Unfortunately we cannot see the giant bird, at most guess, but when boarding, it quickly becomes clear what a colossus it is. After it finally moves slowly towards the departure lane, there seems to be an problem. In any case we are soon on our way back to the dock, where some damage has to be repaired first.
If that's a bad omen, I better be prepared for the worst. But I don't care yet, somehow we will get the connecting flight to Chiang Mai.
Today a new adventure starts, this time to Laos, an unknown spot on the map. And with that I open another chapter of my Reports.
Then we take off after all, slowly at first, the barrels have to be set in motion, then faster, you can feel the tremendous power of the engines, and we take off...
Finally. Asia, I'm coming.
Europe - battered by winter
Below me, Europe disappears, one country after another, barren land, devastated by winter, and by flying over it, I realize how small our beloved continent is.
At some point there's black water below us, somber and threatening, and I have the strange impression that North Africa is snow-covered. It takes some moments to realize the geographical mistake. It's the Black Sea we're flying over, and so it must be snow-covered northern Turkey.
Memories of a long arduous journey
At some point we fly over Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, a rough, yellow, burnt area, similar to the surface of the moon. And again I have the surreal realization that we have spent a few weeks of strenuous driving on the road to get here hippie trail needed with the VW bus. But here, ten thousand meters above the earth, we've only been on the road for a few hours.
After all, the crossing of India, black in still dark night, and at some point on the approach to Indochina a glimmer on the horizon, and when landing in Singapore it is warm and bright and wonderful ...
Chiang Mai Metropolis
As expected, we catch the connecting flight, a smaller Silk Air machine, but it's okay, and we're heading north again, partly the same way, across the Malaysian peninsula. In northern Thailand, approaching Chiang Mai, I try to remember the first trip, the trek with Sam and everything else ...
And then, even from far above, it gets clear that Chiang Mai has become a metropolis. I take a taxi, the driver has no clue which hotel I mean, until he sees its name written down. Unlike the city, the hotel has not changed much, at least a touch of stability in this crazy ever-changing world.
I have arrived. It's February 7th.
It's bright afternoon, the city is in a hot midday frenzy, and I feel the same way. But, determined to brave my tiredness, I sit down in the hotel restaurant (nothing has changed, not even the tablecloths), read the guide and inquire about tours to the north.
The lady at the reception is enthusiastic and books me on the trip for February 10th. By then I hope to have adjusted sufficiently to the changed circumstances, to a new environment, to the sun and warmth, to a different culture, to different habits.
So there I sit, at Galare Guesthouse, like a little over 23 years ago, trying to remember, and perhaps, with little chance of success, finding my younger self again. What would it say to the older guy it's become? Would it be disappointed, worried or quite satisfied? What would it find? Something broken, incomplete, torn, scuffed and flattened by the vagaries of life? I don't know it. I have to find out for myself.
Schrödinger's Cat
And then, sipping at my icecold beer (The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon), I stare at the still empty pages in my diary. I feel empty as well, but at the same time full of stress and nervous energy. It seems as if I have not arrived yet. I am here and far away. Schrödinger's cat, so to speak. Some parts are missing, perhaps the soul still hanging somewhere in the Hindu Kush.
But the inner system burns on, restless, jittery, driven by energy and accomplishment. But that will happen. First of all, calm down. Today the motto is hang around, drink a cold beer (Heinecken, not Singha, what a sin!). come down To forget.
Snow and bitter cold are already a distant memory. Only my nose stays blocked. What the hell.
A graceful old lady
The dignified old lady who brings me bread and eggs and coffee bows shyly. I ask her for her name, but the attempts to talk fail because of the linguistic barrier, there's only the exchange of a mutual smile.
Now, in this one moment, at breakfast in the sun, with the leisurely flowing river below me, whose name I don't know, everything is fine. It's pleasantly warm, maybe 25 degrees, and I'm in the unstable equilibrium that is part of the beginning of every journey.
Sipping at my coffee, I feel the peace, that I have longed for, slowly coming into being. The past weeks have been blatant - in terms of workload, stress, frustration. This is our life - manifested in sleepless nights, abdominal pain, back problems.
Memories fade
I want to find out what's left of the memories of the last visit. A day like a picture book to come down. And to explore the city.
In search of Déja-Vus.
The cozy, slow walk through the city shows that memories have faded after more than twenty years. But it's not only the limited power of memory, but above all it's the speed with which the city has changed. My God, where are the quiet alleys, the small restaurants, the friendly people, who exuded a very special peace and serenity? Everything gone, swept away by the dynamics of progress.
Déjà vu
And yet - within the city walls, a last refuge of ancient culture - everything seems to be the same as always ... The Buddha sits on his couch, in his thoughts in nirvana, his goal.
This one fleeting Moment
In the evening, the darkness pours over the world in seconds. The heroically combated fatigue takes over. But I'm still not going to give in and so I make it to the night market, which seems strangely unfamiliar to me. In this market, we bought winter jackets (!) a long time ago, and had them sent home. They actually arrived safe and sound after a three-month sea voyage.
Before I finally log off to Nirvana, one last Singha beer in the garden restaurant. Engine noise everywhere, the full moon is reddish in the sky.
All is well.
All we have is this one fleeting moment.
P.S. Matching Song: Art of Noise - Moments in Love
And here the journey continues ...
