This is the end my friend

I know, you haven’t heard a thing since I left Pakistan. But after surviving the first cultural shock from Lahore to Bangkok. I just had nothing to write about anymore. As soon as I acquired my Vietnam-Visa I left Bangkok, but the city wasn’t as horrible as on the first visit. You know what to expect. I headed north to Chiang Mai. I was too lazy to wait long enough for a climbing partner so I thought I could cycle (this time with a bicycle) to Chiang Rai, north Thailand. In Pai, a tourism art village I bought a mountainbike. With bamboo poles I fixed a cradle for my backpack on the bike and rode off the next morning. After I left Pai I found out that I had forgotten to eat breakfast and to bring water. Typical but I found a place where I could fill up the hole in my stomach. It’s quite an up and downhill but after crapy 55 km my knee hurt that much that I found it better to stop for the rest of the day. I made another attempt the next day after a night sleep and tigerbalm but my left knee was swollen. Fuck, well, who am I to blow against the wind, haha
friendly Thais brought me and my bike to Chiang Mai. For once I was glad that they all drive huge pick-ups around. Back in Chiang Mai, change of plans – got rid of the bamboo construction, sold the bicycle, met a travel companion and travelled with the bus to the north boarder of Lao and down the the river on a boat full of “happy” tourists to Luang Pra Bang.

In Vang Vieng where everybody else gets drunk, we went for climbing and  kayaking. It’s funny to watch loads of bored ppl sitting in a lkw tube with a wet ass, waiting ages until the river takes them to end. Tubing what a bullshit, bars with bad music to dance,…
From Vang Vieng to Vietnam (Hue) in a Bus where everybody has to crouch together that the owner of the bus has enough space to lie and spread himself as wide as possible. If you are in his way he screams at you and he also would wake up ppl for closing the a/c slot for him that he doesn’t has to move at all. What a warm welcome to Vietnam.
I went to China Beach, nice and in a few years fucked up like many other places – loads of hotels under construction. I would say I saw really nice places in Vietnam. But  somehow I didn’t get along with the ppl there. And also the weather in the north was pretty cold for climbing and that was the primary reason for me, zeke and lucian to head back to Thailand.
That’s one thing I really have to do -  THANKS to all the people I have met, stayed and/or travelled with:

Lisa WG, Franzi, Lena and Moritz in Germany- Timme, Verena and Kathi in Austria – Adrienn in Hungary – Sasho and Cristine from Bulgaria – Tomislav while travelling – Eloise in Istanbul – Omur, Zafer and Ömer near Trabzon – Kasia & Kristine in Georgia – Mohammed and Family in Shirgah Iran – Bernhard, Russel and on the bike/bicycle as well – David Alfred and family in Lahore Pakistan – Dan in Gilgit Pakistan – Pamela in Laos – Alanna and Kyle in Vietnam – Yvonne, Mary and Edwina in Thailand – Josu, Davi, Shaini, Concha, Philipp and Michael in Bali.

The list is not complete at all, there were so many more, some people you meet only for short, some for a longer time. Some you people you meet more on distance others you would think you know since ages.

I finished my trip with a month in Bali surfin, or lets say tryin to surf :)
The whole month we stayed in Kuta, damn annoying city but best place to get fast to all the spots.
Except for a few bars, like the Twice Bar and Drunken Monkey were all the places fucked up, house and party music everywhere. But all the people I met made more than up for it.
And as soon as you get out of the tourist part of Bali the island gets really nice.

Broke and back home now – have to get used to it. But I already got some further trips in my mind for summer or/and autumn.

Have fun, see you round :)