Buenos Aires, Oct. 25, 2008 WOW, can I just say that even after all my travels I am still amazed, that one can hop in a plane, fall asleep and then wake up in a “different” world! So here I am now in the Paris of South America, and I am already in love with this city! But let's start at the beginning... my flight arrived on time, after 10 hours in the air, a little bumpiness over Cuba, but otherewise uneventful at 7:45 local time, and as promised, the Spanish Schools Remise Service ( a sort of private Taxi [View Full Entry]

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Not that Karon Beach on Phuket got boring, but there is so much more to the southern part of Thailand, that I decided to take the boat to Ko Phi Phi two days ago to check out the island paradise that everyone had been talking about! And it surely did not disapoint! With the monsoon season now well behind us, clear blue skies, white beaches, crystal clear turquois water, stunning cliffs and palm trees dominate the island! Ko Phi Phi was a backpacking, diving, climbing mecca before the tsunami of 2004, and is one of the islands that due to its [View Full Entry]

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ok, so i am now officially on vacation. .. well at least if you compare it to the nomadic lifestlye of traveling all over!. I have officially planted my behind on a beach, with a book a day to read, to splash in the waves to cool off , and to play a little beach volleyball with a bunch of expats in the afternoon! Karon beach on Phuket island has been the choice so far! I arrived here two days ago, had originally planned to only stay two days and then go to another island... but Karon turned out to be [View Full Entry]

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Angkor Wat, the "Holy City" near Siem Reap, the capital city of the Khmer Empire in the 9th-12th century, an awe inspiring place of ancient temples, ruins, remnants of old cities and a reminder of a glorious and prosporous time in Cambodia! It was so worth it to make this little "side trip" from Thailand to Cambodia! I arrived on the 14th in the afternoon and checked into the lovely Two Dragons Guesthouse, whose owner Gordon also is the author of the website for those interested in potential traveling to Asia! So anyhow, i used the afternoon to explore S [View Full Entry]

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After a 12 hour night sleeper train journey we ( our group of 11 intrepid travellres) arrived in Chiang Mai, transfered to our hotel, and then had the whole day at our disposal to discover Chiang Mai, the city of over 100 Wats! So after a couple of hours of extensive wat-seeing during the day, our group headed to dinner at the Night Bazaar, enjoyed some more of the delicious Thai food, and browsed the stalls and vendors who are selling everything from fake birkenstock sandals to the most beautiful thai silk garments! The next morning, after a short stop at [View Full Entry]

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Hello from Thailand and the bustling metropolis of Bangkok.... tuk-tuks, touts, sun, humidity, amazing food, friendly Thais, Wats and Temples , food stalls , loads of tourists, massage places, shopping on Khao San Road ... and the list could go on and on... what a place! Vibrant, alive, full of smog, full of people, and did i mention great food ? I don't think that putting the weight that i lost trekking in Nepal back on will be a problem here! You can eat the best Thai food 24-7 at every corner of this city! But now a short synopsis of [View Full Entry]

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In order to escape the hectic life in Kathmandu and so that i would be able to see a bit more of this beautiful country I decided to take the "tourist bus" to Pokhara, so 180 km, and 8hrs!!!! later after a bumpy ride through the country and stopping at minor interupations like landslides and road blocks our bus arrived in Pokhara. A beautiful little city ( the 2nd largest in Nepal) right at the Lake and with the Annnapurna range in the backdrop! Pokhara is the gateway for all the trekkers who are hiking in the Annapurnas, and so it [View Full Entry]

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Yeah, i know you might think: can this girl ever get enough of the adventure sports? but i have to tell you, this one is a must do for the whiterwater enthusiasts, and so i simply could not pass the chance to go on a 2-day raft trip with Drift Nepal. According to the "travel bible" Lonely Planet, the Bhote Khosi is "one of the best short raft trips found anywhere in the world", and now i can tell you that IT IS SO TRUE! Amazing white water- non stop rapids great 3-5, big water, plenty of rocks to avoid, and [View Full Entry]

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So here i am back in Kathmandu after 15 days of hiking, trekking, and experiencing the Himalayans, and i am at a complete loss for words.... it must be that i am still lacking oxygen after spending nearly a week between 4800 and 5600m , or it might just be that i am not articulate enough to express or describe the beauty of these mountains , the compassion and kindness of its simple people , the emotions felt when hiking trough fresh snow at 6 am where my footprints are the first ones of the morning , while the first sunrays [View Full Entry]

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After a great stop over in Doha, Qatar where i had to spend the night at the Movenpick Tower Hotel, courtesy of Qatar airways ( yeah it was rough , down comforter, down pillow, a flat screen tv, more toiletries then i could possibly take with me, etc.... way more luxury than i had seen in three months!!!) so anyway, in the end it is just a bed, and i slept well and then it was on to Kathmandu in the early morning! After a 4 hour flight, we saw the Himalayans on the left, with Mt. Everest sticking through the [View Full Entry]

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