Travels

Although Sri Lanka is a small country and the distances between the places are not considerable, at the end of the trip we will realize that the hours we have sucked moving from one place to another will not be few precisely. That is why we find it interesting to write a guide about transport in Sri Lanka, talking about the price, times, routes and characteristics of the main means of transport: the train, the bus, the tuctuc and the rental of your own vehicle.

We spent the last day in Bagan writing emails, resting, enjoying the scenery and buying the bus ticket, but we couldn't make the trip to Mandalay by boat since it didn't leave until 3 days later, next time it will be. Finally we decided to buy the cheapest bus ticket ... what a big mistake!

“There are views in the world to which one is proud to belong to the human race. Bagan at dawn is one of these. On the immense plain, marked only by the shining argument of the immense Irrawady River, the clear silhouettes of hundreds of pagodas slowly emerge from the darkness and fog: elegant, light, each as a delicate hymn to Buddha. ”

If there is one thing that always seemed beautiful to me, it is the sky with its stars. There are many memories he has given me: wait for the night of San Lorenzo with its shooting stars and the wishes that also fleeting changed year after year, my first trip to Spain with Chiara and Salvo sleeping in a bus towards Madrid, crossing by I don't know where under a sky full of impressive luminous dots, being lying in the park of my town with Sara and her sister talking about everything and nothing and being happy, Rober who sees a shooting star and is believed to be an asteroid that will collapse to the Holy Family ... If there is a romantic party, really, this is the Loy Krathong.

We arrived in Bangkok on November 4. The idea was to spend a few days in peace in the capital that we like so much and then climb north through Ayutthaya and Sukkothai, but the floods did not allow us. Nothing really weird in the area of ​​Khao San Road: the tattooed and drunk Guiris followed their lives, the street smelled of pad thai and grilled chicken skewers, the thousands of tuk tuk who want to take you to see the buddha giant (because today, as yesterday and as tomorrow is the buddha day) they were still there ... Come on: same same but different since when we decided to catch a bus heading north we could see the enormity of the catastrophe.

Already last year we were left wanting to go to Chiang Rai and as it is near the border with Laos, we make our last Thai stop there for the moment. And we do it in the "Ti Amo" guesthouse, although Italian had only the name. In Chiang Rai in principle there is not much to see, it depends on the intensity with which you live it so that you have a good memory or not.

As we had a few days until our flight to Myanmar, we went to spend the weekend in Malacca (Melaka). It is the city with more history of Malaysia, both before and after colonization. Before the arrival of the Portuguese, towards the 16th century, Malacca was already the center of the Malay world.

After throwing our lantern to the sky on Loy Krathong night we took another bus tartana that led us on route 1095 to the most hippie village in Thailand, Pai. A small town with a relaxed atmosphere, although perhaps something artificial made to measure for the tourist type of Thailand. They are a couple of streets full of bars and alternative shops, with hippie murals and good rolling messages.

Jakarta - Manila and from here another flight to Boracay, our first destination in the Philippines, and apparently that of many more tourists. Although, we expected it to be more crowded, and more after knowing that here is now summer, what high season means, what high prices mean!

Without a flight reservation to change the island in the Philippines we have no choice but to contemplate the idea of ​​the ship. In the guide he talks about a company of ships, one such "Miraculous", of which no one we ask has proof ... "Ships from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa? ... Miraculous? ... I don't know, ask there ..." Well, we did , ask in a lot of places to see if they gave us some information.

The first forced stop of our Asian tour was the city of the tallest twin towers in the world: Kuala Lumpur. Before arriving we did not expect it to be a big deal, given the opinions of other travelers, simply a large business city, the capital of one of the most developed countries in Southeast Asia.

The main reason to go to Lampang was to take the train (it seems stupid but look, that's how we are ...). We wanted to do it in Myanmar, so we took advantage that the distance was not much to go to this city. The idea was to combine on the same day the bus that arrived in Chiang Mai, and leave from there by train.

After the adventure of 42 hours on the boat "La Milagrosa" we decided to stay one day in Puerto Princesa before the next stop, and what a stop ... In Puerto Princesa we find another of the characters of the trip: Attila! This man, a Turk of origin and who lived in Rome for about 20 years, is now in the Philippines rebuilding his life.

It is inevitable, just listening to the name makes you want to go see it (and suffer it): Silk Market. A suggestive name that attracts, that invites to let the imagination fly to the old markets of fabrics, spices, jewels and ointments. Ok, let's stop dreaming, the Silk Market is nothing more than a gigantic warehouse with beastly quantities of products.

On our trip through southern Thailand in 2012 we had already passed through Railay and its impressive landscapes. In addition to discovering its vertical rocks and mixing with lots of Spanish climbers that go up and down, we find a treasure as special as easy to find ... the massaman curry!

Seven days in Italy means one thing alone: ​​1 Kg more (and I say 1 for thinking positive). In fact ... But we have not only eaten like swabs, we also went to see (me) and to bathe (roby) in the river Tagliamento ... brrr what value: it is frozen! And, after years (me) and for the first time (Roby), we enjoyed the festivities of the most beautiful town in the world: Fagagna.

Raise your hand who has never dreamed of catching the car, the couple and / or a few friends (well, at most 4, unless you do not want to take others in the trunk or unless you do not have a van ... in this in case we sign up for your trip!) and embark on the adventure. It is not necessary to go to New Zealand or make route 66 to live an unforgettable story on wheels, you really only need three things: roads (which are everywhere), you win (if you are here reading, you are sure to spare!

We arrived in Manila without expecting much, a huge city, one of the most populated in all of Asia, with much poverty and not much to visit. However, Manila was considered the "pearl of Asia", that is why a few centuries ago ... things have changed, will any of that resplendent city remain? The first impressions could not be worse, already in the subway on the way to the hotel we noticed a girl “much eye with the Filipinos, do not trust anyone”… 2 minutes later on the street, in the first crosswalk that we crossed Lety He is the object of an attempted robbery ... when he noticed a tug in his backpack and looked back and there was a ladyboy hiding whistling and looking away.

The darkest thing about Africa has always been our ignorance of it. (George Kimble) You know the February ODOP topic: Africa! They say that whoever travels to the African continent stays, forever, nostalgically in love with this land so distant and different. The colors, the flavors, the people, the places you have as an invisible force that catches your soul.

Yesterday we gave you the first list with 50 things to see and do in Africa ... and today the other 50 go to complete the beautiful number of 100 things to see and do in Africa: 51 Step on the Haggar Mountains in southern Algeria. 52 Feeling like a true adventurer in Egypt among ancient and mysterious monuments.