Traveling

My experience with the Rishikesh Vinyasa Yoga School India

It’s been about a month since I finished the 200hr ashtanga vinyasa traning, but Elin and I had so many adventures afterwards in the month of traveling that it feels like ages ago..

While traveling I wasn’t disciplined enough to continue the daily yoga and still now back home, but I did my best to do it as often as possible. I swear! In the school your only focus is learning and practicing, but outside the school there are so many other things pulling at you.. I’m in the learning process of resisting.

So about the training.. did I know what I was getting myself into before it all started?
Yeaaah I kinda did, because I gotta admit I’m obsessed with doing research.
+I follow 2 girls on instagram who did the same training a few months before I went and I binge watched their instastory.
BUT at the same time I really didn’t know what it was going to be like, AT ALL.
It was sweaty
It was freaking hard
It was testing my discipline
It was sore muscles and a body wanting to give up
It was wonderful
It was loving
It was comfortable (I would cleanse with you guys any day)
It was emotional
It was fun
It was one big, crazy and loving family
I wouldn’t have changed ONE SINGLE THING
They might’ve been the most happiest days of my life, including the one month of traveling afterwards.
I miss everyone at the school and the other students to bits!

The school, rooms and surroundings

What I really like about the school is that you’re constantly outside.
It’s not like in most western country’s where it’s a big building and everything is inside of it.
Connected by hallways and what not. No to get to another room we had to step outside(on the balcony for example), but everything was still connected. It’s all very basic, but just enough.
I’m easily satisfied and I don’t need any luxury, but if you’re not like me this school might not be the right pick.
Everyone gets their own room with a double bed, a little table, a closet or shelves and a simple bathroom.
Every room is slightly different and we all came to the conclusion that my room was the shittiest (so make sure you’re not in room 113, arrive early and choose wisely).
There is hot water, but not all the time and I reaally enjoyed taking cold showers!
There is wifi, but not perfectly working 24/7 (also depends on where you are in the school).
The school is located outside the center more up the mountain which makes it more serene(no car honking!), but there’s still enough noise going on though. It’s very nice to walk up the mountain more into nature. Real nature!
The teachers took us on 2 little excursions. Our first excursion was a sunrise visit to the Kunjapuri temple and the second one was a visit to the daily Ganga Aarti+temple.

Daily schedule
6:00-6:30 – Herbal Tea
6:30-7:00 – Morning cleansing (Neti Pot)
7:00-8:30 – Pranayama and vinyasa Class
8:30-9:30 – Breakfast
9:45-10:45 – Anatomy Class
11:00-12:00 – Philosophy class
12:00-13:00 – Lunch
15:00-16:00 – Alignment Class
(5 minute break)
17:00-18:30 – Ashtanga Class
18:00-19:00 – Meditation Class
19:00-20:00 – Dinner

Before hand I thought the schedule would be very strict and hard, but not a single day was exactly like the other.
Sometimes a teacher got in late or we had ashtanga before body alignment.
One day we went to a little beach next to the ganges for our ashtanga practice.
Just little things like that.
For me what made it more easy to ‘stick with the schedule’ were the 2 big cleanses we did over the course of that month.
It changed the whole schedule for that day! I’ll talk about the cleansing in a bit.

Yoga classes(asana’s)

The classes focused on yoga poses (asana’s) were vinyasa flow, body alignment and ashtanga.
We did about 4 tot 4.5 hours of yoga a day.. yes my body was GIVING UP.
After 2/3 weeks I only got more stiff and sore instead of flexible, but we just pushed through.
It was such a friendly, loving and easy-going environment which made it way more easy.
Almost all 6 of us got some sort of injury and that’s something unavoidable. I got a wrist injury which
I had before and I just skip the chaturanga’s until it’s gone.
Next to that, each and everyone of us made a lot of progress. It’s amazing to notice how quickly you can increase your
flexibility with consistent practice and proper alignment!
It’s not expected that students already know how to perform inversions, know the ashtanga series etc.
It’s a school! And that means you are there to learn.

Theoretical classes

Each day we had 3 theoretical classes: anatomy, philosophy and meditation.
All classes were held in the yoga hall. We just grabbed a pillow, bolster or a yoga mat and sat down on the ground.
I really enjoyed the theoretical classes as it’s very easy going and more like a good conversation instead of just sitting there listening.

It never got boring!
The teachers are very well educated, know how to explain things in a way that it’s very clear for us and they know how to build a their class.

Our meditation teacher was a monk, what other teacher could you wish for!?
It got confusing sometimes as he obviously knows way more than what he ‘should’ talk about in class haha.
He thought us things like different meditation techniques, history, the proper way of breathing etc. and we meditated for 15-30 minutes at the end of class.

In philosophy class we learned about dosha’s, chakra’s, the eight limbs of yoga, history of Hinduism and yoga,
different types of yoga and a lot more!
The teacher told us to just take in what we find interesting from his class and forget the rest.
And that’s how it is with philosophy.

In anatomy we went through each anatomical system of the body, important muscles and bones, common injury’s,
contraindications, the breath, cleansing methods and 2 classes devoted to ayurveda. Everything we learned was then always brought back to yoga. We didn’t get a theoretical exam, but I took all this knowledge in as if we were going to get an exam.
It’s extremely interesting and also good to know when wanting to become a teacher!
I’ll cherish my notes forever.

