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Welcome
to the English part of "Backpackers' page".
I will gladly accept and publish any kind of
stories/ diaries/ advice/ experience/ travellers' tales.
If you send pictures, please don't send more than a
few - in LOW resolution - not more than 50 Kb each.
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Letters, tips & diaries from our readers
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West Papua, Indonesia.
I am going on a long trek (5 weeks) there this Summer and have spend
about a year researching it and talking to people who have spent a lot of time there so I
can answer a few of your questions. Flights from Jayapura to Wamena are very regular, I
think it's about 4 per day and no need to book in advance. It costs 450,000 Rupiah (37.50
Euros).
Whether or not you want to go on an organised tour or do it on your own depends on a
number of things.
1) How far from Wamena do you want to go,
2) do you speak Indonesian,
3) How confident you would feel going it alone in a place as remote as West Papua
If you just want to trek around the Baliem Valley and visit villages of the Dani tribe you
can easily do it on your own. If you want to go further afield, for example to the Yali
tribe, you will need a guide. If you have loads of money you can pay for an organised
tour, but it will be expensive.
Alternatively in Wamena you can pick up an Indonesian-speaking guide for 100,000 Rupiah
per day (8 Euros) or an English-speaking one for 200,000 per day. The trek from Wamena to
Yali territory can take 3-4 days depending on the speed you walk and where you're going
to. If you speak Indonesian you can hire a guide in little villages for 50,000 (4 Euros)
per day. You can sleep in local people's huts for 10,000 per night. If you have LOADS of
money you can trek somewhere then organise for a plane to pick you up and take you back,
but this will cost around 750 Euros.
My itinerary is as follows: arrive Wamena in the morning on 17th June,
spend the day looking round the Baliem Valley, visiting Dani villages such as Jiwika. Next
day get minibus to Sugogmo then trek to Yogosem on my own (the trail is easy to follow).
From there I will hire a porter / guide and pay him 100,000 for the 2-day trek over Mt.
Elit to Pronggoli in Yali country.
From there I will hire a new porter/guide and pay him 50,000 for the 1-day trek to Angguruk,
the centre of Yali country. From Anggurukit I will hire another porter/guide for 50,000 to
get me to Mimbeam, then the next day another one to get me to Telampela. The day after
that I will cross the Jenggo Mountain, go through Serekasi and arrive in Kosarek,
the last big village in Yali country, a week's walking away from Wamena. After this I will
trek further east to Endoman then on to Eipomek, in the territory of the
Mek tribe. From Eipomek I will cross the central mountains to Langda,
cetre of the Una tribe (also centre of stone axe making). Langda is about 2 weeks walking
away from Wamena (with a few rest days included in villages).
From Langda I will head back West (this time on the other side of the mountains though)
through Kimyal tribal territory to Dekai. Dekai is a fairly big town and
there are merchant boats that go south to Senggo and I will hitch a lift
on one of these (probably around 50,000 Rupiah). From Senggo I will do a trip to Korowai
territory (guides round here will be more expensive - 100,000 per day for locals from
villages and it will also involve chartering a motorboat for around 500,000). After that
there are regular flights from Senggo to Merauke (888,000) and from
Merauke to Jayapura (666,000). The whole thing should take 5-6 weeks.
One other thing I would add - a lot of English-speaking guides in Wamena are real crooks
who make their living by cheating tourists. VERY often they will take you to the middle of
nowhere then threaten to leave you there unless you give them lots of money. The ONLY safe
way to hire a guide is to get an Indonesian-speaking one in a small village or to go to
the Wamena Police State or the Mission Aviation Fellowship where they have lists of
trustworthy, reliable guides.
I hope this information has been useful to you and given you an idea of what can be seen
and done and on what sort of budget.
Best wishes
Ed
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West Papua, Indonesia.
I was there 2 years ago. As well as one of the commercial airliners (Merpati I think)
there was the freight carrying Tigrana and the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
aeroplanes, so plenty of choice. I'd recommend MAF as you get to fly on a 6 or 8 seater
and chat to the quirky American missionaries as well and it's only a few thousand rupiahs
extra. Can't recall cost but was not much and definitely worth every penny. Merpati have a
co.id website but the fares are cheaper bought in one of their offices.
As for a guide, it's one of those few places where it is necessary out of practicalities.
Many villagers don't speak Indonesian (and none will speak English, which is a nice thing)
and the paths pass right through the villages and houses. The guide will also know in
which villages you can stay. Also, there is more than one native language spoken in Baliem
(Dani Yali etc). I went with a guide called Kippenus and his brother Hanykipenu (Hanky)
who were fantastic. Guides will meet you at the airport and can be annoying and persistant
so take your time deciding.
Don't forget the surat jalan in Jayapura (presuming it's still needed). West Papua is a
fantastic place. Do enjoy it!
John
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Mystical Expedition 2005 EU-Turkey Armenia Iran Pakistan
Armenia
- On one of the mountain passes in Southern Armenia.
2600m.
- Roadside cafe in Armenia: coke bottles filled with
wine.... Pouring wine or shall I say pumping wine in the good old Armenian tradition for
weary travellers. The red wine was more than fantastic. But then you could ask yourself:
what is more than fantastic? Well, go to Southern Armenia....
- Armenian socialism still blossoming.
Iran
- Yazd. Our hotel outside...
- Security is big business in Pakistan. But the real
question is: is AK-47 good enough to protect the sanctity of our vehicle?
- Bam: the old citadel was devastated by earthquake
on December 26 2003. The mourning continues, so does the reconstruction. The Iranian
government is committed to rebuilding Bam. Since Dec 26 2003 a lot has been done. From Bam
it was 400km to the Pakistani border.
Pakistan
- No comment. Well, maybe yes comment. When you room
with a view means view of Nanga Parbat, do you complain and are you fussy about the
toilet? Anyway, the chapattis were fine, the chai wasn't bad either.
- The final shot. Mr.Krivic and Mr.Bravnicar
couldn't take it anymore. The scenery was too spectacular, the air too thin, the sun too
bright, the lakes of Baltistan too blue.
-
Karakorum Highway in lawless Kohistan. More chai, more dangerously friendly people, more
wonderfully "flower-power" decorated teahouses in Shatial villgge.
- The
hopelessly potholed road between Besham and Swat. Yet here, literally in the middle of
nowhere, in this outrageously primitive roadside cafe, we ate the best biryani (rice with
spices) in the last two weeks.
-
Crossing the Shyok River. Suspension bridges connect more than villages.
- Yugu.
Sometimes even trees support houses on the steep slopes of this friendly village.
- Kalashnikovs, AK-47's. You name it, they copy it.
- Tools are
primitive and simple...
- Going
to Khyber is serious security business. Armed escort, guns, drugs... After posting this
picture on the internet it might be a little more difficult in the near future to sell my
image of a fundamentalist pacifist to the general public.
- Tribal
jewellery. Afghan, Pakistani and beyond.
- Watch-seller
sipping chai on a hot May afternoon.
- Money changing
is good business in Quetta. Traders from all over Central Asia do business in Quetta, some
of it may be of dubious nature. Posters of the wonderful capitalist West adorn the wall
behind the money-changer...
Iran
-And one for
animal rights activists. Unfortunately, the subcontinental bird-spraying technique has
found its way to Iran, as well. Little chickens, ducklings simply being sprayed with
paint. How do you want it today? Pink or green?
+
APRIL 10-12, 2005 - Well, we finally hit the road. It was early morning April 10 2005 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Central Europe. The expedition began rolling. The SUV's set off on an overland journey from Europe to Pakistan/Indian subcontinent. The Balkans were OK: Croatia smooth, Serbian coffee good, Bulgaria ok.... until things went wrong on day 1. International terrorism seems to be closer and closer to Europe. Our vehicle was attacked and the rear window broken. But should we include Bulgaria in the axis of evil? Was it really terrorism? But things in the Middle East are and can be solved so easily. After spending the night on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, praying for no-rain. Allah on the Turkish side heard us. In Edirne, Turkey in a back-alley "cam"-shop (oto cam = car glass) the rear window was fixed with improvisational Oriental skills.
Serbia and Tito
in April 2005.
Gorge-klisura between Nis, Serbia and the
Bulgarian Border.
Panic among the expedition members. Terrorist
attack with RPG....
Fixing the "oto cam" - car glass in Edirne, Turkey.
And finally... after two days of relentless
driving through the Balkans a cup of coffee at Ali's Kelebek Pansiyon/Hotel in Goreme,
Cappadocia, Central Turkey.
- Enjoying chai under the blanket of stars in
Goreme, Cappadocia.
- In line with the prophecy of the Cappadocian
pinnacles.
- Friendly faces of the Kelebek Pansiyon, Goreme,
Cappadocia.
.
April 13-15 2005.
- Mt.Erciyes in the center of our attention. It
created Cappadocia 30 million years ago.
- Southeastern Turkey: bare necessities of a global
nomad in a Sanliurfa cafe.
- Southeastern Turkey - Hasankeyf on the Tigris
River. Doomed to disappear in the waters behind the dam to be created in 2010.
- Camping in Hasankeyf by the Tigris River.
- Solemnity on our faces in Eastern Turkey. Seljuk
Cemetery in Ahlat, Lake Van.
- Eastern Turkey. Dogubayazit, the last town before
the Iranian border. A town with the fundamental border feeling. Feasting on egg-cheese
pide in a Dogubayazit lokanta. That's what fine cuisine is all about. It doesn't get any
better than this. Mr. Krivic on the left is enjoying tea with an infected right ear.
According to the diagnosis by the local witchdoctor he'll live and eventually make it to
the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Inshallah.
- Always gentlemen..... Mr. Krivic, Mr. Bravnicar,
Mr. Du Swami.
- Final stop before the Iranian border. Ishak Pasha
Palace on the outskirts of Dogubayazit.
Text by Dusko M Du Swami; Photos by Matjaz Krivic & Ales Bravnicar & Dusko M Du
Swami
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- PORTUGAL
LISBON-
1. General
Whatever you do, you will not be able to see everything you would like to see and I
strongly recommend a lot of reading before you go to decide what you feel you MUST see.
2 Before going
a) I found 'Portuguese in a week' (book and tape from library) very good indeed and took
the little book with me. Obviously a week is a bit optimistic - get it yesterday.
b) Also try to get hold of (possibly even buy as a last resort) one of the small light
guides to Lisbon which has transport routes in it. I took the Eyewitness one and we found
the transport map inside the back cover invaluable.
