30.05.16 Back in Germany

So in the morning of the 28th we got up early and went for a quick shopping trip to the market in Kandy. And finally: We tool a train! We where lucky that just some days before, the trains where able to run again. So we had a typically full train experience to Rambukkana to visit the Millenium Elephant Foundation. For 2.000 Rs we could scrub an elephant laying in the river and in return we got to sit on his back and he showered us with his trunk. So normally I don´t support touristy thins with animals, but it seemed "OK" and was a nice experience. This time we took the slow train for the rest of the way to Colombo. We where lucky and nearly no one was in "our" wagon.
We arrived at our last stop and last couchsurfer Shehan in the late afternoon. We had a fun night at a local food court and later with drinks at home. 
Last day but still so many things to buy. So we went at a market and supermarket and back to Shehan`s and to the airport.
And suddenly that was it. 15 days in Sri Lanka.
I enjoyed it a lot even if we did so much! I got to know amazing people, saw great nature, new animals and I was eating and tasting and eating all the good food!
I hope to be able to go back one day! I can recommend the light version of India to everyone.
Sri Lanka has a lot to offer!

27.05.16 Blue Haven in Kandy

Right now Luisa is drawing some henna on my left hand and we had a beer at the pool of the Blue Haven. It might not be the best guest house but they have a small pool and are located in the hills over Kandy, far away from all the crazy city traffic and with a nice view.
So we arrived late - as usual - in Trincomalee at the 23nd. We just went to the cheapest place we could find online, which was a more or less fucked up hostel with dorm beds and tents, a very lovely old cooking lady, helpful staff and a lot of European backpackers. We had some beers and met a bunch of nice people. We slept in the tent right at the beach. I just had a really good sleep in the colder tent with fresh air and waking up to the sound of the weaves. I loved it. But Luisa couldn´t sleep at all.
The next morning I made Kaiserschmarn to show the old lady in the kitchen some of my traditional food (yes, it´s Austrian - yes, you don´t eat if for breakfast, but my experiences while travelling showed me it is one of the easiest dishes to do in foreign countries and people love it). After breakfast we went to the Uppuveli beach and I booked 2 dives with a nice Spanish girl - Barbara. The first dive was with 6 people and we saw a giant moray, which was pretty impressive. As 3 had another course and 2 didn´t want to go down again, it was just me and the dive master at the second dive. I enjoyed it a lot to be under water again. And we had a really challenging dive with two little caves.
Meanwhile Luisa was finding us another place to stay, closer at the main beach and in a room, so she could sleep again. We had dinner with Barbara and went to bed, as we all have been exhausted. The next morning Luisa and I went to the Pigeon Island to snorkel. We saw amazing fishes and Luisa even found 5 of the sharks in the bay in front of the island. I wasn´t that lucky but saw another time a sea turtle.
As the heat was hitting us hard again at midday and we already have been tired from the trip we decided to give us a little treat at a Spa. We found a really nice place, sadly they didn´t really know how to do a pedicure. I liked the relaxing hours anyway.
Sadly our time at the beach in this holiday was over that day. We left Trinco in the evening of the 25th to Dambulla.
Barbara recommended us the really nice and really cheap Blue Sky guest house. We called to make a reservation and the guy even organized us a Tuk Tuk to get us from the bus stop.
The next morning we made our way with the local bus to Sigiriya - the Lions Rock. We just arrived on the top of the 200 meter Rock right before the midday heat. It was beautiful and impressive and in the end easier to climb as we thought. But the entrance fee - fucking unbelievable 30 Dollar! They really tool the Dollar price and counted it back to Rupees: 4.260 Rs!
Even when our nice guy from the Blue Sky told us, without a Tuk Tuk we will never do both in a day, we took the local bus again to Polonnaruwa. There we did something illegal which saved us some money and we just made it till dawn to see all the impressive ruins of the place. I enjoyed it a lot, as it reminded me a bit of Ankor Wat and some places in India. Exhausted we arrived late at our place and told the guy a bit proud we made the two. But had to admit, that we couldn´t do the third - the Dambulla cave temple. So we stayed another night and went today in the morning to the Golden Temple. The old paintings and Buddha figures in the stone have been nice and impressive. The walk up not so nice after all the walking we just did the day before. We left with a bus again to Kandy. The ride took much longer than expected and so we arrived around 2pm in Kandy. Throwing our bags in the room and up to the botanical garden. After we took the express Tuk Tuk to the traditional dance in the town hall and rushed to the holly tooth temple for the evening ceremony. Indian fast food and a beer at the pool, but that part you know already. Over and out.

