Somehow I always end up having long nights before long tours. Early in the evening, I’m standing outside my room door and want to go to sleep. Then I hear Thais playing reggae in the bar 20 metres away. Good, a beer. The band looks like the Gorillaz crossed with Japanese anime characters. Weird, very weird. A Tyrolean woman on permanent holiday comes to my table, then four Americans. Whoosh. Two o’clock.

The skull from last night’s house-fuelled rum is still gigantic at nine o’clock. Six o’clock was the plan. After an emergency breakfast, I go to the bike hire shop round the corner. He changes the oil, for which I am grateful. Then it’s off on the motorbike to the Mekong. Chiang Mai only knows one riding style: kamikaze. No problem with the hangover. (more…)

The journey to Chiang Mai is stressful despite the deluxe VIP bus. The road has more potholes than tarmac. I sit right at the back, where it rocks the most and the backrests can’t really be folded down. What the hell, I’m used to travelling almost without sleep. The sunrise behind the mountains in Chiang Mai is bombastic. After a short search, I find a nice guesthouse.

Chiang Mai is built like a Roman legionary camp and has some parallels to Regensburg. Two meridians meet in the centre of a square fortification consisting of a city wall and moat with four gates. There is not much left of the walls, but the old town has some beautiful corners and of course plenty of temples. (more…)

I can do almost everything I need to do in Bangkok. My walking boots have taken me halfway round the world. But now I’ve had enough. Getting size 46 sandals is quite difficult in the land of small feet. The first street vendor wants a photo of my feet. Web design is a little quieter at the moment, and that’s a good thing. My fingertips are still bleeding from Australia.

I make the most of the time. After two days in Smogcity, I take the Skytrain to the Victory Monument. From there by minibus 80km north for next to nothing. The biggest problem: at most 10% of all Thais speak English. And of those, 90% speak only rudimentary English. Should I learn something? Phrases like “Mai mai mai mai?” Put me off. The differences in intonation alone mean “New wood burns well, doesn’t it?” (more…)

I sleep through the afternoon. Then I’m hungry again. There are lots of tourist hotels on Silom Road. Food is more expensive, but still cheap. There are not just 1000 different Thai dishes. There is everything. Worldwide. I go to a Lebanese restaurant. Four huge courses, endlessly delicious plus drinks for eight euros. How much does heaven cost?

Red light is just round the corner, ticked off under “as expected”. Beautiful yellow women, ugly white men. On to the Lumpini Stadium. Tuesday night is Thai boxing night. The prices are steep, doubled since last year. I arrive at half-time and see three more fights. Tough but fair. The most interesting thing: the bookies with their hectic sign language. Black Tuesday in Bangkok. (more…)

I arrive at Sydney Airport three hours before departure. Forgot a traveller’s cheque two months ago, run from pillar to post and back to get it back. Qantas only found it again at the gate. I have a crash landing before departure: British Airways has changed its baggage rules again. Drastic. I knew about it thanks to HP, but didn’t want to believe it.

I bought my round-the-world ticket a year ago. Because I was allowed to take 23kg of kite luggage for free. Now British Airways prohibits the carriage of any boards. Halfway round the world and then you’re allowed to leave half your luggage behind. Unimaginable for normal travellers. For kiters, everyday life from now on. Read the whole story at Oase. (more…)