A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person wrote the following message, which doesn’t really have a question, but I was very happy to receive it. She likes that I don’t do much travel planning: So. OH MY GOD. You are my new hero!!!! I am totally excited for you and I can’t wait till I get a minute to read your whole blog. I have actually never tried hitchhiking before but I want to (I normally travel by motorcycle), and I absolutely love how little you plan and such, as I am the same way, IContinue reading
Gozo: Hitchhiker Gone Hiking in Malta
Today’s random hiking trail brought me to some fabulous geological formations along a cliff’s edge! I was hiking on Gozo Island in Malta at daybreak. It was about 6:30 during the making of this photo. The weather is still tolerable then, as it gets so hot during the day. I think you can count the trees on Gozo on one hand. I walked southward from my rough-sleeping spot nearby Dwejra’s Azure Window. In the south-western corner or edge of Gozo Island, my OpenStreetMaps offline map showed me several hiking trails. So I decided to check out this area. The landscapesContinue reading
Sleepless in Dwejra on Gozo Island, Malta
This morning I woke up on Gozo in my sleeping bag at the docks of Dwejra (location here). There’s a little inland sea here that formed a natural harbor for small fishing boats. There’s a cave that you can see in the background, which is where the boats enter and leave this calm protected area. Without pitching my tent, I just laid out my sleeping bag and slept on top of it. It wasn’t the best sleep because it was so public, but it did the job. Some people woke me up before sunrise asking me if I wanted coffee.Continue reading
Azure Window: Looking for a Rocky Freecamping Spot
I hitched to the island of Gozo today and whatever the guidebooks say is true! It’s much calmer and it’s still really hot. I’m now at Dwejra where there are some massive rocks with massive holes in the sea. It’s apparently called the Azure Window and it’s one of Malta’s most-famous tourist spots. Honestly, so far Gozo has been almost a little too quiet. That’s because all the tourists have been hiding here, I guess? There are so many sailing boats anchored in safe bays or dotting the horizon on their way to safe anchorage or elsewhere. I love itContinue reading
Yacht Hitchhiking Finale: Arriving in Valletta, Malta from Corfu, Greece
Two and a half days on a yacht gives you plenty of time to contemplate your next moves. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing on the boat. The first day on a boat is always a little awkward because you don’t have the sea legs yet. But one can become accustomed to it quite rapidly. We had a prediction of zero wind, but in the end, we sailed most of the journey. My captains/drivers had three days to arrive in Malta because they had a meetup with their child. That’s why they had stocked up on enough fuel. We couldContinue reading
Valetta: An Epic Hitch-Sailing Arrival in Malta
WE ARRIVED IN VALETTA!! It was an exciting 2,5 days hitchhiking the yacht of these two lovely people from Lebanon and the USA. They picked me up from the marina in Corfu and we sailed all the way to the capital of this small island nation: Malta. I’m very happy to have found them before I might have given up on the whole boat hitchhiking thing. And it was a great way to start learning more about sea sailing and a good test on whether I like being on boats for a long time. The verdict is that I freakingContinue reading
AMA: When you first started hitchhiking, did you do it with a mate or alone? Any tips?
A new question for my Ask Me Anything (AMA)! This person wrote the following message about how I started hitchhiking and tips for first-time hitchhikers: Hey! I’m going to Europe next July (I’m Australian), starting off in Istanbul then wanting to make my way across to the UK. I’ve been over there before and pretty much just stuck to trains and whatnot but I’m thinking maybe this time hitchhiking is the way to go (not the whole way, I’m not that ambitious and have limited time). When you first started out did you do it with a mate or didContinue reading
Success at the Marina: I’ve Found a Boat to Malta!
Today is a good day! Six days and six nights after beginning the quest for a boat to hitchhike to Italy, I’ve found a boat with a Lebanese-American couple headed directly to Malta! Freaking Malta! For context: Malta is my target destination all along. I just asked for boats to Italy because I thought it would be a lower bar to pass. Gouvia Marina on Corfu (Greece) has been a success! I will meet the couple again at 22:00 tonight to also sleep on their boat. At 8:00 tomorrow we should set sail with the boat “Boysterous” 😀 if there areContinue reading
Gouvia Marina in Corfu, Greece: Sailing Sunsets, Sunrises
D-Marin, which I call “Gouvia Marina” has been my home for almost a week now. I’ve experienced the sunrise and sunset for so many days. Witnessing these daily events here is still so spectacular when you notice that the density of masts resembles a forest. Sometimes, I forget that I’m already on a tiny island in Greece. Corfu feels like the mainland now. My rhythm each day has been as follows: wake up on the deck of the motor yacht. Don’t worry, the owner suggested this to me for finding a boat hitch, so I have their permission. After awaking,Continue reading