guangxi and enter into vietnam

yes. the far east is what i thought it is sopposed to be: new faces, languages i don’t speak and food i never tried before in my life. Its great. After heading from Hong Kong to Guilin, a lovley city north of guangxi province i met some great people. Even if you ask chinese people only for the way or a specific place you can become friends for life in a second. Great. For all you facebook junkies, china is a place to collect as many contacts as you want and add them in fb. But to find people who speak just a little english is rarly to find. Even though you don’t see a lot of foreigners I was lucky enough again to meet somebody from the states who studies chinese for 8 years and lives in Nanjing and we travelled together for a while. I had a great time. Thanks again.

From Guilin I did a two day trip to Yangshuo and climped up the steep mountains to have a great view. Even it was pretty foggy or smoggy or both I still enjoyed the view. Awesome bro. Can’t stop saying it, hehe. I went back to Guilin and did a day trip to the rice terraces of Longsheng. Unbelievable how human beeings can change they enivornment. From boring hills into rice terraces steps. Amazing.

I took the train with my lovely travel mate Shawnee to Nanning and watched locals doing social dances in the streets to relax and enjoy. Even if chinese people have kind of a serious understanding of fun, they are defnitly able to laugh. You just need a closer look. But I also could tell you about outside stages where children perfmored all they power and ability on drums and nobody clapped their hands. Weird. In germany or elsewhere they would at least clap just because they are some children performing to give them some engourage on th stage.

From Nanning I head to Hanoi and even when I am just a couple of hours here: I love it. I love it. I love it. Tomorrow I will take a bike and smash myself into the traffic of hanoi to explore the city. Yes. Yes. Thanks for reading carefully my blog and comment your your thoughts.

In love, florian

hong kong

arrived and get around since about 3 days in Hong Kong. I am pretty amazed by its high standard of life right next to the basic standard of life, just around the corner of hugh modern skyscarpers. The gap between rich and poor is not really visible on the first seight but obviously there. They build the most modern buildings with bamboo canes and only one street beyond the most expensive jewellery shop you find Hong Kongs people eating on plastic chairs their rice and noodles with all different kind of ingredients and additives you can imagine paared with the smell of effluent and gorgeous kitchen smells. I love it. Its loud hectical and very touristy in many streets like Nathan RD in Kowloon where I am staying right now. But nevertheless its even as easier to find locals in front of their steel and tool shops, spices and medicine shops or restaurants and constructionsides as it would be in melbourne for instance. I looked forward to my trip through asia since half a year. And now, I am here, looking around and breath in the culture, the people and the emissions of course I can tell you that I get what I want. Real people in real life. So far after three days in Hong Kong and 82 pages of the book “Instructions for China” from Kai Strittmatter my life is beautiful as it was the last half year. Maybe a little more. My only doubt for the next half a year: Am I able to see all of the things and countries I want to see?! Maybe I never come back. (of course I will). But its going to be hard.

For my photography I’d like to tell you that I am getting deeper again and try to avoid language barriers for shooting people. Its hard, but its worth it and I love it.

For myself I love to learn all the languages of the countries I travel through which is nearly impossible. Even my inqusitiveness allowes me a lot to do, I can’t have it all. And after these wise senteces I like to wish all of you a happy lovley new Year and a beautfil life.

Florian, the man who understands more and more of the world and falls deeper and deeper in love with he never felt in love with anything else.