged to learn.
And in the evening i found it…i have been looking for it since Mumbai.
A Jazzclub!

Time passed, nights passed, go to bed at 6 in the morning, not knowing  where you will go to bed…Bangkok is indeed a crazy city!
The very last night i spent, dancing like crazy, in an underground DnB-Party @ Democ cafe with amazing DJs (Yaakparty, vivian, and Brwnsugrz)
They powered me to dance for 2h straight, without taking any drugs, not even sugar….believe me that was really good DnB!
(Maybe i was craving for something different then “Gangnam-Style” which they play @ every corner…krai tse roo [who knows])

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

then i left.
I miss Thailand already, for the country i was allowed to experience, the people i was allowed to meet, for the things i was allowed to see and the food i was allowed to try.

So Long Ole

Thailand:
I got to know the Thai language pretty well in my time here.
but there is to much to tell you, thats why i will tell you only a few things:
I don’t want – Mai ao
do you think foreign people don’t have a brain – Kun kotoua farang mai mee samong la!
no problem-mai pen rai
i don’t know – mai roo
i don’t understand – mai kow chai

Food: try everything! its all good, stay in a monastery for a few days and try real local food…the more rural you go, the better your experience!

I honestly understand everybody who moves out to live in Thailand, i almost stayed here, but i will definitely come back!