Cleansing rituals
One of the reasons why I wanted to go to this school!
I knew they let the students perform some cleansing techniques.
I felt really attracted to it, because my nose has been blocked for a few years now and I’ve been having digestive problems since I can remember.

Everyday started with a morning nostril cleanse using our own personal neti pot.
We all went with it without thinking twice as if we’d done it for ages.
Cleansing with a neti pot basically involves clearing your nasal passages by pouring saline water in one nostril until it
flows out the other. With lots of mucus!!
After 2 or 3 weeks another cleanse was added to the morning ritual, which was cleansing our eyes with gooseberry juice.
In the 4th week a last cleanse was added, but I didn’t perform it once..
We had to shove a so-called ‘rubber neti’ up our nose until it came out your throat.
This is supposed to take out all excess mucus and what not, but I decided it’s not for me.
And so did the others.

1. Vaman dhauti cleanse: induced vomiting
This is a cleanse of the upper digestive tract which we performed at the end of the first week.
Basically you perform this by drinking salty water until you have to throw up. Then drink more and throw up more.
If you don’t find yourself throwing up naturally, you have to stick your fingers down your throat and induce it.
Sounds like a fun group activity right? I bet it would look extremely weird for outsiders just looking..
A group of yogi’s squatting down in the garden, drinking one cup of water after the other, a guy walking around filling up the cups
and every now and then someone started puking.
It’s like sitting at a bar with a very bad bartender, encouraging you to keep drinking and drinking until it goes wrong..
The teachers are aware that not everyone will be open for a cleanse like this and it’s totally fine to skip it, but they do encourage it.
And I do too! It’s such a good experience to have and if you never try.. you’ll never know.
On this day we only had our afternoon classes.

2. Shank Prakshalana: Induced bowl movements
I was excited for this cleanse! Yes, I was excited to poop. A lot.
If you experience digestive problems you’ll understand why.
It’s said that this cleanse removes all impurities from the digestive tract and reboots the system.
For this cleanse we had to drink 2 cups of warm salt-lemon water, do some dynamic stretches, drink again, stretch again until you had to run up the stairs to your room and.. release.
We had to repeat this cycle until what came out of us was as clear as water.
I drank around 30-33 cups when I felt it was done. Others had less or more and 2 of the group also started puking at one point.
On this day we didn’t have any class, because it was SO TIRING. I wanted to sleep, but they told us it was better not too nap.
This among some other ‘rules’ we had to follow for that day.
We had 2 meals(no snacking). One at 11AM and the other at 6PM. Both meals were plain kitcheree which is easy digestible
and full of all the good stuff for our digestive tract.
Did I feel cleansed after this? I sure did! The next day I felt very light and energized, but soon after the cleanse I was constipated again.
The struggles of a messed up digestive tract..

The food

The foooood. Important part of the experience, right?
I don’t know how to label the food we had.. it wasn’t the traditional indian food and also not sattvic.
It was a mix of everything. Every meal was ve-ry random.
The kitchen staff spoke a little bit English and it was hard to explain what vegan and gluten-free means. Elin and I both informed them before hand, but the message didn’t reach the kitchen staff.
A few times they had to prepare something on the spot for Elin and me, because they forgot or maybe hoped
we would just eat it? As long as they provided us with something we were happy and it got better over the weeks.
Most of our meals were great and very satisfying, but for breakfast that was 3 out of 10 times. Just being honest here.
They served us things like poah(a traditional indian breakfast dish with rice. My fave!), oatmeal, noodles, pita and hummus (which meant I just ate a bowl of hummus), fried spring rolls, pasta, white toast without any toppings.. (??)
We stayed respectful and grateful, but when it wasn’t to our liking we told them and asked for oatmeal instead.
Lunch was the biggest meal of the day! Rice, chapati and about 3 other dishes like a veggie stew/curry, something with potatos, dahl..
Dinner was a bit the same, but less options and the amount of food was less.
Overall I was happy with the food provided and so were the other students!

We ate out a few times and the food found in Rishikesh is amazing!
All restaurants in Rishikesh are vegetarian and there’s no alcohol to be found.
It was very easy to find vegan food and even kombucha at our favorite cafe..
But I’m going to dedicate a separate post on vegan food and restaurants in India!

I would truly recommend doing a yoga teacher training to ANYONE.
It opens up your mind and your soul for new ideas, experiences and connections.
It challenges every part of you and it WILL make you see you’re capable of truly anything!

NOTHING BUT LOVE ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

Third part of my Thailand trip: from Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya

Geke Keuter 0

Welcome all, to the third part of my trip!
This is a short one, but in my opinion an important part.
After 3 nights in Kanchanaburi it was time for me to pack my bag and go to Ayutthaya, for 1 night.
I wanted to leave early, because that way I had 1,5 days to explore.

A short history lesson:
‘The kingdom of Ayutthaya’ was a siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 till 1767.
The king at that time(Ramathibodi I) founded the city of Ayutthaya, their capital city.
t was a wealthy city and very friendly towards foreign traders(and they still are very friendly!).
Foreign country’s referred to the kingdom as Siam, but the people living there called themselves ‘Tai’ and therr country ‘Krung Tai'(The Tai country).
In 1367 the king also took over the kingdom ‘Sukhotai’ and quickly the Tai/Siam kindom became a large nation, almost covering all ground from Thailand now a days.
When the Burmese invaded and destroyed the city in 1767 that was also the end of the kingdom..
General Taksin and his troops escaped the kingdom just before the downfall.
After the downfall the kingdom was divided in six parts. Taksin controlled the east shore.
In 1767 he conquered back central Thailand, founded the new capital city called ‘Thonburi'(which is referred to as Bangkok now) and he was crowned as king!

