(Day 394 on the road) Wow - my trip to Krakatauwas absolutely and utterly fascinating! Of all the volcanoes in the world, Krakatau is possibly the most famous one. Its last major eruption in 1883 was one of the greatest natural disasters in the world and quite possibly the loudest ever recorded sound on earth. Back in 1883 the eruption killed 36.000 people - if the volcano was to erupt again today, scientists expect the death toll to be over 1 million people. The sound of the 1883 eruption could be heard 3.500 km away in Perth, Australia, and the shock wave went around the globe seven times in total. Ash was propelled 80 km high, and after the eruption average global temperatures fell by 1,2 degrees Celsius. Quite something, um? During the 1883 eruption, Kra ... read more

(Day 388 on the road)Many years ago, back in high school, I used a deodorant called Sumatra Rain. If I was to device an advertisement for this product, I would set it here in volcanic Lake Toba. The lake is absolutely enormous at over 17.000 sq km - it is the largest lake by far in South East Asia. In the middle, there is Samosir island, about the size of Singapore that was created during the last volcano eruption, but with less than 10.000 people living there it is hardly crowded. The lake is also rather deep, reaching 450 metres in places. Watching a fisherman in his canoe go about his catch in the heavy but short rain one afternoon, I was wondering how long it would take to fill a lake of this size. There ... read more

(Day 381 on the road)The island of Pulau Weh is as far north as you can travel in Indonesia. Located just off the very tip of Sumatra in the infamous Aceh province, it is a quiet and very beautiful place. People come here to snorkel, dive and relax. And that is exactly what I did for a few days (on Iboih beach on the island). The island also attracts a very mixed crowd, more diverse than I have seen in a long time. Apart from the usual backpackers, there was the French couple with a seven year old daughter, who have been travelling the seven seas on their yacht for the last five years (so their daughter effectively grew up on the boat, without any friends or schooling). Then there was the Australian couple who had ... read more

(Day 374 on the road)The island of Batam on Sumatra in Indonesia is only 30 minutes south of Singapore by ferry or a short ferry-hop from Malaysia, but it is a different world altogether. Where Singapore and Malaysia are pretty orderly and easy on the traveller, Batam is chaotic and a lot of hassle. In a way it feels good to be in a more chaotic country once again, but after a few hours I was already longing for the peace of hassle-free Malaysia. Still recovering from the 25 US$ entry fee (they call it visa on arrival, but no one checks anything) the taxi drivers at the ferry terminal tried to rip me off by trying to prevent me to share a cab with two other travellers (no way, my friends, you think we are ... read more

(Day 366 on the road)It is exactly 12 months today that I started my trip with a week of trekking and camping in Turkey. The past year has gone by incredibly fast, and the experiences I have had and the people I met were far beyond even my wildest imagination. More than ever I am sure that I have made the right decision in leaving my old life behind and emerge on this journey. I am also relieved that I did not accept my old company's offer to take a one year sabbatical, or else this trip would now have to end. Instead, only the first 12 months are over, and many more months are yet to come - I am going strong. I am happy that so far that I have not experienced any major ... read more