Kayak Trip Day 73: Nikopol to Svishtov – Headwind to Belene Island + Attempted Side Quest

The kayaking trip from Nikopol to Svishtov on the Bulgarian Danube happened on the 22nd of June, 2024. At roughly 40 kilometers, it’s one of our shorter paddle days in recent times. Departing Nikopol to Svishtov + Vending Machine Coffee My alarm went off at 5:00, even though I thought I’d set it for 5:15. Jonas was going to stay in bed till 5:30 as we’d discussed the evening before. A little angry because of the alarm, I started getting dressed for today’s kayaking. There’s about 40 kilometers on the schedule from Nikopol to Svishtov. When Jonas got up, theContinue reading

Kayak Trip Day 72: Oryahovo to Nikopol – Summer Solstice + 80 Kilometers

The longest day (so far) of our kayaking trip down the Danube happened on the 20th of June, 2024. We paddled over 80 kilometers in one day on the Bulgarian side of the Danube between the towns of Oryahovo and Nikopol. Dawn in Oryahovo My alarm went off at 4:45. I hadn’t slept much, though the vibrations from trucks driving by off the ferry didn’t bother me as much as they had the night before. I started getting dressed and doing my hair while Jonas only got up at 5:00. He liked it that I got up earlier since someContinue reading

Accommodation in the Åland Islands: from Eckerö and Kökar to Mariehamn

What to expect of accommodation in the Åland Islands as a digital nomad? These are the places we booked to both have adventures and get some work done. We were in Åland between the 24th of September and the 9th of October. Åland is part of Finland, so read about accommodation in Finland here. Eckerö (Couchsurfing) Duration: two nights We spent our first two nights in Åland couchsurfing with a local in Eckerö. It’s quite unusual for us, but a friend of mine brought me into contact with the guy she couchsurfed with in Åland a few months prior andContinue 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

The Chiloé Archipelago

It’s hard to imagine I’ve spent nearly two weeks here, but the time really did fly by island hopping and digital detoxing in the Chiloé Archipelago. It’s a group of islands in the south of Chile that many drivers had spoken of before about how special this place is. Not a single driver was like “So you’re going to Chiloé? It’s pretty average there… better skip it”. South of the Ruta 5 The main road in Chile, the “Ruta 5” just continues on the island like there wasn’t some water to cross. My truck driver named Walter drove from theContinue reading

Hitchhiking a Boat: Patience + Frustrations in Corfu, Greece

Good morning from the island of Corfu! Yes, that is correct, I managed to hitch to an island. This wasn’t super intentional… but cool! I’m now at the huge marina of Gouvia on the Greek island of Corfu and it’s super early. Why am I here so early? Because a kind soul allowed me to sleep on the deck of her husband’s boat. Once the people wake up I’m going to try hitchhiking a boat. My approach? By walking around with this hitchhiking saying ‘Italy’ to try and find a sailing/motor yacht to cross the Ionian Sea. Do I feelContinue reading