It's raining again

"Oh no, my love's at and end
Oh no, it's raining again
And you know it's hard to pretend."

Ok, so I've finished the first book in the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". You know what really impressed me while reading it? The amount of coffee that Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander drank! There I was, trying to process the figures on how many women in Sweden are subject to violence, eager to find out what ever happened to Harriet, who killed whom when, and off they go to make some coffee. No wonder they couldn't keep still.

"You're old enough some people say
To read the signs and walk away.
It's only time that heals the pain
And makes the sun come out again."

I managed to bypass three people on the street the other day. It's true that they were carrying backpacks but still - breakthrough! I've also started bumping into the same people everyday and not just salesmen, tourists too. This means that I'm no longer asked if I want tattoos, suits or massages; it also means that the time to move on is getting closer and closer...

"C'mon you little fighter
No need to get uptighter
C'mon you little fighter
And get back up again."

Meanwhile I've started reading Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go". I can tell you that, so far, no one drank coffee, just mineral water. I have the impression that this book is my cup of tea.

"It's raining again
Oh no, my love's at and end
Oh no, it's raining again
And you know it's hard to pretend."

Cooling off in Bangkok

Did you know that, in the 1960s and 70s, women in Kabul were professors at universities, they were doctors and lawyers, worked in hospitals, taught at schools and played an important role in society? Couldn't the same be said about women in Tehran just before the Islamic Revolution? In a couple of years, will the same be said about women in Cairo? These are some of the questions I asked myself while reading Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns".

Ene and Kairit left Thailand a couple of days ago. Just before their departure, we still managed go to Chinatown to pick up the leftovers from the celebrations related to the Chinese New Year, take a boat along the Chao Praya River and enjoy a few farewell drinks. As of their departure, I've been spending most of my days reading, which has been allowing me to rest and hope that I will be walking properly before the end of the month.

By now, most people would have already seen the Grand Palace and the temples but not me! I've just been enjoying the comfort of my "Prision Break" inspired guesthouse. For those of you holding your breath, it's actually a cool place to be. And the fact that I can hear the other guests burping, coughing, sneezing and farting is not that disturbing because I've been totally into Hosseini's fantastic storytelling abilities:

"The women in this part of Kabul were a different breed from the women in the poorer neighborhoods (...). These women were (...) "modern". Yes, modern Afghan women married to modern Afghan men who did not mind that their wives walked among strangers with makeup on their faces and nothing on their heads."

I don't want realism. I want magic!

On the night bus back to Bangkok, I sat next to a British guy named Sky. Just before he took his seat, I noticed his Tennessee Williams' book so I couldn't wait to start a conversation and find out which one it was. We got to talking and it turns out that Sky is in the middle of the most incredible experience ever.

He arrived to Bangkok on December 31st determined to leave the pain of a bad relationship behind and start 2012 on a good note. That night, he met a Belgian girl who completely swept him off his feet and their time together was amazing. Eventually, she had to go to Vietnam in order to start a course on how to become a kitesurfing instructor and he had to follow his friends to Koh Phi Phi.

Two weeks have passed and not a day went by in which they did not write or speak to each other. Their feelings were such that he decided to join her in Vietnam, spend some time with her and see where that would take them.

I can tell you that he was very excited and very nervous while telling me all this. Part of him wanted things to turn out for the best and have a great story to tell their grandchildren; part of him didn't know what the future would bring. I suppose that, in time, he will have all the answers. But regardless of what happens next, it's great that he decided to take a chance; this really means something, if not everything.

So Sky, if you're reading this, I hope you are having a fantastic time together and that it doesn't take long for the two of you to start planning that road trip across America you told me about.

By the way, just so that you know, the book Sky was carrying was "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Behind the scenes in Koh Lanta

First night in Koh Lanta. I'm standing on the beach with my feet in the water and nothing but knickers on. All I can hear around me is "Come on! The water is great!"; all I can think is "This is so not the right moment to do this!". But how did I get here again?

Soon after arriving on the island, we decided to go for a swim. While on the water, we started chatting with three Canadian dudes and it didn't take long for us all to continue chatting while having a few drinks. As time passed, I could sense that Canadian dude number 1 was coming on to me. I was so not interested that it all just seemed too much too soon. He was really nice - told me he was a massage therapist and offered to have a look at my ankle - but what can I say? When the hea(r)t is not there, the hea(r)t is not there. So when the time came to go skinny dipping, I just couldn't do it. Somehow, the idea of being naked in the water with a guy who likes me but whom I don't like back just doesn't appeal to me.

