only 14 months

Frankfurt.
Here am I with my brand new iPod, my brand new Adidas and a shitload of storys in my head. I am back where I started from, 14 months ago.
On the 05th from JFK Airport-New York, 7h to Frankfurt. Sanny picked me up and was the first well known and missed face I've seen in good old Germany.

On the first view...... nothing changed...... you have to keep your eyes and ears open to recognize them. Thera are some.

Killer Pizza.

There was so much to do on my list at that days morning. To downtown, take the circle metra, to the Planetarium and to a skyview over Chicago. But... who could imagine that we two getting lost on the Freeway, running out of gas on the freeway after two more hours and stucked there for round about another 1 1/2.
But after all I got my first, original Chicago "Deep Dish" pizza. Like a pie with cheese and tomato sauce. Looks mad, ...tastes amazing.

Touch down - Chicago

Everybody should take a look first on Wikipedia to learn something about the city where you heading to. In this case the word Chicago meant <"striped skunk", and referred to wild leek, or the smell of onions, metaphorically."> ...funny, he?
Okay, in short form it was a pretty stressed day. I overslept 30 min, on the train to LA-Airport a passenger past out and there stopped it. On the fly, 10AM to 3PM, there was no lunch but instead a lot coffee, I'm on the best way to get a cofee-addict, ...oh dear. At O'Hare-Chicago Airport I used my last minutes on my phone card to call Nico, got at 7 :00 by bus and metro to 18th street and found the only phone, probably in a 5 miles circuit, in a laundry. He picket me up and I got to this "bloody", awesome, formerly soda-factory. Huge space and a ca. 20 year old tree in the middle.!!

happy Halloween, freaks!

Me, Halloween, West Hollywood and a street parade on Santa Monica Blvd.
That's all it needs to get a deluxe freak show. My CS host Bryan took me to a party at the parade, got a nice view fom a 2nd level balcony above the party croud. So many crazy costumes, horror caracters and gay party queens. At half past one the police started to shut the party down, killed the music and cleaned the street from everybody. I though that must be America or at least California, freedom till a special time and than back to the rules. It makes me still crazy when they stop every party at latest 2 o'clock no music, no drinks.
We finished partying at round about 3, walked to the car and drove home. At a traffic light a complete naked and disoriented guy crossed the street, the last laugher for the night before coma sleeping. And here I am, the next morning with a 10 times bigger head than normal.

I survived it :)

Pub Crawl for good

We started at 7PM at the first pub, got our t-shirt and tickets for a free drink at each location. It was so much fun and the best part, the police was allways with us and blocked the traffic for the time the crowd was crossing the street during a relocation. As usual the party ended at the "undergroundsf" at 2 AM... damn, again too early. What a coincidence that I am a kind of live in this club... :)

btw @ PIXAR

've been to PIXAR in Emeryville yesterday. Alex gave me a free guide through the complex, such an amazing factory. Just got there 30 min late so there was no beer left. Anyway, I've seen a lot and got a rough idea how a multibillion movie company is creating and producing such wicked films.

Touch down - San Francisco

Got here yesterday by Car. Ramon, my couchsurf host from LA, drove me up here. He was raised here and hasn't been back for years. Whatever, it's a beautiful, green and a clean city... but that's just a first impression! so... be careful.

And I "consumed"quite to much alcohol at my host and woke up with a gigantic headache. So much fun...

Decompression

Yesterday I' ve been to a Burning Man Decompression Party in LA. It was about 10 or more blogs from Downtown through the Toy District, passing little Tokyo and finally arriving at the Artist Destrict.Underneath two bridges artists and performer where presenting there different way and view of live.
Fascinating... were just staring, smiling and enjoying
even the famous Hug-man and his Hug-Mobil was there.

touch down - Los Angeles

Today I got to Los Angeles. Took off in Hawaii at 7:00 in the morning and got here at 3 PM.
I spend my last morning on Waikiki beach. Didn't want to pay another night at the Hostel. Good decision thou, and spend the hole flight with sleeping. Even missed the Lunch on board!!!!