23.05.16 In a bus to Trincomalee

Not as early as planned but still in the morning of the 20th we left Vivek´s home and took another time 3 buses to arrive around 7pm at the beach in Arugam Bay. We found the easy but lovely Etnico for 2.500 Rs a night. People looked confused as we run screaming in the huge weaves of the ocean, as it was already dark. But after leaving the cold Nuwara Eliya in Jeans and all our jackets on, we found ourselves sweating in buses all day, as the degree went higher with every kilometer we drove to the east.
The next day we did a lot: laying at the beach, fighting huge weaves, eating, drinking cool drinks, doing nothing, enjoying life and especially enjoying to be finally in the heat again. Luisa even made the afford to get a sunburn. As well we did a bit shopping in the small surf shops around.
In the morning of the 22nd I went to a Yoga class and we left again with a bus to Batticaloa. We tool a Tuk Tuk over the Dutch Fort and the lighthouse from 1913 to the Riviera Resort. So far our priciest stay with 3.000 Rupees but for that we could enjoy a huge pool in the evening and in the morning again. The resort was huge and located at the lagoon side. We as well walked to the beach side where, for the first time, we could find some fisherman and local people enjoying the beach. Sadly it was very polluted.
After the check-out at 11am we left to Paseekuhda, where we spend half day sitting at  a huge resort, drinking iced coffee we could barely afford. Then we took a bus to arrive in the evening in Trincomalee.

19.05.16 In Vivek´s house

So as we arrived in Ella we asked for the train and the next one was at 7pm. We where happy to have some hours to have lunch, go shopping and have a beer before finishing our travel for that day. Just as we set down for the beer, some one told us, that they canceled the train cause the heavy rain caused some problems on the way.
Kindness was leaving us as we thought about our options. People said we need to take 3 different buses again. But worse: it was already 6pm and we might not make it today. I texted Vivek, our next host and we decided to give it a try. It just took us 2 buses in the end and we arrived at 22:30pm in Nuwara Eliya and Vivek got us from the station. He cooked for us and we talked till 2am.
The next morning it was raining. I can´t even tell anymore if it was again or still.
So we just went to town to buy some food and see the market. As it was raining again in the afternoon we decided to give ourselfs a little treat for the weather and coldness and went to a Spa next door. After 1,5 hours we came home freezing as hell as the covered us in a super cold room with still wet towels and we where full with oil. But our clothes had still been at the laundry service.
After we could finally shower Vivek took us to the bar of his Hotel. We had a blast being the only guests there and came home very late after a late-night chees and egg Roti.
After a little breakfast and ignoring the hangover Luisa and I left to the Muckwood Tea Estate. We even got some hours without rain. It was a beautiful drive there and a even better view at the museum. The evening we spend with Vivek again.

17.05.16 Bus to somewhere to Ella

So first the end of the Unawatuna story:
After we packed our stuff and decided where to go next, the rain stopped for a bit and we decided to go and see the beach. A weave surprised Luisa and as she jumped her phone felt our of her pocket and was never seen again. I tried to get it back from the ocean, but the weaves have been too rough and I could not see anything.
Just the day before I left Luisas last dry pants and my completely new shoes in a Tuk Tuk. We hope Sri Lanka is not all about loosing things.
So we left Unawatuna with a bus to Mirissa. We found a very chilled beach and some hours without rain. After talking to the guy at the bar we made the decision to got to Tissamarama in order to do a Safari a the Yala national park. So we needed to take a bus to Matara first. Then change in another. As usual we arrived when it was already dark. The second we stepped out of the bus we got offered a Safari tour. As it was late and we where tired we took it.
So today started a 4:30 am and we had a nice Safari with goanas, water buffalos, jaguar, deer, birds, crocodiles and even a bear! I really enjoyed it, even with the 'need for speed' driving style of our guide.
Right after we came back we left to get a bus to Wellewaye to change to Ella. We hope to be able to travel with trains from there on.

