"Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Throw yourself out there, wander, discover. You cannot be lost if you have no destination.

Life in Afghanistan

15/08/2012 - Afghanistan
It is amazing how fast life can change, and how unpredictably. For me this meant going from life on the open road – three years of no commitments, hitchhiking, a backpack and a tent – to a life that my friends and family refer to as “domesticated” (I hate that word) – house, dog, cat, job and long term relationship. Looking back it seems to have happened overnight: one morning riding yaks through the Wakhan corridor with plans to hitch Central Asia and cross Mongolia on a horse, the next in the big city with a job offer that included so many benefits, plus the excitement of Afghanistan (the country grew on me unexpectedly and quickly) I could hardly turn it down. More...

Hitchhiking with a Hijab - Iran

10/08/2012 - Iran
When most westerners think about Iran, they think of a strict Islamic government, veiled women, stern-faced Ayatollahs and a certain 1979 embassy takeover. Sure, Iran is all of that, but of course it is the unrepresented side of a country that is the most interesting. And so after two years of thinking about traveling to Iran, talking about traveling to Iran, and hearing every second person say that traveling to Iran is far too dangerous for a solo, free-spirited western woman to contemplate, I was full of excitement and out to prove the skeptics wrong as I donned my hijab and stuck out my thumb in the direction of the border.

Travels with Chris: Turkey Final

21/07/2012 - Turkey
Except for the time that my mom flew to Southern Africa for a two week whirlwind hitchhiking experience, I have been solo on the roads for my entire trip. That's why when Chris, a good friend from university, dropped me a line with thoughts on coming to Turkey, I welcomed the idea of a physics-minded travel partner wholeheartedly... more

Georgia Bound

03/07/2012 - Georgia and Turkey
When I got back to Turkey I had a clear plan: head to Georgia, get the Iranian visa, then jump through Armenia into Iran for a few weeks before landing back in Kurdistan, for reasons mentioned last time.  However I don't think I have ever been able to carry out a travel plan that extends more than a few days into the future, let alone a month; this was no exception. ..more

Revelations in Iraqi Kurdistan

15/06/2012 - Iraqi Kurdistan
On my way back from a spontaneous single-day 800 kilometer voyage to visit the ruins at Gobekli Tepe I was lucky enough to find a pair of very nice Kurdish men who offered to take me all the way to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. The border crossing into the autonomous north of Iraq was one of the most pleasant I have experienced: it involved little more than handing over my passport to a friendly secretary and waiting ten minutes in an air conditioned room while being served complimentary tea; a welcoming introduction to the fiftieth country on my journey...more

Dormant Volcanos, Active Politics

21/05/2012 - Eastern Turkey
After two weeks of hiking up and down the mountains of Likya, the next destination picked off the map was Hatay, the southernmost outcropping of the Turkish mainland that hugs the northeastern Mediterranean near Syria. However, as so often happens when a seemingly good hitchhiking plan is made, unforeseeable luck threw in a wild card and the original scheme never materialized – in fact I still haven’t made it to that historically rich corner of Turkey...more

Hiking the Lycian Way

15/04/2012 - Lykia, Turkey
Up mountains, down mountains; along beaches, into the sea; across freshly fallen avalanches and along the top of cliffs plunging hundreds of meters straight downwards into the clear blue Mediterranean. And all this along paths that have been walked for thousands of years, where descendants of the Lycians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and various Turkic tribes still spend their days herding their sheep and goats...more

Touring Across Millennia: Istanbul in Pictures

19/03/1012 -Istanbul

As I said before, attempting to describe Istanbul in a travel blog is far too momentous a task to attempt and would probably result in far too long a discussion of the incredible feats and wonders of the Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and many others who passed through the various walls of this grand city. So I wont try. Enjoy the pictures!

