• Hitchhiking Home for Christmas: Istanbul to the Netherlands in 48 hours?

    Hitchhiking Home for Christmas: Istanbul to the Netherlands in 48 hours?

  • How to Get a SIM Card in Georgia (The Country, Sakartvelo)

    How to Get a SIM Card in Georgia (The Country, Sakartvelo)

  • Bombeiro-Surfing in Beja, Portugal (Sleeping at a Fire Station)

    Bombeiro-Surfing in Beja, Portugal (Sleeping at a Fire Station)

  • HitchGathering 2015 in Saint-Laurent-du-Pape, France

    HitchGathering 2015 in Saint-Laurent-du-Pape, France

  • Kayak Trip Day 37: Danube Floodplains to Gönyű

    Kayak Trip Day 37: Danube Floodplains to Gönyű

  • Ashure with a Kurdish Family in Şanlıurfa, Turkey

    Ashure with a Kurdish Family in Şanlıurfa, Turkey

  • Boračko Lake: Hitchhiking from Sarajevo to Mostar

    Boračko Lake: Hitchhiking from Sarajevo to Mostar

  • Walking to Belgium from Maastricht for Cheap Beer

    Walking to Belgium from Maastricht for Cheap Beer

  • Budva, Montenegro: Spontaneous Laundry Day

    Budva, Montenegro: Spontaneous Laundry Day

  • Selimiye Mosque, Edirne (Turkey)—Ottoman Wonder of the Turks

    Selimiye Mosque, Edirne (Turkey)—Ottoman Wonder of the Turks

  • Mediterranean Hitchhiking Route (Idealized)

    Mediterranean Hitchhiking Route (Idealized)

  • One Week in Tunis, Tunisia — My First Vacation in 4 Years

    One Week in Tunis, Tunisia — My First Vacation in 4 Years

  • Strolling up Mont Limon, the Highest Peak of Rodrigues

    Strolling up Mont Limon, the Highest Peak of Rodrigues

  • Trapped in Paradise

    Trapped in Paradise

  • Camping Stove Cooking at the Chilean Coast (Paposo)

    Camping Stove Cooking at the Chilean Coast (Paposo)

  • Boca del Río Lighthouse: Freecamping in Perú

    Boca del Río Lighthouse: Freecamping in Perú

  • Kayak Trip Day 25: Linz to Au an der Donau

    Kayak Trip Day 25: Linz to Au an der Donau

  • Kayak Trip Day 3: Immendingen to Mühlheim via the Donauversickerung

    Kayak Trip Day 3: Immendingen to Mühlheim via the Donauversickerung

  • Kayak Trip Day 50: Mohács in Hungary to Apatin in Serbia – We Meet Again, Danube

    Kayak Trip Day 50: Mohács in Hungary to Apatin in Serbia – We Meet Again, Danube

  • The Return to Uni: Going Back, or Moving Forward?

    The Return to Uni: Going Back, or Moving Forward?

‹›

Skip to content
  • About
    • FAQ
  • Trips
  • Regions
    • Central Asia + the ‘Stans’
    • Caucasus + Western Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • Africa
    • South America
    • Central America + Caribbean
  • Danube
  • Books
    • Thesis
    • Digital Nomads Guides
    • Under Way: Books in the Making
    • Books I Love
  • Gear
    • Hitchhiking Gear
    • Paddling Gear
    • Digital Nomad Gear
  • Game!
  • Contact
    • Guest Posts
    • Interview Me
    • Collaborations
    • Using My Content
  • Press
    • Interviews
    • Publications
  • Support
  • You
    • Strangers
    • Archive Your Blog

Press

Interviews Mind of a Hitchhiker Devin Bratislava Slovakia pressInterviews Mind of a Hitchhiker Devin Bratislava Slovakia watercolor pressPublications donkey Brava Cabo Verde pressPublications donkey Brava Cabo Verde - Watercolor press

 
    