16.05.16 First days in Sri Lanka

Unawatuna - another rainy morning. We just wanted to leave to the beach in Unawantuna to see more then just our room in the Sea View (2.000 Rs) and the restaurant, where we lived in clover just the night before, but just in that very moment the monsoon rain started again.
So far we weren´t able to see a lot of the places we went, as there was heavy rain.
We arrived at the 14th in Colombo in the middle of the night and made, as the only travelers, our way through Colombo till Mount Lavinia with the public transports. There we met Graeme, a couchsurfer who kindly gave us a shower and a bed to sleep in for some hours, as we hadn´t found any sleep during the flights. He showerd us the beach and we kept heading south with the bus, as we missed the last train that day. 
In Hikkaduwa lived the Russian family who invited us over couchsurfing to sleep in their empty hostel. The season already ended here. And it didn´t tool us long to figure out why: rain. It started as we arrived and was still going on as we woke up. So as the water and Wi-Fi broke with the storm, we left Eduard and his family to head south.
Galle was our next stop. But with rain and backpacks we didn´t want to do much. We just peeked at the UNESCO world heritage - the Fort. Then we took the next bus to Unawatuna, where the rain was already waiting for us.

31.01.16 Flugzeug nach Stuttgart:

Meinen letzten Abend in Manila verbrachte ich mit anderen Couchsurfern bei Nuki. Erst gab es leckere Pasta von Paolo und dann lustige Trinkspiele. Dann ging es wieder ab in die Hostel Z Bar und noch weiter in den Club Time. Hier gab es mal wieder ein "typisches"-Kathrin-Happening - aber "What happens in Manila, stays in Manila". Es sei nur so viel gesagt: viel von der Stadt wollte ich am Samstag nicht sehen, nachdem ich um 8 Uhr ins Bett bin. Aber einen kleinen Eindruck von der riesen Stadt konnte ich mir machen: groß, wirr, dreckig und wie auch z.B. Bangkok: die Stadt funktioniert auf ihre eigene Weiße und man braucht etwas Zeit um diese zu verstehen.

29.01.16 Flugzeug nach Manila:

In Taglibaran haben wir uns für eine Unterkunft auf der Insel Panglau entschieden, um zumindest nochmal in Strandnähe zu sein. Das Mabuhay Breeze Resort bestand aus einfachen Bambushütten - hatte aber einen schönen Gemeinschaftsbereich und einen Pool!
Stefanie war sehr hilfreich und so haben wir schnell einen Fahrer für unsere Tour am nächsten Tag gefunden. Ahmet, ein netter deutscher Immigrant ;) hat sich uns angeschlossen. So sind wir 3 am 26. früh um 7 Uhr zu den Chocolate Hills aufgebrochen. Leider hat das Wetter zum ersten Mal nicht mitgespielt. Es hat den ganzen Morgen geregnet. Auch der Versuch mit der Schmetterlingsfarm Zeit zu schinden hat leider nicht geholfen. So standen wir bei Nieselregen auf einem der Hügel und haben mehr Wolken und Nebel als die mehr als 1000 braunen Hügel gesehen.

