I'm coming home

In five hours I'll leave the hotel, go to the airport in Tokyo, take a flight to Beijing, then take a flight to Stockholm. I'm coming home!

This won't really be a proper blog post. I haven't had the time to write, with my cousin being here, and all the late nights of karaoke. There's also been lots of Japanese food (which is definitely not just sushi), shopping, some hiphop clubbing, people watching, temples, baths, and photo taking. I'll put up the photos when I'm back home.

Don't know what to write about finally going home. I think that whenever you know a trip will end, your psyche starts preparing for it, and you come to terms with it. I'm definitely ready to go home. My future is still just a blank page, but it seems I might be staying in Sweden for a while. There's lots of figuring things out to be done, and that is scary. But for now I'm just happy to stop traveling, seeing my family, and being in a place called home.

I'm sure I'll write a follow-up post, with reflections on the trip overall, so do check this space once in a while.

Wow...... IT'S OVER

Leaving Oz...

I've left Australia. Which means I am just one country and two weeks from coming home! I'm at the airport in Tokyo, enjoying the free wifi, gathering energy for the three hour or so trip to Shibuya, the neighborhood in Tokyo where I'll be staying. For the next week I'm staying at a strangers house. I'm about to try out couchsurfers for the first time!! For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a website that let's people who have couches or extra beds to share, get in touch with travelers in need of just that. So basically people opening up their houses to complete strangers for free! I'll be staying with a girl from Zimbabwe, who recently moved to Tokyo. She seems cool and super nice - I'm excited to meet her!

Click to read more ...

Beach, beach, beach, koalas and SURFING

I had had three surf lessons before getting to Australia. Each lesson, all of them being for complete beginners, went worse than the previous one. To the point where I couldn't even push myself up a centimeter on the board during my last lesson on Madagascar. So I had decided that surfing was not for me. On top of that I seemed to be cursed with bad surf. Wherever I had been – even places that are renowned for their huge waves – the waves would disappear the moment I got there. So in Byron Bay, known as the surfer town, I didn't bother. But then up in Noosa, all the girls I was hanging out with decided to go for a surf lesson the day after. And I decided to join then.

Click to read more ...

Dolphins, hitchhiking and hot pools in NZ

After leaving Christchurch, I went up to Kaikoura, a small city on the east coast. I had planned to go to the glaciers on the west coast to do a glacier walk (with crampons and everything!), but for some reason I just didn't feel like it anymore. I think it turned out to be the right decision.

Kaikoura is not bigger than a village, by the sea. Just one main street running along the beach, where it's all at. I stayed at a great hostel, one of the best on the trip. It felt more like a private house than a hostel. During the day I went dolphin swimming!

Click to read more ...

Roadtrip in New Zealand

Last night I found myself in an impromptu jam session at the backpackers hostel I'm staying at. One of the guests is a traveling musician with a suitcase full of music instruments from all over the world. And the hostel owners themselves have bongos, ukuleles, and flutes, so everyone could join in. The hostel itself is one of those hostels that I really love. It feels more like a big private house than a hostel. Before the jam session, the owners invited us all to a home cooked dinner. There are couches and cushions everywhere, board games and puzzles, and even an open fire. I wish I could stay longer but I leave NZ in just two weeks and I haven't even gotten to the north island yet!

Click to read more ...

Kia ora from the other side of the world!!

I reached Australia about two weeks ago, dropping down in Melbourne. Which should be almost exactly half way around the world from Sweden(?). I spent a week there, and a week in Sydney. The plan was then to spend about a month traveling up the east coast through all the small beach and surf towns. But four days ago I decided to save that for later, and fly to New Zealand instead. So here I am, and will be for a month, and then I'll go back to Australia to continue with the original plan. If I don't act on another whim and go to Fiji or who knows where.

Click to read more ...

Nine days of shopping, art and clubbing... in Bangkok.

