Everything happens as they are supposed to...

Had to do a short post today. Just heard in the news that a volcano erupted in Sumatra just a couple of hours after i left. I’ve been saying it before, but here we go again: Follow your guts at any time! If you really feel like leaving a country, maybe there’s a reason. I so believe in the power of the universe!

Current destination: safe in Bangkok, heading to some southern islands soon.

PHOTO: Didn’t know which photo to post since a haven’t been taking any since yesterday, so here I give you a rocking pic from the day i shaved my head.

What the f*** just happened?

Woke up to my day 1 of Indonesia. My first impression of the country was 'Wauw, what a STUNNING place!' Next impression 'WTF! 14 US$ for a room?!!' Got it anyway, having no where else to go and the sun almost setting.
Apperently I'd come to a town where accomodation was expensive, no one was speaking english and I had no idea where to get travellers information. No other backpackers in sight. I was in the middle of nowhere. So, I was pretty much ready to move on right away and go to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

Originally I wanted to take the 17 hour boat. I wanted to try a new travel style. Unfortunately the boat didn't set off any day soon, getting me stucked with the 30 hours busride. My hotel kindly arranged for at taxi to drive me to the busstation for 5.000 rupiah (3 DKK.). When we arrived the driver wanted 50.000. Typical. Not the first time I've seen this trick. Fortunately I grew up travelling and watching my parents get out of the situation. My dad always told me to give the driver what you think is fair, smile and leave. No arguing. I did. And he followed. Yelled at me the whole way into the bus station. Still wasn't surprised. Ignored him.

At the bus station, the man at the counter told me an insane price for the ticket to Jakarta. I immediately went into his office, looked the price up myself in his papers and of course he had tried to extremely overcharge me. Even caught in action, he would not sell the ticket to me at the right price. No one spoke english, only the great art of signlanguage and yelling. Lovely. Was stucked in the middle of nowhere, couldn’t neither stay og leave without paying a fortune. The taxi driver still yelling directly into my head at a very high volume, wasn't helpful to the situation at all.

How it all ended? Took a deep breath, looked him into the eyes, firmly expressed myself ('FUCK YOU!') and then walked the hell out of there! He followed me for a while, but then gave up. He never accepted my 5.000 rupiah.

I was so furious and pissed off at the whole country. In my anger I asked some policemen how I could get to the airport, so I could leave this shitty place as fast as possible (the last thought I kept inside my head). They were extremely kind to me, telling me to wait here for the public (very cheap) bus to pick me up. While waiting, a man offered me a ride on the back of his motorcycle. I accepted right away! An hour later I was back in the airport.

So now what? Indonesia or somewhere new? I compared prices and talked to travellers who had been in the country for a while. Looking at how much money I had spend getting to Indoneasia I should tell myself to stay. But hearing about the prices of accomodation in this country and about how Bali was packed with families and honeymoon couples, I booked the first plane to Thailand; the easiest country to travel in, in all Asia.

I love how I have all my stuff on my back, always ready to move and that I don't have to confirm with anyone about my changeble mind. I thank myself for never listening to what i should do, but instead do what I want to do!

Try it! You'll feel alive!

Maj

- PHOTO # 1: Me on the back of Bins motorcycle.
- PHOTO # 2: My first meeting with Indonesia was incredible!
- PHOTO # 3: In Indonesia everyone is a millionaire.
- PHOTO # 4: This policeman saved my day!
- PHOTO # 5: Starbucks. Free internet. This is where I spended my night, waiting for the next day plane to Bangkok.

Hanging around in KL.

Gotta start this blog by saying how much I enjoy staying in doorms! Imagine this; several bunk beds lined up i rows, almost no space at all in between, clothes EVERYWHERE haha... and the same for people. Everyone's extremely friendly and open minded. People are at all times leaving and arriving, making the doorm all new every day. Some days you spend by yourself, others with new friends in the city during the day or in a pub during the evening. Been practising and pressuring the shit out of myself doing my daily yoga rutine and I'm really getting somewhere now.
Need I say; my days in Kuala Lumpur has been fantastic!