Chocolate Hills

25.01.16 Fähre nach Tagbilaran:

Trotz einem flauen Magengefühl durch Instand-Chicken-Nudelsuppe und starkem Seegang versuche ich mal zu schreiben.
Heute Morgen haben wir uns als erstes Tickets für die Fähre nach Tagbilaran um 15 Uhr gesichert, da nur ein Boot am Tag von Negros auf die Insel Bohol fährt (Ocean Jet). Da Mell in 2 Tagen nach Manila fliegt mussten wir die letzten Tage genau planen und organisieren.
Vor der Fähre blieb uns noch etwas Zeit für ein typisches Filipino McDonalds Frühstück. Und ich konnte noch den Rest für meine letzten 3 Tage allein auf den Philippinen organisieren.
Gestern, den 24.01.16 sind wir früh aufgestanden und der Tag begann mit einem kulinarischen Highlight. In dem gemütlichen Aaah Inn Hostel war das Frühstück inbegriffen und einfach nur reichhaltig. Von Omelett über Reis und Fleischküchen zu Mangos und Bananen. Die Reste ließen wir uns für ein super Lunch einpacken.
Dann sind wird dem Rat eines Schweizers, welchen wir beim super Abendessen in einem Restaurant von einem Ami getroffen haben, gefolgt und sind mit einem Jeepney von Dauin nach Malatapay gefahren. Von dort aus fahren Boote nach Apo Island. Dort wollte ich unbedingt Tauchen gehen, da es hieß vor der Insel gibt es Schildkröten.
Doch als wir schon spät am 23.01. in Dauin ankamen konnte ich leider von dort aus keinen Tauchtrip mehr organisieren. Wie sich herausstellte, war dies aber gar nicht so schlimm.
Zusammen mit einem Paar mieteten wir uns für 2.000 Pesos ein Boot und kamen gegen 10:30 Uhr auf Apo Island an. Die Fahrt in dem kleinen Bambus-Ausleger war eher wie eine Fahrt in einer Wasserbahn.

23.01.16 Bus nach Dauin:

Früh um 5 Uhr sind wir vom wunderschönen Boracay am 22.01. im Tricycle zur kleinen Fähre nach Caticlan aufgebrochen. Von dort ging es mit einem modernen Reisebus von Ceres nach Iloilo City. Diese ersten 6 Stunden waren noch recht gut abzusitzen. Mit der Fähre ging es dann eine Stunde weiter nach Bacalod auf Negros. Während der Fahrt auf Panay hatten wir eine wunderschöne Aussicht auf Reisfelder, dichte Vegetation und kleine Dörfchen.

21.01.16 White Beach in Boracay:

Paradies - evtl. weniger Menschen und günstigere Fruchtshakes. Aber viel mehr trennt diesen kilometerlangen und viele Meter breiten, weißen Sandstrand nicht vom Paradies. Darum haben wir auch beschlossen zwei Nächte hier zu verbringen.

Im Bambooze Hauz haben wir ein günstiges Zimmer mit Gasherd gefunden. So konnten wir mal Gemüse satt kochen. Gestern Nachmittag hat es mal eine Stunde monsunartig geregnet. In der Zeit haben wir ein paar Souvenirs gekauft.

20.01.16 Nachtboot nach Caticlan:

 Am 16.01.16 bin ich bei Dämmerung in Manila gelandet. Der erste Eindruck von oben und von der Taxifahrt durch einen Teil der Stadt: groß, arm, reich, modern, am zerfallen.
Die Menschen sind sehr hilfsbereit und geben gerne (wahrheitsgemäße) Auskunft.
Wie wir in den letzten Tagen festgestellt haben leider auch oft sehr unterschiedliche, was es schwer macht herauszufinden, wann denn nun das letzte Boot fährt. Also lieber fünfmal nachfragen. Auch sind die Menschen sehr offen und interessiert. Schnell bekommt man eine "Freundschaftsanfrage" in Facebook und wird auf den Philippinen herzlich willkommen geheißen.
Englisch ist zwar 2. Amtssprache, leider merkt man das nur bei der jungen Generation oder den meisten Schildern. Oft bekommt man auf Fragen nur ein Nicken oder ein verschämtes Lächeln.
Im ersten Moment fühlt man sich zwar in Asien, aber wenn man schon andere Länder in Asien besucht hat, weiß man, dass es sich eher um eine "abgeschwächte" Form handelt. Das die Amerikaner 50 Jahre als Besatzer da waren erklärt die vielen Burger und Donuts. Doch die spanische Kolonialzeit lässt sich an Sprache und alten Häusern leicht erkennen.
Wenn man jedoch mal "hinter die Kulissen blickt" erkennt man doch eine ganz eigene asiatische Kultur. Verstanden haben wir diese an Tag 3 noch nicht, hoffen aber, sie erschließt sich uns noch.

