― Paul Theroux, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star
This is about kindness, strangers becoming friends, openness and the great Japanese hospitality which made me fall in love with Japan already at the airport.
The above quote is so on point to what I experienced on my travels and especially it reflects my days on Hachijo-Jima, where I met Mikis, perfectly.
How did I meet Mikis?
Just how we met is already great. We both did a Vippassana retreat in Chiba together, meditating in the same place for 10 days. In absolute silence. No phone, no books, no electronics. On the last day the so called „noble silence“ is lifted and of course I talked to many people on the course to share the experiences. Also the other participants, which were mostly Japanese, approached me filled with curiosity and with many questions I happily answered. We laughed and shared stories of pain as the last day is very joyful after 10 days of hard work on your inner self and the ability to speak again.
So, it happened that also Mikis and I had a chat. As soon as he revealed he is living on a remote island, 11 hours from Tokyo, my curiosity got awakened.
See for yourself how life is in the sea far from Tokyo and what beauty it holds. meet: Mikis!
]]>20 years ago they decided turning those, soon to be abandoned fishing islands, into an outdoor and indoor Mecca of art.
We talked a lot about creativity, visited some places together. At some point I got a little bit confused about her negativity on art. But see for yourself how quickly this changed… Enjoy!
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Why is it so quiet Martin?
Was I just too busy taking pictures, hanging in the Gobi Desert or on my way to China? Yes. A bit of everything. As I´m now in China and spent my last days in Beijing, make sure to watch the video below because it is really bad and explains a lot why Im not posting anything new right now!
Hope you had the same fun watching as we had making this video. David and I were laughing so hard, and that this is something you pay for killed us even more. 30 Yuan well spent.
Now seriously. The reason for the long absence of posts is quite simple. In Mongolia everything is very touristy, since you have to go on organized tours and the capital Ulan Bator wasn´t just my thing. So no real chance of meeting people apart from brief chats. and I didn´t feel the vibe for any deeper portrait or story worthwhile telling. Im already in Shanghai right now and rest assured, I have one thing coming in Japan and I´m sure the next story awaits there beginning of Ocotber.
In the meantime enjoy the above video one more time and some pictures in the gallery have been added.
See you soon!
Martin
https://youtu.be/EccbqFYyBVg
this COULD BE the last post for the next two weeks as i will head out in the wilderness of Lake Baikal participating in THIS project. In the meantime you can enjoy the fascinating story about Sergey and Tatyana I had the pleasure spending two days with.
Sergey and Tatyana live in Irkutsk together with their german shepherd Yarush. I found them via Couchsurfing and gladly they accepted my request. I somehow already knew that there will be a story to find at their place since they are well traveled, hitchhiked a lot and announced their big trip already on Couchsurfing. Find out more in the video below. Take your time, grab your lady or lad,
it´s 13 mins but worth it and full of insights in travel, barriers in your head and fear.
What I´ve learned from Sergey, Tatyana and Yarush:
Barriers are only in your head
New beginnings hold new adventures
Everything is possible, you just got to do it (yes it´s that easy)
If you don´t live the life you want – change something and live it
No money is no excuse for not traveling – maybe your (self set) standards are
Fear is only in your mind and your own personal barrier (sometimes not even real)
Thank´s Yarush for this insight:
Grab your chances while the food is on the table and the landlords out of the house!
(Yarush stole a big bowl of meat and eat it all while we were away) 
Now enjoy the video and support Sergey and Tatyana on their trip!
]]>Sometimes you encounter people that conquer your soul and heart in just a fragment of a second. With creative and arty kind of people I experienced this in the past and I guess also Natalia is that kind of person. Humble, decent, not a word too much, nevertheless a winning smile and a real teaser.
I met Natalia at a local Couchsurfing event in St Petersburg and we began walking across the city the following evenings. Instead a video
this is about „What I´ve learned from Natalia“ with some pictures from the evenings we spent walking and taking photos.
What I´ve learned from Natalia:
Less talk is more.
Draw Bridges open in summer nights.
Having an eye on architecture and buildings.
Appreciating the nights and lights of St. Petersburg.
A simple cigarette can cause trouble with the Police. 
Israeli Cuisine and good company is all you need being happy.
Spasibo for the walks, talks and dinners Natalia!
This post is mixed, partly about the city and as the title states, a personal one. If you don´t mind reading scroll down, stay for the pictures and impressions of city and light in the stream below.
Status Quo
Today is day 13 of traveling, having spent my recent 4 days in lovely, beautiful and crowded St Petersburg. Startet with 5 days in Vilnius – the city I like so much – followed by 3 days in Telsiai in the lovely countryside of Lithuania, with the best hospitality a guest family ever can offer. Thanks Jurate, Siaulus, Simona and family for beeing a great host to me!
But I do feel a little weird. „Beeing in Transit“ describes the feeling most accurate right now as it feels like not having found my rhythm and scheme of travel yet. This also goes for the blog, it´s not that easy finding stories worthwhile posting and documenting as often as I want to, as cultural and language barriers exist.
What I learned while being in St. Petersburg.
I still hate touristy crowds, swarming round the city from site to site. Yes. I am also a tourist. As much as I like to tell myself I´d be walking „beyond the beaten path“ it’s not (always) possible. And thats why I like to get in touch with local people, especially in small villages, so you get the real deal out of the country, the people and their behavior. And exatly this was the case when I met Natalia, who showed me round the city the last evenings and made these very enjoyable. I´m planing a little post about her the next days!
