Finished my Traditional Thai Massage cours!

Yes, i did it! The massage cours is over!
Wauw, i'm happy to be still alive. It maybe sounds very annoying for people who are graving for a massage right now, but how tiring is is to have reciving more than 4 massage at a day. It wears you out. And than also give more than 3 in one day is so exhausting.
But dispite the fact of being tired, the massage cours was super great! I met some sweet girls who did the cours at the same pace i did. They wer had so great! We talked alot and had great fun.

The cours started monday and was 5 full days from 9 am till 4 pm. It was so cool to start the day with al the working people of Bangkok. I got there by Skytrain and boattaxi. It took me 50 minutes to get there.
The school is located outside of Watpo Center across the street.

The people were so nice and friendly. I loved the atmosphere. The teachers were caring and realy patient to help you as good as possible.
The people loved massaging so much that if you were sitting down, suddenly someone was massaging your back, or if a student was massaging your arms and the teachers were sitting at the feet of us, they just were gentely massaging your feet.

We realy needed the luchbreak. Caus the massage thing is realy intens. Your legs are "squating" all the time. So at twelf we walked downstairs like 80 year olds. In the beginning we eat down the streat, but then we discovered the lunch at the rooftop of the building and that vieuw was amazing! Food was too very good :-)

Ok, but it wasn't me, for not have to get some stupid stuff on my way. But this time it was realy not cool at all. It really never is :-), but any way.
I woke up friday morning with an aye like a chameleon. My eye was swollen from my eyebrown at least one cm thick.
I got sting by a mosquitoe!!!! And the stupid part if it. The day before Jae and i were talking about why bumbs are never on your face, but always on the arms and legs. This was so not cool. Here i was walking around with one eye who i couldn't open at my exame day of the cours.
When i got to the medical school the teachers were realy so caring. Becaus we couldn't understand the language we thought one of the teachers was getting me a compress or colling stuff for my eye. But when i layed down and closed my eye i felt suddenly a big gauze on my eye. That was it. Chelmy, one of the girls, looked at me and starting to laugh so hard. I felt realy bad. Still couldn't take it of.
So here i was walking around as a stupid fuck. People thought i had a fight or some like that.
O yeh and my pictures with the certificate are great too! Not...

But to be true, had a great time and gonna miss the girls!

Today going to China!! In about 7 hours. Joepie!

Pictures will come soon of the cours!

x

I love this city :-)

Today i finished the second day of my Traditional Thai Massage course.
It is so great! I'm learning so much. Cannot wait to try my skills out when i got back home ;-). Jae is happy to gave me on her side. China is all about practice, practice, practice... And all wil come!

After we went saturday to the Watpo Center, we got our backs unpacked and a long shower. After that we went out that night. Near by the hostel is a real cool place called the Skybar. It is a loungebar at the 64th floor of a bussines center.
We took some cocktails and enjoyed the vieuw spread all over Bangkok.

The next day we went to Ayuthaya. This island city was the place of a powerful Siamese Kingdom 400 years ago. It now has al ruins of acient buddist temples and a ruine of the old royal palace.

The place makes me think of Yogjakarta. Caus i felt al over the place a super friendly and calm energie. No one asked us that day if we wanted to buy something. Everyone gave each other space to be and that was a wonderfull thing.



Trainstation Bangkok

We went by train. It was about 1,5 hour ride. We hired a scooter and went first to Wat Mahathat.
This monestery was build in 1374 but almost totally destroyed in the last war between Burma and Ayuthaya in 1767.
The head of the Buddha is the only thing left of the body.





After that we went to Ratchaburana.
This place is build by a son of King Incharathathirat, who wanted to build a memorial place for his father and two sons who past away in war for more land and power that time.





After visiting Ayuthaya we went back to Bangkok. It was realy late wen we came at the hostel. The train had delay caus of an festival in town, people were standing on the railway for quit some time.
I had planned te meet two friend from Langkawi, last year. They were also arriving this weekend in Bangkok.
But skip that plan for the day.

