To get there was pretty easy and straightforward. We flew in to Surabaya from where we took the train to Banyuwangi Regency/Karangasem Station. We were picked up by our guesthouse and drove to the village of Licin, which is about 20 kilometres from the station, located on the slopes of Kawah Ijen volcano. The guesthouse, situated between rice terraces, coffee plantations and natural jungle was an ideal spot to explore the area, while our host organised the trip to the volcano the next morning. Oh and by “next morning” we mean 1 a.m.!

Workingman’s Death: 3 Times A Day, 6 Days A Week.

The walk into the cater would include sharp drops, slippery steps and a toxic turquoise lake. At almost 2.800 metres, this place is a working mine where men carry up to 100 kilos of sulfur out of the mouth of the volcano down to the weighing station. They do this by hand up to three times a day, six days a week, starting at 1 a.m. when it’s still cool outside.

From our guesthouse it took about one hour until we reached the parking lot from where the 3.5 kilometre trek starts. Our guide’s name was Neki, who was a miner himself for almost 10 years and told us much about the job during the first one-hour climb upwards. The way lead us to the canteen for a little rest with a cup of tea before continuing. Here we saw the first miner coming towards us. It was a sight we’d see many more times during our walk to the crater rim: The man carried two baskets made out of bamboo loaded with mustard-yellow sulfur on his shoulder. He was one of 20 working men trying to bring up as much sulfur as their back can bear. Seeing him rapidly walk past us with this enormous load almost made us feel bad for resting. We continued walking.

The trip to the Kawah Ijen crater might not be super tough, but I still welcomed the rest in between.

Miner at Kawah Ijen break up the sulfur before transporting them to the weighing station.

There is only one way to the crater that tourist and the workers have to share.

A miner ascends from the Kawah Ijen crater with his baskets full of sulfur.

The moment you arrive at the crater rim you’ll notice hundreds of tourist walking down into the crater to see the spectacular blue fires that burn between the sulfur. Neki provided us with gas masks the closer we got to the toxic fumes. Kawah Ijen’s smoky abyss looks and feels like a place from outer space. It’s hard to believe that people actually work here. The situation is frankly quite ridiculous: on one hand miners are dragging up between 80-100 kilos of sulfur up to three times a day, while on the other hand ignorant tourists try to overtake them or comfortably rest at the spots that are reserved for the working men who need to get the load off their shoulders for a minute. What felt even more embarrassing was seeing tourists taking selfies with these guys. We spent a couple of hours observing this and came to the conclusion, that some people would do anything for a selfie and don’t have the courtesy to give way to the heavy loaded miners who deserve more than a little bit of credit for having what is, perhaps, the hardest job in the world.

The miners inevitably inhale the toxic fumes at Kawah Ijen crater.

The landscape around Kawah Ijen volcano is definitely one to remember!

The Price Miners Pay At Kawah Ijen.

Each miner makes about 200.000 Rupees (15-20 $) a day, which is quite good money in Indonesia compared to other jobs. But they bear the scars of years spent on the edge of life and death. The side effects are nothing less but severe burns, sore bodies, ongoing coughing, poisoned lungs and squashed shoulder bones. When exposed to this kind of work over long periods of time, the life expectancy is only 30 years. But money keeps them going and when one has the opportunity, he saves up as much as he can, and after a few years, opens a guesthouse and becomes a tour guide for crazy tourists who are after blue flames brightening up the nights down in this toxic environment. Neki was one of these people. And he believes that it saved his life.

If one is in need of some new clothing or interesting souvenirs (maybe a new rice cooker), or pretty much anything else you want to buy, you’ll find it at this market. In between all the different stores, you have the choice of food from around the world: pizza, pasta, burritos, tacos, you name it. Although I don’t understand why anyone would want to eat that sort of food instead of the yummy Thai cuisine. Still, some tourist prefer to stick to what they know.

Pet Section At Chatuchak Weekend Market.

If you walk a little bit further into the market you’ll come across the Pet Section. This section is a very controversial one indeed. On one end, you’ll come across anything available to “pamper” your pet: toys, leashes, glittering collars and animal clothing for all occasions. Quite often with a life model sitting in front of the stall.