There is simply something magical about travelling. You wake up every day not knowing what the day will bring. No worries, no expectation, you're open for anything and everything to happen. Your mind expands. You wanna do so much! Ideas are growing in my head so incredible fast while I'm out here.

Been meeting a lot of americans lately. Simply love their attitude. They believe they can be and do anything, anywhere at any time! They have this great 'why the hell not'-attutide, which is both inspiring and such a relieve to be around. For sure, Danes are not like that at all! I'm taking it all in.

Hope you guys are enjoying yourselfs where ever you are around the globe.
I'll see you back in Denmark around christmas...

Maj.

- PHOTO # 1: Animal lover.
- PHOTO # 2: Me in the big city
- PHOTO # 3: Moving forward.
- PHOTO # 4: Made myself a postcard in an exhibition.
- PHOTO # 5: Looks like heaven. Feels like heaven!

Let me introduce you to someone...

So.
I got a new friend. She's beautiful. I have only known her for a few days, but already she's becomming very special to me. I thought I was going to like her, but already I'm in love.

We meet in Singapore. I had her for some days all by my self, but now I'm ready to share her with you guys. Scroll down to see a picture of me and my new friend.

Otherwise, what's happening? I've bought new lenses, only to found out that the standard lens in Asia is blue coloured (I'm actually not really surprised!). So now I have blue coloured lenses in my already blue coloured eyes. Great. What does that make my eyes? Unnecessarily exposed to some chemical shit without me benefitting from it at all, I guess.

What else... Oh yeah, ants has taken over my computer. Apparently this is a great place to live. This problem is all new to me. I am not really sure what to do about it. I guess they can't hurt that much, since the computer is still working. Think I'm going to do nothing and enjoy travelling with new pets.

Been to Singapore. It was clean! Yeah, that's Singapore for you. Very clean. Oh, and expensive! The only thing not expensive, was my busride back to Malaysia. And it was crazy luxurious! I've never travelled that fancy before. That was FUN!

Thats all for now. Do me a favour: have the best day possible! Today!

LOVE,
Maj

- PHOTO # 1: I really hit the jackpot with this bus!
- PHOTO # 2: Maj in love!
- PHOTO # 3: Again, in LOVE!
- PHOTO # 4: Where I keep my new pets.
- PHOTO # 5: Blue lenses for my blue eyes. A must for any scandinavian traveller!

I AM HUNGRY, involuntarily fasting during the ramadan!

Been alone for 5 days.

Thought I was going to a beach, but somehow I ended up here in Kuala Terengganu. Have been getting so much into my yoga projects that I just can't go anywhere right now.

I'm so passionated about this. Can't sleep in the nights. When I finally do, I wake up eeeeearly. We're talking 5 am without an alarm.

Days are growing together. It's like a trance. Some days I don't leave my room. Can't stop working.

So what is this project? I let you guys know later.
Right now, I have to go back....

By the way... check out this awesome photo my friend Deep took of me. He is such a good photographer!

Travellers guide!

A common day when you're on the road alone, without a guidebook and you don't wanna book ahead:

You leave early so you've got plenty of time. You walk down to the beach were you’ve heard there would be pick-ups around eight. You find out you were right! Good start. You get to the mainland by boat. Ask the first turists you find if they are going to the busstation too. They are! Lucky again. You walk to the bus station with them. At the busstation no one speaks english. You find two Malaysian guys who speaks a little and get them to translate what the man at the buscounter tells you. Apparently you are going to find a local bus which leaves at a street corner 10 minutes from here. You get (very bad) directions. You start walking by yourself. Ask around. After some time you figure this must be the spot. Three people separate from each other told you this was the place. They also told you three different times for the bus to be here, but the place they all agreed to. You sit down and wait! 2 hours later a bus passes by. It's the right one! You are now on your way to Kuala Terengganu!

Malaysia.