So reading and knowing all of the Ayutthaya history you might guess what Ayutthaya is all about..
Temples! Old ruin temples, active temples, buddha statues..
There’s a relaxed vibe in ayutthaya.. very peaceful.
Not many influences from western country’s yet so it’s a great place to experience ‘real Thailand’. Just like Kanchanaburi!

First things first now..
HOW to get there!?
That was quite the puzzle, but when you figure it out how to get there from Kanchanaburi it’s actually really simple.
The Thai people know what they’re doing 😉
From Kanchanaburi there’s no direct bus/train/van to Ayutthaya.
First you have to take the bus(busstop B5) to Suphanburi. The first one leaves at 05:10 and I think there’s one leaving every hour..
When you arrive in Suphanburi the first thing you do is buy a ticket for the minivan towards Ayutthaya.
They leave from busstop 2.
Everyone on the van gets dropped off at the same location, and lucky for me it wasn’t far from my hostel!
After walking for a few minutes I arrived at my hostel and boy what a place! It’s called Allsum hostel and I HIGHLY recommend!
It was nicely decorated and looked very clean. Everything was well organised and there was a nice Thai boy behind the counter arranging everything for everyone. The hostel attracted other friendly backpackers it seemed.
The boy behind the counter gave me a map of ayutthaya, pointed out the highlights and told me how to get around.
The best way to get around in Ayutthaya is by bicycle! The hostel rents out bikes for only 50 baht a day.

My first (half) day in Ayutthaya:
The check in at the hostel wasn’t until 2pm, but I was allowed to leave my bag(make sure to put it in your flight bag and LOCK it).
I went out for lunch and according to Happycow(an app telling you where to find vegan/vegetarian food near you) there was a Jay restaurant near me. Only a 10 minute walk.
What’s a Jay restaurant you ask?
Jay restaurants are all over Thailand and are fully vegan.
Next to avoiding animal products they also avoid 5 kind of plants for health reasons, those 5 are:
Tobacco, garlic, onion and chinese chives.
There’s much more to this kitchen so I will dedicate a separate post telling you all about the Jay kitchen soon!
Jay restaurants or food stands are recognized by flashy yellow flags with a red sign on it which looks like the number 17.
Their food is offered in buffet style with some and very cheap!
A serving of rice + 3 dishes and unlimited water for 30 baht..
Most of them also offer very good mock meats made from soy or some sort of mushroom.
It’s like 10 baht for a piece of mock meat or anything else they offer next to the buffet dishes, Like springrolls!

After I checked in at my hostel I decided to visit the nearby temple ruins of ‘wat phra mahathat’ and did everything by foot.
The old temple ruins are located in a big park including more than just the ruins.
There are some market stalls selling clothes, food, fresh coconuts, ice cream and souvenirs.
Don’t be fooled by the busy crowd there! After buying your ticket(50 baht) and entering the temple area it actually gets really peaceful.
Well, not all parts. The temple is most known for the fascinating buddha head entwined in tree roots.
Nobody knows exactly how the stone head came there!

It could get a bit crowded in front of the tree, because everyone wants to take a selfie with it.
Be aware that you’re supposed to lower yourself when standing close the the buddha head or when taking a picture.
It was indeed a beautiful sight, but after taking a few pictures I decided to escape the crowd.
I wandered around the ruins, enjoying the sun on my skin, feeling peaceful and free.
Even saw some squirrels and of course I stopped for a photo shoot!

After my wat phra mahathat visit I wandered around in the park.
I kept on walking and walking making a stop ever time I saw some sort of ruin or anything else worth to look at.
At one point I had a really nice talk with a Thai guy who wants to visit the Netherlands really bad, he’s a fan of the dutch soccer team Ajax haha!
Aaaall the way on the other side of the park is the famous, enormous reclining buddha statue(wat lokayasutharam).
A reclining buddha is a statue that represents Buddha lying down on the right flank, his head resting on a cushion or relying on his right elbow, supporting his head with his hand. This is how he lied down during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana.
When I arrived the only people there were some locals burning sandalwood incense and it was a peaceful sight.

It was getting darker, I was getting hungry and I didn’t know where I was exactly.
My internet connection was failing me and I think that was because the surrounding looked very poor and old.
I asked a local lady on a motor bike about a certain restaurant, showing her the address on my phone.
She told me to hop on the back of her bike and took me to a tuktuk driver with more navigating knowledge.
He didn’t know either. I thanked them and decided to start walking back to where I cam from. A one hour walk.
After walking about 2/3 minutes the tuktuk driver catched up on me and offered to drive me(for free!) to the night market!
How generous, I was so grateful!!
The night market is more in the centre of Ayutthaya with some restaurants close by.
I found a restaurant offering vegetarian food and I ordered a pad thai without egg and fish sauce. Jum!!
After that I went to the night market and had my first ever mango sticky rice.. JUST WOW!
What at treat! I was hooked ♥

My second full(and last) day in Ayutthaya:
After a good night rest I took a refreshing shower and ate fruits for breakfast.
I packed my day bag, put on clothes to cover my knees and shoulders, rented a bike and went out exploring for the entire day.
But not before I let the boy behind the counter fix me a ticket for the night bus to Chiang Mai the next day!

