Malaysia

24.04.2014 
More about the diving course: the theory was quite interesting and important. After half day in the pool we went for 2 dives a day in the ocean. Even if I was more focused on the exercise and to manage my equipment, I could enjoy the sea life in the bays of Koh Tao. We went to the Junkyard (a reef made by the diving school as a coral nursery) and to Mango Bay at 8-12 meter. The last day we dived down to 18 meter at Twins and White Rock. I was using my own mask and soon I realized that it is not a good one as I couldn't see anything after 2 minutes. I had to clear it all the dive and nearly lost my group. The last dive I had problems equalizing my left ear. After 10 minutes it "plobbed" and suddenly I could go down. I saw beautiful and fascinating fish. It is like flying but underwater. The sound, the view, the feeling... everything is so different. 

 

The people here ask Luisa and me a lot if we are twins. For them we look the same. When we tell them our age difference they can not close their mouth. In the moment we leave Malaysia with a ferry to Satun in Thailand. The people in Malaysia seemed to be a bit nicer to us and it was a bit more expensive in Malaysia compared to Thailand. I liked that we payed the same price for everything than local people and that nearly everyone spoke and understood English. As we arrived on Langkawi yesterday we found a nice and payable hostel with a really friendly stuff. After some shell collecting and the sunset at the beach we went for some food and shopping. We run into JP and Daniel and shared some beers at the beach. There are many places to enjoy a cold beer, but a beach might be the best one. Today I could make some laundry and collect more shells till we took the boat.

Open water diver

23.04.2014 
Long time no talk. Koh Tao got quite busy for me. The plan was to start a diving course at the 17th. But in the morning Luisa got an ear infection and the doctor said 3-5 days no water. We couldn't wait that long, so I did the course alone. 

 

I really love diving, but sadly we didn't saw more from Koh Tao, as I was tired in the evening it got dark soon after my lessons ended. After I can call myself an open water scuba diver we left Koh Tao with a night boat on the 20th to Penang in Malaysia to get myself a new stamp in my passport. We met two diving instructors on the way, who came for the same reason. We spend the days with them eating the delicious food in Georgetown and went to some shopping. Today in the morning we left the island to see the next island towards Thailand - Langkawi.

Water for a good new year

15.04.2014 
After my arrival in Bangkok I was busy all Saturday and Sunday. I wanted to buy a cheap tablet to make my blog and save pictures. So I made my way through the jungle of Bangkok to the MBK shopping centre. After some talks I decided to buy a cheap fake and see how far I can make it with that. Than I went to the Khoa San Road to buy a bus ticket for me and Luisa for the next night. But as it was Sonkran I just got wet. The, in my eyes biggest water battle in the world, continued Sunday as I tried my luck directly at the southern bus terminal. 

Pai

10.04.2014 
I used my free time in Chiang Mai to search for an internet cafe place, as. I still felt weak. In the night I went to the Sunday night market for a bit. The next morning I left to Pai. It's a small hippie village surrounded by some nature, hot springs (who ever need them at 38 degree) and temples (as usual). Ping, a Chinese girl grown-up in the states, just asked me to share a room to safe some money. So after a while we found a cheap and ok room for 200 Baht and booked it for 2 nights. 

 

Heaven and hell in Chiang Mai

06.04.2014
Yesterday morning Julie and I left the farm again. We went in a nice hostel and did some temple sight seeing. First the Wat Phra Sing and than the amazing Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phan Tao. 

Than we got a perfect Thai massage for 4 Euro from female prisoners. What an experience! But from heaven it got into hell for me. Instead of going to the night market for a beer with Julie, I felt very bad in my stomach for hours. Finally I throw up. But that was just the beginning, instead of the end of the story. It just got worse. I will safe you from the details, but I can tell that I was very glad after I could take two sips of water in my stomach for one hour, at 11pm. So the planed temple in the morning didn't seem too interesting to us any more and we just found some bread for me and spend the time till Julies flight in the hostel.

Mindful Farm

03.04.2014 

I already forgot which day we have. After I wait in the hostel and tried some weird noodle soup my night bus to Chiang Mai left. It was full of Backpackers all over. But the bus was ok and I could sleep some. Of course they overcharged us stupid tourists another time. After arriving in the morning I followed a German girl to her booked hostel, in hope to spend some time there as my bus to the mindful farm was leaving around 11am. I could spend some time there and checked some things. A last call to the former monk from the farm and after his ok I left to the warorrot market where my yellow minibus should leave. Well, in this town all buses are yellow. So I asked around and soon found the place where my bus was supposed to leave. After some time a Russian and another German girl came to go to another farm in that direction. For the mindful farm a French and an American girl came. After some more waiting we left in the Tuk-Tuk bus with a young monk and some Thai people. 3 hours in the heat, but with nice company. We went from far to far far away from something you would call a town. For the way I bought my first sticky rice with mango and coconut milk. Delicious. Guess it wasn't my last. As we arrived at the farm the little family welcomed us. Pi Nah, his wife Noriko and their daughter. He explained something about his farm, that he is doing now since 2 1/2 years. 

  

 

Ayutthaya

01.04.2014 

Today I got up a bit earlier again and after a rare normal breakfast I left to my by foot temple tour. First I went to the Wat Maha Tat, Waeat Ratchaburana and to Wat Thamminkarat. Mostly it was an entrance of 50 Baht for tourists. After a freid rice break I went to the Wat Lokayasutharam, the lying Buddah. On the way between the ruins have been a lot of old pieces from old tempels. In the Wihan Phra Mangkhan Bopit I have seen one of the biggest bronze statures of Thailand, which is meanwhile golden. Even a fresh coconut couldn't help against the heat, so I went with a scooter taxi back to the hostel, with a new hat for 50 Cent.

arriving in Thailand

In the morning of March 29th I arrived in Bangkok. 

Just as I was standing in front of the passport control, it came to my mind mind that I made a mistake: I booked a flight to Delhi, but till the 2. May are more than 30 days. This is when I panicked for a bit. But I was lucky and no one asked. So I left the airport with Chrissy, who was getting me. So good to not enter this city alone. Even the flight was good, I didn't found a lot of sleep, as the last weeks. So we just chilled a bit and went to eat some. As well I got a thai chip card. As I feared, Thai is very strange and I speak to everyone Spanish, instead of English at least.