Great things about Malaysia:
- The people are SO nice. I felt at home the minute I got here. Got to Kuala Lumpur at 2 am and couldn’t find my guesthouse. A young couple left their friends to drive me around to find the place. We endet up spending more than an hour finding it.
- In Malaysia you can wear more casual clothes. It's nice that you don't have to be covered up all the time.
- The temperature in Malaysia is lower than it is in India; only 35-40 degrees. That's nice for a change.
- It's very easy travelling on your own.

Where have I been in Malaysia so far:
- Kuala Lumpur: it was fun staying in such a big, fancy city for one night. I met a danish guy and we travelled to an island together the next day.
- Palau Perhentian Kecil: A small island with a beautiful beach. Have been doing nothing but relaxing, doing yoga and oh yeah, got scared I had malaria, but it turned out to be a regular flu. Lovely how you can suddently appreciate only having the flue! I'm all good again now.

- PHOTO # 1: Watching the beautiful sunset.
- PHOTO # 2: I live in the huts on the right. That's right next to the beach! Hell yeah!
- PHOTO # 3: I saw a komodovaran! It was more than 2 meters long! At first I didn't know what it was. I got SO scared, thought it was a crocodile haha...

India, I'll be back someday! I promise!

Time flies! 10 days i Kolkata already! Where did they go?

Been helping out at the Mother Teresa Center as a volunteer a couple of days. I was in a center for old people who were disabled to take care of themselves. It was really something.

Other than that I did A LOT of just hanging out with people I came to know in the backpacker-place-to-be, Sudder Street. I did some more yogalessons from the top of my roof. Loved it. Got a present from my studens when I left. That was really nice of them.

My friend, Andy, convinced me that he was a brilliant haircutter, so I let him do his thing with the scissor. Usually I'm the only one who gets to touch my hair, but fortunately he didn't let me down. We borrowed a seat in a barbershop and were a big attraction for all the indians.

Alexis' stop-smoking only lasted for a day. At my suggestion, he will wait untill I'm not around anymore to experiment with silly stuff like that haha. Just to much intensity for one woman to be around. Hope you'll do it someday, Alex. Let me know how it goes - by email ;-)

Sudder street was definately the place to be i Kolkata. My days with all my new friends were so great. I didn't wanted to leave, but at the same time I knew it was time to move on. Everyone gathered for my last night in India and we celebrated, going dancing at an Indian club. My first time out in the town since if got to India. Man, I needed it!

So, back to the beginning again. Left my bubble of security ones again; all of my friends and my lovely two-week travelling partner Alexis. He tried to teach me the whole time, that I shouldn't be so worried travelling as an alone woman. I will try to not let you down and follow your advise!

Oh - by the way - Got my appartment subleted to my friend Jonas back at home! Amazing! More money to travel for :-)

See ya!
Maj.

- PHOTO # 1: Teaching yoga from the roof of my guesthouse.
- PHOTO # 2: Got a haircut. Now I can see again!
- PHOTO # 3: Me, Helen and Andy on goodbye-night.
- PHOTO # 4: Dancing indian style with fancy techno gloves.
- PHOTO # 5: Leaving India. Next stop: Malaysia!

I'm on my way to Kuala Lumpur!

Yes, that’s right! I finally decited on my next destination. Malaysia, here I come! I’m exited! Am leaving on the 5. th. of august.

Have been teaching yoga on the roof of my guesthouse to people I’ve met here in Kolkata. It’s getting easier to both make a yogaclass and to teach it. The last part is what I enjoy the most. It makes me in such a good mood to teach a class. Love teaching on the roofs with the wind and the view. Never wanna go back to doing yoga indoors again.

My hair and I weren’t really agreeing on which hairstyle we wanted for me, so it was a tug of war for a while. Don’t really know who won. There’s no more dreadlocks left, but I lost a ton of hair. I’m going to the nearest barbershop tomorrow and I'll give myself a haircut!

Met Aga and Luca and had too many beers yesterday. Ended up dancing on the roof in the monsunrain. Alexis is on his day 1 of not smoking today. It's intense. For both him and me, haha! I’m gonna sleep some more now.

Take care all of you!

Maj.