The Journey On: A Dream Comes True

Aug 7, 2023 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

New Home

To do what you like, without the usual restrictions, rules, boundaries and routines.
This mostly happens in dreams. But in a dream you rarely come ready to deal with this unexpected freedom and all the opportunities.

My own flat is like a dream.

I left a big frame of my life and stepped into this other, much more customisable one. I can decide over pretty much everything inside my walls, build my own world in ways I could ever only dream about.
This dream doesn’t really end, though. And sometimes it feels more real, sometimes less so. At some points I realise that I am in control, at other points I learn which factors to obey to.

Dreams show you many everyday things that you wouldn’t put into that certain context, so it is a fun way to explore how your own brain works under different conditions.

I just started to get the hang of this dream, I am beginning to like it, to feel at home inside of it.
This is a journey I will be on for a longer time, I feel.

Be welcome, do visit me inside this dream, share it with me, make it more real!

 

United States of America

Not many shows have caught my fancy the dreamy way Twin Peaks did.

As I found myself in British Columbia, I discovered that the places it was filmed weren’t far. In fact, they were so close I decided to go for one of my most memorable road trips.

The still marvelous rental car carried me all the way over the border, to the Snoqualmie Valley, where major parts of the show were filmed. In my time there, I even drove around the Olympic National Park, which mountain peaks I have peeked on from Canada.

I visited many sights of the show, had A Damn Fine Cup Of Coffee at a real American diner with coffee refills, saw Elk (finally) in multitude, was shown unexpected generosity by my Airbnb hostess, dreamlike hospitality by the Peaker-friendly DirtFish Rally School and enjoyed getting to know the local Sasquatches in that happy place called North Bend.

Where ‚The Great Northern‘ from the Show was filmed, I was lucky to find the place open as well and indulged in its magic and serenity, saw the iconic log, went further up into the Hall of Mosses, which sounds just as spectacular and possibly life-changing as it made a lasting impression on me.

A trip straight out of a dream, that was. A dream I woke up from to spend one last night with my loved ones in Canada, before returning home an enriched man.

 

You have come to Journey’s End

May 10, 2016 | Photos, The Great Journey, Thoughts

“Lay down your sweet and weary head.”

There once was a boy who packed his things. All those things, he believed he needed in New Zealand. Did he know what was waiting for him? Not really. He did know where he went and what were his plans there, but he didn’t know how it would work out.

In Bangkok, he packed his bag for the last time. The great burden, the treasure of goods and memories, which should arrive at home safely.

524 days it has been…

In the beginning of December 2014 he did not know, where he would be today. He didn’t know, who he would text with today. He didn’t know, for whose lives he would care today. He didn’t know, which places he would’ve called his home. He didn’t know, how the journey would change him. He didn’t know, how hard he would long to go home one day.

He didn’t know, how very satisfied he would stand at the end of his journey. At the airport in Bangkok. Having bought some coffee off his last money. The song in his head.
Soon he will be home. He will close his arms around his family. He would stay there. He will look at many things from a new perspective. He will value invitation, the food at home and his relatives and friends far more.
He will sit quietly in his nice room and ponder about the past time. He will write to his friends, tell them how happy he is to have gotten to know them.
He will realise, how wonderful and with great fortune his long journey had been blessed…

He will be able to relax. He won’t have that pressure, to experience something everyday just because you are on this trip. He will put away his belongings neatly and only take the things needed on the journeys to come. He won’t have to give away the keys to his home. He will hold his nephew tight. He will tell many people about his journey.

Some day he will have the chance to put the freshly made memories of Bangkok in line with the whole journey. He will wonder, how little he saw of this city. But the quiet before the trip home was just soothing…
He will be able look at the pictures and think back…

 

 

 

 

Now my time is up. I have seen 5 countries, some more thoroughly, some more hastily… I have lived in the most different of places. I have shot 45.000 pictures, more than 38.000 of those in New Zealand. I have won countless friends on my journey. I have told you in over 100 blog posts about my time abroad and I will continue writing. As of now, the possibly most important part of my journey begins…

“What can you see on the horizon?”

