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Returning to Europe after the initial journey, meant a great deal to me.
A fresh start for sure, but it was harder then I thought to return home and then go again.
While I was travelling I was unattached from home, I had no expectations on me and I was ''free'' in my ways.
Home was a lot nicer then expected, much more attached to me then I thought, and with a freedom one can only experience in the land your passport comes from.
In other words I was feeling at home as I had never felt it before. Meeting every body again, seeing the steps everybody's taken, it gave me a new perspective of Nederland and its possibility's.
Feeling like living on the edge, as in not to get to much into Europe, did not really succeed. There are simply to many interesting things to have your focus on, the information flow comes in from all sides and corners. This is simply so, for me.
Knowing that I would leave 'Sure Sure', I stopped myself sometimes from engaging in ventures, together or alone. I simply did not want to get too stuck, cause I knew I would leave
again.
That also learned me not to wait to get what you want, although I did and still do.
Guess there is a time for everything, since I do seem to get a lot done eventually.
I wish I would see and feel Persephone sail, helping to finish it till the end but knowing I would not.
Hmm I hope I didn't saddle anybody up with it! 😊
What a trip Europe was;
First two months in the north of Sweden entering winter. going from +40celsius 90%humidity to -25celsius 0%humidity which resulted in a shock for our body's. Malin got sick with a dengue fever (I guess she just really liked +40celsius) and I made an amazing trip to the north pole by local bus.
Spring time came and I learned more about living outside with all the food, berry's and fishing then I initially thought possible in Europe at all. Travelling south by train and bus we had an amazingly quick springtime going to the Netherlands.
We found a house, had a garden, worked on the boat with Daan and Tieme. Wow life started off nice, happy and fast.
There was a sudden change as I climbed
in to the Czech rep. to live and work for Weekamp deuren (a door factory) 4 months of interesting work put me right back on saving money.
I lived close to a national park (the white Carpathians) on the border of Slovakia. Hiking trips discovering castle's and ruins were amazing as everything was in a full flowery summer.
My first hunting trip was a chance I could not pass. Awaking in the woods with all of its animals is intensively relaxing. Binoculars and camera ready, my colleague and friend Ladja shot a young deer and claimed the kill. Telling the tale to Malin on an ever increasing phone bill, I heard that hunting is also done in Sweden, she was hunting moose.
Luck increased and I flew to Malin instead of using the frequent flights to Holland. We went camping in the north, near Stora Sjöfallet (big lake fall). The area is full of lakes, swamps, mosquitoes, mountains and wildlife. With the sun not really going down there was a lot of time to see and do; walking, swimming, fishing and exploring.
In Holland I went with my whole family to the island terschelling to release my grandmothers
ashes on the tide of the ocean. A place were she loved to be with us.
Anneke's Wall hanging and ceramic pottery exhibition was an absolute success, see www.doekenklei.nl . We also traditionally celebrated Sinterklaas, something Malin never heard of and I had not done for a long time. Singing the songs, building the presents and being together all added to a warm December month.
One last trip to winter cold and dark Sweden to celebrate a real white snowy Christmas at Malin's home. Loads of presents, food, a bit of snowboarding in between, frozen nose hairs and long forest walks in meter high snow was all very nice. The hospitality was abundant, but it all unfortunately ended tragic when their beloved dog Max died.
Time to go now.
Malin's journey started when she came over to Holland. Bringing way to much luggage (well you try fitting your life in one 65L bag).
(Un)fortunately the financial world started trembling and the ''randstarter'' that I was flew right out the lane and back in and out,etc. Spring time in Holland was incredibly grey at its start but then it set off to be one of the nicest ever.
Much
gardening was done including the tragic dividing of the giant hulst (bush tree). Hope it grows beautifully again.
Being jobless we found a good flight and arrived in Bangkok.
Immediately feel the pressing heat as we walked off the plane. We walked through customs and got a one month stamp in our brand new passports. Ignore the expensive ''Taxi!Taxi!'' yells, and exit, out to the taxi drivers that wait in line. We buy a ticket and get a ride into Bangkok.