The ‘centre’ of ayutthaya is surrounded by a river and there are some temples located on the other side of the river.
I dedicated this day on visiting 2 of them. These are ‘active temples’ with monks walking around, people burning incense and sometimes a ceremony going on.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon(20 baht):

It was a long bike ride, but WORTH IT!
I loved this temple complex!
It was relaxed and alive at the same time.
There are some buildings, huts where monks live in(they live in some sort of community there), lots of intact buddha statues and a very high Chedi. It’s worth to climb it for the view and also just to challenge yourself!
The crowd is mostly where the statues and buildings are, but I found myself in the peaceful gardens with small path walks.

My guess was that the gardens are for the monks to do their walking meditation etc.
Around the complex you’ll see signs with the thirty-eight blessings on it , like this one here on the picture.

Wat Phanan Choeng(20 baht):

This temple is known for the big golden buddha statue.
That’s it.
I was glad that there was a ceremony going on, otherwise it would’ve been a waste of the horrible bike ride haha.
There was.. a strange vibe and I felt like it had something to do with the location. It was weird.
After watching the ceremony I left, because it wasn’t really an enjoyable place.
What I did enjoy was the barefoot walking there!
I don’t know what kind of ceremony it was, but the people there all had an orange cloth and at the end the monks collected the cloths + money and they clothed the big buddha statue. It was a nice experience to see something like that!

Food tip on the other side of the bridge:
Somewhere in between those temple visits(or after, I can’t remember) I had lunch.
I did my research of course and I started looking for a restaurant called Jintana service.

I think I burned off all the calories I ate after my search by bike for this restaurant!
First I crossed the bridge back to the other side of the river. It’s a big uphill bridge with busy roads so quite intense.
Google maps was all over the place and told me to go back over the bridge. So I did.
I crossed it a few times, because everytime I was on one side it looked like I had to be on the other side.
I. WAS. ONE. BIG. HOT. SWEATY. MESS, but determined to find this restaurant!
And I did. I asked some locals and they pointed me in a direction.
First it looked like I wouldn’t find anything there, but all of a sudden.. a street with lots of restaurants, hostels, shops and other travelers!
Yes! I found Jintana service and they knew exactly what veganism is.
I had a delicious curry, rice and spring rolls with peanut chili sauce.

After my adventures I went back to the hostel and met some nice people at the hostel.
One of them was a dutch guy and we went out for dinner together, at ‘tony’s place restaurant’.
A restaurant with a really nice vibe and good music!
They made me a pineapple fried rice without egg and fish sauce + a mango coconut milk smoothie ♥
Back at the hostel we sat outside in the dark with more travelers, talking and laughing.
Until I had to head off to catch the night bus towards the next chapter in my trip.. Chiang Mai!

How to save up money for the thing you want, without ruining your present life!

Geke Keuter 0

Hello there all you beautiful people.
What brought you to this blog post?
Are you saving up for something big like long-term traveling or something smaller like a good quality yoga mat?
Both means spending money you won’t get back. Is that something to think about or worry about? No!
Never worry about spending money on things that will make you happy and will make your life experience a better one, for you.
There are always jobs to fall back on. Friends, family and random friendly people to fall back on when things don’t go as planned.
But this post is not about this side of the story!
I will share some tips on how to save up for the thing you WANT, without ruining your present life.
So without saying no to fun trips, eating out, potlucks and just anything that wants to make it’s way into your experience.
Of course you shouldn’t make these things a habit, but if you feel a pull towards something.. follow your intuition and go!
Don’t go for someone else’s sake, like a friend wanting you to go out when you don’t want to.
Listen to your own wants and needs.

The following are my ‘tips and tricks’ and to be honest.. I apply most of them in my life without actually saving up for something.

–Sell everything that’s not serving you. From clothes to an old laptop, books, jewelry, paintings, your CAR.. you name it. Go through all your stuff and put the things you use all the time a side. It gives you perspective on how much you actually really need/use.
It will also give you a peace of mind when decluttering and minimalising the stuff you own!
A tip on top of this tip: stop magazine subscriptions, maybe your gym subscription(and start working out at home), downgrade on your phone subscription, BUT get yourself some sort of subscription on public transport and other things you use a lot.

A car.. do we really need it? Are you working a one hour drive from your home and they are not compensating public transport costs?
In that case you need a car. Don’t buy a car because it’s easy and it will get you places. A bike will get you everywhere you need to be and when that place is too far away to travel by bike, think about: carpooling, public transport(keep an eye out for cheap day tickets and subscriptions) + it will make you realize how often you went somewhere just because you could when owning a car.
Like grocery shopping in the city next door, because they have more stuff. Stuff you don’t really need 😉
A car brings lots of costs and it could drain your bank account without you noticing it.
Just like cigarettes.

