One night in Bangkok

Even before hopping on the turboprop jet off the Tarmac at YXU London, I had a strong feeling that Thailand was somewhere I wanted to go, somewhere far different than the western ways in Canada and Europe.

While in Africa watching the news about floods in Bangkok, I had feared the chances of adding a Thailand stamp to my passport were being washed away. Luckily, the water receded enough, just in time.




"So what else do you need to know?
Stuff about my family or where I am from? None of that matters.
Not once you have crossed the ocean and cut yourself lose;
looking for something more beautiful; more exciting.
And yes I admit something more dangerous.
So after 18 hours in the back of an airplane;
three dumb movies; two plastic meals; six beers and absolutely no sleep.
I finally touched dowm; in Bangkok

…So never refuse an invitation; never resist the unfamiliar;
 never fail to be polite; never over stay your welcome.
 Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience:
and if it hurts it’s probably worth it.

....and as for traveling alone; f*ck it. 
If that’s the way it has to be; then that’s the way it is.” - The Beach




Why Thailand?
Read on I guess....

To start, the service and food on Thai airways alone was comparable to nothing I have experience before. For example, I literally just ate smoked salmon as a starter to my braised pork and sautéed vegetable main dish. Take that Air Canada, and your rice and lentil vegan meal....


Landing in Bangkok the only knowledge of where to go and what to do next came from the Lonely Planet book Ben lent me, and some fantastic information I obtained from a really interesting guy I shared a room with in Rome. He owned a bar and diving school in Thailand for 3 years, and consequently had some priceless knowledge.

Scooters, Scooters everywhere

After reading some of the warnings in the lonely planet book, it only took two nicely dressed men asking me to follow them to a tourist information shop (which just happened to be on their way home from there work) to confirm the books suspicions.

"So whew yew fwum?"
"Canada...."
"Oh Canada, I have fwiend fwum tha..... Justin Beebah!!!"

Thanks Beebs.....

Local food market around the corner

What else is there to do on your first night as a tourist in Thailand? Get a massage and go try all the random food from the hundreds of food stalls along the streets, despite not knowing what exactly you may be eating.
Conclusion: the massage hurt like hell and the food was cheap and delicious. It felt like she was literally standing on my back and shoulders and leaning back to dig her heals in... Wait a second, yep that's exactly what the 90 pound Thai woman with strength like a gorilla was doing.




I still hadn't decided which party of the country I wanted to visit even by the time I arrived in Bangkok. Either head south to the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world for some rest and relaxation, or head north to Chiang Mai and that area for some more cultural experiences.
I can enjoy picture perfect beaches when I'm older, so I figured it was better to do the adventurous stuff up north while I'm ripe and ready for it.

How cheap is Thailand?
For the same price of a cab ride home from a bar in Rome I:

• Took a Tuk Tuk ride 20 mins to the bus station
• Paid for a VIP overnight bus to take me 800km north
• Took a Taxi back to the guesthouse
• Had Pad Thai made right infront of me, and had a bottle of coke later on.

Bada boom bada bing, I can get used to this place.

Must.Find.Time

I think I could easily write for hours about every single day spent here thus far, but it just doesn't feel right sitting behind a computer screen when there is just so much to do and see outside this little internet cafe.
In Chiang Mai and couldn't be more pleased.

It will have to wait....

To put it simply however, its without a doubt been the most amazing experience and adventure of my life. Period.

More to follow, but not sure when

Further across the pond

Nothing is more expensive than a missed oppourtunity.
I've wanted to go to Thailand for some time, and that opourtunity is here, so I'm jumping on it

To be continued...

Venice and Rome

Venice
I think if I were to travel again, I would do my research into the history, or significant aspects of a city before I get to it. I'll be honest, I didn't know a thing about Venice other than it might be a nice place to take your girlfriend/finacee/wife for a romantic gondola ride through the cities waterways. That might explain the extent of my stay there:

• Got lost, couldn't find the hostel
• Checked in
• Walked around for a few hours eating pizza and gelato, and sat on a nice bridge that probably has a name because everyone was taking pictures of it.
• Got lost again
• Made some new friends at the hostel and went out looking for a good time.. Couldn't find one.
• Woke up the next day and figured thats enough of that, off to Rome!

Rome
It's too bad that Rome was the last part of my travels in Europe, because it was such a neat place. However at this point I had exhausted my desire to Rome roam around and sight see. But when in Rome, do as the Romans do?

• Spanish steps (Pubcrawl): Check
• Trevvi fountain: Check
• Vatican city: Check
• Palantine Hill: Check
• Roman Forum: Check
• Colosseum: Check
• Win a beer pong championship in the basement of a pub against two Koreans: Check!
• Get lost wandering around Rome at 3am, subsequently walking about 10km: Check...

One of the more fascinating things done while not Rome'ing was hanging out with an interesting new roommate at The Yellow Hostel, and getting advice about a Thailand adventure, as well as learning about symbology and cults (Angels and Demons may or may not have brought that topic up) that he has a real keen interest in. The people you encounter are often the ones that leave a longer lasting impression than say, the dusty stone remains of the House of Augustus at Palantine hill... Joe had priceless information about where to go, what to do, what to say and how to say it, from his experience living in Thailand for a few years....

