The loneliness of the long distance traveler

I didn't choose to holiday in Thailand on my own. I was supposed to meet a friend from England, but the friend canceled at the last minute & I was left with a return flight to Bangkok & 2 weeks to fill alone.

It might seem strange that I was apprehensive about holidaying alone, after all I went to Indonesia alone. But in Indonesia I have my work, I have a year in which to make friends, & I have Zoe (although I didn't know that before I set off). I fly home (to Indonesia that is) tomorrow, so how did I find it?

On the whole it was great – a liberating experience from which I have learned a lot. The lack of compromise has been the best & the worst part. I have been able to do what I want, when I want. But I do wonder what I missed out on by not having someone else to suggest I try something or somewhere different. Admittedly there were also times when it was a bit lonely. It was strange being invisible to waiters & bar staff after being so harassed in Indonesia. I blamed the invisibility on being on my own (smaller bill, less tip etc.) but it may just be the Thai culture.

I can't actually say much about Thai culture because I've spent the majority of my time on tourist centered islands surrounded by Westerners (guess I haven't seen the 'real' Thailand!). But maybe I have learned something about Western culture instead (or at least those Westerners who like to leave the West). Everyone I have met has been really friendly – maybe not friends for life, but certainly a range of interesting people with an interest in life. And you can't ask for more than that.

Water world

I am now half-way through my Thailand adventure & I've spent the majority of my time on a small island in the southeast called Kho Tao. It's a very pretty place - your typical island paradise... palm trees, white sandy beaches, clear warm water - but to be honest I haven't seen much of it. Not because copious late night revelling has kept me holed up in my bungalow all day (although admitedly there has been a little of that) but because I've been spending most of my time underwater.

I have learned to dive, First I took the PADI open water course, but by the time you read this I will be a PADI advanced open water diver, and I'm loving it. The equipment gives you total reign over your environment: you are moving around a 3D world - you not only have forward & backward at your disposal, but also up, down, upside-down etc. I imagine it's what it would feel like if you could fly!

And as if this wasn't enough, the aqutic wildlife is amazing. The brightly coloured tropical fish makes you feel like you are swimming in an aquarium & the coral and aquatic plants are like nothing you've ever seen on dry land: mad colours and mad shapes!

I probably will move on from Kho Tao in the next day or two, but although I will be leaving the island I will definately still be diving!

Water, water everywhere (literally this time!)

My trip to Thailand started last week in Bangkok & coincided with the Songkran national holiday. Songkran is a water festival to celebrate the new lunar year. I was staying on the Kho San Road - a pretty busy place at the best of times, but during Songkran it was manic! Imagine the Nottinghill Carnival taking place on Carnaby Street & all the revellers armed with water pistols! Added to this watery mayhem are buckets of flour/talcum powder paste which people smear over fellow revellers, passers by & anything else that moves! No one is immune, but it all takes place with the utmost goodwill & friendliness. It seems the Thai people really know how to have a good time!

I have been wondering if this type of festival could happen anywhere else... Indonesia could certainly do with an event this jovial, but I think the people are too reserved. In England it might be a little too cold & I imagine that all too quickly it would turn violent. It's sad that I should make these assumptions - maybe you disagree?

The real Indonesia

The travellers I occassionally meet in Flores often say they are there in search of 'the real Indonesia'. But what makes Flores more real than say Java, or Bali?

I was pretty hard on Bali last time I was here - maybe I was looking for the 'real' Indonesia too. But not I am back, just staying one night on route to Thailand, & I like it much more now.

The things I complained about last time don't seem such a big deal - the traffic doesn't seem so crazy (at least it has 4 wheels); the hawkers don't seem so intrusive (at least they are trying to make a living, not just randomly shouting English words at you); and the crowds... well to be honest I now quite like seeing so many people from so many countries just looking for a bit of fun. Oh, & of course I also now like Bali because it has the shops, bars & restaurants I've been deprived of for so long!

So is Bali any less 'real' than Flores? Well if 'real' means poverty, rice three times a day and no hot water, then yes, it is. But I now know that, at least for me, reality is more than that.

New eyes

Last week Kathryn, a friend from England, came to visit me in Flores. Kathryn has herself lived in Indonesia (in fact, on some level, it’s because of her that I’m here!), so it was great to discover her impressions of Flores and see my home here through her eyes.

Kathryn’s time in Indonesia was mainly spent in Aceh – a Muslim area in the western corner of Indonesia. So I think for her Flores – a Catholic area in eastern Indonesia – was almost like visiting a completely different country. She seemed impressed with the beautiful mountainous topography and cool climate, shocked by the visible poverty, fascinated by the Catholic iconography, and confused by the correct way to dress (Aceh is ruled by sharia law so for her the decision to cover shoulder to ankle was clear cut, Flores cultural mores are more subtle & I think she was concerned that my beachwear in Labuanbajo was a little risqué). But all the same, the language was still Indonesian (and her bahasa was far better than mine will ever be) and I was, perhaps for the first time, proud of my new hometown of Ruteng.

shocking beachwear!

Next week I take a break from Indonesia. I am taking a couple of weeks holiday & am going to visit Thailand. I think / hope that this Asian country (which is actually closer to Flores than Aceh is) will give me a new view on Asian culture and perhaps even a new view on Flores when I return. I am taking the trip on my own, so I guess it may also give me a new view on myself – a chance to see how my confidence has developed over these last months.

But before I leave I must finish the first draft of my research report. I have been working solidly on it for weeks and it is getting to the stage where it could do with a fresh pair of eyes, so give me a shout if you are willing to donate yours!