In search of the waves

I'm working on a big update post about the past almost three weeks of hitchhiking, but as I'm starting another leg tomorrow I'll post the update later. For now, enjoy my smug face after going to bed in Vienna, Austria and waking up in Calais, France.

A particular book title has stuck with me for some time;  "In Search Of The Strange." I don't know what it's about but I like the title.

I've arrived in Pontorson, France, after a near two thousand kilometres journey from Vienna. The plan? Find a surfable beach. I'm making my way down the coast to Bilbao, and I intend to find a spot with a surf shop where I can bum a board for a few hours.

Why? Things happened and here I am, so why not? You don't need a massive goal to have an adventure.

My unfortunately fortunate visit to Prague

Mandatory ridiculous selfie.

Morning found me near the border to the Czech Republic and looking for a ride to Prague. I had planned for this journey to take three days and include a stop or two to take a scenic route, then stay in Prague for two nights after the weekend. That didn't happen.

The next ride I got was a Czech man that spoke no English. Using a combination of charades and sign language he confirmed he was heading to "Praha." I hopped in and we went on our way. Four hours later we stopped and he said, proudly, "Praha!" Then he got into his car, turned back the way he came and waved goodbye. From checking my map, he had driven two hours out of his way to drop me off in Prague.

Three days in four hours. So here I was, at a place called Centrum Cerny Most on the outskirts of Prague. I got to charge my phone, enjoy free wifi and aircon, and comfortable recliner couches in a place that looks like it came from  17 year old teenage girl's mall dream. I called up my friend in the city and we met for the first time since encountering each other in an online game nearly two years prior. I met my mother.

Centrum Cerny Most.

Not my biological mother. It turns out my mom is a 19 something Czech guy with long hair. I'm not new to Europe and what it has over South Africa, I rode the bus and train every day for months. This did not stop mommy from talking and helping me through everything and filling my backpack with double its weight in food. As I laid out my nice little sleeping place, mommy worried himself to death while I slept peacefully for the night.

The next day had less mommying and we explored the views of Prague. What a beautiful city. I've been told its one of the most beautiful in the world, and that is certainly true. The view up from the castle is spectacular.

The view from Prague castle's ramparts. 

We said our goodbyes and I promised to visit again one day.
I slept another night under the stars in a green park, then bought a small camping mattress and made my way to Austria.

I'd definitely go back again. I absolutely hate cities but for places like Prague I will make an exception. My early and inconvenient arrival in Prague turned out wonderful and has set my feet on the path to my own personal paradise and a wonderful week in Austria. Sometimes, it all works out perfectly.

The ticket of shame



I don't use public transport unless I have no other choice. Heavy rainfall in the area of Saxony locked me down in Leipzig Airport, where I slept the night in the chapel. Uncomfortable.

The A3 is closed off from one side due to a traffic accident so there were very few cars coming by. Unable to get a ride for two hours and wanting to reach the Czech border by nightfall, I had two options: walk 25km through countryside or pay €4.30 and take the train. Since it was a combination of bad planning on my side and bad weather, I bought my first ticket of the trip. It feels terrible.

I could have bought a pair of shorts with that money, guess its jeans until I reach a city. To discourage messing up, I'll be walking the next time this happens.

About €15 left and just spent two days in Prague. I promised a friend I'd mention him so Kappa. A few people have asked me about fear and uncertainty, I'll write about that when next I have a chance to do so.

Adventure starts when you leave your front door

Disclaimer: I'm writing this on a German keyboad, so do excuse any strange mistakes or characters that may appear.

It's been almost a week since I left my family in Rotterdam to hitchhike my way across Europe. I have no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going, aside from that I want to meet up with as many people as I can and explore as many places as I can.

I have never hitchhiked before and have never done anything like this before. I have never trusted strangers, or in the goodness of people. I have never liked going outside of my comfort zone. I have never traveled on my own aside from one plane trip to family in Johannesburg and my flight to Amsterdam.

I have never. I have never done this, I have never done that, I have never tried those. I don't know what exactly drove me to hitchhike and abandon all reason. I suppose its a combination of wanting to overcome the crippling fears that have held me back for so long, the lack of money and the need to do explore and have an adventure. Perhaps in a few months I will be able to explain it, but for now I'm content knowing it was something along those lines.

I headed into what I thought was the direction to Belgium. A helpful almost-ride later I was heading into almost the right direction but at a horrible crossing. A Dutch gentleman picked me up and offered me a ride to Arnheim. I accepted, and found a couch to surf there. My host took me drinking and we shared stories over some beer next to the river. The next day, I said my farewells, walked almost 5km to the road that led to Nijmegen and got a lift from a Rastafarian guy. My host in Nijmegen took me to see Mumford & Sons, and by see I mean we sat outside the venue in a park where the sound was good and watched the big camera screen. It was amazing.

I decided to head for Germany next. Several lifts and a few free beers later I found myself on the outskirts of Goch with no lift and no place to stay. I slept in a bush next to a farm after losing my sleeping bag trying to catch a lift onto the Autobahn. It was cold and uncomfortable, but I wasn't afraid. I was at peace.

The next lift took me into Duisberg, where I was exhausted after hours of walking and trying to reach a highway that went out of the city. It was a dump. So I witnessed a very peaceful riot and slept on some chairs in the station. The next day I got two lifts into Cologne and explored the cathedral and city. Then it started raining and I got two consecutive lifts to put me on the path to Frankfurt, which lead to Bavaria. Western Germany is unpleasant and I wanted to get back into green contryside.

My last lift left me at a truck stop where everybody was heading the direction I wanted to go, but nobody wanted to or could, due to space in their cars, give me a ride. A Dutch student approached me as I was standing next to the toilet area and offered me a lift along the A3. We drove together for a few hours and had an amazing time talking about this and that, before he dropped me off in Wurzburg. Here, I met a friend I had been playing online games with for almost two years for the first time, spent a night sleeping on his floor watching the LCS, and then exploring the town the next day. Within an hour or so of walking, he found me a replacement sleeping bag for 15€ from Facebook, and organized for me to stay in his old fraternity house. He also lent me his laptop for the night, from which I am writing this.

German keyboards are very different from what I'm used to.

Tomorrow I will go out to find a notebook to write in and to see a castle. After that, I will hit the road again. Where am I going? I don't know. I would like to go to Prague to meet another friend, and I have some sort of plan of where I want to go. For now, I have no idea and I am extremely happy. I have not been this happy in many years.

This is an adventure. It started by leaving the front door.