Sonntag den 17.01. haben wir das schöne Zuhause von Nuki in Manila, nach vorhergehender Partynacht mit vielen neuen "Gruppenselfies" und Facebookfreunden, verlassen. Wir sind mit einem Bus und einem der lustigen Tricycles (wohl bislang mein abenteuerlichstes öffentliches Verkehrsmittel) zum Lake Taal gefahren.
Inmitten eines Kratersees erheben sich mehrere Vulkane. Der Taal-Volcano ist der kleinste und aktivste Vulkan der Welt. Der Weg dorthin ist staubig , steil und kein leichtes unterfangen bei der brennenden Sonne. Daher stehen dutzende Guides mit ihren Pferden bei Ankunft bereit.

Vulkan in Lake Taal

Lake Taal

Summary

In the last three month I travelled around 39.892 km, 27.245 km of them by airplane, the rest in buses and boats.

 I have seen many different tribes and communities, living in 4 different countries. I learned about their daily life and their history. I crossed 9 times country boarders.

I have seen beautiful nature and very different nature, sometimes destroyed. I tasted a lot of new and very different tastes. I always had to find something I wanted to eat. I could just twice cook by my own.

I met people. A lot of different people. I made new friends.

I made my diving licence.

I spend around 4.101,75 Euro.

Most of all: I could finally get an impression of Asia and I got a bit wiser again by making all the experiences I made. Thank you for sharing.

My highlights:

The laid back Thai islands, the nature and originality in Lao, the people in Cambodia, Mumbai, Taj, Angkor, Vientiane, Phnom Penh and of course the paradise on Koh Rong.

Phnom Penh and beautiful islands

27.06.2014

As we arrived in Phnom Penh I was surprised. After Vientiane I expected some French architecture and something’s the Cambodian’s built up again after the Red Khmer. But I found myself in a modern metropolitan city. After our stuff was stored in a room we walked around and I soon decided to change my plan to leave the next day – I wanted to have a night out in this pulsating city. I talked to 3 English boys in the evening to share a Tuk-Tuk to the killing fields the next morning. As I have been super tired I just quickly talked to my beloved ‘full moon team’ and went to bed. In the morning of the 13^th we 4 left to the historical place near Phnom Penh known as the ‘killing fields’. It is exactly that. 

Jungle, Vampires and an old elephant

12.06.2014
Again in the early morning on the 9th of June I had to take my next bus to Sen Monorom. So I left my homestay without breakfast and took the small boat. Of course the bus was not leaving in time. I had to sit and wait for 1,5 hours and then the public bus was slow as usual. So I arrived quite late. But as Julie recommended me a place, there was no stress. A Spanish girl from the bus, Lorea, was staying there as well. We decided to do a 2 day jungle trek with elephant riding on the next morning. To stay in the Mondulkiri area was already quite an adventure. The dorm bungalow and the entire hostel was full of hairy grubs and other strange insects. In the night I could get a first impression of the monsoon, as it was raining and storming all night. The sound under the metal roof has been strong, as there seemed to be a tree over the roof, which is losing heavy fruits from time to time. I couldn`t believe my eyes the next morning, as I saw that no branch was hanging over the bungalow. Creepy. What a good start for a jungle tour. 

