Urban Exploring at Mandalay’s Abandoned Airport (Chanmyathazi)

I love abandoned places. I especially love abandoned airports. So when I saw on the map that there’s one right in the city core of Mandalay, I knew I needed to visit Mandalay’s abandoned airport. It’s called Mandalay Chanmyathazi Airport (VBC), named after the township it’s located in. Spotting it on the Map When Googling “Mandalay Airport” there’s no mistake where you need to go to or will arrive at. Mandalay International Airport (MDL) is located a whopping 38 kilometers outside of the city. But passengers didn’t always need to travel that far to fly away from Mandalay. When scrollingContinue reading

How to Get a SIM Card in Myanmar

Telecom and internet are developing very rapidly in Myanmar. Everything we read before we visited the country in January 2020 was already outdated. By the time I hit publish on this article, some information might already be a little off. So here’s the most recent info we acquired. Please leave a comment at the bottom of this article if you have additional or new information about the SIM-card situation in Myanmar. The country code for Myanmar is +95 Contents1 A Brief History of Myanma Telecommunications2 Why Should I Get a SIM Card in Myanmar?3 Which Provider Should I Choose?3.1 ShouldContinue reading

My 60-Day Stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand (I Just Don’t Get It)

I entered  Chiang Mai, Thailand by plane from China on the 5th of November, 2019. Jonas and I received a 30-day entry stamp initially, which we needed to extend. I wrote this piece partially during my stay in Chiang Mai and partially afterward. Months later I’m still puzzled by this city and its appeal to other foreigners. An unsolved mystery. Contents1 Expectations Set2 Arriving in Thailand3 Ecoviolence: the Yi Peng/Loi Krathong Festival4 Ill in Chiang Mai: Welcome to Foodpanda5 A Slow Recovery with Delivery Food6 Traffic Troubles7 Yoga and Swimming8 Socializing, but Actually Networking9 The Visa Extension9.1 Medellín vs. ChiangContinue reading

Kayaking the Ping River in Chiang Mai, Thailand

So far, Jonas and I joined the paddling meetup on the Ping River in Chiang Mai twice. Kayaking in a group usually happens once or twice a week in Chiang Mai. Click here to find the information to find the next kayaking meetup, the map of the route, and some tips on what to bring/wear. Paddling Addicts Since we finished paddling halfway down the Danube, Jonas and I have been looking for our next paddling fix. We once paddled down the Morava river in Slovakia before drying our dear boat Zucchini. But since then, we haven’t set foot in aContinue reading