Time to recap the last 4 month in Thailand and Laos

I left Phuket town on the 1st of February. Crazy emotions beinig back on the bike.

Thinking back today, on the 4th of June, its hard to believe that its been already 4 month - 4 month and something I left home again. Well this happened in the meanwhile:

Week 1: Living with a Thai couple in Phuket. Awesome cooking, thai culture and living. Preparing for the bikeride.

Week 2-5: On my way to Tonsai from Phuket. (2 days, 200km by bike). The "climbers heaven on earth" Really? No, not really.

So I started my road trip full of expectations to get to that magnifique place called "Tonsai". Where a bay which is only reachable by boat offers the best climbing and atmosphere EVER EVER. Yes, thats what people told me. 

Well by now, I found out, that you either love Tonsai or you don't. I turned out to be "a don't". 

Anyways I got to spend some time with a bunch of basejumpers in Tonsai, which was very interesting. Climbing up a cliff, watching them jump into the sunset and climb down in the dark again was definitely a lifetime experience. Playing around with pois (flying thingies on strings), even on fire, was another very enjoyable moment, next to getting drunk and dance at the beach, chilling and stuff....Mhh well, all in all looking back, I probably wasnt exactly "a don't", I just didnt climb as much as I would have loved too.

 (Best route of Minnesouta, 6c)

Week 5-8: Cycling and finally taking it serious with the "travelling off the beaten track" with the bike. Many things happened. Heatstrokes, cuddling up with a 11-year-old thai girl, sleeping on a shrimp farm, sleeping in empty houses, hitchhiking with the bike and ending up on a thai funeral. Until I got to next climbing area. Crazy horse Chiang Mai.

In Chiang Mai I had a brilliant climbing time, living in a little tent and climbed a lot with Simon and Gigi from Canada and France.

Check out Facebook for more pics.

Week 8-16: As between climbers Thakhek in Laos is the new place to climb - I decided to make my way there as quick as possible. Started of cycling for another 3 days to the Lao border, was a great good bye Thailand trip. From the Lao border I took then a boat on the Mekong River to Luang Prabang. Just beautiful! Luang Prabang is a cute little town but way to touristic. So I jumped on a bus after two nights and finally got to Thakhek. Which was my sweet little home for the last 2 month. www.greenclimbershome.de

Luckily as I got there they were in need of instructors and service personal. And luckily they chose to ask me if I wanted to stay until end of the season. And of course I stayed. It was brilliant. Climbed a lot,  worked as an instructor, got to known to more Lao people, and awesome climbers around the world. 

Well, and thats me now. Off travelling again! In addition to my heavy bike, climbing gear, way to much clothes I got a guitar now! :D 

I am off to China, where in Yangshou and Getu awesome climbing is promised.

Climbing and cycling through Southeast Asia

What can I say, I became a huge fan of exploring the world with my bike.

Its the ultimate way of travelling, getting a glimpse of living in a region and come closer to the locals off the beaten track.

You pass a school, the bazar, the locals and the atmosphere with a pace where you have time soaking up all the happenings around you. 

Driving a scooter is good fun but beeing accompanied by a big helmet and the monoton sound of the engine, you are kind of seperated from the world surrounding you. 

While cycling, you pass slowly. Looking at the people and the people follow you with their eyes. They analyze your bike, the heavy luggage and your sweatie face in a very critical way. 

Then comes the moment where you forget all the hard uphills. The heartwarming smile from an old man, dark skin from the sun, missing teeth, sitting in front of his hut repairing something. He gives you a slight bow with his head to show you all his respect for what you are doing and that you take all of this effort to explore the beauty of his home in such a quiet and pieceful way of moving.

At the moment:

Since one week I live here close to Phuket town with a very smart and openminded thai couple. Aey (the girl) is a marine scientist and a guru in terms of living green. She taught me how to prepare Tom Kha Gai (Thai chicken coconut soup) with the incredientes from the jungle around and also how to prepare a dish washing liquid out of fermented fruit.

Tho (the man) is an absoloute bike guru . I would have been completely lost without him. His passion is bikes. So he managed for me to order a bike, bags etc. from Bangkok and today arrived my bike. A black trekking beauty!

The Plan:

Cycling from climbing crag to climbing crag all along up north Thailand, down south Laos. Considering next Vietnam, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea...

Starting from Phuket in a couple of days aiming for Tonsai with a stopover in Phang-nga, where I should find some rocks.