Helft Vietnamesischen Kindern mit Hydrocephalus

On 15. October 2017 By Alina BoogeIn Charity Work, Thoughts About Traveling, VietnamLeave a comment

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Wenn Hoa lächelt, ist es als ob gerade die Sonne aufgegangen ist. Es ist das breiteste Lächeln, das ich jemals gesehen habe. Man könnte denken, dass sie eben an etwas unglaublich Lustiges gedacht hat. Ihr Lächeln ist ansteckend und ich kann es kaum erwarten, bis sie mir den Witz erzählt, über den sie gerade nachgedacht hat. Doch das wird niemals passieren. Denn Hoa kann nicht sprechen. Höchstwahrscheinlich kann sie auch weder hören noch sehen. Sie kann sich kaum bewegen. Hoa leidet unter Hydrocephalus, besser bekannt als „Wasserkopf“. Eine Krankheit, die schon jetzt ein frühes Ende ihres so jungen Lebens entschieden hat. Hoa ist drei Jahre alt und lebt in einem Kinderheim in Vietnam, von ihren Eltern zurückgelassen. Und Hoa ist nicht die Einzige.

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Help Vietnamese Children With Hydrocephalus

On 15. October 201715. October 2017 By Alina BoogeIn Charity Work, Thoughts About Traveling, VietnamLeave a comment

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When Hoa smiles, it´s like the sun has risen. It is the biggest smile I have ever seen. You would think she has just thought of the funniest thing you can imagine. Her smile is contagious. I cannot wait for her to tell me the joke she just thought of. But she never will. Because Hoa can´t speak. She can also most likely not hear or see. She can barely move. Hoa suffers from hydrocephalus, a condition also known as “water on the brain”. An illness that has already decided an early end for her young life. Hoa is three years old and lives in a children´s centre in Vietnam, abandoned by her own parents who were hoping that she would receive better care somewhere else. And she is not the only one. Continue reading “Help Vietnamese Children With Hydrocephalus” →

Mount Everest – at the feet of the world´s highest mountain (Part 2)

On 26. August 2017 By Alina BoogeIn Asia, Nepal2 Comments

But that night in Lobuche the cold didn´t bother us. Nothing could bother us. Because the next day we would get to see what we had been waiting for all these days. The reason why we were walking this trek in the first place. Everest Base Camp – tomorrow we would get there. It was only another five hours walk and 450 metres height away. Continue reading “Mount Everest – at the feet of the world´s highest mountain (Part 2)” →

Mount Everest – at the feet of the world´s highest mountain (Part 1)

On 29. March 2017 By Alina BoogeIn Asia, Nepal1 Comment

We were in the air. Ahead of us a 30 minutes flight through the mountains of Nepal. Our destination: The most dangerous airport in the world. The houses of Kathmandu started to vanish and a scenery of grey and white mountains came into view. Looking outside the window I just couldn´t believe that we were actually doing this. We were going to walk to THE Everest Base Camp. By ourselves. With only a map. Were we absolutely insane? Or was this going to be one of the best thing I had ever done?

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Trekking to Everest Base Camp: How it all started…

On 20. March 2017 By Alina BoogeIn Asia, Nepal2 Comments

Nepal – there wasn´t much I knew about this country before entering it. A friend of mine had volunteered there once. The terrible earthquake of 2015. And of course, the residence of the highest mountain in the world. That was about it. So when we decided that we needed a break of India a short trip to Nepal seemed like a good idea. A little bit of trekking and some water rafting. Just two weeks to recharge our batteries before heading back into India. That was the plan. What I didn´t know was that this country would blow me away. That we would have to extend our visa. And that I was about to experience a trip of a lifetime. A trip that would turn out to be one of the most challenging and at the same time most rewarding things I had ever done so far. Continue reading “Trekking to Everest Base Camp: How it all started…” →

The madness of North India

On 12. January 201712. January 2017 By Alina BoogeIn Asia, India2 Comments

The first thing you will notice when in the North of India are the cows. Cows – they are everywhere. Wherever you go, whatever you see, there will be cows. In India, especially in the north of the country, cows are regarded as holy – which means that you won´t find any beef on the menu. It also means that cows can roam the streets without being touched. Don´t get me wrong the locals have their sticks ready in case a cow goes for their fruit stalls. But other than that there is no interfering with them. If a cow blocks the traffic – so be it. The traffic waits. As long as the cow needs to leave the road. Continue reading “The madness of North India” →

India – from South to North in the most difficult way

On 17. December 2016 By Alina BoogeIn Asia, India1 Comment

Since I started travelling I have met hundreds of other travellers. To break the ice most conversations really start with “How long have you been travelling? Where have you been? And where are you going next?” Now, that third question is the one you got to look out for. Why is that? Because there are two types of travellers and the answer will show what kind of traveller you have in front of you. Continue reading “India – from South to North in the most difficult way” →

Back on the road!

On 20. November 201620. November 2016 By Alina BoogeIn Asia, India, Sri LankaLeave a comment

And then it was that time again. After eight months back in the motherland the day arrived and it was time to say Goodbye again. After working my butt off in a job, that I will definitely not pursue as a career, but which has definitely taught me some lessons regarding real working life, walking a minimum of ten kilometres every day, having to deal with all kinds of people (and let me put it this way – I lost a bit of my faith in humanity), being under constant stress while working every damn single weekend without fail – it also made me a whole lot of money in a short amount of time, thanks to the German tipping culture. So all the hard work was really more than worth it. Especially when I finished my last day at work, had a beer with one of my best friend overlooking the Hamburg Harbour, realising that I would be off again in just a few days. Continue reading “Back on the road!” →