First stop in Cambodia

Sundown at the Mekong from the Koh Trong island at the 8th.
I arrived around 10 am in Kratie. I left my bags at a bus ticket counter and start to walk to see the Wat Serey and find out some information - how to get to the next city at my list and how to see the Irrawaddy dolphines and what else there is to do. First the bus to Sen Monorom is just leaving 7am. So I asked two guys on the street where they stay. They recommended the homestay on the Koh Trong island. So I first found the cheapest way to see the Irrawaddy´s in a hostel in my guide I found two germans who wanted to do the tour as well. For 4$ each we got a Tuk Tuk to Kampi. There a boat drove us for 7 $ each out on the Mekong. First not a lot was happening, but after a while a lot of dolphines showed up and even start to jump around. After the Tuk Tuk brought us to the Phanom Sambok temple. 

 

The Kong Lor story

08.06.2014
I'm in a bus to Kratie from Stung Tren. That the public bus is the same price like a tourist van and the fact that I got a different bus, tells me about the way tourists get treated here. As we crossed the boarder from Lao to Cambodia yesterday we already had trouble with the agency, cause they lied about the journey. So for a 2 hour drive it took us from 9 am till 2 pm. As I arrived in Strung Tren I got some Dollars to be able to buy some things. The change you get back is given in Riel. In the town was a big market with a lot new food. For dinner I got an Cambodian Papayasalad at the Mekong riverside to watch the sunset. But with the monsoon time all I could see was some light between clouds and lightning. The first night in a room alone without my boys was weird again. But I was so tired that I just felt a sleep. After seeing the farmers life in Lao, the history of Cambodia's Red Khmer regime is fascinating me and I found a German book in my hostel 'Der weite Weg der Hoffnung' (First they killed my father) which I can't stop to read.
But of course you want to know what happened in between and especially the cave story... Well I know that you want to know. So here is how another plan of us just worked out perfectly:

A new plan in Phonsavan

06.06.2014

So we arrived on the 31th in Phonsavan, a triste and quite boring city. We found a nice bungalow for us 3 form a nice and as we found out later that night wasted Lao dude. I told Lüder some days ago about my plan to get a scooter and drive into the mountain range to Xam Neua to watch some bomb caves in Vieng Xai from the Vietnam war. He and Lucas liked the idea so we planned that the 243 km should be possible at one day with 30 km/h on a scooter. We could make a small BBQ at the hostel and made the final plan. Good Germans as we are we fulfilled the plan the next morning. We rented two scooters, bought some lunch and left with cloth for 3 days. First we watched the around 7 km far away Plain of Jars side 1 & 2.

French baguette and Beerlao

03.06.2014

I crossed the boarder at the friendship bridge. Easy and fast I could get my Visa on arrival. As the bus arrived in Vientiane I searched for a place to stay and quickly found one, as there where many on the main street. As usual I wanted to see the town by walking, but as I started I saw some chilled bicycles for rent. As the town had many one ways the traffic was not as crazy as usual. Happy I rode my bike to the presidential Palace, the Wat Ong Teu, the Wat Hai Sok and Wat Mixai. After I went to the beautiful Patuxai.

 

In the evening I went to a Lao Massage and the nice night market at the Mekong river side. The perfect day ended for me with a Beerlao. Next morning I went for a run at the Mekong and drove with my bike to the bus station. There I took a bus to the Buddha Park (Xiang Khouang), where a monk 1969 started to build different Buddha statues.

On the way to Lao

26.05.2014

As I arrived in Bangkok I could wash all the dirt of India out oft my cloth and have a long shower at Maurice's. I wanted to leave Bangkok in the same night, but I was just too done. So on Saturday morning I finally went to the weekend market, which might be the best thing in Bangkok.

As I couldn't carry more I let some of the things at Mauric`s and went to the northern bus terminal to take a night bus to Khon Kaen. For those interested: I couldn't feel a lot of the situation in Bangkok. Only things I recognized: You shouldn't be outside your house after 10pm suggested by the military. There is a lot of military everywhere. And in the TV there is just one picture on every channel.

 

I arrived in Khon Kaen around 3:30 am on the 25th and tried to sleep at the bus station. Around 6 am I left to see the town. Almost everything was closed and I had an embarrassing and annoying moment with an old Thai guy, so I left with the bus at 8 am to Vientiane.