where the nomads roam.

digital media. a nomad's life. backpacking asia. digital nomad. concept art. an adventure.

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Back to home  The road came to an end. Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Asia and arrived back in good old - and cold - Germany. So my journey ended after 7 fascinating, daring and enriching weeks. I had the opportunity to meet many interesting people, which consisted also of many digital nomads, experienced many different cultures and traditions, took part in a nomad convention, travelled unknown countries and crossed climate zones from the desert to the Himalayan mountains.  This journey made me realize and learn a lot, not just for my master thesis, but also for myself. 

[wherethenomadsroam]

// sketch update from the desert

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Under the desert stars We just arrived back from a overnight trip into the Thar desert. Beside the camel safari and exploring dunes we also had the possibility to get a glimpse of "real" nomads and their life in the desert. Their plans and everyday routine bases and relies on the nature and vegetation, as they nature themselves from goats and their farming. Their restless spirit shapes the landscape by forming deserted villages, which turn into ruines after time. The loneliness of the desert, the hugeness of the night sky and the desolation from civilisation gave me a fascinating experience for me, which I'm real glad to had. 

[wherethenomadsroam]

// “Bibel” for digital nomads

“The 4-hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss 

Many recommended it to me and named it as one if the main inspirations to become a DN. So it is on my reading list now! 

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Traces of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal Last year was one of the most severe earthquakes in Nepal. Locals and tourists experienced loss, many people got injured and historical sides got destroyed. More than one year later one can still clearly see the traces of the earthquake. Many old buildings need some constructions to support the walls from further crashes and a few temples at the main square, which were one of the the main sightseeing attractions in Kathmandu, are lost forever.  The reconstructions take a lot of time and cost a lot of money, so it might take while until it is eventually finished.

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Festival of light: Diwali During the last days we witnessed the hindi main festival called "Diwali" - the festival of light. It is comparable with Christmas as it is also a celebration within the family environment and everywhere are candles and led lights to mark this holiday. The days before the actual festival the whole city and especially the temples are cleaned to mark a new start. I also tried to join this tradition and have a gift to a young, very sweet girl, called Anita. The last day contains - apart from lighting up even more lights - giving presents, mostly sweets, to your family members. This and the greeting "happy Diwali" sounded a lot like the Christian counterpart of holiday. 

[wherethenomadsroam]

// sketch update from Nepal

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Smartphones in Nepal The smartphone situation here is quite similar to the one in Myanmar.  Most of the smartphones used are older models, which were popular in Europe a couple of years ago. There are also almost no apple products to be found.  The majority of owners, which can be spotted on the street, are salespersons and people with a direct contact to tourists. Still I saw even in the lonely mountainside some young adults roaming the borders of their village to grab some proper reception for their smartphones. Though one experience made me smile: In Kathmandu I stumbled into a group of monks, who went shopping and were constantly looking on their phone amd also taking pictures. I guess monks are also just regular people. 

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Nepal, the levitating country When I first arrived in Kathmandu, I immediately experienced the quite chaotic nature of the city. Cars follow their own rules, prices vary a lot and can change in a second, buses pick you up from the middle of the street and drop you off there as well. But for me it is a very sympathetic chaos, I liked it right away.  Nepal is very different from what I experienced before and it was very easy for me to connect with the locals there, as they are one of the most friendly cultures. We were welcomed in a local insider restaurant as one of them and everyone took care of us immediately. Also the high altitude and mountain landscape shapes the country. The locals seem to distance themselves from other nations, like for example their neighbour and eternal rival India, which they don't like to be compared with.  The mountain range, the friendly people and the bendable everyday rules define for me the image of Nepal to be a "levitating country" - to be a bit detached from the rest and floating above reality.

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Buddha's birthplace Today we visited Lumbini, which is considered to be the actual birthplace of Buddha himself - which isn't appreciated by India as they try to claim this right to themselves. To worship this place a temple was build around his birth house and around that a huge park areal. Though the park was artificially constructed a few decades ago just to attract tourists, which diminishes the spiritual atmosphere as everything looks too new build. The actual sightseeing isn't very overwhelming, but still many Nepali and pilgrims travel there to pray and practise their religion.

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Safari in Nepal Nepal has a very rich wildlife. Which I didn't realise before. Actually it is so rich that we're right now in the national park of Chitwan to do a safari. My previous image of Nepal mostly consisted of high mountain ranges and cold climate. Actually Nepal is surprising warm during this season and in the lowlands there are even jungles. Dynamic and spontaneous traveling contains many possibilities to surprise yourself.  The national park itself is huge and very impressive. It covers 3 different nature zones: river lands, jungle & safari area and inhabits quite some rare animals. We meet elephants, rhinos, wild boars, kingfishers, monkeys and crocodiles. Compared to other places and countries the situation and treatment of elephants is appropriate, but still partly controversial, like the elephant riding. Which is why we skipped the elephant activities that are purely set up for the entertainment of the tourists. I guess it will still take many years until this will get better and eventually stop.  

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Street signs in Nepal

While crossing the countryside we encountered a few signs that made us smile: "Fuel is pure, journey is sure" "No fear, Nepalese police is near" It seems like the Nepalese people have a weakness for rhymes. 

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Literature in Pokhara Passing a book shop at the main road of Pokhara, we spotted a very particular choice of literature: "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler. This and the fact that it was even in German left us puzzled. 

[wherethenomadsroam]

//sketch update from the Himalayas

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// German bakery A quite common and unexpected phenomenon in Nepal are the so-called German bakeries. Every city has a few ones and even on our trek in the mountains we discovered one small shop. They advertise pastry and bread baked by German recipe and even quote to have learned this in Germany first-hand. The actual products aren't always typical german, like croissants and banana cake, but still very good and sometimes one can even spot a Brezel.

[wherethenomadsroam]

// Into the wild After three challenging and exciting days we returned from our trek to the Himalayan mountains. Three days of physical testing, three days of internet absence and three days in the calm mountain range of Annapurna. During this time my personal needs shifted and basic wishes like rest and air became more prominent than in my usual everyday life.  The most shaping moment was the sunrise at Poon Hill at 5 am at 3200 meters altitude. At the cold break of day, surrounded by high and snow covered mountain peeks, I witnessed the slow and steady rise of the sun and its change in colour. During this natural phenomenon I felt quite small and less important, as the dominant scenery around me consumed all my fascination. In this surrounding, at this height and lack of oxygen, my personal worries and problems seemed wear away and less meaningful. The presence of the mountain range showed me how small one single human life can be compared to their ancient and everlasting presence. I felt more quiet afterwards. This morning made me realise that one is only as balanced and peaceful as one want it actually to be.

[wherethenomadsroam]

//sketch update from Nepal