Trans-Europe Top Speed

14/03/2012 - England – France – Italy – Slovenia – Hungary – Serbia – Kosovo – Albania – Macedonia – (Serbia) – Romania – Bulgaria – Turkey

After two years accustomed to hitching in Africa and less-populated parts of Canada, where road choices are generally limited to two directions, staring at a map of Europe and trying to decide on a route can be a little overwhelming – albeit in a fun way. It felt like being a character in an overly-enthusiastic author's choose your own adventure story, with far too many choices at the end of each chapter. There are hundreds of worthy tourist destinations and thousands of possibilities for non-touristy random adventures, and all are very tempting to aim for when you have seemingly unlimited time and transportation is free...more

Hitchhiking the Snowy Yukon

20/12/2011 - Yukon, Canada
If someone had told me in early August that I would be hitching through the snow drifts of the Canadian Yukon by November, I would have assumed they were crazy and probably told them as much. However that is exactly what happened, and it just goes to show how fast life can change...more

Eat. Sleep. Cycle. 

20/08/2011- Mozambique North

Two weeks on the bike, not a day off. Thirteen of those nights were spent in my tent: sometimes in villages, sometimes outside police stations, sometimes alone in the bush with baboons screeching nearby and flying squirrels gliding overhead. This entry is a rough play by play of the past 14 days. 

After five days of relaxing in my Brazilian friend Jacques’ beautifully simple beachside bungalow, learning juggling and macrome and how to cook matapa, I said goodbye to him and the plethora of Couchsurfers and others who were constantly rotating through his friendly doors. It had been a comparatively luxurious week of good food, good wine, and always someone strumming a guitar nearby to ensure a good start to each evening. But the road north called, and every day of rest brought forth a stronger desire to get back on the bicycle... more

Cycling Northbound: Over Hills and Back to the Beach

05/08/2011 - Swaziland & Mozambique

Back on the bike! There are times when traveling by bicycle I can't get the "this is ridiculous!" out of my head. Of course it happens to all travelers regardless of means of displacement, but on a bicycle the lows can seem much more exaggerated. There are good days, then a morning comes when you are gun-ho to cover major miles but upon taking off you realize you are facing the seemingly endless uphills of KwaZulu Natal or Swaziland, not to mention the clouds overhead and cold wind blowing completely in the wrong direction. You see comfortable SUVs going by and remember that you could be traveling faster (and cheaper!) by hitchhiking. Then while heading up the steepest hill, your cheap bulky Chinese-made bicycle, with each tire rim weighing more than the entire bike of a "proper" cyclist, cracks another gear.... more
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African Snowmen in a Mountain Kingdom

26/02/2011 - Lesotho

Lesotho was on my route simply because it is a visa free country and people said there were mountains. I had even considered skipping it due to rumors of snow and negative temperatures, which after over a year in tropical Africa I was not enthused or prepared to experience. Needless to say, I am glad I went. From the moment we left the South Africa border post and started winding our way upwards on the steep switchbacks that traverse no man’s land, it was clear that Lesotho would be the most culturally and geographically unique country that I have visited in Africa... more

Vacationing with Mom

23/06/2011 - South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe & Botswana
Traveling solo can’t be called "lonely", because being open minded, friendly and outgoing means meeting tons of people, many of whom who go on to become quality long-term friends. Nevertheless, leaving your family and everyone you know and love at home, usually not being around any one person for more than a few days, means it can be difficult to build the kind of personal relationships that allow for deeply meaningful conversation or fulfilling interaction. Even a “real” hug can be hard to come by. So that is why, after traveling alone across Africa for 15 months and not seeing a single familiar face, my mom flying here for some quality mother-daughter time was the perfect intermission between the first and second chapters of my trip – a vacation from traveling...more

Peddling Deserts in Southern Africa 

24/05/2011 - Namibia and South Africa
Cycling was a most enlightening choice of transport for southern Africa - it is only on a bicycle that you get a true feeling for the incredibly vast expanse of land that makes up the Kalahari, Namib, and South African cape. You ride for hours staring at this vastness, and see a familiar tree or hill, and the thought crosses your mind that you're going in circles or you've made a wrong turn; but there are no turns, it has been one straight road for days. When the shadows start getting long, you know you're still 110 km from the next town, so it's time to find a place to pitch your tent. Looking around, you see the definition of desolate; but it's the beautiful kind: you feel at peace, not lonely. Luck is on your side, there are a few giant rock hills a hundred meters from the road, and as you slip your aching legs off your bike and approach, keeping a cautious eye open for mambas and adders, you see there is a large overhang giving shelter to a sandy patch of ground underneath: perfect... more