Running through the Monsoon

May 9, 2016 | Photos, The Great Journey

The second last destination of my journey, Krabi in Thailand, I reached after a long and not comfortable at all bus ride. For this place, just alike Singapore and Malaysia, I gave myself 2 days and experienced a sweet as island tour, next to some perfect rainy and thunderous weather.

To find your hostel in the dark is one thing, to find it through this deluge is another…

But let’s go from the top: So I said goodbye to Penang and Georgetown and got onto the minivan direction Thailand. Minivan is actually not the best name. Mobile jumping castle is far more fitting, given the street conditions here.
Originally, I was to go through from one end to the other using one ticket, but that only works when you don’t leave the bus. In Hat Yai behind the Thailand border we were ushered out of the bus and redistributed at the bus terminal.
The vocabulary for these situations is reduced to a single word. In my case ‘Krabi’. I was led to a counter and explained myself to the lady using only the one word, until she knew the gist of my mission.
But explaining that I had paid already didn’t make it to her heart. I had to buy another ticket. It is not much money, but less than ideal…

Well, I was off to the next jumping castle now, which was far more uncomfortable and in a worse state than the first. 12 persons and the scorching sun made for some heavy climate inside, but at least the jumpy road got the air moving a little.

The minivan reloading point in Hat Yai.

Finally having arrived in Krabi Town, I settled in my spacious room, booked the further journey and the island tour for the next day with the very friendly hostel owner and took a little walk:

The traffic lights in Krabi Town are works of art!

Tom Yam.

The next day, I went on the ‘Seven Island Sunset Tour’. But of these 7 islands, some are part of the national park and cost extra. I saved that money and was happy with it.
To the pier I was driven in a tuk-tuk. This vehicle has a driver’s cabin and a cargo area suitable for persons in the back. The very standard means of transportation here! 🙂

Out of the tuk-tuk.

This is what the boats look like we tourists are loaded onto.

We were being parted in those who would go to the national park and those who wouldn’t.
Only later I heard from the first that it was no worth the extra charge…
The day looked like this: A jolly back-and-forth from the big boat and the small boat, two times of snorkeling with reefs and exotic fishes, a visit on an island with dinner and some entertainment and later some swimming in fluorescent plankton… The latter being my favourite! So you are in the deep dark water (when the boats turn off the lights) and you make the small particles light up by moving your hand quickly. Just like in a computer game! 😀
But there are no photos of the swimming sessions… My camera is great, though not waterproof. 😉

The stars of these waters are without a doubt the straight up rising rocks…

Chicken Island.

 

 

How do stalactites exist on the outside?

 

 

The sunset was hiding behind the clouds.

A more or less professional fire show in the evening…

On the way back I found myself driving back to town with the very same people again. 7 Indonesians who saw the national park, a British girl from Japan whom I spent my day with and my humble self.
The mood was lifted to the heights after the day we had! We began, one nationality after the other, to sing songs to each other and that made for a great end of a great day…
Music is more, music connects!

 

 

The way home in the tuk-tuk.

 

 

The next day I would be collected by the bus to Bangkok at 4pm and the time until then I used to see the beach at Ao Nang.

And this is how my luggage looks, having exploded once more…

As an electronics technician, I don’t know how to decide between marvel and frown. 😀

 

 

And once more the by the locals longed for rain graced the lands.

The bus terminal in Krabi. Here, we well-paying tourists are divided into the buses like chickens.

 

 

Here’s another nice fact about bus rides in Thailand or Southeast-Asia in general: Customer orientation is an alien concept. The bus we entered in Krabi stopped about one hour later and they shouted: ‘Bangkok change bus! Bangkok change bus!’ Everyone out, take your bags and onto the next bus.
That one had green lighting (#00FF00) and had a tighter suspension than any Opel Manta! The upper floor, which I chose to sit in, that fact showed by the loud rattling, shaking and rustling of just EVERYTHING. In the end, I called off any sleeping attempt and took my acoustic pacifier into my mouth, or more like, into my ear. All hail the headphones!! 😀

Bangkok greeted me with a lying and impertinent taxi driver, which I still got a 60% rebate out of on the original fare, so that he didn’t say another word for the whole ride. To be overrun by scammers, at 6am, after a less than relaxing bus ride, should be illegal! But who cares the other day, I am home soon and can have a rest from all the struggles.

