Entering the Void – Kitten Rescue in Portugal, Part III

Part III: Rescuing a Kitten  This series of posts is mostly a way for me to process the trauma of going through this. If you’re expecting happy travel content, this ain’t it. This story is number 3 in a series of 5. Here you can find Part I and Part II. Here you can find the subsequent stories about rescuing a kitten from the void in Porto, Portugal: Part IV and Part V. Spotting the Culprit (Sunday 15th of July, contd.) We return home from the animal shelter Midas, fully knowing this time that it is our responsibility to save that kitten. AndContinue reading

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Fujairah—How to Visit as a Non-Muslim

This article contains both a story of how we managed to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah (as non-Muslims) as well as actionable tips. We visited on Wednesday the 7th of April, 2021. To skip forward to the how-to, click here. Contents1 UAE Mosques that Allow Non-Muslim Visitors2 An Evening Visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque2.1 A Stunning Vista2.2 Employee of the Month3 Online Research into Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque4 A Guided Tour of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque4.1 Dressing for + Taxi to + Entering Fujairah Mosque4.2 On Tour with Aisha4.3 Many, Many Domes4.4 The Main Prayer Hall4.5Continue reading

Drouseia to Neo Chorio, Revisiting Akamas – E4 Cyprus Hiking Day 9

We hiked this section of the E4 on Monday the 8th of January, 2024. Since we based ourselves in Polis, we took the bus from there to the start in Drouseia and hitchhiked back from the end in Neo Chorio. We’ve tried to do as much of the E4 in Cyprus as possible without a car. Planning + Bus 648 to Drouseia Two days before the hike, we plotted a route via a section of the E4 with overlapping bus lines. My OSM map showed a route of bus 648 going to Drouseia, which is on the E4, and oneContinue reading

Kawthaung to Ranong: Crossing from Myanmar to Thailand by Longtail Boat

The events in this story happened on Friday the 31st of January 2020. We reentered Thailand near Ranong after one month in Myanmar in the southernmost city of Kawthaung. There it’s possible to travel to Ranong across the Kraburi/Pak Chan/Kyan river mouth in the Andaman Sea. Mind you that these were the early days of the coronavirus outbreak and Thailand already had its first 14 confirmed cases. Click here to skip to the summary of tips for what to bring and what to expect. Preparations The Kawthaung-Ranong border is one of the few border crossings between Myanmar and Thailand thatContinue reading

Kayak Trip Day 34: Haslau to Bratislava – Austria to Slovakia

Events described… happened on August 2nd, 2019. We paddled down the Danube river from Haslau an der Donau in Austria to Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. This is the third country we’re paddling in on our long-distance kayak trip. Unfortunately, when editing the videos for this post and the previous one (Day 32), I accidentally deleted all of them from the tiny camera’s SD card. Yes, we’ve tried every recovery program in the world. Yes, I am angry with myself. So all the videos (if any) for this post come from my phone camera.  Our Stay in Haslau WeContinue reading

Publications

Here's some of the publications I've written for other websites, with little excerpts of what I've written about solo female hitchhiking, traveling to other cultures and working from anywhere. In English Buenos Aires Travel Guide for Digital Nomads eBook with Digital Nomads Guides, a company I cofounded "Argentina’s capital city has been compared to some of the most famous European cities, but its true value lies in the differences to other metropoles. Buenos Aires is one of the most visited cities on the South American continent as part of the backpacker’s gringo-trail and a safe choice among recent retirees willing to travel to Latin America. There’s plenty of culture and history to fill your days sightseeing and listening to tour guides. This guide is not about any of that; other guides do that a lot better."   Camping Spots that make you wonder why we ever sleep indoors on FeatheryTravels.com owned by Katie Featherstone "This country in South America is a land of extremes. From… Read more >

How to Get a SIM Card in Bishkek, or Anywhere in Kyrgyzstan

When traveling to Kyrgyzstan, it’s a great idea to not save on the wrong end and pick up a SIM card. We did that at the Manas International Airport in Bishkek on arrival. Mobile data is very cheap in Kyrgyzstan. Here’s how to get a SIM card in Bishkek without making the mistakes we made. FYI, the country code for Kyrgyzstan is +996 Contents1 Which Kyrgyz Telecom Company Should I Choose?2 Buying a SIM Card in Bishkek: Manas International Airport3 We Bought the Wrong Package4 Topping Up the Balance at a Machine5 Kyrgyzstan SIM Card FAQ5.1 Is buying a SIMContinue reading

Four Days in the Aosta Valley (Italy)

Between two catsits in Geneva, Switzerland, and The Hague, the Netherlands, we took the bus from Geneva to Aosta in Italy. Aosta is the capital of the autonomous Aosta Valley region, which is bilingual (Italian and French). From the 30th of May till the 3rd of June, we spent four incredible days in the Aosta Valley. We used the city of Aosta as a base for day trips to the surrounding villages. Contents1 Plotting Our Trip + Bus Ride from Geneva to Aosta2 But First, Pizza + Gnocchi3 Taking the Bus to Cogne + Hiking to Lillaz Waterfalls4 Cogne toContinue reading

Kayak Trip Day 28: Krummnußbaum to Spitz

Events told in this story happened on the 17th of July, 2019. We kayaked Zucchini from a village named Krummnußbaum to the larger town Spitz in the state of Lower Austria. This was a distance of 29.4 kilometers. Our Stay in Krummnußbaum We stayed in Gasthof Zum Guten Kameraden for two nights. The room was very pleasant and our hosts very kind. On our off day, we coded/wrote a lot and then tried finding the next accommodations after Spitz. It was very frustrating, but eventually, we found an imperfect solution to our problem. In the afternoon, we hiked up theContinue reading