The Modern World, Skin Deep

03/05/2011 - Zambia and Botswana
The road connecting the Congolese and Zambian border posts was like a portal to another world. On the DRC side, it was hectic with hours of backup; I ended up slipping through without showing my passport to anyone. On the Zambian side, there were decent lineups and a straightforward procedure, not to mention lighting and AC. Roads are tarred and driving laws enforced. I was astonished at the existence of traffic police when a truck I had hitched with was pulled over for speeding. Later on, in another truck, I was further taken aback when we were stopped at a checkpoint and the contents of the truck were searched for poached animals; everywhere else I had been in Africa the only vehicle inspections were for smuggled weapons (or bribes). It is nice to experience an African country that has the wisdom and resources to protect its wildlife, even if a good part of their motivation comes from the appeal of tourism revenues... more

DR Congo Overland

30/03/2011 - DRC
“I was born lost and take no pleasure in being found.” – Steinbeck 

Everyone I had met or read about told me that crossing the 2500km route southbound through the DRC would be either too dangerous, due to regional conflict and corrupt officials, or simply impossible, due to bad roads and lack of vehicles. Walking came to mind as a possible solution to the latter problem, but then I met a military major who had walked the entire route from Lubumbashi to Kinshasa (at the time Mobutu was chased from power); It had taken him seven months. In order to cross the country in time with my one-month visa, I would either need a miracle, or a flight (southbound via Angola was ruled out after a quick glance at their visa procedure). Needless to say flying felt too much like a cop-out, so I went with the miracle... more

Across the Equator

06/03/2011 - Cameroon, Gabon and Congo
Left off the last blog promising to leave Cameroon soon, and after two more weeks, a highly entertaining funeral, more lessons in African "business", and a good Valentine's Day party (here it was a lot less flowers and chocolate, a lot more bar-hopping 'till 5 a.m.), it was finally time to leave the capital, equator-bound... more

Pieces of Paradise

31/01/2011 - Cameroon
Cameroon...entering into this country from Nigeria entailed crossing a long, single lane bridge that passes high above one of the many fish-filled rivers winding their way through the region. The river is banked on either side by high rock walls that give way to thick jungle, and besides the small sturdy bridge and border control posts on either end, the only human influence that can be seen is that of a small dugout canoe that ripples through the water as the villager guiding it searches for a suitable spot to find dinner. As I walked across the bridge I had to stop to take it all in; no photographs because African border police are suspicious people, but it's not like a picture could have done justice to the beauty of that place anyway. That first view, when you are not even completely inside the country yet, is enough to make one fall in love. But of course it doesn't stop there; the frontier is only the first piece of paradise in Cameroon's perfection... more

I de go Nigeria!

28/12/2010 - Nigeria
They say: “don’t go to Nigeria.” “Dangerous – corruption – don’t trust the police.” “Everywhere is filled with bandits.” Even the Niger border police were reluctant to let me cross over to Nigeria alone and had to call two of their senior officers for clearance. There may be some truth to the warnings – even Nigerians will agree prudence is necessary – but they have to be taken with a grain of salt. So after swallowing the butterflies the Niger police, the media, and other West Africans had given me, there was no choice but to cross the bridge over the Lake Chad river and into Nigeria, coaxing myself by remembering to trust in the unknown. Needless to say, getting to the other side of the bridge I was warmly and cheerfully welcomed with no problems by the border officials on the other side. Bribes and corruption? – they fed me a free lunch and stamped me into their country with an extra two months gratis in my passport... more

Article for German Abgefahren e.V. Autostoppe Club: Niger to DRC

November 2010 - April 2011

This article sums up the five months I spent travelling between Niger and southern DRC - crossing from the vast deserts of the Sahel to the think Congo jungle that is known as earth's second lung. It was written at the request of the German Autostoppe Club  Abgefahren e. V. for a hitching book they are putting together. I chose to write about the Central African part of my trip because not only is it the least travelled part of Africa, its also where I had the most wonderfully varied experiences. Enjoy it here!

