Spending one year in India and Nepal I finally went away. And I landed in Singapore. My plan was not to stay in Singapore, just layover for few hours to catch next flight out to Australia.
Singapore

That plan did not work, as Australia refuse to give me visa. (well they ask me document’s, that I could not provide). I ended up in Singapore, then Malaysia.
KL_CS
In Malaysia I stayed in Penang and Kuala Lumpur and then I did 10 day silent meditation course, and after that, hitch-hike my way from Kuching to Labuan. In KL(read Kuala Lumpur) I met a girl who goes by pseudonym: Martini. She joined me on my Hitch-Hiking trip :)
HitchHiking in Borneo
In this last audio you can hear how we talk to one of our drivers. An old local guy with warm heart. :)

Vipassana 2011
This was not my first time, that I went to this meditation course. The first time was in 2010 July, a year ago. I quit on day number 5. Now I did it till the end. And I saw the benefits, one can get out of it.

Vipassana home page, take a look for course near by you! :)

Two weeks have passed since I arrived in Malaysia.

Crossing the border from Singapore to Malaysia. For the first time in my life, I had to put down my fingers to a scanner…  as far as I know, Latvia do not have my fingerprints(scans). So at least Malaysia have and only index fingers, I wonder if it is somehow reflected in the rest of ones fingers?

I went to the border by bus, who anxiously waited for people who go through the border. So I successfully got left by. I found another bus and arranged that I will be taken to nearby town, from which I had planned to try out my first Hitch-Hiking in Asia.

I ended up in the city, without a hitch, I found the next coach who went to my preferred highway’s direction. As soon as I sat down bus began it’s movement. After 25 minutes I was on the road with a sign – Kuala Lumpur. I did not have long to wait until I got the first lift, although I was taken to the next town which was only 20km away and left in middle of it. I had to have a 1h walk through the city, until I found a suitable place for Hitching a ride . There in 5 minutes I stopped a couple of Indians. How ironic, I just run away from India and met Indians again. Had a laugh to myself and found myself in a sweet sleep. After a couple of hours, woke up and realized that we have driven a long way.  15 minutes of silence and out of the car in one of the rest places near highway. There I was waiting for the next ride. This time the person was more interesting a government worker. He was drives from meetings to meetings with a very small, small car and not exceeding 90km per hour. That made my travelling really slow, but I did not mind it, coz’ I enjoyed conversation.

They have highways in very good condition, average cars are hovering around 130-150km/h while allowed is 110km/h. Thing is that nobody really fallows this speed limit. There are good reason for that. They have no difference if you are driving at 130 km/h or 230 km/h fine will be same and there is no point system. So for those who can afford to pay is well anyway, don’t care if they will be pulled over or not.

After several hours of lengthy talks on the situation in Malaysia and life itself, we arrived at next resting place. Where I got hitch to my destination – Penang is an island in itself, but I was released next to the ferry, which carried passengers across.

700km in one day, a slowly and without haste, was to beat it around midnight and arrived at my friend place – Michel.
Michel I haven’t met for over a year. Joy was great to meet again this truly crazy guy, who enjoys every moment of his life and is master of his own time. A vivid example of the fact that years is irrelevant, unless you feel young – you are young. So in general I can safely say that Malaysia is a great place to Hitch-Hike.

Penang is overcrowded by tourists, mostly from Australia and Arab countries. Can perceive a lot of women in black dresses, with only their eyes visible. Somehow seamlessly comes disgust, for men, restricting women so much. Although aware that it’s all religion… But it does not lessen my disgust ..
To or may be, I’m feeling sorry to see, that women must be completely hidden under the black dress in temperature exceeding 38 degrees… It’s sickens me just to think, how hot could it be under an outfit like that?!

Otherwise, a great island! With beautiful beaches where dolphins swim in the open air. It looks like they are really close to you. I tried to swim to them but it seems my swimmer capabilities are not as good. And when a thought starts wandering in my mind of jellyfish. They suppose to be loads in this region (I noticed only the dead ones, on the coast). The idea of ​​a bewildering experience – swimming with dolphins, no longer seemed as attractive. Then you notice that dolphins are moving away from you and the thoughts of ​​a jellyfish does not rest. And then from time to time have to think about the backpack that have been left ashore, where it monkeys gather in hopes of finding some food. Yes monkey and they do not hesitate for a moment to take your back and rip it in peaces! And then you feel that the forces are starting to dry up and dolphins did not intend to return… Time to go back to shore.
I hope that one day dolphins will be closer to the shore, or I’ll be closer to them in the sea… then for sure I will be swimming with them.

Eight nights were spent on the island and it is time for me to go back to the main land. Bag was packed and put over the shoulder, hugs and arrangement to meet again somewhere in the world. 

