This was my hitchhiking spot in Makarska along the Croatian coast today. A huge car accident had just happened nearby before my arrival. I caught a direct ride to Kupari near Dubrovnik. But the driver went on a huge racist rant about Muslims and people from Turkey within 10 minutes… He only knew about me that I was Dutch and the physical cues. His mind filled in that I must also be a Christian like him. A heterosexual like him. And an Islamophobe like him. Eek! That’s a lot of projection! Normally when you don’t respond or participate people willContinue reading
badassery
Crafting Cyrillic Hitchhiking Signs (Negotin, Serbia)
When hitchhiking with a dear friend of mine in Serbia, it was time to make some new hitchhiking signs. For domestic use, it can be nice to write hitchhiking signs in the Cyrillic alphabet. Like this Београд (Belgrade) sign I was crafting at a café in Negotin. This is not really an area where you expect a non-Serbian driver to stop and pick you up. Also, I love, love, love the Cyrillic script. In the end, hitchhiking in Russia for an extended period of time is still my biggest dream. Unlike some of my dreams, I don’t think this one isContinue reading
Trusting One’s Gut Feeling: Four Truckers, One Hitchhiker (Turkey)
I took this hitchselfie with my four Kurdish truck drivers while hitchhiking in southeastern Turkey. I don’t remember exactly where this was. But from the date I posted it, I’m assuming it was somewhere between Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep. Somehow in my mind, this happened between Batman and Diyarbakır or Van and Batman. I don’t remember exactly and I can’t find the original photo! Anyway, this is a short story about trusting one’s gut feeling when hitchhiking. Anyway, this truck stopped to pick me up in the morning. I said hello in Turkish and asked where they were headed. They wereContinue reading