The Balcan Tripi (hitchhiking/autostop)

The Route:

Ver Balcan Tripi en un mapa más grande

*SI QUIERES LEERLO EN CASTELLANO VETE A ESTA PÁGINA WEB: balkantripi.trapla.org.

Budget:
   
Aeroplane tickets: Go to Creta, coming back from Poland.                                        240 euros
Hostels, food and posible transports:                                                                         350 euros
"Just in Case Money" in the account:                                                                         100 euros

TOTAL:                                                                                                                 690 euros

The route wasn't expected to be this one, but when you travel you can't ever predict everything that could happen during it.

This trip was the aim not to stay in Bilbao without traveling and discovering new places and people, even if we hadn't a lot of money that summer to travel, and after in eastern vacations, after our first trial of hitchhiking, we decided to do something easy, from Greece and climb up the Balcans to Poland to visit Gosia's family there. Around 6000 kms by hitch-hiking were expecting us in the Balcans.

We threated to hitch hike in the airport to safe some money, but it was impossible: we had to pay the tickets.

After, in Iraklion we tried again to go to continental Greece:

Unlucky once more... But, no worries, if everything goes as expected those are the last tickets we have to pay. And counting these, still we have aorund 300 euros for eating, water and hostels if we need them for the next month. We think it's enough and fell that nothing can stop us after the whole year working.  Let's Rock the Balcans!!!

In Greece everyone, hitch hikers, travelers and also, our hosts, told us that was impossible or, at least so difficult to hitch hike there. But, during our stay there, we meet really wonderful people who hosted us, helpful and kind people that took us as a lift to destination, invite us to take coffees, beers, lunches, etc. Amazing and wonderful people everywhere in Greece...

In Dimitris house, taking one tea while the sunset.






In the ferry, we couldn't sleep, so... letś play parchis! A hitchhiker always has to bring something for those deadtimes.

Less troley, more backpack!!! When you travel light you arrive everywere without problem, neve rmind the heat, the hour, or the weight... you are there before the massive tourist crowd! ;)

Where is the traveler among so many tourist?

Sometimes CouchSurfing (CS) is not working at all, or the person who was supossed to host you has something urgent to do and cancel the acomodation invitation. No problem, another CouchSurfer would solve it, Dimitris called his mum and she and her boyfriend took care of us.



             Let's begin Hitch Hiking!

The lift here are always great and kind, but the driver of this next truck was expecially awesome!!!

He was going back to Trikala his home, and he spend time with us during the travel, he show us the coast, invite us to beers, coffees, etc.

 Also he took us to Termophilas battlefield and explain us in Greek everything. No, non of us speak greek, just him, but eventhouth there was comunication and good feeling.





After parking the truck, 15 minutes later he took us in the city center with his private car and show us the city and surroundings, and we took another cofffee.

He also offered his home to host us that night if we hadn't hotel there... but we were waited by our next CS host: Adela, wonderful girl.

The next morning we visited Meteora Rocks, where there are expectacular views, and also wonderful people who took us there and back.

But sometimes, the sun heats hard, there is no shadow to cover you and there is no lift to bring you somewhere, because it's really bad hour, midday:

So, you have just to take a wishing plant, and wish it deeply: "next car is gonna bring us to Ioannina".

Straight forward there... and in a very few time another one direct to Zitsa, were a couple of CSers (the beakers of the small town) are waiting for us.

They invited us to see the sunset while we were taking a great dinneer,

Next day they took us doing Rafting with their friend...

What else? yes, those great bakers gave us bread, a melon, some sandwiches and they hearts... Hoping to see you soon.

                                   All kinds of lift... Good bye Greece!!!


                                           Wellcome to Albania!!!

In Albania everything is free, there are free skies, free angels, and free taxis. Yes, at least these last are free untill they want to charge you. But, I'm very clear from the begining: "No money? because we don't have money": NO, no... free!: Los cojones. You just have to take it... and when you arrive to destination, tell him to leave you somewhere. He'll say that he is bringing you to a hotel, answer that you don't have money for hotels and show him the melon and sandwiches you have in the backpack telling that is all you are going to eat that day. The charge: 0 euros. Wellcome to Girokaster!!!

45ºC no albanian money in our pockets and the castle is over the hill. OK, let's climb. In the middle of the path we feel sick, ate the melon and everything goes better... after thinking a bit, this is the last time we are during the midday doing huge efforts carrying the backpacks with that horible heat.

The stupidity is not a quality, and I don  like to risk my self in such a stupid way. But the castle is impresive, it's worthing to visit it.

The go back to the main street, and after dealing with a "free bus to Tirana", we began doing Hitch Hicking again, in 10 minutes Ardian Rrogami, the owner of the SAPE (istalime elektrike &Hidraulike) take us in his car... he goes for the weekend visiting his wife and daughter... straight and fast to Tirana.

I don't know if is a custom of Balcan culture, but, of course, he wanted to invite us to a coffee and then to some beers...

Tirana, normal city with normal people, make up girls, and interesting places to take a coffee...

The first night we had to sleep in a hotel, because our supossed host didn't answer the telephone, but someone answer our last minute request for the second night.

One of those pubs was where the local couchsurfers used to do the weekly meeting, but during the summer noone, except our second night host was in Tirana. 