3 Lisbon
a) Don't expect something like Prague, or London come to that. Having said that I am sure
you will feel you have missed a lot when you leave.
b) We did not use Lisbon cards and I am sure they are not economical unless you spend a
lot of time in museums in one day. We did not travel by underground at all and there is
not a lot of point unless you definitely calculate a major time advantage.
c) Trams are great, especially route 28. Travel the whole route if you have time and at
least the part from the terminus to Chiado. The tickets which allow you to travel on all
buses and trams up to 2am are terrific value unless you are going out of the city for a
day.
d) I suggest you do just that! SINTRA is an absolute must. I now think it would justify
you taking two trips but do go early in your stay so that you can choose realistically for
yourselves. You go from Rossio station and the trains are frequent and dirt cheap and the
journey does not take long - fortunately,because it is not very nice.
From Sintra station there is a local bus on which you can get a ticket which allows you to
get on and off as you choose - and you will choose to do so!
The National Palace is in the town and the bus then goes up to the Castelo dos Mouros and
then the Pena Palace. If you make one trip you may think that all three would be pushing
it. We only went to the middle one which is a ruin but scenically magnificent. However
leaving the Pena without going in was a torture and only justified by the number of steps.
I think the view from up high would probably equal that from the Mouros. For you I would
suggest the order of priority might be Pena, Mouros, Nacional (which looks great but
perhaps a little less unique- whether or not that is grammatically possible!) There is a
rather silly and expensive ride at Pena from where the bus drops you to the Palace -
probably worth it for the saved time.
It is possible to get a bus from Sintra station to Cascais, a very pleasant ride which
enables you to return to Lisbon on the railway from there which is again frequent and
cheap. If you eat at Cascais and travel in the evening, you will see the buildings of
Belem floodlit from the train and pretty fabulous they look. We ate in the Adega de
Goncalves which is in the Rough Guide - very good.
e) To the left of Edward 7's Parque as you look up and near the top is a huge greenhouse
area - the Estufa Fria – very good and peaceful if you want somewhere to stroll.
f) The MUSTS in the city are the castle when the sun is setting, the St Justa lift and the
Elevador Gloria. The all day bus ticket covers the lift and the Gloria as well. There is a
viewpoint just to your right as you get off at the top of the Gloria. Again just around
sunset is best. The port wine institute is opposite you but we did not use it and I would
not see it as very prudent use of time if you are going to Porto.
I DO NOT advocate the Va e Volte higher up the road from the viewpoint in spite of its
very good write-up in the Rough Guide. Ian's chicken was quite unbelievably dreadful - and
even less believably chicken.
g) An almost Must is the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. The grounds are perfect for a picnic
lunch and the modern art place in the same grounds is very good if you are into that. I am
not always but still found it very enjoyable. The museum itself may not be as big as you
expect but it is lovely.
h) Do not make a special bus journey to see the aqueduct as you get a good view on your
left from the train to Sintra (which is about the only thing to be said for that journey
except that it is mercifully fairly brief)
I) We had a very good round trip South of the river but I doubt you would want to with
less time in Lisbon. If you do I can suggest a route.
j) You will have to make a couple of decisions about things which are time-consuming. One
is the Oceanarium. It is excellently done and it is most interesting to see the exhibition
site in what was apparently wasteland. I am sure you will enjoy it if you go but it will
eat into your time and is not necessarily what one thinks of in Portugal.
The other is Belem - reached by tram from the waterfront if you go to the Jeronimos
Monastery. Belem has its tower, the monument to the explorers and the Coach museum as well
as the Jeronimos. I suppose it is what one thinks of in Lisbon but the buildings are quite
some walk apart and it would use a lot of time to see it all. We went to the Jeronimos
which is certainly fine and interesting. I do not actually like Manueline architecture
that much (heretical as that may be) but I guess I would not have liked to come back
without seeing any and it is at its best at Jeronimos. If you do go there try a pastel in
the Antiga Confeitaria - on your right shortly before Jeronimos - a local delicacy best
eaten there. I feel that we had the best of the other places by seeing them from the train
from Cascais.
k) The older bridge is beautiful - you pass under it going to Belem or coming back from
Cascais. The new one is fantastically long but I am not sorry to have only seen it from
the air on the way in as I doubt it has any very great appeal beyond its size. It is
certainly worth looking for on the left as you are flying in.
l) I guess finding reasonable places to eat is fairly easy. One general point is that the
main courses are immense. Where they have half-dishes, that is quite enough for the
average human and where they do not they are often willing to serve one meal with two
plates.
I expect you will eat a lot of fish - I did. Not over the top about dried cod but the
merluza is splendid and there are plenty of other good things. The Rei dos Frangos which
is in the Rough Guide is a real experience – excellent value for chicken and it
certainly has fish on the menu. Make sure how much you are getting before you order two!
The chicken, for instance, is a whole one and serves two with exaggerated enough portions.
You can sit outside and it is very atmospheric. We loved it enough to go back a second
time. It is also very cheap.
4 LEAVING LISBON
It is not the quickest route to Coimbra but I think you would find the following a really
good day of your holiday:
Get a train to OBIDOS as early as you can and go and have a look. It is entirely
surrounded by its walls and very beautiful.
Go on later to the Bifurcacio de Lares and change trains there for Coimbra.
Otherwise you might even think of going back to Lisbon and then to Coimbra but Obidos is
well worth seeing.
5.Accommodation.
These notes were made originally for a friend who had his accommodation booked. I stayed
at the Residencial Alegria, (1 347 55 22) - excellently positioned, en-suite, comfortable,
very helpful, adequate English, quite cheap, no meals but good place for breakfast 100
metres away.
North Portugal
NB This was first done for a friend who was going to Porto in 1999 - hence much use of
verbs in the second person. It was then called Porto.
I travelled with a friend (no inverted commas - we just travel together) and we stayed at
Hotel Peninsular – very near Sao Bento station. It is very conveniently placed,
comfortable, friendly, good English, reasonably cheap and it has the oldest lift in Porto
- splendid - but the coffeee pots always spill onto the breakfast table!
I have since been to Bragança for a night in 2000 and have made two day trips from Tui in
Spain in 2001 into Northern Minho. The part starting with Bragança was added in 2001.
a) The only places I regard as MUSTS in Porto are Estacao de S. Bento which you will
probably see anyway and the main bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, which I imagine you would
see even if I said it was like a pigsty.
b) That does not mean that there is nothing else to see. Basically I liked every step I
took there. There is something crazy and very moving about it and the eyes are always
drawn upwards.
c) It would seem bizarre not to visit a port wine house and have a couple of freebies
although I have no particular desire to drink it. We certainly found the first one
interesting but the second seemed very repetitive and that was enough. When you go to
V.N.de Gaia for the purpose, get a bus across the high part of the bridge, walk down and
get a bus back over the low part.
d) The turismo opposite the town hall will give you a bus map. On the whole I think the
other one is more helpful. Head up the main drag towards the town hall from S. Bento and
it is a short distance along the first proper road on your right.
e) If you rake the first turning to your right before this you will find the very cheap
place that charges by weight for your meal upstairs almost immediately on the left.
Opposite is a place where you can buy strips of 10 tickets.
f) This is a Must MUST. Only Sintra challenges it for being the very best.
Go by train from S Bento to Amarante changing at Livracao. Walk down to the bus station
across the town bridge and to your left. Get a bus to Vila Real. You may then need to get
a taxi to the station which is a way on but that will give you ample time to get the train
back to Porto, changing at Peso da Regua. The views after only a short distance from Porto
are excellent throughout. One massive problem - left or right on the train from Vila Real
to Peso. Sun is blinding but on left you are out of it and can enjoy the view - if the
people on the right do not draw the blinds! This is possibly the best scenery of all.
g) Guimaraes is a lovely town - we could have done with longer there just to potter
-plenty to see and there is a telerific which is probably good. We went to Braga first
which I suggest you could well miss - quite oppressively religious. The train to Guimaraes
goes from the station above the town hall and just to the right and involves changing
twice as the width of the track changes!
h) We went to Vila da Conde by train from the same station. Not a must but very pleasant.
The aqueduct seems an amazingly large piece of work for what it did. The man who appears
from nowhere to take you round the ex-monastery is not mad in spite of any initial
impressions! The bus North which looks on the map to show you a bit of the Costa Verde
does not unless you go a long way on it. We did not.
Bragança (2000)
I took the bus from Zamora which is itself a lovely city. Rather tame scenery on the
Spanish side improves immediately on reaching Portugal and the city of Bragança is
likeable enough but the real appeal is in the Cidadela, the old town up above surrounded
by walls. The whole Cidadela area is beautiful and the views are splendid but there are
two particular features of interest, one being a pelourinho (pillory) which almots seems
to grow out of the back of a prehistoric granite pig; the other is a civic building from
mediaeval times in the shape of an irregular pentagon. The museum in the town below is
quite good.
2001Valença
I was staying at Tuy [Tui] in Spain and travelled by train free to Valença - there seems
to be no way to pay for this bit of travel though it becomes regular enough from Tui to
Vigo or from Valença to Porto. There are a number of trains on the latter part every day
but only two in each direction do the bit from Valença to Vigo – best found on the
Portuguese rail site - comboios- internacionales.
There are various buses from Valença going the same way as the railway and an important
bus route to Moçao and Melgaço [change @ Monçao] From Melgaço there is transport into
the National Park - though sadly I have not been.
Valença's castle is well worth seeing - the old town being within it. There did not seem
much other appeal. It is possible to walk across to Spain but it would probably be
preferable to use the ferry from Vila Nova [half-hourly] or from Caminha [hourly].
Melgaço
This is a relief from tourist towns - I seemed to be the only foreigner in the place. It
is pleasant to walk up to the top of town and the castle but I found the market a major
disappointment. The bus ride to it is lovely although if only one is possible it should be
that described below. I believe there is a bus at 1230 up to the National Park on a Friday
as well as the early morning one - meaning early - in the dark - which runs Monday to
Friday. This and the market were my reasons for a Friday trip but it was a feast day!
Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima, Ponte de Barca and Arcos de Valdevez
In effect Viana is a sort of capital of north Minho and a fine place it is. This is the
green Coast and I am told it rains a lot in winter. This was November and the temperature
was 29 degrees C with a completely clear sky! The old part of the town is all that could
be desired. The bus station is some way out and it is worth finding out where the bus
stops at the Marinha which is much nearer - but some express buses do not stop here. The
Turism is most helpful about all this.