S to N, Jungle to Desert

25/04/2011 - Ghana, Togo, Benin & Niger
Ghana Ghana Ghana! Home to the Black Stars, Kofi Anan, Kwame Nkrumah, the golden Ashanti Empire, beautiful tropical beaches in the south and elephant-filled high plains in the north. From the horrors of colonization and slavery that played out on Ghana’s gold coast to its role as an African leader of freedom - becoming the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence and more recently moving to the top of the continent’s economic growth charts, Ghana is a country that even the least educated westerners have heard of. Personally, getting to Ghana was an especially welcome change because the language was finally English again – the pocket French dictionary could take a vacation. People here also seemed to be more interested in North America – U.S. and Canada – than anywhere in Europe, including former colonizers Britain... more

Into the Rainforest and Back to the Beach 

04/11/2010 - Cote D'Ivoire
Ask yourself what it means to be able to travel so peacefully and happily through a country that, up to only a few years ago, was rated as one of the two most dangerous countries in the world (along with Somalia). Cote D’Ivoire has been doing their best to keep the peace since an agreement was signed between the government and the Force-Nouvelle “rebels” of the north, but the memories of the civil war are still fresh; civilians from both sides recount stories of the day the war showed up on their doorsteps, and many lost friends and family members. However none of their rough history comes into the picture of Ivorian hospitality and kindness. Even in the tiniest villages, the cocoa, coffee, rubber, plantain, and cassava farmers are as welcoming as ever... more

Burkina Bound

25/04/2011 - Burkina Faso

My last night in Mali was my first night in Africa with no overnight­ choice other than to wild camp. I had hitchhiked and walked my way to within twenty kilometers of the Burkinabe border, but now the colors of the sunset were beginning their dance across the horizon, and I was still without a place to sleep. The fact that the dirt road I was walking along was small and seldom used meant that my chances of finding a lift to the border were slim. There were a few minibuses that had passed during my several-hour meander in the southward direction, but my stubbornness to hold to the “free rides only” guideline kept me from flagging them down. And so with the night coming and no villages in sight, I recognized that I had to find a place to sleep under the stars...more

Following Ancient Roads, to Timbuktu and Beyond

22/09/2010 - Mali
After two hot days hitching along the Senegalese highway towards Mali, it seemed time to get back onto dirt roads. The border crossing took only five minutes of formalities (including a failed attempt to talk my way in sans visa), then it was south from Kayes travelling along a classic African red-gravel road passing giant baobabs, tiny villages, and impressive rock faces that extend from the nearby mountainous Guinean border... more

Island Life in Cassamance, A Crocodile's Life in Gambia

20/07/2010 - Senegal and Gambia
Left Cap Skiring, a fishing village turned tourist headquarters (thanks to the Club Med built there), walked barefoot for 10km along the completely deserted beach stopping to swim and snack on wild fruits, came to the end of the peninsula and got slightly lost after heading into the bushes to find the village that I knew was nearby. Thankfully, one cannot get very lost on a peninsula and reaching the other side found a few people having an afternoon of swimming and barbecuing potatoes and oysters. They were, of course, completely welcoming and after joining them for their delicious meal we were walking back to the tiny village of Nikine where I ended up spending the next two weeks... more

I was scrambling up the side of a mountain when...

