Our holiday to the UK after those 2 years was to join 2 family weddings we were invited to and to see how it feels again to be in the 1st world.

We started from Phnom Penh and flew via Bangkok to London where we stayed with Oli's good friends Alison and Ben for a couple of nights.

Oli and Athlet Ben after their 10 km morning run

with Alison

at the playground

a well fed cat

rainy and cold...

Ben looked very smart that morning (here with my Cambodian belongings from 2 years on his back)

Louis waits patient for attention

London double decker bus

feed the desire...

After we arrived in Edinbourgh by train, we stayed at Oli's friend Elsbeth for a few days. Meanwhile we explored Oli's old hometown.

the famous castle in Edinbourgh

Edinbourgh

landed in Edinbourgh

Oli enjoyed very much his maccaroni cheese and chips

this pub curry was not as good as ours

lovely smell

in this charity shop we bought our hats, gloves and scarfes

they could really put the radiator on in here...

having a rest from climbing up Arthur's seat

windy up here!

good view

this scottish whiskey was actually really tasty

veggi haggis, the scottish delight. I liked it.

Then we went with Oli's parents up to Glasgow to Loch Lohmond. Oli's cousin Bryony got married the next day. It was the most perfect day for a wedding and the most beautiful location.

could saying 'yes' be nicer anywhere else?

with the bride, Olis cousin Bryony

the blokes with their kilts

please don't give me a Glasgow kiss!

what a perfect day

at midnight at Loch Lohmond

The next day we drove down with Oli's parents towards his proper hometown Delph.

we visited a beautiful english heritage site on the way back from Scotland

very english...

Cheers with Gewuerztraminer at the Shipps house

Olis mum arranged this exhibition

at a local art exhibition

we've seen a few 'open gardens'

Olis parents and his aunt

with Jenny, David and Oli

beautiful red poppies on the way

Olis 'local' pub in Delph

this is where Oli comes from

bah bah!

what a beautiful horse

strolling along the yorkshire fields

nice green grass

After a few days in beautiful Yorkshire, we went back to London where Oli arranged for some friends to see us at his brothers house.

in Jonny and Sashas garden

VSO reunion in London with Jen, Charlotte and Holli

Jonny baked Pizza for all!

Holli came to London to see us!

The next day I arrived in Oxford. It was lovely coming back!

das Oxforder Abholkomitee

so suess!

entzueckend!

and John cooked especially Pad-Thai for dinner

we're becoming housemates soon again!

at the 'rusty bicycle' pub

There Í had time to sort out my new living space and I started the process on my midwifery training at Brookes University.

The next day, we all flew to Germany to the next wedding.

3 pinkies going to Germany!

pre-wedding exitement

infront of Mathia and Andreas flat

Antji

side streets in Lueneburg

Lueneburgs Town Hall

St. Nicolai Church

It was Mathias and Andreas wedding in beautiful Lueneburg. We had such a wonderful time!

do you know the feeling when you sometimes want to kill somebody?

waiting for the big moment

this little tile got fixed on top of the tower where they got married

the amazing wedding cake

the lovely happy couple Matzi und seine Andrea

the saladbar is this way...

with Mami and Rudolf and the next married couple Roland and Kathleen

Sightseeing in Lueneburg oder auch, den Sekt ablaufen gehen

a lovely fountain

Kone- Kmeing Tilda

Puh Opa

Bong Oli

and Bong-srey Katja

we danced a lot

Antje, Mami and I

After the wedding we drove back towards my hometown but on the way we stayed in Neu Sammit and camped with my friends for a few days. We had such a lovely time and unfortunately I left my camera in the car so I don't have any pictures.

Back in my hometown Guestrow, I showed Oli where I was from.

wild poppies and camomile everywhere at this time of the year

a german 'dragon boat'

Mamis tolle Topfplanzen

I met someone in Cambodia who tried twice already to visit this sculpture but the church was always closed...