On the flight to Bangkok I met two Swedish girls, with whom I shared the taxi into the city. They were heading straight down to the beaches in the south that same night, like all Swedes going to Thailand – well, like most people going to Thailand for vacation! The taxi ride from the airport to the city took a good hour and we were on the highway the whole time, crawling along the traffic jam. It was already evening, the clouds were getting darker and darker and all of a sudden Bam! Thunder, lightning, pouring rain... The girls started moaning about how awful Bangkok was and how they couldn't wait until they got to the beach. I was in a trance. It was one of the most impressive sights I've seen in the past seven months.

Click to read more ...

Last two weeks in India: Coonoor to Kolkata

I've arrived in Bangkok! But first I should fill you in on my last two weeks in India.

After Cochin, I left for Coonoor in the mountains. The plan was to get away from the heat and noise. That was the plan when going to the Ashram as well, but it didn't play out too well. Now finally it did! I stayed at a beautiful old colonial mansion that is now a YWCA hostel. During the day there I decided to take a walk in the surrounding hills. I had heard it was an easy 10k walk to a famous viewing point. Somehow miscalculating two very basic things, I ended up walking 17k before finding any place serving food

Click to read more ...

Snapshots of India

Looking free, looking free! ... Rickshaw sir madame? 250 rupees only. 1.5 kilometers? Noooo, 4 kilometers madame, very far, 250 rupees only! ... The palace is toooo beautiful ... The food in this restaurant is toooo good madame ... What is your good name? Traveling alone? Married? Family? No children??? Ooooh. Your age? Oooooooohhh. You are too old ... Why your hair is not black? You should change color. Black hair too beautiful ...

Click to read more ...

10 days in an Ashram

Most people have at least an idea of what an ashram is. I also had an idea of what to expect, but as always, reality differs from expectations. An ashram is a place where people live who devote their lives to the study and practice of Hindu philosophy, usually yoga. In the west, when we talk about yoga, we only refer to the physical practice – the workout. But the real concept of yoga includes not only the workout, but also the practices of breathing exercises, relaxation, meditation, following a proper diet, and the so called karma yoga - helping others. It's a lifestyle.

So when you come to an ashram, you need to follow the yoga way of living. In the Sivananda Ashram (I went to the one in Neyyar Dam) this meant adhering to a very strict schedule from early morning to evening.

Every day looked like this:

Click to read more ...

Going off the grid for two weeks

I've gone to the Sivananda Ashram in Neyyar Dam and plan to stay here (should I say try to endure?) for two weeks. During that time no cell phones are allowed, and I will probably not check internet anything. So if there's an emergency, call the Ashram on +91.471.227.3093 / +91.471.227.2703

Btw, two new photo albums are up. Unfortunately I didn't have time to upload the Mumbai and Goa ones as well.

Going for an early nights sleep now. On a blanket on the floor. Wake up call tomorrow is at 5.30 for meditation. Ooooouuuuummmmmmmmm.

First month in India

I don't have much inspiration at the moment. But I should write something, right? It's been over two weeks since the last post I think. Bad things first. I'm recovering from a really bad stomach, and I'm panicking it's not just a food poisoning, but parasites. It was last time my stomach got this bad... I took imodium so I'm fine now, but if it gets like this again within the next week I'll check it out at a hospital. I'm also a bit down cause my brother just left two hours ago. It was so nice to have him here for two weeks. It feels strange that he's leaving to go home, and I'm continuing this random trip alone. I know that's status quo right now, but it just doesn't feel natural. I will miss him a lot!!!

Click to read more ...

What should Martina do with her life?

I need silence! I need some calm. This constant honking and touting is getting to me. I've had it with dirty hotels and bathrooms. I've noticed I'm constantly scratching myself, not because there is anything there but because I've become paranoid of bedbugs and feel like there are small bugs crawling on me the whole day. Every other night I can barely sleep because of fear of what will attack me at night (especially bedbugs) or noise that seems to be 10 times louder than during the day, and the other nights I crash into bed and sleep like a dead person due to exhaustion from not sleeping. I can't stand the fact that I'm never treated as a local (or with respect for that matter). For 5 months I've been exposed to constant stares, and millions intents to cheat me or sell me everything underneath the sky

Click to read more ...