Iris V

irisveldwijk
Semyonov Pass, Kyrgyzstan 💕 My first semi-prope Semyonov Pass, Kyrgyzstan 💕 My first semi-proper hitch in this country was with two Muscovites and their rental car. It had been his mom's birthday and they were making a week-long trip from Bishkek, surrounding Issyk-Kul Lake, and back to Bishkek for their flight back to Moscow We met them the day before, when we were looking for a place that would feed us (everything was closed because the tourist season had yet to begin). We had just arrived in Cholpon-Ata. After a short chat, he invited us to come tour the Grigoryev and Semyonov canyons before they drove on to Karakol This was an awesome little trip with our kind drivers and it filled me with joy. I obviously haven't hitchhiked much in the last year and I really missed this contact with strangers. Now we have an invitation to come say hi to them in Moscow, a city I'd love to visit in all seasons one day and a country I'd love to travel by thumb The canyons had really unpredictable weather. We were all constantly switching between it's so hot, take off the sweater and putting it back on for the cold and then a waterproof layer because it started raining. Sometimes you'd see the snowy mountain peaks, then you'd look away for a minute and then they were shrouded in clouds I'm wishing for more remote trips during my next visit to Kyrgyzstan #kyrgyzstan #kyrgyznature #kyrgyz #issykkulregion #issykkullake #issykkul #issykkul_travel #traveltokyrgyzstan #centralasiatravel #centralasia #stans #hitchhiking #hitchhiker #hitchhikers #hitchhike #hitchhikingstories #hitchhikingtrip #hitchhikingaroundtheworld #автостоп #автостопом #автостопщики #автостопщик #автостопомпороссии #григоревскоеущелье #семеновскоеущелье #иссыккуль #ыссыккуль #ысык_көл #кыргызстан
Burana, Kyrgyzstan 💕 Final resting place with a Burana, Kyrgyzstan 💕 Final resting place with a view. If you don't like (aesthetically pleasing) graves I think this post isn't for you The cemetery at the Burana Tower (south of Tokmok) is also worth to wander about. Our driver told is that the graves show the likeness of the person who died. If they're depicted with a cup, that means they were a Khan (king) or Khatun/Khanum (queen) He pointed at the smaller graves where the headstone also held cups and said those were princes or princesses. And the smaller graves with people without cups were non-royal beloved employees of the court, such as advisors Some graves with Arabic (or Perso-Arabic?) script are supposedly from later times The graves face the Burana Tower and the mountains. I think this is a pretty nice way to be buried. Your (approximate) face on your headstone, something about what you did in your hands (in my case that would be a hitchhiking sign or my thumb), and all in a beautiful location that receives the four seasons #buranatowerkyrgyzstan #burana #buranatower #tokmok #graveandbeautiful #headstone #cemetery #cemeteriesofinstagram #буранамунара #башнябурана #башнябурана🏔️ #бишкек🇰🇬 #кыргызстан #могила #кладбище #Bishkek #kyrgyzstan #centralasiatravel #centralasia #gravestone #headstones #khan
Alamedin Gorge, Kyrgyzstan 💕 We were blessed wi Alamedin Gorge, Kyrgyzstan 💕 We were blessed with this gorgeous - pun intended - weather on the day of the Subbotnik and I definitely got my dose of fresh air 🏞️ After a long hike, don't you just want to stick your sore feet in ice cold mountain water like this? No? Am I alone in this? 😅👣🧊 This gorge is just a day trip from Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan's capital city is really close to the Kyrgyz Ala-Too sub-range of the Tian Shan mountains. From the city, you can see mountains that reach in the 4500+ meters range 🏔️ (but below 5000, nothing too crazy) If you haven't, would you consider going to Kyrgyzstan? #kyrgyzstan #kyrgyzstan🇰🇬 #kyrgyzstantravel #kyrgyzstantrip #alamedingorge #bishkek #bishkekkyrgyzstan #bishkekcity #centralasiatravel #centralasia #asiatravel #кыргызстан #аламединскоеущелье #кыргыз #кыргызстан🇰🇬 #бишкек🇰🇬 #бишкек #фрунзе #frunze #kyrgyz #kyrgyznature #traveltokyrgyzstan #traveltoasia #ig_kyrgyzstan #hikingadventures #ig_hiking #hikersparadise #hikingtrip #dayhike
Follow on Instagram
Follow @IrisVeldwijk
Mind of a Hitchhiker
You may subscribe

Support

Found a useful article or an entertaining story? Consider helping me continue! Donating helps me to keep the adventures rolling and the website running. Details on where the money is going are on my support page.

PayPal

 

Bitcoin

bc1q9a6w08a4gkx4gdvnh7w2vlkfzx4tlwfpfe6jm6
bc1q9a6w08a4gkx4gdvnh7w2vlkfzx4tlwfpfe6jm6
Open in wallet

Support Progress Bar

As of January 2025, I’ve yet to receive a donation. If you find something useful or entertaining, please consider supporting my blog and I’ll thank you here. Details on where the money is going are on my support page.

2025 donation progress bar website travel blog Mind of a Hitchhiker

Newsletter Signup

By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receiving delightful updates from my blog. You can always unsubscribe from my newsletter. If you want to know how I handle your information, find out more in my Privacy Policy (it’s boring).

Popular Posts

    Iquitos, Perú to El Coca, Ecuador by Riverboat!

    Five Years Ago—My Travels to Buenos Aires Then and Now (Argentina)

    How Many People Can Visit All Countries on Earth?

