We entered Mauritania from Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara on the 6th of February, 2025. We took a bus through the Berm (aka the Moroccan Western Sahara Wall) from Dakhla to Nouadhibou. At the Guerguerat border crossing, we used our Mauritanian eVisa to enter. Contents1 The Guerguerat Border in Short2 Map of Border, Berm, and Bus Stations3 Booking the Supratours Bus from Dakhla to Nouadhibou4 Applying for the Mauritanian eVisa5 Nazi Salute While Waiting for the Bus6 Departing Dakhla for Guerguerat7 The Moroccan Side of the Border8 Through the Berm: No Man’s Land9 The 1st Mauritanian Side of the Border10 The 2ndContinue reading
Border Crossing
Hat Yai to Kota Bharu: Hitchhiking from Thailand to Malaysia via Tak Bai
Things in this story happened on Thursday the 27th of February, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked from Hat Yai (Songkhla) in southern Thailand to Kota Bharu (Kelantan) in Malaysia. We took the Tak Bai river border crossing. This is my first time in Malaysia and Jonas’ second visit. Taking a Grab to the Hitchhiking Spot After five days of enjoying a few of the sights in Hat Yai, it was time for us to move on. Besides finding a new spot to hitchhike from, we didn’t need to prepare much for this hitchhiking day. Jonas and I found two viableContinue reading
Kawthaung to Ranong: Crossing from Myanmar to Thailand by Longtail Boat
The events in this story happened on Friday the 31st of January 2020. We reentered Thailand near Ranong after one month in Myanmar in the southernmost city of Kawthaung. There it’s possible to travel to Ranong across the Kraburi/Pak Chan/Kyan river mouth in the Andaman Sea. Mind you that these were the early days of the coronavirus outbreak and Thailand already had its first 14 confirmed cases. Click here to skip to the summary of tips for what to bring and what to expect. Preparations The Kawthaung-Ranong border is one of the few border crossings between Myanmar and Thailand thatContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 34: Haslau to Bratislava – Austria to Slovakia
Events described… happened on August 2nd, 2019. We paddled down the Danube river from Haslau an der Donau in Austria to Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. This is the third country we’re paddling in on our long-distance kayak trip. Unfortunately, when editing the videos for this post and the previous one (Day 32), I accidentally deleted all of them from the tiny camera’s SD card. Yes, we’ve tried every recovery program in the world. Yes, I am angry with myself. So all the videos (if any) for this post come from my phone camera. Our Stay in Haslau WeContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 21: Passau to Engelhartszell – A Border Crossing
This story reflects the events on the 30th of June, 2019. We paddled Zucchini – our inflatable canoe – from Passau in Germany to Engelhartszell in Austria. This was our first international border crossing. We also encountered other paddlers from the TID (Tour International Danubien) on this 25.4-kilometer stretch. This is what happened. Our Stay in Passau We’re spending quite a bit of time indoors in Passau. Not only because it’s very very hot outside and often very busy, but also because we have other things to do: I need to write stories, Jonas needs to write code. Together weContinue reading
Butterflies + the Bolivian Border from Paraguay
I’ve arrived in Bolivia! Here I was taking a *butterfly break with the backpack, a great shot Jonas took. We were hitchhiking toward the Bolivian border through Paraguay’s Gran Chaco region—a rough diamond. If you tell Google Maps to drive from Asunción to Bolivia, it tells you to drive through Argentina instead. It’s a clear warning of what this road would be like. Truly, this was one of the most difficult roads I’ve ever hitchhiked in terms of traffic, road quality, temperature, and water availability. It took four days! On the bright side, it’s the mating season or something ofContinue reading
Paraguay from the Back of a Pick-Up Truck
Just another day at the office… for a hitchhiker! Today I hitchhiked in the back of this pickup truck toward Mariscal Estigarribia, the last village with a sizeable population in Paraguay before the border with Bolivia—and that border is still 250km away! In Paraguay, you usually get your entrance/exit stamps in your passport at the migration office in a town before the border rather than at the actual border. This also happened to us when leaving Brazil and entering Paraguay. Besides being a little strange and not straightforward at all, this is a complicated process of asking around for ‘laContinue reading
Hitchhiking from Montenegro to Albania: It’s Border Time!
I’m packed and ready to hitchhike from Montenegro to Albania! That’d be country #57 if you’re wondering. The last weeks in Kruče have been absolute bliss. Packing to cross a border is, however, a little bit unchill. But I did it and I’m ready. Aleksandra has been a wonderful host and I really love her life stories and passion for music. Sometimes you meet people with an openness that just blows you away. I’m definitely going to miss this, but it’s time to move on and see what the much-hyped Albania has to offer. Some people think it’s a scaryContinue reading
Iran to Turkey by Hitchhiking: A World Apart
Though I’ve already been back in Turkey for two days, I’m still getting used to things once again. Just across the border from Iran to Turkey in Van, the mosques look different and the mountain peaks are snowier! The crossing from Persian to Ottoman architecture is actually much starker than expected. Especially considering there’s Ottoman architecture in tons of places outside of Turkey. Pictured is the Sobacı Hamit Yörük Mosque in Van. I arrived in Van at night, so all I could see were the elaborate neon lights upon entering the city. Seeing Van in daylight is a much better experience,Continue reading