ThorstenCologne's blog ^pro

I’m confused. I always thought you weren’t supposed to drink and drive. But then what’s the message these traffic cops in Phnom Penh are sending out? ... more: http://tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/drinking-and-driving-in-phnom-penh

I’ve never been to Munich’s Oktoberfest. Somehow the combination of binge drinking, oom-pah music and big-busted waitresses in dirndl-dresses always failed to intrigue me. So I was unprepared for what I experienced last night, when I attended the Oktoberfest in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh – of all places. ... more: http://tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/oktoberfest-in-phnom-penh-its-munich-on-the-mekong

Want to get away from it all? Come to Kep in southern Cambodia and check in to Knai Bang Chatt resort. Knai Bang Chatt is a name that needs explaining. It means ‘rainbow around the sun’. In Buddhist symbolism, this rainbow is the halo around Buddha’s head. more: http://tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/knai-bang-chatt-pure-luxury-in-cambodia/

There are so many banal facts everyone knows about the United States, but when you’re here, you’re still taken by surprise. At least I was on this trip to America. ... more tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/things-i-keep-forgetting-about-the-us

Macau’s Venetian Hotel isn’t your quiet little neighborhood Bed and Breakfast. With its 40 stories, 3000 suites and 980 000 square meters, it’s the fourth largest building in the world by area. ... more tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/macaus-venetian-hotel-is-venice-on-steroids

When grandpa Zhang in Beijng cleans out his attic, he’s likely to find different stuff than Mr. Smith in Smalltown, USA. ... more: tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/beijing-bric-a-brac

This weekend, we got a chance to look behind the scenes of a Tsechu. This three-day religious festival includes masked dances performed by Buddhist monks. It’s held once a year in each disctrict or dzongkhag in Bhutan. For the Bhutanese, the Tsechu is the highlight of the year. Some of them walk for days from their remote Himalayan villages to be part of it. ... more tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/behind-the-scenes-at-the-tsechu

In Bhutan’s capital Thimphu, the locals have the holy sites almost to themselves. What you see at the city’s National Memorial Chorten, for instance, is devout Buddhists going round and round the holy stupa, but hardly any tourists.... more tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/buddhist-worshippers-dont-have-to-fend-off-tourists

My parents are well into their seventies. They live pretty far away from me and I see them about twice a year. Every time we visit, I notice how they’re getting older. ... more http://tocologne.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/saying-good-bye-to-mom-and-dad

I saw the most unusual dinner show the other day. It was at a North Korean restaurant in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. ... more: tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/the-north-korean-dinner-show

Christmas isn’t exactly a traditional holiday in Cambodia. 95 % of the people here are Buddhists. Only a very small minority are Christians. But just like the people in many other Asian countries, Cambodians love Christmas lights and decorations, giving gifts and throwing Christmas parties. ... more: tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/christmas-in-cambodia

Serendipity Beach in the southern Cambodian city of Sihanoukville is a backpackers’ paradise. Dive shops, a tattoo artist and a couple of massage places line the unpaved road from the town down to the beach. ... more: http://tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/welcome-to-paradise/

When I left Phnom Penh this morning on a bus to Cambodia’s southern beaches, I was looking forward to a quiet, relaxing ride through the Cambodian countryside. I’d neglected to take the on-board entertainment on such buses into consideration... more

When I arrived in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Friday, I was exactly one day late for one of the city’s greatest festivities. The Water Festival 2008 - or Bon Om Tuk, as it’s called in Khmer - concluded on Thursday night with boat races and spectacular fireworks. ... more

It’s strange to be back in Europe after six weeks in Asia. No more heat and humidity, like in Thailand. Instead, it’s autumn in Germany. more

One of the nice things about being in Asia is that prices are so much lower here than at home. You can treat yourself to a really nice hotel, to great restaurants and all sorts of other luxurious indulgences that won’t bust your vacation budget. ... more

Witnessing a tsechu in Bhutan is an experience that is hard to describe and impossible to forget. ... more http://tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/of-monks-and-masks/

The Miss Bhutan 2008 Beauty Pageant this weekend was the first beauty pageant I’ve attended. And it was probably the last. ... more http://tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/miss-bhutan-2008/