Relax, this is Asia!

Koh Tao didn't blow me away. It was nice, relaxing, but it was too expensive, there were too many western style pubs and bars and too many 25 year old American/Canadian tourists with huge egos, who spoke with a certain way, finishing every sentence with a question mark. All they were talking about was getting drunk on cheap booze.

The island was also a place where I have seen the most laid back locals ever. They sat in their little shops and cafes whole day and watched tourists passing by. Sometimes it seemed that even talking was an effort to them. 
There was no rush in their movements, no stress was visible on their faces.
The westerners, who lived there, had exactly the same attitude. I experienced it the hard way when I was leaving the island. 

Wat Saket - Golden Mountain Temple

Wat Saket - Golden Mountain Temple stands on an artificial hill, overlooking the entire Bangkok. 

It's history dates back to Ayutthaya era and was renovated by the King Rama I in the 19 th century.

Wat Arun - the most beautiful temple in Bangkok

Wat Arun means The Temple of Dawn and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Bangkok. It was called after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn. 
The building represents the Mount Meru, the centre of the world in Buddhist cosmology. 

1 day left - getting ready for The Trip

There is something magical about getting ready to set off  on your trip. Your stomach is turning, you feel so excited it's hard to fall asleep at night, you can't eat..It's a bit like being in love. There's no better feeling than preparing for your trip, crossing off items off your list and waiting for the day, when you will be able to get on a plane, train, bus or a car and just go to an unknown place, where you haven't been before.

GUEST ENTRY: Ambush Blessing - by Life as a Butterfly

Ambush. Blessing. I’m not sure these two words naturally fit together at all! But I am living proof of the above…I will explain!Thailand is a spectacular country; boasting magnificent temples around every corner. Religion and faith come hand in hand in this country and the people are full of optimism, happiness and peace.

Things I thought about Thailand (and which turned out to be complete rubbish)

Last January I went to Thailand for the first time in my life. It was also my first trip outside of Europe. I'm still trying to recover from the wonderful and amazing time I had there. I'm in love with the country, its climate, people, food...everything. I just want to go back and live there forever.
But, before I set my foot on the Thai land, I had a few opinions of the country, created by the stories and stereotypical picture people draw of the country on the internet - and gosh, I was so wrong! And this is what I thought:

A close encounter (a more creative take on my small 'adventure' in Thailand)

My steps disappear in sounds of surrounding forest and distant waves. There is only one person here, a middle aged man, busy with cutting wood he just brought from a storage. I’m standing at the entrance and I’m trying not to disturb his work. He looks at me for a brief second, smiles gently and goes back to his work.

‘Silence please’ says the sign on the gate. There is also a list of things a westerner, such as myself, needs to remember about, before they enter the retreat.

A whole week of partying in Thailand left me exhausted and lacking of something peaceful and meaningful. I want to escape from everyone, hide somewhere and stay there until I feel that I’m restored. Unfortunately, I have only an hour. My friends are waiting for me at the beach of Had Rin, 20 minutes drive from this shrine, which name I won’t tell you. Let it be my secret, my special place where I can visit with my thoughts any time I want.

The Blond memories: Mai pen rai

The smell of gasoline hits me hard, yet I am mesmerized  Before me a group of very small but well built Thai boys perform fire tricks I haven’t seen before in my life. Their tattooed bodies glisten in the dark and move to the music. It is a truly sensual experience....

The Blond moment: conversations with a Thai

I was fascinated by the 'fire guys' from Had Rin. They were very mysterious to me: didn't talk to tourists unless asked, were always polite and kept themselves to themselves.

After a couple of days watching them, I decided to ask them a few questions. First of all I was curious why they weren't at school. Being a typical European I was worried about their education and poor standards of living. I suspected they had some kind of Thai summer holidays during which they worked whole nights and enjoyed the beach during the days.

I went up to one of them and after a typical exchange of 'how are yous' and 'where are you froms' I asked why they weren't in beds, preparing for the school the next day.

The guy smiled politely.

'We don't need to go to school' - he said.

'Oh, how come?' - I was surprised.

'Well, we don't. I finished school'

'So, you have holiday now?' I then thought that I must have been right about the Thai summer break.

'No...'

'So, you don't go to school?'

'I don't need to...I'm too old'

'Too old? How old are you?' ('How old is too old? I must be ancient then, according to Thai standards' - I thought.)

'35...'

...................................

I will never ask another Thai person about their age again!