It's been a while... Actually, this year has been a while. As far as travelling was concerned it was probably my slowest year in the last decade, with by the end of it around four months on the road (and I am including the upcoming last three weeks of December in that). A complete reversal from last year, which saw me on the road for a full eight months. You could say, this year was the yin in last year’s yang, a way of balancing everything. Now, normally I would probably have complained bitterly about my lack of travelling opportunities this year, but I have grown older and, if not wiser, at least more relaxed about such trivialities. I have learned to take it as it comes and make the best of it. I focus on ... read more

And it doesn't feel especially great. They say you should try everything once, but I can assure you, this is something you don't need to try even once. So, six buses of varying quality, over a period of six days, over dubiously winding roads through the Vietnamese and Laotian highlands. Starting in Sapa and eventually ending in Bangkok, from where I am writing you this blog. Yes, I know it says it was written in Phonsavan, but that is basically a lie. The blog is going to be about Phonsavan, but the actually typing is being done in a little internet cafe in Bangkok. How did it all happen? Well, theoretically I could have gone to Bangkok in a much more direct and relaxed way. It would still have involved 4 bus journeys, but I could ... read more

Stardate: 22062012 Captains log: We arrived in the system of Hanoi today. It is a crowded place, with lots of people on two-wheeled motorised machines, zipping up and down. They seem to live of a soup called 'pho', which consists of a noodle broth with pieces of unidentified meat in it. The centre of the town is a place where species from many systems live together. There are many young men and women with big backpacks walking around. They stay mainly in a few places where they congregate to eat food from their own home, and drink a yellow liquid called beer. The strange thing is that even though they can get much cheaper food and beer only a block a way, they nevertheless decide to eat in the most expensive places in town. My conclusion ... read more

The blogger that is who. And the blogger in this case is me. Yes, it is not always easy to write a blog. Sometimes you are tired, you are not in the mood, you have a hangover, or you are just not inspired. And yet it is that day of the month/week that you need to write your travelblog. You could ask: 'Why not postpone it till you feel better?' Good question. Well, I am not sure if I will be more inspired tomorrow. I wasn't inspired this whole week, and I have been struggling to come up with a story or theme for this particular blog. So, I think in this case postponement would not do anything. Also, I tend to write a blog every ten or so days when I travel. I have found ... read more

Expectation is a fickle friend. He often disappoints you, but sometimes he happily surprises you. On the long run however I am not sure I would like him as a friend. Let me explain. Expectation, more often than not, is the emotion that decides whether or not I like or dislike a country. Or to put it correctly it is because a territory doesn't live up to its expectation that it falls out of grace with me. Those expectations are often fueled by what others tell me about their experiences in a country. Now, I am not that naive that I believe whatever people tell me about a place. I know that such experiences are highly individual. But be that as it may, if enough people tell you a country is great, or perhaps not so ... read more

S.E. Asia and I were not meant for each other. It doesn't matter really, she has plenty of admirers, I am sure she can do without me. I don't quite know why we don't get along. She has her charms after all, at least, everybody else seems to think so. She seduces the young and the old, with her smile and her beaches, with her parties and her hedonistic ways. But why doesn't she seduce me? Of course there are parts of her I like, but there are too many parts I don't like. Or perhaps it is that I am not on the same wavelengths as her many lovers. I feel I don't fit in here. I am too old for her young group of followers, those in their late teens and early twenties, fresh ... read more

Does anybody remember that song? The one that the title refers to? A song from the Dead Kennedy's, but this was in the time of the Khmer Rouge, so it was a bit cynical to say the least. Anyway, just constantly have to think about this song as I travel around Cambodia. Now what about this holiday in Cambodia? First I managed to cross at the most corrupt of corrupt border crossings, not that I knew it at the time. I hadn't read up closely enough on border crossings, and only after somebody told me that what I had paid was thirty percent more than I should have paid, did I find out that I had been scammed. For a seasoned traveller I sure seem to make some stupid mistakes. Actually I blame the Lonely Planet, ... read more

And here we go again. Another year, another Intermezzo, the ninth so far, but who is counting. Oh wait, I am! But let's start with last year. It wasn't a bad year for travelling, I must admit. I think I was on the road for a little over 8 months. It has been a long time since I was able to do that. Don't think I will make it this year, but should reach the 7 months limit with some luck. Anyway, I returned home right before Christmas, which was my cunning plan all along. I have no need these days to spend Christmas in some far off country in the tropics. Nope, give me my rainy, green, Dutch weather. Ok, I don't like that either. I just wanted some snow, but that is really hit ... read more