what a year it has been

the last day of 2008 I can say this and it's the most true what i can tell.
Happy New Year!

THE END

yep, it's "ze end" of probably the most improvised trip in my life. I wanted to do this trip very much, but at the same time smth was stopping me. I remember when I decided to buy one way ticket to Chennai for the following day and the rest inshallah. First stop- amazing, as usually- KL with my dear friends. Malaysia kept me few days longer than I intended, but Im happy visiting Cameron highlands. I feel like at home in KL now- tomorrow heading there AGAIN:) but this time only for 9 hours stop and some midnight food and drinks before catching flight to CHennai.

Soooo...after KL- Cambodia! Still sounds very exotic and adventurous. Basically I had no real plan, just an idea what I wanna do. Siem Reap or better say- Angkor temples was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen! One of hey highlights of my trip as well. Then headding to the capital, not managed to meet Ruta there, but always good to know that there is smb you know there. I liked there - and even gave myself" day off" from travelling and just chilled on the lake. I think they overcharge tourists in the places where they shouldnt and that's not nice. Like visiting killing fields- entrance 2$ when you get to see practically no effort- it's really a field and few kids runing around offering to take their picture for another 1$. There everythig is about $$$$$$$.... Anyways, I am happy visiting Cambodia before it turned into another Thailand.
Vietnam...my very improvised trip moved to Vietnam- Saigon. Vietnam visa filled the last page of my passport- no more emply pages, jus few spots for small stamps left:) While I was in Saigon I still had no return ticket to India:) and not really decided what I wanna do in Vietnam. uh... decisions decisions- I booked my flight from Hanoi to KL. I means by 16th Dec I have to reach Hanoi and travel nearly 2000Km. At the begning I thought it will be a big rush, but now when I look back I think the time was just right. of course I would like to travel longer and stay longer than 2 nights at the place, but I think I got different tast of different places: with a beach stop at Nha Trang, lovely Hoi An, historical Hue and Paris of Asia ( that's how they describe Hanoi)- I do not completly agree though... hahahah... and peaceful Halong bay! That's my Vietnam trip! Hanoi is the only place in Vietnam where I am staying 2 nights.

This week is absosutly crazy- Beginig of the week in Vietnam, then midnight snacks and crazy night in Kuala Lumpur, closing a sifnificant period of my life in India, taking flight to Germany and hopefully on Satruday finding myself in Lithuania! What a week!!!!!

All this only by myself.

Excited!

Vietnam- ancient vietnamese wise saying: CopyRight is the Right to Copy

Vietnam continued

war war war

Vietnam is a lot about war. No wonder. This country saw a lot of it.
Today I went to famous tunnels where the VC was hiding, living and fighting. Quite impressive!
Afternoon spent at the War museum.
I've tried to get into those tunnels myself and managed to make only 20 m, then didnt want to continue my journey underground....

Vientam presents war and all the bad things from the past much better than Cambodia, where they dont put any effort into the sight and expect quite an entrance fee and your time.

Vietnam, Baby!

My ...., baby posts now are bit late. Usually I have thembefore travelling, but I will use Asia as excuse and continue:)
SO..... yesterday- took "day off" from travelling and touristic stuff and almost all day spend on the lake in my guest house with wonderful sunset!
Today- from 6 am was awike and heading towarsd Vietnam.
Saigon is CRAZY! really! I thought It's hard to cunfuse me, but this city did it pretty easy:)

Finally made y mind - heading up north of Vietnam until Hanoi! not too much of lazying around.

Vietnam, baby!

Cambodia in pictures

Cambodia continued

Directly from capital of Cambodia- madam nomad:)
Today I filled my last empty page of my passport for visas with Vietnam visa. Was quite fun at the embassy, talking to the consular lady in RUSSIAN!!!( me speaking russian!!!!:)) haha- but her level was pretty much the same, so it was great fun! getting visa took 10 min and no weird online applications were required

Then went to one of many markets in the city.. this market is know as Russian market. There you can buy fruits, souvenirs and LOTS of famous brands for very low price... I think everybody knows russians love for labels, I guess that's why it got this name:) ( theory by I.B.)

Cambodia continued

Cambodia, Baby!

My "no plan" trip is rolling on! Today I've arrive to Cambodia. It sounds very exotic and I still cant believe that I am actaully doing this!
Last few days I spent in Cameron hilands ( 4 hrs away from KL, Malaysia) did some jungle walk and one low quality tour:) One of the most imprestive thigs from Cameron was actaul journey up and down. Looking thought the bus window was like having Discovery channel live:)
Kortyna, my friend from LT, living in KL, was like a mother in malaysia for me- " have you aready packed", " have you set your alarm", " let's eat"... haha! wonderful!!! great hospitality...( i think i might use it once more;) Was also great meeting Harish, my friend from India. Had fun day, unfortuantelly only one.

YEAH, Cambodia, I had a small walk around Siem reap( north west of cambodia) and tomorrow going for the sunrise to the Angkor temples planinig to spend all day there.

Discoverer

WInter is here:) and it's HOT- Malaysia baby!

Last week had my finita la comedia at the office with emotional bye bye and staying up on my last day till 9pm... well- my indian career is finished....still need time to digest that.

