Jan 30, 2011

Sumatra confusion

A blog can only convey so much of 'reality'.
Reality on this trip being something completely different than reality back home, and the blog posts few, written fast, censored and only our perception of things, this travel blog conveys very, very little 'reality'. When you add to that the fact that you, as a reader, than interpret this bad depiction of reality that we try to convey, I think it's pretty clear for everyone that there will be misunderstandings.
The point of this blog has been to keep our folks at home updated on where in Asia we are, and maybe even give them a little insight in what it's like (that's where the bad conveying of reality steps in) as wells as being a great way for us to remember some of the things we've seen and done on this trip.
However, because of bad writing, limited time and space, unclear blog posts and the likes, but most of all because of the simple fact that we've just failed to give you the real picture of how things are, these misunderstandings have led to this blog being more of source of worry for the people back home, than fulfilling its actual purpose: keeping them calm.

So what can I write without making anyone worry?
That Sumatra and Malaysia are filled with some of the kindest people I've ever met? That I trust everyone I meet naively to one hundred percent and trust them with all my belongings? That I say yes to free moto rides and to visiting people's homes, even though we don't understand a word the other says? That I've had interesting conversations with the locals 4 in the morning as the only westerner arriving in a new city?

Or should I write about how I've spent the last days doing nothing but laying in the cabana and watching the rain pour down, thus not giving you anything to worry about?
Or how the minarets call to prayer at the weirdest times and  the high palm trees combined with the dark clouds never look as intense on the pictures I take as they do in reality?
Or how I finally did something on this rainy paradise island (that can't compete with Tioman in Malaysia) and swam to another island, snorkeled, and watched a bunch of Clown fish for a long time while my goggles slowly filled with salt water?
Or how wonderful it is when it for once isn't raining and you can lay on the dock at night, listen to the waves, watch the stars and see the whole world(which for the past days have consisted of the cabana, Pulau Weh, and the island infront of Pulau Weh) being lit up by lightning while everything else goes dark because there is yet another black out?
Or how Banda Aceh is the most muslim city in Indonesia, and was totally devastated by the Boxing day Tsunami... proof of this being the huge boat stranded high up on land?
Or how weird and fun it is to have met up with the American we met way back in Yangshuo?
Or how much I miss Ruut and Sophia?

I'm sorry for all the 'or's. And I'm not telling you that you don't have the right to worry. You do. But just not because of misunderstandings, not for things there is no reason to get upset or worried about. Can I blog without you misunderstanding at least some of it? No. Can I depict reality through my blogposts? Doubtful. There is too much, always way too much.
Therefor I've come to the conclusion, that perhaps this blog should have ended when Ruut flew home, 'our' journey was inevitably over by then, and she wrote such a good summary of the way we felt those last days, a blog post that should have been the last.

However, it wasn't the last. And this post is not 'last blogpost' -material. So I might let you know where I am and what's up in the vast island of Sumatra (or who knows where we'll go?) every know and then, but don't expect it to be often, don't expect it to be detailed and please don't expect it to be 'reality'.
Terima Kasih, Selamat Tinggal.

Jan 25, 2011

Last post from Asia

Did all of this really happen?

Or was it just an elaborate, yet sweet, dream? I fell through a rabbit hole and found another marvellous world just waiting to be discovered. Sounds so cheesy, but it's how I feel, probably how many first time travellers feel. Not that you could ever get tired of the world.
Like Alice in Wonderland we've been stumbling around, ususally without true knowledge of surrounding ongoings. Tasting this and that, having peculiar converations, seeing unbelievable things and hearing stories beyond our imaginations. I can't really find the right words describe how I feel leaving all of this.

Three/four months is not a long time, but it's long enough to make me wonder if anything's changed back home. Have I changed?
At least I learnt a lot; about hospitality and frendship, patience and composure. Essentially, there's no need to ever lose your temper and things will always work out with a big genuine smile. If you're broke and homeless someone'll always help you and lift your spirits. If you're hungry someone will offer you food, even if you're not hungry somenone will want to share their food with you. Sing, play cards, talk, dance. It could be your fellow travel company or someone you've just met. A smile can take you around the world, I'm certain of that.

All the amazing people I've had the privilege to meet, all the hilarious incidents and all experiences, big and small, will hopefully remain in my memories for a long time to come.
This is not the end, it's just the beginning.

Transmission over.

//R

Jan 24, 2011

Diverging paths (update from R in Singapore)

Entering this weird city state once more felt strange. Leaving Malysia and all fabulous new friends wasn't easy. I was excpecting to see Hanna or Sophia appear any minute, but they never showed up... My room mates are friendly and helpful, and thus it's not hard to find company. Still, us having been such a tight group, an entity almost, you can't help but feel a little lonely. What a quiet day it's been.

Took the opportunity to do things that might have bored others; a vistit to Singapore Science Centre and book stores. Numerous second hand and high end book stores later I was penniless but in a much better mood. I also discovered several vegetarian restaurants in the area around my guesthouse on Dunlop st. So now I'm on a tight schedule to visit all four of them within 24 hours!

Still planning on catching a Kung Fu movie and checking out China Town to see how the preparations for CNY are going. Another mission is to find some Lei Cha, this really delicious Chinese breakfast food that we've dubbed "Green Soup".

