It’s New Year’s eve today (in the local calendar) and as part of the celebrations, a huge pole was erected on Bhaktapur’s pottery square. The small square was jam-packed with locals and a couple of visitors. More than a hundred people were working on erecting the pole with ropes and supporting tree trunk constructions. Even […]
North of Bhaktapur
Impressions from an afternoon walk in an area that is mixed agricultural and early industrial.
Last Day: Chinatown
Something a lot of people recommend as a Manila activity is a visit to Chinatown. It is supposed to be an interesting sight and a feast for the palate. The latter was my main motivation for going. Getting there took a while but in the end was quite easy, thanks to good directions by the […]
102 Days Nepal
The old lady horks forcefully and then spits a ball of phlegm unerringly into the gutter a few steps away. It is one of the many sights and sounds I had to get used to in Nepal, the country of mountains and endless dust. Life in Nepal is not comfortable, it is a developing country. […]
Yangon first Impressions
Looking for a taxi at the airport on Monday, another backpacker approached me and asked whether I’d be up for sharing a taxi. I certainly was and on the way into town I learned that my newly found companion had already spent time in Yangon in the past. Perfect – local advice! Today we met […]
Going remote
In Thailand the usual treks to hill tribe villages go along a well beaten path. The country sees a massive amount of visitors and the locals have adjusted to that. Far fewer people visit Laos and even fewer take it on them to walk for hours through the jungle to reach a remote village. We […]