In the meantime, Ene was totally charmed by Canadian dude number 2. Their interaction was so intense that I am totally convinced that a ping pong show in Bangkok wouldn't have been so interesting. As far as I am concerned, one of the most fascinating moments between them was when the dude mentioned that he really appreciated breaks during tree planting because that was when he could enjoy the landscape and Ene almost faints. It occured to me there and then that her attraction towards him had just reached some kind of peak.

After the skinny dipping, we gathered around again and Canadian dude number 2 hints at the fact that he is in love with his girlfriend. Ene storms out leaving the romantic souls behind thinking that she was too disappointed and needed to clear her head. The next day she told us that it was not like that at all - she was just too drunk to sit. Fair enough. Note to self: next time that Ene storms out after drinking a fourth of a bottle of rum, somehow it has nothing to do with love sickness.

Liquid sunset

There was this one moment in Koh Lanta, which I will treasure for many many years to come.

Kairit and I were enjoying the sunset by the beach. As the colours got more intense, a girl walked into the water in order to take what I can only assume would be "the holiday picture of all times". She took it and then started heading back. With each step, she left a trail of moving water reflecting the fiery colours of the sun. For a brief moment, I thought that I had been sucked into some sort of magical universe and that someone was stiring a cauldron in order to make one of those very special potions... Unforgettable.

Other great moments on this peaceful island include

- Ene picking me up in her scooter and us going around the island enjoying the magnificent colours of the twilight;
- Kairit and I riding a tuk-tuk to Koh Lanta National Park, which can only be compared with a roller coaster ride - seriously, how is it possible for a motorised vehicle to capsize before the start of the journey and then stop two times half way up?!
- Monkeys taking away my sunscreen and Kairit's vitamins - amazing how the little ones manage to open a bag as naturally as they peel a banana!
- An elderly couple looking at me walking after pulling a muscle on my left leg - I swear I could hear them thinking "man, we thought we had it bad!".

A crippled holiday

Imagine that you are having a great time and that, all of a sudden, something twisted happens...

Here are five tips on how to cope with a strained ankle during a beach holiday - I sincerely hope that you do not have to remember any of them!

1 - Avoid stairs like the plague. If you absolutely cannot avoid them, remember that good people go to heaven and that bad people go to hell; this means that the foot, which is killing you, needs to be the first one to use when going down and the last one to use when going up.

2 - Replace flip-flops by sports shoes. If you cannot replace flip-flops by sports shoes, avoid inclinations. If you cannot avoid inclinations, go to a bar at the end of the day and drink as much alcohol as you possibly can - this should help you to forget about the pain.

3 - If you have diarrhea, remember that you cannot run so pay attention to your body's signals - especially if you are wearing a swimsuit and not a bikini.

4 - Remember that this kind of handicap is a great excuse to start conversations so use it.

5 - Be thankful to the friends, who will do whatever it takes to make you feel comfortable - Ene, Kairit, I wouldn't have made it without you!

Krabi days

Day 1

Shortly after my arrival to Bangkok, we got on a night bus to Ao Nang. The trip was so tiring that we were more than happy to spend the day relaxing at the beach and swimming in the Andaman Sea.

The day's snapshot: my face while eating fresh papaya salad - with chilli peppers!

Day 2

We were picked up from the Bungalow at 9 a.m. in order to take a long-tail boat to four local islands. The first island we visited was called Poda - seriously! We then moved on to Chicken Island for some snorkelling - even though I am convinced that "swimming with mask" is a much better way to describe what we did there. We had lunch in Tup and then went for a walk in Phranang Beach.

The day's snapshot: after a nightcap, we took a tuk-tuk back to the Bungalow. It had blue and red lights all around - seats included! - and the music was on and very loud. I like to imagine the look on sidewalkers' faces during "disco" tuk-tuk's ride.

Day 3

This was a day spent in Khao Sok. We took elephants to the rainforest, spotted wild animals, went canoeing in the Sok river... Lucky was the name of the elephant, which took us to the rainforest in order to see the Majestic waterfall. Such a sweet animal - and very happy too when we fed him bananas!

The day's snapshot: the three of us standing in a bridge next to the Majestic waterfall watching Lucky having a shower and waiting for it to... feel lucky!

Day 4

After two days waking up early and moving fast from one place to another, we decided to take it easy. We started by having a thai massage - which I definitely shouldn't have had! Afterwards, it was time to grab something to eat and head towards the beach. Later in the evening, we joined other fellow travelers for drinks at the Bungalow.

The day's snapshot: an unbelievable pain in my right ankle during the thai massage followed by swelling and stiffness in the ankle joint. It seems that I got myself a sprain...

