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.

After arriving at the train station, it didn’t take long to realize that some sort of festival was going on. Hundred, thousands of people all dressed in orange hurdled in ever little street corner. I later found out, that this festival was nothing too special (compared to nation wide once like the Holi festival for example). I guess the Indians just wanted to kill some time before they’re off to the Nirvana and a festival is a good opportunity for that :)

The security during these two days was extremely high. Security precaution double red, which is no wonder when 100.000 Indians are celebrating. Days before the festival, workers hammered and built alleys of paddocks for all the crowds of people.

I took a couple of shots but then decided to hit the road since I didn’t want to be in the middle of hundreds of people screaming holy slogans – not only because it’s damn loud but because there were lots of giddy & loony people around. Some of these have definitely said their good-byes to the Western style of living with rad war paintings on their faces. I didn’t want to be in the middle of this … but I’ve definitely got some new ideas for next years Carnival.

Anyway, I tried marching on but it was almost impossible to get away from all the crowds. Out of the blue I came to another temple with hundreds of people waiting in line … no idea what was inside. Some super God statue I guess. Oh well, as I always say “Religion is what keeps the poor from killing the rich”.

Walking on bravely, feeling like a sardine, I arrived at one of the main intersections in Varanasi where a group of people with cloaked bodies crossed my way. At this point, I was so exhausted that I had to rest for a little while. A basin-selling-man didn’t mind my sitting on his steps. From there, I probably had the best view you could get, front row baby! I saw all the float in and out of the city, which included two more dead bodies being transported to the Ghats. The first one was on a jeep and I would have missed the second one, if it wasn’t for the basin-selling-man who screamed: “Look Misses! This car has body inside!”

After an absolutely exhausting day, with 40° in the shade, sweat running down my spine all the way into my shoes and about 2.000 photos, I decided that it was time to hit Alka Hotel. The shower that evening was the biggest luxury ever … and of course I knew that the next day would again be hard yet spectacular, so a good night sleep was all I wanted (and got).

Crowds of people in Varanasi, India. 

Waiting in line like cattle to enter a holy temple in Varanasi, India.

Hustle & Bustle in Varanasi, India.

A “Sadhu” in Varanasi, India.

Music is a must during the festival in Varanasi, India.

Burning grounds at the Ghats in Varanasi, India.

Since I had travelled through Africa many times already, nothing could really bother me any more. I was not particularly excited to see India. Back then I was more focused on Africa.

It was a windy January day and after checking into the hotel, Nisa and I took the free shuttle bus to Connaught Place. From there we hired a Tuk-Tuk. “Where do you want to go?” the driver asked. “Well just drive around for a while. I want to see the real life in India.” I replied.

Tuk Tuks waiting for customers at the train station in New Delhi, India.

Then the trip started; first of all, I didn’t feel all that comfy in this little 3 wheeler with all the traffic but no risk, no fun. Right and left were big buses and the driver had the nerves like a leading lion between his flock. He seemed to know what he was doing. With his driving skills, he squeezed through the smallest loopholes in this gigantic traffic-mesh. I held Nisa and just thought that if it has to happen, it has to happen. Anyway, it didn’t take long for me to get used to the fact that Tuk-Tuk drivers in India are drive the way they drive.

On the first roundabout with a concrete pedestal in the middle, a bunch of kids – not older than 6 years – were sleeping around a traffic sign post; dirty, filthy, wrapped in rags … this was one of those sights that I will never forget. I looked at Nisa (who was around 10 years old back then) and cold shivers went up and down my spine.

Estimated a quarter of the Indian population live in slum areas and nobody knows exactly how many people there actually are … But one should never forget that there is a very small minority of really (!) wealthy Indians too. Sometimes you’ll read about these in the news papers around the world. For example: “Richest Indian built multimillion dollar skyscraper in Mumbai!” When reading these headlines, I wonder what these “richies” actually think of their fellow citizens?! To build something gigantic like the most expensive home in the world (with a price over 1 billion US$) in a city that has hundreds of thousands of homeless people doesn’t seem appropriate at all! What a douche bag! I wouldn’t feel comfy in my billion dollar home when I saw what was going on right around the next street corner … but that’s just me. Oh and while we’re talking about millionaires … there’s absolutely no such thing as a real “Slumdog Millionaire”. It was a weird example, created by Hollywood screenwriters sitting in their luxury houses while writing such nonsense to just make more money. Some of the child actors still living in slums. Seriously?! Many years ago on a trip through California, we bought a fridge sticker which said “Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich“. If you’ve ever been to India, you’ll know it’s true …

The next “Slumdog Millionaires”? If it’s up to Hollywood, yes.