And of I was in direction of blue tales of Kuala Lumpur. This time the road ahead was only around 300km. As usual I began the day with much of laziness.  Bus in the city delivered me to the ferry, ferry to the other party of the water, legs up to the highway and there I was with my thumb up in the sky, waiting for my next ride.
To get out of the city was more difficult than I had imagined, five different rides delivered me to rest place near the exit of the city, where I got lorry and drove all the way with it. Driver was excellent with good English skills .. Even gave me his contacts in Thailand, he sincerely said that Thailand is much more beautiful than Malaysia. And of course, if I one day decide to go in that direction, then I would have place to stay and food to eat, as long as I want. And that I would be most welcome to stay with him and his wife. With a big smile and happy heart I said goodbye to this great man and I went to talk about the next ride. Lorry’s are not allowed to enter in Kuala Lumpur. So I arranged, coach that had stopped for short period to stretch legs. It took me to the city center, which was about 20-30km away. And now it was fast approaching midnight.
Midnight! I have reached Kuala Lumpur my hosts house was only 2km from the bus station – great!

The next week was spent with the cultural flavor. My hospitable host took me around by many and various excellent sites in and around Kuala Lumpur. He works in the tourism and know ‘very much about this city and good places where to go.

So a couple of days and I am going to meditate for the second time. This time, I hope that I will be able to handle it till the end.

I have left India. It was not preplanned and the Idea was to go to Australia in stead of Singapore.. But as my Australian visa was not approved I had to stay in Singapore.

I have been here just for 3 day`s, but I love this place. This is one of the most amazing places I ever seen. I did not know how much I missed all this clean and organized world. A ship on top of a building`s struck me the most, I think. But then I saw a great water show, with light, sound, lasers, smoke, fire and story… It made me really emotional. That moment was something what I missed a lot and cannot really explain what was that.
This place seems like a great place to settle down one day.

There have been a lot of things going one in last month or two.. As my laptop broke down I have no way of recording and editing audio files… so I am writing. For second time since this blog was lunched.

I spend a lot of time in Bangalore after leaving Nepal. Most of my stay in Bangalore I spend at Arvinds place. A great couchsurfer. His place was always with people coming and going a true CS hoｕse :) Loved my stay there a lot.

Then my tribe came back form Nepal and I spend my time with them. We had a blast for a week or so in Bangalore exploring it in different way. And then we traveled to Gokarna, that’s West of India. Spend there about a week just chilling next to big water. Saw some wilde dolphins, I never before saw any dolphins in open waters. That was a really nice moment.

After we traveled up to Manali one week or maybe more up there. Having a really relax time there. And we made Reunion with Burning Snails as we had not seen each other since Nepal. I really, really enjoyed my time in Gokarna and Manali.

As Franchy was planning to go to Australia to work, I thought that I could do the same and join him. Thing was that he is from Franc so he can get working holiday visa which is easy… Being from Latvia you cannot get that… just the tourist one and for that they want a lot of papers… well not that many actually, just the ones you cannot get if you travel.. But Franchy still got tickets for us and after two day‘ｓ　we started our way down South to Chennai. As the tickets was the cheapest from there. Manali is around 3000km away form Chennai… that‘ｓ a big journey on its own. Took us 16 hours in bus from Manali to Delhi and 36h more from Delhi to Chennai… Arriving in morning ｉｔ　was not and easy task to find a place to stay in. As it was season all the guest houses around train station was full. Ａfter 1h of searching we found one guest house – shit hole. That’s all right, we already had use to bad places like that. As it turned out later hatel was on a loud street so in the night we could not sleep well. While we where in the train Franchy got sick.. the usual thing – diarrhea. And it made him really week. So all and all the Chennai was not that nice for us. We spent there 2 nights and head away to airport.

Flight was really uncomfortable, but that;s what you get for budget traveling. Arrived in Singapore around 6 in the morning.
Leaving tomorrow morning to Malaysia to meet up with
NOMAD®．．

Bangalore, India

A different way of posting:

This is something new. I never before posted a video. But this one is so good you have to see it! :) THE ‘Burning Snails’ my gang!! :)

Autor: Etienne

You can this post on FaceBook! :)

India here I come – Again.

It’s been three month here in Kathmandu and counting. It’s not gonna be long before I go further.. For now it’s gonna be India again. Not for long I guess. Will see.

Kathmandu update
I’m considering of leaving Nepal. I was thinking to join on a sailing boat, but that did not work out. Well.. I still thinking of heading east… to Singapore.

What to do in Kathmandu

2 month have gone with speed of light… I have been having fun and crazy times… Loving Nepal, Kathmandu(not as much), playing poker and having friends over.

Lukas

This man stayed at the same place in KTM where I was staying. He did ~9762 km from Germany to KTM on a bicycle(his blog). And guess what he know’s how to sing and how to play guitar. And it just so happens that I bought one yesterday! :) We had a nice concert with beers and smoke! :)

Interview with Bernardo

I met him in Delhi, yeah Delhi several times, he just kept on coming back to this city witch he hated. Bernardo a man I can call a friend! So tell me who is your hero?