Travelling is easier than I thought.

First of all, the Internet is everywhere – you buy a local SIM and even is most god-forgotten places, which were supposed to be calm, quiet and with no electricity you have access, You can check the map, book accommodation, buy tickets or even have a conversation in local language. I remember a clever landlady in one homestay in Java who did not speak a word in English and carried her mobile with Google Translate everywhere. She talked to it or just showed the translated text on the screen (unfortunately it does not translate Thai and Khmer alphabet from images but you can still… huhu… draw them. Lots of fun but hard to understand anything). You can also look up prices, get some info on getting around or how to avoid scams.

Public transport is usually the cheapest and most comfortable. The buses are big and clean, have reclining seats and air conditioning (to the edge of freezing sometimes). There are trains with economy and executive-level coaches so your level of comfort really depends on your budget but even 3rd class is quite good.

My favorite subject – toilets. You may think that squat-style ones are a thing of the past but in fact most places we stayed in so far had a hole in the floor and a small water bucket next to it as a standard.

Food on the other hand turned out to be a much more difficult subject. Szymon does not like spices and new tastes as a rule and I do not eat animals. When going to Asia I had this picture in my mind that everyone here eats rice and vegetables, especially the latter – a lot, green and tasty. Surprisingly Asia runs on chicken. Muslims do not eat pigs, Hindus skip cows but chicken is good for everyone. People cannot believe when I try to explain that vege means no meat. No meat meaning no beef, no pork, no chicken, no fish and no seafood. So maybe a sausage??? Thailand was easier than other countries and I also learned that even if everything looks like having meat inside, you can still talk to the chef and get something meat-free.

Travelling also can make you tired. As this is our first visit to Asia we were hungry to see and try everything. We were moving to a new place every 3-5 days. This resulted in being on the move all the time, while having all the logistics on the back of your mind – get somewhere, find accommodation, something to eat… Then you start to notice that you have seen a few caves and temples in your life already and all chinatowns look similar. Beaches too. In the Internet I came across the term „beach burnout” – the state when you visited so many beautiful beaches that you stop noticing their beauty. It took us a lot of time to realize that we do not have to hurry anywhere. This is not a trip of our lifetime – ok, on one hand it is but it equally can be one of many more. We do not have to hurry and see everything now like there is no future and we spend the rest of our life in Poland, right?
So now we pick up less spots and stay longer.