Anyway, many years have passed now and we’ve been to India a few times and many very strange sights have crossed our path. For us Westerners, it’s not normal to see people dying in the streets, bodies being transported on roof racks, watching kids sniff glue which they found in the rubbish or even seeing corpses floating by while your eating breakfast – in India this is reality and part of the daily routine.

Carrying a dead body to the Ganges river in India.

Usually the deceased are lowered from the roof of the car and carried to the cremation area by relatives or friends. Only holy people, pregnant women and children are not cremated – these bodies are “buried” directly in the Ganges river with the result, that a lot of them surface after a while and float down with the stream. People bathing right next to a body is not unusual, especially in the very holy cities like Varanasi or Hardwar along the Ganges river. And believe it or not, you can also have the … unexpected experience of seeing a dog gnawing on left over hands or feet of not fully cremated bodies (maybe because the rain interrupted the process).

Dead body floating by in Varanasi, India.

Yes, you need to be a tough fella if you want to experience the real side of India …

Of course there are exceptions to be found – like for example only men sell tobacco – but the rest is in the hand of women. I guess that men rather tend to keep cattle than selling it. Why? I can only speculate :) Maybe it’s easier to walk around with the herds all day, lying under a tree and dreaming about the new cellphone … nah, I’m just kidding :D But I do have to say that during all of our travels, we’ve noticed that a lot of really tough work (carrying rocks in India and so on) is done by women. I’d really be interested on why this is the case. Input anyone?

Market woman in Laos selling vegetable.

Market woman in Laos selling fish.

Market woman selling meat.

Local business at a market in Laos.

Women selling goods.

Anyway, on a well assorted market (if you come at the right time in the morning) everything is in full swing; people are arriving and leaving … some of them even travel the entire night to sell their goods at the weekly market. It’s a place of gossiping – which is very women like of course – and chit chat. At least before the mobile phone was introduced to the even remotest area … So the markets are always a noisy affair and people tend to check goods which they are going to buy very thoroughly (whether these are veggies, herbs, eggs or meat).

Fried maggots.

Bugs at a market in Laos.

Fish at a market in Laos.

Yes, and at these markets you can find things that will never ever (!) appear in a (western) supermarket.

The photos below are all very bearable (in our opinion) but if you want the “real tough stuff”, you should check out our article about wet markets around the world (caution – this is nothing for veggies or vegans!!)

1. Bush meat (alive or dead).

Bush meat is still a common sight on many markets in remote areas – no matter if the animal is protected or not. One has to understand that these people are mostly not very educated and well, meat is meat … One of these protected animals is the Aguti. It’s a very rare endangered rodent. We spotted an animal on a market in Thakhek, which looked quite similar. We we’re only able to take one picture because the stall woman covered it immediately and it was gone when we came back to the stall after a while.

A dead Aguti at a market in Vientiane, Laos.

Bush meat at a market in Laos.

2. All sorts of other dead animals.

Whether it’s just a fish or a skinned bulls head – you’ll find whatever your heart desires (not desires for that matter).

3. Fresh vegetables.

The Lao kitchen is one of the best in Asia. If you know what not to eat (pork, etc.), you pretty much can’t go wrong with whatever is on the menu. Vegetables are always fresh and tasty!

4. Fresh fruits.

If you’re a fruit lover, South-east Asia is the right spot for you. You’ll get fresh papayas, mangoes, pineapples, water melons, rambutans and many many more at any market.

5. A lot of people.

As I already said, people come together at markets, so it can be a very crowded place. Especially if the market is only once a week. Then the entire village (and of course the surrounding villages) can be found there. So, if one wants a true experience of a country and their people, one of the first visits should be to the local market.

Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and of great importance to Cambodia. It’s a bit more unusual than “normal” lakes: Its flow changes direction twice a year and the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. This is why entire villages are dismantled due to the season and the waterline of the lake. Therefore most villages around the Great Lake have adjusted by living in so called “floating villages” on boats. They are home to a large Vietnamese & Cham community and they managed to adapt very well to the lake’s seasonal changes.

So, whether it’s the school or rubbish dump, living room or local store – the boat it not only the main transport system but also the grounding for every resident.

Chong Khneas is the name of famous floating village at the edge of the lake. It takes a 30-minute-car-ride  from Siem Reap to the boat dock where boats wait for visitors any given time of the day. The boat trip through the floating village takes approximately two hours. Be aware though, it’s total rip off! I’d never ever do it again, since this really is the worse I have ever experienced! Back when we visited the first time (over 10 years ago), the area wasn’t owned by a private company like today, therefore the floating village was still unique…sad to see what happened to this place!

