On the Khao San Road

"With the coming of Dean Moriarty began the part of my life you could call my life on the road." This is one of the first sentences in Jack Kerouac's "On the Road". I started reading it shortly after coming back from Vietnam and, disappointingly enough, did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I decided to give it a second try a couple of days ago and, this time, I got totally into it.

I was fascinated by the fact that Sal Paradise was only interested in mad people, "the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time"; I was impressed when I read that he wanted to see everything, meet everybody, find out what everyone was doing and craving; I related to him when he mentioned that, during one of his trips, he had a book but "preferred reading the American landscape" instead; most of all, I enjoyed finding out how restlessness and dissatisfaction can take you in the most amazing directions.

I travelled back and forth across the US laying in my guesthouse on Khao San Road - a road almost as maniac as Dean. It was on Khao San Road that I felt the "beat" and came to the conclusion that the book's true hero is actually Dean Moriarty for all his shortcomings were innocent. It was on Khao San Road that I wished for myself what Sal Paradise wished for Mississipi Gene:

"I hope you get where you're going, and be happy when you do."

Along the River Kwai

Two great things happened to me in Kanchanaburi, one of which was taking the train over the Death Railway Line.

During the Second World War, Japanese forces used Allied prisioners and Southeast Asian labourers to build a rail route to Burma. Such a task resulted in many many deaths - hence the railway's name. Before the end of the war, Allied bombs have destroyed big portions of it, which has surely added to its negative connotation.

I happened to be on one of the trains, which goes through the line's surviving portions and I can tell you that death and destruction were the last things on my mind. The landscape was magnificent and the views over the River Kwai, breathtaking - definitely a lot more captivating than the ones from the famous bridge. The train itself was also incredibly charming - in a rickety kind of way. I felt really happy.

The other great thing that happened to me in Kanchanaburi was meeting Maria and John Free. Maria, from Chile, quit her job and decided to invest all her savings in a five-month soul-searching trip across Southeast Asia. John Free, from Canada, is a rafting instructor on his way to Morocco, where he will work until something more appealing comes along.

Our time together was great and our conversations, amazingly enriching. I will always remember our evening under a tree of lights smoking apple-flavoured tobacco and sharing a blue-coloured cocktail named "Kamikaze"; I will always remember the captivating way we were approached by Nitin Bhatt, a Nepalese student collecting tourists' opinions on waterpipe smoking; and I will always remember John mentioning that he had such a great time with us that he was actually sorry to have to leave the next day.

I hope John has a safe trip to Morocco - via Nepal; and I hope Maria and I manage to meet again soon.

Flipping the coin until its side is right

Minutes before getting on the boat to Koh Phangan, I started feeling a very familiar pain on my right ankle. I immediately wondered why this was happening because I hadn't bumped into anything, I hadn't made any sudden and quick movements; it is true that I had spent the night sitting but somehow I was not convinced that this was the reason why I was in this situation again. Be that as it may, there wasn't much to do apart from accepting things as they were and dealing with it in the best possible way. This was why I decided to go and get an oil massage. By the beach. With the balmy sound of waves in the background. Nice.

I met V on the first leg of the trip to Koh Phangan. We started talking and it turns out that this pleasant French girl had already spent a couple of months on the island and was now coming back for a short visit. She had brought "foie gras", "camembert" and French white wine to share with her friends and was nice enough to invite me to join them. I gladly accepted and was definitely looking forward to meeting her at 9 p.m. in front of the local 7 Eleven. Unfortunately, I was so tired that I fell asleep and missed our "rendez-vous". I never saw V again.

When I decided to explore the island I didn't think that at some point I would have to deal with cab drivers, who charge ridiculous amounts of money for ridiculously short rides. So as I tried to get back from Haad Rin and a cab driver goes as far as to mention that the trip would cost me three times more than what I was expecting to pay, I felt that the right thing to do was to walk away. Consequently, I found myself on a hilly road with a bad ankle trying not to worry about the fact that it would start getting dark soon. All of a sudden, another cab driver comes along and, luckily for me, he was one of the good ones and charged me a fair amount of money in order to take me back to my bungalow.

In the end, even if nasty cab drivers crossed my way, what really matters, what I will remember and tresure, is that I also met the honest ones; even if I lost track of V, I am glad to have met her at all; and even if all the issues with my right ankle are a source of frustration and concern, the truth is that they can only slow me down, not stop me.

Back to the beach

What do you do after spending some time traveling in the north of Southeast Asia? You go to the south! I had already had a taste of the Andaman Coast, which was the reason why I decided to give the Gulf Coast a try. So after taking a bus, a transfer van, another bus and a boat, there I was swimming in the Gulf of Thailand for the very first time.

