Im just about to leave Bangkok for Cambodia.. The last couple of months since i last wrote has been great, arriving in Malaysia after that long nonstop hitch from Jakarta. I spent few days in Melaka with couchsurfers, hitched down for few days to Singapore, more couchsurfing and busking, a few sessions of juggling and acrobatics on the street paid well. North again up to Kuala lumpur, organized a CS-juggling event which gathered not many but a few people. Some busking over there aswell which gladly paid for some birthday supplies for my host. Left for Thailand, some rides with trucks some with cars, managed to get out of KL easy, waited few minutes on the motorway paystation until a truck brought me to Ipoh. Restarea hitching just like in europe. A couple stopped and brought the 300+ km to their house and then next morning the remaining 40 km to the border to Thailand.

Ailee spinning the poi in KL

Thailand, suddently a new language, after thoose months spent in Malaysia and Indonesia, my bahasa melayu and bahasa indonesia were quite allrite for easy conversations with driver. In thai i couldnt even introduce myself or say thanks. Hitchhiking went ok though, got some rides with cars, some with motorbikes. Next day ive made it to the island of Koh samui where i met my father after not seeing him for over 2 years. We spent one week walking around the island on the beaches.. After a bit over 2 weeks on theese island i hitched towards Bangkok, had a ride with a driver going..fast.. and overtaking in the most breathtaking ways. Arrived in the evening to Bangkok where i met up with Tiphaine in the CS house of Toom. We spent few days before heading north. Hitchhiking was easy, we spent a few days, Ayuthaya, Sukothai looking at ancient temples, museums. Mostly staying in tent but sometimes were hosted in families. After Sukothai, west to Mae sod, next to Burmese border, scruffy border town i think Lonely planet would describe it as but we had interesting time there meeting people helping refugees from Burma in different ways.. North of Mae sod is the biggest refugee camp of South-east-asia, we pass an checkpoint driving a while along the camp, some barbed wire fences, lots of people walking along the road, little kid trying to hitch a ride with our driver then checkpoint again and forest, villages. Beautiful road along the river dividing Burma and Thailand.

Temples and Hitching

One night we were hosted by a police in a kind of police station, he opened the room, moved a few things, put a rifle that was leaning against the wall under the bed instead and welcomed us to sleep in the room. We made it up to Mae hng son, cold night up in the mountains, down to Chiang mai, some couchsurfing over there, few days relaxing after many nights in tent. Easy hitching to Chiang Rai, further to the border of Laos, which we entered on the 24th january.

Vientiane

Laos was harder for hitchhiking, our first day we got a ride with a Thai truck driver heading for the border of China. Stopping half the way we slept in a tent and had our coldest night up in the mountains. In the morning we were freezing and were invited to heat ourselves around the fires the kids had started to get some morning heat. COntinued with another truckdriver we made it to the junction of the north-south "highway". Not many cars, most of them Chinese. Finally a Chinese did stop and we went for hours throught mountain passes. In Muang Xai we were hosted in a classroom in a temple, got a rideto Luang Prabang with a Lao-english couple. Luang Prabang was full of tourists but we enjoyed sleeping well on the sandy riverbanks of Mekong river.. We had to wait few hours to get out of Luang prabang, finally a Lao man with his children offered to take us to Vientiane. He was not the greatest driver in the world and the roads were small, curvy and full of motorbikes on the wrong side of the road. We made it thought. Skipped Vang Vieng and its river full of drunken westerners in tractor tubes. We had not found a couchsurfing host in Vientiane so set up a tent in a park. Three soldiers came just when the tent was up told us we could not sleep there. After some gentle arguing they said we could move 30 m out of their responsibility. Woke up with 30+ Lao people around us doing their morning workout. Next night we set up a tent in a temple garden instead which was better.

Went a bit further in Laos and crossed into Thailand in Thakaek. Just one week in Laos. But somehow it did feel enough for this time. Further some days in flat but amazing eastern Thailand. Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchatani, Nang Rong. Temples, great people and park-camping.. Finally we get a ride the last 400km to Bangkok on the back of a pickup truck(and had a storm so we sat under a tarp) Back to Bangkok, back to the amazing CS house of Toom! Tiphaine went back to Indonesia a few days ago. Now im off to Cambodia in about one hour. Hoping to make it to the border before 8:30 pm not to overstay my visa. I already got my Chinese Visa here in Bangkok. but first Cambodia, Vietnam. Not sure about what to do there but have a few ideas!

Wish me luck!!

Tiphaine and friends in Mukdahan

Before leaving Kota kinabalu, Sabah..











A few pics of some of the stuff i did before leaving Kota kinabalu for the hitch towards Pontianak.. The one on the paper was meant for a cafe in KK but when I was on my way to give it (and on my way to leave KK)I got lost and suddenly was far from the city so I decided to start hitchhiking, the painting i gave to a young driver..

From Sabah to Brunei (And the passport stamp marathon)
Batu Niah caves Sarawak




About one month spent in Sabah Malaysia..! Travelling around, east, west, north, up, down, here, there. When time to leave after great time spent I headed for Brunei.. I had already hitched the road before, almost all way to the border.. Same road, i even ate in the same places.. First, border to Sarawak, Malaysia.. Same country but something is different.. Cant put my finger on it. Lawas.. Im going with a man heading for the TV-repairman in Lawas, as we go fast on the bumpy road the TV bounces back n forth in the backseat. (well its broken anyway right). Walking walking lah! Along the road, allready afternoon.. The rain have caught up with e few times but i always seem to get a ride before it gets really bad. The dark clouds heading southwest just like me.

