[Back to Work - Thailand]

Its always a total pleasure to come back to Thailand. So much traffic and no horns, busy streets but no one pushing against your bum, street food that is not only cheap, looks good but stays in the stomach as it usually would. And plenty of eye candy walking around the streets, obliged to luv em really :-) My time in India seemed like just a dream.

Spent days shopping in Bangkok and I have a new toy- my very own laptop!(Netbook) Bought some ties & shirts too; getting ready for those job interviews.

As fun as Bangkok can be it can get a bit too intense so once again I have gone north to the lovely little village called Pai (22nd Dec). Will spend Xmas and New Year here and then start seriously looking for teaching work, ideally around Chang Mai. As I hope to spend some time in Thaialnd I am also starting to learn the language; as a tip from an expat- starting with the numbers first. (then I get to quicly learn what the locals pay for things :)

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Setting on India]

Beautiful sunsets on my last few days in India, a promising send off for a new start.

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Patnem Beach - Goa, South India]

Things have moved along some what quicker than expected. Originally I tried to book a flight in January to Bangkok but I got such a bad feeling half way through the online booking process I had to stop.

After 3 days of advertising my Enfield motorbike in McLeod Ganj, I actually sold it; originally I was going to take it to Goa and sell it there. Thankfully my ex-baby is now in good hands; the guy who bought it is a professional car detailer and a Harley Davidson enthusiast to boot. With some cheap polish he had the Enfield looking better than I had ever seen it; tore my heart out to see her ride by it did...

I have a cruisy 3 weeks on the beach in Goa and on the 14th December I 'immigrate' (ie- I carry my backpack and hope not to return to India for a looong time) to Thailand and start looking for English teaching work.

It feels like a start of a new era; like a good friend (Nerida) said to me, the only way to have a holiday from a holiday is to do something that people typically dont consider a holiday- like a job!

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Tipping Point (ala Reading the Signs) ]

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu would only give me another 3 month visa :-( I was so pissed that my first reaction was that I swore I wouldnt do this bloody visa run again.

And the more I pondered on it the more it felt right. (and a little help from a psychic - thanks Mum!) It was the sign so to speak. In a way its a relief to leave India, after all, its only been 2.5 years here, and its certainly no easy country to live in.

Arrived in McLeod Ganj today. Need to sort out a few things like waiting for mail in the post, dental appointment, getting my motorcycle ready to sell etc.

Then its off to a beach in the state of Goa, where it should be easy to sell my bike and its a lovely place to spend the Xmas period all the same.

By end of January I should be in Thailand looking for teaching work. Can you imagine the stress, a job after 7 years! I am already having sleepless nights...

Cant complain though, its been a good run :-) Looking back I couldnt have expected this in my wildest dreams. Who would?

.

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Ooops in Pokhara - Nepal]

I met Esther and Marcus in a cafe in Pokhara, and they have ridden together on 2 enduro motorcycles from Switzerland to India.

They said they were going to Shanti Stupa, a look out point on a ridge that provides excellent views, and I asked if I could jump on the back when they went. Later on in the day they came back to me with such a delicious proposition- I could ride Esthers bike and she would go on the back of her partners! Yeeeesss please.

Fuel injected bike, disc brakes; it rode so easily and fast compared to my Enfield back in India. Maybe comfortable a little too early...

Coming back down from the look out point on the dirt and rocky road I was ahead of the couple when I missed my line, entered a muddy wheel rut and before I could start thinking the line "this isnt good" I was laying on the ground with the bike on top of me- feeling all too embarrassed cos I dropped the bike in front of them.

She was really cool about and given I had fallen really slow and on dirt the only thing that took some damage was my ego (and here I was feeling rather proud yesterday when I had mentioned that I had ridden 18000km through India without an accident)

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Annapurna Trekking - Nepal]

Back in Pokhara after 18 days on the Annapurna and the Annapurna Sanctuary trail (of which I walked 16 days).

The day of the Thorung La Pass (5416m) crossing was a bit tough from 5000m; my legs felt like lead! Added to this was a lack of sleep, as the night before I slept at 4450m and it took me ages to fall asleep as I was not use to sleeping at this altitude; and it was a 4am wake up...groan.

Quite a few bridges to cross over and once again they give me the willies... they are high, rock and bounce and sometimes the floor boards are made of wood which are rotting with gaping holes in them. Knowing that there is no sense of maintenance in these cultures; when its broken we fix it; I had to concentrate on the horizon and my breath when I walked over them!

Amazing views and after 3 days I was in great condition, so much so that when I came back to Pokhara my eyes were unusually clear and bright. It was a walking meditation for me, often spending 8 hours on the trail; where I could really be witness to my thoughts ie- not have my sense of self derived from all my incessant thinking.

Finally a small tribute to my little friends... after 4 years together and numerous surgical repairs we need to part our ways; so I wish them well (wish is a nice way of saying the shoes are getting dumped in the next trash can).

To better appreciate the photos I have created them in a larger format. See below.


Photos

Trekking Part 1

Trekking Part 2

Video

Morning View from Poon Hill

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Pokhara - Nepal]

Sitting since the 20th at the lake side town of Pokhara in Nepal. Thought I was clever this year by spending all the monsoon time in North India where it was dry as a bone, and I thought, by the time I would be back on the plains, it would be cool and dry...

Well, monsoon was late this year and it is still rainning here in Nepal for hours on end! Its nearly finished I hear from optimistic tourists. In any case, within a few days I will start by myself the Annapunna Sanctuary Trek, which is a good 14 days or more. The highest pass is 5416m and this time there is no Enfield to carry me over it...

I had attempted this trek back in 2004 but just 2 days into I had to turn back and goto hospital due to a liver infection leading to jaundice (and majorily changing my entire travel plans for the comming years, looking back in retrospect).

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[To Laptop or To Not]

After 3 months and some 6000km touring the Himalayan region I have looped back to McLeod Ganj. Nice to be back in my home base and meet some old friends from previous sesaons (such as Saskia the Cafe Guru).

Just a small week here before I fly to Nepal to do a visa run and as it is the right season, some trekking to boot in the Annapurna's.

Slowly I am adding the photos from my trip in reverse chronological order. With websites using the latest software technology its becoming a nightmare to do this from India. Real argument to buy my own laptop but as yet I cant justify forking out that kind of money and then having to lug around extra, shock sensitive luggage.

Still this Internet thing (when it works and when there is power) is driving me nuts...

enjoy!

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Show me a Sign! - India]

By far my favourite is - Dont gossip let him drive !

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Glaciers in Zanskar - Jammu and Kashmir, Very North India]

500km return of dirt road- bumped and dusted out and I am so grateful the bike held together. The valley has amazing glaciers, the largest I have ever seen.

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.

[Nubra Valley - Jammu and Kashmir, Very North India]

From Leh I passed over Indias highest road (Khardung La), at some 5379m. The army signs claim its the highest road in the world but some tourists in jeeps wearing fancy watches actually have altimeters in them. Still, 5379m or so is nothing to scoff at, certainly aint been higher on land than this. :-)

Camels..dont they just have the most wonderful eyes..?!

>>Top.. ..Home
Give your response in my Guest Book.