3 Apr 2013 |
თბილისი, საქართველო
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Georgia. Non-stop, he will be there tomorrow night.
So either I found myself in the middle of the night in the suburbs of huge Istanbul, not even knowing where to go or... the temptation is huge: "can I go to Georgia with you?". Vaja is one of the nicest guy on earth, he speaks a little of French and English so we can have some interesting conversation. And here we go, 8hrs sleeping in the car at the exit of Istanbul and then 13hrs non-stop driving to Georgia. He leaves me at the border, and after half an hour chatting with a Turkish custom officer who wants to train his English for the TOEFL, I put myself in the crowd of hitchhikers with a sign "Tbilisi" and get a direct ride in a truck. It's almost midnight there, Tbilisi is 400 km away, 8hrs driving with a few hours sleeping in the middle. But I learn a few words of Georgian and how to read it on the way. But fortunately everyone speaks Russian here so at least I can communicate \o/
Having nothing planned, I find the cheapest hostel in town (5e/night) where I meet a few nice people and wander around the city. Tbilisi is really a cute city, there is a nice atmosphere around, nice view on the mountains surrounding that probably allows good hikes; but it's the kingdom of cars, crossing a big street is quite a sport, they would even honk at you if use the pedestrian crossing, and the air is sometime hardly breathable.
30 Mar 2013 |
София, България
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It's now time for me to go further away. I'm spending a lot of time in the area, and even if I like it, I want a little change in mentalities and cultures, and also time leave that winter which doesn't want to end properly. So I will go to Istanbul, a stop in Sofia on the way wll do.
Leaving Bosnia was actually quite hard, I don't get anything better that these 5 or 10 kilometers ride to the next city, I even have to walk 8km to the little border which I cross by feet. But the landsace is really wonderful, one of the most beautiful countries I've seen so far, breathtaking at each turn, each new mountain, and being told the history on the way is so much emotion...
I finally end up North of Niš, too cold to continue hitchhiking I just go to sleep, but that doesn't make me much warmer... The following day is much better as I cross the road of the Turkish trucks drivers, I even think about going with them directly and skip Sofia, but well it would be a pity not to stop at least for a night.
I didn't like Sofia. I only spend one night there so I'm no one to judge really, but after the ex-yougoslavian countries, it makes kinda a shock to be back into the European Union. First I walk through countless poor suburbs where children play in the mud, having nothing really, and then I enter the city center: countless clubs, casinos, sexshops, loud american music everywhere... It feels like a mix of Amsterdam and London, the cheap version. As I didn't find a place to stay anywhere, I end up in an hostel also, and even if the owners are nice, it's the same crow of 'cool' americans or europeans who have probably spent all their budget in London and come here to drink and party hard at cheaper price. Now I really understand why in the ex-yougoslavian countries most of the people I've been talking to are so hostile to join the EU.
I leave the following day to Istanbul, I try to get directly one of those Turkish truck drivers to make it quick and confortable, but fate wants otherwise and I make the way in several cars and trucks before I find one to the border. Once there it's night already, and not much traffic at the border. But finally someone stops to take me, we agrees that he will leaves me on the ring of Istanbul as he is going farther...
27 Mar 2013 |
Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
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After a few nigths at Zelenkovac, I really feel like I need to move on, I've only been drinking so far and spending out money on it. So even if I couldn't organize anything (couldn't use the internet there...), I decided to set off to Sarajevo in the middle of the day, I will see what will happen. So off I am, thinking it will take ages as any ride here is usually for the next 5 or 10 kilometers. But after three or four of them, I get one directly to Sarajevo, with Ahmed, very nice guy who probably knows more of the French history than I do, he also takes me to the restaurant to taste Bosnian ćevipe. I finally end up in a cheap hostel, not too bad, it allows me both to rest and visit the city a little.
Sarajevo is a wonderful little town, it's built in the middle of the mountains and has so much charm! It's hard to believe there has been the biggest siege of modern wars in here...
25 Mar 2013 |
Podrašnica, Republika Srpska, Bosna i Hercegovina
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My way to Bosnia was a bit hectic, I had the most unexpected rides in the most unexpected places :) Still I had to sleep short after the border, my first night outside since I left France, a bit cold (without a tent, on frozen ground, and with a sleeping bag that is made for sleeping at 10°C) but alright. I finally made my way to Zelenkovac.
It's hard to describe what is Zelenkovac. They say it's an ecovillage, and that is what I was expecting. But it doesn't fit at all any definition of what I could call an ecovillage.
So Basically it's a man, Borislav or Boro, who decided in the 60s to settle in the old wooden mill of his father in the middle of the forest, which got him the nickname of Ludi Boro (crazy Boro) from people in the area. But, using a lot of work and sweat, and thanks to a lot of friends (artists a lot) who came to help him, he could turn it out to a magnificient little settlement of wooden houses along the river.
So now, the main center of life in the property is that main mill which has been turned into a pub where you can have local rakija and beers, but also any usual beverage made by the Coca-Cola Company; and a few bungalows that are rented over to tourists for holidays. Altogether, that allows Boro and three employees to barely live out of it.
So in my opinion, it is not an ecovillage: no one lives full time there, nothing is produced there -no food, no crafts...-; but rather an ecotourism resort. I keep the 'eco' part for the sake as it is low impact tourism as being made in the respect of the nature around, and promoting local products from the village or the country.
Overall my experience was so-so. Don't get me wrong, I spent a wonderfull time drinking rakija in the pubs with locals people, and walking around in the area, it is really a peaceful and restful place to be; but on the other hand, I had expected to learn something and to be able to be of any use there, which wasn't the case.
