Travel - Liebe zur Erde... - Liebe zur Erde

Through Singapore back to Dornach in Switzerland

Singapore is in Asia, no doubt - but it is regulated and ordered in such a way that one starts to wonder. Singapore is a stopover and I spend a lot less time here than the city would actually be worth. In Singapore, I also break my professional "fasting" : I am staying at a Waldorf family and experience in their home an incredible hospitality and openness. It gives me back the feeling, how mankind can be - and how good it feels to be back among people who do not additionally want to sell something, but welcome the guest as a person. And after all the months in which my appearance has driven to a variety of people greedy eyes and cloudy brows, wondering how much they can wring from me - the apparently rich woman, without a man on the road, obviously an easy prey for big rip-off in favor of their own dreams...





Oh yes - and has anyone ever tried to eat crabs with chopsticks?




Singapore is almost exactly on the equator. For the city, this means almost constant climate throughout the year, sunrise and sunset are virtually always at the same time. The city is full of cleanliness, rules and order, any small deviation from the predetermined standard is punishable by heavy fines. After 6 months of managing Asian traffic madness now crossing a road becomes a science that wants to be considered:




and though not so much controlling police is to bee seen - people stick to the rules. The streets are clean - you could almost eat from the ground. I especially like that they have obviously left the big trees during construction. So many of the streets which lead to the center go through avenues with tall tropical trees, which sprawl shade with their foliage.





And many a house is overgrown on balconies and roofs with greenery - often as whole trees! What - unusual in Asia - mainly is to bee seen on the roads are skyscrapers, large sedans on the streets, but no people (and no mopeds). Where the heck are all the inhabitans?







Spectacular are the views from the skyscrapers. Famous is the
Rooftop pool from Marina Bay Sand Hotel on the 57th floor:




Here, however, only one can bathe who is willing to pay 500 US$ for an overnight stay:




Given the hefty price I have to say: the Marina Bay Sand Hotel is run like a German train station, and so is the athmosphere: with self - checkin and self - checkout, a totally confusing situation in the buildings, a 500m long entrance hall uncomfortable as a railway station which is also set up as one.



The uninformed tourists cattle are carted for 28$ on an observation deck. However: worldly arrogance carries even me in the company of a backpack in the restaurant / cafe next to the pool for free, where one can, well kept sitting, spend the 28$ (or less) then in a cappuccino and Moctail. And well - in terms of the views ... - If I had slept there, the  views would have annoyed me.




If you aim high, a recommended destination is in the financial district the "Altitude1 Bar" on Raffles Square. This one is good and happy some 50-80 m higher, the view goes all around the city. However, this is an open air bar - closed in bad weather, because otherwise it blows everything down...

Top of the sight is the Light show of the Hotel Marina Bay Sand, seen from the bar Altitude1 which takes place daily at the same time.

And here below is the down view from Altitude 1-280 m high above sea level. Down here is flying everything you let go - but you pay for the fun in an instant with a jail cell ...






Chinatown looks like the tourists are imagining Chinatown :




Likewise nice it is around the Arab Street in the Arab quarter - but watch out: First check the prices before you go drink coffee! There bombastic fabric stores, from which people grind the material in whole bolts. And this mosque stands here, too:






Then there is in Singapore a workshop on eurythmy therapy:




At the end of "readjustment" to civilization is my flight home - but in a new adventure. Shortly before my departure in the summer we did move ad hoc to Dornach in Switzerland. And now I am going there, to brand new foothold. For a limited time, now a place will be my home, from which many people around the world desire to be able to visit him only once (and , OMG - the PRICES). We live 10 minutes walk through the woods away from the Goetheanum, the center of global Anthroposophical movement and location of countless trainings, meetings and initiatives.

Here the Link to a tour at the Goetheanum in the summer time:

http://www.liebe-zur-erde.eu/lang1/dornach.html

With me coming home neither my life nor my trips are completed. At least one trip is planned for the next few weeks and possibly the year carries me professionally again to Asia, who knows. And there are still so many parts of the world in which I have never been!