–Only buy what you need. When shopping think twice with everything you THINK you want to buy.
Will it serve you? Will you use/wear it, often? Do you really NEED it? Everyone needs a pair of good black jeans so if that’s the case, go get yourself those pants. Is it a top with a bright color inviting you to buy it, think twice.. you probably have enough tops.
When it comes to grocery shopping: go once a week and make a list of the things you think you’ll need. Grains, vegetables, fruits, herbs, peanut butter.. Keep this list with you and don’t look at all the other stuff inviting you to buy it. On that list is everything you need and you know it, because you wrote it!

-Do chores. Easiest way to earn some quick/extra money. Let people know you want to earn some extra money or just that you’re saving up and some will ask you to do something for them. Like cleaning a car/house, babysitting, walking dogs..options are endless.
What I did for my trip to Thailand: I put out a message on facebook that I wanted to earn some extra money including some ideas of different chores I could do. I cleaned 2 cars and went babysitting twice, I earned 150 euro’s total!
Chores take up way less time then work, but you’ll earn more for the amount of time you’re actually busy with it.

-Move in with your parents or live with roommates. I totally get that you want your own space, trust me. Also trust me when I say that it’s possible to create this ‘own space’ just about everywhere. Your own room, a garden or park, a barn, the gym, the attic, the library, a room at a friends house? Think outside the box when needed and think about the unnecessary costs being saved!

-Find the beauty in thrift shopping and replace your ‘normal’ shopping trip with a thrift shopping trip.
Personally it gives me such a good feeling to give used clothes and stuff new life! The fact that someone didn’t want it anymore doesn’t mean it can’t be used or worn anymore.. that’s why they sell it! Ask around for the nicest (and cheap) thrift shop places and write them down for when you actually need something.. 😉 Also, the fact that it’s cheap doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think twice before buying!
ONLY. BUY. WHAT. YOU. NEED.
Oke?
Oh and.. stop buying books. I’m sorry, but yes I said it. Books are very expensive and it’s so easy to borrow a book or to buy them second hand. Or, or.. go for an E-book over the printed books, much cheaper.
Fun idea: start a book sharing group in your area and exchange books with each other 🙂
Or start one online and send each other the books. That way both parties only pay for the shipping costs and you both get a book(or a few at once). Lots of books are also available ONLINE. On the INTERNET. PDF. Type in the book you want + PDF and when you’re lucky you can download a PDF file of this book. Download the app Aldiko (for android) on your phone and start reading.
You’re very welcome.

-Write all your financial stuff down and check your progress. Watching your ‘saving progress’ really helps to motivate you for further saving!
It’s like getting into a flow, a ‘saving flow’ haha(watch out that you’re not getting obsessed and are letting other fun things slip).
Also write down how much you’re earning every week/month, what you’re spending on groceries, clothes, subscriptions, bills..all your fixed charges! And make an estimation of how much money you have left, how much you want to set a side and how much you are willing to spent on other things(the fun things, the things enhancing your present moments).
Next to those things also write down what motivates you, why you’re saving up, what you’re working towards and what kind of feeling it will give you when you reach it.
Accept the fact that you’re not there yet and appreciate the journey! You should make the most of every present moment, not just live towards something in the future.

-DIY. It’s not that hard. Make your own toothpaste, body/lip scrub, snacks (!), house cleaning stuff, air freshener, peanut butter, tomato sauce. The DIY options are endless 😀 I love to make my own toothpaste and I definitely want to make more stuff myself in the future!

-Make a wish list for your birthday, Christmas etc. I never know what to ask for my birthday, but I started writing things down I want/need/use for the upcoming one.
It could be all kinds of things: books, skin care products, toothpaste, socks, table ware, a yoga mat/block/strap/pants ehm..yeah you know best what you use and need. Maybe a subscription to Netflix or spotify?
Or just ask them to give money like I always do.

-Take every opportunity to save some, but don’t be greedy. The kind of opportunity’s I’m talking about: 2 dishes on the menu and you feel attracted to both. 1 of them is cheaper. Go for the cheaper one.
What I’m not talking about:
The waitress at the restaurant was very friendly and helpful, the food was amazing and the vibe was great. You ask for the bill and you pay the exact the amount. Not a cent more. Don’t do that! That’s just bad karma and unfriendly.. just give a small tip. That money will find it’s way back to you.

”Beware of small expanses,
a small leak will sink a great ship.”

Here you go guys!
I’ll leave it with these tips, for now.
I bet more tips&tricks will be added and I ask you to tell me yours so I can add those too!

I hope this is helpful for all of you and I’m curious..what are you saving up for?
What are your plans and dreams? Wants and needs?
I would love to hear about it! <3

Believe it or not, but I have a song fitting our topic!
(for the people who don’t know: I try to find a fitting song with every blog post)

Second part of my Thailand route: from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi!

Geke Keuter 0

Welcome back! If you’re reading this I suppose you also read the first part of my trip.
The first part was a long tiring flight, figuring out how traffic in Bangkok works, eating my first real curry..
and now we wake up early after a worthless night of sleep in my hostel at the always loud Khao san road.
Worst. idea. ever.

Tip:
Don’t book a hostel directly on Khao san road(you won’t sleep) or not in that area at all 😉
It’s busy, lots of travelers and backpackers, but it’s definitely not where all of the fun happens.

I wake up early so I can catch the slow train to Kanchanaburi.
This train departs 2 times a day(7:50 and 13:55) from Thonburi station in Bangkok.
It will take the train about 3 hours from there to Kanchanaburi(the train has more stops).
It’s just one train so the second ride is often delayed, just wait patiently if that’s the case.