There are two different companies running buses to Ponte de Lima by different routes. Both
are good so one each way is a good idea. One continues to Arcos de Valdevez and again
there are two routes - one being through Ponte de Barca. Obviously it is worth doing a bit
of planning to get all the routes in.
P de L is a beautiful spot - I could actually live there quite happily - and I was very
taken with A de V as well – wide river with islands and little waterfalls. I had
intended to walk from here to P de B but the temperature was too high for me - I am not
the healthiest of people - so did not really see P de B properly.
Caminha
I did not see much of this. The ferry was just leaving as I went through on a bus and it
all seemed very appealing. Then I stopped to eat on the way back from Viana to Spain and
it seemed a very good place to see for longer.
Tadej Bozic
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| Top of page |
- NORWAY
– LOFOTEN ISLANDS
Description:
We left m/s Polarlys at Svolvaer on the southern part of its coastal voyage (journal under
Arctic Circle. We had two nights on the Lofotens and we both hope very much to be back.
Highlights (i.e. best things to do, memorable moments, etc.)
I know we did not have time to do much other than determine to be back. Even so I can say
that we can warmly recommend anything we have done. We rarely eat twice in the same place
on holiday so there is a message there. Henningsvaer comes right up to expectations and
Svinoya surpasses them.
Quick tips/suggestions
Remember that everything stops on 1 May, whatever day of the week it is.
Best Way to Get Around (i.e. walking, driving, taxis, public transportation etc.)
On normal weekdays the bus service is quite reasonable in the islands but it does involve
a bit of planning. There are boats from Svolvaer and much further south to Bodo early
morning but if you want most of an extra day there is the togbuss to Fauske at 1545 from
Svolvaer.
Togbuss and tog to Trondheim
Svolvaer/Skutvik Ulsvag, Fauske
Bodo and Trondheim
What it's like:
I am not cheating in submitting something called train and connecting bus as natural
wonders though we certainly had no idea of this beforehand and of course it is the coast,
mountains and inland lakes which constitute the natural wonders. First I have to remark on
another wonder, the efficiency of the transport system. You can tsart on a bus from
Leknnes which arrives at the car ferry quay in Svolvaer - where we started - just in time
for the car ferry which is met by another bus to the little town of Ulsvag where another
bus from narvik has just arrived to continue the journey to Fauske where there is about
twenty minutes to the overnight train to Trondheim. This is literally all like clockwork.
Now for the natural wonders. The mountains on both sides of the sea - Lofotens and
mainland are great but for us the highlight of the trip was the busride from Ulsvag to
Fauske through tunnels and by frozen and some melting lakes at considerable heights with
snowy peaks all around. This is a spellbinding treat for which you probably cannot
prepare. I include the train itself because every time I looked out during the night there
was something which made me want to do it by day some time.
Tadej Bozic
________________________________________________
- Cyprus - not just Agia Napa
Description:
There’s more to Cyprus than Agia Napa – get the lowdown on the entertainment and
cultural scene on Cyprus from someone who just spent six months working on the island.
Highlights (i.e. best things to do, memorable moments, etc.)
Cyprus is perhaps the ideal place to spend the Winter with temperatures of a comfortable
15-20 degrees celsius and sun almost every day. This makes it great for outdoor sports -
the sea is warm enough to swim in almost all year round. As well as spectacular scenery,
Mount Troodos (6000ft), has skiing January to March, so you can ski in the morning and
take a short drive to the beach in the afternoon. Compared to other places in the
Mediterranean, Cyprus’ ancient sights are nothing special. However, the mosaics at
Paphos and the ruins at Curium are well worth a visit. Most of the beaches in the South
are pebbly, but if you want sand head North of Paphos to Coral Bay – although it’s by
no means undiscovered. If your vehicle has good ground clearance then carry on a little
further to walk the spectacular Avgas Gorge. Cyprus is also a great base from which to
visit Egypt and the Middle East. Fly to Cairo or cruise to Alexandria to see the last
remaining wonder of the ancient world, or fly to Jordan for the spectacular site of Petra.
Quick tips/suggestions
Walk across the border in Nicosia and pick up a taxi to the exquisite harbour at Kyrenia,
taking in the spectacular views from the ludicrously sited St Hilarion castle en route.
Watch out for the large numbers of British soldiers from the Sovereign Bases at Dhekelia
and Episkopi in the bars and clubs (particularly the first weekend of the month -
‘Millionaires Weekend’). Paphos and Agia Napa are fairly quiet in the Winter, but
Limassol is open for business 365 days a year. Check out the local Meze restaurants for
vast quantities of fish or meat. If you’re vegetarian like me, then try the numerous
Middle Eastern restaurants – Lebanese particularly recommended. The island’s true
speciality, however, is the legendary brandy sour, which slips down very nicely on a warm
afternoon. Almost everyone speaks a good standard of English so you’ll have no trouble
getting around and they drive (somewhat erratically) on the left hand side of the road.
Cypriots are remarkably friendly - as long as you don’t mention the Turks.
Best Way to Get Around (i.e. walking, driving, taxis, public transportation etc.)
Public transport is VERY limited on Cyprus, with no trains whatsoever and limited bus
services. Car hire therefore is much the best way to get around, although, taxis are not
overly expensive and cheap bus tours to the sights can be arranged in towns. There are
regular and inexpensive ferries to Crete, Rhodes and Alexandria, including various
packages for trips to see Cairo and the Pyramids. International flights arrive either in
Paphos or Larnaka and cheap deals abound. There are also regular flights from Larnaka to
tourist destinations in the Middle East (Cairo, Beirut, Amman etc) for about 150 USD.
There are no transport links to the North of the island and you are not allowed to take
hire cars across the border (it invalidates your insurance in any case). The only way
across for tourists is to walk across the border at the Ledra Palace in Nicosia and pick
up a taxi on the other side.
Tadej Bozic
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- SPANISH CITIES Madrid and Central Spain - - - some thoughts.
1.) Segovia
A very beatiful city in a splendid hilltop setting. For anyone who enjoys walking it is a
good base with easy rail access to the Sierra Guaderama. The huge cathedral did not tempt
me particularly but there are some fine older churches. The view from near to the Citadel
is spectacular and the walk round the walls towards the bus station is very good. Looks
like a lovely wooded walk below as well. The aqueduct is most impressive but its very size
means that it is most spectacular from some way off.
It is possible to find cheap hostals near the plaza mayor and this has to be warmly
recommended. The trip out to San Ildefonso de la Granja is well worth while both for its
setting and for the trees. Personally I found the fountains quite horrendous but no doubt
they are impresive when working.
P. Ferri in Escuderos 10 is only a stone’s throw with a weak arm from the Plaza Mayor -
some waiting for shared bathrooms but otherwise OK for a short stay.
2.) Avila
The walls here are said to be the best in Europe and that is quite believable. The tourist
'train' is cheap and very good. It would no doubt be good to spend some time here and
again it is nicely situated but I was not sorry to leave after about 4 hours. Have since
stayed a night at the Hostal Jardin, near the walls. Very good staging point from Madrid
to Galicia or Picos and good scenery on journey.
3.) Salamanca
Often described as the most gracious city in Spain. I found that a strange description -
grand is more the appropriate adjective. The Plaza Mayor justifies all that is said about
it - quite remarkable. The University, the two cathedrals, the Casa de Conchas, the
Convento de San Esteban and the Convento de las Duenas are all excellent and are quite
close together. This whole area plus the Clericia (a sordidly big baroque church by
daylight) make a marvellous area when floodlit. The old bridge was under repair but must
be good as a rule. I found the area west of the city disappointing and it falls far short
of the above area.
The tourist 'train' here is not worth the money (not expensive in absolute terms). I felt
that they were trying hard to extend the geographical area of interest and to me that
failed although what there is makes it well worth a stop. An excellent bus station.
Nowhere very near to visit although day trips to Ciudad Rodrigo, Zamora and even Leon are
quite easy.
The Pensio Barez, c/Menendez 19 is near the Plaza Mayor and the proprietor is very helpful
indeed though his English is limited – shared bathrooms but not much queueing.
4.) Ciudad Rodrigo
No doubt it helped that I seemed to comprise the entire English speaking population and
that it was a quiet time but the peace seemed magic. Numerous fine buildings with crests
and a fine view out from by the Parador. Sculptue and stone carving in the cathedral
cloisters outstanding. A visit does not need to last long but it is a really good trip and
a complete change from Salamanca. Must be great to travel on into Portugal.
5.) Zamora
Deserves far more fame than it enjoys but long may this remain the case. Sad it was a
Monday and therefore everything pretty shut. This was the cathedral above others whose
exterior most made me want to go in. Many fine romanesque churches. excellent old bridge
and views out from city. Elegant shops in art nouveau style. It would make a good place to
stay and trips to Salamanca and Leon are easy. Buses connect with Vigo and Bragança
although the latter necessitates an overnight stay if using public transport - not exactly
a hardship! Changed transport here in October 2001 but regrettably did not have time to go
to cathedral.
6.) Toledo
If dependent on public transport the train gives much better access than the bus which is
a horrible ride although the city is well worth it. It justifies at least 2 days without
even going out - the partridge is cheap and pleasant for a meal. The cathedral contains
what to me are some of the most beautiful sights almost alongside some of the most
hideous. It is well worth while buying a ticket for the parts that need it. The choir
contains magnificent carving and would justify a long visit on its own. The vestments in
the Treasury seen simply as works of art are excellent and the pictures by el Greco and
others are well worth seeing. The baroque sculpture behind the main altar with a hole in
the roof to let in the light is ghastly almost beyond belief.
Elsewhere the two synagogues and numerous churches and the museum next to the Plaza
Zocodover are well worth seeing. Although the main tourist streets are crowded it is easy
to get away to lesser streets and the city is delightful for walking. It would justify a
longer visit with trips out into the province but is also ideal for a short city break.
The tourist 'train' is a bit more expensive than elsewhere though still not dear and it is
quite marvellous - worth doing in daylight and during floodlighting.
The Hotel Imperio at Cadenas 7 near the Plaza Zocodover is a bit up from my normal miserly
standard but not really expensive and extremely good.
7.) León [added 2001]
A lovely city; the modern streets have trees, parks and fountains. The cathedral stained
glass is quite as good as it is cracked up to be and, having been in there while the sun
was bright and high, I never want to go in again unless in the same conditions. The
pantheon of the royals of León (11 &12 Century) adjacent to the Basilica of San
Isodoro is quite amazing and worth far more than the 400 pesetas that it costs. Some
splendid things in the Treasury and the Library but pride of place must go to the ceiling
paintings in the mausoleum itself. Completely untouched from the twelfth century the
colors, designs and sheer artistry are wonderful - and the guide is a most interesting
enthusiast.
