“The feeling”

(Tue, 25^th November, 10:06 Oslo Airport - a part of my journal)

 “The feeling” (a phrase what I've often used in my writings) means shortly that a lot of good things are happening around me or to me. It’s a reference to a happy place full of excitement and joy. I get “the feeling” once in a while. My body and brains feel like they are about to explode and I want to laugh and cry at the same time. What I’ve learned is that you can get “the feeling” almost everywhere and any time. With good friends, new places and moments, family, hobbies. I mean, everywhere. Usually “the feeling” happens to me while travelling. It should be easy to explain what really happens in my whole body and brains when they realize I’ve just experienced something so amazing, emotional and beautiful. Let me tell you one example. I escaped from Finland’s cold winter almost exactly one year ago to South-East Asia. Alone. As any other 19 year old girl would have waited from this trip (partying, beach fun, friends etc) happened to me too.. but something else as well. I went to places where imagination is only a foolish tool, did crazy stuff as drove motorbikes to sunrises at the top on the mountains. Shared a hammock and hugs at the remote waterfall in the middle of jungle. Meditated with an old monk under the full moon. I would have never, ever thought it would be my time to do something like this. Those 4,5 months changed me and “the feeling” repeated itself almost every day. When doing something like this it’s hard to come home and go back to the old cycle of work, sleep, work, sleep. But continuing life as mine was for a while could it be also harmless? Living the dream every day? Is that even possible in this world of ours? I stopped once in a while to open my eyes wide open and scan the view, yes, I’m really lying on a snow white beach and in front of me there’s clear turquoise sea and no one else around. That’s one other example of “the feeling”. Saying out loud that this is still reality and not a daydream. How many times you've woken up from your own bed and just for a moment thought that the dream still exists and you've woken up inside the dream? Weird? Well I can say I've felt like that many times on my travels. There was nothing more than a fine line between dreams and reality. If you could live that way would you choose it? Or would you feel safer doing what you do now at home, knowing that this stays and doesn't probably fade away?

When I’m not travelling I feel sometimes like we’re nothing more than strangers. Standing out is hard and you need “something special” to do so. You are hardly considered free as a flying bird but when you get that chance to be one, it’s damn hard to get back into the "normal life".

As my dad calls me "bird" or "birdy" in Finnish I consider myself at this very moment as a bird. Not sure which kind, those female birds are always gray and boringly colored. I’m not a male for sure, but I could say I would like to be those red wine colored birds with a bit of turquoise and black in their beautiful soft feathers. As I'm flying now freely to the unknown the only thing is that I need to stay truthful to myself. Do what I love. What others think, well I’m trying to put that on the side nowadays. What matters the most is your self-confidence and to keep it high is not an easy journey full of upside downs, talking about my life in sort of ways. Building the way you see yourself slaps you at your face once in a while but when you’re on the high point you can do almost anything. Literally. 

I’ve always been a little bit shy, usually when it comes to making new friends. I’ve been ok at social situations not providing any major awkward moments (well I’m not telling you about them for sure!) and growing as an only child for past 16 years I’ve managed to build a safe place to be just on my own. It has never been a problem to live alone, I enjoy it so much. While travelling long-term and solo without friends or family I don’t have to push myself to the limits of socialism and be “my talkative self” like in Finland most of the time. It comes naturally and actually being in a new environment and standing on the top of an exciting foreign soil gives boost to my persona. I can’t count with my fingers and toes those many beautiful souls I met on my last trip or at all those previous adventures. Being able to call people you have just met in a strange place your “family” makes travelling more meaningful and amazing experience. I’ve said this before, but “While travelling alone you’re never really alone” or lonely I’ve to add. I felt lonely just for those days while I was lying in a hospital bed suffering from dengue fever. At least I was in so bad shape I couldn’t even cry or worry more because that would have just made my condition worse. I survived and left stronger to continue achieving bigger mountains and smaller roads ending up touching the clouds.