Before the border to Brunei I get a ride with a Chinese man to his Timber factory in Brunei and he invites me to stay the night. Eating well with his family.. Truck from there in the morning.. This is in the eastern province of Brunei and the city is called Bangar.. Walking walking lah. Sun is hot but i feel like walking. A couple of hours just to see if anyone stops without me hitchhiking. Suddently I arrive at the border. get my exit stamp and see a car has stopped for me, young Chinese man,
- Wanna come with me to Bandar Seri Begawan?
- Sure do, thanks!
Brunei, 3000 Brunei dollar = 2340 USD

Into Sarawak again, Into Brunei again, my passport getting smashed with stamps! Bandar Seri Begawan.. a few hours.. My new-found friend takes me to the museum of the Sultan. In cold aircondition we walk around and look at different pictures of the sultan. Gifts from other countries. This n that. Few more hours a bit of food and i leave BSB. Walking again lah! Brunei is easy for hitchhike, however its just a little bit complicated cause the roads kind of looks like in western europe, there are sidewalks and the roads are narrow and fast. So i cannot find a safe place for cars to stop. Doesn't matter.. As long as someone stops before dark(or before the rain starts again). Finally getting some rides out of the city, get treated with some Bruneian hospitality in a restaurant(Im eating some kind porridge which im not sure what it contained, tastes funny eh) That night i sleep on the beach(or i actually never see the beach but i was told it was a beach)
Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan


Next morning i hitch from the highway, almost first car stops, even if going fast fast. A young girl with long black hair. Short ride, conversation goes something like this(good example of a short conversation while hitchhiking in Brunei,Sarawak,Sabah,Indonesia where the concept of hitchhiking, getting a ride for free hardly exist):
- Hi, are you heading South, towards Seria?
- Noo Seeeeria, its faaaaaar (its about 60 - 70 km but ofcourse far cause across the whole country), You have to take a taxi, or a bus.
- Im travelling by hitchhiking,(trying to explain hitchhiking but there is no word in melay, closest is "Tumpang" but is not the same thing)
Quiet moment, - Ah ok!
Moments later
- So i drop you here, you can take a bus from here to Seria!
- Oh.... ok....., Thanks alot!
(Leaving the car going out to the road again to catch another ride)
Contractor getting free fuel from his constructing site.. Diesel costs 0.32 BND per liter in Brunei($0.25 (1.6 SEK))

Sarawak, Malaysia

I make it to the border with few cars.. Into Sarawak again, heading south south, A driver told me about some caves I JUST HAVE TO visit, so I do. Batu Niah caves.. nice! I spend the night in my tent at the start point to walk to the caves. I've found out my newly Indonesian $15 tent is not as waterproof as i hoped so i usually try to find some kind of roof when setting up the tent. Here i didnt find and i was luckylucky, no rain that night.. Nice caves, nice walk.

Bla bla bla bal bla bla bla bla bal alalal bala balaballlalallaa lalala hehe haha lala.

I end up on a rest area in middle of nowhere. Gets late and I get stuck. Tired, im offered to sleep in a room above the restaurant, great sleep! The longest i've waited in Asia to get a ride but in the morning a driver comes up to me and offers e ride almost to Kuching! Yahoow. All day we go! until 2 hours before Kuching where he lives. Invites me to his home but im in little bit rush and wanna go to Kuching. Arrive in the evening. Look around, nice! Yah really, nice city. So different from other malaysian cities ive seen! I sleep in a strange place, i dont even know what it is myself its so strange. Lets just say its kind of benches for outdoor theater or something(Pls someone tell me what it is if you know, i'll send u a candy from Indonesia)
Sleeping sleeping lah, This spot behind a building in Serian, Sarawak also worked as a studio for painting a t-shirt.


Indonesia satu lagi kali

Leave Kuching. Slow short rides. Finally ride with policeman to Serian where i sleep behind a shop and meet an kind of constantly talking hobo, but that story is just too long to write here(or write anywhere acually). Again short rides to the border. Easy border crossing $25 Visa On Arrival, indonesian 1 month visa. Walking walking lah! End up in perfect place truck stop in Entikong. All trucks is going to Pontianak in the afternoon after loading barang barang from Malaysia. Get a ride with friendly man in heavy rain we go all evening into the night, sleep, up 5 arrive 8 in Pontianak.

Last night a friendly man from the harbor hosted me in his house and tonight im taking a 36 h ferry to Jakarta, hah!

(My plan was to take a boat to p.Riau, south of singapore but the boat leaves in 10 days so bah! And i've tried to ask my harbor friend about cargo ships but no no on that one. Where's my cargo ship captain friend from Surabaya when i need him?!)


One foot in the Southern hemisphere on in the northern.. THE EQUATOR, Pontianak Kalimantan Barat, INDONESIA

Calm before the storm?! Yesterday afternoon in Kuala Penyu.. Sabah, MALAYSIA

Education, with detail.
Made this one for a school in Kota Kinabalu

Painting for Mei, and Canvases

4 of my helpers when painting "Education" Thanks!

This is what i've been up to for the last 10 days or so in Kota Kinabalu.. Taking it easy and painting.. I made it in a few days from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu, hitchhiking was allright.. had long ride with a truck almost the whole way.. Now abit of more travelling in Sabah to be done before going to Brunei-Sarawak... At the moment in Tenom, South sabah...!