Hostal Bayon in c/Alcazar de Toledo 6 is a good place for a shortish stay – shared
bathrooms but spotless, very friendly and near the railway station.
8.) Madrid
I have spent so little time in Madrid that I was reluctant to write anything. However
there are some points which might prove useful.
For a short stay the Hostal America, Valverde,9 (91 522 26 14) has the advantage of a
lift) I find shared bathrooms become a bit much for more than a couple of nights but other
than this it is OK.
The metro is splendid – although I have been robbed on it once – and is by far the
cheapest way to get from the airport to either of the main stations. In spite of having to
change several times, it may well also be the quickest.
The Reina Sofia museum, which houses Picasso’s Guernica is easy to find near the Atocha
Renfe metro station.
Tadej Bozic
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- ANDALUCIA (WEST)
I have taken to making notes on places when I come back from a holiday. I was
still working when I went to Andalucia six years in a row in the week immediately
preceding Christmas so parts of these notes may well be out of date. Because most will
start at Malaga Airport I have put access from the Airport to the city first on both East
and West. The main entry for Malaga is a bit later in the West section.
FROM AIRPORT
At exit take lift or stairs up one floor and go out. Turn right and follow pavement then
footpath across bridge past carpark to the station. The train from the airport to the town
is frequent and cheap. For the train or the bus station get out at Malaga Renfe although
the train goes one station further. If you leave the train station by the exit on the
opposite platform to where you come in and turn left, you are almost at the bus station.
Taxis have been known to make a half hour drive out of it! The bar on the far side of the
road does good sandwiches.
Sevilla
This is a grand city and the main sights are pretty close together. If restricted for time
the musts are the Giralda, the Alcazar and the Cathedral but it is lovely to just wander
around the narrow streets of the old town and the river area is good.
Carmona
A small town only a short (and potentially crowded) busride from Sevilla - leave time to
find the bus stop which is in a street quite near but not at the bus station. It is on a
hill and the walk round the old part at the top is fine - good for a night's stay.
Arcos de la Frontiera
Another quite small hill town with fine old buildings in the upper parts and terrific
views but - unlike Ronda - it is just out of the mountain areas.
Cadiz
This is warm even in winter and still contains many interesting buildings as well as a
good coastline and very pleasant garden areas. Much better than expected. Do not be put
off by the horrendous outskirts of the city.
Jerez de la Frontiera
I have only been through here on a bus and thus it may not have appeared to advantage but
I can only say that I felt no desire to get off and I have no desire to go back - and I
love a good fino!
Gibraltar
Well worth seeing - 0nce. It is so peculiar and the water storage is most interesting. I
am glad I went but do not find it necessary to go again.
Algeciras
Good for reaching the train line inwards towards Ronda finding a ferry to Morocco or a bus
to Gibraltar. One of these things should be done as quickly as possible!
Malaga
I have been robbed in Barcelona and Madrid but I have been lucky in Malaga. I have taken
the advice of landladies not to be out too late and to avoid being alone in back streets
but, given a bit of caution, it has seemed OK. The Alcazaba is well worth seeing. no
particular reason to stay more than the necessary time for aircraft. If going by train try
to sit on the left hand side facing the engine for the best view of the El Chorro gorge.
If going by bus to Ronda there were 3 routes of which the Ferron-Coin is finest followed
by Los Amarillos.
Hostal Palma, c/Martinez adequate for a night and cheap. To get to airport cross the
Alameda and turn right to find terminus of airport railway.
Market good for lastminute purchases.
Alora
A small town on train line from Malaga northwards. The town is well up from the station
and it was not easy to get a taxi when I was there. Some buses from Ronda pass through the
town. Very pleasant to wander round though nothing special. Good for last night for a
moderately early flight.
Antequera
A moderate sized town reasonably near Malaga - also reasonable for last night but at least
two nights required to do the trip up to the Torcal. There was no bus when I was there but
it is well worth a taxi up and then both colour coded trails and the walk down can easily
be done well before sunset - highly recommended but it is probably a bit more
commercialised than when I was there.
There are also 3 good dolmens very near the town and a stroll up to the top of the town to
the old castle site is good.
The Pensio opposite the market is good - they had one twin en-suite room when I was last
there - otherwise shared showers and toilets. They also provide a good cheap meal.
It is generally a very happy friendly town with excellent bus links to Malaga - and a
station.
Ronda
Worth at least one night in anybody's book and would make a good centre for longer stay
with trips out but it may be preferred to stay in one of the smaller places after the
first night.
A wander over the old bridge and through the old town and a walk down into the gorge are
called for.
Facing the tourist office there is a sort of alleyway in front of you to the right going
through to the bullring. On the left of it is Huespedes la Espanola - a cheap place to
stay with shared toilets and a shower room (key from reception) and a balcony with a
superb aspect on the first floor. There are plenty of other places if wanted but this is a
good situation. It is worth getting at least a drink from one of the places overlooking
the gorge near the bridge. It is advisable to buy a 'military map' in the boookshop on the
pedestrian shopping street for any of the walks in the next 3 entries.
Cueva de Pileta
A cave on a hillside easily visited from Ronda or anywhere else on the railway line to
Algeciras from Benaoján-Montejaque station. Go up through the town to the road above it
and turn left. The track to the cave on the right is clear when you reach it. There may be
nobody about if you are 'out of season' but a brief wait will probably be rewarded by the
site of a man coming up from the next village on the road you left. The ancient paintings
to be seen in the cave more than justify the admission cost. On leaving it is quite easy
to continue on the same road and cut down to the next station where there is a
conveniently placed bar while you wait.
Grazalema
On the bus route from Ronda to Ubrique - only 2 a day each way and not very convenient for
doing the very good walks. Anyway it is a lovely place to stay. Some walks require a
permit from the natural park office in the village. Two really good ones are 1) through
the woods where a special type of pine grows which is hardly found outside this area to an
even smaller village whose name I forget but it starts with a B. To find the start walk
uphill on the road from Grazalema and fork right towards Zahara. The start of the walk is
a very short distance on your left - goes up steeply but not that far. You can either walk
back by road or phone for a taxi from Grazalema. The walk is very scenic among limestone
mountains. 2) Up from Grazalema and out to the left then either on to the Goatherd's Leap
(Salta de Cabrero?) or left again and steeply up and over the ridge back to Grazalema. The
walk given from Zahara below could easily be done from Grazalema if you have a car with
you or with a considerable road walk uphill.
There is a very good looking hostal on the bus route in but I stayed in a cheaper place
just up from the bus stop (which is also the taxi base.)
Zahara
Quite a small village off the Sevilla road from Ronda further on than the Grazalema road
but with 3 hostales. Very pleasant walk (stroll) up to the top of the village. Excellent
walks through the Garganta Verde off the road to Grazalema. I was a bit under the weather
and just went a short way along and back up but it's terrific, and the ubiquitous buzzards
add to it - but there are severe restrictions on access during the nesting season.
Ubrique
Beyond Grazalema and the bus terminal. Buses also run to Arcos and that makes it a good
place for a night if you want to go there or on to Cadiz. At first sight it seems
disappointing after a beautiful ride but 1) It specialises in leather and very good
leather articles can be purchased not exactly cheaply but for far less than their price
elsewhere. There is also a factory shop where some bargains are available.
and 2) Turning left from the bus station get up to the high part of the town and it is
little old streets full of flowers with access to the boundary of the town and the
mountains above - but there is a hunting area up there so a bit of care is needed.
There is an excellent place to stay - cheap and unmarked - I can only give rough
directions. Turn left from the bus station and soon? go left again up a sort of road with
a few steps in it and a (good) pub on the left. Almost opposite are some steep but short
steps which go up to a big square with orange trees. There is a church to your right. Take
the road to the right beyond and it is number 3 on the left. Shared toilets and showers
but very pleasant and comfortable. Does lunches but neither evening meals nor breakfasts.
I found the Cafe Cristina in the main street provided a good do in tapas quite cheaply.
Gaucin
I did not go here – sadly, as it is said to be great. This is just a warning that the
town is about 13 to 15 kilometers UP from the station! Better reached by bus. It is
actually very cheap to eat and stay near the station if you want.
Jimena de la Frontiera
The first place worth staying on the line up from Algeciras towards Ronda if you have been
to Gibraltar. The station is a couple of kilometres from the village and provides very
cheap accommodation with meals in the pub also cheap. On the other hand there is a
fabulous looking hostel actually in the village and it is an easy walk - but I imagine a
bit dearer. The views from the extensive remains of the old castle at the top of the town
are fine. The railway between here and Ronda is fine and I very much enjoyed visiting the
Cueva de la Pilot from here.
This at last concludes the section based around Ronda!
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- ANDALUCIA (EAST)
I have taken to making notes on places when I come back from a holiday. I was
still working when I went to Andalucia six years in a row in the week
immediately preceding Christmas so parts of these notes may well be out of date.
Because most will start at Malaga Airport I have put access from the Airport to
the city first on both East and West. The main entry for Malaga is a bit later
in the West section.
FROM AIRPORT
At exit take lift or stairs up one floor and go out. Turn right and follow
pavement then footpath across bridge past carpark to the station. The train from
the airport to the town is frequent and cheap. For the train or the bus station
get out at Malaga Renfe although the train goes one station further. If you
leave the train station by the exit on the opposite platform to where you come
in and turn left, you are almost at the bus station. Taxis have been known to
make a half hour drive out of it! The bar on the far side of the road does good
sandwiches.
Cordoba
This is my favorite of the big cities (but see note on Alhambra under Granada).
It is friendly. There are plenty of quite cheap places to stay. It is a lovely
place to just wander about and see what you see. The only absolute musts are the
Mezquita (Mosque) and the area around the bridge, although the small (very)
ruined Synagogue is worth a look and the Alcazar of the Christian Kings (not to
be confused with the Alcazar in Sevilla) is OK if not of top order.
I have not been yet to Medina Azahara - the partially reconstructed remains of a
splendid Moorish city a few kilometers out but my friends who have been rant
about it and I should certainly like to.
Jaen
I have not done justice to Jaen, having only been when I was tired and seen a
couple of really miserable rooms. If I was going to move on I had to get a bus
fast - so I did. I think it is probably a perfectly good place to stay for a
night and certainly I feel sorry not to have seen the Parador/castle closer up.
It is set on a hill above the city and the view must be wonderful.