My original idea to get from the guest house to Thonburi station:
Walk to the ferry pier, catch a ferry and from there walk to Thonburi station. I wasn’t trusting my own plan that much, because I didn’t trust the information I found online and I didn’t yet have a clue how things go in Thailand.
I checked out from my room, walked outside and what happened was:
all the tuktuk driver started seeking my attention and ask questions. That will happen for you too.
If you’re not interested in any of that; just keep walking with a polite smile on your face.
One driver started talking to me and I decided to let him take me to Thonburi station.
That way I knew for sure I would get there, but.. way too early now ofourse.

Oh well, after I got there I bought my train ticket, killed some time by reading a book and around 12 I decided on taking a look at the food stands to get some lunch.
How to find vegan food in the middle of nowhere at foodstands where they hardly speak English..
Yes there it is, the word vegetarian! Now I had to find out what I should ask them to leave out.
The friendly Thai men already started asking me what I wanted to eat in his best English.
I explained what I can’t and can eat and trusted him and his wife to make me some food.
A few minutes later I got a plate with fried rice, mushrooms, lemon and pepper.
Very basic, but just what I wanted! And it was only 40 baht people.. 40 baht!

On the slow train it’s hard to do something else than look outside the window.
You’ll see fruit and vegetable plantations, mountains covered with beautiful trees, small local (poor) villages..
oh and the train mechanic likes to honk the horn. Constantly.
You’ll be able to buy fruits, nuts, water and even fried chicken (gross?) from lady’s walking up and down the train.

After about 1.5 hours a Thai man decided to point out everything we saw and teach me the Thai word for it.
He couldn’t speak English, but it all worked out 😉
I got off the train at the stop close to the famous bridge over the river Kwai so I could check off one highlight from the list.

The Thai man also got off and decided to take me on a small ‘tour’.
I was still carrying my backpack, but it was bearable.
We walked the bridge to the other end of the river, walking towards the enormous buddha statue.
It was part of a temple and he tried his best to explain things and teach me some thai words.
”mother buddha, mother buddha” were his favorite English words.
Such a sweet, sweet man!

Vegan food tip in Kanchanaburi:
On’s thai issan! It’s a fully vegetarian kitchen and they know what veganism is.
On is the nicest lady and an amazing cook! I think it’s my favorite restaurant in Thailand..
I recommend the thai iced tea with coconut milk, massamam curry and pad thai.
She also gives a cooking class (on request) so sometimes they are closed without any notice before hand.
It happened to me once, but I walked 30 minutes so she let me in and still made me some awesome food.
+it was my friend Joe (we met the other day at the restaurant) doing the cooking class and they made so much food so he let me taste everything. Yeeey!

Main reason you should visit Kanchanaburi:
-The erawan waterfall!
This waterfall is located in Erawan national park.
The waterfall has 7 levels and I suggest to climb all 7!
The higher you go the less people you see.. well, no that´s not entirely true.
Along the way you´ll see some hidden spots and once I saw one I decided to make it my main stop.
I did some swimming and relaxing there before going to the 7th level!
From level 4 or 5 it gets tough, but so worth it.
The last bathroom is at level 2.. don’t make the same mistake I did. Go!!
Instructions on how to get to the park:
I suggest taking the earliest morning bus to the park, because the last bus back to Kanchanaburi
from Erawan national park is around 4 pm.
Be at the bus station 30 minutes before departing to claim your spot.

Things I didn’t do, but definitely should have:
-Hellfire pass
-Riding the ‘death railway’ with the slow train from Kanchanaburi (they say this view is amaaaazing!)
-Visiting the dragonhead cave temple

In Kanchanaburi you’ll experience real Thailand and not the one set-up for tourists!
The locals there are amazed by tourists(not that tourists don’t come there, just less) and are eager to help you out.
Another thing about Kanchanaburi: there are no tuktuk’s. Only motorcycle taxi’s.
What I should’ve done was renting a bike.. so cheap and easy!

I wasted the time I had in Kanchanaburi, because I was still afraid to undertake most activity’s on my own.
I couldn’t figure out how I had to travel back from hellfire pass. I got frustrated and decided to skip it.
It’s something I regret now. Just ask the hostel owner if you can’t figure stuff out!
They know everything and they take care of everything haha!
My body was also very tired, because I just kept on going since my arrival in Thailand.
That’s something I forget easily, but writing about it makes me think about every detail.

In this video you´ll see me traveling from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and the friendly Thai man guiding me!
I also have a video up where I´m exploring the Erawan waterfall <3

Part one of my Thailand route: the big and scary city called Bangkok!

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It’s time to face my overwhelming trip!
Or should I say: the overwhelming amount of pictures, experiences to tell about,
restaurants you should know off, the best way to get to places..
Every week I’ll share a part of my trip/route with all of you and it wouldn’t be me if I
didn’t share some deeper stuff with it 😉
The travel tips are in bold or noted as tip, so it’s easy to find them!

For me my journey started the moment my boyfriend left me at the airport and I was all alone.
All alone for the first time in.. well I think ever. I’ve never been alone, fully depending on myself.
To be honest it really sunk in at my first layover in Moscow, Sheremetyevo airport.
I literally knew nobody and they didn’t
speak my language, hell they hardly spoke English.

