Fast Forward- India

Shiva Statue in Rishikesh.

Monkey, deep in thought.

Anya and I started out in Delhi and went quickly to Rishikesh. We cruised with a big crew who I'm excited to travel to Goa with. We checked out the Beatles Ashram, which we concluded had a strange and creepy vibe to it. It's been abandoned and has a haunted feeling. We road motorbikes and watched Colin bungee jump outside of Rishikesh. Before all this we blessed ourselves in the rivers of the Ganges. We had some good times in Rishikesh from where Anya and I departed to McLeod Ganj from.

On the way to McLeod Ganj.

The view after a hike up a mountain.

The View from McLeod Ganj.

McLeod Ganj

Rock slab house

As we sat on the bus we saw the great Himalayas rise above us. McLeod Ganj was quite cold and we were grateful for all the warm clothing we had lugged with us since Thailand. We made new friends and learned about Kashmiri culture from two guys, Musa and Asheek that moved to McLeod Ganj from Kashmir. I hadn't realized the love that Indians had for each other until meeting these guys. They lived together sharing one bed and were completely happy with their situation. They cooked for us and we shared stories from home with one another. Sadly Anya and I left abruptly which means I may never see these guys again. So is life while traveling

Man with his whip.

Anya with the Paparazzi

The Golden Temple

Anya and I moved on to Amritsar where the Golden Temple is housed. The Sikh religion started in Amritsar and its holiest temple is the magnificent Golden Temple. Anya and I were amazed by this temple but also by the less well known Hindu temple that had caves and completely mirrored rooms. It was fantastic.

Relaxing with a beer.

Jodhpur the blue city.

Anya is happy with her Hena

Smilin' Camel

Me with the Mr. Desert

The Phantom from Octopussy, which belonged to the Maharaja.

From Amritsar we moved on to Rajasthan. Here we went to Jaisalmer where we went camel trekking, Johdpur where we explored the Blue City and the Fort, and Udaipur where we saw relics of the James Bond movie Octopussy. Now that I'm completely caught up I can begin to document my trip without a worry of telling the past. Now I can live in the present, instead of the past.

Fast Forward- Thailand and Cambodia 2

Anya and I went to the Full Moon Party of Ko Pangan after Ko Lanta. It was a crazy party leading up and through the full moon party. But after going to Burning Man I had been spoiled by a feeling that the full moon party poorly tried to recreate. We had a blast but were happy to get going to Cambodia. After a layover in Bankok Anya and I made our way to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We made some friends with whom we spent our entire time with in Siem Reap. We inspired each other to wake up for sunrise over Angkor Wat.

Sunrise with new, close friends.

Kalle, David, and not in the picture Dan all celebrated my birthday with me. They secretly bought a cake and brought it to our regular bar. It went silent at the bar while we were drinking beers and then everyone at the bar started singing happy birthday. It was one of the best birthday presents anyone has ever given me. To make new friends and see them do something so special showed me how open and warm hearted people can really be. It also turns out that Kalle was from practically the same town as I was born in Germany.

Watching the sunset with friends at a secluded Wat.

The skulls from victims of the Khmer Rouge. At the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh.

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

Anya and I left to Phnom Penh where we did some sight seeing. My fondest memories, outside of the depressing tributes to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, were riding Go-Karts at 60 km/hr and shooting an M-18. We departed for India after Cambodia.

Fast Forward- Thailand and Cambodia

A lot of things have happened since the first blog was posted. I've realized that while traveling it is hard to find time to write about what you've been doing. I don't have a computer and the time wasted in an internet cafe is time not spent experiencing where you are.

Anya pointing at the hill we climbed up. It took over 1,200 steep stairs to get to the top.

        
I met up with Anya in Bangkok and we decided to go to the southern islands of Thailand. We were bound for the full moon party but also wanted to experience the beauty of these treasured islands. We started by going to Krabi, a relaxed town with little night life. But we got to experience the laid back feeling of living at a resort in paradise. 

Anya after some awesome underwater adventures in Ko Phi Phi.

 Next, we took a boat to Ko Pi Pi an island infamous for its buckets and the destruction that occurred during the tsunami. Anya and I had to be slight squares because we got our PADI certification and wanted to be well rested for the morning dives. It was well worth it and we got to see an array of sea life that I've never imagined before. The immense size of the ancient corral was enough for me to know that getting certified here was well worth the extra money.

Anya in Ko Lanta, definitely not posing for the picture.

 After Ko Phi Phi we went to Ko Lanta which was a nice relaxing place but after taking it easy in Ko Phi Phi we wanted a little more night life. The most exciting thing was the drunk englishman who owned a resort that admitted to being, "Absolutely Pissed!" The translation is hammered off his willy-wanker. I almost forgot, however, about the long ride Anya and I did on a motorbike on dirt roads that pushed the limits of our bike. We made it back to the hotel safe without being attacked by monkeys.

Burma- Ngapali

Colin and I arrived again safely in Ngapali, a quiet beach town as close to paradise as I have ever seen. We were told to stay in a house that a woman in Bagan owned but it turned out to be a house under construction, without windows, beds, or anything that resembled a livable home. We were helped by a hotel manager named Kwau to find a hotel that was affordable. We found a resort directly on the beach for 15 bucks a night. The best part was that we were 200 meters away from a bar that served the best mojitos for one dollar a piece.