I’m always craving more, it’s hard to keep my butt on the chair (at least I try my best atm) because I feel I need to take the next shot of travel elixir. Well, if you haven’t still got it, I’m just making my way through this two day journey through Oslo and Florida to my first destination of Central America.. wait for it.. Guatemala!! And I’m scared! But it’s a good fear. Because I’m thrilled and soon it’s time for “the feeling” again. Can’t wait! I will keep you hanging with me while I step to that exotic world of Mayan history, beautiful people, amazing fabrics and everything else that I still can't even imagine. And of course explain why I chose Central America and much more so keep following my adventures!

these Cambodian kids

So I stumbled across to these photos on my laptop.. and all kinds of feelings just came up. You know, these moments when the time is stopped and you're looking at some little kid's eyes trying to figure out what they really need. Is it really money that they are asking for, or shelter, food, new clothes or just love and caring ? These little kids I shortly met in Cambodia were living just outside one tourist attraction. In their shabby houses on a large field. They came behind a tall fence to beg and mumble in a choir "moooneeyyy..give mooneeyyy" from tourists while passing them. I didn't however see no one giving any money. I would have liked to play some games with them and make them laugh like we did in Vietnam which was amazing. But this time they were "on the other side".

So I'm thinking.. How can you realise and cherish all what you have right in front of you back home, if you haven't seen these little faces and much more while travelling ? I love to travel and how it opens my eyes and broadens my mind. And yes, my next adventure starts in a week.. Ay dios mío !

Cambodia

Take me back to those two amazing weeks I spent exploring parts of beautiful and mysterious Cambodia. Five countries were down and this was one of the best ones.

Morning at Angkor Wat

Take me back to a time I wandered on one of the most amazing beaches I had ever seen. Sun was shining like it was its last day, crystal clear turquoise sea calling me to take a refreshing swim and snow white sand inviting me to lie down and enjoy the heat. I was happy, wondering how it was possible to find this inhabited beach on the other side of jungle. I looked at white sand-colored crabs moving sideways to the sea from their sand holes as quickly as possible.. when one of them run over my leg, reminding me that there's a fine line between dreams and reality.

Take me back to my over night stay in a hammock between two coconut trees on the beach. To those crazy days when I met new absolutely awesome people and travel mates.. and partied with Beyonce look-alike ladyboys. To those extremely long and hot three days in a bus with local people sitting on the bus's floor with their incredibly calm babies when there was no space for anyone else to join. To little children's' gazing when I walked down those narrow alleys of Phnom Penh photographing their normal day routines. Take me back to time when I sat on little red and blue stools on the road eating noodle soup with meat and something else I didn't really ask for. To those shabby roads with blowing sand, chaotic traffic, strained electricity and no internet. Take me back to that road where we got stopped by a police who said it's time to go to the police station while driving a motorbike without helmets.. and getting rid of him by giving him 10 dollars. To those times I had great conversations with prostitutes on streets of Siem Reap. To ancient Angkor Wat, listed to Unesco's World Heritage Site, where we rent bikes and rode to the sunrise at 5am. To those beautiful women and girls with smiling and friendly faces and genuine laughter, much more actually than in any other countries I had been.

And take me back to this extremely beautiful and diverse country where I travelled totally spontaneous with one day considering time with two guys I had just met in Thailand. And it was one of the best decisions on my journey.

Lee helping out a baby monkey getting a selfie 

Some lovely kids I met in Siem Reap

Koh Rong

Life is a grand festival and I'm living it right now

"Because I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be happy."

That is one thing I have learned while travelling. I usually worry about things too much and I've been learning to let go and really concentrate on the present. I also have grown as a thinking person and understood lots of things that I didn't before.

Living and working in Pai has been both an amazing opportunity and an mind changing experience. When I bought my flight ticket from Singapore to Chiang Mai, I knew that I could have gone to some new place, but I still wanted to go back to this one precious place I felt like home. But what should people really know about Pai ? Always when travellers are asking what has been your favourite place or where should they go next, I tell them to go to Pai. It's not a huge place with loads of shops or nightclubs. But it's full of things to do, after chilling in a hammock next to musicians playing gypsy tunes. I loved every second I spend in Pai in November to December. Now I came back for another three weeks to meet old friends, work in a bar&restaurant and enjoy jamming with talented musicians. Days passed really fast even I ended up doing lots of things beside work and chilling.

 

One of the many attractions in Pai are hot springs, there are natural ones in jungle (20 bath/0,50€) and proper built ones in spas (80-200 bath). I enjoyed both but the feeling bathing in a jungle with locals and beautiful view excited me more. There's canyon, caves, view points at the top of the mountains, beautiful jewellery shops, walking street, chilling live music bars and cafes etc. There's many waterfalls I went with a motorbike to, but also this one with nice five hour hike. It was a cold sunday night when we sat on a bonfire as usually, jamming, while my friend got an idea to go camping over night at this one waterfall far away in the mountains. Me and people from our hostel were excited about the crazy idea and already started to make lists what to take with. I had no expectations, but as soon as I was hiking this jungle path with my backpack full of useful equipments I realised this night was going to be magical. After five hours wading through rivers and getting wet, letting the sun to dry us we continued that path mix of rocks, plants, river, insects and huge trees above us. Still three more hours of hiking till we would get there. 