At the airport in LAX it was chaos. No shops and no exchange had have open (needed small money for the bus). And these bored, stupid guys at the airport were sending me from one end to the other.

Finally at Union Station, Ramon (from Couchsurfing.com) picked me up. Now I'm sitting here in "Eagle Rock", drinking a bear and planing my next days.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BTW, today it's 1 year since I left Germany!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

touch down - Hawaii - Wikiki

I'm in Waikiki now. Made my Way easy-peasy from Honolulu airport to Waikiki and got a bed without reservation... what a bulshit. I was worrying about a bed if I wouldn't reserve in advance on Hostelworld.com. pff.... Still 25 $ which really hurts after "expansive" Tokyo or China.

Spend the rest of the day with another 6 h sleep. BTW I started in Tokyo at 7 PM and got to Hawaii at 7 AM. ------------The 04. of October twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Took a walk along Waikiki Beach and Kalakaua Ave.

crazy Japan

I made my way through Tokyo, jumping from one subway line to the other. First I ate some Udon noodles in Akihabara followed by a discovery tour at the nearby "Anime Center".
We tried even Patchinko and the Porn Manga stores! We couldn't believe what we've seen...

touch down - Tokyo

My Birthday and that in Tokyo! Something I will never forget.

Took the train to Tokyo city, around one hour to get there. With the first train in the morning I made my way to "Ueno Station", than to "Minami-Senju". I checked in at 10:30 and had a shower. Exact 11:00 the guy tried to kick me out for a 5h cleaning session o.O

I went to Ueno-park and while I tried to spend some time I joined a free cultural tour through that park. Our guide was 85 years old and spoke a really good English, which I'll find out soon is absolutely not a usual thing here in Japan.

touch down - Hong-Kong (by train)

I just got here by train from Shanghai after 20 h. Nice food and a snoring old lady in the opposite bed.
I met two Canadians, ok... one of them was Quibec. That's a difference he told me. He knews Hong-Kong really well and helped me to find my Hostel and gave Brynn and me a free guide through Hong-Kong island. We went up the Peak by the famous Peak-Train.
And thats the view of Hong Kong from there.

take me to Hong-Kong in a day (Shanghai->Hong Kong)

What a trip! Got ready, checked out of the Hotel, payed in total for this hole month only 250 RMB. Made my way to the Captains Hostel to catch up with Kris and to get a last pizza there. Now... actually which station I have to go?! North or South, nothing on my ticket, no informations at all! OK, I got into the taxi with Kris on my side. Showed the driver my ticket and started, still no idea if he is going the right direction with the right goal. I dont wanna miss that train, don't wanna chuck my ticket (450 RMB), damn that organization.
After around one hour drive we got to the northern train station... aaaand it was the right one... puh. nice start!
A check-in like at an airport I had to pass and I made my way into the train. Nice, 6 beds for two people, I can do that I though.
The food I got at the restaurant was surprisingly good and soon I got company from two other germans (I guess hippies in the end 40th) and later two really awesome canadians. Brynn and Colin, teaching english in Taiwan.
Fortunately Colin was an advanced in Hong Kong and promised to give me and Brynn a giude when we are there. Sweet!

touch down - Shanghai - START

I made it! Nothing could stop me now after I finaly got ma entry Visa for Choina.
My plane touched down at Pudong Airport, the humidity outside the plane gave me a wet welcome. Felt like in a sauna and cut my way throught the airport to the arrival area.

After such a long time I was really happy to see my father again. He actually didn't change, but what should he change? Whatever...
He surprised me with something what should be a change for my life in the future. Our driver brought us to our Hotel in Pudong, next to the "Pudong Nan Lu".

He gave me some time to settle down before we kept going to the "Paulaner Beer Garden". So strange, coming to China to drink and to eat German. But who am I if I would complain about that. I twas just to good...

Bavarian Beer Café - sydney

The watch showed 7PM, makes me nervous, actually I setted the farewell for 6:30PM at the "Bavarian Beer Café" in Manly.
Fortunately the only ones on time are Vivian and Seg-Mung. How embaressing...
But it was a fun day with awesome people.