BEAUTIFUL SOULS WHO INSPIRE ME :: WILL HATTON ::

Hello dear readers, some time ago I had this idea of contacting few friends I met along the way to write about their experiences to share in my personal blog. This are trully respectful and beautiful human beings who I shared happy few minutes, hours, days or even weeks.

I met Will Hatton via CouchSurfing, both of us were in North India at the same time so we decided to attend the Camel Fair in Pushkar together and afterwords we attended a indian wedding with 30 more couchsurfers. One day I will tell you about this interesting website ;) Now back to Will, the english cowboy :D

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The Jungles of Myanmar

With only a month to spend in Myanmar we quickly decide to leave the glitz of Yangon and head to the rural heart of the country. Kayin state is located in the south of Myanmar and is home to the Karen National Union (KNU) who has the dubious honour of forming the world’s longest running resistance. For many years the area was completely closed to foreigners and the few journalists who braved the war zone emerged with horror stories of massacres and mass rapes. Today parts of Kayin are finally beginning to open and although there is still a significant military presence the violence appears to have abated. With this in mind we pile into the back of a pick-up truck and leave the bright lights of Yangon behind us. Local men wearing checkered green lungis zip past us on battered motorbikes whilst their wives and children wave enthusiastically. All of the women and children have thanakha smeared across their faces; this milky green paste is produced by grinding sandalwood and is used as sun block and moisturiser seemingly non-stop by the Burmese people. Local villagers pause from chewing their beetle-nut to flash us horrific black and red toothed smiles as we bump along potholed roads and over dilapidated bridges. 

WORKING AND TRAVELLING

This is the main question: "Marta, where do you get the Money to travel so long?" I think I already answered this question thousands of times and I have all the pleasure to tell you my deep secrets ;)

In fact every human being has their way of travelling: some like to travel one week and stay in a resort all week drinking cocktails, enjoying the sun and the ocean; some travel 2 weeks in 1 country with a backpack and sleep in hostels; some prefer to visit tourist zones, others prefer to visit local places.

I prefer to travel a bunch of months with my backpack in a zone of the World, for eg: Central america, Southeast Asia... and yessss the main reasons for me to travel are: Culture, Nature, Freedom Feeling. Iam a pround backpacker, I learned to carry only necessary items in my backpack so doesn't get so heavy, I learned to respect others cultures, I met tons of locals who showed me the coolest places to eat or to visit, I like to sleep in hostels to meet other backpackers. So if I stay in hostels and eat in local spots, how much money do you think I spend?

CYCLING TOUR FROM USA TO ARGENTINA

Yes you read it right. There are people out there travelling with their bikes, cycling thousands and thousands miles! OH BOY! And we were lucky enough to meet up Marie Walker  a sweet 22 years old american girl who is on a bike tour from USA until Argentina. When we meet up we were couchsurfing in Panama City at Leslie's and Seth's on March and right now she's in Colombia and it's been a year since she left her country. How amazing is this? And yeah she has camping tent, sleeping back, oven!! Just don't have Money so if you feel like helping her out donating some of your funds just click here to check her blog and paypal account.

Today I was reading her blog when I came across with this post about me and Bruno and with pictures!! I was soooo excited!!! It's the first time someone wrote about me as travel mates. Well, Andres from Russia wrote as well but in russian and you know how bad Google translator can be. This post made my day, did I told you how much I love to travel? The chance to meet people all over the world who stays in my heart? I love you so much ♥

FEMALE SOLO IN ASIA

This was a phase in my life I decided to leave my well paid Social Worker job in Portugal to finally meet the incredible India. Of course everyone around me though I was crazy: a good job, a house, a car and I was just quiting. In fact, I was escaping from the old same routine.

Even thought some of you still think I'm crazy to travel by myself in Asia, I think that people who never experienced that before should do it, I had the time of my life!

First of all you are never alone. I guess people are more sensible when see people alone so they come to talk with you often and the same way around. I remember the first time I enter a indian kinda restaurant and sit down in the same table as an indian family. They talked with me very curious about my culture and gave me tons of food to try, all the different curries and how to eat rice with your hands (this was lot of fun, it's not so easy as it seems, you gotta make rice balls otherwise there will be rice all over you!!).

So you meet people in the bus, in the hostel, when you are eating, when you are in a line! Means, YOU ARE NEVER ALONE! All depends on you though, one time I was in North Vietnam and decided to be alone for few days so I was literally running away from people lol If you have a negative attitude toward others you will be alone but if you are smiling and interested believe me, you will make tons of friends :D

Indian Wedding in Jaipur