Indonesia: Sea and Wind, Earth and Fire?

Here we spend - now again the two of us - a wonderfully peaceful time. On the Gili Islands off Lombok ( the neighboring island of Bali) is the word of the time "relax" - 11 days we are on Gili Meno and we can´t say what we did there else than actually look out on the sea.



Gili Meno is in the hectic and noisy Indonesia a small miracle: the island with its white sand beach can be surrounded in a 2 hours walk and has no traffic and no other means of transportation than horse-drawn carriages. At night, no barking dogs and the disco party noise from the neighboring island of Gili Tarawang (the locals call the  party island humorous Gili Trallala) penetrates the dark only as a distant rumbling through the palm groves. The white beach is full of pieces of coral from the reefs around there, where you are to see beautiful things, even if you are only snorkeling.




Most impressive are the large turtles that are nearly invisible on the sea floor or occasionally glide through the water.







Before us lies the volcano of Lombok , which is now in the rainy season usually shrouded in clouds. Some days, it rains almost continuously, then there are a few days of sun in a row. In general, however, we note that the large islands are more often in rain and clouds that rain down on the slopes, than is our little island in the sea.




Bali



we always see Bali only on the walkthrough, and Ubud seems to be our personal medical station - one of us at least is sick when we are here to stay for a day.




Bali is distinguished by its handicrafts, which seems to pervade the whole island. In addition, Bali is predominantly Hindu, and the whole tropical nature spirits and deities are still very much alive and are reflected in the art and sculptures: the whole island seems to be a single craft shop and temple. So, in an elementary way figures look out of every corner, every shop, every garden on you  - some remind to animal looking faces and I particularly marvel at the sculptures from the all black lava rock.







Above: monkey forest, Ubud




Two real highlights are Sulawesi and the Bromo volcano on Java, a sort of " Must see before you die" :



The northern tip of Sulawesi - which now in turn is predominantly Christian, houses on the north side the Bunaken National Park: one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Since Andreas is diving, we make the trip here - and spend the time of our life here in the few days. Because you do not have to dive in order to experience the extremely impressive riffs world around here.




From my 3 Snorkeling tour ( the reef was virtually on the doorstep of our hotel, without strong currents and therefore relatively harmless, even if you are swimming alone) , I return with the phrase on the lips: If you are not religious - Here you will become so. The islands of the Bunaken National Park are in origin volcanic, with a base which breaks off abruptly and very steep, partly in one go down to 900 meters total, but it can also go down to 1800 m. Corals worlds formed at the base walls of the islands, which difficult find their equals elsewhere in the world and are home to an abundance of life forms, including around 3000 (!) Fish species. In addition, the unique perspective of 30 meters visible sight is under water, and simple snorkeling can be an experience. And yes - there are even manta rays, sharks, and who knows what else, but it's yet not a tourist been eaten ....













Java


A completely different world than a tropical paradise awaits us on Java, the main island of Indonesia and one of the most densely populated spots on earth. The volcanoes that line up like pearls on a string on the south coast, provide immensely fertile soil and not the earth itself, also the traffic is bursting everywhere out at the seams here. Java now in turn is Islamic - and Islam here has left not to much of neither of the tropical spirits nor from the creative beauty. The island is a business center, an economic engine: clean, loud, ugly. Only if one breaks in the more inaccessible areas, one discovers Java ( former) beauty: the magic of the rice terraces, the volcanoes in the background , which fog and cloud fields that draw up to great heights is a spectacle in the sky. Famous among many other volcanoes on Java is Bromo , to which the Tenegger Bromo National Park was created.