Baeza
There are two things potentially wrong with December away from the coast. there
is a danger that good buildings can be covered up for repairs and it can be
excruciatingly cold. Both were true of my only visit here but it is a lovely
little town well worth a night. The Pensio Adriano is a beautiful building - and
cheap but it was like the inside of a freezer.
Ubeda
This is so well written up that I was a bit disappointed by it. I found a couple
of hours waiting for a change of bus was long enough to see its sights and there
is nothing else to do. If there had been less hype I would no doubt have hailed
it as a discovery!
Cazorla
This was the opposite. I expected to like the Sierra de Cazorla but thought the
town's pleasures would be quickly exhausted. Actually I stayed 3 nights out of a
week total and was sorry to leave. The Pensio Taxi was cheap and friendly and
they were full for the third night. I stayed in the Hostal Guadalquivir and I
think the small additional amount paid was well worth while for some warmth. it
is a really stunning little town with good walking opportunities and a bus into
the Sierra which can give a wonderful day out if you get up EARLY and then get a
fair move on.
One walk goes first to the Monasterio de Monte Sion and then up Gilillio from
where there are various possibilities. To get to the monastery go behind the
fountain in Plaza Santa Maria and keep on the road for about a third of a mile
then take the mule track to the left which skirts the far side of the hill with
the ruined upper castle at the top. When the track forks keep left..
For another walk take the first early morning bus into the Sierra - having
checked return time in the afternoon. Get off at Torre de Vinagre. Cross the
Guadalquivir and follow road until you reach a marked footpath to your right
through gorge. Continue on road when the track rejoins it until it ends at a
pump house. A path goes up steeply and leads through a sort of tunnel - worth
taking a torch but possible without. The path then leads on to lakes and beyond
and turns into a broader track. I did not get much further because of time but
the walk as far as the lakes is well worth while anyway.
Granada
I do not like most of the city; I dislike the cathedral quite intensely. Most of
what is worth seeing can be seen in one evening and I have never wanted to stay
more than one night. However I should be willing to go back and do that many
times in order to visit the Alhambra which is one of the best sites in Europe.
No description does it justice; just go - but the best part of all will not
admit more than a set number of visitors at nay time so your entry time is
governed by the ticket. This makes it well worth while to book in advance if
possible. No doubt somebody on Lonely Planet Thorn Tree can help on this.
The bus and train stations are in opposite directions a bus ride away. Both have
very long queues at times.
Las Alpujarras
The Western side is easily reached by bus from Granada but the East (I have not
been) buses are less frequent. Some of the scenery is fine but the walks are a
bit long for winter on the whole. I prefer the more beautiful (though perhaps
less grand and stark) scenery of the Sierra de Cazorla or the Sierra de Ronda/Grazalema
covered in the notes on Andalucia West. However in the Alpujarras even the
cheaper hostals have some room heating in the evening and night in winter.. BUT
do not underestimate the steepness and distance of even the apparently shorter
walks - nearly every view seems to be foreshortened!
LANJARON
Even more frequent buses from Granada. On the edge of the Alpujarras. Very
pleasant walk up the river valley but if you cross the bridge a few miles up,
and then go left, as you are drawn by the terrain, there does not seem an
obvious route down and you have to use your wits. The town is pleasant enough
but nothing special.
CAPILEIRA
The top place in its valley perched over a STEEP gorge. Very pleasant all round
and easy to find accommodation in winter. It is possible to get up to the top of
the first peak by going straight up from the town and look out at the road
winding up into the heights - and on to Granada. A walk up valley is very good
but you fairly soon reach a point where you either have to go on and up a mighty
long way or turn back. Maps are available from the next town down the road and
it looks like an easy walk across the valley - up - left and back by the next
bridge. It took us about two and a half hours longer than we expected!
Websites
www.andalucia.org/enghomepage.jsp
www.andalucia.com
www.renfe.es
http://www.alsinagraells.net/continental/primlin.html
http://www.andalucia.com/travel/bus/malaga.htm
Tadej Bozic
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Delhi, Jan 31
I am leaning in a chair, in an appartment of my hosts in Delhi. Three hours ago,
frustrated because I couldn't get the visas, I decided to do something CRAZY.
I feel the rush of adrenaline in my venes, while writing about it.
I decided to...
...well...
...continue travelling with no money, no things and...
NO VISAS!!!
I have blue eyes, white skin and Slovenian passport. AND SO WHAT?
I will hitchhike towards Pakistani border in my blue kimono, brown coat, toothbrush, diary
and a book "Autobiography of a Yogi" and when I come on the border I tell them
to let me in, because...
...I am a human being.
Same with Iran, Turkey, Bolgaria, Serbia and Croatia.
I will (if I can) write daily diary and update it whenever possible. I am really curious
how will it work. It will. It should. I TRUST.
I trust there is something deeper in the nature of every human being, even if he is hiding
behind the mask of an arrogant official. And borders between nations have never been a
part of a human nature. They were created by people who simply don't understand.
I wrote a letter to president of Pakistan, Mr. Musharaf. You can read it here.
Take a look at the story and the video, made by CNN IBN on my webpage, under PRESS
section. My blog is now also at www.ibnlive.com.
I depart at 4 am.
Send me good vibes,
Peacehiker
P.s. If you like my stories, forward them to friends and tell them that everything is
possible.
In case any electronic or paper media wish to publish these stories, please send a check
for 5 000 US dollars on... KIDDING. Feel free to publish it anywhere, without asking me.
Just publish it in original form and include my webpage.
________________________________________________
Pune, Jan
23, 2005
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA
PEACE TRAVELER FROM SLOVENIA ASPIRES TO MEET A PEACE PRESIDENT
Young Slovenian suggests radical ideas, that can change India
Dear President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam,
My name is PEACEHIKER and I am from the WORLD. However, I was born with the name Matej
Sedmak in Slovenia, a small country in central Europe. Year and a half ago I left my home
country and went in the world in the quest for wisdom, carrying a big backpack, guitar and
200 dollars in my pocket with one objective: AROUND THE WORLD without any help of my
family. Gradually I left the baggage I carried with me, along with the old beliefs and the
way I used to be. Now I travel only with one pair of clothes, a toothbrush, a scarf around
my neck and with absolutely no money.
I trust. I trust the world will provide everything to me, as long as I will offer my
sincere friendship to people that I meet on the road. Please, read more about me and my
travel on my official homepage, in the attached article and 3 clips from Indian
Newspapers. I also include my PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT, which may give you an idea what
can the society expect from me in the future.
I believe the world is beautiful. There are so many amazing people that give without
expecting anything back. There are so many individuals and organizations who truly want to
make a difference. There are more and more awaken, enlightened people who dedicate their
lives to show the path of liberation to others. There are so many incredible servants of
the humanity and so many people who completely trust a “hiker” they have just met. I
LOVE THE WORLD!
However, I feel that the political, economic, social and educational system of the
today’s world is rediculous. We live in a FALSE society, so distant from the nature of
human beings. When we could ENJOY and CELEBRATE the precious gift of a human life, many
ignorant individuals reduce it to a rat race for material posessions. The more money and
posessions the “choosen few” gain from this game, greater is their internal misery and
on the other hand a misery for billions of others, who do not have the luck to be born in
the right side of the world.
I observe both sides. I do not feel unhappy and do not want to judge or condemn. I am
responsible for, and I am the creator of my emotions and my future. We are the creators of
the futures of our planet and we need to choose what serves us and change what we find
inappropriate.
I find India an incredible nation. I have never seen so much diversity living together in
one single democratic society. The example of India, in spite of all the challenges it
faces IS AN INSPIRATION FOR HUMANITY!
I would appeal to you, Mr. President to take India a step further. India has always been
the land of spiritual gurus, enlightened beings, incredible wisdom and the highest
culture. Why wouldn’t Indian people decide to go back to their ROOTS and guide the world
to a happier tomorrow. Please, listen to my suggestion.
I would suggest you to declare publicly that you, as a President of India, wish to join
back together with West and East Pakistan (Pakistan and Bangladesh). The separation from
your brothers caused India lots of pain and the pain is still here.
Declare you wish to UNITE and DISARM INDIA. Declare you wish to place a law that NO
NUCLEAR WEAPONS or WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION should be allowed in the land of Bharat.
Be honest! Say that YOU WISH TO DO IT, but you do not know how to make it happen without
dividing the country. Ask the world peoples to help you with suggestions through the WORLD
WEB. I can help you with my friends to create a portal, where people would write their
ideas.
I am sure that, if a 6 billion-member family put their heads together, we can think of a
solution!
And INDIA will again set an example for others to follow. India could be the first GREAT
WORLD PEACE CENTER.
Today evening I will be flying to Delhi and I would be honored if you would want to accept
me in the following days on an audience. Because of the nature of my trip, it is difficult
for me to plan ahead, but I will do anything to adjust my schedule to meet with a person I
honour so much, Dr. Kalam.
If you will not find time in your busy schedule, please consider staying in touch with me
through letters. It would mean a lot to me.
Peace and Love,
Matej – Peacehiker
peacehiker@gmail.com – these days I check email daily
www.peacehiker.com
________________________________________________
Eastern Europe
Hello!
We are four Slovene students that spent two great weeks (from 9 to 24 September 1998) in
Eastern Europe. Without your guide-book it would be much less fun and much more expensive
everywhere. So first thank you for such a great book - Eastern Europe on a shoestring.
Now, however, we would like to give you some useful hints and advice for your next
edition. Briefly, our journey was Ljubljana-Zagreb- Siofok- Szekesfehervar-
Budapest-Kosice- Krakow-Auschwitz- Warsaw-Prague(Cesky Krumlov)- Kutna
Hora-Vienna-Ljubljana. We made a journey guide at Wasteels office in Ljubljana
and took a three-day EuroDomino for Poland and Czech Republic with 50% reductions on
railways in Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. The total price of our
railway ticket was then about US$140 -real bargain.
We did not plan to visit Zagreb but since we had a prolonged stop here
between trains (1h30min) we had a short walk to the trg bana Jelaeiaa and to St
Stephen’s Cathedral. The next stop was in Siofok at Lake Balaton. If you are travelling
in September consider spending a night in one of the cheap hotels. Majority of them are on
the street closest to the shore (turn right when you come from centre to the pier where
the ferries leave). Sorry, but we really do not recall the street’s name. The hotels are
empty already around 10 September and it is not hard to find B&B for DM20. Out of high
season Siofok can be nice stopover if you are travelling on the southern side of Lake
Balaton.
