SEGUE IN ITALIANO

Kob kun krab, Saum arkoun anak, Cam on, Khawp jai lai, Dhan'yavāda, Dhanybhad!

Funny beginning from the end, my mind goes to the big Tiziano Terzani (the end is my beginning)...

4 long months have passed since that November 18th, when I was boarding that flight to Bangkok.
The very first emotion was flying over Cairo, 10 years after my last visit.
I already knew I was about to make a journey which would have give me many emotions but I could never expect to live so many.
Mine was a journey of discovering new and re-discovering places I knew but with new eyes and a different maturity.
I tried to experience every single step, place, view, sound, flavor, scent, minute and person at maximum. 
I crossed 6 Countries so close and different one to the other; done kilometers, 13400 more precisely; met people from every corner of the world and who knows from which other planet;
make friends and became part of new families; visited a long series of wonders and famous and important places:
Angkor, the killing fields, Mekong river, Saigon, Cho Chi, the demilitarized zone and the Vietnam war places, Ha long, Phong-Nha-Ke, Hoi an and Hue, Ha noi and the encounter with Ho Chi Minh, marvellous Laos and its kind and smiling people,
Luang Prabang, the Golden triangle, Kolkata and Mother Theresa, Gange river and the huge delta, Darjeeling and the massive Himalaya, Kathmandu and the spectacular Nepal, Taj Mahal that took my breath away, Rajastan with beautiful cities and forts,
to end up in the Thar desert.
I learned so much, especially from children and from their joyful eyes, big smiles and such generous hearts.
I learned, above all, that "surviving" does not mean "living with a little" but is exactly the opposite.
As long as I was only concentrated in working and finding the right way to earn money, at that time I was surviving, letting days go by while waiting for something better.
In some kind of way I really have to thank my mediocre chiefs in the previous crap employment in Madrid (all respect to my lovely friends and ex colleagues still working there).
They opened my eyes and saved me, from that moment on I decided to live.
I learned that less is equal to more, that you can live without meat and with spicy food only  I learned that "the Doors" are a perfect soundtrack for traveling, they suit for glaciers as well as the desert, I learned to believe in myself....
Not to forget the volunteering working which Workaway has given me and all Couchsurfing friends, a very nice way of traveling being in contact with people and help here and there.
My friends, try them, I could never met the people I met and receiving this life lessons from children which experienced abuses, suffering, poverty and living without or far from their families. EXTRAORDINARY! 
I go back home with my worn shoes and with my black feet again but rich in beauties and ugliness, of musics, of experiences and will to live and with the promise I'll be back to visit the Kolkata and Kathmandu children.
I thank all for bearing my Facebook posts and pictures especially those who understood it was only a way to tell you I was fine but also to share emotions and places which without a travel partner, end up being forgotten or not elaborated (thank you Facebook).
Thank you all for the encouraging and support words and to whom believed and contributed to my "Allaroundtheworld project" , we gave smiles and joy which someone could believe of minor imprtance but will last long in the children's memories. 
I have many drawings that I will deliver and you will see pictures and proofs of those smiles soon. Thank you so much to whom helped me being able to make this dream reality. Thank you so much my guardian angel, you must have "big attributes" to take me back home. WOW!

ITALIANO

Thank you, Grazie, Kob kun krab, Saum arkoun anak, Cam on, Khawp jai lai, Dhan'yavāda, Dhanybhad!

Divertente iniziare dalla fine, la mia mente mi fa pensare alla grande persona che e' stata Tiziano Terzani (la fine è il mio inizio) e che quì ci sta benissimo...
Sono passati 4 mesi da quel lontanissimo 18 Novembre, quando salivo su quel volo per Bangkok. 
La primissima emozione, quella di sorvolare la mia amata Il Cairo, 10 anni dopo l'ultima visita. 
Sapevo che stavo per fare un viaggio che mi avrebbe regalato tante emozioni ma mai mi sarei aspettato di viverne così tante.
Il mio è stato un viaggio di scoperta, di nuovi e riscoperta di vecchi posti ma con occhi ed una maturità diversi.
Ho cercato di vivere ogni singolo passo, posto, scorcio, suono, sapore, odore, minuto e persona al massimo.
Ho attraversato 6 paesi così vicini e diversi tra loro; macinato chilometri, 13400 per l'esattezza; incontrato persone provenienti da ogni angolo del pianeta e chissà da quale altro mondo;
Stretto mille nuove amicizie e sono entrato a far parte di nuove famiglie; Visitato una lunga serie di meraviglie e luoghi storici ed importanti:
Angkor, i killing fields, il Mekong, Saigon, Cho Chi, la DMZ zone ed i luoghi della guerra in Vietnam, Ha long bay, le grotte di Phong-Nha-Ke, Hoi an e Hue, Ha noi e l'incontro con Ho Chi Minh, il meraviglioso Laos e la sua gente cortese e sorridente,
Luang Prabang, il triangolo d'oro, Calcutta e Madre Teresa, Il Gange ed il suo enorme delta, Darjeeling e l'imponente Himalaya, Kathmandu e lo spettacolare Nepal, il Taj Mahal (che mi ha tolto il fiato), Varanasi, il Rajastan con le spettacolari città e forti, per concludere con il deserto del Thar.
Ho imparato molto, sopratutto dai bambini e dai loro occhi così gioiosi, gli enormi sorrisi ed i cuori infinitamente generosi.
Ho imparato, in particolare che "sopravvivere" non significa "vivere con poco" ma anzi è al contrario. 
Finchè ero concentrato sul lavoro ed il trovare il modo di guadagnare bene, allora si che sopravvivevo, lasciando scivolare le giornate in attesa di chissà cosa. 
In un certo modo devo ringraziare i mediocri capi del mio ultimo triste lavoro a Madrid (con tutto il rispetto e la stima per gli amati amici che continuano lì). 
Loro mi hanno aperto gli occhi e salvato, da allora ho deciso di vivere.
Ho imparato che il meno equivale al più, che si può vivere senza carne e di solo cibo piccante  ho imparato che i Doors sono un'ottima colonna sonora e si adattano ad ogni situazione, dai ghiacciai al deserto.
Ho imparato a fidarmi di me stesso....
Non dimentichiamo le esperienze di lavoro solidale che Workaway mi ha regalato e gli amici di couchsurfing, un bel modo di viaggiare a contatto con la gente ed aiutare. 
Amici provatelo, io non avrei mai potuto fare questi incontri e ricevere queste lezioni di vita da bambini abituati ad abusi, sofferenza, povertà e a vivere senza le loro famiglie o lontani da esse. STRAORDINARIO!
Torno a casa con le scarpe consumate e di nuovo con i piedi neri ma con un carico di bellezze e brutture, di musiche, di vissuto e di voglia di vivere e con la promessa di tornare dai bambini di Calcutta e Kathmandu.
Ringrazio tutti per la sopportazione dei miei post e foto su Facebook e sopratutto chi ha capito che non era altro che una maniera per comunicare che tutto andava bene e sopratutto per condividere emozioni e luoghi che, senza un partner di viaggio, finiscono nel dimenticatoio enon vengono elaborati (grazie Facebook).
Grazie a tutti per le parole di incoraggiamento e supporto e a chiunque abbia contribuito e creduto nel mio progetto "Allaroundtheworld", abbiamo regalato tanta gioia e sorrisi che seppure sembrino poca cosa, resteranno a lungo nella memoria dei bambini.
Sono carico di disegni che distribuiro' e presto vedrete le immagini e testimonianze di quei sorrisi. Grazie a chi mi ha aiutato a realizzare questo sogno. Grazie di cuore al mio angelo custode che deve avere due palle tante per riportarmi a casa. WOW!