The other part of the section would be the live animal zone. Though not comparable to some other dreadful animal markets in southeast Asia, it’s nevertheless an unfortunate sight: fifty budgies squeezed into a single cage, rabbits, hamsters, squirrels, guinea pigs longing for water, outgrown cages where even a turn isn’t possible. And on top of this, meowing cats & barking dogs desperately longing for some sort of attention. Chicken, ducks, poultry of all kind and of course the trade of illegal animals is not an unusual sight here.

And for those who can’t resist a bit of gambling, look carefully. Just walk up a few stairs far in the back of Chatuchak market and you’re in the cock-fighting section, illegal as well but with lots of people attending and betting. If you are up for it, you can try to fill up your holiday cash account.

Facts About Chatuchak Market.

• Chatuchak’s opening hours: Saturdays & Sundays from 9.00 am – 6.00 pm and Fridays from 6.00 pm – midnight. The plant sections are also open on Wednesdays & Thursdays from 7.00 am – 6.00 pm.
• How to get to Chatuchak Market: Skytrain (BTS) to Mo Chit station; take exit no. 1 and follow the crowd.
• What to see: Ah well, you’ve 30 Acres of pretty much everything you need (or don’t need).

Chatuchak is Bangkok’s most famous weekend market. Apart from the thousands of visitors shopping here everyday, the market also has a dark side. It supports the trade in illegal wildlife – just about any animal you can think of.

A captured Macaw parrot at Chatuchak market. Traders unfortunately make no halt when it comes to endangered animals.

Wildlife crime is a big business – not only in Asia. It’s run by dangerous international networks and wildlife and animal parts are trafficked much like illegal drugs.

The world is dealing with an unprecedented increase of illegal wildlife trade.

In many cases, the actual sale doesn’t take place at the store, but somewhere in a side alley. The bustling market lanes of Chatuchak market provide excellent cover for the exchange.

The pet section at Chatuchak market is dedicated to the sale of animals, with stalls selling cute puppies, kittens, hamsters, ducks, hedgehog and also colourful fish can be purchased for your aquarium.

The illegal trade of endangered animals is a multi-billion dollar industry, yet compared to drug & arms trafficing, not as much throught about.

The animal section at Chatuchak market is nothing for the faint-hearted, since animals here are often kept under horrible conditions.

Cock fighting is very popular all across southeast Asia, including Chatuchak market.

Swarupkati is definitely not a regular tourist destination. Here you have to be prepared to get as much attention – if not even more – as Lady Di got during her Australia tour. No, I’m really not exaggerating! The last time we got this much attention was during our accidental visit to Tilamuta in Indonesia (the captain of our boat got lost on the way from Togean Islands to the mainland).

What To Expect In Swarupkati.

Getting off the launch in Swarupkati was not an easy process, simply because we were surrounded by people who just stared at us. This is when it dawned on us that not many westerners have travelled to this part of the country…

A nice rickshaw puller brought us to the main street, winding parallel along the river. It was a nice ride. After approximately 15 minutes, we got to pretty much the one and only accommodation, yet it was still full with dreaming guests. The sleepy hotel manager promised us his best room around midday – at this point we’d like to thank our local friend Sabuj, who came along with us for this trip. In some cases a local translator really eases up things. Sabuj knew people in the area, and since it was breakfast-time, we went to the best restaurant in town - a real shack, with lots of people. Our arrival made quite a stir. The gossip just flew through the village the second we set foot onto the premises: “Western tourists have arrived“.

After finishing our meal, it was truly an amusing experience to walk to the jetty where a boat was ready to navigate us to the guava plantations: Around 200 people watched every step of our way and hoped to join us on our excursion. It was Hello Miss here, Hello Mister there. Screaming kids, waving people and a VIP from town who came along with us (we didn’t manage to find out his position, but everybody did as he said, so his VIP status was reasonable).

Arriving in Swarupkati immediately meant that the unloading process started. Several smaller boats approached our launch even before we got to the jetty.

Sabuj had his hands full trying to keep all the kids in Swarupkati under control.

Off To The Guava Plantations.

The boat was quite large and comfortable to sit in. We crossed the river on which we had come on with the launch from Dhaka and the slowly floated into the jungle on one of the rivers side arms. The area was so different to the otherwise busy life in Bangladesh. There were absolutely no roads, therefore it was quiet and the atmosphere truly special. We could only hear the sound of the jungle and flowing water. Everything comes in and out of the region through small channels by boat, and if you’re not familiar with the area, one will get lost after the first bend. It’s like a maze on water; almost a bit like Venice.