Speaking of meeting new people, it's funny what simple conversation can lead to when in an unfamiliar place and without any familiar faces around.
For example:
Me: "Hey, I just got here to Rome, any suggestions where to go tonight?"
Cute girl doing makeup: "Well I'm doing a Spanish steps pub crawl tonight, why don't you come?"
Me: "uh, Ya!"

Trevi Fountain. An estimated 3,000 Euros worth of coins thrown in daily!

...Which in turn led to dinner and gelato the next day -> a Christmas market/fair downtown -> Beers with her two German friends (Xena..and Ben) and a fun night out -> overall a great last impression before leaving Europe. Boom.
Bored or lonely? Just talk to someone, you never know what will happen....









Again, I don't think I did enough research to really get the full experience out of Rome. If you go, do yourself a favour and learn some history and significance to some of the famous areas.

Northern Italy

Not your cookie cutter roads like in North America

After Switzerland the plan was to head further south to the other side of the alps in Northern Italy. My boss (who I can't thank enough for allowing me this oppourtunity) had made his way to a friend's home in Arco, Italy for some rock climbing which the area is famous for. I met up with him and his friend Morro and stayed at Morro's family home just outside the nice city on the edge of the largest lake in Italy, Lago di Garda. 





Interesting tid bits about Lago di Garda and Arco area;

• The opening scenes of the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace featured a car chase with James Bond's Aston Martin DBS V12 around Lake Garda in Italy.
• The opening climbing sequence to the 1993 Sylvester Stallone movie Cliffhanger was filmed on a nearby mountain, with Morro's friend as a climbing stunt double for Stallone.

However greatly appreciated, but one night in a home with 3 young kids was a large change of pace after a few weeks in hostels. After being awoken to a young childs blood curdeling "wake up call" scream and a rope being tied around my neck by the other lovely youngster, time to get out and do stuff....

Off to Castello di Arco, a 12th century castle at the highest point of the city. Usually just a common sightseeing destination, but being an avid climber and entrepreneur it was Morro's job to scout out a way to scale the top of the castle to do some lighting repairs.

From atop the mountain and castle area, it was another one of those "If only someone at home could see what I'm seeing this very second", type of adventures...

Castello di Arco

 So far so good with weather. These sunny windless days are a travelers best case scenario.

Derek headed back to Canada and I head down to Venice by train, since I had a few days left on my rail pass to use up.

Beautiful Switzerland

Interlaken Switzerland

What can I say, this place is simply gorgeous. The train ride into Interlaken by itself was enough to set the standard for the views to follow in the next 3 days. As the name may suggest, the town is situated between two lakes on the east and west, with two mountain ranges to the north and south. Been saving up for an adrenaline rush? Come here.

Think of a sport or activity that's not for the timid and they have it; Bungy jumping, paragliding, canyoning and white water rafting, alpine skiing, mountain biking and not to mention being rated as the number one place in the world to go skydiving.

Moments after hoping off the train and seeing half a dozen parachutes open and come down between the two glacial mountain ranges it was clear that skydiving and such activites were a major source of income for this place.
Randomly picked Balmers Herberge Hostel, and did I ever pick right. The most charismatic receptionist with a funky mix between a Swiss and Ukranian accent, but also said "Cheers mate!" as an Aussie would, as she handed me a free bottle of a new brandy-cola mix to guinea pig for them.

Hot tub, best nightclub in Interlaken below the hostel, snow capped mountains all around with blueish-green glacial runoff water canals flowing through the town.... I think the train stopped in heaven, or something like it.

One of the best things about hostels is the effortless manner in which you become buddies with the people you share a room with. Our rustic log cabin style room with bunk beds and a loft you had climb up into, was shared by just myself, a mid 30's New Yorker, and two UK girls that flew in for the weekend to jump out of a plane sporting a magic marker Movember Mustaches.

Night one:

• Steak and beer with the UK girls, followed by happy hour and a busy night at the "Metro" club downstairs with backpackers, sky divers and locals.

Day two:

GoPro goes everywhere

• Rented bikes from a shop down the street that was a strange mix between bicycle/scooter/car rental, coffee shop, and Thai food.... Strange, but the owners were happy to sit down and talk about how they sometimes see cows that wandered or fell into the wrong valley and have to get extracted, hanging from helicopters in the sky above.

• Biked along on of the emerald coloured canals towards the west lake after taking a gander at some ancient ruins situated along the canal.

• Lunch with the new buddies inches from the crystal clear lake water surrounded by mountains.

Girls headed for home and I headed for supper. Felt like diving right into the Swiss food culture, so the obvious choice was nachos, at Hooters.

Being a bit of an adrenaline junky myself, it was incredibly tempting to go sky diving while there. However, being on a travel budget and currently riding solo, it just didn't seem worth it to go and not have any friends there to do it with and a decade later say "Hey! Remember that time we went sky diving in Switzerland?!"