Everybody who was talking to me lately knows how crazy I was about going to Cambodia and Vietnam... then tons of other stuff came, like a plan going to nepal or travelling kerala and goa...etc...BUT Chennai got literally flooded with the rain, i got bored stitting and home and doing nothing...so, on thursday eve bought a ticket to KL, Malaysia and after LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG waitting at the airport im in KL again:) last two days had good time with Kotryna and Harish, doing " non- touristic"stuff:)
I've kind of planned leaving to Cambodia tomorrow, but tickets got damn expensive, Im staying in Malaysia for 2 more days and flying to Cambodia on Wed morning.
Tomorrow leaving to the hill station- tree plantation- Cameroon highlands. I've wanted to visit this place last time with Astrid, but we didnt have time:)

It's already 1st of Dec- official winter:) last year we went for the legendary bird watching trip, now Malaysia:) I love those winters....

Anyways- I'm happy with relaxed traveling and CAMBODIA, BABY!

Explorer

Almost finished

I have started this week with a post about my last working week here in India... and it went like blink of an eye! Now it's friday, 9.30 pm, im trying to shorten my To Do list, over all this week was pretty busy! hehe- in the evening im playim music even without headphones...well, not singing yet, i think it would take another year in india to start doing so.:)
one of my "to do" list points is to sort out my files. last two hours was doing so....and even last few month were going pretty slow and I was not that huge fan of india anymore, but i have to admit, that it left quite a footprint, and it's gonna be sad to leave. After all i've landed here in April 2007 and now it almost Dec 2008... Monday gonna be my last working day at Alcatel-Lucent Chennai and I have very mixed feeling, but I think it's a good decision to leave. As I am usually saying, you should leave party while still enjoying... there was a moment that i've already been too long in this party, but now i think- just a right time:)
My flatmates knows that everty day when i go home I play one song- it's my "indian after work" song"...i'm playing it at the office-the source ft. candi staton - you got the love....

almost finished

last working week in India

Im not saying " oh, this is it!", because there is still the whole week ahead, but i already see the finish line of my road here...it will be quite busy, but I guess nice at the same time! I have alrady scheduled lunch for the whole week with nice ppl from the office!
Should finalize my successor, the person who is coming to continue my work here, finish mln works and leave my pretty cozy place with the world map near by....before that all week ahead!

final sprint

wednesday girls night out

the best deal in town!

Another wonderful weekend

Besat Nagar beach after work

Yesterday straigh after the office we went to Besat Nagar beach. It's much cleaner than Marina Beach and not that crowded ( well, it was already pretty late for indians- 7 pm!!!:) Fresh breeze from the sea, sweet corn, wet from the walking in the sea. Wonderful evening!

monsoon is back

Above is Guindy train station in the morning when it's not raining, bellow in the evening after some rain...It's been raining here for a while, but friday monsoon hit really badly...this is how Guindy train station was looking in the evening.. unfortunatelly i had to fold my trousers and go into this, i guess word*shit* is correct to use here.
few months before there was some kind of tiles and you could make the way, but one day they just broke it all and took it away... somehow secretly i was hoping that before monsoon they gonna put new ones... nope. It's only mud, water and garbage!

deseved medal for patience

me? from Ethiopia? Really?

Today we had an office dinner in one nice hotel in Chennai. There was some pretty fancy wedding going on there too! so, after dinner, while waitting for a car tu pick us up... one indian woman was standing next to me, first looking curiously then she began:
Indian woman: where are you from
Me: Lithuania
Indian woman ( looking cofused): to which country it belongs
Me: it's a country
Indian woman: what language do you speak there?
Me: Lithuanian
Indian woman: so, to which country it belongs? Egypt?
Me: No, the country is Lithuania
Indian woman looking to her daugther: aaaa, Ethiopia! she's from Ethiopia!!!!!!!!!
Me: L-I-T-H-U-A-N-I-A, it's in Europe
Indian woman: Czechoslovakia?
Me ( not event starting expalining that such country does not exist for the last 20 years): yes, north of it is Poland and the L-I-T-H-U-A-N-I-A!

Lufthansian and Ethiopian my two favourites!

Apparently...Ethiopian

Awesome holiday- with grand finale in KL

Thailand was amazing and way much better than I expected before going there. Then followed loooooooooooooong trip by bus and 3 hrs later than schedulled arrived to KL!

South east asia trip continued: Malaysia Baby!

It's the last day in Thailand, Im sitting in the internet cafe and I can hear the sea. Amazing! All the time I was very sceptical about Thailand, because it seemed for me " turistu nuvalkiota" place. I really liked Bangkok, even put it on my " I could live here" list. I guess after Chennai, it's not too difficult to qualiffy for that list:) but at the same time, im more careful where Im putting myself.
The rest of the time spend in Krabi. amazing place, wonderful and almost emply beaches, beath taking sunsets, endless conversations with a friend and chilled beer:) perfect holiday.
Tomorrow morning Im taking a bus and headinf to KL! yep, Malaysia, baby!! Bus trip might be a bit challenging, but it's part of my adventure:)
I've chosen this destination for my Birthday! I'm excited to meet Kunes, Harish, Kotryna!:)
Malaysia, baby!

Thailand, Baby!

Very traditional and this time very last minute- Thailand, baby! post!
Last few weeks I was working crazy!!! and now it's time for my personal reward system come in place. Tonight i'm travelling to Bangkok. and I have return ticket from KL in Malaysia. that's it what i know now. My plain is in 3 hrs! I should hurry up!!!
I have big backpack and lonely planet with me:)

Thailand, baby!