tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32730225979287057222011-04-22T02:35:13.479+01:00*the double march = the process of travelling physically and spirituallyMariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.comBlogger121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-88800200360245264002008-08-23T11:32:00.009+01:002008-09-19T21:48:57.401+01:00

I am sitting in a two hundred years old pagoda house, in the middle of a lake with green waters and red fish.The stone-carved dragon's head sends water under wooden arc-shaped bridges.Outside, the city of Shanghai roars vibrantly.I am thinking about the two journeys: the visible across Asia and the invisible one...I sense as I sit in solitude that double march of my being.I saw, I touched the

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-46927937921243979042008-08-17T09:21:00.005+01:002008-08-17T09:47:26.742+01:00

...some are born to endless night. *The situation here is much worse than what I initially imagined...A closer look reveals different images of China to the ones on display for the tourists...In the space of five minutes I witnessed people with missing limps, extensive burns and body abnormalities being kicked about by shop owners who do not want them begging outside their venues...One of them

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-68566228567329832592008-08-14T01:26:00.004+01:002008-08-17T09:20:12.904+01:00

And I thought that drinking camel milk was an adventure in itself!What about the Donganmen Night Market in Beijing?Crickets, slugs, sea horses, sea lizzards, bees, silkworms, centipedes and mighty scorpions are on offer :OAnd guess what... I tasted them all! As promised...9/9 tasks completed so far, what else do you need to support the Fundacion Ninos de los Andes? After all, to raise awareness

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-15934848042564479402008-08-06T10:24:00.002+01:002008-08-06T10:34:44.722+01:00

Fact #1: It is easier to find Mongolian barbeque in Quito, Ecuador, than in the capital of Mongolia itself!Fact #2: It is worth looking for it as it is delicious :)Fact #3: Camel milk sold from street vendors in fly infested containers with no lid on is easy to find...Fact #4: ...and it tastes like urine (if I can accurately guess what camel urine tastes like)Fact #5: The clear soup made of

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-61913446101306415082008-08-05T04:12:00.014+01:002008-08-05T05:29:12.000+01:00

Witnessing the solar eclipse on the shore of lake Baikal!What more can one ask for?Well... what about a swim in the 5˚C cold healing waters? Or a juicy eye-ball of the local smoked omul fish? [see photos section]Not forgetting the typical summer storm that took us by surprise and almost flooded the area...Oh, and the monster insect bite that caused a small bump on my forearm at first, but later

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-9070450898300361992008-07-31T04:47:00.008+01:002008-07-31T10:24:17.731+01:00

No civilization for 3000Km in any direction...This is the middle of nowhere!Small settlements of log cabins come and go. Some of them emerged during the building of the Great Trans-Siberian Railway, other served as jail-stations for Stalin era prisoners sent to the goulags.Even on modern time trains, the conditions seem to be getting harsher and harsher. The roads and even the station platforms

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-50436809015131666332008-07-29T09:56:00.009+01:002008-07-31T10:37:07.577+01:00

It is said that new lands need to be created inside us first, before emerging from the horizon.It truly feels that these territories which I am marching through, reflect the wild and desolate image of Russia that lies in my heart:At times peaceful and calm, then again vibrant and furious, full of controversies, full of new life and decomposed dreams.Still, I have found russians to be very

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-64244729283536565142008-07-26T00:18:00.006+01:002008-07-29T08:16:02.385+01:00

Finally!After a day of endless queueing (for everything that you can possibly queue for), I made it to Red Square and the Kremlin...The stunning buildings all around, along with Lenin's tomb, make for a fantastic scenery...Ended up having food fronm Kazakstan too!It is time to recuperate my energy and board the train on the very day of my birthday (July 26) :]

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-8069149181905487202008-07-22T22:55:00.005+01:002008-07-22T23:07:05.148+01:00

After gatecrashing 10JC's end-of-year barbeque earlier on today, I am pleased to announce their generous contribution of 1p per mile covered on this journey! Furthermore, they offered their unconditional help with the organisation of future events - you guys rock :)

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-7608774359610779002008-07-17T18:44:00.009+01:002008-07-20T01:43:34.196+01:00

Many of you have said that you would like to know more about the Fundación Niños de los Andes and how to support their work.This is a summary of the organisation's origins and activities.The Fundación Niños de los Andes (Foundation Children of the Andes) is a non-profit organisation, conceived as a formula of protection and rehabilitation for an increasing population of children of the street, in

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-77371763602625845292008-07-15T22:21:00.006+01:002008-07-18T18:38:18.925+01:00

Should I eat more and store extra layers of fat during the build up for this travel, just to see me through the ex-Soviet states and Mongolia?Or should I pack up lots of provisions (instant noodles and cup-a-soup, whoop whoop!! feels great to eat like a student again!) in order to avoid disgust at first and dysentery later from the local specialities?Well, I’ve been through so many vaccines…All

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273022597928705722.post-45004154023909303102008-07-06T22:34:00.007+01:002008-07-18T18:38:41.091+01:00

You might think "yet another travelling blog?"...It could as well be...The purpose of this blog though is not solely to entertain...A few years ago I was living and working in South America...Having already seen poverty in many forms, physical and spiritual, I was gob smacked by the sight of a 6 year old boy hugging a can of glue on a roadside of Medellín, Colombia…I was told that this can was

Mariozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05043348623089574333noreply@blogger.com21