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
Corfu Donkey Rescue: A Retirement Community in Greece
During my stay in Corfu, Greece, my host took me on a trip to the Corfu Donkey Rescue (CRD). She sometimes goes there to volunteer. Scroll down to see the wheres, hows, and whats of visiting Corfu Donkey Rescue. I’ve only hung out with donkeys before in Morocco (April 2012) during my short stay there. Our riad owner invited my partner and me to visit his family’s country house. They had a donkey and he sat on the donkey for a bit, presumably to show off. Then my partner did the same. I passed because it felt disproportionate and frankly,Continue reading
Boat Hitchhiking 101: Dockwalking
Dockwalking: many people do it in a more advanced way than I do in order to go boat hitchhiking. They print out copies of their CV, wow! I just carry a hitchhiking sign with my destination and my not-so-secret weapon: a smile. And patience… for the love of God, you need a lot of patience. [update 2020: I have embraced technology. I have a very nice profile on CrewBay and Find a Crew profile now. If you’re a boat owner, make sure to star my profile!] But I keep singing: I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay watching the tideContinue reading