Bangkok and the escape from Bangkok

Busy avenue in central Bangkok
Busy avenue in central Bangkok

It has been a hide-and-seek game, but eventually I won, a giant cockroach in my hotel room is killed. Now I can go out on the street. It is sultry, stuffy and hot. The humid air sticks to my lungs. In the course of my travels this is the most tiresome place I have been to. On the other hand... Bangkok is a crazy city. The place which every single soul lost on the wild trails of Southeast Asia will sooner or later visit. It's an incredible assortment of people, places and food. It is also a meeting place for travelers from all over the world. You can regain energy, make a new plan, get inspired, share your experiences, recover strength and have a bit of entertainment. Opportunities are more than enough. Moreover, Khao San Road is running wild more than 24 hours a day. In fact, you are in the City of Sin

A marketplace in Bujumbura

Meat stall at the market in the capital of Burundi
Meat stall at the market in the capital of Burundi

A group of butchers is using machetes to chop bony cuts of beef. An incomprehensible kirundi language chatter is set to background by mixed sounds of bones being crushed and hullabaloo of hyperactive flies. A slightly tense atmosphere rises, then it suddenly intensifies. No one seems to be enjoying a company of a white guy with a camera in his hand. The most ordinary handshake, a friendly smile and a short conversation release the stress.

Lisbon

The great explorers set off their romantic travels
The great explorers set off their romantic travels

I admire the dramatic view of sun subtly setting behind the clouds . Sailboats released in the wind, an ocean cruising ship and a few fishing boats cast long shadows on the wrinkled surface of the river.

In the foreground there is the monument Padrão dos Descobrimentos representing silhouettes of the renowned Portuguese in  fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the era of great discoveries. The location of the monument is not accidental.

Segovia

Roman aqueduct in Segovia
Roman aqueduct in Segovia

Segovia is a small town located north of Madrid. Like Toledo, fits perfectly for a one day excursion off the capital. The first impression is formed shortly upon the arrival. It is a deserted city. No, that is not. It's just a siesta time, giving an opportunity to see the dormant city. We walk towards the center with a broad promenade. The paved road turns into a descent granite surface. In front of us the Roman aqueduct emerges.

A sunny rock filled with monkeys

Intrusive monkeys have no limits
Intrusive monkeys have no limits

Gibraltar is a place of numerous disputes over the centuries. The territory once conquered and ruled by the Berbers in 711 A.D. had been waiting more than seven centuries to get back into the hands of the Spaniards. Not for long because in 1704 during the Spanish Succession War territory is occupied by Britain. And so it remains up to date.

A 426 meters high the distinctive looking Rock of Gibraltar is a bona fide limestone fortress. As the only summit in the area it looks quite unnatural along the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. It gives a strategic point of control over the Strait of Gibraltar, the only passage from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. For this reason, the tiny, having only 6.5 km² territory has played a leading role in the past.

Cadiz, the Europe's oldest city

Low tide at the fortress in Cádiz
Low tide at the fortress in Cádiz

A bit after six, still cold, however we decide to rest on a beach. Every fifteen minutes more sunlight timidly emerge from behind coastal high-rises. The next comes breakfast. We order churros in a nearby bar. These are disgustingly fat and excessively sweetened snacks. Perfect with your morning white coffee.

Toledo

Alcázar de Toledo
Alcázar de Toledo

Toledo is a small town located about an hour south of Madrid. While in the capital, it is also worth to spend some time out on a fresh provincial air around. Toledo is definitely one of the most interesting one-day excursions.

Getting off at the bus station I see a rising city build on a hill. On top of the hill there is a distinctive outline. This is the castle Alcázar de Toledo. In the past the castle served as a well-protected fortress that could only be conquered with strenuous climb, hard fighting and chivalrous courage.

The European theme park

A view of Barcelona from Park Guell
A view of Barcelona from Park Guell

"A European theme park", a guy from bike rental shop told me in Madrid. I asked him to describe Barcelona in one sentence. Some say that the capital of Catalonia has nothing to do with the real Spain. One thing is certain. Barcelona is a unique and vibrant city, which not for no reason attracts more tourists every year.

Early in the afternoon I look at perpendicularly intersecting thoroughfares of the city. Bustling life stops for a couple of hours and people rest before the second part of the day.