Tip:
You’re vegan and craving some ‘food’ there besides the food you brought yourself?
At one restaurant at the airport they sell a random vegan cookie and deeelicious smoothies!
I can’t remember the name, but it was close to burger ging and they don’t have a lot of options there so it won’t be hard to find.
Next to that, nothing vegan to be found! They don’t even know the word..

After a long journey I finally arrived in Bangkok, but I wasn’t there yet..
nope, nope. A hour long line at customs, no food(and already craving the vegan thai food),
couldn’t find my backpack at first, trouble getting thai money from the ATM.
But I figured everything out, bought a thai SIM card and told everyone I arived safely!

(disclaimer: it was the anxious me thinking Bangkok was scary and dangerous!
It’s actually really fun to explore Bangkok and find some ‘hidden treasures’.
Another disclaimer: the picture quality will get better because I was figuring out the camera,
but unfortunately I didn’t have my DSLR with me.)

From bangkok suvarnabhumi airport to the city: just take the skytrain! Easy, fast and cheap.
In Bangkok I felt extremely overwhelmed, hungry and overheated while trying to figure out
how to get to my hostel.. yes I was anxious to say the least.
At one point my inner confident self stepped up, waved for a tuk tuk
and I rode off to my hostel without haggling about the price(the price was actually fair to be honest).
I really enjoyed the drive and trusted the tuk tuk driver in Bangkok’s wild traffic,
but I was telling myself to get away from Bangkok as soon as possible..
The tuk tuk driver dropped me off at Khao san road, where my hostel was, and lots of local men
greeted me and were asking where I was going.
”Is there something behind these friendly gestures?” I asked myself,
but no.. thai people really are that helpfull!
But watch out for Indian guys, they will ask you out and won’t stop until you say yes or just walk away :’) It happened to me a few times..

Tip:
Don’t book a room at Charoendee boutique hostel. You won’t sleep, because you hear everything happening in Khao san road. Also it’s not really a fun hostel. Make sure you book a room around Khao san road(not in) or a different, nicer area in Bangkok! Don’t assume Khao san road is the place to be..

I went out for food as soon as possible.
While booking my hostel back home I made sure there would be vegan food close by.
I went to May kaidee’s(samsen) vegetarian restaurant!
Not knowing, at that point, I would eat there many more times..
The waitresses weren’t really friendly and I felt awkward, but the food was great!
It came down to Massamam curry and a banana flower salad.
My first real curry and I was hooked!

Tip:
I learned later on that there’s another establishment of May kaidee close to Khao san road and
that’s the place to be. It’s May Kaidee Tanao 🙂 Every Saturday they offer a vegan buffet
from 6-8 pm costing you 150 baht, cheap! And don’t forget to book a cooking class there, you won’t regret it!
https://www.maykaidee.com/

After dinner it was dark outside and I felt anxious again.
My family made sure I was scared to walk around on my own..
I was also afraid to take my camera out, because my boyfriend made sure I would think other
travelers are out there to steal from me.
While walking back to my hostel, with my friend google maps, I bought some baby bananas and
had my first 7-eleven visit(for a bottle of water).
7-eleven is a supermarket you’ll find everywhere on every street corner in Thailand!
They have drinks, food, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, cutlery, sunglasses, a microwave to heat up your food and many more handy stuff.

Tip:
Make sure your sunscreen and other lotions don’t have any whitening in them!
Thai people looove their whitening.. the banana boat sunscreen is a life saver.

This was literally all I did in Bangkok.
Back in the hostel I finished my first vlog(while finishing a vegan white chocolate bar) and went to bed early, just to wake up early for the second part of my trip..
Kanchanaburi!

Stay tuned for that because it will include how to get from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi in the first place, way more tips and way more fun adventures <3

A big thanks to all of you who were following me on my adventures while I was there.
It means a lot to me when people show interest and want to connect.
Also tell me about your adventures and plans!

What is loneliness really?

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Loneliness, as I did my research I came to the conclusion that there are 2 kinds.
I looked into both of them and will talk about both of them in this post!

From birth on we are being who like to be around people.
We have to be taken care off and we like to be entertained.
Some people like to take care of others and some like it to be taken care of.
Same goes for entertaining, talking and what not.
Not being alone is something we are used to so we continue to have this feeling
of wanting people around us.

What happens that when we spend too much time alone is that we feel a certain,
unwanted feeling. A feeling of loneliness is what we call it(or is it just..boredom?).
This can awaken a sad and/or bored mood.
For some this is very strong and I think that goes for extroverted people.
It’s less strong for introverted people, but it’s still there even when some try to ignore it
or push it away. Are we supposed to be that way?
Wanting to be around people even when you’re introverted or don’t like people that much?
Or is it because we’re not used to being alone and so used to sharing everything with others.

So the second feeling of loneliness is the one I tend to experience,
especially on this solo trip.

“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you,
it’s not because they enjoy solitude.
It’s because they have tried to blend into the world before,
and people continue to disappoint them.”
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper

Loneliness awakened by not being able to share your deepest thoughts, experiences
or just anything else with someone who cares, listens and understands.
Or even just someone who listens.
Sometimes I arrive in a place and I really like it, but I can’t seem to blend in with the people.
I feel uncomfortable, not at place and unwanted even.
I know it is a unhealthy feeling, which is awakened by feeling lonely.
When you experience this too you’ll probably know that it’s something that you have
from young age. You were probably misunderstood a lot, an over thinking child with a
complicated mind. I feel like this often. So when I’m somewhere I feel at home I actually
don’t want to leave.

