Dramatic skies, flawless tarmac, and mountains everywhere: the Sierra Nevada in Spain! Just some shit-stains on the window, still it’s a pretty good photo taken through the windshield! Here’s the Google Streetview version, much cleaner: This day I finished my speed hitchhiking trip towards Málaga in the south of Spain. It was a pretty rough trip of continuous hitchhiking for four days because Spain is just not that easy to get around. The people at the HitchGathering that told me hitchhiking in Spain was difficult spoke truth to power. My lowest point was when I was stuck at a roundaboutContinue reading
hiking
Inspirational Quote: Not All Those Who Wander Were Told to “Get Lost!”
Time for an inspirational quote about travel: Not all those who wander were told to “Get Lost!” ~ Iris the Hitchhiker I’m really on a creative roll for the whole inspirational quotes kind of thing after finding peace, love, and tranquillity in the south of Spain 🙂 first of all, you should know that I find a lot of ‘inspirational’ quotes very uninspiring. They’re often vague, promote airplane travel, or sound like the ramblings of someone who just rage-quit their job. Secondly, I like to mock shit occasionally. When scrolling through my Facebook feed, it’s literally full of stuff likeContinue reading
Gozo: Hitchhiker Gone Hiking in Malta
Today’s random hiking trail brought me to some fabulous geological formations along a cliff’s edge! I was hiking on Gozo Island in Malta at daybreak. It was about 6:30 during the making of this photo. The weather is still tolerable then, as it gets so hot during the day. I think you can count the trees on Gozo on one hand. I walked southward from my rough-sleeping spot nearby Dwejra’s Azure Window. In the south-western corner or edge of Gozo Island, my OpenStreetMaps offline map showed me several hiking trails. So I decided to check out this area. The landscapesContinue reading
Vlorë and the Zvërnec Monastery: a Day Hike
Events in Vlorë and Zvërnec (Albania) happened on Monday 15th of June, 2015. Good Morning Vlorë My hosts left for work in the morning. My plan was to take it easy since I had picked up a cold in Sarandë, or when hitchhiking from Sarandë to Vlorë. The idea I had for ‘taking it easy’ was going on a nice long hike (10 kilometers one-way) with lighter luggage. Within a reasonable distance, the hike to the Zvërnec Peninsula and Island northwest of the city center seemed like the best plan. My hosts confirmed it was pretty there. Walking out ofContinue reading
Black Lake in Durmitor National Park (Žabljak, Montenegro)
This afternoon I went for a hike around the Black Lake close to Žabljak (1450 meters above sea level). It’s in Montenegro’s Durmitor National Park. The lake is made up of the Big and the Small Black Lakes. In the picture, I’m sitting at the narrow passage between them. In one month, the lakes will be smaller and will separate from each other so one can ‘walk an 8’ around both. There is still a lot of snow in this area and as it is melting from the Durmitor mountain tops, there are many waterfalls around the trails. I triedContinue reading
Rest in Peace, Dear Hiking Boots
Dear Lowa hiking boots. You’ve served me well in the years mid-2013 till the end of 2014. I have taken you to three continents and tried to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I’m sorry to have walked holes in you. It was hard saying goodbye and retiring you. You were great for tiny feet. Your replacements still have to prove themselves. I still love you. I know, it’s just a possession, part of my hitchhiking gear. They can’t live forever. But I always find it really hard to find proper hiking boots that look badass. TheseContinue reading
Eskişehir, Turkey: Şelale Mesire Yeri Waterfalls and Earthquake!
Let’s talk about Turkey’s underrated gem: Eskişehir. Someone who followed my adventures invited me to his city Eskişehir—a city I’d never have thought of visiting between Ankara and İstanbul. He said it’s a laidback university town with lots of young students and a cool vibe. Sounds good! So on December 8th, I hitchhiked there to say hi to him and his friends. His name is Ali and he’s very outdoorsy and likes to travel by bicycle. I must say that the Turkish traveler community CouchRail on Facebook really works better than any official CouchSurfing stuff. His family was incredibly kind and we exchangedContinue reading