to drift: 2010

Samstag, 23. Oktober 2010

Oh! Cologne. You have changed or is it me?

Back in the working grind. I have a project that lets me fly to Cologne for several days a week. I was cautious at first. At least I knew what I can expect from the city.

I left this city with a weird feeling and a promise that we won't see each other for a very long time. I did not like living here. The job was great most of the times and I have the feeling if this city would have been a bit more welcoming I would have stayed here and never ever being gone on the big voyage.

Last week Cologne and me made a truce. It will not bother me anymore and I will stop writing and telling bad things about this city. I am still allowed my opinion, make no mistake. ;) But it is a tiny flower of peace in my mind.

Nevertheless I would not be able to stand this city if I need to be living here. Two to three days a week for a limited period is a nice way to see the city and even take a few pictures.

Von 20101014-Cologne

Peace Cologne!

Freitag, 1. Oktober 2010

The end of the Vagabond

I am not so sure, if this is true, but at least I will get my keys today. I have been looking for the flat since beginning of August and I am happy that finally I can concentrate on other stuff in my private life again.

It cost time it is annoying and You will be offered a lot of crap.

So I am back in Berlin:

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And after living in a backpack and on paper. I see myself with complete new furniture. I don't know if I really want to try making my stuff out of boxes but it appeals to me somehow. I wish I would have known that during my university days.

Von 20100930-LivingOnPaper

Sonntag, 22. August 2010

Exactly one month in Germany

I am back for a month now. A lot has happened and I am still waiting for other stuff to happen. The feeling of living in an totally exotic germany has passed now. I am back in the normal grind of working and trying to find a place to live.

Somehow it is strange. I thought during my voyage that I won't have big problems with reintegrating myself into working life. What surprised me the most is the fact that I had no problems at all. I am working for my old company and have a contract that will last till summer next year. Maybe I will be working longer for them maybe not. Definitely I will be planning another trip in Winter 2011/12. I am looking forward to it. So I won't be building the big life with owning a flat instead of renting one for another few years. And I feel like I am not missing out on this.

Hey I am back in Berlin. The best city in the world. A city where you could go to supermarket in a bathrobe and the other people won't even notice your behaviour. Berlins tolerance towards strange behaviour is legendary. By the way the only good looking and styled people in Berlin are either tourists or stars. If you wanna blend in: Do the normal people stuff. In retrospect this is what I missed most. In SE Asia the people dressed down, because they don't want to appear rich or because they can't afford anything else. In Berlin there is no such hazzle. You can be what you like to be and nobody cares.

After travelling around in Germany for almost every weekend I finally slowed down this weekend. The last weeks where like living on the fast lane. Working again. Visiting friends and looking for a flat. A flat is a big problem at the moment. Either there are to many applications or the flat is downright a garbage bin. I will start looking for a room in a shared flat next week. I strained my friends patience enough already.

So life is back on track and I will soon find the time to start planning the next trip. With this decision my so called career is on hold and I am totally happy with losing the pressure. But I know, that in a while it will change again and I will need a new challenge. Hopefully the feeling will last till the end of next year and the beginning of a new drifting cycle.

Freitag, 23. Juli 2010

The end...

... is always a new beginning.

I spent my last week in Singapore with Shopping and Relaxing. I met part of the Team again from the Groovy Grape Adventure in Australia and we had a blast. The most fun we had was doing the Xootr Tour and because I bought a new camera before my fourth Xootr-Tour I had a great opportunity to make new pictures.

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A rather boring flight via Dubai later I finally reached Germany yesterday. After 7.5 Month I am rather surprised to find a totally exotic country for me. They have so many strange things here and those germans are so totally efficient.

The immigration control for instance took me only half a minute while in Asia or Oceania I was rather put under a complete check. And I am happy that there where no stupid immigration cards to fill out.

After that I was greeted with the typical Frankfurt Airport. Organized Chaos and definitely the worst possible spot to enter Germany. Cold and uninviting, even the train station has this flair of futility and darkness. There are no cool street vendors offering me services that I don't need. Just the cold blooded automat that sells me a coke for thrice the price it is worth in Singapore.

I bought a train ticket for a price that would have taken me through half of SE Asia by bus. And You know what it is somehow my Germany. I expect it to be like that and it fulfills every single expectation. There are more friendly people around and sometimes they are helpful too.

Today I ate one of the local favourites again. Ahle Wurscht. It is a sausage and you eat it with bread. Stuff you need to see if you ever come to this country. You won't want to buy other bread or sausages anymore.

After a rather short day of getting my bearings again, I am preparing for a week in Berlin. My number one city of the world.

Donnerstag, 15. Juli 2010

The Temples of Angkor: Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup

Temple Day again. The last of the temples missing in the Grand Circuit.

I am really impressed. I thought I have seen every style till yesterday but then there where again three temples that where quite different from the others and only the last two where repeats of themes I have seen before. All in all good invested money.

We were starting at nine this morning. Essentially it was to late. At that time to many other tourists where already polluting the sites. We should have been at the first temple at 7am. Most of the tourists are still at Angkor Wat looking at the sunrise and the others are still in bed or getting ready for breakfast. Heed my warning: You wanna do the temples as early as possible, at least this is true for the main temples around Siem Reap.

I won't write much about the temples. Here are a few pictures. You will find more as always in my Picasa Album.

Preah Khan

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My T-Shirt is saying: SINGLE beds available. The Siem Reap Hostel. Cambodia.
It was the winners prize while playing Beer Pong against two english medicine students. I don't know where my partner was from.

Neak Pean

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Ta Som

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East Mebon

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Pre Rup

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This concludes my adventures in Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor. Yes, it definitely was a late highlight. But there are so many of them. I always get asked that question which place I liked the most. The only answer I have so far. There is no best place but definitely a worst place and that is Thailand. Next time I need to go to Chiang Mai to change the opinion. Otherwise all the other places I remember have been great.

Tomorrow I will have a travel day again and I will be hopefully arriving in Singapore in the afternoon. I am looking forward to it. I am broke but still thinking about buying some clothes for home and maybe having a look at cheap electronics. Maybe I can get a real deal instead of "I make You cheap price".

Mittwoch, 14. Juli 2010

The Temples of Angkor: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and others.

Oh man. It was 4.20am when my alarm woke me up. But it is what you need to do, if you like to see the fabulous sunrise above Angkor Wat.

Von 20100714-Angkor

To bad it was cloudy so after waiting a while I decided to walk around.

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Damn many tourists had the same idea. Between those tourists locals try to sell coffee and rent chairs for a few bucks.

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As you can see on the next picture, this was what everybody was waiting for. The change of color.

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And I was really impressed by the moat surrounding Angkor Wat. Imagine you need to dig that.

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Next stop Angkor Thom. This is the southgate here.

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And it actually features the most impressive temple in my opinion. Bayon, the temple of the smiling faces.

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I made more pictures in Angkor Thom.

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We left Angkor Thom through the victory gate and visited a few smaller temples before reaching Ta Prohm, the Tomb Raider Temple. The best about this temple are all those trees having grown around the stone structure and seeing those roots hugging walls.

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The last temple of the day was Banteay Kdei or something like that.

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This concludes the small Temple Circuit after only four hours of sightseeing in Siem Reap. Tomorrow I am going on the Big Circuit. More temples :).

After the circuit I went to a pharmacy and wanted to buy some insect repellent. The nice lady gave me the most expensive product for 7.9 USD. It took a few seconds and I nearly paid the stuff before I discovered the cheaper philipinian product on an other shelf. Only 1.3 USD. Sometimes I really hate those vendors.