Walk + Work Day 1: Vlissingen to Westkapelle

This hiking day happened on the 16th of March. On our first day of traversing the Dutch coastline, we walked from the city of Vlissingen to the village of Westkapelle on the island of Walcheren. This ended up being a 16.2-kilometer hike. Departing Vlissingen: Meeting the Paalhoofden Though we aimed to leave Hotel De Concurrent at 8:30, it was only at 8:50 that we walked across Bellamypark through some small streets to the waterfront. We walked on the seawall past people on their morning routine going to work while walking out of the city. At the restaurant near the windContinue reading

Strolling up Mont Limon, the Highest Peak of Rodrigues

We hiked up the peak of Mont Limon on Friday the 15th of April and the 7th of June, 2022. It’s not an impressive feat, but I thought I’d share some pictures anyway. Rodrigues Island Highest Point I already knew for a long time that I wanted to travel to Rodrigues in Mauritius and visit the highest peak. On the only usable map of Rodrigues – OpenStreetMaps – it showed that there’s a big road next to the peak called ‘Mont Limon’ and some stairs up that later become a trail. No big deal. Close to the peak is aContinue reading

How to Climb the Minaret of the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (Registan)

Climbing the minaret of the Ulugh Beg Madrasah of the Samarkand Registan is not something that’s officially offered. I think this is one of these things you can still do now, but in a few years they will probably put this under lock and key and you can’t do it anymore. I am aware that by writing about this online, I might contribute to the early demise of this option. But it was the best thing we did at the Registan and I consider my blog our little secret and not a mega-influential thing. Here’s how to climb the minaret.Continue reading

Getting My Second Dose of Sinopharm in Bishkek

This is about events that happened on Tuesday, the 1st of June. We obtained the second dose of the Sinopharm vaccination in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Click here to read about the more exciting first dose. Returning to Bishkek for Our Second Dose After twelve nights in Cholpon-Ata at Issyk-Kul Lake, we took a taxi back to Bishkek. The driver runs a little restaurant at Cholpon-Ata Bazaar with his wife. He offered to drive us back for a fair price. It was much faster than the first journey. And though I would have liked to hitchhike back, it was a bit tooContinue reading

Kayaking + Snorkeling at Crab Cay and Three Brothers (Old Providence, Colombia)

All this happened on the 2nd of November, 2017. We rented a kayak and paddled to Crab Cay from the island of Old Providence. This is part of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina. This is where I did my first successful and enjoyable snorkeling session.  Renting a Kayak on Providencia We asked the owner of our guesthouse (Posada Sunrise View) Keoma how to go to Crab Cay (Spanish: Cayo Cangrejo). She told us where to catch the little motorboats, but also told us of the option to rent a kayak. Jonas and I had paddled inContinue reading

Naypyitaw: A Surreal Planned City for Lovers of Motorcycles, Concrete, and Serenity

We were in Naypyitaw from the 10th till the 14th of January 2020. We worked from our hotel, took a taxi, and rented a motorbike for one day of exploration. Contents1 A Brief History of Naypyitaw – a Planned City2 Day 1: Orienting Ourselves2.1 Naypyitaw’s Hotel Zone2.2 A Lesson in Walkability3 Day 2: Searching for Life3.1 Naypyitaw City Hall3.2 Eating at Thapyagone Night Market4 Day 3: Working from the Vegas Hotel5 Day 4: Renting a Motorbike and Driving it About5.1 Our Semi-Automatic Motorbike on Empty Streets5.2 Uppatasanti Pagoda5.3 20-Lane Highway/Runway5.4 The Hluttaw5.5 Myoma Market5.6 Naypyitaw’s Diplomatic Housing Estate5.7 Handing Back ourContinue reading

Kayak Trip Day 15: Kelheim to Regensburg

This article relates to events that happened on the 13th of June, 2019. Jonas and I paddled our inflatable canoe named Zucchini from Kelheim to Regensburg in Bavaria, south Germany. We covered a distance of about 30 kilometers.  Taking Care of Jonas Jonas had been sick since arriving in Kelheim on the 10th of June. He spent the next two days in bed with a fever and zero appetite. Luckily, we have a big box of paracetamol and unlimited tap water. So those two days we nuked that fever away with a regiment of medicine, a cold wet cloth onContinue reading

Hiking to Farol de Dona Amélia, São Vicente

How to Get There I’d first spotted this lighthouse from the back of a scooter when I visited São Vicente for the first time. I already knew I wanted to dedicate a day to visit the lighthouse upon return to São Vicente after Santo Antão island. The lighthouse is called “Farol de Dona Amélia,” but if you’re in a public vehicle or a taxi in direction of São Pedro, all you need to know is the word Farol – ‘lighthouse’. Everybody knows which one you mean if you’re in the right area. This lighthouse is located on the tip knownContinue reading

Types of Drivers: #2 The Hippie Van Life Folk

The hippie van has become a rarity on the roads of Europe, but on certain trails outside of the EU, these guys are omnipresent like nothing ever changed. There’s a small but noticeable difference between van life and #vanlife. They are some of my favorite people to hitchhike with. Many Levels of Van Life People Sure, they carry a MacBook Pro with them and their views might not be as idealistic anymore, nonetheless, there are still – mostly, but not necessarily – young people hitting the road in preferably a VW minivan. I dig the term ‘Scoobydoo van’. Their van mightContinue reading