Its last eruption was in 2010/11 and today he delights the visitor with intense smoking and puffing . With all of the transport, which is possible suitable for the rip-off of tourists , one comes to below the crater rim and then has still independently climb a staircase up to the crater rim itself. In principle there  is a narrow path around the crater, you could walk around it so. Who has no difficultis with steepness and heights, and at the same time immune to the sulfur fumes ( sulfuric acid together with moisture in the lungs to breathe! ), can give the surrounding path a try. From the crater rim it goes steeply down until that opens up as a vertical mouth of the crater vent - a powerful sight !








Impressive to see are also the wonderful aesthetic terraced fields on the steep slopes: here bursts the fertility of the earth at the seams!





In the region there is also a recomended waterfall.


Again, this has also already become the tourist trap: who hires a supposedly necessary tour guide for 50 000 rp, is not only exposed to the fact that other vultures their way into the steep ravine to participate. They are pleased to sell minutes before one reach the waterfall, the own rain capes: because you have to go through the waterfall, which will soak you to the bones. No, when you return you will be aditionally rewarded with the news that the tour guide for the 80 minutes he joined us on the reported and partially paved road, charges 50 000 rp PER PERSON! - Well, we are used to these kind of cheating. Given the choice to get blankley nothing or keep the 50 000, he decided at the end when we left to the agreed amount .

 




Those traveling on Java should opt for the train: The seats in the business class are spacious and each has a socket so that you can also work. From out the train you can see the original village structures and agriculture , in the car / bus , however you drive hour after hour in heavy traffic and right and left unsightly concrete structures are around only, most small businesses .

Thus now my last days come which I spend in freedom, the journey is coming to an end. Still there is Java to traverse, then a stopover in Singapore. The end of January I will be back in Switzerland, Dornach - and then hopefully find the time to report on all the countries and impressions that have now come much too short. And as always after a long journey this time is also true : you can book us for picture- and storytelling evenings , and we are pleased to report our experiences!

With a golden Buddha from Myanmar through Thailand to Indonesia
a trip with adventurous character

Myanmar or Burma - an until recently in many ways closed and isolated country, goes through upside-down changes since the 2011 events: tourist numbers have tripled twice in the last two years 2012 and 2013 compared to the previous year and in the high season the rooms are now not only extremely scarce, but also adventurous expensive. Money changing used to be only possible on the black market at reasonable prices  - now there are ATMs in the big cities  - almost over is the time of the required absolutely new , ironed large dollar bills with special serial numbers, without which you did not come earlier in Myanmar on local cash . And so it happens that I, too decide spontaneous to visit the country: I want to see Bagan. The country in turn proves by its long isolation as very impressive, but also disconcerting - read more at a dedicated page of the website, when it is finished in the next months.




Above: the Buddha of Mahamuni temple, a sanctuary in Myanmar

In Myanmar, I am just the weeks before Christmas. Since I am going to meet with my partner at Christmas in Indonesia, my eyes are opened wider than usual for beautiful art, even though I 'm actually well equipped with gifts. But it hits me in the evening before my departure: hidden somewhere between the countless shops with gilded things around Mahamuny temple - where the golden Buddha is worshiped - I meet him: MY Buddha. And I do believe it is the same shop where others have not come unencumbered by: it is real art, which is produced there! In short: The Buddha must come with me, even though I realize that the transport will not be easy: the good piece is plated with gold, which the Irrawaddy leads with it and is then washed out by the people there. This in turn means that every X check will reveal the nature of my backpack.


Something about the situation in December 2013:

The Foreign Office in Germany doesn´t speak of any restriction of exports of religious objects from Myanmar / Burma. But the big inch panels in front of the X-ray check the next morning in Mandalay say something else: here the export of religious objects requires a written approval by a special authority. That, of course, I can´t provide anymore. Uncomfortable: what's right or wrong now?

Bigger is the problem, however, in Thailand: the country will be a 20 hours transit home to me. From here, I can definitely not export a Buddha, because all religious statues are believed to be spiritual beings and are therefore considered as sacred. It is generally advised to have things in doubt declared upon entry and treat the Buddha in transport respectful. The result is at the willpower of the officials.