Safe! With Kebol and all!

Burma- Bagan

After an earthquake of a train ride, Coe and I arrived in Bagan in one piece. We checked into a hotel and took a truck into the old part of Bagan that has a vast sea of Pagodas. All of the Pagodas are about a 1000 years old with some newer and some older than this. Coe and I walked around and watched an awesome sunset from an isolated Pagoda. It was very romantic. kidding, kidding.

Coe in Bagan.

The next day Coe and I met up with Colin and we barged around on bikes. We went to the other side of Bagan and saw many different temples, including a massive reclining Buddha statue. We ended the night with Jameson and arguing about natuiral resources with two Germans. The following day Coe left Bagan and Colin and I stayed an extra day and left for Ngapali, Burma on a plane. The flight was very safe and reliable as one would expect from Burmese Airplanes.

Coe enjoying

Night in Bagan

Burma- Mandalay cont.

Me on a bridge outside of Mandalay.

After riding over a different bridge for the hell of it Coe and I set out for the teak bridge. We made it to the teak bridge just in time for sunset. It was another beautiful Burmese sunset with my first experience of getting my picture taken with tourists. This ended up being a reoccuring thing throught my trip in Asia.

Coe watching the sunset.

Coe and I made our way back to the hotel in time for our train to Bagan where we would meet up with Colin. The train ride was another scary experience in Burmese traveling. You aren't safe in the trains, buses, or airplanes. I'm kidding, you're probably safe. The train started well but ten minutes in the train felt like it was about to tip over every 5 minutes. It made for some awesome sleep.

Burmese fisherman waiting for a catch.

So the following day Coe and I decide to see the longest teak bridge in the world that is just outside of Mandalay. We decide to rent a motorbike and after concluding that I didn't know how to ride one we decided to rend one with Coes as the driver. We set out to find the teak bridge but after our bike broke and got fixed we set out on the wrong way. We passed the turnoff and ended up on a road dominated by semi trucks and water buffalo. Luckily this road let us see the teak bridge, which we had passed a long time ago.

Burma- Mandalay

After puking from food poisoning on a 12 hour bus ride, that drove over dirt roads with sheer cliffs, Coe and I arrived in one piece in Mandalay. We checked out the Royal Palace but weren't allowed to go inside. While walking around we hiked up to a monastery with a giant Buddha, just in time for sunset while overlooking the city.

Sunset in Mandalay.

We went to see the Moustache Brothers later in the evening. These guys are basically the most acclaimed Burmese comedians. Their comedy was pretty terrible and the traditional Burmese dancing a little awkward. The awkwardness was enhanced by the fact that you are in one of the Brothers' house and you are sitting 2 feet from the performers. After the show I wanted to find other foreigners to party with but instead I found out that the night life in Mandalay consists of sitting in oversized bars and drinking Burmese beer while locals in the bar watch American movies on the tube. I would've gone a little crazy without Coe to talk to. I would've also been killed by Burmese traffic had I not had Coe. Before moving on to the next day I have to share the insanity of the Military Dictatorship that rules Burma. Below is a newspaper in Burma and this page of the newspaper is in every edition. I forgot to mention that the Moustache Brothers are under house arrest and one of the brothers has spent 14 years total in jail for speaking out against the government publicly. This newspaper clip helped me understand how controlling the government is in Burma.

Burmese Newspaper

Burma- Inle Lake

After arriving in Inle Lake Coe and I took a bumpy ride with two guys from Denmark. At the end of this ride the taller one was praying for safety. I thought the ride was quite a bit less nerve wrecking than the plane ride. The following day Coe and I went on a bike ride to explore the lake area.

Monastery with mustard.

Coe and I biked through bamboo forests, tiny lake towns, and eventually found a winery. After drinking Chang and Leo beer (real light beer) for the last days (for Coe it was for the last few months) wine sounded real nice. I didn't quite make it the whole way up the hill, but riding down after 9 taster glasses of different wine was bliss.

Two fine young chaps.

The following day we went on a tour of the lake in a long-tail boat. We saw floating gardens, fabrics made from the lotus flower, and the rarest treasure of southeast asia... cats jumping through hoops. Crazy shit, I know. The next day we left to Mandalay.

Inle Lake with the floating gardens.

The beginning a little late, but better than never.

Last Days in the Lab

So, this was me days before leaving for Southeast Asia. I was frantically trying to finish up experiments for my thesis and eventually finished. I finished my thesis at 8pm, said goodbye to friends, and left for the airport at 4am. The beginnings of my flights were a little bumpy but I arrived in one piece in Bangkok and was ridiculously glad to see Coe at the airport. Being my first time in Thailand, I was pretty scared and had no idea what to expect, except for the worst. Bangkok was bustling but I got a little acclimated before Coe and I left for Burma. We arrived in Yangon and made the decision to fly to Inle Lake because time was short. Our flight was bumpy to say the least and I am not someone who is usually scared of flying. But I feared a little for my life when the plane had speed wobbles at take off, in the air, and during landing (the scariest point for me). Anyone who skates will know that the second you start getting speed wobbles you're probably gonna stack (fall). It's an unsettling feeling when your plane gets into this same rhythm. 

Coe is pointing out how reliable and safe the airline is. This is reassured by their slogan "Air Mandalay- Safety, Reliability, and Comfort"