If you are travelling through Szekesfehervar, do not miss it. It’s old
centre is just remarkable. The only drawback is that the bus and train station is a long
walk from the centre and that public transport is not very frequent (perhaps you should
mention that in the next edition). And moreover, the Rev Hotel at Jozsef Attila utca 42
was packed with Hungarian youngsters when we arrived there (and probably it’s similar
situation all the year through although I do not know about summer).
We were impressed by romantic Buda and cosmopolitan Pest.
However, we were a bit disappointed by Obuda (Old Buda) where everything was dead and all
the museums were closed around 11am on a weekday (I think it was Friday). We spent two
nights in a Back Pack Guest House at XI Takacs Menyhert utca 33. It was without doubt the
most sociable place to stay on our journey and the new prices (September 1998) are:
matress in a ten-bed dorm 1000Ft, bed in the same room 1200Ft, bed in a four-bed dorm
1500Ft. You can also buy postcards, lovely T-shirt (800Ft) and they can also provide you
with all the information about Budapest (like small tourist office).
In Košice, do not miss the evening relaxation in a small park around the
musical fountain in front of the State Theatre. However, watch out for small Gipsy
children - they are skilled in begging for some money and you hardly get rid of them. Also
consider to buy excellent bread at Bageteria, Hlavna 74. It is open till 10 p.m. Cheap and
lovely place to have a drink is also Misic Pub Diesel at Hlavna 92 (phone: 095 622 21 86).
Try some great offers that change from day to day. Some prices: Hot chocolate 15Sk,
Guinness 0.5L 70Sk. Try Bloody Mary (5cl Vodka, 1dl Tomato juice, ice, pepper, salt,
Tabasco, Worchester) for 48Sk.
Do not try to exchange travellers’ cheques at exchange counter in Hotel Europejski in
Krakow. Although they have good exchange rates they will charge you 10% (!) commission.
Probably the cheapest (and decent) places to stay in Krakow are the dorms or
hotels/hostels of Jagiellonian University.
In Oswiecim, ask the people at the railway station for the direction to
the museum and then take a walk there (or, alternatively, take a bus there and walk back).
Make sure you have enough time to visit the museum and try not to run through in 30
minutes or something like that.
We were surprised by the service offered on the EuroCity train from Katowice
to Warsaw. In completely new cars Polish stewardesses served a free drink, coffee or tea
and biscuits. It was a service similar to those on airplanes. And, it was a complete
contrast to the local train from Oswiecim to Katowice we took before. It was an old train
that needed about 1:30h for some 20 or 30km. It’s average speed was about 20km/h and
when it accelerated to about 40km/h it began to jump (literally!) on the rails as if it
had some sort of egg-shaped wheels.
In Warsaw, we would like to inform you that all the six-digit phone
numbers (old ones), e.g. 22 19 19 now have an 8 in front, like 822 19 19. This does not
hold for seven-digit numbers, e.g. 632 88 29.
Also, the best deal in Warsaw when you are looking for the place to stay is probably
Pokoje Goscinne Federacja Metalowcy at ul Dluga 29 (phone 831 40 20). It is in the center
of old Warsaw (you will not need to use the public transport to visit most of the main
sites in the Old Town) and it is incredibly cheap. It is also the best place to start if
you arrive late in the evening. And, if you manage to get a free room in the evening, they
will probably charge you less (it is a kind of “last minute” logic known from the
airlines).
The night train from Warsaw to Prague was a real nuisance. It should depart at 7:30 p.m.
but it had a 90-minute delay. Then, around midnight Polish policemen wanted to see our
passports (it was about 200km from the Polish-Czech border. At every second station the
new conductor came on board and of course we had to show our tickets almost every hour.
Then, around 3 a.m. we arrived at the border where we had to show our passports three or
four times. Finally we had some hours to sleep till our arrival around 8 a.m. The train
was not InterCity or EuroCity, so if you plan to travel on similar route try to catch an
IC or EC train.
In Prague, one of best places to stay (I think you should mention it in
the next edition of your guide) is the Atlas hostel, Ve Smeckach 13, Prague 1 (phone:
reception: 222 10 500, cell phone George 0602 327 030). However, the reception is not
always opened and the best time to try is around 9 a.m. You can always contact George on
his cell phone). They offer a cheap accommodation (275Ke or about US$9 per person in a
five bed room) and it is located almost in the centre; you do not need to use the public
transport to visit most of interesting places in Prague. The centre of Prague is not so
crowded in September and majority of the sights are opened late in the afternoon. So
perhaps this is the best time to visit Prague.
In Czech Republic do not miss the stunning medieval town of Cesky Krumlov
(all backpackers will advise you to go there) and the nice centre of Kutna Hora with its
medieval mine and great Cathedral of St Barbara.
We will not spend many words on Vienna and its great sights since it is
continuously explored by hordes of tourists and also backpackers. Of course, here the
prices of everything are much higher than in all the other places we visited. For example,
a decent meal for US$1.50 is a reality in Kutna Hora but just a nice dream or an illusion
a few hundred km to the south, in Vienna. We stayed at Kolpingfamilie Wien-meidling,
A-1120 Wien, Bendlgasse 10-12 (tel. 8135487) for ATS120 per person. As opposed to other
countries we visited here the hostelling card is very useful; they charge you additional
ATS40 if you do not have it.
Since we live in Slovenia which is also included in some of your shoestring series books,
we would like to give you some new information about our country. First, we think you
should include the marvellous town of Ptuj (roman name Poetovia) in your
guides. It’s Old Centre is really worth visiting. Then, consider also Bovec, the town in
Soea Valley that offers plenty of activities in summer and winter. After the earthquake in
April 1998 the people here are really happy to meet tourists, including backpackers.
Since June 1998 all the prices in hotels, camping grounds, guesthouses and everywhere else
must be in tolars and not in other currencies.
There is a lot of cybercafes open to the public in Slovenia at the present.
There are new phone numbers for emergency in Slovenia:
Police 113
Fire 112
First aid/ambulance 112
Automobile assistance 987
There are also new speed limits for cars in Slovenia: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h
on secondary roads, 100 km/h on main highways and 130 km/h on motorways. Also, the
headlights must always be on (even during the day).
Ljubljana has now 5 McDonald’s at Celovška (McDrive), Šmartinska (McDrive), Dunajska,
Eopova and at the main railway and bus station.
In Koper, another tourist office is Kompas at Pristaniška 17.
Another hotel in Koper is hotel Vodišek at Kolodvorska cesta.
We hope our information will help you in making new edition of your helpful guides.
Kind regards,
Uroš Kastelic, Kavaliei 19, Sv.Anton, 6276 Pobegi, tel.:+38666261625, e-mail: uros.kastelic@mf.uni-lj.si
Žiga Mazi, Malija 69, 6310 Izola, tel.: +3866668441
Tjaša Maslo, Prisoje 8, 6000 Koper, tel.: +3866637433
Živa Munih, Petronijeva ulica 12, 6000 Koper, tel.: +38666273108
________________________________________________
22.1
Today I FEEL SO STUPID!
I reached the counter on the airport in Pune on time. It was 12:45 and there were 45
minutes left to the flight and I was happily smiling, since the ticket to Delhi was paid
for me. 2 days ago, I was hitchhiking from one part of the city to another and a driver of
the motorbike, who took me an extra mile immediatelly offered to buy me a plane ticket to
Delhi.
"Do not say thank you. You are my brother. It is my duty to take care over my
brother." said Mr Goyare, a local businessman and a very friendly person. This was
actually nothing unusual. These things keep happening to me on this journey.
We spent an afternoon and evening together, he let me drive his 350 ccm HONDA motorbike
!!!, he invited me to a dinner and on the end of the day paid a room for me in a nice
hotel. We shared dreams of each others and I felt I just made a beautiful friendship. The
ticket should be waiting for me at the counter of Spice jet, he assured me. I should call
him from the airport and get the reservation number.
"Matej... Matej... Sedmak... I do not have any reservation on this name, Sir. I am
sorry," was the reply of the salesman on the counter.
I couldn't believe my ears. After he checked for the 6th check and sent me away from the
counter, I called Mr. Goyare, who told me again that the ticket was paid and that I should
call him back in 10 minutes. Then the telephone was shut off.
I FELT SO STUPID. I had all the plans made out to be in Delhi tonight, try to get in
touch with the friends, who might help me meet the president of India, I wrote another
letter to him, so that I was clear as to what I want to tell him, if I manage to meet him
and... I FELT SO INCREDIBLY STUPID AND NAIVE.
I started asking people if anyone can buy me this ticket and I only received rejections.
After an hour someone took me to the train station and gave me money for the train ticket
- it would take about 28 hours, though. And I found the ticket office to be closed today.
Only 2nd class tickets available. I am not sure I would survive this... I came from
Igatpuri to Pune in 2nd class - an experience, that needs to be experienced once and never
again.
I said goodbye to all the incredible people I met here, I even boasted a little bit about
how lucky I am, because I found a sponsor.
Last two days I put all my trust in the person who now does not answer my calls. Now I am
sitting at the Internet Cafe and spending the money that should bring me in 28 hours to
Delhi to release some emotions in the email I am sending you. OH, I FEEL SO STUPID! Why
didn't I at least check with the airline?
It is not the plane ticket itself... my feelings are hurt. How much am I worth? How much
is it worth my friendhip? How can someone intentionally mislead me and
HOW CAN I BE SO BLIND?
Can I trust anyone again? How will I react next time, when an Indian will offer me help?
Will I be more cautious? Maybe so cautious that the person that is trying to help me will
feel uncomfortable.
I could have known what will happen even yesterday. I called Mr. Goyare in the evening,
asking if I can stay at his place. He assured me he will pick me up in twenty minutes and
then turned off the phone. I was waiting for him till 2 o'clock in the morning. Then I
started stopping the vehicles and asking people if they can host me in their house.
Two gays who wanted to seduce me, two guys got so scared that they ran away, when I asked
them if I can stay at their place. 5 guys in a fast car showed me middle finger as they
were screaming (and almost ran over me). A woman wanted to give me money, which I refused.
About 100 people just said no. Sure enough, at 3 o'clock in the morning I approached a
motorcycle with two guys and one of them invited me to his place. Asheesh lives in a small
appartment and he is an interesting, funny character with rough deep voice and really soft
heart. He seemed deeply moved by the conversation we had and told me that I can consider
him my BROTHER and that I can always count on him.
And again - I TRUST ASHEESH. I would trust him completely. If he would tell me today that
he bought my plane ticket I would go to the airport. Without checking.
