Travel guides, either printed or online, pretty much agree that there is not much to see in Kota Bharu. And right they are. One of the few sights is the big central market, conveniently located near the hostel. I went there with two fellow backpackers I met at the hostel. The market is, compared to […]
Noisy Night
Vaguely I remember Deutsche Bahn’s advertisement for overnight trains: “Arrive refreshed at your holiday location”, “Save one day of travelling”, etc. Those reasons and a good experience on a trip to Denmark years ago probably made me decide on the overnight train option. The journey started well. Turns out when you pay a little extra […]
Need for Speed Mandalay Edition
I forgot my passport, that’s a first. I realise it when staff at the bus company ask for it. I run outside but the driver who brought me from the guesthouse has already left. It’s 8:25, it’s a 25 minute ride to the guesthouse and the bus leaves at 9:00. The guesthouse doesn’t have a […]
Around Manila
When it comes to discovering local food, there is nothing better than joining someone local who knows their way around the place. A really big place in case of Manila. The metro Manila area is formed by 16 cities with a total population of I don’t know how many million people. Friday around lunch time […]
Noodle Soup on familiar Turf
It’s 7:20 when we take off from Colombo, en route for the short 3h hop over to Bangkok. Once arrived, it takes a while to clear the long queue at immigration but finally I’m on the train into the centre. Seeing the city approach brings back memories. I’ve only visited Bangkok properly twice (I think) […]
Music and Dance
It’s the last day of Bisket Jatra today. Or second to last, I lost track. In comparison to huge chariots, even bigger poles and pools of chicken blood, today was almost mundane. Devotees of the various gods and goddesses walked through the streets, visiting their favourite temples. Many of them were wearing traditional Newari dresses […]