Did saw them already! Lyn and Andrea. We had such a great time on Langkawi and stayed in contact on facebook. So it was realy nice to saw them last monday.
Andrea i saw at Watpo center. He picked me up after my massage class. Together we went to their favorite bar at Bangalamphu. The bar is next to their appartment. Lyn was there too. We had a real good time that night, just chatting and playing pool.
Today we went to a place called Saxopfone. Jae first picked me up at Watpo and we went to China town to eat something. After that we met at the bar. The place had realy nice cocktails and a great singer with live jazz band too. It was laying next to the Victorie monument. It was Andrea's last night here in Bangkok so it was nice te meet again.
Tomorrow we will see Lyn after class. Going to eat together in a local Thai al you can eat place!
We will see how that day end. With Lyn you never know ;-)

Now going to sleep.
My body is not used to have more then 5 massage a day and give more that 5 too! So rest is what i need now.


China town Bangkok:

Bangkok city!

Phuket





Today we arrived in Bangkok!!!
We decided to go one day earlier than planned. Phuket was fun, but for me nothing special.
So we took a nightbus to go to Bangkok. We could sleep in the bus. We departured the busstation at 18.30 pm and arrived in Bangkok at 7.30 am.
Totally exchausted, but happy too.
We took a taxi to the Hostel, Lub_D. It is here very nice and clean. Lovely people to help you out. Becaus we couldn't check in at 8 am, we decided to check out my route to the Wat Po Medical school. We went with the tuk tuk. But that wasn't a good thing. Caus they have contracts witrh stores, so if you take a cheap ride, they drop you every were off and tell you to look inside the store. We were not happy with this, so we took a normal cab.
We went to the Chapaia Express, a boat taxi, to bring us further.
It was hard to find the school, but we did. So i already filled in a applicationform and signed up for it. So that was all good.

After that we visit the "Reclining Buddha", the biggest one of Thailand. The Buddist center is also the biggest and oldest one of the nation.

It was beautifull to be there.








After our visit we went straight back to the hostel.
Finally take a shower and unpack the bags!

It was all good in phuket!

Well, i'm in phuket now. My trip from KL to Phuket went great. i was 1 hour to early at the airport, because i didn't had an alarmclock to set on. So in the middle of the night i just packed my stuf and left.
The flight was 1,5 hour. I left at 7.10 and came at Phuket at 7.30 PM.
Phuket is 6 hours differents from the Netherleands.
At Phuket i met Jae and we were so happy to see eachother!
Jae is allready addept to the climate. So she was stamding there in her sneakers, long jeans and sweater. For me it was to hot to handle. So that was a funny sight :-)

The day i did arrive we cruised around the island. I settled in my room and we were planning on exploring the island on the scooter. So we did.
The hostel is at Patong bach. Very busy and a lot of toerist.
We had a great sunset at Pronthep Cape, lookoutpoint with the best vieuw of the island.
We also did some shopping that day: i bought me some sunglasses, backpack and a new simcard.

The next day we were planning for i early morning. Doing maybe some yoga. But no, we were to tiered. We slept true the alarmclock and it was already 11 am when we wake up. So we had to do a change of plan: Chilling at the beach!
We had breakfast at Sandwich Shopp and after that of to Karon Beach. All day of doing nothing.
At the and of the day we toke a long massage and pedicure. Both for 14 euro!
Life in Phuket is great, but am looking forward to go to bangkok!

Back in KL again

Wauw, i'd finally arrived in Asia.
And to be really honest it didn't got easy.
It already started at home, that here was some delay. But ok, luckaly my friends Hayat and Majida came to pick me up.
I packed really light, had only one handsized back with me, was so proud of that!
That my friends came and picked me up was super, caus i was so on time right now at the airport. I already checked in online, so in half a minute i was checked in.

The first problem started at the airport, i couldn't find my telephone. It was founded already in the car. My new telephone is super slippery, for some reason and i had to be carefull with it. Did brought my old one with me, and i'm so glad i did.

I met Thirza and Patrack at the check-in desk and we were chatting along. Thirza is the dutch girl i met at the Bali Yoga retreat, and Patrick is her best friend from London, with who i stayed at the and of my last vacation. It was such a coincidence that Patrick and i were in the same plane today. He did a weekend Adam at Thirza's place. Celebrating Sinterklaas (an old traditional national holiday for kids and family) and cruising around Adam on a bike. And i was starting my trip to Thailand and south China.
So we left to the gate together, got security controle and walked to the gate. We had to be at gate H. Now we were walking in a long hall of gates 1, 2, till 7. We couldnot see our flight any where. So we were walking back again. But becaus it was a long hall, the time was passing by.
Finally we were back at the security controle and asked around. They confermed that the flights were not stated at the gates themself, but at a display around the corner! We were like: Why no one told us that!!
Well they asumed that people would know. At that time it was 15 minutes from departure. We were running to the display, then running to gate 5 almost on the end of the hall. We came there at 10 min before departure and the misses would not let us true. We begged, but still it didn't worked. They were just transfering our luggage of the plane, we had to get the next flight.
With the idea of not knowing if there were seats available at the next flight, i was really stressed out. I had to catch my flight in london at 23.20. If there were seats, i could make it, but if not then my whole plan fall apart. I do am reni thankfull too, of advicing me about taking an early flight. She had sad to me: " Caus you never knows what can happen." She was so right about that one ;-)