Koh Phangan is located between Koh Samui and Koh Tao and, much like its location, is the middle term between the business-savviness of the first and the spunky youth of the second. I stayed in a cosy bungalow by the beach, from where I could see both Koh Samui and Haad Rin.

Haad Rin, also known as the host of the Full Moon Party, and Haad Yao were the two areas of the island I managed to explore during my stay there. The rest of the time was spent at the beach either swimming or taking the sun.

It was by the beach that I met Luca, a German girl currently living in Munich. I had just come back from the water when she asked me if I knew anything about the Phangan Film Festival. It turns out that a series of films would start being projected the next day on a bungalow nearby, which was the reason why I had the opportunity to watch two very interesting documentaries - one on "Dharma Punx" and the other one on the Balinese way of life.

What I enjoyed the most about this trip?

- Waking up in the morning, going for a swim/walk by the beach and then enjoying a lazy breakfast;
- Walking by the beach at night with nothing but stars above and discreet little lights and sounds all around.

There were also things I did not enjoy at all - namely having to cope with a swollen right ankle again! - but that is another story.

The wonders of Ayuthaya

I woke up pretty early yesterday for I had arranged to go on a one day trip to Ayuthaya, the capital of Siam between 1350 and 1767. The purpose of this trip was to visit temples and temple ruins, most of which Khmer-style. My personal favourite was Wat Phra Mahathat, a temple where you can also see the head of a Buddha embedded among a tree's roots.

I must say that I don't know much about the Khmer people but I do know that they really knew how to build temples. I say this because I was walking around in the middle of ruins and was still extremely impressed by the incredible works of architecture. I am sure that it would have been amazing to have seen it all before the Burmese invasion.

At the end of the trip, we all started saying goodbye when, all of a sudden, I hear a girl asking me if I was Portuguese - in Portuguese! I was so happy to have met a Portuguese in Thailand that we have quickly arranged to go for an ice cream.

Denise is a lovely girl from Algarve, who is currently living in Sweden with Rasmus, her husband. They got married a couple of months ago and, shortly after the wedding, they managed to do one of the coolest things ever - they hopped on a Harley Davidson and rode all the way from Sweden to the South of Portugal.

While we were having dinner, we met Charlie, a backpacker from France, who has been on the road for the last five months and is now looking forward to going to Burma. It didn't take much for all of us to be sitting around a table sharing beers. Unfortunately, I was so tired that I didn't last very long; fortunately, I met them for breakfast earlier today and, if all goes well, I will still meet Denise and Rasmus later on when the time comes to hop on the bus.

I am really happy to have been to Ayuthaya - and not just because it gave me the opportunity to see incredible temples and temple ruins.

To Feli, my German guardian angel

Many people, myself included, believe that we are each other's angels and demons. Yesterday I met one of my angels - her name is Feli(cia).

Hanoi is a though city and yesterday was particularly hard for me to handle it. I hadn't slept much the night before and was feeling very tired. Such tiredness, combined with the fact that I could not have a nap in the dorm because there was way too much noise, made me feel very insecure about the fact that I would have to take a cab to the airport at 5h30 the next morning. Just so that you know, when a Western takes a cab in Southeast Asia, being overcharged is only one of the things that can happen. A couple of weeks ago, I heard that a cab driver locked two Canadian girls in the cab and didn't let them out until they gave him all their money.

Anyway there I was having a cup of coffee in the hostel's kitchen when it occurs to me that it could be a good idea to ask the girl in front of me what she thought about the situation. We started talking and it turns out that Feli is German, had been studying in Taiwan and was now traveling in Southeast Asia. A couple of hours later, I was already feeling a lot more comfortable about the whole cab thing but Feli still volunteered to go with me to check it out and I accepted. At 5h30 a.m. we met up at the hostel's reception, Feli accompanied me to the cab and, just before I got in, told me that everything looked pretty reliable and that I would surely be ok.

A couple of hours later, I landed in Bangkok, found a room in the guesthouse I had stayed a couple of weeks ago and got in contact with Feli to tell her that I was safe and sound.

Feli, I truly hope that all goes well for you in your future travels. I also hope that, in case of need, you manage to find the kind of support you were so generous to share with me - thank you for all your care.

Disenchanted in Hanoi

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, has an extremely vibrant town centre. I enjoyed visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where I could grasp the country's devotion to Ho Chi Minh; I enjoyed visiting the Temple of Literature, where I could begin to understand the impact of Confucianism throughout the country; I enjoyed watching the water puppets in a theatre just in front of the Hoan Kiem Lake, where I could see how the Vietnamese villagers would entertain each other every time the rice fields would flood.

Be that as it may, this city is not my kind of place. It's chaotic, it's incredibly messy and it doesn't provide any opportunities to rest the senses - especially when you're trying to cross the street. Many people would describe Bangkok pretty much in the same way but, as far as I am concerned, Hanoi goes one step further. I have seen traffic in both directions on a one way street the other day. No further comments.

