Kayak Trip Day 54: Ilok to Bačka Palanka to Novi Sad – Goodbye Croatia, Hello Serbia

Our 54th paddle day was on Wednesday, the 10th of April, 2024. Our hosts in Ilok helped us cross the land border bridge between Ilok and Bačka Palanka to get the paperwork right. They dropped us off at a suitable launch spot on the Serbian side and we immediately began paddling to Novi Sad. This was our fifth day on the Danube in 2024 and our 54th day in total. Contents1 Croatia to Serbia via the Ilok–Bačka Palanka Bridge2 Kayaking Out of the Croatian–Serbian Border Zone3 Making Distance4 Two Ferries + Paddling Past Fruška Gora5 Dredging Fuckery6 Entering Novi SadContinue reading

Kayak Trip Day 19: Deggendorf to Vilshofen an der Donau

The events chronicled in this story happened in the real world on Tuesday the 25th of June, 2019. We paddled Zucchini the inflatable canoe from Deggendorf to Vilshofen an der Donau on the Danube river. That’s a distance of about 36 kilometers. Our Stay in Deggendorf We stayed two nights in the NH Parkhotel in Deggendorf. I was planning to write a lot and work on my blog posts, but the internet didn’t work on my computer. Jonas spent ages trying to make it work, but it never did. I quickly got demotivated from writing as well, so in theContinue reading

Kayak Trip Day 16: Regensburg to Friesheim

The events described here happened on Monday the 17th of June, 2019. Jonas and I paddled our inflatable canoe named Zucchini down the Danube from Regensburg to Friesheim, a distance of 19.2 kilometers. We finally passed the northernmost bend in the Danube in Regensburg, so from now on we’ll generally head east-southeast. The pictures might look a little more shabby than usual because my other camera malfunctioned. Four Nights in Regensburg We had booked 3 nights at our Airbnb in Regensburg, but we extended with one more night after checking out the room. Technically, we were staying outside of RegensburgContinue reading

Senegal

[su_image_carousel source="media: 23343,23344,23342,23346,23345" limit="25" slides_style="minimal" crop="3:2" spacing="no" captions="yes" autoplay="4" speed="fast"] Senegal is a country I visited for the first and second time in early 2025. And I loved it! I spent a total of 26 days from Saint-Louis at the border with Mauritania to Cap Skirring and Ziguinchor in Casamance. Before this trip, distance-wise, the only time I've come 'close' to Senegal when I was in Cabo Verde in 2019. Jonas and I also passed through The Gambia on the way to southern Senegal. Things to Do in Senegal (Next Time) Hitchhike just a little bit here and there ✅ Visit the capital city Dakar. It's a major goal to stand on the westernmost point of mainland Africa ✅ Pick up some words and phrases in a local language, such as Wolof or Mandinka ✅. Perhaps I'll also meet some Arabic speakers, which I hope I will be comfortable in by then Visit lighthouses, markets, the Juche-style African Rennaisance Monument… Read more >

Kayak Trip Day 56: Stari Slankamen to Novi Banovci – Sailing Past the Loess Cliffs

Our 56th kayak day on the Danube was on Sunday, the 21st of April, 2024. We paddled from Stari Slankamen to Novi Banovci in Serbia. It was a shorter distance. Contents1 Departing Stari Slankamen + Tisza Confluence2 The Loess Cliffs of Surduk + Switching Paddles3 A Break on the Islands4 Arriving in Novi Banovci5 One Night in Novi Banovci6 Good read? Consider buying me a pizza!7 Thanks for being here. Wish to share? Departing Stari Slankamen + Tisza Confluence We woke up at 7:00, had a coffee and a banana, and a look out the window. The sky was aContinue reading

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island: One Week in the Azores (+ Scooter!)

This is about our one-week stay in the Azores from the 12th till the 19th in April 2019. We flew in from Praia, Cabo Verde, and departed for Lisbon, mainland Portugal. To explore São Miguel Island, we rented a scooter for a few days. Ponta Delgada is an excellent base to zoom around the island to all the funny corners. Unfortunately, I didn’t hitchhike. You can see all the places and our routes on the map at the bottom. Contents1 Background2 Day 0: Arrival in Ponta Delgada (Friday, April 12th)3 Day 1: Exploring Ponta Delgada (Saturday, April 13th)4 Day 2:Continue reading

The Hitchhiker’s Wishlist (2014)

This year’s hitchhiker’s wishlist for Christmas and in general is as follows: 1. Colorful markers to make ultra-cool hitchhiking signs 2. Hiking socks. There are never enough new unsmelly, hole-free hiking socks 3. Rip-proof, dirt-proof, and smell-proof backpack. Preferably with an anti-food explosion feature too (I have traumas) 4. Leather hiking boots with cool laces 5. Zero-mass tent with zero-mass stakes. Why is this so heavy? 6. (Related to number 5:) Magic mattress and sleeping bag with spontaneous ‘my own bed’ feature that makes it as comfy as home. A little like that scene in Harry Potter when they enterContinue reading

Kayak Trip Day 61: Ram to Golubac Vinci – Giving Up!

We tried to paddle from Ram to Golubac on the 9th of May, 2024. Because of a powerful mountain jet wind called Košava, we didn’t make it all the way to Golubac and eventually settled for a village called Vinci. Contents1 Kayaking into the Romanian Border Area2 Meeting the Košava Wind3 Lunch in Veliko Gradište + Comparing to the TID4 Nutria + Nesting Swans + Romanian Time5 Veni, Vidi, (and Settling Down for) Vinci6 8 Kilometers from Golubac7 Five Nights One Week Nine Days in Golubac8 Informative post? Please consider buying me a cappuccino!9 Thanks for reading! Feel free toContinue reading

Regions

  Watercolor map credit goes to maps.stamen.com. One regions photo comes from Amir Asakeev on Unsplash. Read more >