Kayak Trip Day 51: Apatin in Serbia to Erdut in Croatia – Straddling Schengen

The events in this story happened on Tuesday, the 2nd of April, 2024. We paddled our inflatable canoe Zucchini from Apatin in Serbia to Erdut in Croatia. This was our second kayaking day down the Danube of 2024 and the 51st in total. Since Croatia is in the EU and Schengen and Serbia isn’t, we had to deal with immigration—on one side of the river… Contents1 Preparing to Cross Back to Schengen2 Starting to Erdut from Apatin3 A Beachy Break in Croatia4 The Confluence with the Drava5 Aljmaš + Kayak Sailing Around the Bend6 Croatian Police Boat + Arriving inContinue reading

Arriving in Porto – Kitten Rescue in Portugal, Part I

Part I: What’s Supposed to be Enjoyable 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 1 in a series of 5. Here you can find the subsequent stories about rescuing a kitten in Porto, Portugal: Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V. Coming to Porto, Portugal I had agreed to come to Porto in northern Portugal with my partner. He participated in a Digital Nomad conference by the German language ‘Citizen Circle’ that week, andContinue reading

Biryuchiy to Heniches’k: A Hitchhiking Detour to the Watermelon State (Ukraine)

After seven days on Biryuchiy Island (actually a peninsula), we left for Heniches’k. Both of these towns are in Kherson Oblast, but to get from one to the other, one must travel through Zaporizhzhia Oblast around the Utlyutsky estuary. The whole route is quite a detour as you can see on the map below. This happened on Thursday the 30th of September, 2021. Contents1 Preparations to Travel to Heniches’k2 The Neighbor Drives us from Biryuchiy Kyrylivka3 Kyrylivka to the Deer Statue4 This Never Rarely Happens5 Tire Change6 The Last Ride to Heniches’k7 Heading into Heniches’k8 Thanks for reading! A share meansContinue reading

My 60-Day Stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand (I Just Don’t Get It)

I entered  Chiang Mai, Thailand by plane from China on the 5th of November, 2019. Jonas and I received a 30-day entry stamp initially, which we needed to extend. I wrote this piece partially during my stay in Chiang Mai and partially afterward. Months later I’m still puzzled by this city and its appeal to other foreigners. An unsolved mystery. Contents1 Expectations Set2 Arriving in Thailand3 Ecoviolence: the Yi Peng/Loi Krathong Festival4 Ill in Chiang Mai: Welcome to Foodpanda5 A Slow Recovery with Delivery Food6 Traffic Troubles7 Yoga and Swimming8 Socializing, but Actually Networking9 The Visa Extension9.1 Medellín vs. ChiangContinue reading

Accommodation in Estonia: Booking Homes in Tartu, Tallinn, and Kärdla

What to expect of accommodation in Estonia as a digital nomad? We stayed in Estonia from the 9th of October till the 25th of October, 2023. These are the places we booked to both work online from and have fun day trips. Contents1 Cruiseferry from Mariehamn to Tallinn2 Tartu⭐3 Tallinn (Metropol Hotel)4 Tallinn (Catsit)5 Kärdla, Hiiumaa Island⭐6 Unlock the Prices of Accommodation in Estonia7 Wish to share this article? That’s totally fine with me Cruiseferry from Mariehamn to Tallinn Since this bit already appeared in the accommodation in the Åland Islands article, I tucked this one away. But yes, weContinue reading

Kayaking the Agger, Sieg, and Rhine – Zucchini’s Recertification River Trials for the Danube

We kayaked the Agger, Sieg, and a bit of the Rhine rivers on Thursday, the 29th of February, 2024. Besides having fun, this was also an important test for our inflatable kayak Zucchini, which had been in storage for over 4 years since paddling the Morava River. Will she float? If she passes her shakedown cruise on these three rapid rivers, we shall take her to Mohács to kayak the rest of the Danube River this year. Contents1 Four Years, Four Months, and Twenty-Nine Days of Slumber2 Inflating Zucchini + Testing for Leaks3 Planning the Agger Trip4 Zucchini’s Shakedown Cruise5Continue reading

Two Days in Sion, Valais (Switzerland)

Between two catsits in Geneva from the 22nd till 24th of May, 2023, we took the train to Sion in the Canton of Valais (German: Wallis) of Switzerland. We spent two wonderful days in the town and the surrounding villages before hitchhiking back to Genthod, Geneva. Contents1 Planning our Visit to Sion2 Train from Geneva to Sion + Checking into the Airbnb3 Valère Basilica + Tourbillon Castle4 The Underground Lake Of Saint-Léonard5 Les Pyramides d’Euseigne Rock Formations6 Hitchhiking with a Swiss in Switzerland (Finally!)7 Thanks for being here, consider buying me a (small) bottle of Valais wine!8 Enjoyed the picturesContinue reading

Avakas Gorge Nature Trail: A Popular Canyon Hike near Paphos

We did this touristy hike on the 30th of December, 2023. Despite traveling to the Avakas Gorge in the low season, it was rather busy Driving to and Parking at the Avakas Gorge The day before, Jonas and I did some shallow research into doing the Avakas Gorge hike. As we were doing a catsit in the mountains near Paphos, we had access to the pet parents’ car. Normally, we would do such a trip with public transport, hitchhiking, or not at all when the internet says it’s too touristy. If we’d done it by bus, we would have gottenContinue reading

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