Of course our boatman knew every corner of the way and we stopped several times to admire the scenery. It was so green, lush and uninhabited (apart from few families living in farmhouses). As said before, westerners are definitely not a common sight here. Every single person we came across got excited, wanted to talk to us or, in most cases, wanted to take a photo.

After floating through these jungle plantations for several hours, we couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to do such a trip with a canoe and camp in the area for a few days…

Now this was quite a lovely farewell: Pretty much the entire village came to see us…

The VIP from town (left) & Sabuj (centre) were a real help during our trip to Swarupkati. Can’t help it, but somehow Sabuj kept reminding us of John F. Kennedy…

We were a real attraction in Swarupkati… and if you’re not down to earth, the attention you get here can really get to your head.

Very often boats are the only means of transportation for lowland dwellers in Swarupkati.

A local farmer brings some tasty guavas to the next market. But the prices, now as low as 80-120 Taka for 40 kg, are frustrating for the growers.

Checking Into The Best Place In Town.

When we got back to Swarupkati, our room – which was supposed to be the best room of the hotel – was ready for us. To make the story short: we decided to get out our hammocks and rather sleep in those. Sometimes, like in this particular case, it’s a waste of time to complain about the room. We knew that the hotel management really tried everything in their power to make our stay pleasant, yet the room was not all that nice – especially the sheets. On the bright side, we had a balcony and could watch ships go by the river all day long. Luckily there were two windows with iron bars, so setting up the hammocks was not an issue.

Pure Muscle At The Wood Market.

After settling in, Sabuj organised a visit to the local wood market. Again, someone from the community joined us and therefore we got a really good insight on why this markets has developed here. Most people own boats instead of cars, and therefore even of huge trunks of wood are transported on water. The trunks are tied together like a raft and the boat is sitting on top of the stems. With patience, the timber can then be navigated to its final destination.

The tree trunks are put onto the boat, as well as attached on the side and also underneath it.

Tree trunks are brought to the city centre of Swarupkati for further usage.

Once the tree trunks arrive in Swarupkati, further processing takes its course.

No machinery of any kind can be found at the wood market in Swarupkati. Here it’s all about pure man-power.

Before the wood is put onto the larger boats for further transport, it has to be weighted.

The work at the wood market in Swarupkati is tough and should not be underestimated. These guys definitely get their fitness done each day…

The men working at the wood market in Swarupkati are as fit as you could be.

Many wood trunk are also directly processed in Swarupkati and then shipped to cities all over Bangladesh.

February.

Oman: The year started off with a visit to a country new to us. We only had 8 full days in Oman, yet we managed quite well: We spent a few days in Muscat and then we were off on a 4×4 road trip through Jebel Akhdar. Our travel here made such an impression that we’ll return again in February 2015.

Sabres in Muscat, Oman.

Australia: Australia is my second home. I don’t know how many times I’ve been Down Under, but two hands are definitely not enough to count. Part of our family lives in the most amazing city Sydney, which makes things a lot easier. It’s been almost 5 years since my last visit, so it was long overdue. Plus it was my starting point for my two months time-out.

Sydney, Wellington and Vienna – my three favourite cities (to live in), with Sydney on top.

March.

United Arab Emirates: Due to a personal matter, I had to interrupt my time-out for a few days and fly back home. After only 48 hours in Vienna, my journey started again with a 3 day stop-over in Dubai.

The Dubai Marina is is an artificial canal city, built along a stretch of the Persian Gulf shoreline.

New Zealand: A visit to New Zealand has been a dream of mine since I listened to my uncle’s stories. He travelled through NZ for more than 4 months many years ago. And ever since I saw the first part of the LOTR trilogy, it was clear that I had to see this beautiful country for myself. It only took 12 years for me to finally do so. And it was the most amazing one-month road trip I could ever imagine…

Every single stop on my New Zealand road trip was a highlight, yet Milford Track – with a cruise at Milford Sound at the end – was an adventure I will never forget.

May.

Italy: Trapani in Sicily is an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Aegadian Islands. And it was our travel destination last May.

Much of Trapani’s economy still depends on the sea. Fishing and canning are the main local industries.

June.