//R

Jan 23, 2011

Feels like home, Melaka - Day 106-110

Melaka. When talking to all the guys living in our guest house (Voyager, we recommend) we learned that most of them have been here for years/months and keep coming back again and again.

Why? is the question Ruut and I asked ourselves.
Melaka is the 'historical city of Malaysia'. An important and convenient stop for trading ships, Melaka was a busy town with 84 languages spoken... but then came the Portugese, after them the Dutch and then finally the Brits and thus Melakas glory days as an important seaport was over.
Now Melaka is a popular tourist location, filled with museums and a beautiful 'old town' and Chinatown. Not far away lies modern Melaka, with huge malls and traffic jams. (oh, wait, even the narrow streets of Chinatown are constantly filled with cars.)


Yeah, it's charming, but we wouldn't describe this as 'the perfect place, with all you need. When you've come here you don't need to travel anymore'.


Or so we thought. After spending 4 days in Melaka (that's 3 more than planned) and meeting some of the most wonderful and kind people there are, we just might have changed our minds...
Newly arrived in Chinatown, Melaka.
Looking for somewhere to eat with Matt.
 Our rooftop, you could hear about 3 different calls to prayer plus church bells up here.
 Climbing out here wasn't that smart after all...

 The Dutch left their mark...
 Decided not to fly home just yet, so needed to post home some stuff. A lot of stuff.

 Doesn't look that delicious,but this vegetarian version of the local dish 'chicken rice' is something I'm gonna dream about for years to come.


 The British left their mark as well, destroyed the fort the Portuguese had built, and painted all the buildings red.

 Melaka just might be the warmest place we've been so far, so we tried to escape the heat by visiting as many museums as possible.. and the museums are numerous.





 Water bottle refilling station
 Night market in Chinatown
 Sorbets, snow ices, ice creams and fresh juices are a necessity... why don't they have fruit shakes though?


 Everyone's preparing for the Chinese New Year (3-4 Feb), so even Ruut.
 Visited the Hot Springs with Attila, Edwin and Maia in the middle of the night...
 ..why? It's way to hot during the day, but in my opinion it was way too hot even at 2 am. Basically one just had to splash a little water on oneself now and then, otherwise it hurt. (Kind of like an extremely hot sauna... but with clothes on)
 Afterwords you don't take a shower, but yet another bath.
 In Atilla's (origianlly from Hungary, lived here for a year now after just a quick dayvisit gone wrong, or right, Maia is from KL, Edwin from Melaka) sweet ride. 'I ran out of money in June!'
 Since Attila has lived quite some time as penniless, he knows where to get free food, and woke us up 7.30 for breakfast at a Sikh temple.


 Heads have to be covered
 You show up, get free (vegan!) food, wash your dish, leave. Not bad.


 Ruut posing. In China I was Chinese, in Cambodia I was 'beautiful Khmer women!', in Thailand and Malaysia the locals are so sure I'm half thai/malay they don't even ask me, and take it for granted that I understand the language... Ruut still keeps on getting plenty of attention.
 Local dessert, ice, beans and what not, all smashed in to one. Sounds horrible, looks horrible, but is, according to Ruut, 'okay'.
 Local treat. Mmm.




  The fact that there are up to three places, that we know of, where you can show up three times a day and be served 100% free, vegan, food, definitely makes me and Ruut love this place yet a little more.



 Nightmarket again.

 Ruut has discovered a new found ability to fall a sleep... anywhere, anytime.


 Waiting for the Voyager Cafe crew to finish counting the money, so we can spend yet another night without sleeping...


 ...since apparently the Malay never sleep. Either they spend their nights at Hot Springs or then drinking tea at hawker stalls.
Night time is the only time when the temperature is tolerable though.
 Yalu's car


 Maia making us try yet another local food, basically a weird green soup which you mix with all the beans, nuts, ricecrispies, vegetables etc. that you have on the other plate. We loved it.

 Maia helping us buy bus tickets.
 Rocky, closing the cafe.
 Yalu, Maia, Edwin, Ruut, Hanna

 Our dorm, daytime.
 If you ever stay at Voyager, all you have to is sit for a couple of minutes in one of these chairs/sofas, and we promise you've soon got a bunch of new friends with a whole lot of interesting stories.
 We didn't run out of Vegetarian restaurants to try...





 Yalu's other car



 Okay, sorry for the close up, but these mock meats are amazing! 
This is of course a 'chicken wing'.


 Goodbye Ruut.
Last picture taken of Ruut, on the bus to Singapore.

....now Ruut should have arrived in Singapore and Maia in Kuala Lumpur, and I'm all alone with my rinkka and fever.
Or then not, since as said this town is packed with overly friendly people, and at 9 a clock Edwin will pick me up and drive me to the bus station.

At 5:30 tomorrow morning I should arrive in Georgetown, and I see that as the starting point of a very different adventure, no Sophia, no Ruut.
Ruut is still in Singapore till the 25th, and will blog from there.
(Luckily she should not be all alone either, since we've got some amazing friends over there as well...!)
We discussed the blog, after all it's supposed to be about our trip, and our trip basically came to an end when Sophia flew home.
However, I'm still in Asia, and Sophia and Ruut both agree I should keep on blogging, so I will. It's still the same Asia, 'our' Asia.
And maybe there's a bigger chance I'll actually live up to the name of the blog, now that I'm 'alone'... ;)
//H