Finally we came to this beautiful waterfall, not at the photos above, i was too amazed to even take my tablet out of my bag. We went for a swim and I got an stupid but at the time very clever idea to climb to the top. Well, I got there easily, but after looking down my friends were turned out to be little ants on the ground. It was the moment when I realised I am sometimes too crazy and forgetting to think before. So so slippery and long way down but I did it. I was happy again and had a great laugh. So the night came to our little camping area. I had a hammock like couple of others and around campfire there were 11 sleeping bags on the ground. Amazing and tripping night, I haven't had that much fun dancing in the shadows and staring at the full moon with all the colours of a rainbow. We sang together and played all night long with jungle drum and guitar. 

What I'm really going to miss is the atmosphere. In Pai it's magical. I had my little Pai family at the first time, but I got a new one this time as well. Everyone who I have met in Pai have liked it. I'm glad I get to know to so many new people among my old friends. I worked for awhile in a restaurant to save money and it was situated at a perfect place (photo above), couldn't ask for more. Someone might think I'm crazy when I say this, but I could totally live in Pai for longer time like an half year. I feel like home there and I'm going back after couple of weeks  anyway ;) It's so hard to stay away !

Take care guys, hope you are living in the present. Remember to sing, enjoy little things, laugh, try meditation, write, make art, do what you know the best, and respect nature and people around you. Stay openminded and happy. Hugs.

Am I still in Southeast Asia ?

I have to admit something to everyone. Singapore was really cool. I kind of fell in love with its beautiful, organized, safe, modern, clean and fancy atmosphere which was so different from other southeast Asian countries. Skyscrapers, western business men and women walking on the streets, well working underground system and of course more expensive accommodation, food and transportation made Singapore feel like I was totally somewhere else than in southeast Asia. Everyone spoke English and polices were looking after bad behaving citicents. I really had some problems with this country's strict rules about littering, eating or drinking in MRT, the bubble gum rule and crossing streets with red traffic lights. I'm so used to eat or drink while I'm traveling in a bus or train so this rule was quite hard to remember. I also have to admit that I ate one lollipop by mistake waiting the MRT to come, ran across the road with red traffic lights and dropped maybe something by accident. Anyway the most important thing here is that the police didn't see me and give 500-1000 Singapore dollars fine which is half amount in euros. 

Singapore has lots of things to see and places to spend your money for. Somehow I managed to do everything free, I went to a teather where they played live music twice in a day so I listened young musicians playing jazz and Chinese traditional music played with Chinese instruments. I found my way to the rooftop where I watched the lightning show which is shown every night from Marina Sands Bay.

 The city lights were amazing at night. 

It was so easy to stay 6 days in Singapore, I stayed in a nice and tidy hostel 10 minutes MRT ride away from the central city and Marina Bay, with all inexpensive local food stalls. I totally fell in love with the food there. You could choose from lots of different meats, fish, vegetables and noodles the one you liked and they gave you rice with that and everything cost like 1 euro. But when I went to business area in the city the food was almost five times more expensive. At the first day I already made friends with my neighbours who owned this awesome restaurant and as soon as I went to eat there more than two times they gave me discount. Perfect place I thought.

Then what comes to shopping I have to admit I did some in Singapore's long shopping street where's so many stores and malls that you will go crazy. One day shopping was good for me, I found some stuff what I really needed. The prices though weren't even close to Thailand's and I ended up spending much more I had spent before in this trip in couple of days. 

Singapore is so close to Malaysia but the biggest difference is that there's not that much Muslims or Indians and more Chinese and western people. What really was following some kind of secret law was that everyone wore really fancy clothes. Lots of young people were fashionistas and women were really wearing very high high heels. And I did something I hadn't done in ages; wore makeup and got fancy too.

Opposites attract in Malaysia

What can I say, at the first time I had no expectations or much knowledge about a country before I crossed the border and found my little bed in a dorm room in Georgetown in the island of Penang. Malaysia wasn't on my to do list when I was planning my trip, but now I can't be more happier for my expired Thai visa and therefore the force to go to another country. 

I found Georgetown really cultural and interesting. Its streets were full of art, graffitis and little art galleries and museums. It had mosques, Hindu temples, Chinese temples and many more outstanding sightseens.