But the reason why I am disenchanted is because I just had to wave goodbye to Corrie, Jody, Mark, Michael, Ed, Dorothy and Dariusz - my faithful travel partners. We had a great time together, shared many many laughs. I hope we meet again in Bangkok. Until then, I'll remember our last moments in a bar with a name as funny as our journey: Half man, 1/2 noodle.

Last glimpse of the Mekong

When I decided to travel in Laos, I didn't think that the Mekong River would play an important role in this journey. The truth is that it did - I realised it in the end.

After Vang Vieng came Vientiane, Laos' capital city. As far as I am concerned, this is a very pleasant place to visit for it is as gentle and quiet as the rest of the country. It is true that, apart from the large stupa, the National Museum and one or two temples, there is not that much to see but sometimes, just sometimes, feeling at ease with yourself and your surroundings is all you can possibly need. At least that's what I think.

The city is also situated along the Mekong River and, not long after realising this, did I realise that this river had been present during the trip's most enjoyable moments. It was there to carry us safely from Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang; it was there while we discovered Luang Prabang's charm; it was there to provide us with a nice Valentine's Day moment - in the evening, we got as close to it as we possibly could and had the opportunity to contemplate the lights on the other side.

Just before leaving the country, I made sure to catch a last glimpse of the river, which runs through six Asian countries. I made sure to try and thank it for all the moments of beauty and comfort it had provided us with. I also hoped that such moments would be as abundant in the future as the water presently running through its bed.

Life without a watch

For most people, Vang Vieng is a place where you can float on a rubber tube down the Nam Song River and party at rickety riverside bars. It is also a place where you can chill out in bars, watch endless reruns of "Friends" and "Family Guy" and try a happy pizza and/or a mushroom shake. For me, however, it will always be the place where I lost my watch.

I don't know how it happened but I know that I was very upset when I realised that it was gone. This was the reason why I looked for it intensively and at different times of day and night. At some point, I just had to come to terms with the fact that I would never find it again. What I found particularly frustrating about all this was to wake up one morning and wonder what time it was... Oh.

In order to cope with the frustration, I have tried to hold on to the moments during which the passing of time was not important. I found out that it was great to be understood every time I told people the story. I am particularly grateful for having had Corrie around; she was extremely supportive and never got tired of helping me look for the watch even when I started to wonder if we would ever find it again. It was nice to appreciate the beauty of the landscapes, especially at sunset. It was amazing to look at the sky every now and then, see hot air balloons and realise that the local children have the opportunity to grow up in a place where they can see them everyday.

I love this town!

If you have seen the "Ghostbusters", you might remember that one of the film's last scenes shows Winston Zeddemore - the character played by Ernie Hudson - shouting "I love this town!". This is exactly what I feel like doing ever since I arrived in Luang Prabang.

The journey down the Mekong River lasted two days - with an overnight stay in Pakbeng, a small village on the mountains. If I say that this trip was nothing short of stunning, I will be putting it mildly. During those two days it was as if someone allowed me to have a look inside a box full of jewels and gems, which made me feel very privileged and grateful. Luckily enough these feelings would prevail upon arrival to the destination.

Located in north central Laos, Luang Prabang is a lovely place to visit even if you do not particularly like Buddhist temples and monasteries, the city's main attractions. I am particularly enjoying going for walks and feeling that I am heading towards a fresh spring morning, that everything around me - temples, trees, street lights - reflect the gentle nature of this country's population. I have also been enjoying paying regular visits to the most incredible bar I have ever been to, "Utopia". And every time I sit there with a beer in my hands looking at the stars above and the Nam Khan River below, I cannot agree more with Sir Thomas More:

"Man's folly hath enhanced the value of gold and silver because of their scarcity; whereas nature, like a kind parent, hath freely given us the best things, such as air, earth, and water, but hath hidden from us those which are vain and useless."

The end of Thailand

I woke up one day and was in Chiang Mai; a couple of hours later I realised that I would be going to bed in a different Chiang.

On the way to Chiang Khong, a town on the far northern Thai border, there was time to visit Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple of Northern Thailand. This was definitely one of the most beautiful temples I have seen so far. I couldn't help but thinking that there was something of "Disney On Ice" to it and, just in case you are wondering, I mean it as a good thing!

Chiang Khong is perceived as an overnight stop to or from Laos and this was actually the reason why we only stayed one night. The truth of the matter is that the town is very pleasant, very affordable and has some sightseeing potential, which means that we could have easily stayed there for two or three days.

The following day, it was time to check out of Thailand, check into Laos and get on a boat down the Mekong. We started by going down the river with Thailand on one side and Laos on the other but soon enough the time would come to wave Thailand goodbye. I decided to do it the Thai way and just smiled and said "see you again!"