Today marks the last full day on my long journey. I will walk Bangkok a little, but all relaxed. I don’t need any more excitement…

In the Country of the Proton

May 6, 2016 | Photos, The Great Journey

I did not yet get to tell you, how I got from the bus terminal in Penang to my hostel…

 

 

 

 

It went like this: I didn’t exchange any cash before coming to Malaysia, so I stood pretty much penniless in the heat of the day and too far from my stay for a brisk walk by foot.
An exchange office was too far from the bus terminal against my calculations, which made me choose to give in to some bargaining with the taxi drivers. Well, actually one of the drivers chose to give in to accept my leftover Australian and Singaporean dollars as payment…
That money I couldn’t get exchanged at the exchange offices, so didn’t only ‘pay’ for the taxi ride, but also got rid of the heavy metal. Australian coins are the most ridiculous, big as a plate and not sized proportionally to their value…

Thus, I sat in that Proton and was driven to my accommodation. In my street there is a market every morning and at night many food stalls serve all kinds of delicacy. I dug in with pleasure, many times!

The first night I spent laid back and didn’t go for much. Getting money worked, getting food as well and getting into town on top. It was rather late, though and dark, so I didn’t spent too much time in the centre of Georgetown.

But in the next morning I girded up my loins as I often did before, to spend a day in the capital of Penang.

Some impressions:

The other hostel guests you usually meet in the kitchen…

Hokkien Mee.

Some abstract art during the bus ride.

 

 

This is the bus driver I had for 3 consecutive bus rides.

Fish market.

Wonton Mee.

 

 

A somewhat modified Proton.

I had a coconut milkshake for refreshment.

 

 

3 generations of the Proton in one picture. 🙂

 

 

Whoever shakes his head just now and asks himself, why I would post so many pictures of some certain car make, will soon nod and be in the know.
The Proton is Malaysia’s car make. That is special in itself, as I didn’t travel many countries which had their ‘own’ car…

Further, I am a nostalgic and quite fond of all Protons, as I drove one myself back with my family at home. The funny point back in Germany was that NOBODY knew the brand. ‘A whaaaat?’ 😀
The thing was something freaky at home and I didn’t ever dream of traveling the place where it’s from.

Penang Laksa, a specialty!

The ONLY way to have pasta with milk, is Cendol. It is coconut milk, beans, sugar and these green noodles. Very much welcome on a hot day!

This is some kind of spring roll, named Popiah and some Iced Chai on the side…

Georgetown is a historic masterpiece and made the UNESCO World Heritage list. I didn’t have enough time to look at every facette up close, but around some corners I did lurk.

 

 

Some remarkable display of architectural styles, I thought…

Climate change.

 

 

The people in Malaysia are very nice and quick to help out, I learned in these two days. I will surely come back to all the places, given time.
Now, it is just a quick run through the stations. But I want to arrive at the end, in the end… 🙂

 

 

To see in several places: A group of men watches a movie in front of a video store.

I thought I’d treat myself and spend the rest of the money…

 

 

Of unexpected nature was the last encounter I had in Malaysia. At the bus stop back to my hostel an elderly gentleman started the conversation. The usual questions, where to and where from. Apparently he lived pretty close to my stay and we had a very engaging talk over the bus ride. He invited me for some food and showed me his home. It felt a little dodgy in the beginning, but I had nothing to worry about as he proved thoroughly friendly.
He accompanied me to the hostel and we talked about each having made one more friend this quickly.