19/06/2010 - Guinea and Guinea-Bissau
I was scrambling up the side of a Guinean mountain when…when I realized the faint game-like trail I was following had disappeared under a small avalanche of rocks. Looking back out across the valley I had just traversed, the few tiny huts and peanut fields of the last village before the mountain were barely visible amongst the vast green forest below. After unsuccessfully searching the area for the continuation of the trail, it seemed the options were either to return down the steep slope, defeated, back to the last village, or try to push forward and get a vantage point from the mountain’s top, which it seemed couldn’t be far off... more

Teraanga

05/16/2011 - Mauritania & Senegal
Hitching a ride out of Nuakchott took all of two minutes, and the very helpful Mauritanian soldier who offered a ride ended up walking me straight through his country’s notoriously tricky customs in no time at all. Arriving in the bustling Senegalese border town of Rosso would have been intimidating if it hadn’t been for my Nuakchott friend Merina, whose older brother’s daughter (but not his niece) was waiting to guide me to their lovely home near the town center... more

Mauritanian Express

23/04/2010 - Mauritania
Climbed into the iron ore train after only an hour of waiting.I'm pretty sure I was the only female in the open bines section (no ticket required), and definitely the only tourist, but I got lucky and rode with three very nice and experienced guys. They had warm blankets and quickly set up a sand firepit in the corner and we had a freshly cooked beef stew tangine and plenty of tea for the trip. The open desert and starry night were wonderful, and the train was a lot more comfortable than expected, even got some good sleep in between the occasional jolt of cars crashing together. ...more

Life Lessons and Saharan Autostop

06/04/2010 - Morocco & Western Sahara
Moroccan Sahara days sit at a perfect 33 degrees Celsius with barely a cloud in the sky, and the nights are cool with thousands of stars visible above. The small towns of Zagora and M’Hamid are the last towns on the southbound road in eastern Morocco and are heavily marketed to tourists as the “gateways to the Sahara”, but thankfully tourism has only had the effect of opening a few colorful souvenir shops, and so you don’t have to go far to see that the traditional Berber lifestyle still dominates. Spending an afternoon trekking south towards the Algerian border on camels belonging to a friend of Aziz quickly explained how easy it is to get lost in the desert; orientation is nearly impossible because of the lack of any type of trail or notable landmarks (unless you can read the stars), and apart from the luck of coming across a nomadic family you are on your own - even nomadic families necessarily travel with goats and other animals who have a sixth sense that takes them to water. ..more

Crossing España

22/02/2010 - Spain
Left off last time before an evening out in San Sabastian. Mikel showed me a great time including sampling all the best pintxos and Spanish wine in about 5 different bars. Felt a little like Anthony Bordain getting to sample the best cusine that Basque country has to offer, it´s a perfect mix of delicious for your eyes and your stomach :) Anyone back home looking for a business opportunity in hospitality should really consider opening a proper pinxtos bar in the "after-work" part of downtown ...more

Where wine really is cheaper than water

12/02/2010 - England, France & Belgium
Finally have arrived in España, but first have to recount a little from Bordeaux. After another crepe breakfast Laetitia drove me from Le Mans to the toll booth leading to the main highway to Bordeaux (all major highways in France are tolled, and at very expensive rates; not to mention gas is about 1.30 euors/L, but at least the toll stations make great hitchhiking spots) and she didnt even have time to get back into her car after saying bye before Sammy, a trucker from Belgium heading to Toulouse, picked me up. Like everyone who I've met from Belgium, he spoke great English which made the ride fun.. ..more



Blog List
Route Maps Here

Iran
Southern Turkey, W to E
Georgia
Iraqi Kurdistan
Eastern Turkey 
Lycian Way, Turkey
Istanbul in Pictures
Trans-Europe
Canadian Yukon

Africa 2011

Mozambique North
Swaziland & S. Mozambique
Lesotho

Mozambique & Zimbabwe
Namibia
Zambia & Botswana
DRC
Gabon & Congo
Cameroon


2010
Nigeria
Niger to DRC 
Ghana, Togo, Benin & Niger
Cote D'Ivoire
Burkina Faso
Mali
Gambia & Casamance
Guinea & Guinea Bissau
Senegal
Mauritania
Western Sahara
Morocco
Spain
Western Europe- England, France, Belgium