Ok, so we had to got our luggage first, then to the easyjet desk to apply for an new oneway ticket 52 euro :-( and checking in again.
The line at easyjet was big, so we were desperate for the tickets and really hoping they for some leftovers. Finally at the frontdesk the stress fell of my back. Yes, there were tickets left! Ok, we bought them and checked in.
The line for checking in was big also, but still, i was releaved.
Then by checking in my bag i was thinking: " O no my phone." I had put him in the front compartment of my bag while we were booking the new flight. K U T, i thought. Now i have to pray that the thing is not slipped out of the bag. Caus i knew that the compartment was not fully closed and i could get the bag back, caus it was already transfered away.
Drama, drama, drama, caus at the arrivel at London Stansted airport i check up and there was no phone. Fucking hell. That was really bad. All my numbers gone.
Now i felt so lost. I had, no phone with me, no laptop. How can i survive without????
i probably was destine to left my phone at Hayat's car, then i would have had my numbers.. But ok. Nothing i can do about it now.

Well, the lost luggage service gave me a number to call. But it was out of reach. Then i was thinking, i have to block my telephone. Searched for internet, had no pounds in coins, caus i gave them to Hayat. Only papers. Luckaly Patrick was still around and gave one pound.
Then finally at the "Telfort" site, the telephonewebsite was under construction!!! I couldnot log in and block my number! Also tried a 0900 number, but we couldn't get connection. So what to do, what to do..
I had to leave know, didn't want to miss another flight.

We agreed that patrick would try to reach Jae for me. So he could tell her that she couldn't call me. And also asked her if she could try later to block my number on the internet.
Well, thank god there was Thirza. My angels from heaven :-). Caus Patrick couldn't get true with the emailadress a gave him. so he reach for T. And thank god she blocked my phone, so no-one could make any longer phonecalls for free.

What a ride so far, and my flight to Asia wasn't even started jet.

At the plane a was seated next to a gentleman from England and one from Malaysia. It was ok. they were very friendly. One was traveling to the Philippines to his wife and child, the other one was traveling with his family back home from visiting London. The only thing what really was hard to bear, was that one row in the front and one row in the back were sitting baby's... Yehh, it is what you think happend: true the whole trip they were crying, sceaming, ect. So no rest for me..

Now i'm in the Airasia hotel, next to the airport KCCL. The hotel is super cheap and really nice. I have one room at the back, looking over a coconotplantage. That's very cool. First thing when i was in the room. Socks and shoes off. Flip-flop on!!
Yes, i'm back in Malaysia!
Here is a free internet cafe, a 7 eleven in the building and most important: i have one whole king size bed for my one!!!!
So that's what i'm gonna do now, sleeping.. So hard that i can forget this trip and start all over tomorrow..

A new day is coming ;-)
(and a new Thai number too, let it know a.s.a.p.)

Indo Party time!!

Today my last day on Nusa Lembongan.
Gonna miss Indonesia, but looking forward to go to London too!
Feeling not so much better. Had fever again today, 38,5 c. But so far it was on and off. So tomorrow i will be fever free! hahaha!
Well, go to a party of Thomass. he's celebrating that he did become Divemaster. So there will be free food!
And that's always good. Didn't eat much today, so am hungry now!

Ok, here are a couple of party pics from Indonesia!



Here we were drinking cocktails in the Papaya bar in Sengigi, Lombok.









Tis was in Kuta, fridaynight 31th . I was exhausted. Finish the retrait that day. Was broken. But what the hell. You're not every year on Bali. We did had alot of fun!