So, the last day in Malaysia ended and I entered the bus towards Thailand.
But more on that with the next entry. For now, I have to go on an island tour… 🙂

City Land River

May 3, 2016 | Photos, The Great Journey

Singapore is a city, at the same time a country and on top of that its capital.

Singapore is very close to the equator, so that the almost vertical sun exposure in combination with the tropical climate (the palm house at the zoo has that temperature for a reason) create some kind of gigantic sauna.
From the pleasant flight, where I got to know a very lovely family, I stepped into this sauna.

The bus got me to a ‘close’ place in the city, from where I started walking towards the hostel. Giant skyscrapers, magnificent buildings and even a McLaren P1 (I think my jaw dropped) got me an impression I would verify later: Singapore is filthy rich!!

But back to me an the weather. So, in this gigantic sauna I walk for 2,7 kilometres my way in full clothing and with all my luggage.
I must add that this luggage is not some you would pack for a 10-day-Southeast-Asia-Stroll, but the one for more than a year abroad…

Finally, I arrive at the hostel and have to be told I have booked the wrong period. I am one day early. If it was the change of the month or the changes in my life, I can’t say for sure. So I get the room for one of two night to myself…
Now I finally realise, what air conditioning is actually worth!

Originally, I wanted to spend only one day in Singapore, as it is said to be expensive there. Now I had one more, which made for some ease at planning my route though the big city.

I went discovering on both days then, as I wanted to know what Singapore is about and to get a taste for the Asian food.

Come along!

Blossomlet on the side of the road.

Is this from the riddle with the man in the red/blue/green/yellow house? 😀

In Singapore, you can always spot the ever-present difference between huge, modern and down-to-earth/ historic buildings. Though shabby none of the areas I visited had looked…

 

 

To eat until satisfied for little money is hardly possible in countries like New Zealand and Australia. At small hawker stalls it is quite easy. That way, both, the culinary desires and the wallet get happy.
I mostly visited the many hawker centres, simple food courts featuring diverse cuisines.

Fried Kway Teow. Many textures and tasty flavours.

This is what it looks like in the Maxwell Food Centre.

 

 

This serves as a confuzzling picture.

 

 

Singapore’s landmark, the Merlion.

Not a P1, but my dream car. The McLaren MP4-12C.

On night I tried the omnipresent fish balls. They taste like fish and are a little denser than jello.

Durian. The high-praised fruit. I got to taste it in the shape of ice-cream. Tastes like fart and fruity. It is said to smell VERY MUCH like fart as the whole fruit. 😀

 

 

Bak kut teh. Very tangy.

Here the making of my favourite beverage: Freshly squeezed sugarcane juice!

And whoever goes for the adventure of the little food stalls, will find oneself far from forks. Here your skills with the chopsticks get challenged.

I once more left the ‘simpler’ districts of Singapore, to walk into riches and pomposity again.
On Sentosa Island you find so much of it, it starts to feel weird. But well, supply and demand…

 

 

Little snack on the run: Fried carrot cake. Doesn’t include sweetness or carrots, but was all yummy. Even when you have to handle those lumps with chopsticks…

Marina Bay Sands. Presumably the most eccentric building of exclusivity. Next to a shopping mall it holds a hotel and who knows what more.

Inside the hotel lobby.

Behind the structure you find the gardens. At that point, I asked myself what would be special about this. Too much wealth makes things seem cheap.

Singapore is a colourful Asia-Mix. As a ‘westerner’ you are often sole in the masses and you can feel properly a stranger. Just like travels are meant to be. 🙂
Singapore is very rich, so you can’t find as much authentic Asia in this small area.
I have found myself inside countless (perfectly air-conditioned) breathtaking shopping malls. Any individual of distinction can satisfy their materialistic needs there. The more iconic the place in town, the more noble it is.
Thanks to English being an official language among others, communication was not hard at all.