Italy: Austria lies in the Central Europe, which is very convenient – especially if you’re a travel addict and have 4 days to spare. South Tyrol (the area around Antholzer Lake to be exact) was on our agenda for a long weekend. This meant that we’d go on a road trip through the Austrian Alps, which was something we’ve wanted to do for a long time as well.

The landscape around Austria’s highest mountain – the Grossglockner – even blew us Austrians away…

July.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh is definitely one of the most intriguing places one could ever visit. And also one of the most adventurous! It was our second trip within three years and we can honestly say that Bangladesh has become one of our favourite travel destinations, with Dhaka as an exciting city as a gateway.

Our human hands are unique. Only we can grasp, hold, move, and manipulate objects with them. Hands are essential for any kind of work. Here you can see the hands of a blind woman begging in the streets of Dhaka. It almost feels like she knows how much money has just been given her…

Thailand: Bangkok was just a stop-over point, but if it’s on the list, then we spend at least a couple of days here. Thailand’s capital city is one of our favourite for exploring markets … and as you know, markets are our favourite shooting place, therefore it was a real paradise.

Khlong Toei Market is Bangkok’s biggest fresh market and you will find almost anything you need here.

August.

China: Good old China is a must at least once every year. Visiting the Honghe Hani rice terraces in Yunnan and the Guoliang Tunnel Road in Henan were two travel highlights of the year.

A local Chinese smoking a pipe in the old town of Xinjie, Henan Province.

The Netherlands: Travelling to Amsterdam for the Canal Pride was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. And therefore, it was yet another first in 2014. The spirit and energy you could feel in the city – not only during Pride week – is something I’ll think about for many years to come.

The Prinsengracht in Amsterdam is one of the most well-known Gracht’s and the heart of the Canal Pride Parade.

October.

Hong Kong: Futuristic architecture, a breathtaking skyline, amazing cuisine combined with traditional Chinese culture is what describes Hong Kong best. To name just a few of the things we did here: By accident stepping into the centre of the Umbrella Movement, drinking a few cocktails at one of Hong Kong’s most well-known rooftop bars, exploring the several wet markets around the city and finding the balance between tradition and modernity. Loved it!

Hong Kong is a colourful city full of culture, tradition and trendiness.

China: Three days in Guangzhou are definitely not enough, since we’re talking about the third largest city in China, yet time was limited and therefore we made the most out of it.

Chinese men playing a game of Mahjong in the streets of Guangzhou.

December.

France: It was yet again a long weekend that brought us to Paris at the beginning of December. One might think that 36 hours is not a long time, but if you’re on a mission and know where to go, you’ll see more than you thought you could.

Paris is a city for every season. Here with its landmark the Eiffel Tower.

So in the end we arrived safely but still a bit shaken at Cox’s Bazar, ready to settle in at one of the few waterfront hotels. The name is actually a bit strange for a town … its origin comes from Captain Hiram Cox; an officer serving in the British East India Company who defeated the Burmese Governour, Warren Hastings, and set up a Bazar (market) here and therefore was named after him.

We immediately hired a tuk-tuk and were on the way South to check out the area. We passed Himchari National Park from which you have an amazing view of the beach – which by the way is the longest beach in the world (approx. 120 km of pure sand) and continued to Inani beach, which is one of the very few spots with rocks.

Apart from the beautiful beach itself (not to be compared to paradise beaches in Indonesia though), the sight of the day were definitely the fishing boats along waters of southern Bangladesh. Every single boat can be described as a piece of art! You immediately recognize the great craftsmanship involved in building such boats. They protect the fishermen from any weather weather, storms and high waves.

It takes about two months to build one boat and it costs approximately 5.000 €. There are even bigger fishing boats along the beach, also with a very unique shape (photos will follow soon) that cost about 8.000 € (including an engine and the nets).

We spent the entire day here, watching & waiting for the next boats to arrive with the catch of the day…

For Bangladeshi’s it doesn’t get much better than Cox’s Bazar, the country’s most popular beach town.

Cox’s Bazar is an important fishing port in Bangladesh.

The fishing boats at Cox’s Bazar look really different and you can see that a lot of work has gone into their building.

Fishing boats at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.

Cox’s Bazar sea beach is the longest sea beach in the world, 120 km long. The wavy water of Bay-of-Bengal touches the beach throughout these 120 km.