Next day, Saturday, was also in Kuta, Skygarden.
We had so much fun!
This was our last night together. That Sunday we all split up. Reni went to Bangkok. Her two cousins went back to Bandung. I went for one night to Pandangbai, to see my two of my new yogafriends, Thirza and David and to spot the BlooLagoonBeach. After that i took the boat to Lembongan to start the dive course...
Eliette stayed in Kuta till Wednesday. Than she's left of to Jakarta.







Funniest partypic of the night


a. We were practicing capoeira,
b. We were dancing like birds,
c. We played pictionary, or
d. We were just talking.






(Ubud and the yoga retrait i will put on the Blogg when i'm in London. Miss alot of foto's from the yoga..so far, so good!)

Lembongan Adventures

I sad i would keep on my blogg, but i just didn't had the time for it.

Today it is Friday and i'd arrived on Monday on the island. What a journey to come to this place.

Now i have, cause i'm ill, lots of time to write. I spend 3 days with fever (arround the 39 C) in bed.
Looks like i'm recovering now. But i had it really bad: High temperature, cold and chilly feeling (when it's 35 degrees out here) pain in my muscles and my joints, dizziness and light in my head.
A Belgian masterdiver who i met sad to me, that a lot of people who come to this island get a fever kinda thing like i had. Joepie!

What's the worst part of it, i started my Padi divecourse! Now i couldn't finish it!!!!!!
I did tried, but i couldn't clear my ears. So that was a big no no. That was to bad, I was for a moment very disappointed and sad.
Especially cause I came to this island to do the diving.
And I did not got here easy.
Got from Padangbai (south east cost of Bali), with first of all money problems (there was one ATM in town of a small bank who was not working. Next ATM would be one hour away by car. Luckily i could solve this with my dive center if i got short on money) went with a tinny one size fishers boat, on a bad seatime (best time to cross the ocean is early in the morning, i went at 1 pm, at that time the sea was much ruffer. And that i really felt!), had to pretend i had a husband (cause was sitting 1,5 hours with the fisherman, who was really nice but asked for my husband. Though it would be best to just talk with him. For the picture: there was only me, him and ocean around me....), got wet all over because the waves were very high (there i was sitting all wet with my beachdress on, being pretty) and than I had to work also (my job was to keep the water out of the boat. So every 15 minutes I had to scoop the water out with a can. It felt so useless.. ), but in the end I got a really nice welcome cause there was someone from the divecenter waiting for me already to pick me up (with a scooter tho, so i did it the Indonesian way: Driver in front, suitcase in the middle, me at the back holding the suitcase on my knees and trying not to fall of). At the dive center the people were super nice and friendly. Got a twin bed room, not even 10 meter from the sea for 90.000 Rupia (6 euro)









Now i'm staying in Thomas place, in the place called The secret garden. It's maybe 25meters away from the divecenter/hotel. The reason is that if I wanted to stay I had to move to the more luxuries room for 370. But now I can stay here and share the twin room with him. Is 120.000 split in two. So much better price. And we can get along quit well. Went to Nusa Ceninga yesterday on a mountain bike. Didn't know there would be a lot of highs, so the climbing was to much for me, (did this one day after the fever day I had...) but did manage to made it to the bridge. Ceningan is the smallest island. And then you have Nusa Penida. Lembongan and Ceningan are connected with a bridge.
We did made it and crossed the bridge. Because the tide was low, the whole ocean bottom was dry. So I came with the idea to cross it by feet.
That was super. Because it was not all dried up, but there was a lot of wet spots we could see a lot of sea life. We saw a jelly fish, swimming upside down, one strange sand worm, crabs, a sea star, and black seaegels.
Than we got ourself some drinks. Well Thomas did actually. He speaks better Indonesian then me. So that's quit a strange image to the people. He can make a whole conversation with them. And i'm only standing there, smiling and saying: Makassi! That was so funny!
Then we saw a big group of Hindu people, crossing the way. With music and sang. The people who are living there were prepared with an offering. At each home they stopped and the woman of the household prayed and offered the little basket with flowers, rice and ascent.

The funniest thing was that we now had to go along with the parade, cause there was no way to scoop by. Than a guy asked me the way. Found out he was a Dutch guy to. Probably from Suriname. He was stressed out, cause he only went to take his forgotten camera from the hotel, but he got lost. Now he was on the right trek, but didn't had the patience to wait. So at the last moment he turned around. What he didn't knew, was that we were almost there. Than after 40 minutes when we arrived at the entrance of the side path of the divecenter, we suddenly met him again. Now really fucked up and stress. We gave him the right direction again, really hope he did made it.

