• The Van Cat Sanctuary (Van, Turkey)

    The Van Cat Sanctuary (Van, Turkey)

  • Malta to Sicily: Another Boat to Hitch

    Malta to Sicily: Another Boat to Hitch

  • How to Get a SIM Card in Myanmar

    How to Get a SIM Card in Myanmar

  • Loss on the Road—Farewell, Ashley

    Loss on the Road—Farewell, Ashley

  • Hello, Dubai?! Leaving Malaysia for the UAE After 339 Days (Semi-Live Blog)

    Hello, Dubai?! Leaving Malaysia for the UAE After 339 Days (Semi-Live Blog)

  • How to Get a Moroccan SIM Card

    How to Get a Moroccan SIM Card

  • La Serena: Reading in the Japanese Garden (Chile)

    La Serena: Reading in the Japanese Garden (Chile)

  • The Blue Lagoon from Comino

    The Blue Lagoon from Comino

  • Tent Inauguration in Cetinje, Montenegro

    Tent Inauguration in Cetinje, Montenegro

  • The Netherlands to Berlin, Germany: Sitting, Waiting, Hitching

    The Netherlands to Berlin, Germany: Sitting, Waiting, Hitching

  • How to Get a Serbian SIM Card in a Small Town + Balkan Roaming Tips

    How to Get a Serbian SIM Card in a Small Town + Balkan Roaming Tips

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

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

  • Hitchhiking Bucket List: #3 Millau Viaduct, France

    Hitchhiking Bucket List: #3 Millau Viaduct, France

  • Tea Time in Kashan, Iran

    Tea Time in Kashan, Iran

  • Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan?! Traveling from DXB to FRU (Semi-Live Blog)

    Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan?! Traveling from DXB to FRU (Semi-Live Blog)

  • Maastricht: Wholesome Activities in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter

    Maastricht: Wholesome Activities in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter

  • Experiences of 2015, #1: Albania! All of it!

    Experiences of 2015, #1: Albania! All of it!

  • Transitioning from Solo to Couple Travel: Bloggers Share Their Experiences

    Transitioning from Solo to Couple Travel: Bloggers Share Their Experiences

  • Old Interview for CatchAWish: Heute Mal Hitchhiking

    Old Interview for CatchAWish: Heute Mal Hitchhiking

  • AMA: What is sleeping alone like while wildcamping?

    AMA: What is sleeping alone like while wildcamping?

‹›

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

 
    
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 June 2025, I’ve received €17 in two donations. Thank you so much, Mr. D. Hudson and Ms. M. Herbertson! 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 V3

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

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

    Kayaking to Pulau Tikus: a Sacred Island near George Town, Penang

    The Seven Emirates of the UAE and Their Borders—An Interactive Map

    Madha and Nahwa Exclaves in Oman + UAE—Traveling Through the Donut Hole

    Land Transportation in Cabo Verde: A How-To Guide

    How to Get a SIM Card in Bishkek, or Anywhere in Kyrgyzstan

Tags

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

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

Cofounder Of

Digital Nomads Guides travel book cofounder

Copyright © 2025 mindofahitchhiker.com - Privacy Policy