Men of all ages can be seen with rolled up T-shirts presenting their often not so six-pack tummies in public (in the subway, train, streets, restaurants, etc.), sometimes fanning themselves with the garment. It’s a habit through all ages, social standings and tummy sizes, yet not gender. So women, don’t take these men as an example, because that would simply be too scandalous.

We’ve had our share of different bellies: round, oval, large, small, hairy, tattooed … and sometimes even 9-month-overdue-pregnancy bellies. Sure, summertime can be very (!) hot in China, but it’s hot in other countries as well and you don’t see anything like it there?!

So, every time we travel to China, we wonder why Chinese men have this natural urge to pull up their shirts whenever they want. We did some research on the topic but nothing really came up… A possible explanation could be that during the cultural revolution, good manners were condemned and people became started acting more like pigs (spitting, munching, slurping and so forth).

Before the Olympic Games in China 2008, the government tried hard to erase the belly-showing (and other bad customs). All mayors of larger cities urged their fellow men to button-up. But these old habits sit deep and their efforts didn’t have a great success.

We’re very positive that on our next visit to China we’ll continue seeing non-sixpack bellies and many other strange customs – but then again, they make a good photo opportunity.

Shirtless Chinese men in the streets of Guangzhou.

A shirtless butcher in Hong Kong.

Shirtless Chinese men in the streets of Beijing.

Shirtless Chinese men resting in the streets of Guangzhou.

Shirtless Chinese man playing a game of Mahjong in Guangzhou.

Shirtless Chinese man selling watermelons in the streets of Beijing.

Shirtless Chinese men unloading a truck in Beijing.

Shirtless Chinese man sitting in the streets of Guangzhou.

Shirtless Chinese man sleeping in the streets of Guangzhou.

Shirtless all around in Guangzhou.

A dedicated shirtless turtle seller at a market in Guangzhou.

An exhausted shirtless Chinese man in the streets of Guangzhou. Somehow he reminded us of a beetle on his back…

Shirtless Chinese men eating dinner in the streets of Guangzhou.

Mechua Market.

The men at Mechua market are in charge of oranges, bananas, pineapples, pomegranate and many other fruits of the season. Trucks arrive 24/7 and wait in the surrounding areas to get a parking lot to be unloaded. Most of the fruits are sold right on the spot. Men carrying trunks of bananas show up in front of an auctioneer and after a quick bidding session, the trunk is sold and the next man with another banana trunk takes place. With this system, an entire truckload of fruits is quickly sold to people who distribute them to different places all over West Bengal.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India

Portrait of a hard working man at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working man at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Fresh pomegranate at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India

Unloading a truck at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Kolay Market.

Pretty much the same goes for Kolay market just opposite Sealdah Train station. This is the place for cucumbers, onions, pumpkins, eggplant and any other vegetable of the season. Men, day labours – mostly from Bihar – work in long shifts to unload trucks that arrive from all over West Bengal. They earn about 500 Rupees (4-6 €) a day and travel home to their families only once a year. Needless to say, this work is taking it’s toll on their health… They sleep in dormitories in the first floors of the warehouses just above their workplace, so if a truck arrives, they are ready to unload immediately.

Hard working men at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Selling fresh vegetables at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Posta Burrabazar.

For garlic and ginger you have to travel to another area in the city. This market is close to Howrah bridge not too far away from the Mullik Ghat flower market on the way to Nimtala burning Ghat. You smell the loads of garlic that are repacked into smaller quantities immediately. This work is mostly done by women.

Street scene at Posta Burrabazar in Kolkata, India.

At Mullik Ghat flower market near Howrah bridge in Kolkata, India.

If you want to see what it’s like to walk through these markets, check out the videos in this post.

What an experience!

The wholesale market for fruits and vegetables in Kolkata is an experience that is really difficult to describe. You make your way through dozens of trucks, which are parked only centimetres apart from each other, hundreds of porters, vendors, auctioneers, buyers and people who load & unload the trucks from their precious cargo – fresh fruits and vegetables that arrive here every morning from all over India, to be auctioned off right on the spot.

Words & photos are good for imagining such ongoing activities, but we also put together a little video (with out iPhone, so please excuse the quality) of the market’s happenings. This way, you’ll not only get an impression on the number of fruits auctioned off, the people who roam these streets, the heavy goods that need to be loaded onto trucks, but also the constant noise level…

Oranges, pineapples and bananas.