With amazing luck we ended up there just in time for big Hindu festivals, Thaipusam.
 It was more than I even had time to expect and I saw something the previous day of it what I never had been seen before; A holy man perforated three young men's cheeks with a stick and back with twenty hooks after which they begun a spiritual journey to the mountains as part of the next day's Thaipusam. One of the participants were a woman and she got a stick through her tongue too instead of back hooks. I was photographing and filming this and it turned quite difficult to watch at some points. The thing is that those participants have so much faith that they don't feel the pain as I would if someone put twenty hooks hanging from my back for couple of days. The strength of religion is fascinating. I don't belong in any (a bit of Buddhism) but it's interesting. At the next day we took a one hour bus to the area where Thaipusam were organized and I was amazed by the beauty of hundreds of sarees in different colours on Indian women. India is my next years top one destination but there I felt properly walking on a street in India instead of Malaysia. Indian dancing music were playing loud and I noticed just men were those who danced and women were standing a safe step away. I was wearing a long dress and part of sari draped over my shoulder and a bindi on my forehead like everyone else there. I'm glad my hair is black because I think me and my friends were the only western people there and when one of us were blonde she got lots of looks and words from the Indian men. Thaipusam was about praying, dancing and praying when dancing. Big pictures of Hindu gods and lots of food stalls and Indian clothes, music, jewellery and fun time.

In Malaysia I ate the best food so far since November. I'm so into Indian food that I ate it everyday.. twice, for one week. I don't really know anything better at the moment. Being so bored with Thai food with my gluten and lactose allergies (fried rice and rice noodle soup) Malaysian and Indian food were totally refreshing change. A lot more to choose from.

What I saw and learned were that Malaysia is mixed with Malaysians, Chinese and Indians. Muslims, Taoism and Hinduism. And four different local languages. Malaysia has a cities with skyscrapers, and jungle with over ten meters long trees and mountains. Don't forget Borneo, a part of an big jungle island that belogns to Malaysia. In this country opposites really attract. When I took the four hours bus journey from Georgetown to Cameron highlands I saw the same scenery as in north Thailand. Mountains and green bamboo tree forest. I started immediately feel like home. My journey started over 2 months ago from little villages in north Thailand and it's still a fresh memory in my head. Being a girl who cut bamboo trees with a jungle knife and drank water from them and built huts from leaves and little pieces of cut bamboo makes me feel proud of myself and the experience I had. I feel I may go back, at least I have seven weeks to go still.

Cameron highlands were located on beautiful green mountains and had big tea plantations and lots of to see as bee farm with fresh honey, rose and cactus houses, butterfly farm and many straberry farms. This town were perfect for trekking and discovering the hidden jungle spots and a rare one meter long flower blooming only this time in year.

I spent three nights on mountains and after that I escaped the coldness to the big capital, Kuala Lumpur. Everything were so huge, builings weren't just normal sized, they looked like kilometer long. The city got me excited but in couple of days a little bit stressed. It wasn't so safe and walking alone wasn't a good idea. Lots of men yelling after you while you walk and calling you names and to come to their shops which made walking without getting a bit annoyed impossible. Sometimes they were quite rude and trying to touch which I hate so much even I was properly dressed in long dress and scarf in muslim country. But immediately when I was walking with two guy friends nobody said a word. Thank god I had a great company.

I had a chance to visit Batu Caves during three days stay in the capital. Definately a local cultural site to be seen. But be prepared to climb all the steps, as there are nearly 275 steps in all to get to the top. The cave itself is quite big with Hindu temple inside, a lot of monkeys and their babies which tourists are keen to take photos of. We visited Batu caves just few days after Thaipusam (it is organized in every big city) so it was looking still like after festivals. You could see dead chicken and trash on the ground which weren't yet cleaned away. After those 275 steps back down we ended up strolling we ended up strolling all the little street stalls and I bought a locket with a picture of my favorite Hindu god Ganesha. I'm even thinking of getting a tattoo of it one day.

One week went so fast, as always when you are traveling and I have to say that Malaysia was totally worth of visit for a week. It has multiple attractions to see and things to do. I wish I could go to Borneo one day as well. I'm leaving Malaysia with a a big smile and already miss my favourite local Indian street food place in KL.

Of course the must visit sightseen in KL were the Petronas Towers. They are so majestic but so is the oil company who owns them. Malaysia is so much more developed than Thailand or Vietnam. It's more expensive but there's cheap transportation. Drinking is really expensive but I still don't have to worry about that. Keeping myself away from alcohol has been so nice and easy without hangovers plus saving so much money hih.
Im going to miss this country and its contraries maybe a little bit. Or the food ??!