Before going on this trip, and in the beginning, I was always seeking approval or opinions in
others by everything I did.

Always wanting to share everything, small and big. From what I ate too, for example, an
accident I had. This is the same as wanting to do everything with others otherwise you’ll feel
lonely or even that the experience wasn’t worth it.

This is such a weird way of thinking and doing things, but how to get rid of it?
Reflecting on thoughts and actions is so important and it’s how we grow.
Growing goes in steps and for me a big first step was going on this trip alone.
As I was reflecting on it more I decided to stop vlogging from here.
To learn how to be truly independent, judge free, free in choosing and judging situations.
What do we get out of sharing everything?
Nothing really..
It causes us to not truly live in the moment, enjoy our alone time, the meal you’re having
and seeing your surroundings.
We’re also letting the feeling of..feeling strong after the independent decisions
we made pass by. We have to feel it, embrace it and grow from it.

I don’t think we’re always supposed to be around people.
For that our own independent minds are too strong.
Especially always staying in the same place with the same people doesn’t seem healthy
to me at all. We’ll never learn what else is out there, we miss out on certain experiences
that make us grow as a person.
And how beautiful would it be if you get out there and bump into people that align with you
perfectly?

Go out, explore, get to know yourself and get to know others along the way!

So the song I chose with this post is:
John Lennon – Isolation

The best truffles in Pai, Thailand

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I found the best truffles in Pai and I ate them everyday!
With that I mean chocolate truffles ofcourse. Vegan chocolate truffles.
And they were amazing!
A very friendly local man sells them at the night market till’ midnight!
The ‘leftovers’ are sold at a cafe called Art in chai where I had my favorite truffle flavor with a
delicious and refreshing iced caramel chai.

There are 7 different flavors(from most favorite to least):
1. Chocolate covered in cacao powder with a few peanuts inside
2. Chocolate covered in oreo pieces
3. Chocolate covered in chocolate sprinkles
4. Chocolate covered in shredded coconut
5. Chocolate with peanuts in- and outside (haven’t tried this one)
6. Chocolate with a strawberry inside (I don’t like chocolate with fruit)
7. Chocolate with some sort of coffee beans (I don’t like coffee)

They cost 30 baht for 1 truffle and it’s impossible to just buy one..
Some might think it’s expensive (it’s really not if you think about it), but
I had a talk with him and he said that it’s expensive to make them.

Don’t think these are only delicious for vegans, because ‘normally vegans can’t eat anything’.
I told everyone I met about these truffles. Everyone bought them and every single time I watched
their face fall in love while trying a bite.

This post is not sponsored at all, but I don’t want anyone to miss out on these amazing treats!

Working towards my first long term trip

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Who would’ve taught that we need so much time to prepare for a trip.
Well, your first trip. Next time you´ll know what to do and take care of.

As time passed by more was thrown on my path which I had to take care off before leaving.
Like finding out I wanted to buy a more compact, high quality camera for vlogging and taking pictures. For that I had to sell my old, but still new one.
When I started to feel positive about this process a friend had send me a message telling me she wanted to buy my camera. Happy me!
Finding a new one was a whole other story. Day after day I did camera research on my laptop.
Making myself crazy in this process.

Last minute I figured out that the best way to keep my stuff safe was a flight bag with a cable lock.
Now a days most of the web shops have a quick delivery, but nothing was less true.
I ordered several locks, but every order got delayed or they couldn’t deliver it anymore.
My father and boyfriend were making me anxious by telling me I would get robbed so I’m taking
every possible precaution. I did find some locks and thankfully the flight bag got delivered after a call to the company.

Next to materialistic problems we have the mental aspect when working up towards a long term (solo) trip.
especially when you have/had certain anxieties..
And boy, did I go through some different mental states, but that’s nothing new.
I went from over excited to doubting everything. From wanting to go immediately to not wanting to go anymore.
The difference NOW from when my anxieties were still strong and my depression present,
is that in these different state of minds I now know what my true intentions are and what I truly want.

I’m not listening to the venomous, overpowering mind, but to my whispering soul and spirit.

I was telling myself it’s not such a big of a deal, because lots of other people are doing this solo traveling thing.
Still, I am my own person and this is a big step for me.
From a social anxious, insecure human being to one exploring a big country on her own.
Talking to people and laughing as much as possible.

Another important thing.. say goodbye to your loved ones.
Because of my ‘depressed, eating disorder period’ I had to rebuild the relationships with my family.
I’m trying hard to let them know I love them.
I thought my mother would just drop me off at the airport and that was all, but nothing was less true.
Lots of hugs, kisses, curious questions and best wishes was what I got.

So say goodbye, you never know what might happen to you or them.
You shouldn’t expect something to happen, but just give them a last loving word or a big smile.
On the morning of leaving I told my dogs goodbye. This was really hard, because I love them immensely and I can’t tell them I’ll be back in 2 months. They might think I’m gone forever.

I am so grateful for my parents and sister taking me to the airport, where my boyfriend was also waiting on me.
What did I do to deserve all of this love?

At the airport the last goodbye kisses, hugs and off I go.

The journey begins..