thailand, ton sai

sunset at the beach
\

ton sai: beautiful beaches, lovely atmosphere, great people, and best of all: amazing rocks and great rock climbing!

thailand

heh, before i write about nepal, i quickly update my whereabouts. it seems quite a long time ago that we were in nepal, even if it's less than a week ago we sat around a warming fire in a bar in otherwise pretty chilly kathmandu.

well, on thursday we left to varanasi, i finished my work there and we jumped on a train to kolkata, and changed our flight in the airport...and flew the same day we arrived, a few hours flight (jet airways is THE BEST company i ever flew with...but later the admiring details) and we were in warm bangkok, went to the trainstation, took leftover seats for a train more south...3rd class sitting overnight, took a ferry in the morning... and now, now we have been in this small paradise for two days. hot, beaches, palms, friendly people, nice bungalow, delicious delicious food, sun, quietness, going around on my rented scooter on good roads. ocean everywhere. quietness. calmness. what a change! a little holiday within the travelling. and we'll be jumping from island to island for a while. before going up north and getting to know thailand more. (more than these wonerful touristic beaches where we mostly think about where to eat next and which bikinies to wear...)
hugs to all, hope your x-mas preparations are bringing you joy!

Kathmandu, Nepal

Now i'm in kathmandu, have been here since 25th nov. Tiina got typhoid and giardia, so i game here. now she's getting better, and can be up walking for almost 3 hours a day. slowly slowly.

Nepal is beautiful, so beautiful and calm. and clean. and open. and i can see mountains all around this city, and tops of Himalaya behind them.

i will write more later... there is so much to write! it's been a positive surprise this place.

...so, later.
here i am sweating in an island in thailand. and nepal seems so far away, memories are starting to melt together...
highlights in kathmandu:
the friendly people
relaxed atmosphere
clean air
good roads
beautiful temples and prayer flags around everywhere
doing a documentary with wonderful street children in the old town area
going out with a new york times travel journalist
eating beef (delicious steaks)
going to movies
stitching hindi text on a napkin in a candle light in our hotel room next to sick tiina, waiting for the electricity to come back so we can enjoy the luxury of our hotelroom's tv after a loooong time

...quite difficult to recall all the things. time goes by so quickly, and within a few days one can do so much -and nothing.