Worried hours:

The contingent of officials at the radiation baggage check at the airport in Mandalay is scary. And I have so much stuff with me (currently I travel with about 45-50 kg ) that I can´t run quickly through and away . So I must take all the time in the world to nurse money belt, cell phone, hair belt, belt and everything else which is beeping equipment at the body check, back into place on me. The officials see on the screen what I have, pointing on it - they look at me, but they do not stop me. First hurdle done. Thailand will hopefully not send my little Buddha back to Myanmar when I'm with it at customs ...

When I arrive in Bangkok I take the Buddha out from the backpack, wrap it in nicely again in garment and place him on top of the baggage car. That way I go looking for the red customs area, where a whole group of people is standing but nobody wants to check me - they want to wave me through. Oh no, I think, where can I bring tomorrow morning at 4.30 the proof that the Buddha came with me from Myanmar? So I stop and start to speak with the officers and explain the problem. Now they become curious - and careful. Official language regime is that an export license can be granted in case of a single Buddha per person which one person can easily carry. The officials recognize therefore quickly that my over 30 cm high piece must be of wood. 6-8 people standing around me, looking at the unwrapped Buddha and discuss the matter. Then one hurries me further into a hidden corner to an other official who checks again also more accurate. At the end is clear: the Buddha may come with me (but may be also, because I 'm only as a transit through Thailand?) And the statue can get out tomorrow, too. In order to confirm the process the little Buddha, who is a Christmas present for my partner, recieves a customs seal on his arm.

The next morning I let the Buddha at the baggage check in Bangkok in a backpack and not initially report it also . The seal is attached to the arm that is not gold-plated, and therefore visible in the X-ray machine. Anyway, I am not stopped - at least not because of the Buddha. For the next flights and days all inspectors are suddenly of the opinion that I transport " food" in my laptop case: however, they look for it in vain ...

Now the Buddha is with us, could come with me this morning to the coral beach and pleased us very much. On the flight home my partner goes over Islamic countries, wich will certainly transport Buddhas with no problems. Nevertheless, we leave the customs seal from Thailand off as a precaution - who knows what else is coming ....

Christmas greeting from Indonesia

Between this and the last entry from Thailand lies the visit of a whole country: Myanmar or Burma. And as much as I can say already now: it was so far the most impressive land of my journey, and full of the ups and downs you can expect in a place like this.

Meanwhile, I arrived in Indonesia, where I will spend a quiet Christmas period with my partner on the tiny Gili Islands off Lombok, neighboring island of famous Bali. Here I will hopefully find some time to update the site with the recent happenings!

To all friends and readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas with a fulfillment of all that your heart is really looking for!

Cambodia:
Angkor Watt , Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville

                 Image : the Angkor Watt region with the flooded areas and the lake from the plane

Cambodia - the Wild West of the East, a lawless land , this is how it is described by the Lonely Planet . And I have seldom read so extensive, pertinent analyzes and descriptions of a country in a Lonely Planet edition ( German edition 2010) - only to be recommended and a pleasure .

What do we know more about that country than that in the civil war the Khmer Rouge have ravaged? Millions of people have lost their lives at that time in this small country. To everyone who aroused the suspicions that he could think was slaughtered. Somehow the Communist hordes of various countries have proved (from Russia and China  up to here ) their desire to clean up with the intellectual elite of their country.
Also known are probably the many landmines that are still lying around everywhere in the country and still get their victims among playing children and normal farmers. Poverty, many amputees and the catastrophic living conditions have caused the world to come in for help ! - ....
But we are in Asia, and so this attempt contributes its  own special fruits between this bold and humorous people.  Alone in Siem Reap - the place close to Angkor Watt with the streams of tourists from all over the world - are said to be 850 NGOs. Just for comparison: Siem Reap has 60 000 inhabitants. Even if one counts a little more surrounding up in the number .... - seems to be a lot, no? Evil tongues say that the first money that gets to an NGO, is used to buy a great car for the boss / manager / CEO. The first and most regular paid salary gets the driver. And since so many people suddenly have a livelihood , the NGO must indeed continue to exist, even if the target group is gone and there is/would be nothing more to do. The orphanages for example: the war is almost 20 years ago - and still: these facilities flourish. The answer: hardly a child has lost his parents, but these are just poor and so they send their children there, so they can go to school and at least get a meal.