    Beach Camping in Northern Chile (Iquique – Tocopilla)

    Getting a SIM Card in Cabo Verde

Digital Nomads Guides

Did you know I write travel guides? So far I co-authored and published them about Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Santiago de Chile, Playa del Carmen, Lima, Medellín, and Cabo Verde! It’s a book series I cofounded with other travelers. Come take a peek!
digital nomads guides

Tags

Africa albania argentina Asia austria Bavaria boathitching Cabo Verde camping canoe Chile couchsurfing Danube digital nomad Donau europe france freecamping germany greece hiking hitchhiking hospitality hungary iran kayak kayak&work Malaysia malta Mauritius montenegro Myanmar nature portugal river serbia slovakia South America Southeast Asia spain The Netherlands travel turkey Ukraine Zucchini

Featured in

the plaid zebra three positive hitchhiking stories mind of a hitchhiker

Huffington Post

Matador Network

tanie loty polish mind of a hitchhiker

daily star mind of a hitchhiker

Social

Iris V

irisveldwijk
Semyonov Pass, Kyrgyzstan 💕 My first semi-prope Semyonov Pass, Kyrgyzstan 💕 My first semi-proper hitch in this country was with two Muscovites and their rental car. It had been his mom's birthday and they were making a week-long trip from Bishkek, surrounding Issyk-Kul Lake, and back to Bishkek for their flight back to Moscow We met them the day before, when we were looking for a place that would feed us (everything was closed because the tourist season had yet to begin). We had just arrived in Cholpon-Ata. After a short chat, he invited us to come tour the Grigoryev and Semyonov canyons before they drove on to Karakol This was an awesome little trip with our kind drivers and it filled me with joy. I obviously haven't hitchhiked much in the last year and I really missed this contact with strangers. Now we have an invitation to come say hi to them in Moscow, a city I'd love to visit in all seasons one day and a country I'd love to travel by thumb The canyons had really unpredictable weather. We were all constantly switching between it's so hot, take off the sweater and putting it back on for the cold and then a waterproof layer because it started raining. Sometimes you'd see the snowy mountain peaks, then you'd look away for a minute and then they were shrouded in clouds I'm wishing for more remote trips during my next visit to Kyrgyzstan #kyrgyzstan #kyrgyznature #kyrgyz #issykkulregion #issykkullake #issykkul #issykkul_travel #traveltokyrgyzstan #centralasiatravel #centralasia #stans #hitchhiking #hitchhiker #hitchhikers #hitchhike #hitchhikingstories #hitchhikingtrip #hitchhikingaroundtheworld #автостоп #автостопом #автостопщики #автостопщик #автостопомпороссии #григоревскоеущелье #семеновскоеущелье #иссыккуль #ыссыккуль #ысык_көл #кыргызстан
Burana, Kyrgyzstan 💕 Final resting place with a Burana, Kyrgyzstan 💕 Final resting place with a view. If you don't like (aesthetically pleasing) graves I think this post isn't for you The cemetery at the Burana Tower (south of Tokmok) is also worth to wander about. Our driver told is that the graves show the likeness of the person who died. If they're depicted with a cup, that means they were a Khan (king) or Khatun/Khanum (queen) He pointed at the smaller graves where the headstone also held cups and said those were princes or princesses. And the smaller graves with people without cups were non-royal beloved employees of the court, such as advisors Some graves with Arabic (or Perso-Arabic?) script are supposedly from later times The graves face the Burana Tower and the mountains. I think this is a pretty nice way to be buried. Your (approximate) face on your headstone, something about what you did in your hands (in my case that would be a hitchhiking sign or my thumb), and all in a beautiful location that receives the four seasons #buranatowerkyrgyzstan #burana #buranatower #tokmok #graveandbeautiful #headstone #cemetery #cemeteriesofinstagram #буранамунара #башнябурана #башнябурана🏔️ #бишкек🇰🇬 #кыргызстан #могила #кладбище #Bishkek #kyrgyzstan #centralasiatravel #centralasia #gravestone #headstones #khan
Alamedin Gorge, Kyrgyzstan 💕 We were blessed wi Alamedin Gorge, Kyrgyzstan 💕 We were blessed with this gorgeous - pun intended - weather on the day of the Subbotnik and I definitely got my dose of fresh air 🏞️ After a long hike, don't you just want to stick your sore feet in ice cold mountain water like this? No? Am I alone in this? 😅👣🧊 This gorge is just a day trip from Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan's capital city is really close to the Kyrgyz Ala-Too sub-range of the Tian Shan mountains. From the city, you can see mountains that reach in the 4500+ meters range 🏔️ (but below 5000, nothing too crazy) If you haven't, would you consider going to Kyrgyzstan? #kyrgyzstan #kyrgyzstan🇰🇬 #kyrgyzstantravel #kyrgyzstantrip #alamedingorge #bishkek #bishkekkyrgyzstan #bishkekcity #centralasiatravel #centralasia #asiatravel #кыргызстан #аламединскоеущелье #кыргыз #кыргызстан🇰🇬 #бишкек🇰🇬 #бишкек #фрунзе #frunze #kyrgyz #kyrgyznature #traveltokyrgyzstan #traveltoasia #ig_kyrgyzstan #hikingadventures #ig_hiking #hikersparadise #hikingtrip #dayhike
Follow on Instagram
Follow @IrisVeldwijk

Cofounder Of

Digital Nomads Guides travel book cofounder

Verlanglijst koala wish wunsch cadeautjes verlanglijstje maken


Copyright © 2025 mindofahitchhiker.com - Privacy Policy