I trust people and I will trust people - time and again. Because this is just the way I
am. I give everyone a chance, until he proves me he is not worth my trust. I can't loose
anything - I only learn. Mr. Goyare has lost a very important friendship that could some
time in the future fulfill his dreams about traveling around Europe. He is a typical RAT,
that I will be aware of in the future. If I think carefully, I could have known it before
it happen. I do not regret anything, though.
It is hot outside - more than 30 degrees. I do not know what will happen to me in the next
days and how will I reach Delhi. I promised my father to meet him on the 28th of January
in Istambul. I do not have an idea how will I come there either.
But I KNOW I WILL MAKE IT. I TRUST. Again, someone will cross my path, promise me a plane
ticket and I WILL TRUST and eventually fly to Delhi and then find my way to Istanbul.
Because when you strongly decide you are going to do something, there is NO FORCE that can
stop you from achieving it. There are people, rats and other animals that can impeede your
progress, but noone can EVER STOP YOU.
Many people DISTRUST me. They do not want to take me in their cars, they do not want to
share meal with me and they do not want to host me in their home. I end up feeling like
one of the 250 million beggars in India. But it doesn't bother me anymore. Sometimes I am
like a film star, hundreeds of people around me asking for an autogram. Sometimes people
treat me like UNTOUCHABLE.
But I know that, they are missing - they are missing the amazing feelings you experience
when you trust another person and build a strong friendship.
DISTRUSTING people is NOT THE WAY. The way to fulfillment is...
...to TRUST everyone and not being afraid to FEEL STUPID from time to time.
Trusting, from a coffee shop on Pune train station,
Matej - Peacehiker
www.peacehiker.com
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| Top of page |
Traveller's Handbook
(translation by A.P.)
Read some paragraphs from my traveller's advice collection which will be,
if all goes well, published some day in english as well. Write some remarks and comments
and send them to me!
1. From the Introduction:
…in general, the word "traveller" denotes every travelling
person, or at least a person travelling out of genuine pleasure, with a wish for getting
to know things. Narrowly more specifically, the real traveller is one who travels either
alone or in pair or in an unorganized group. That person wants to travel the farthest
feasible, spending as little as possible. This means that one will hitchhike, cycle,
travel with a motorcycle or a van. One will sleep in a sleeping bag under the sky, in a
vehicle, or in the cheapest hotel; one will get around by train or bus of the lowest class
and carry all his posessions around in a backpack. The overzealous backpackers strictly
distinct themselves from turists.
A turist is a person picked up at the airport by a special bus which
takes him directly to the doors of a uniformed hotel where he will spend seven days lying
on an air mattress on the beach. He will spend the first day on the beach, watching
well-shaped girls and imagining all he could do with them if he were 20 years younger. He
will spend the remaining six days lying in the hotel room recovering from sunburn and
watching well-shaped girls at night in the bar, discussing with his friends all he could
do with them if it weren't for his nagging wife.
A turist is a person who is taken from one sight to another following a
bored turist guide with a flag in his hand telling the same joke in seven different
languages. Wearing strapy pants, a jamaican shirt, a shieldhat and sandals, he is taking
photos of the same things as everybody else with his snapshot camera, and wonders reckons
that, if, being since it's Friday, they must be somewhere in Spain…
2. From the chapter: How to Travel:
…Travelling is a kind of sport: testing your skill capabilities, body
condition and courage; competing with yourself and with other travellers. Similar to other
sports, it has different forms and disciplines. Swimmers compete in different lenghts and
styles, boxers in different weight categories, climbers are divided into alpinists, free
climbers and extreme climbers.
Likewise, travellers could be divided as regards the number of
travellers, the amount of money to be spent, and the means of transport. I myself have
tried most of travelling styles and it would be hard for me to define the favourite one.
As well as there are different feelings about each of these kinds of travel, there are
also various advantages and disadvantages of a particular style. Let's take a look of
each:
BY YOURSELF OR NOT
Who to go on the road with? Am I able to go on my own at all? Wouldn't
that be dangerous? Wouldn't I be bored? Will I survive on my own and, if I do, what will I
benefit from it? There is no generally valid answer to these questions. The answer depends
on your needs and wishes. Certainly, there is always a chance of trying both and than
decide…
3. From the chapter: Travelling with your own vehicle:
...If you come by van to the Iranian border you will be shown
an actual small-size museum of smuggling. There are pictures, objects or parts of vehicles
in which someone tried to bring drugs (rarely anything else) across the border. Their
owners are spending educational years (even a few decades!) among Iranian rats getting
"nan" and water twice a day. You will have to park your vehicle beside a long
wooden table and spread on it everything from the car. The empty inside will be quickly
scanned (with an electric bulb at night), and your baggage gets a precise examination from
one end of the table to another.
Much worse are the Greeks and the Turks: five or six customs officers
will rush into the van to ransack it completely. Some objects are not examined at all,
whereas some of them are examined by all officers one after another. A fellow traveller of
mine had his film pulled out of its cartridge, because the customs officer wanted to see
what was on it. When we all screamed at the officer, he started to stuff it back in.
Another accquaintance of mine was not allowed to leave Jordan until his
film was developed and the shots looked over. The good news: they developed the film for
free! Bad news: slide film was developed in a negative developper. Good news: he was
allowed to cross the border when they saw the films were empty and they even regretted the
whole incident!
In Bolgaria and Rumania one has to drive the car through a small pool
of disinfectant liquid. Moreover, on the outside, the car will be sprayed so that one
enters the country clean. The undercarriage is inspected using a mirror fixed on two
wheels with a handle, whereas a drugged police dog - much more reliable than manual
examination - is released into the interior of the car…
4. From the chapter: Hitchhiking
There are two established methods in Europe - using a thumb
and using a destination placard. The thumb stops everyone driving on the road in your
direction. It is not a problem if one is using a interurban road. But it is better to use
a sign with the direction of one's travel if one is standing on the drive to the motorway
or the bypass which lead to numerous different directions…
…Thumb hitchhiking was established in the sixties. The first to use
this sign were presumably the Romans: a thumb pointing downwards meant they wanted the
gladiator to die, a thumb pointing upwards meant they wanted him to live. The meaning of
the simbol later expanded: it means approval, best wishes or appeal to something positive,
"do me a favour and give me a lift".
In Great Birtain a much older signal is often used: the middle and
forefinger pointed aside. If the hand is raised, the meaning of the sign is "peace on
earth" or "victory". But if the hand is raised and turned towards the
observer with its back side, it means, "go to hell!". One can send this message
into the rearview miror simply by raising the hand.
In Africa, in Greece and in some other places, the raised thumb means
an obscene gesture, similar to a raised middle finger. Therefore, it's better to stop the
car by waving one's hand towards the ground as if trying to make the driver slow down in
these countries. This is done by the natives in all third world countries…
5. From the chapter: Travelling By Public Transport:
…However, "luxurious" buses do have their
disadvanteges. The drivers, very proud of the technical achievement built in their
vehicles, are trying to get the most out of them. The passengers as well are eager to take
advantage of the luxury gadgets they paid for, demanding the television to work even if
the driver only posesses one videotape, the music to play really loud and the
air-condition to work with full power. Get ready to watch HongKong films, sinchronized
into Malaian, which you will have the oppurtunity to see at least five times in ta
ten-hours drive. Get ready for merengue music playing non-stop with a loudness that verges
on pain, and get ready for watching your own breath clouds in a freezing cold in a
tropical country. Get yourself ear corks and warm clothes before the drive!
These buses mostly have their regular stops every three hours when you
can eat and get refreshment. However, the stops are usually boring and situated outside
settlements. Unless you are hungry, you will have nothing to do with yourself during that
time.
The regular buses are exceedingly less comfortable of course, but much
more genuine and interesting. It is a good idea to enquire a bit before the drive: such
buses sometimes stop at every village by the road, which means arrival at a considerably
later hour. Also the rhythm and timetables are sometimes pretty exotic. In some places the
bus will not depart until it is full ("full" meaning stuffed to the last space,
seated with passengers on the roof and at least three people hanging from each door),
elsewhere the bus will depart before the anticipated time if it is full already. One will
be irritated by the conductors tirelessly jumping around the people on the street and
inviting them into their bus. If there are two or three buses destined for the same
direction, the first to leave is the first full one. Get ready to be dragged into
different directions by several conductors. The one with a foreigner on board becomes more
attractive for other passengers…
6. From the chapter: Travelling by airplane:
The overzelaous travellers will often tell you that the only
real way of travelling is the so-called surface travel (by earth, water) in contrast to
air travel. The real traveller, you will be told, has to be prepared to endure all the
difficulties and trouble included in travelling and not act as an unworthy turist who has
everything served for him.
I don't object - it is true that one will experience the countries
better and deeper travelling always with one's own vehicle or using the same
transportation as the natives - but one is only able to do that providing he has loads of
energy and time. To reach the Fillipines or Peru one will have to "take a really long
walk" on the surface and the travel will cost much more than the plane. It is also
doubtful that one will find the two-week trip by transsyberian rail for the fourth or
fifth time as delightful as for the first time.
I suppose you are aware of the fact that travelling by air is no longer
as expensive as it used to be some years ago. It is only in 1990 when the flight to South
America in our country cost at least 2000 USD, and elsewhere in Europe the best deal was
1200 USD. We had to get tickets for Africa and Asia in Athens or Istanbul, and the tickets
for America in Klagenfurt, Trieste or even Amsterdam or London. If one is lucky, one can
purchase tickets like that for 500 USD even in our country.
But there is still a chance of paying a few times more if one buys the
ticket in a flying company office than at the travelling agency. What is the cause for
that? The flying companies are naturally trying to sell as many tickets as possible,
earning the most possible. Groups and agencies will be given discount since it is better
to sell twenty tickets at 50% discount than five at the full price. All the rest is done
by competition among agencies and flying companies. The prominent flying companies (e.g
Lufthansa, Swissair, etc...) have officially very high prices, but offer big discounts and
many so-called "black prices" which are even lower, however, officially
non-existent…
7. From the chapter: Expenses:
...For an avarage traveller the truth is somewhere in the
middle; the more money you put in, the more cushy and comfortable the trip will be. A
cheaper trip requires essentially more energy, nerves and time from a person, but might be
far more interesting. Evaluation "more money more music" is not always
applicable when travelling. It often happens that a backpacker is more proud and content
with his journey than a turist who spent twice as much money for a trip half as long.