As St Petersburg is huge (5 Mio. inhabitants, countless sites to see), crowded, and especially on Navy Day (where they show off the Russian Navy capabilities on the river Newa with an impressive parade with planes, ships, tanks what not) the city is packed. More on Navy Day here in English and German.
Click through the picture carousel below:
But, these crowds are not for me. I like strolling around in more quiet places, corners, in my own speed and time. But, before I can do that, whenever I enter a new city I first need to get an impression, an image, an understanding of the place. This is not at all possible in under 3 or 4 days and requires at least multiple Subway, Taxi, Uber rides, nights out in bars with locals and good talks with them. I had this feeling multiple times when traveling and now it established that I need more time in places worthwhile staying. So, on my 4th day my feeling for St Petersburg is getting clearer. I don’t like rushing through the world. I don’t like keeping schedules. If I want to stay, I stay, if not, I´ll go. I need time for shooting pictures, sitting in cafe´s, soaking up the spirit of a city. Now day 4 in St P feels like this, I arrived and now I feel ready to explore. First set a base, settle, then explore. Pitty, it´s my last day here in St. P. Need to take that into account for the next stations like Mongolia and Japan.
That´s why I´m looking forward so much to the Great Baikal Lake project Im participating for 14 days in one camp with 12 other people. More info on the project here.
The city of St. Petersburg.
The most impressive thing that strikes me every time traveling north / north east: the light! The light is absolutely different compared with what I experienced living in the south west of Germany.
In the morning, at daytime, late evening or even at night. St Petersburg is no exception and the difference becomes even more clear here. Light is soft, it fades in slowly in the morning, and does so in the evening, slowly. When you see the sun setting its probably still 1 to 1,5 hours to go before it disappears behind the horizon. The sun setting so slow creates stunning light creations in the city, on the river on the houses, on people. Being here I understand what it´s all about the „White Nights of St Petersburg“.
Click through for some iPhone shot light impressions:
I´m already in Moscow, hopping on the Transsiberian Railway at 19:00 local time. One of my desired travel destinations becoming true and I can´t wait walking through the busy train station looking for my train and cart. At the same time it feels very strange, months of planing, now tomorrow will really be the day I will do this? Cannot believe this at all. Keeping you posted!
Dmitry, Vilnius based artist, born in Moscow,
creates clocks and small art pieces from materials like wood, copper or gyps in his little studio in Vilnius near the main station. meet: Dmitry, his art, his studio and what he has to say about life and creativity in the documentary at the end of this page.
I arrive at his studio which is located in one of the many soviet apartment blocks you see around. As I enter, my expectations are matched, I step into a small apartment stuffed with tools, materials and works in progress.
Dmitry has a warm and welcoming personality, soft voice and the smiles as much with his eyes as with his whole face. Most of the questions he answered in his own and philosophical way. But see for yourself below.
My presence didn´t seem to bother him at all and he restlessly pulled out and unwraps a lot of art, showing me what he has done over time. Very fine Photographs with double exposure shots put in frames (see more in the video), dotted pen drawings, frame in frame paintings and printer art his broken printer did. He also showed various materials he works with. See more in the Photostream below.
In the following video you will learn about Dmitry´s art and the way he sees creativity, how his ideas come to life and of course I asked some important questions regarding the meaning of life.
Enjoy the video and don´t forget to set it to best quality possible!
Check out his website and art on
Absolutely no mistake visiting the Baltic beauty of Vilnius for a second time and as an opener. This is my first video ever with timelapses on some of my favorite spots. So have a look, its good 
Stay tuned for more to come on what the Vilnietis (locals) have to say about their city and portraits on locals coming up!
Share if you like and comment what you think!
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The car is sold, the job is done – soon I will be gone!
Eight days to go then I will start my trip into Lithuania, Russia, The Transsiberian, Mongolia, Gobi Desert, Peking, Shanghai, Japan…and to be continued. Filled with hopes of rich experiences to come.
Since my last day at work this becomes reality the first time.
Like with anything else the first step will be the hardest. But when falling in the airplane seat I´m sure the one thing left will be anticipation of what´s to come. And after some weeks I hope all goes smooth and easy. The anticipation of freedom is massive, as well as trying out new things as well as myself.
Nevertheless, doubts remain, am I doing the right thing?
The massive support from all my friends is beyond all doubts and makes me confident.
——DEUTSCH——-
Den letzten Tag im Büro, das Auto verkauft – bald gehts los!
Was als Tagträumerei begann wird Realität. Krank! Ein wahrhaftiger Priestermoment!
Acht Monate in die Welt – Litauen, Russland, Transsibirischen Eisenbahn, Wanderprojekt am Baikalsee, Mongolei, Wüste Gobi, Peking, Shanghai, Japan. To be continued.
Wie mit allem wird der erste Schritt der Schwerste sein, mit dem fallenlassen auf den Sitzplatz des Fliegers ist nur noch Freude übrig. Und nach mehreren Wochen hoffe ich auf eine smoothe Reise die sich eingegroovt hat. Die Vorfreude auf die erstmal uneingeschränkte Freiheit ist riesig. Die Freude darauf, sich selbst wieder einmal ausprobieren zu dürfen und zu challengen, noch größer.
Dennoch, Zweifel bleiben, tue ich das Richtige?
Der massive Support aller Freunde und 100%iger Zuspruch das Richtige zu tun, ist über alle Zweifel erhaben.