Around the world - final summary

---

From Mongolia to Colombia - 12 countries in 10 months

During the last 10 months I have had the time of my life. I have seen and done truly amazing things in 12 different countries around the globe witnessing the beauty of life. I enjoyed every minute of it (well not every, but most of it) and I will never forget the great experiences I made and amazing people I met. Except some smaller injuries (mostly surf related), a nasty foot infection, a minor ferry crash without any injuries, and a theft(attempt), all went well during the entire trip.
Again I learned to enjoy and focus on the simple things in life: there´s nothing better than watching a sunset on the beach, or (scuba)diving into a completely different world under water and being part of it.
I could not find a direct correlation between happiness and money, as most often the poorest people seemed to be more happy and satisfied than the rich.
Jobs and money come and go, but memories like the ones of the trip will remain and nobody can ever take them from me. I am very happy and thankful that I was able to make this trip and hope it won't be my last one.

My final rating

Although it is not possible to compare countries I have been asked for my most prefered places on this trip so many times, that I decided to come up with my personal preference hitlist as a final summary of the whole trip. Besides that my opinion is very subjective of course (eg I prefer warm countries and beaches), certain factors may have an influence on my final judgment as well, eg. the order in which I visited the countries, travelling solo or together with Els, first or second time visit in a certain country.
(I exlcuded the USA, as we only were in LA for a couple of days on this trip).

Anyways here it comes...


1. Cooks islands
My number one, because I prefer beach life and the cooks are true paradise. They are the most beautiful islands with the most beautiful beaches and best snorkeling I have ever seen. It felt like being locked up in a big screen saver. The islands are not (yet) as touristic as other pacific islands like Fiji and it is easy to get in touch with the super friendly and relaxed local population.

2. Japan
is one of the most crazy and different places I have ever been to and I like crazy stuff. Everything there is a (positive) experience. The Japanes are the most friendly, polite and helpful people I have ever encountered, most treat you like a king.

3. Philippines
I am a huge South East Asia fan and the Philippines combine the best of SEA with a great variety of stunning landscapes and super friendly locals who all speak English. The best thing is that the Philippines are relatively undiscovered by mass tourism and the (young) backpack scene and therefore make it a very pleasant travel experience.

4. New Zealand
NZ offers nature's best in a very compact size. Within 2 hours of driving you can see mountains, rain forrests and beaches. The country offers a great variety of stunning landscapes and travelling is very easy and pleasant due to a very well organized travel info system and very friendly and welcoming locals.

5. Mongolia
is the land of the extremes and different to all other places I have ever been to. Except from the capital where most of its population lives, the whole country is a huge national park with untouched landscapes and wild animals. Every now and then you encounter nomads living in Gers (traditional tents). Travelling there is a bit exhausting due to the lack of infrastrucutre. However it's great fun and a great experience I will never forget.

6. China
China was a great experience for me, not so much for the sightseeing but more for the travel experience itself. Trying to communicate with the friendly locals by using sign language and drawing and laughing a lot was great fun. China is huge, exotic, chaotic, fun and very interesting. Definitely a place to visit again and witness the changes taking place at fast pace.

7. Thailand
Probably not fair to include one of my favorite countries into the ranking, as this was my 6th time visiting. So the relatively poor rating is purely based on the lack of novelty effect compared to all other places visited on the trip. Despite of the insanly increasing tourist industry, I still found the right places and enjoyed the uber relaxd and friendly locals, stunning landscapes and probably the best food in the world. Thailand never disappoints.

7. Mexico
Although being a bit sceptic in the beginning, a stay at the pacific coast and learning some Spanish changed my attitude completely: I really enjoyed this huge country for its super relaxed locals, good food and variety of landscapes. The relatively poor rating is mainly due to the fact that in general I find Central and South America less excotic than Asia and that pyramids and colonial towns don't impress me that much anymore.

7. Colombia
Lowering my high expectations as a result of the hype created by many travelers, I started to enjoy Colombia a lot mainly due to the friendly and helpful locals, with whom it easy to get in contact with. The country furthermore offers a great variety of landscapes. However most I have seen or done in Colombia I have seen or done already somewhere else before. Bad weather during almost my entire stay may also had a slight negative impact on its rank in the list.

8. Malaysia
Although Malaysia offers a very interesting mix of all Asian cultures and religions living closely together, it is also one of the most developped countries in the region. That makes it also the least interesting SEA country for me. The locals are less approachable and friendly than in most other SEA countries. An absolute highlight of my stay was the Thaipusam festival close to Kuala Lumpur with Hindus piercing their bodies with hooks and dancing in trance. The festival alone already justified the stay in Malaysia.

9. Australia (east coast)
OZ, at least the east coast, is last on my list, because
- the landscapes of the east coast, that look the same for most parts, did not impress me any more, especially after all the beaches I have seen in Asia
- there are way too many rules and regulation with (DON'T) signs everywhere
- we found it very expensive and if you therefore have to stay on a budget, you are constantly surrounded by very young, overexcited and annoying backpackers



The highlights
- We witnessed true paradise on earth and therefore experienced true happines on the cook islands
- We witnessed the most perfect night sky full of stars, galaxies and satelites in NZ and Mongolia
- We witnessed the most amazing underwaterworld at the great barrier reef (OZ), the Philippines and the
cook islands
- I swam with hundreds of wild dolphins and 10m+ whalesharks in the open water in NZ and Mexico
- I went wreck diving in the Philippines and did cave diving at the cenotes in Mexico with 100m+ visibility
- We hang glided over amazing landscapes in NZ
- Our ferry crashed into a pier in the Philippines, nobody injured but first seconds felt weird
- We visited 5 doctors in 4 different countries: I got stung by a scorpion in Mexico, I got stiched after a little surf accident in Mexico, I got an elephant foot due to a nasty coral infection, Els broke her wrist after a surf accident
- We visited the probably weirdest festival in the world with people piercing their boddies with hooks and dancing in trance in Malaysia (Thaipusam)
- I witnessed unique Mayian rituals in a small church in Mexico with people sacrificing animals
- I walked the streets of Shanghai in pyjamas, after observing this popular after dark clothing style
- We caraoked with Japanese students and loved it
- We visited a maid cafe in Tokyo with little Japanese girls serving us on their knees and calling us Masters
- We slept in the outback open air on matrasses watching perfect clear night skies before falling asleep
- We partied with the Miss Earth contestants at a party in the Philippines
- I tried to eat a dug egg with an embryo inside in the Philippines, but had to give up after two bites
- We drunk our Mongolian driver under the table so he fell on the oven in our Ger and burned himself
- I got followed by some Chinese very eager to invite me to drink beer with them, ...well they succeeded to convince me
- I slam danced with the punk/hc youth in Mexico, Japan, and China
- I learned Spanish in Mexico, so I could travel more easily on my own through Latin America
- We made friends and have contacts now in most countries we visited

---

Photos

1. Cook Islands
My number one: cause it´s paradise

2. Japan
I like it different

3. Philippines
South East Asia's best

4. New Zealand
Nature's best

5. Mongolia
Extreme experiences

6. China
great fun travelling in China

7. Thailand
never disappoints

7. Mexico
Viva Mexico

7. Colombia
great variety of landscapes and friendly locals

8. Malaysia
interesting mix of cultures

9. Australia (east coast)
too many rules n regulations