Expenses in Europe:
The amount of the costs is estimated by a personal criterion. However,
it depends, as previously stated, on one's style of travelling. The prominent styles in
Europe (unless you have your own car) are roughly as follows:
- The cheapest way to travel is hippie style: The hippie traveller
doesn't pay anything neither for travelling (since he hitchikes, cycles or walks) nor for
lodging for he always sleeps outdoors. The minimal amount of money is spent on food, since
it is bought in the supermarkets or he lets himself be invited to snacks or lunches
especially by the people who had picked him up by car. If in a vagabond mood, he can even
ask for some poor relief or find some food at the market at closing time - there are
always some fruit and vegetables of poorer quality left.
- An average traveller sleeps in a sleeping bag in safe places, and in
youth hostels or the cheapest hotels otherwise. Once a day he allows himself a warm meal.
He travels by Interrail or he hitchhikes. Sometimes he will take a bus, a train or a city
bus.
- The more wasteful type gets around by public transport, eats in
restaurants, and sleeps in hostels or hotels…
8. From the chapter: Janin's Law:
…You are all familiar with Edgar Allan Murphy and his laws,
aren't you? He is the one to have discovered logic and lawfulness in seemingly meaningless
and unconnected events. From a fundamental law "everything that can be spoiled will
be spoiled", a principle can be derived, like for example, the one that the phone is
always going to ring exactly at the time when you are having a bath, or that a slice of
bread will always fall down on the side with jam spread on it.
This law is particularly lively operating when travelling. Is there
another way to explain why the only fat woman in a bus stuffed with skinny men sat next to
me on a night drive from Mombasa to Dar Es Salaam? Its also worth mentioning that that
there were five small sits in a row, that the backs of the sits were only up to the middle
of my back, that my sit was not by the window, and that the trail felt more like a testing
ground than a road.
I have gathered a whole collection of travelling variants to Murphy's
Law in the long years of my travels:
*The answer to any question is always "Yes".
*The circumstances are never as bad as they look; they are worse.
*The thing you are looking for is always a) at the bottom of your backpack or b) in the
last of the pockets you've searched regardless of where you started to search.
*If you get something stolen when travelling, it's the thing which is worth most. The
thing you would need most on a trip will be stolen from you at the beginning of your
travelling.
*You will forget to take the thing you will need most on a trip. If you take it with you
the next time, you will not use it even once.
*If there are some people in a room, all the mosquitoes are bound to fly only around you.
The same goes for being alone in a room.
*Wherever you are walking or cycling, it's always uphill and against the wind.
*When calculating the time for bureaucracy work in India and in Africa, the anticipated
time times two converted into the next time unit is what you are to expect (e.g.: a two
minutes work will take four hours).
*A shortcut always makes a road two times longer and the travelling time four times
longer.
*The best things on a trip are always prohibited, missed or infectious…
| Top of page |
________________________________________________
A few stories (translation by M.L.):
Janin Klemenèiè: With a backpack through the Americas
To Florida
»O.K., sign here,« said a gentle employee, handing me the contract. »Any damage caused
through your fault will be subtracted from your deposit, and for the costs of fixing any
defect of the vehicle you will get a refund from the owner.«
New York is a magnificent city and I quite regretted I had to leave it so fast. My
girlfriend and I decided to go to South America, and the United States were just a transit
stop. We had only two full months, and we had to go to Miami at Florida as soon as
possible, as flights to Peru were said to be the cheapest from there.
America is a big country. There are many people that don’t feel like driving a car for
several thousands of kilometres, or they just don’t have the time to do it, but need
their car to be driven to another part of the country. So they communicate their wishes to
an agency, which finds a driver that wants to travel cost-free to that destination.
»Drive away«, as this service is called, is an American peculiarity, and also one of the
most interesting ways of travelling in the United States. You only have to pay a fee of 10
$ plus a 250 $ deposit that you get back when you return the car. Of course you also have
to pay for the gasoline, but that is not especially difficult since petroleum in the U. S.
is at least twice cheaper than in Europe.
We found the name of the agency in the telephone directory. But when you talk to them by
phone, they usually say they have nothing. The best thing to do is to go there in person
and insist – eventually, they always find something. They will set limits in the length
of your voyage – but the owners usually don’t fuss about it.
The suburb
In our case, it was about a family who wanted to send the car to their son,
living at Key West in Florida, about 300 kilometres south of Miami. Not bad. The family
lives in a New York suburb, in a neighbourhood of villas with big gardens and swimming
pools. As New York isn't all that small, it took us several hours to arrive there: by bus
(three of them), by subway and by train.
The family was nice, but offered us just a glass of water. We got a wonderful Pontiac
Firebird and five days to hand it over in Florida.
After the initial problems with automatic gears and trying to find the way through the
incredible maze of streets around New York (only New Yorkers understand what which
road-sign means), we arrived to our youth hostel, in downtown Manhattan. The parking
places are awfully expensive, that's why I drove the car on the edge of the wide six-lane
street where there were already many cars parked. There wouldn’t be any problems until
the following day, or so I thought.
Wrong! The next morning it was raining and the car was nowhere to be found. The watchman
in the hostel had a lot of fun telling me about a corpulent black employee from the »Tow
away service« who, just a while earlier, had towed the car away because it had been
parked on the wrong place. I didn't have as much fun as he did; I swore like a trooper as
I walked, with my head all wet, until I arrived to the parking lot of the tow-away
service. Fortunately, it wasn’t far, just over a kilometre from the hostel.
The tow-away service
The employee was adamant. She agreed with all my arguments, but the tariff was
clear: 150 $! Disappointed, I paid and the doorman led me to the covered parking lot where
I found our beautiful dark-red Pontiac. Even though the pane had an inscription saying
that the car was protected against breaking in, the door was unlocked and a thick rope was
fastened to the steering wheel and clawed with the door; that should prevent the wheels to
move during the tow-away. American tow-away vehicles are, in fact, very small trucks, and
they only have space for two wheels of any given towed-away vehicle. The employee
explained that their agents are entitled, and also have the means, to open any kind of
door.
But my karma was still in its negative phase. I found out the car had a large scratch in
the front. The damaged part had been carefully encircled with chalk. I was explained that
the chalk proved the car had been damaged beforehand, and the employees showed no interest
in the fact that the car had been parked at the edge of the street and that nobody could
have bruised it from the pavement. It also didn't seem possible to the staff, that the
employee could have drawn the circle after having hit the car during the tow-away. And
then – did I have any proof for my insolent statement?
Else, I could wait for the return of the corpulent employee, but it wasn't very probable
she would admit to her fault. So I'd probably lose the 250 $ of the deposit I had paid
when taking the car.
On the road
At the police station, the staff was, again, very complacent. First, they kindly
sent me to another station, saying that the parking of the tow-away service wasn't under
their jurisdiction, but than they gave up because the car had been in their district
before being towed-away. A young black woman in a dark-blue uniform unwillingly wrote the
report and gave me the copy. Maybe it would help!
With a delay of several hours, we finally started our voyage, but on the road it wasn’t
easy for us. In America, on the road signs there are written not the names of the cities
that they lead to, but the numbers of the highways: this sometimes drove me to
desperation. On a highway out of New York, you’ll never see written that it leads to
Washington or to Miami, instead you can read marks like: I 95 south, US82 west, Hwy.122
east, and so on. The interstate highways, from the East to the West Coast, are marked with
even numbers, while those going from the north to the south are marked with odd numbers.
Near towns, the roads get an additional mark: if they bypass the centre, an even number,
if they go through the town, an odd number. So I 95 can temporarily become I 495 or I 595.
Once we missed the right branch, for which we had to go off the road for four times, seek
the locals and ask them for the right way. It was not easy to communicate with them for
they spoke to us as if we were born in the same quarter: »Yes, it's no problem, you have
more possibilities: from the highway 127 you go to the turnpike, on US 77 south, after
about twenty miles on Interstate 76 east, and from it to your Interstate 95.« We must
have stared in amazement as we wrote down what we heard, we often got lost, and finally,
it took us scores of miles to find the promised Interstate 95 that goes south, to Miami.
Where is the tyre?
But the eventful day wasn’t over yet. Before I became familiar with the system
of marking the directions in the confusion of the highways in New Jersey, behind me it
exploded as if I had driven onto a mine. The tyre! I could not find the spare one
anywhere; only in the service booklet I found it was under the plastic cover in the car
boot. Instead of a tyre with a 50 cm radius, I found a spare not much bigger than a wheel
of a scooter. The booklet said it would last more than 50 miles.
I wanted to take down the blasted tyre, but one of the female screws was different from
the others. In fact, that is a good security measure against theft, but the spanner was
only fit for normal female screws. All the drivers I stopped in the next half an hour
really tried to be helpful, but the same kinds of Pontiac had different security bolts. As
I nearly lost hope and decided to drive on, blasted tyre and all, I finally found the
special wrench in the glove compartment.
In the next town, I was told in a auto shop it was impossible to vulcanise the tyre. The
prize of the new tyre plus the setting up was 112 $! All in all, this drive-away
wouldn’t come so cheap. The first half a day of the voyage had already cost me more than
500 $! Fortunately, we would get – at least it said so in the contract – a refund for
the tyre by the owner.
In Washington, where we wanted to spend the night, we didn't find any free parking space.
Only far away, in the suburbs, I drove into a park where – so it seemed – nobody would
chase us away. The destroyed tyre that we had to produce to the owner because of the
guarantee was so big that it occupied the two back seats. I put it out and leaned the back
of the seats as much as possible.
As far as sleeping goes, my small Yugo 101 was much more comfortable. For a while I tried
to find the right position, cursing the heat and the mosquitoes, but then I joined my
destroyed tire on the grass and finally fell asleep. »Good night America, wherever you
are!«
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Chinese paintings in nature
Were you ever impressed by the lyrical character of Chinese landscape painting, by the
mastery of the painters in their handling of coloured ink and, even more so, by their
imaginativeness?
Their mastery and their lyrical character are really admirable, but they had no need for
particular fantasy while painting. In fact, Chinese nature is not much less fantastic than
the figurative products of its painters
The most extraordinary landscape can be found in the karstic region near the towns Guilin
and Yangshuo, in the southeast of the country. The massive rocks, covered with sub-tropic
flora, are so steep we cannot even call them hills. They rise above the cultivated
flatlands, above the picturesque villages and bamboo forests and above the river Li that
connects the two towns.
If we add to this the wonderful park with a picturesque temple and a small lake, a
classical Chinese idyll is nearly more perfect than on any picture.
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