Nun war der Zeitpunkt gekommen. Auf den 143 Tagen meiner bisherigen Reise, bei der ich 28.128 Kilometer zurücklegte, hatte ich ein großes Ziel: Indien auf dem Landweg zu erreichen. 17 Länder habe ich dabei durchquert, habe ein Militärputsch mitgenommen und zwei Staatsoberhäupter sind kurz vor meiner Einreise gestorben (Usbekistan, Thailand). Nur zweimal musste ich eine Werkstatt ansteuern und die einzige Panne war ein platter Reifen. Bis auf 5400 Meter bin ich hinaufgefahren und habe die vier höchstgelegenen Gebirge der Welt gesehen oder besucht (Pamir, Hindukusch, Karakorum, Himalaya). Zehn Freunde und drei Familienangehörige haben mich begleitet und gemeinsam haben wir sehr viele wunderschöne Erfahrungen gesammelt, die wir lange Zeit noch teilen können. Zusammen mit meinen Begleitern haben die neuen Freunde auf meiner Reise diese 143 Tage unvergessen gemacht. Ich hatte es geschafft. Mit meiner Mutter an meiner Seite überquerte ich den Grenzfluss und setzten beim Zoll zum ersten Mal den Fuß auf indischen Boden!
Und ist nun alles vorbei? Ist es nicht der Slogan „Der lange Weg nach Indien“ welcher der Reise bisher seinen Charakter, Sinn und Ziel verleiht hatte? Was kommt denn jetzt? Eins kann ich euch versprechen. Das Abenteuer ist noch nicht vorbei. Ich hab noch einiges vor, schließlich muss ich erst am 3. Juli wieder auf meinem Bürostuhl Platz nehmen…
Die Reiseroute
MYANMAR – THROUGH THE COUNTRY OF THE THOUSAND PAGODAS TO INDIA
It was not really planned at the beginning to go to Myanmar. But the border from China to Nepal remained closed for foreigners (since the earthquake 2015). The journey led us instead to South China, Laos and Thailand. In Thailand I reached the point which was the most far away from my home. Now only Myanmar was in between me and India.
After my last travel mate Nicole was flying home from Bangkok I had a couple of days time to feel the daily life of the metropolitan city of South East Asia: Bangkok. The king of Thailand King Bhumibol died some days before we arrived to Thailand in the age of 88 years. Now there is one year mourning time. I could see this especially in Bangkok. It seems that almost 60% of the people were dressed in black. We could see everywhere big posters to remember the king. In front of the kings palace in Bangkok was a big line of people who wanted to give their majesty their last honor. A street vendor gave me after I bought some stuff in his shop a sticker for my car as a remembrance of the death king with the words: “Please put the sticker on your car. It’s for my king”. It was a weird atmosphere in the country. The future of Thailand is unclear. The political system equals the system of the United Kingdom. It is a constitutional monastery where the monarch still has a lot of power. Everyone listened to him. And it was always the king who was responsible that many military coups in Thailand ended peacefully. It could be the country will end up in chaos. And nobody likes the successor for the throne who is famous for his player life in the casinos of Europe.
Bangkok was mainly a pit stop for me. I spend several days in china town and organized some stuff for the car (pimp my car) which has a name now too: Helmut. Like the little plush toy monkey inside. It is the soul of the car.
I picked up my mother in Bangkok from the airport. I had some problems finding a parking place so I parked my car like all the others just in front of the arrival gate. It was not allowed but I thought when everybody parks here there won’t be any problem. But I was wrong. After I welcomed my mother we must figure out that a wheel clamp was at our car together with a fine paper (approx. 30€). We went to the airport police and I told him my oh-I-am-the-stupid-tourist-story. Fortunately there are not so many strangers with their own car at Thailand’s airport so the police send us free without asking for the fine. But what we paid was time because the officer with the keys for the wheel clamp was disappeared and arrived almost one hour later. It was enough to hit the hardest rush hour of Bangkok. Well anyways! It was another experience. And my mom landed safe! The journey can go on 🙂
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