Family life on Tonle Sap Lake. Five provinces circled the area of Tonle Sap Lake, more than three million of population inhabited around the bank of the Lake and 90% of them earn a living by catching fish and making agricultures.

Tonle Sap Lake is also an important commercial resource, providing more than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia.

Chong Khneas is the name of famous floating village at the edge of the lake. It locates at Southern part of Siem Reap town about 15 Km, and takes only 30 minutes by vehicles to the boat dock where there are always boats waiting for visitors. The boat trip through the floating village takes approximately two hours. Be aware, it’s TOTAL RIP OFF!

During rainy season from June to October, Tonle Sap Lake is filled by water flowing from the Mekong with 14 m in depth and expands the surface of 10.000 km2.

In dry season from November to May the size of Tonle Sap lake is 3.000 km2 with two meters in depth and water flows out from the Lake to the Mekong, in and out flowing is the natural phenomenon occurrences.

Chong Khneas was very interesting before, but now region is owned by private firm they increased the prices and the area looks very commercial.

The boat trip usually includes two stops: one at a touristy floating ‘fish and bird exhibition’ with a souvenir and snack shop, and the other at the Gecko Environment Centre, which offers displays and information introducing the ecology and biodiversity of the lake area.

During our first visit to Tonle Sap lake (over ten years ago), the floating village was still a really impressive sight. Today, it’s just a another tourist trap.

Unlike much of the Cambodian job opportunities, the income is also reliable, but life on the water is difficult. Fishermen sometimes travel two days to reach the middle of the lake and spend up to a week at a time out fishing. Large waves, limited food and dangerous conditions take their toll. The life expectancy of a fisherman is 54 years.

Because the water levels of Tonle Sap Lake differ so drastically in dry and rainy season, fishing families who make their living on the lake began living in floating villages which move with the changing water levels.

Tonle Sap Lake is so big, it can easily be mistaken for the ocean.

1. It’s Monday and my first day back at work.

Enough said right?

2. Dear Miss Maier, your bank account needs a fill up.

Since the last three weeks of my life consisted of buying Christmas gifts, a little vacation, eating, sleeping, and of course more eating, my bank account looked more than blank. And since I am a conscientious person, I wanted to make the “-” on my bank account into a “+”. Some of you might think that that was my second downer today, but nooo, just wait for it. So before I drove to the office, I stopped at the bank, hopped in to give my hard-earned money to one of these bank-sharks (or bastards as I like to call them). With the luck I already had, I was sure that there would be no damn parking spot available and of course I was right. So, I decided to just stop in the “absolutely no fucking parking” zone. For exactly TWO minutes! I came out of the bank, with no cash in my pocket and the lovely view of a police officer writing me a goddamn ticket! Seriously? I tried talking to the police woman (who was obviously also having a bloody Monday) but no chance this time. 60 € gone down the drain. Why don’t you super-smart police people try catching the thieves who get away with tax fraud in the amount of millions … or better, billions!?

3. I totally did a “Kevin alone at home”.

For those who have seen “Kevin Home Alone” a bunch of times, you might already know which part I’m talking about. After all the crap that has happened, this topped it off again (literally) left me crying in the streets. My 9-5 job isn’t exactly the most fulfilling. But anyway, that’s another story. Back to the actual subject: By now you know that my bank account shows a gigantic zero … and that’s the same with my fridge. My waist hated me but I couldn’t resist all those goodies that mum left behind before she flew to Southeast Asia. So, I had no choice but to go out to by milk, vegetables, bread, butter, cereals and all the other crap you don’t really need. Coming out of the supermarket, I was loaded with groceries. And because I wanted to stretch my legs a little, I decided to leave the car behind (bad, really bad idea). After 50 meters of walking, the bag ripped apart and that was it for me. I didn’t know whether to scream or cry. I did both…

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

So here goes: Please, please just get me out of my misery and let this day come to an end. It’s been far too long already!

This video by Lukas Augustin shows Afghanistan from a different side. He (and his fiance) travelled from Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif to capture the daily life of the people of the country that connects the Middle East and Central Asia. And well … they did a fantastic job!

Since I’m one of these western people who has to adjust to this tightly planned time management because of work, etc. (even though I’m not a big fan of it), I admire other cultures who have found a different way of living and dealing with time. There is a really good saying in Africa, which I would like to state here: “Africans have time, Europeans have watches”. Says it all, doesn’t it? Anyway, now I what to tell you a little bit about these great cultures:

The Nuer of Africa.