The day I lost faith in Buddhism

For a long time, I thought that Buddhism was better than any other religion. I liked its philosophy, the fact that it provided a good answer to the question "what is life's purpose?", but, most of all, I liked the fact that it was based on the fundamental idea that everyone is the same. It took me a day to change my mind.

After arriving to Chiang Mai, there was time to freshen up and then the sightseeing began. As soon as I started walking, I could feel that there was a radical difference in the air - I could breath again! If in Bangkok the air was heavy, in Chiang Mai it was light; so light, that the city's colours seemed more vibrant. 

We started by visiting the Wat Chiangmun, which turned out to be another pretty temple, and then moved on to the local factories, which turned out to be places where you end up wasting an incredible ammount of time. Before the sun set, we got to Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, the city's most famous temple situated on a hill.

While the local guide was providing us with background information, the ugly truth came out: in order to become a monk, if you are a man you are expected to comply with 227 rules; if you are a woman, you are expected to comply with more than 300. So there it was, almost in black and white - it is harder for women to become monks, which means that gender discrimination is a reality.

Later on, while having dinner at the very heart of the Night Bazaar, I would also learn that centuries ago buddhists had different opinions on peoples' probability to achieve enlightenment, which was the reason why there was a split between Mahayana buddhists and Theravada buddhists.

By now, most of you are probably thinking that this is not a huge deal, that all religions discriminate against women and that all religions are known to have conflicts within each other. I agree and the fact that Buddhism is like any other religion is precisely my problem.

Bangkok encompassed

It seems that I finally got around to visiting Bangkok's main tourist attractions: Wat Po, the canals and the Grand Palace.

Wat Po is the city's oldest monastery and it houses a huge Buddha statue reclining on its elbow - really impressive! Just behind the Buddha, visitors could exchange a small bill for small coins and drop them in a row of pots while wishing for something. There were many pots lined up so, even if coming up with the first couple of wishes was pretty easy, coming up with the last ones was a bit of a challenge. My last wish was for world peace so those of you worried about it should be pleased to know that I got that out of the way!

If Bangkok was a house, going on a tour of its "klongs" (canals) would be having a peek through the rear window. I was glad to see how life in the city really is - this was definitely one of the most genuine experiences I had so far.

The Grand Palace, the former royal residence, is now used for ceremonial occasions and, once there, visiting the Temple of Emerald Buddha is a must. I found this to be a fantastic setting and I loved the fact that the combination of the buildings' vivid colours was so carefully thought that nothing but harmony could spring to mind.

But even though I was very pleased for having had the opportunity to see these highlights, I must say that this was not what I liked the most about Bangkok. What I liked most was going back to the same places to get breakfast, check the internet, buy books or have dinner and being welcomed by smiles, which could be saying "welcome back"; it was being part of groups of people who, due to the occasional heavy rains, were stranded here and there; and, finally, it was knowing with each step that I took that there was no rush to get anywhere, that time was on my side.

Be that as it may, the truth is that it is impossible to forget the date stamped on my passport so that is why I got on the night train to Chiang Mai.

Catharsis

What you are about to read is my adaptation of a scene from "Pulp Fiction" by Quentin Tarantino. It is a work of fiction and any resemblance to what can or may happen to the nice people working in my beloved bank is nothing but pure coincidence.

JULES: Do you know who we are?

The adviser shakes his head: "No."

JULES: We're associates of your client Marcia Pinto, you remember your client dont'ya?

ADVISER: I remember her.

JULES: Good for you. Now describe what Marcia Pinto looks like!

ADVISER: (out of fear) What?

Jules takes his .45 and PRESSES the barrel HARD in the adviser's cheek.

JULES: Say "What" again! C'mon, say "What" again! I dare ya, I double dare ya motherfucker, say "What" one more goddamn time!

The adviser is regressing on the spot.

JULES: Now describe to me what Marcia Pinto looks like!

The adviser does his best.

ADVISER: Well she's... she's... dark-haired –

JULES: – go on!

ADVISER: ...and she's... she's... kinda chubby –

JULES: – does she look like a bitch?!

ADVISER: (without thinking) What?

Jules' eyes go to Vincent, Vincent smirks, Jules rolls his eyes and SHOOT the adviser in the shoulder.

The adviser SCREAMS, breaking into a SHAKING/TREMBLING SPASM in the chair.

JULES: Does-she-look-like-a-bitch?!

ADVISER: (in agony) No.

JULES: Then why did you try to fuck her like a bitch?!

ADVISER: (in spasm) I didn't.

Now in a lower voice.

JULES: Yes ya did. Ya tried ta fuck her. You ever read the Bible?

ADVISER: (in spasm) Yes.

JULES: There's a passage I got memorized, seems appropriate for this situation: Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

The two men EMPTY their guns at the same time on the sitting adviser.