Khao San Road is filled with tourists, thai people, nice food, good and bad smells, incredible heat, racing tuk-tuks, and I can't wait until we have our own room where I can cool down and take a shower.
The first days we take it easy, enjoy a first fried rice, a walk in the park and try not to get too overheated. Nonetheless we visited the giant weekend market, which is so fantastic and chaotic you would not believe it!!
We got our vaccinations in a clean hospital.
We used the sky train to get around, found a huge shopping centre, where we got a Thai simcard (0890001523), and also, found the camera we wanted, for
a better deal :-)
The last day we decided to decide where to go.
While enjoying a fresh muesli fruit yoghurt, Roger walks past, a friend we know from coconut beach. Joining us for a coffee he tells us ''if you want to sit and watch the rain'', small Koh Chang on the west coast, is the choice. Big east Koh Chang (where we went) would be the nicer choice, so we got a Thai massage before we stepped into a local bus, and took off with a good feeling.
Big east Koh Chang (Island elephant).
The boat ride to the island is nice although we move straight into a tropical storm. Not really knowing where to go we step into a taxi with some Japanese tourists and soon find ourselves on a beautiful long white beach.
We find a nice affordable little hut in between the expensive resorts, and can finally relax and explore the beach, but find too many drunk/fat Russians.
While enjoying a cocktail we hear about a nice secluded beach not far away. We intend to move early but a tropical storm holds us in our place. After two hours of watching the rain
pour down with thundering violence, we start walking to the road in a temporary clearance.
Our new house is right on the ocean with a beautiful sunset view.
Unfortunately the thai holiday just started and they all decided to go to our beach and, our hut is their hangout place ( a swing in a tree attracts a lot of people).
After a couple of days we find ourselves on a bike again to find a new home, and so we do, a traditional style hut, nice high up in the jungle.
Here the nice jungle sounds surrounds us and awakes us early in the morning.
Occasionally the rain showers down and we use these opportunities to cool down in our roofless bathroom. The days pass quick while reading, relaxing, walking, swimming and cruising around visiting waterfall's.
Back in Bangkok.
We visit the Wat Po Buddhist temple and witness the massive big golden Buddha laying there to rest. Malin got the final vaccine shot and we set off on a night bus to Koh Phangan.
During the ride we happen to pass the out skirt of a cyclone bothering Myanmar and drive bumper high true temporary road rivers.
Sitting in the back we get a bit more then we pay for when a waterfall starts to come down from the roof.
It sounds feng-shui but it was a bit too much.
Koh Phangan;
A swift boat ride and we arrive at Haad Chao Pao. There we find Joe, David and Brandy. Later on coconut beach we meet Frank and Rebecca, all Coconut beach people.
A happy get together where stories of the past got shared and idea's of the future told. How about buying and living on the Monkey island in Belize? Or building a boat in Indonesia? And how sad the bar story ended in futile resistance.
Seeing the bar again was a bit strange, as it looked overgrown and abandoned but still ready to use with little work.
Everything was painted green in a useless attempt of the landowner to enter and take the fully operational bar. The third and the highest platform had collapsed entirely, which is probably for the best, since it consisted merely from woven pieces of wood and rope filled with sand.
I feel like I'm being watched, although I see nobody. A weird vibe lingers, although the feeling that
this place was once fantastic, is still there.
A further exploration of the island is nice and we find fantastic beaches, bays and wild jungle. Although the roads have grown and big franchises have moved in, we still find peaceful swimming, and relaxing spots. Koh Phangan is still a nice relaxing place.
Unfortunately Joe has to get back to his European life to put things back in to order. Brandy&David move back to reality in Canada and we have to get a move on since our visa is running to an end.
A trip to the south is coming!
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anneke
non-member comment
wow!
Hai There! Nice site and very nice fotoos. keep on sending these nice stories! De hulst is doing very well. What's the news about my deck chair? greetings from bert en anneke. kisses for tuthola......