Celebrating My Birthday in Kyiv, Again! (30th)

When booking Ukraine, I knew that I was gonna celebrate my 30th birthday in Kyiv. This happens to also be the same town where I celebrated my 22nd birthday back in 2013 during my first medium-sized hitchhiking trip. A few things have changed: I’m not a happy single anymore but a happy partnered individual. And as a partnered individual I am also not hyper-poor and on the brink of developing scurvy anymore. I believe they call this ‘progress’. Jokes aside, quite a lot has changed. My interests have changed. And though I think getting blind drunk, getting banged on theContinue reading

Paddling the Morava River – A Day Trip from Bratislava

We finished our kayak trip down the Danube in Mohács. After that, we traveled back to Bratislava – our favorite city on the Danube – to work for one month. One day, we wanted to do a day trip with our kayak named Zucchini. We chose the tributary to the Danube named the Morava. Here’s the story of how we paddled part of the Morava River on Friday, October 4th (2019). Want to do it yourself? Here you can find the route details and the interactive map. Contents1 Plotting and Planning a Kayak Trip around Bratislava1.1 The Idea1.2 About the Morava/March River1.3 DoingContinue reading

SIM Card in Qazaqstan: Which is Best?

Qazaqstan or Kazakhstan is a huge country in Central Asia that might pique the curiosity of digital nomads and adventurous travelers. Here’s how to get a SIM card in Qazaqstan and what to expect from the internet situation. Contents1 Intro to Qazaqstan2 Getting a SIM Card in Qazaqstan2.1 TL;DR, which Qazaq SIM card + plan should I choose?2.2 Where to Get a SIM card in Qazaqstan2.3 IMEI Registration2.4 International SIM and eSIM Cards3 Providers in Qazaqstan3.1 Topping up3.2 Activ (basically, same as KCell)3.3 Beeline Qazaqstan3.4 Tele24 My Experience: Purchase + Activation5 Apps6 Qazaq SIM Card Validity7 Tethering8 Internet Freedom inContinue reading

(Craft) Beer in Mauritius Guide—What a Lovely Surprise!

Trying new beers in a new country or city is one of my favorite things. That’s even better when the beer is crafty. On day 1 in Mauritius, this country already surprised me with its rather thriving craft beer scene. I haven’t fully explored all options yet since I’ve only been here for a few weeks, so I’ll update this post if I encounter more gems of liquid gold. Contents1 Mauritian Craft Beer Companies2 But First, A Note on Bottle Deposits and Fridge Fees in Mauritius3 Flying Dodo Brewing Company3.1 NEIPA — New England India Pale Ale3.2 IPA — IndiaContinue reading

One Day in Bern: Bundeshaus, Bridges, and Bears

After hitchhiking from Freiburg im Breisgau to Bern, we had half a day plus one night’s stay in the Swiss capital. The next day, we departed Bern toward Geneva by train for a catsit. Contents1 Bern Ticket: Free Public Transit in Bern by Staying One Night2 Bundeshaus and Bike Infrastructure3 Wandering Around Bern Altstadt4 Pride Flags, Crossing the Aare, Bearspotting5 Following the Aare, Taking the Tram6 Gurtenbahn Funicular for Vistas of Bern7 Next time in Bern8 Map of Exploring Bern on Foot9 Helpful post? Ponder buying me an apple juice10 Wish to share this article? That’s simply wonderful Bern Ticket:Continue reading

Hitchhiking in Myanmar – Everything You Need to Know!

Jonas and I went hitchhiking in Myanmar between the 3rd and the 31st of January 2020. These tips are based on our experiences and the laws of Myanmar during that timeframe. Feel welcome to add your own hitchhiking in Myanmar experiences + adventures in the comments! Contents1 Basic Tips2 Is Hitchhiking in Myanmar Legal or Illegal?3 Do People in Myanmar Know What Hitchhiking Is?4 Where to Stand When Hitchhiking in Myanmar?5 Why Do They Drive on the Right?6 I Keep Hearing About This Yangon-Mandalay Expressway. Why?7 How to Make Hitchhiking Signs in Myanma Script?8 What to Wear When Hitchhiking inContinue reading

How Many People Can Visit All Countries on Earth?

You might have heard of some people who have visited all 195 countries on earth. Whoa! How do they do that? Isn’t this hugely expensive? Could a person like you or me visit all countries? Possibly, yeah, but if you think money is the greatest obstacle to visiting all of the world’s countries, you’re wrong. It’s actually the passport you hold – if you can afford one, to begin with. Out of curiosity, I tried to calculate how many people cannot visit one or more of the world’s 195 countries. If one country doesn’t let you in based on your nationality,Continue reading

Ljubljanica Kayaking: Vrhnika to the Ljubljana Marsh and the Capital’s Iconic Bridges

We did this kayaking trip down the Ljubljanica River on the 7th of March, 2024. Starting in Vrhnika, we paddled down through the largest marsh in Slovenia to the capital city Ljubljana. In Ljubljana we paddled through the center a bit before returning upstream to go home and deflate our boat. This trip is in preparation for paddling the Danube again. Contents1 Ljubljana, Slovenia: the Long Way to the Danube2 Taxi to Vrhnika + Inflating Zucchini Under Pressure3 Down the Ljubljanica to Podpeč4 Kayaking the Ljubljana Marshes + Lunch Break5 Entering Ljubljana + Ljubljana Kayak and Canoe Club6 Padding UnderContinue reading

Quilotoa Caldera Hike

If you’re only here for an overview of the hike and preparation tips, click here. Months ago I heard for the first time of the Quilotoa Caldera, a collapsed volcano in Ecuador with a crater lake in the middle. The pictures looked incredible and I wanted to visit. A few sprees on Wikipedia and my map app later, I knew I wanted to hike the rim of the caldera. Besides hitchhiking, I also enjoy hiking without the hitching part. I hitchhiked from the town of Baños de Agua Santa – a cool destination in its own right – in oneContinue reading