21 Mar 2013 |
Lukovo Šugarje, Dalmatia, Hrvatska
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On my way south, I meet a milkman who tells me that five years ago he had 300 cows, now he has only 50, because of new laws to comply with the European Union. And as soon as Croatia will enter the EU he won't be allowed to work at all. Businessmen don't like local production, they can't make any money on transport. Then I am taken on the emergency lane of the highway by two guys who explain me they can't wait for Croatia to enter the EU, so the laws for smoking marijuana will be softened (for now there is no difference between a smoker and a dealer). I finally make it in-extremis to Lukovo Šugarje, a small village where lives Maja with her dog Sola.
In that Area, there are two kinds of wind: the Jugo which is warm and wet, and blows from south up to 150km/h; and the Bura which is very cold and dry, it comes from the mountains (North-East) and can be as fast as 250km/h. When I arrive the Jugo is blowing, when I leave it's the turn of the Bura.
So Maja was a typical city girl (as she says ;) ) who decided to lowered down a little, to live in a simpler way. She moved to her parents country-house next to the sea, and try now to grow her own food and make the stuff she needs. You can read more on her blog. So we break the time in walking along the sea or in the montains, taking care of the plants and the garden, and taking care of Sola which is high maintenance ;) .
17 Mar 2013 |
Gračišće, Istra, Hrvatska
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Sunny day, good day for hitchhiking. But very cold. I'm not going far, it will be quick anyway. Half the way in the first car. But then it becomes hard, have to explain people in whatever language that even five kilometers is good. Finally crossed the border with a mafiosi who leaves me on the emergency lane of the highway at my exit. Then walk an hour crossing the resort village on the sea. I don't like that atmosphere, it's like the Cote d'Azur in France.
Then after an hour waiting I get a 5km ride, then another hour, another 5km... I don't like this atmosphere.
The night is coming, 40km left, I can walk. It will be too cold to sleep anyway. Car number 47 doesn't stop. Even Italians are hitchhikers-friendly compared to that... Car number 48... stops?! An Italian couple who make a 20km detour to take me to Gračišće. Even Italians yes.
But Istria is amazingly beautiful, hilly landscape, small water springs, forest, mountains... It's so refreshing to walk around under the sun! Two days with Paola's family and her boyfriend Diyan, all super! Lengthly conversations, home-made wine, good food...
15 Mar 2013 |
Ljubljana, Slovenia
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After two hours waiting under the rain in Florence, I'm finally out of there! Then I get my first Turkish truck, now I can count up to ten in Turkish ;)
First time walking over a border on the motorway after a one kilometer ride in a Russian truck, and thanks to a Romanian guy I finally arrive in Ljubljana.
The information guy at the train station phone Simona to arrange our meeting, so we meet at a squat where dinner is ready, perfect!
And then only rain and snow, bad weather, time spent chatting and cooking and juggling, good time. But time to go south!
12 Mar 2013 |
Firenze, Italia
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Finally, it's time to go! Direction: East. It took me 14 cars to arrive in Cagnes-sur-mer near Nice to visit Cedric, under the sun. And just after the border with Italy, only rain in Florence where I visit Zineb that I hadn't seen for some three years.
4 Mar 2013 |
Le Plan, France
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For the past one year, I hitchhiked more than 32000km, something like twice the distance from here to Singapore, or twice the distance from the North Cape to the South Cape. But still I don't feel like I have been really far away. Not yet.
At the beginning of the last year —yes, like the Romans, I will consider a new year to start in March, when everything restart, plants reborn, life... Wouldn't it make much more sense?— anyway, the last year I started traveling this way with someone with whom I had big plans for life. One would say that life is actually what happen while you're busy making plans, so life happened and we eventually split up ways after six months.
Ever since I've been traveling most of the time by myself, occasionally with some friends... And I enjoyed it much more! Being alone I can just do as I feel, sleep where I feel sleepy, eat when I'm hungry, go where I feel like going, I don't have to plan, discuss, decide, take responsibility, think, bear... And most important of things: I connect much more with the people I meet on the way!
During all that time, my experience grow, my needs lower down, my backpack lighten, my fear are going away... I feel like it's time to leave for good, for long, and for far!
Now it has been something like one month and a half I'm here, at my parents in the south of France, helping my mum at her restaurant while she recovers after being at the hospital. I use that time to read a lot, about places, people, or just read books I can't carry on the way; also to work on that blog to make it richer and allow people to connect more —added the subscription option, the travel maps, the 'like' button, the links, changing the layout a bit...—; well, taking some time to rest from traveling in-between working for the restaurant (yes, people usually work on their regular days and travel on holidays, I could just do the opposite! ;-) ).
But now my mum is better. Now the road is calling. My feet have never been so itchy. The wind is pushing me strong, I have to follow it.
It's only a matter of days...
17 Feb 2013 |
Guzet, France
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Une fois n'est pas coutume, je m'embarque pour une journée au milieu des 'gens normaux' :D
On part avec Laurent et Vanessa pour une journée à Guzet dans les Pyrénées ariégeoise. Je n'avais pas mis les pieds là bas depuis le collège (autant dire que les souvenirs me sont absents). Bref, malgré le matériel de location pourri, le fait que je ne suis pas descendu une piste depuis au moins cinq ans et les remontés mécaniques au fonctionnement aléatoire, on a bien pu profiter de cette journée ensoleillée et se faire de belles descentes !