An paradise island (?)

I try to write briefly about an island called Koh Phi Phi located in southern Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and Krabi on the mainland. This was my second time in this island and the first time was just weeks before the Indian Ocean tsunami vanished all most the whole island. Koh Phi Phi w

as devastated by the tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was destroyed. This time when I arrived in Phi Phi I remembered some places like the beach but could also really see how much they had started to build concrete houses instead of bamboo ones. I wasn't fascinated about these new buildings and how rugged-looking they were but I understand why they are building them.

What comes to the reputation of Phi Phi is quite funny; two weeks holiday travellers with suitcases come there to party from Pukhet or Krabi, heaps of westerns especially English and Swedish people (yes I hanged out with them mostly) gets fucked up by drinking rum or vodka buckets and fighting towards each other in reggae bar's Thai boxing stadium. It was so funny looking when both of the foreigner fighters didn't have any idea how to Thai box correctly. They were kind of hitting each other like little girls and running in a row. But yes, of course you got a free bucket from that.. !

I haven't been drinking anything after I got out from hospital while I'm still taking two different medicines for my liver because of dengue fever. I'm totally fine with that and save so much money for other things.

At night everyone goes to the beach to party, there they got maybe four nice places which of two are clubs and two chilling places (one of them is called Stoned and is really chilled you can lie on the beach and look at the starts and enjoy good vibes). Fire shows start at the evening and are pretty good but when these young Thai guys courage the drunk audience to go jumping on a fire rope it just keeps giving people burns until midnight when dancing begins. It's unbelievable that I have met several people with burns on my travels and when I ask them what happened they all say I got it from stepping on a fire rope or jumping through a fire circle. I secretly wanted to try fire limbo but either burning my face or hair weren't on my to do list, nor going to spend more days in hospital again.

I liked lots of things in Koh Phi Phi, but the most maybe its beautiful scenery I saw from beaches and viewpoints. One day there turned into a six in a blink of an eye. I enjoyed every day the sun, walking long tiny roads to little beaches and meeting wonderful and crazy people from all around the world. I got bunch of new places to go and stay when travelling. It was hard to leave but I knew that going next to Malaysia was something so cool and I couldn't be more excited.

 

I survived from the hectic, expensive and touristic party island by eating again with locals (good tip to keep in mind if you are a backpacker). I found this one plastic chair alley where with 1 euro you got better Thai meals than in "real" restaurants where you spend 4 to 10 euros for the same meals. At these little plastic chair places they cook much more delicious food as well. Of course I have a tight budget but I also love to do things inexpensively. I didn't buy anything else than one bracelet which I want to do in every place I travel. I went to stay in the cheapest dorm room but totally with the best people on the whole island called The Rock. It had graffiti and texts written by people who had stayed there all over from its walls to beds and ceiling. That place really had good vibes in it. After leaving Phi Phi I just got one thing in my mind.. will I visit the island again for the third time one pretty day ? Who knows, this girl has a wild heart and seeks for new adventures so let's see.

Phuket old town

Getting out from the hospital after 10 days was the happiest day for me for a long time. I was still quite dizzy and living in my own bubble so I decided to stay just close to my hostel. The place I stayed was situated in the old town of Phuket. Usually when tourists come to spend holiday in Phuket they go straight to one of its many famous and crowded beaches. I knew already I wasn't interested in going there but really keen to discover the beauty of the old town. I started to walk one street and ended up getting more and more further from any tourists. I spent one hour in some lovely local's home where they had all kinds of animals from budgies to rabbits. They wanted me to tell them everything about Finland because they were so fascinated about a country like that. I tried to explain once more that there isn't snow all year long and then I continued my wandering walking tour. 

I was so excited to see graffiti because it's quite rare here in Thailand

 As a person who loves markets founding this big and really cool one was great and I bought a big bag of exotic fruits and ate cheap noodle soup at my favourite spot; sitting on a little plastic chair among locals. 

 I loved walking in the old town. Seeing so much different style of buildings and architecture were great and I ended up walking down to little alleys to wander and photograph. Two days in Phuket were nice and I was glad I had the opportunity to spend them here.. "thank you" for the dengue fever, otherwise I wouldn't even come here at the first place. Tomorrow I'm taking a ferry to Koh Phi Phi, an island famous for its expensive and touristic scene.. Oh Buddha, what am I doing ?