On the day of our visit, the main fruits that had just arrived were oranges, pineapples and bananas. Bananas (still on the stem) are a very attractive fruit and are sold piece by piece. How that works is that one porter stands in front of the truck, with the banana stalk on his head for display, while the auctioneer is shouting out the price. It’s a fast business, and all over sudden the bananas disappear in someone’s box or basket, and the next stalk is brought out for the auction.
With oranges it’s a bit different; they’re stacked up in a pyramid shape and sold tower-wise.

Obviously this place is hardly ever visited by foreigners. Many people asked how and why we came there and they were quite astonished when we said that we just wanted to have a look around.

We had the best time and the vendors seemed to ‘enjoy’ our company. A trader gave us apples from Kashmir as a present and everybody was keen to have his picture taken. It was a really great experience, yet it was a bit difficult to move along, because we didn’t want to be in anyone’s way … especially not if they’re carrying a 50 pound basket!

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Biddings at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Baskets full of papayas the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

If you start exploring the area just a little North of Shamian Island (Shamian itself has kept its beauty from the past – only the White Swan Hotel is a more modern building), you’ll walk through a very old part of this city. Of course it’s also interrupted with new buildings, but a lot of the area still has its original charm with “gated” communities. Beside bicycles and electric motorbikes, only pedestrians can be seen here, because the roads and walkways are too narrow for cars.

A city within the city.

Inside such a gated area, you’ll come across lots of vibrant outdoor activities all day long: Elderly residents meet in the street to play a game of Majong, others work out on gymnastic apparatuses and neighbours meet up in front of ones apartment. Washing is hung up in the street, while kids play soccer in some corners and old grannies walk along hand-in-hand in their pyjamas. Every area also has its own ‘shopping centre’ – its actually more like a market area, with all sorts of different stalls. You’ll find everything a Chinese family needs; from household goods, food, live poultry and fish, an adjoining post office, a hairdresser and a tea shop … and sometimes even a gambling shop, where you can play the lottery for example.

The local life here is very peaceful, while the hustle and bustle from the streets outside has no effect within the gates. At least this is what it looked like to us. We’ve never been into one of these flats though. Most probably they’re a bit crammed and small, but the residents still seem to enjoy their lives in the old quarters of Guangzhou.

Walking through the old quarter of Guangzhou is really peaceful and a nice change to the otherwise super busy city.

A typical apartment block in Guangzhou.

A typical apartment building in Guangzhou.

Bicycles are the best way to get around the old quarters in Guangzhou.

Women selling goods at a market in Guangzhou.

Walking along the old quarter in Guangzhou is really relaxing and makes you feel like you’re in a small village out in the countryside.

Many Chinese use a bicycle to get around the side streets of Guangzhou.

Fresh chicken – ready for the pot – at Huayuan market in Guangzhou.

Walking along a side street in the old quarter of Guangzhou.

A group of people playing Mahjong in Guangzhou.

We also love to sit down at hairdressers overseas because of a couple of reasons:

1. It’s a lot cheaper than in Europe
2. You get all the attention from the trainee to the general manager
3. It’s a good way to step on the breaks when one is overly exhausted from sightseeing trips or monster shopping tours
4. Nothing comes above a nice long head massage before a good night sleep

Therefore we always try to pick a hotel in the vicinity of a hairdresser … one really needs a little bit of luxury and pampering once in a while.

If you’re travelling through India, you’ll notice that the hairdressers you’ll pass along the streets are barbers for men only. Lady hairdressers are mostly hidden behind closed doors or curtains. If you insist enough though, even a local barber will give you a nice wash and blow dry … and if you’re really lucky (and you’re up for it) even a haircut. Don’t worry, hair grows again… after all, no risk, no fun.

In other South-East Asian countries like Laos, you will come across makeshift hairdresser, who can pop up their gear straight away – a chair, a comb and scissors will get the job done.

Honestly, even when it came to the remotest places and the weirdest looking equipment, we always left the hairdresser with full satisfaction.

How about you? Any interesting hairdresser/barber experiences? Would love to get your stories on this.

A typical barber in the side streets of Varanasi, India.

This barber in Varanasi is still waiting for customers…

A barber shop in Varanasi at night.

A barber shop in the streets of Kolkata, India.

A barber shop in the streets of Varanasi, India.

A barber shop in Varanasi, India.

A man getting a shave at a local barber shop in Varanasi, India.

A hairdresser at the bus station in Laos.