It's the awkward part of the season before it snows so most exhilarating activites despite skydiving were closed. I'll be back!
================================


Last day in Interlaken with no plans so might as well make the most of it and go get high, into the mountains. Trained it up 6762ft to Klein Scheidegg, home of some world famous Swiss skiing championship, or something like it.

JungfrauJoch, the "top of Europe" can be seen another 7000ft. up

Words, or pictures will never do justice to the magnitude and beauty of the sights available here, so I will not make the effort, aside from a picture or two.

I could take the train right back down, but the sun was shining and the sights like this do not happen daily, or yearly, or even a lifetime for a lot of people.
One "Max Relax" playlist on my iPod and 3000ft later I meandered my way down the mountain past chimney smoking log homes on hillsides, and strategically placed viewing points along the trail to the town of Wegnen.
Home of the ski world cup this January.

Long day in the mountain followed by a night in the hot tub. It may be early yet, but I'm putting my dibs on this day as one of the most memorable.


Next up, Italia...

Brauhaus, Lederhousen and German History

Mein German Kampf,

So after saying goodbye to Hollands kindest and most accommodating, as well as Canada's most spontaneous (and ridiculous), it's off to Germany.

With close to zero research or planning, just a little advise from a fellow Hess, Munich it was. The hope was to dip into some Nazi history and dive into some German bier culture.... Jackpot.

Along the 8 hour train ride closer to southern Germany I noticed the number of trees with white branches start to increase. From inside the warm train I was just hoping they were a neat kind of tree until I realized.... Holy mother-nature, I better start wearing an extra layer of underwear.

If you ever end up in a city and don't have a clue to the significance of this room or that street, the" free" walking tours put on by hostels are HIGHLY recommended. Best decision I could have made while in Germany. Not only did he spit out great information about this room and that street for a solid 4 hours all over the city, but it leads to meeting more people.

A lot of history in this room

The goal: "Get us local"

•Beer and bratwurst before noon in a local beer garden

•Clear the Beerfest movie stereotypes from our heads

•Catch the showat Mariahilfplatz at noon and learn beers role in the black plague simultaneously

•Go to the famous Hofbrauhaus and see where the regulars in lederhousen and hats with €2000 feather decoration atop drink bier from there badass bier steins.

•Above the Hofbrauhaus, stand in the very room where Hitler started the Nazi movement back in the 20's threatening murder and suicide of those in the room if they did not follow



New technology room in Deutsche Museum




The famous nude bathing Englischer Garten was closed this time of season for shrinkage sake, so we went to the Deutsches museum since it was warm inside, and we thought it was open late that day.





Decided to go back to the museum alone the next day to see anything I had missed the day before. From the first automobile to the first electric dynamo and the very work bench where the first atom was split, this place has it all. Would be a fantastic place for a school field trip, if it were not located across the ocean.


Small half litre for some people watching in the market

 

Basement beer cellar @ Augustiner Keller

Went for dinner one night with some new friends I met on the tour. Some were American so wanted to have their very own thanks giving dinner in Germany. I had been to the Augustiner Keller the night before and loved it,so suggested we go there. So there we sat in an old beer cellar below ground under the restaurant. Strangers the day before, and now having "Thankgiving" dinner with an aerospace engineer from Los Angeles, a guy from England, an Auditor from Russia and a brother sister combo that were History teachers from the southern states. I guess this is backpacking? Love it. The Americans had turkey schnitzel which likely the best turkey I have EVER tried, whileI had pork leg sausages with sauerkraut and mustard with a liter of german beer.

AND THE MOST THOUGHT PROVOKING, AND CREEPY STREET ENTERTAINER/BEGGAR AWARD GOES TO:

See if you can figure it out.. I eventually clued in

The last day was filled with some more wandering, my new skill, which I now consider an expertise. I came across my first taste of the Christmas spirit while strolling through the somewhat famous Munich Christmas market. Again, kind of felt like home...








Next Stop, then heavenly mountains of Switzerland...

Amsterdamned good time

Time is of the essence, and this will have to wait... to be edited later

Edit:
still waiting to do this...

Spontaneous much?

Brussels Beauties

Belgium for a day

So while back in Africa I think I mentioned to Nikki via internet that I will be going to Holland once I get to Europe. She said something along the lines of  "Wooo, ill meet you there?!" . Right, like that would happen....

Sure as shit, while here in Holland I get a text msg that she has a flight booked and will be in Amsterdam Airport in about 48 hours. Off to the airport to meet the crazy canuck for a week more in Holland.

Spontaneity is the spice of life.



Regularly reserved for slightly
 more, powerful, members of the European Union



Mmm Belgian waffles sounds appetizing, off to Brussels. Toured the Council of the European Union building with an exclusive "behind the scenes" type pass courtesy of a family connection. I haven't really been following any form of news while over here, but sure sounds like they have their hands full at the moment with the euro €. 

Think about the most high end diamond, jewelery or clothing store you have ever been in. Now replace the diamonds, watches and necklaces with expensive and delicious chocolate in a 3 story black velvet walled glass encased chocolate sanctuary. Thats how they roll here I guess. Chocolate, beer, waffles and a little statue of a boy peeing into a fountain that drew alot of attention. Nice place!

...Back to Holland