How to get a 90-day visa for Cabo Verde: Part I

Disclaimer: This article on securing a 90-day visa Cabo Verde applies mostly to EU+ citizens. This new visa policy only applies to holders of EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, and UK passports. Passport holders of other nationalities can still apply to a Cabo Verdean visa at embassies and consulates the regular way. If you don’t want to read the backstory, read Part II and click The TL;DR or What to bring for a visa extension. The Escape After spending two winters in Maastricht, the Netherlands, I’m finally freed from that place. I did some courses, wrote a thesis, then fled to Lisbon, Portugal.Continue reading

Maastricht: Wholesome Activities in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter

You might already know that I’ve lived in Maastricht twice, both times as a student. To be precise: from summer 2010 till winter 2013. I returned to the city from January till December 2018 to finish my bachelor’s degree and write my thesis about hitchhiking. Especially the second time around, I focused my efforts to do more wholesome activities amid the fraternity noise and anxious binge-drinking students with quarter-life crises. Here are my suggestions for both residents and people on a short visit: Contents1 How to Get Around Maastricht?2 Maastricht in Spring2.1 Photographing the Blossoms2.2 Cycling to Belgium to DrinkContinue reading

Ushuaia: “The End of the World” or whatever…

Twelve days ago I had my last ride to Ushuaia, Argentina. Ushuaia also goes by “The End of the World” (Argentina’s greatest marketing success!). I smoked my last cigarette upon arrival. Today I leave the place that embraced my – for now – last cigarette butt. I’ll hitchhike back to where the sun wants to shine. I just made this silly plan to quit smoking four weeks ago. That’s when I still thought it would be poetic AF to go cold turkey at the End of the World. Little did I know Ushuaia would be a supermassive black hole forContinue reading

The Netherlands to Berlin, Germany: Sitting, Waiting, Hitching

My backpack has been sittin’, waitin’, wishin’ for a ride to Berlin in Germany! Today I’m hitchhiking from my mom’s place in the Netherlands to Berling in one day. My folks were kind enough to give me a kickstarting ride to this great gas station along the A1 highway. They had people to visit or things to do in the east of the Netherlands, so it’s great that I could join for a short while. I made sure to snap a picture with my sweet old dog Ashley. Like a comet passing by, I used their gravitational force to launchContinue reading

Sibiu, Romania: Spontaneous Couchsurfing + German Influences Everywhere

“Hey! I’m looking for a pub or some place with WiFi and beer at the small square so I can find a couchsurfing host. Do you know one?” “Oh you can stay at my apartment! Do you speak German?” Meet Adelheid, my most spontaneous couchsurfing host ever in Sibiu Romania! Two days of fun and hospitality   Did you know that Sibiu in Romania historically had a big German community? Their name is Rumäniendeutsche. Hence the German influences around town. It even has a German alternative name. Are you ready? It’s Hermannstadt, I shit you not. That’s honestly the most German nameContinue reading

Trusting One’s Gut Feeling: Four Truckers, One Hitchhiker (Turkey)

I took this hitchselfie with my four Kurdish truck drivers while hitchhiking in southeastern Turkey. I don’t remember exactly where this was. But from the date I posted it, I’m assuming it was somewhere between Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep. Somehow in my mind, this happened between Batman and Diyarbakır or Van and Batman. I don’t remember exactly and I can’t find the original photo! Anyway, this is a short story about trusting one’s gut feeling when hitchhiking. Anyway, this truck stopped to pick me up in the morning. I said hello in Turkish and asked where they were headed. They wereContinue reading

Hitchselfie: Gaziantep to Hatay/Antakya/Antioch (Turkey)

I hitchhiked from Gaziantep – also known as Antep – to Hatay in Turkey. But Hatay is also known as Antakya and Antioch. Which version should I even write down on my cardboard hitchhiking sign? Speaking of signs, somewhere at the on-ramp of the highway, I took this hitchselfie next to a road sign. I really like the composition in this photo. The sign says that this is a highway and that one shouldn’t walk, cycle, ride a horse cart, or a tractor from this sign onward. I’m super neat, so I’m not walking beyond the sign. When a car eventuallyContinue reading

Hitchhiking from Lake Van to Batman, Turkey

When hitchhiking out of Van, I had to thumb my way around Lake Van (Van Gölu). I’m on my way to Batman. Why? I don’t know, it sounds like a funny place. I don’t want to study ever again, but Batman University does pique my curiosity. Hitchhiking around such a huge body of water is also a good time. It’s incredibly beautiful here, though it’s cold. I’m very happy with my spanking new leggings from Iran. They’re really thick and have an inner layer that’s made of fleece. Fashionable and warm! While waiting for a ride nearby the ferry toContinue reading