The Nuer are nomads of the south Sudan. For them, time is not measured by objective measurable units but they orientate themselves by the recurring environmental changes like wet- and dry season. These standards might not be accurate but reliable.

The Nuer and their cattle in southern Sudan. Photo credit © Ngari – Norway / flickr.

The Aymara of South America.

For the Aymara, who live in the Andes, the past lies ahead and the future lies behind. Huh? Well, the Aymara say that with your eyes you only see what’s in front of you and therefore that is the known – the past. Behind (where you can’t see) is the unknown which therefore is the future. Also the  linguistic evidence gives another explanation: The Aymara language recruits “nayra,” the basic word for “eye,” “front” or “sight,” to mean “past” and recruits “qhipa,” the basic word for “back” or “behind,” to mean “future.” So, for example, the expression “nayra mara” – which would mean “last year” – can be translated as “front year.”

The Aymara in Bolivia. Photo credit © Juan Karita.

The Papuan of South East Asia.

For the Papuan in New Guinea not only the present is present but also eternity. Following their believes, the human is unseparable of the world of their ancestors. The closer this connection is – for example by sleeping on your ancestors skull – the larger is your wellbeing.

An Asmat tribal man sleeping on a human skull. Photo credit unknown.

The Aborigines of Australia.

The natives of Australia don’t believe that occasions are strung together. Instead they interweave past, present and future to a single spiritual purpose: The connection to the “Dreamtime”. For the Aborigines this is the origin of all living beings. It resembles a mirror of all that was, is and ever will be.

Aboriginal dancers in Australia. Photo credit © Penny Tweedie.

The San of Africa.

The San Bushmen are one of the oldest peoples on our planet. As hunters or gatherers, some tribe members are still crossing the Kalahari desert today. Humans who live like this, don’t need a precise calendar or timer. They don’t divide day & night into minutes or hours but specific occasions like regular rituals or the daily hunt.

San hunters in the Kalahari desert. Photo credit © Ariadne Van Zandbergen.

The Tibetan of China.

Buddhist people, like the Tibetan don’t feel that time is a linear stream of expiring events, in which the “being” has a beginning and an end. They rather believe in a circulation of life, death and reincarnation until they break into the nirvana. How each and every one is reincarnated depends on their way of living.

Tibetan monks. Photo credit unknown.

My personal opinion.

Well, what can I say? We could really learn something from these cultures. I think that we westerners are simply too focused on time & its meaning in our lives.

I mean really, what is time anyway? There are so many expression like “time is running out” or “the clock is ticking” & I hate them because it’s a burden to our way of living. I see it everyday with my friends or family. One might think: “Damn, I’m turning 32 next month, and I still don’t have any children…my clock’s ticking.”, or someone else’s thought might be focused on this:  “I’m 26 years old, and by now I should know what I really want out of my life…my time is running out and I have to get a grip.” I do understand that time is important (and I get that we can’t just stop focusing on it – why should we?)…but (again this is a big but) I also think that shifting down a gear from time to time wouldn’t be such a bad thing for all of us.

1. Vietnam.

School uniforms are compulsory all throughout Vietnam. Kids are proud to wear it, though it’s expensive for most of the parents especially if they have more kids attending school. Beside the uniform, you also have to pay the school fees, so parents are really forced to make money if they want to give their offspring a good education.

Girls in a typical school uniform in Vietnam.

2. South Africa.

As in many other former British colonies, all the South African private and public schools have a uniform.

Not only does the school uniform look really nice in South Africa, but this boy is simply the cutest.

3. Indonesia.

Every student has to wear a school uniform in Indonesia. A typical school uniform consists of a white shirt and red pants or skirt. Private schools sometimes have their own uniform and they might look a bit different from these…

The school kids in Indonesia love it when you take their photo.

4. Senegal.

Since Senegal is a very poor country, school uniforms are not a must for everyone. If families can afford it, it usually just consists of a blue shirt and black pants. Otherwise you might just wear something blue to “fit it” as seen in the photo below.

Typical school life in Senegal.

5. Cambodia.

Uniforms are now fashionable in Cambodian schools. Before, students would usually wear a white shirt and a skirt or pair of pants in blue or black.

A white shirt & pants was all you needed before…

6. India.

Schools uniforms are almost universal in India, from primary to higher-secondary level.

Kids on their way to school in Diglipur on the Andaman Islands.

7. Ghana.

All children have to wear school uniforms in Ghana. Recently, there have been public programs through which poor families are offered financial help to buy uniforms. Over 8.000 school uniforms have been distributed by the government to needy students.

Walking home on the beach is quite nice…