Now I am sitting inside my room in Penang, Malaysia, and ask myself whether the fat cockroach, which just zoomed across the wall, will come out behind the cupboard at night…

The bus ride was a hard case, by the way. The proceedings at the border from Singapore to Malaysia were no big deal, though. You get out of the bus, get your exit stamp and drive across the bridge. Then you carry your luggage past the Malaysian authorities and you are there.
But I hope the 3 hour delay didn’t trouble the others as well. At least the seats inside the bus were comfy. 🙂

The underground, which I should have chosen over the bus in the beginning, is a good way to cross the city.

I am hungry, but before I can dive into the culinary amusement I need cash. Wish me luck, I will report back in time. 😉

Steve Irwin’s Legacy

Apr 29, 2016 | Photos, The Great Journey

The last day in Oceania comes to an end.
I have to pack my bag, Southeast-Asia is the next destination. But before that, I take my time for this post which serves as a bottom line for the last time here in Australia.

We moved northbound, direction Brisbane. For in that area you find the ‘Australia Zoo’.
This zoo is founded and built by the parents of Steve Irwin.
Many know Steve Irwin as ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ from countless, partly daring, documentaries all around his greatest passion, the animal kingdom.
The zoo still is a zoo, where animal are in cages, though they are fitting and spacious. Steve Irwin’s life’s work is mentioned at every corner, as his family still is present and keeps up his legacy in the great zoo…

 

 

But before we arrived, we had to make some long way. The days here are that short, you have to work with the sunset a few hours after waking up already…

 

 

We placed our funds in a fine camping site right next to the zoo and saw some colourful birds in the trees. These Galahs are as common in Australia as blackbirds back home… 🙂

 

 

After the long car ride we were all fed up with driving and went for the 2-day-admission, so we could visit the zoo all relaxed and without any pressure…

 

 

During the day, they show off some animals here and there.

Of course the zoo features the iconic Australia animals as stars! And crocodiles are ever-present in any colour or shape, of course. They were Steve’s favourite, without a doubt…

 

 

 

 

Koalas have a very much desirable life, don’t they? 😀

 

 

 

 

The Fierce Snake. The most venomous snake in the world!

 

 

 

 

Great price question: What is this and which animal does it belong to?

 

 

The tiger cubs go for some….walkies? 😀

 

 

This one is enjoying! 😀

 

 

The great animal show presents the most spectacular beasts with pomp and splendour!
The centre piece are of course the crocodiles, which you want to handle with care! 😀

 

 

Here, a volunteer was involved in the feeding of a ferocious reptile.

 

 

But it is all different with the grown up versions.

But also other predators, which one only knows from his picture-books, hover across the scene majestically.

 

 

This parrot will be a master thief one day, given you hold the note right. 😀

 

 

A wooden clap accompanies the closing of a crocodile’s jaws.

Steve Irwin died in 2006, being stabbed to the heart by a stingray during filming. That way, his life got to a sudden and greatly mourned end.

 

 

When focusing on the claws, a Koala looks less cuddly than previously assumed.

One of the most impressive animals to me, was the cassowary. Just look at the thing, the dinos still exist!!

 

 

This tiger is blind. Still, he plays like any other wild cat, because he knows every inch of his enclosure by heart. Not less was the dedication of the wrangler, who got into the water with him…

2 days are enough even for a pretty big zoo and without stress we had seen the lot of it.
For a little donation you can take a look inside the wild life hospital. In there, emergency cases are taken car of, which you can see quite some in a short visit.

 

 

Look Lea, here one of your dearest friends is aided, a magpie! 😉 😀

 

 

First, this Koala only reluctantly ate his eucalyptus leaves, but even in the animal kingdom you have to eat healthy…

We didn’t see much of Brisbane, as my plane takes of from the neighbour city, Gold Coast. Thus, we spent the last days here and relaxed with some last treats…

 

 

This is kangaroo meat. It tastes great! 🙂

 

 

The beach at Surfers Paradise at the Gold Coast. Like Miami…or something like that. 🙂

 

 

 

 

And this concludes my rather short adventure in Australia…
Soon I will, if it is possible, tell you about my experience in in Southeast-Asia. For soon, I will stand alone again. In the foreign. On the journey.