Once upon a time... in Bangkok

Once upon a time there were three little princesses - two from Estonia and one from Portugal. The Estonian princesses were tall, blond and beautiful and the Portuguese princess was... me.

The Delirium fairy brought the three little princesses for the first time in Brussels. It was a cold Friday evening and it was impossible for them to know at the moment that, one year later, they would meet again in the land of Thais.

The Portuguese princess met the Estonian princesses in a more-or-less clean guest house located in the valley of Khao San. The three little princesses were full of joy when they came together again and, in their celebratory moments, were joined by Mr Singha, the Beer and Mrs Pad Thai, the Noodles.

They did not celebrate long for they had to move on to their next destination but they were nothing but happy for meeting at last and hoped to have nothing but happy times ahead.

But all was not well in the kingdom far far away for the three little princesses would soon have to confront the land's dark lords - also known as "immigration laws". In time, the dark lords would make the three little princesses leave the land of smiles.

The Estonian princesses were first in line and would leave the country at the end of January. The Portuguese princesses was next - her departure was scheduled for February 12th. It remains to be seen how will the Portuguese princess deal with this sentence - if by appealing to the good will of Laos, Cambodia or Malasia...

One day in Lisbon, one night in Brussels – a tribute to Bruno Vultos

January 10th 2012. Arrival at “Santa Apolonia” station, Lisbon. Nice. Until the moment I get to the metro station and can’t buy a ticket because my card has expired. Can anyone explain to me how a magnetic card expires? I can understand that it gets damaged and it no longer allows trips to be uploaded but… expired? And how can a metro system not cater for passengers who do not speak Portuguese? In Porto, passengers can rest assured that whatever is said in Portuguese is immediately translated into English. Also, magnetic cards don’t just expire – they stay with you for many many years, therefore ensuring that the environment stays too. I guess this would be too much to ask in Lisbon – efficiency and environment friendliness, that is. God knows how difficult it is for the people living here to do two things at the same time. So much so that, whenever they speak Portuguese, one can only hear consonants – all the vowels are simply… inexistent. In any case, the point of coming here was not to have a good time – otherwise I would have stayed in Porto! – it was to catch a plane. And so I did.

January 12th 2012. Arrival to the airport, Brussels. Nice. Until the moment I look outside and see the rain falling. Can anyone explain to me how is it that it is raining in Brussels in the middle of Winter? I could expect this in August but… in January? And how can this city’s metro be so dirty? In Lisbon, passengers can rest assured that they will not get hepatitis when sitting or just holding on to another passenger. Also, when in Lisbon you can trust people to smile at you without immediately asking for money. I guess this would be too much to ask in Brussels – tidiness and friendliness, that is. God knows how difficult it is for the people living here to actually make an effort. So much so that the French speakers have actually found a way to shorten the words for “seventy” and “ninety”. In any case, the point of coming here was not to have a good time – otherwise I would have stayed in Lisbon! – it was to catch a plane. And so I will.

My apologies to all of you in Lisbon and Brussels, who I didn’t manage to catch-up with! I promise to make it up for you next time!

Where pidgeons have no fear

When Sofia moved to Brussels, she was told by my brother that I was living in the city and that she could easily arrange to have a coffee with me. She did and it didn’t take long for us to become friends.

A couple of years later, Sofia was offered a job in another continent. I was, of course, very happy for her but also very sad for me. And since I was not in Brussels by the time she moved out, we agreed to have a farewell drink in "Aveiro". We liked the experience so much that we now decided to catch-up in "Coimbra".

As soon as I got out of the main station, I could catch a glimpse of "Mondego", the biggest Portuguese river. It didn’t take long for Sofia to arrive as well and, as soon as she did, we immediately started walking up to the University area, which we have reached after doing something of the utmost importance – having breakfast.

It is usually said that "Coimbra" is the Portuguese Cambridge. I have never been to Cambridge so I don’t know if this comparison is fair or not but what I do know is that it is not surprising that that Portuguese city has a great university tradition because there’s definitely enough light around to inspire anyone to become a great thinker.

We walked through the city for a while longer and eventually decided to sit in a terrace for a drink – only to find out that the city’s pidgeons were not intimidated by our presence. We moved on to a restaurant for lunch – only to find out that the pidgeons cannot easily be stopped by doors and walls. We then decided to flee to "Figueira da Foz", a city by the ocean – only to find out that the local pidgeons were quite fond of coffee and custard cakes. We found solace after deciding to walk to the farthest lighthouse, which is located in an area ruled by the mighty Atlantic - always the mighty Atlantic! - and where no pidgeons could scare us away.