The success of NGOs is seen in the fact that most children which were former begging, today sell postcards to tourists: the grounds are full of them. Child prostitution is also a huge issue as the German journal SPIEGEL reported recently. Were the first new discoverers of Cambodia as a tourist destination a few years ago dauntless backpackers:  its wake next came the pedophiles. Regularly corresponding incidents are known. (see also below to Sihanoukville ). So this as the first impression of a tropical country whose infrastructure is virtually non-existent by our standards, whose inhabitants are mostly very poor, but very friendly and cheerful enjoy the peace. What could that be nice here !

Angkor Watt:

Meanwhile, we explored the world famous temples around Angkor Watt in Cambodia (but not with the elephants - which are meant for luxury tourists, which § 20 per head for a trip of 15 min) - and marveled our eyes out. Over 4 days, we went and climbed chronologically and tried to understand the development impulses that led to these huge buildings. This really is going to have its own page. Now, however that I have seen, that after a certain size of the structure, the whole temple is no longer reasonable to photograph from the " human perspective ", the page layout will probably take a while. But here are some impressions of the sites growing in their size, their ideas and their nature - as they emerged in the jungle and which makes them so unique :

One of the many gates in Angkor

The royal pool...

Photographed from one of the lower galleries - Angkor Watt





The so-called Temple of the Trees- so totally overgrown by the rainforest that the roots of the
trees became part of the buildinsg stability.

A temple for a spiritual Cleaning: the central basin and around 4 more
in the 4 directions

In the end, this brings this Australian that I have met in Angkor Watt in the upper gallery, right in the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, to the point in this (photo) attitude: a beggar for spirit ( again the comment was my contribution to the event )! Greetings to the unknown stranger!

Phnom Penh

A long bus ride across Cambodia's second best - and almost continuously paved - road brings me to Phnom Penh, where I fall again into the foothills of a festival. But mainly, I am pleased with the re-encounter with the Mekong, whom I embrace like an old friend happy in my arms. Here I meet and understand a vast and impressive natural phenomenon :

The Mekong River forms with the Great Lake / Tonle Sap River and the annual flooding areas a kind of water system in which everything works together through flows: one can not tell whether the water from the Mekong River, the Tonle Sap or rain bursts from heaven is (rainy season). Either way, everything is flooded with water and the lake stretches its wake from 2 700 km2 to now 16 000 km2 (!) .

On Wikipedia there is an amazing explanation for the phenomenon: The Tonle Sap changes twice a year in its current direction: because the Mekong swells through the rainy season, and from the waters pouring down from the Himalayas, it swells so massive that the Tonle Sap at the mouth where it enters the Mekong river its riverbed is pushed back. So the Mekong is contributing to the flooding and the rising of the lake. In November , the water level of the Mekong falls so far that the Tonle Sap returns to his original streaming direction . This date is celebrated with the annual water festival in Phnom Penh.

Last but not least :

Sihanoukville - the PPP city :
Party, pedophiles price rigging

and despite the nice image here my advice from November 2013: Not worth it - better go to Thailand !

But first things first :

I end up first in Serendipty Beach in a hotel right on the beach - with a fantastic view and all the facilities you need for a few days work . The long sandy beach is full of locals celebrating their 3-day water festival here, but it's really very quiet during the day and relaxed: I feel good. The infamous beggar - thieves and sellers flock are now to share with more people, so they remain a marginal phenomenon only. But then: In the evening it starts already and increases during the night: the disco operating at the beach shacks. Not until midnight, noooo - it is not so civilized here in spite of the many hotels: at midnight it gets real started, there is again and Happy Hour and at 4.00 in the morning the volume of the beats is turned up again really efficient until the sun appears. Despite a distance between me and the transgressors I am absolutely whacked in the morning. And as I check and ask around among the hotels around it quickly makes clear: this is ALWAYS like this - whether normal day or holiday.