My plan for the last days is to really relax and not doing a lot. Walking around and maybe buy me some stuff. Cannot buy to much, have to do it with 15kg check in baggage and 10 for hand.
Have to miss the Molaa fish (sunfish, who comes every year ones out of the deep sea till around 20 m dept to washed himself off parasites and reduplicated themselves and it is the Molaa season), the manta's, sharks and all the colored “Nemo” fishes...

But still, love this island and truly want to come back to do the diving over here!

check:
world-diving.com

Had the best time in Lombok and Gilli trawangan!!

The trip to Lombok started out quit disapointed. From Surabaya Reni had booked a flight to Mataram, Lombok. It was with Merpati airlines. She did called to check if the flight was still on. The confirmed that every thing was ok.
But when we arrived at the airport, the flight was fully booked!!!
Ok, plan B. Now what? After going round all the local airlines to check what their options were, plan B was to go to Denpasar, Bali, first. Stay there one nght and then go to Lombok by boat. Otherwise the next flight to Lombok was in about 2 days.

So we went to Bali.. stayed in a cheap house. Met the family of Reni, caus they were going also to Lombok by boat. And the next dag we went for the 5 hour boat trip to Lombok.

Lombok is very Beautyfull. The land is not as green as you would expect. It's kinda dry. But stil when you drive true the island, you see alot of nice ricefields, coconot- and watermelonplantages. And when you go further inwards you see the jungleside of Lombok. With the best Waterfalls i saw in my life and alot of monkeys.








The two waterfalls we visit were on the foot of the Ringajan Volcano. Unfortunately Eliette was not feeling well, so she'd stay in the room. That was to bad. Caus the waterfalls were for me one of the highlights of the trip. I was not feeling good also. I could not take the malaria pills. So we did stop for more than 5 times on the way. But for me it was really worth it all. The first one was very peachefull. But the second one was the best! The power that came of the water was incredible. We did swim there too. It was like you would trying to walk against a massive blowdryer. And the energy that came of, was so energizing. We could not take it all an dwere sceaming and yelling all the time of joy. It was a fantastic experients.

The next day we went with the family to Kuta beach.
Lombok has also a area called Kuta. But it is the opposite of the Bali Kuta. In Lombok Kuta tourism is really not developed. It is peachefull and quiet. The local people, living there in there woven houses of leafes.
Because the tide was low, we couldn't swim there. We did stand and enjoyed the surrounding. I also met two sweet little girls, who were playing in a little waterpool next to the rocks on the beach. The could understand only: What's your name? But they were so cute! I played with them for short time and then i went to the rest of the people. And when Reni and i went i the water, they were running towards us, yelling: Maya, Maya! We played with them in the water. It was super fun. Then their dad came, and they had to go home. Yelling untill we couldn't see them any more: Da da Reni, da da Maya!









Then Eliette and i went of to the Gilli island Trawangan.
Reni and her family just dropped by for one day.
Gilli is like the real tropical island. There are no cars or scooters allowed. Only bikes and horses.

We went did a surfcourse. Supposed to be for 2 hours. But the guys really didn't had time in his head, so we surfed from 8.30 till 12.30!
Because Eliette had really trouble with the whole balancing part, she took a break after 40 minutes. But tried later on one time more to sit straight and not falt off.
Therefor i had the surfguy all to myself! So it was more like a personalteacher! Hihihi! I did liked the surfing alot. The waves were very high. I couldn't believe it was ok for me, a beginner, to try to take them. But he was really confedent. It was totaly no problem. In the beginning it scared me a little bit. But, still, i'm here to overcome my fears. You live only ones, so just tied and tried and tried.
Surfing is very hard and difficult. But addictive to! If you felt the power of the waves, that is just with no words to describe. Really amazing!

Did got burned and could hardly sit for two days...
Met some local people to. We drunk every night on the bar and talked about our lives. Loved to share stories like that. It was alot of fun! Had to say goodbye to soon.
I really have to come back to the Gilli's!!!! It was to short a time!

ps. Forgot to tell that i fall in the water with my camara!! i slipped on a rock, near the waterfall.. :-(
So the pics are not so sharp as before and less caus sometimes he's not working. I have to check the thing in Holland when i'm back....