Meanwhile, Jonathan from Brussels was drowning.

The whole village had gathered. The men constructed a raft with little clay figures on top. The women brought food and decorated the family’s balcony.

Two weeks ago, a tourist had committed suicide in their hut.

To get rid of the bad spirits, the symbolic raft was about to be shoved down the river in a relieving ritual.

While the people were praying for the family’s better luck at their home, drunken Jonathan from Brussels tried to swim to the other side of the river, cramped, and drowned.

B.P., Nong Khiaw, March 2012

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The
« Tales Of Travel »
Collection
14
Confusion
Sometimes, the local newspaper is happy to kick one's butt
13
The girl and the truck driver
“Never will I forget the sight of her pink toenails,” a Nepalese doctor wrote in a newspaper article, “and this is about what is wrong in our country …"
12
The Backpacker Hostel Dormitory Nightly Ritual
Every night, it goes like that.
11
They used to call me 'spider'.
(Because of my tiny arms)
10
Ahhhhh, ohhh, qımız!
9
FYI 1: Wash Without Wasting Water.
Got sweaty? No river in sight since hours? Drank almost all of your liquid supplies? About to empty the last bottle of precious water on your head? Behold!
8
First, he pulls my hairy legs' hair.
Then, he grabs my nose.
7
The Travel Towel Tutorial
To stay clean and thus healthy on adventurous travels (oh, yes, even at home), the following might come in handy some day …
6
A few months after my departure
… I found myself crossing some Himalaya mountains on a tiny custom build Chinese bike.
5
The only thing I remember about Lijiang
… is the stomach pain I got from eating the entire time.
4
We've got company.
It’s the first day of me and my bike riding alone, heading to Lijiang.
3
Meanwhile, Jonathan from Brussels was drowning.
The whole village had gathered. The men constructed a raft with little clay figures on top. The women brought food and decorated the family’s balcony.
2
Walking barefoot (through blood)
If you happen to be in Nepal on the day before New Year’s Eve, you might want to give Gorkha, the old kingdom’s capital, a try;
1
There I was.
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