The next morning I spend on the PC with google and then in the tuk tuk to run around the beaches. What I wanted: a nicely bright room with sea view, no further away than 400m from the beach , reasonably quiet, with Wifi and affordable (meaning the Sokha Resort eliminated). What I find - in addition to hotels of different classes which suffer from the noise - can be grouped into 3 categories:

1. high-priced **** houses such as the Independent Hotel and Casino Queenco that are so fucked away from everything that they squander their rooms on the Internet (and only there). The Sea-View of " Queenco casino and hotel " there emerges mainly as a view of the casino parking lot. The Independent Hotel looks absolutely extinct, although it is an old but beautiful area. In both cases, the question of where you get something to eat if you do not want to use the hotel 's own restaurant is open. The cost of great rooms - some within the Independent have 60m2 - in the next few days is just around the $ 35 - unfortunately without the desired view of the sea. Seaview you can get with the really expensive rooms in the Independent.

2. Robinson Crusoe Cottage for almost the same price (!) : This is just understandable if you look at the average tourist which comes here: mostly male, 25-40, tuff,  travel experienced tattooed guys who want to have fun. This naturally also contents the experience "bamboo hut on island without electricity" as a have to do. Also in Sihanoukville itself, there are a few of these shaks. And you can not imagine it: these are mostly huts or "bungalows", as they also build by the poor locals: partially open, without glass windows , full of gaps and cracks for the mosquitoes (malaria area with the dangerous malaria Tropika). On the mainland with electricity and partial AC - but in such a filthy condition, as I have never seen in my life (Queen Hill Resort, with a fantastic location) . Oh yes - and our strong boys pay for these fun easily 20-30 dollars (!) - by night!

3. Really quiet bungalow sites on Otres beach. At least I have none found on the internet which also has sea view. The bigger problem, however: here the hoteliers let you pay for the quiet location - and we 're talking about completely overpriced rooms and bungalows in the area beyond the 60 - 100 dollars. The same equipment in town would not even cost half .

The only joy was the small plce of the German Andreas and his wife (Guesthouse Sunset Lounge): they have sparkling clean small rooms with equipment, where you know for what you pay for money - $ 17 a night in a quiet stretch of beach. Unfortunately, the rooms are a bit dark , are transverse to the beach and are too warm during the day, as that it might work to work on PC , as AC is only installed in one. So it remains only a nice meeting.

Well - these are the joys of traveling.

As regrettable as that may sound for this extremely friendly and moslyt honest people here, but if you don´t  want to risk a failure (see eg reviews and travel reports from the tripadvisor), go somewhere else.



Another special tourist group I previously knew only by hearsay - here I experience it almost close : Men, usually traveling alone or in very small groups of male friends. Most clearly beyond the 50, but you can see also some from the 40th. I saw men nearly in their sixties which are escorted by escort young, barely 20 year old stylish girls. And it is a spectacle to watch the arrivals, when their journey coming here ends outside my hotel: so much enthusiasm in the eyes you can see in them - some of them seem to be surely. They look around with true enthusiasm and look clearly forward to the days ahead. Oh dear - here I am apparently landed in a place for sex tourists . Of course one can not refer to any of those men as pedophiles, that is clear. However, not only many of the west -run hotels, but also the streets a plastered with large posters of Child Care, an organization which tries to make aware to sexual child abuse. Which points to a regular happening problem.

Oh yes - there are no photos here: because you risk the theft of anything that is not encased in concrete and also the dangerous form of from the motorcycle thievery is practiced , so the camera stayed at home .

I'll stay a few days and work here. And I hope to get the page to the river travels in Laos ready sooner or later....