The fateful date has finally arrived. After a sleepless night, thoughts, projects, expectations, worries, question marks, tensions and emotions have given way to the desire of leaving for the long waited and planned journey. The day passed really quickly and I now find myself sitting in a café at Cairo airport  waiting for the connection flight to Bangkok, the gateway to Asia and the starting point of my journey. Landing at night with all the lights outlining the map of this great magical city that means so much to me, gave me a shiver and positivity for whatever is to come. Just a couple of hours to the next flight and I will awake in Thailand. 

As the travel schedule is taking shape day by day, i can only share with you the schools and organizations which already confirmed me the invitations.

The first one is the C.E.S.H.E. school of English in Siem Reap where Mr Rady is taking care and providing free education to about 300 kids.

Find the webpage: 

http://ceshecambodia.wordpress.com/

and have a look to this presentation video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAj0zC2jeA

The second confirmed place, so far, is a little orphanage runned by Lalit and his wife Dhanusha. They provide free education, accommodation, food, health care and love to the orphans, victims of natural disaster, children of conflict and children who are forced to live in prison with their parents and look after about 20 kids in their home located in a small village outside Kathmandu in Nepal.

I'm now planning the whole journey, aware that i can only mark tracks for what will surely be a "on the go changing itinerary". I am still contacting schools and organizations and depending on the answers and availabilities, i will make plans.

While checking the calendar, i realized the distance is huge and time short and as moving around shouldn't be that easy, i will probably use flights somewhere. I might also decide to stay more days somewhere and cut out other places from the program, it really depends on the feelings and people i will meet on the way i'm open to everything.

The aim of my journey is of course traveling but mainly getting to know people's reality being guest in families and working with them in return. Regarding donations, i know this is my mission but it might be the same as yours also and i thought that delivering the money (or buying products directly there) without people in between is probably more efficient. The 2 euros fixed amount to donate is because i am not an organization and i cannot gather too much money or i have to pay and register my association. Paypal is simple and direct, i can withdrawn money wherever i am with no commissions.

As said, the money will go to people and kids, i will provide to my own expenses!

If you have friends involved in some kind of organization or you know a place/family you can recommend, please advise. I'll keep posting and updating with associations names while i get confirmations. Thank you.

I have been dreaming about a journey to Indochine for years and having red tons of books about the area, people and hystorical events, helped my curiosity to keep growing on and on. Such a romantic and cruel place at the meantime, from the lush vegetation, the amazing Halong bay to the Thar desert, from the Himalayas, giving birth to the sacred Ganga to Mekong river, the Golden Triangle, Angkor wat temples city, Cho Chi tunnels, and even more, Ho Chi Minh city and Vientiane, from sacred Varanasi to Kathmandu, Luang Prabang, Yangoon and Hoi An places where names such as Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Aung San Suu Kyi have fought for noble ideals and everybody's freedom. Afer having left my beloved Madrid to get a summer job as the only solution available at that moment, I realized this life is only possible by leaving the day by day and as summer season it's about to end therefore i'm planning my next step. Thanks to websites such as "Couchsurfing, Wwoof and Workaway" i got to know different organizations, privates and families who are involved in helping others in need. As i have no plans and job for winter, here is the idea of organizing the "journey of a lifetime" while giving out a hand, working in some of the places in exchange of accomodation and food or helping kids in schools and orphanages. The challenge is to tread more than 11.000 km by land in about 4 months leaving smiles along the road and receiving much more!