Development (in Africa) and its discontent

Before I get into blogging about my adventures in India I'd like to write a bit about my personal reflections during the past 5 months of traveling. The point of this trip was mainly to decide in what direction I would like to continue my career, and to understand better what I want my life to be like, as far as this can be a matter of choice. Now that I am in India, after four months in Africa and one month in Nepal, there are certain points that have become clearer to me, and I should tell you where I am in my mental process. Africa had a big impact on me, and changed the way I was thinking about international development, so I will start there. This is a piece I actually wrote about 2 months ago, when arriving in South Africa, but I've been so busy writing about my travels that I never go to posting it. So here you go, my two cents on the development sector in Africa.

Click to read more ...

Annapurna Base Camp trek - 12 days

WHOAAAA. They say trekking in the Himalayas is addictive – that the greatest danger is that once you've done one trek you'll mortgage your house, quite your job and do anything to go back. I wouldn't be surprised if that really has happened. Don't get me wrong, there were many moments where I was tired, bored, cold, and would rather be in a house with heating watching some movie on TV. But then you round a corner, and you see the huge white snowy peaks rising up, and all of a sudden you feel like you are in a movie. And though they are far, they feel so close. You forget everything else, and you know that nothing must stop you from getting closer. Of course if you are not a climber, you will never get to any of the summits. So when you reach the top of the trek you gaze up and start wondering how difficult and expensive it is to learn how to climb... But you know that is not a realistic goal, so immediately you promise yourself that there will be a next time, and that that next time will take you higher. Not to the top, but higher...

Click to read more ...

Bye for two weeks - going to the Himalayas

Today I'm FINALLY going to do the long awaited trekking. I've decided to go to the Annapurna mountains instead of the Everest. Everest is colder, more expensive, and not as great views as in the Annapurnas. Plus you need to fly there and usually the flights get cancelled due to bad weather condition so you can be stuck there for a few days. Since my Nepali visa is running out soon I can't risk it. Still though, it was a tough to have to give up on the idea of going to Everest Base Camp. Next time... hehe.

I'm meeting up with my porter in half an hour

Click to read more ...

I got it!!!!!!!

I got it I got it I got it! Yuhuuuuuu. I'm so relieved. And not only did I get it, but I got 3 months from yesterday, meaning until March 6. So until that date, you all know where I'll be. And after that... who knows. Either straight to Australia or to some Southeast Asian countries before.

Now FINALLY I can really start planning my trek. I wrote to the porter that I spoke to more than a week ago. He's in his village with his family and he told me to notify him 3-4 days ahead of time so that he would have time to get back to Kathmandu. I'm really hoping to head out on Thursday.

Click to read more ...

Still waiting for my Indian visa...

I'll know on Monday if I get it or not. I went to the Indian embassy on Tuesday last week just to ask what the procedure is to get an exemption from the 2-months rule and I don't know if I should curse or praise the Indian organization. It'll depend on the outcome on Monday. They wouldn't let me speak to anyone directly and told me to wait in the same line as the people applying for the visas. Which meant the 50 other people cuing up since 7 in the morning. So I waited and waited and when it was finally my turn I went up to the window and

Click to read more ...

Hej mamma, hej pappa!

Just a greeting to my mom and dad who are reading my blog right now...

Har inte uppdaterat bloggen så mycket på sistone och ligger efter med fotona, men det ska jag fixa de nästkommande dagarna då jag åker till Pokhara några dagar i väntan på visumet. Håll tummarna att jag får visumet!!!

Kram på er. Önskar att jag kunde va med på Channukafirandet på fredag... (ska försöka se till att ha nya foton uppe på bloggen tills dess så ni kan ha familjevisning som vanligt!)

Bad mood in Kathmandu

I'm not happy, and stressing out. I arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, yesterday and was really excited about being in Asia, just taking in all the sensations from being in a completely different environment than Africa and anxious to start planning the hiking. After one day here I'm stressed, pessimistic and angry.

Click to read more ...