Updates, updates!

Updates, updates!

Now you’ll find the first videos in the video gallery, new pictures from North Korea, and the first pictures from both China (more will follow) and Cambodia (more will follow).

Egil has been busy giving us all a lot to read and see :-) Please notice the blog entry regarding Cambodia, which is very interesting, with nice pictures and all!

Regards,
Roar
Webmaster

Hell and Heaven in Cambodia...

Hell and Heaven in Cambodia...

Cambodia is truely a country that should give you mixed emotions. From the beauty of history long past, and the horror of history all to close to date... From the shineing and truely genuine smiles that meets you along the way, to the more desperate and handicapped beggars along the same way, wishing for a dollar, or at least a few riel from the "rich" tourists.."

So, how do you as a tourist deal with this situation...? Its not easy, and totally impossible to help everybody, so you go and help some, and hope this will easy your own mind enougth to not notice all the rest to much, so you still can enjoy all the beauty and goodness in this truely wonderful country.

Still I have not gotten to see Ankor Wat, the amazing temple site outside Siem Reap. I will go tomorrow...

I got to see the Horroble S21, Security21, a former school transformed for torturing all not suspected to agree 100% with the Khmer Roudge...

And then to the killing fields where they kill and dump the people they saw now use in let existing.

Truely one of the darkes chapter in mankind history.

Also I see the beautiful smiles, and laughts of people, just happy for some attention, small girls smiling - overshining the sun, and the genuine happyness of meeting us.

And the beautiful beaches of Sihanoukville, and the nationalpark near by, where you feel it all has been contructed to please everyone, even you may find yourself all alone for a mile or two...

The most impressive is the genuine smiles everywhere, if you go a little outside the worst beggars and sellers places... they all feels interested in where you are from, and what you think, and maybe a little chance to speak some englich, and pick up some new words, or friends along the way... I truely would like to return to Cambodia, and hopefully with a little chance to help some of the wonderful people along the way... there are certainly need for it here... I tell more about that in next letter from Cambodia, then I get back from Siem Reap sometime....

If you concider going to Cambodia, there is nothing to concider anymore, just go, and bring your heart with you...

Tell you more next time :)

More pictures in the gallery

More pictures in the gallery

Just wanted you to know that Egil has six more pictures out in the gallery...

The video page is not complete yet, neither in content nor in functionality... As for now, the video is in avi-format, and either we’ll ad QuickTime as well, or we’ll use flash. But there will be more videos anyway this week, I promise Happy

Hugz,
Roar
Webmaster

A little hello from China

A little hello from China

Now then I was writing this, It was actually my last night in China for this time, and so far I have not written any about china... I got problem with the connection, so the last bits are written from a hotel in Phnom Penh in Cambodia....

The size of china is so big, that I probably easily could have used many months (or years) here and still not see any close to everything... So I decided...

to do the most typical touristspots, (summer palace,the great wall, the forbidden city in Beijing, and the terracotta warriers in Xi'an) and also a more typically chinese city, like Wuhan (not much tourists here), and I also had plans to go to Gui Lin for to see the very nice nature sight there... but after catching a cold on the nighttrain from Xi'an to Wohan, and finding out that Wuhan - Gui Lin - Guangzhou = 28 hours more train, I decide to prolong my visit here in Wuhan.

the 21st I go by airplaine to Cambodia...

China has been a remarkeble experience, and a real mix of new and old, tradition and modernism... And all the time I find the chineese way to be much the same as back in Norway, just with a little (or bit twist/difference ;-) ) and other things are so different, that I have to learn it from the start again... like going to the toilet.... doing shopping in the right procidier, learn how to cross the road while the cars ar passing you both in front and behind you... and eating more than one dish at a time.... hehe some of this ideas I like so much I like to contingue then I finally will be home, and others are not so easy likeable :-)

I already stayed longer in China than planned, but I like to stay longer, - but in the same time I also want to see the "rest of Asia" so its soon time for me to depart for this time, but I travel out of asia from Beijing, so I will be back in January, and hopefulle have some more time here then :-) - and maybe a chance to meet friends again... :-)

Well its time to close of my letter before my time runs out here... as always I like to write more, but... I keep it short better tham nothing, - and also note me some keywords for later , then I get home to tell you more :-)

bye... ps I have some more photoes from N-Korea comming out soon on www.meihack.org + videoclips,... check the pages often, as Roar would help me post them almost dayly....)
(Webmaster Roar says: There have been added several pictures lately, check them out in the gallery!)


pss
other funny things I experienced in China,
* People (mainly chineese female tourists) stop me to be taken photo of together with me... almost feel like a celebraty sometimes.... hehe it feels funny, and results in a lot of smiles.
* Asians (used to the squat-toilet) staying at the youth Hostel in Xi'an don't like to sit on the "western sitting WC"there, so they sit/stand on the toilet seat, - leaving footprints all over the seat....

