Kaleidoscop #culture #world #travel

IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME… North Vietnam Even if in Western Europe I'm still regarded as a total stranger sometimes (especially when I mention my country of origin, Romania), in Southeast Asia I encountered no prejudice whatsoever - quite the opposite: people there made me feel welcome right away. The official reason for my voyage was a dear Cambodian friend I met years ago in Los Angeles. But why just go to Phnom Penh when I could tour several Asian countries? Always in search of new challenges, I thus decided to extend my Asian trip to 3 weeks and first go to Bangkok, dying to finally experience the famous/infamous metropolis. However, to make sure the itinerary would be highly original, I’d soon leave Bangkok for Hanoi, eager to meet my friend's friend and get to know North Vietnam. What I recall upon my arrival in Hanoi... my surprise at the kindness and politeness of the people - from the bus driver to the hotel staff. Even my passport was looked at with utmo...

BANGKOK - the beginning of an Asian triptych  A scent that felt so familiar… flashbacks, memories from so many other travels, images, sensations that first stroke me in Seoul, when encountering a territory I had regarded as far, but actually felt so close… the colors here remind me of the evenings spent in Japan… especially the Chao Praya riverside with the vivid boats which resemble a quiet neighborhood I discovered in Tokyo… I was first struck by the fascinating streets and the heat in Bangkok… my return to Asia suddenly seemed so imperiously necessary. Adrenaline shot through my veins, filling my eyes with expectations, hoping for wonderful surprises… the fantastic und utterly friendly unknown was right ahead of me. White and golden pagodas, small and bright shrines on corners of such busy and chaotic avenues… the smoke literally exhaled by every vehicle around me made the scenery all the more mysterious (and polluted). Those contrasts I had come to know and l...