'Der schwebende Engel' from Ernst Barlach in the Dom church

and this is our town hall

and this is our market area

at the Gliener See, my childhood playground

playing with the girls the stick game

our castle in Guestrow

what wonderful smell!

me and my Dad in the Lavender garden

We also met up with Doerti and Marcus.

Prost und auf ein baldiges Wiedersehen!

ok, who wins is allowed to pay the dinner bill

I tried so hard!

Oh I am such a looser...

with my Doerti

After a few days in Guestrow, we took the ferry and spend the weekend with Oli's friends in Copenhagen, Danmark.

BBQ in Simon and Pippas garden

Yippie! A Trampolin!

this is where Simon jumps into the baltic sea, every morning!

Sunset over Copenhagen

with the bus into the city

inside the marble church

Copenhagens opera house

a rather posh boat

the mermaid elephant in Copenhagen

Oli and Preah

from a poster exhibition in Copenhagen

why not having a slice of carrot cake and a cappucino?

digesting the expensive meal...

after a long evening..

living within the commune

so this is where the hippie commune lives?

who is more attractive...?

Make love - not war

Christiania was full of spray-art

our ferry which brought us from Rostock to Danmark in less then 2 hours

Back in Guestrow, we picked up the girls a few days later and flew back to England.

aye aye captains!

our little boat trip on the Inselsee in Guestrow

Tilda und Sophia am Inselsee

waiting in Buetzow for the train to take us to Hamburg Hbf

What a nice way to wake up...

ueber den Wolken...

Goodbye London, see you again in 2 months

We had a fantastic 4 weeks in Europe but it was also really nice coming home. You can read here why: (a short article for the NSJ magazine)

Going home… to Cambodia

Returning to Europe in June after 2 years volunteering in Cambodia was a big deal.

Leaving work was not so sad because I felt ready to go. But saying goodbye to beloved volunteer friends who had become so close was really tough.

Even harder was leaving Cambodian friends and family, knowing that they will probably never leave their surroundings because they are too poor – or maybe just too fearful. I always feel guilty that I am from one of the richest countries in the world. In their eyes I am rich and I agree.

Having taken the final tuktuk ride to Phnom Penh airport I was soon transported to another world – by watching 5 films back to back on the plane!

Suddenly we had landed in London. At first it didn’t seem so different – just another airport – but then we stepped out into Marks & Spencers and Costas. And all those white people – all dressed in suits like they’re going to a wedding! And the cold…

Our first coach ride was to Luton, to be picked up by a friend. The uniformed driver introduced himself before carefully stowing our luggage. We sat in a velvety seat with acres of legroom! Just as we set off (bang on time) the driver said “Please fasten your seatbelts”, which had us in fits of giggles. Driving into the dusk, it felt so smooth and safe like still being on a plane and it was lovely and quiet, so relaxing…

The landscape was so different. Of course no palm trees or rice fields, no cows or dogs on the road. Instead, motorway and big electricity masts covered the grass fields we passed.

And it was like this throughout the whole trip: relaxing and smooth, but cold and expensive – suddenly I was definitely not rich anymore! In Scotland everyone else enjoyed the summer whilst we headed to the nearest charity shop to snap up their gloves, hats and scarves! We did have great fun speaking our ‘secret language’ though.

But I had this constant rice craving. Every time we saw a Thai restaurant, my heart bet faster and we had to go in. I sometimes cooked rice myself but it didn’t taste the same – it wasn’t the slightly sticky rice that you can eat in Cambodia.

Instead I had to eat bread, cheese and cake and of course we were especially spoiled in Yorkshire with pies and in Denmark with smoerebroed. My stomach didn’t like it and I suffered. Plus everything tasted very bland and boring. And my stepfather pointed out how bad my table manners had become!

After a few weeks in Europe I was also really missing the colours of Cambodia. And the people, the landscape, the heat. We had a great time with all our friends and family, but it was so good to know that I could return one more time to Cambodia.

On the plane back I promised myself I would really enjoy every moment that I have left here. I felt happy and relaxed – I was coming home!

written by  katja-horsch on July 10, 2011 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Holiday in the first world
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