Pictures and video out!

Pictures and video out!

Just a short notice to point you to the gallery, which has been updated with several new pictures, and a video, as well! Enjoy :-)

Webmaster
Roar

Some small stories from North-Korea

Some small stories from North-Korea

Just thought I'd write some more about my trip to North-Korea...

North Korea is a bit strange seen from a western eye... some things are really good over there, and some others tings are not so "normal"... and often there is a really strange mix of the two...

A little example is the "traffic ladies" as we used to call them...

Because of the electricity shortage they had no trafficlights in the cities, not even in Pyongyang, - and to control the traffic they had "traffic ladies" - girls/young women in a tight and really nice dark blue uniform, all looking the same, - with the same curly black hair in a ponytail under the hat, - and they were controling the traffic with firm, fast and efficcient movements... really an impressive sight... all in the group were really impressed and appreiciating the sight of these traffic-ladies ... espesially the men, maybe... ;-)

Also, - the main roads in North-Korea was impressive... 2, 3, 4 and even 5 lines i both directions.... and almost NO traffic... that really made a strange feeling... and the drivers are always honking their horn then they are driving, - and often nessesary, - I almost think its because people are crossing the street in any way thay like... because they are mostly used to the roads to be empty...?

Also we got to see and try the subway in Pyongyang, - really impressive... 100-120 meters under the ground, and the stations were grorious, with BIG chandeliers hanging along the roof, and hundreds of meters of mosaic along the walls... I was actually "lost" down there... as I was standing and photograthing the greatness, and didnt notice everyone else had left, or where they left.... so I was standing there... and didnt know where to go, or what to do... (english wasn't very usefull, and I didnt know what our destination was eigther... so while I was standing there looking kind of disorientated... out of nowhere a nice lady in her late 20'ies shows up out of almost nowhere... and poking my shoulder, and showing/following my all the way (5-700 meters) out of the subway station to the correct exit where the rest of:-) the group was getting ready to go into the bus again...... I idnt see her anytime else before or after... I felt really safe after this ;-)

I want to write more, but its end of my internet time, some more will follow... I'm now in Xi'an, have been in Beijing, and am going to Wohan tomorrow, so next time I write some about china

see also www.meihack.org for future plans, and photoes if I manage to upload some the next 30 minutes...

take care every one of you :-)

ps I have almost no postadresses with me this time (forgot the list), so any thet would like a postcard, - send me your adress on a mail to meihack@gmail.com , please..

The North Korean experience

The North Korean experience

Finally I find me self a place (and time) to write you some words from my trip.

After some lonesome hours in Amsterdam, and some nailbiting as I could see no other Norwegians at the Beijing gate, but all went fine in the end. But after very little sleep the last days before my travel, and a hectic program in Beijing, suddenly we are biking to the airport in Beijing, and checking in our luggage to Pyongyang City - Nort Korea.

Already at the North Korean airplane we understand that we are not going to a normal tourist destination... I felt a little like I was in a movie..
The plane looked healthy, but really old style, like from the Sovijet 1980'ies. Really fun and different :-)

Then we landed in Pyongyang, we could se NO cars at the roads under us, only people biking, and walking... and ONE truck. And the first night we were not allowed to walk outside the hotel premices. So we could only stay there, looking out of the window....

After the first culture chock, we found ourself in a country where we were not allowed to contact people without permittion, not take photos without permittion, and always followed by guides... but the people we met, and also the ones we saw waved at along the way... were very friedly, and normally looked like they we re very interested in meeting/waving to us... I saw A LOT of genuine big smiles along the way :-)

What we got to see, was some nature, some people, some restaurants, some shows, and many monuments remembering their great leaders: Kim Il Song, and Kim Il Jong...

I want to write more, but its end of my internet time, som more will follow...

take care very one :-)

A short up-date

A short up-date

There has been a few days since we last heard from Egil, which is according to plan, as he is right now travelling in an are where electronic communicating isn't always that easy to accomodate.

Right now Egil is bicycling in North Korea with a group of Norwegians, and this is the only time he will be travelling with others. He is now in the middle of the route for bicycling, and is expected to be in Beijing (China) on Tuesdag 10th of October.

His last SMS was from 2nd of October, when he told me that he had a really good time, and now started feeling the freedom of traveling.

We'll put up more info as soon as we have any.

Regards,
Roar
Webmaster

Egil has left the building...

Egil has left the building...

Yesterday Egil left not only the building, but even the country! We won’t see him for another hundred days now, so please keep him in you thoughts from now on.

He flew from Stavanger yesterday at 12:00 (12:00 PM) to the Netherlands. There he waited for about 3 hours, before he continued to China.

Now his great dream is actually comming true :-)

Please use the "comments fields" (no need to register or anything) to wish him luck etc., as he will both read and contribute to this site as often as he can.

Regards,
Roar
Webmaster