Albania is the country of Mercedes, is full of them, and Mercedes is the damn brand for Hitch Hikers, or at least for us, so was quite difficult to find our first lift to leave Tirana to Elbassan. Finally, one car which is not Mercedes, he took us direct to there... incredible but we are lucky with the lifts.

Then in Elbassan no one stop. So local people start to coming talking with us in Albanian, asking where we were going, why, telling us that from there was impossible to take a direct lift... so they starrted helping us stoping trucks, cars, or bicicles... it didn't matter, someone who could took us to better point. Finally one truck driver stoped, we jumped in without giving him a lot of time to think and he took us direct to Skopje (yes, beers and coffees on his account... no one let us pay anything!).

In Skopje Zlatko is waiting for us, CouchSurfer, friend of a friend of us is going to host us two nights. What a crazy and great guy!

The Zlatko took us taking some beers while we enjoyed a good ska concert that was played by a friend of him who appears in the photo.

And finally he introduced us another friend who was supossed to be famous, I guess for people who watch television and knows what is Eurovision... hahahaha... no fucking idea who was he... but we had fun time there.

The second day there we visited the city and meet another CouchSurfer, Roman, who was going to stay with us. Another traveler, from Argentina who was going to pass one year traveling the balcans, eastern europe and Asia...

But in that night Gosia recibed a phone call. And unexpectly, the travel becomes a nightmare for a second. Her father has died, she is so far away from home and there is no direct fly to go to the funeral, nor train nor nothing that goes to Poland. She needs time to understand what is happening, we go taking a walk... In a couple of hours Zlatko is looking around the city for us, he offers himself to bring us to Poland by car, but we have to refuse, he has to work, and even if he would do it gladly, we can accept such a big favour. Anyway, he help us looking for trains, buses, airoplanes, from somewhere to Poland.

Finally, he take us fast to the bus station and we are now in the night bus to Belgrad. We were supossed to go nxt day to Kosovo, then Montenegro, then... Now we go to Belgrad, and we have to decide to continue together to Poland or to split, and let her going alone to Poland and me, continue the trip more or less as expected, skiping maybe Kosovo and Montenegro.

The next morning we are in the train station waiting the train from Belgrad to Budapest. She knows I'm a traveler, without it I wouldn't be alive... but also, she knows that I'm supporting always my friends and, of course, my girlfriend. She ask me to go on my way and we decide to meet up again in Poland. We wish each other the best and to enjoy as much as possible...

Now I am feeling sick and so sad when the train is going... Where and why? ....

I have to recover fast, think what to do, where to sleep, where to go next... the travel has changed, but is not finished yet and I can't relax. Now starts the most difficult part, the unexpected, unpredict... so, looking the situation: I have less money than expected, I have no host right know in Belgrad because I wasn't thinking to arrive here as soon as I have done. Let's look for internet and for a map of the city. Solving the problem as soon as they come is necesary when you are traveling...

Open CouchSurfing website and explain in public the situation, your feelings in that moment, and ask for help. I didn't expect, but I had lot of answers, calls to the mobile, sms giving host, offering themselves to show me the city, inviting me to Uzice to take rest next days and relax a little bit... Amazing. The travel continue.

             Now I'm a solo traveler again, the shadow of the traveler I was.

I start walking as soon as I have a city map, and as always I arrive to beautiful places.

I recived a sms, Ivica is going to meet me up for lunch and to show me the city when he finish in his job.

 We had very good time together sharing a lot of experiences, ideas, and hearing all he knew about the city...

But was late and I had to meet my host, Dragana. Wonderful girl with huge traveling projects...

The city has been amazing, the answer of the people incredible... now I have to Hitch Hike to Uzice, where I have been invited in that open last minute help request. In the way my lift is gonna be one guy that nowadays is the principal of one school for deaf people, but in the war time he was in the spaecial forces in the albanian border... a lot of history to learn and time to discuss.

With this wonderful people I passed a couple of days resting and eating, as Vesna described me in the reference left in my Couchsurfing profile, I enjoyed my time not doing anything. I'm very thanked to her for inviting me to her house with her family and friends. Hopfully I'll recibe her visit this autumn in Bilbao.

From Uzice, I took a direct lift to Sarajevo, an university professor and writer, Nenad Veličković who wrote "Viva Sexico!", but as is writen in Bosnian, I think I'm not going to be able to read it. He was a very interesting guy and we talked a lot.

He explained me a lot of things about Serbia , Bosnia and Croatian war, show me Viselgrad, invited me to coffee, etc. Great man, if you have the change meet him. In Sarajevo we said goodbye.

Very beautiful city... quite crowded and touristyc, but still cool.

 Some hours later I was hitch-hiking again to Mostar, where I wanted to sleep. As I sent last minute couch request because the previous situation no-one took me here, so I had planned to sleep in a garden or in a youth hostel if was cheap. Finally, I found one not very legal hostel in 10 euros the night... was good enough.

Mostar is an incredibly beautiful city... but stilll has remains of and not very old war, but very hard to been passed.

This day was hard. Very hard...

So hot, too windy, and no one wanted to pick me up. Finally, two or three hours later one german guy stoped. And we talked a lot about my trip because he was going to visit some of the countries I had been.

After the first lift, the second, the third, the forth... And I arrived to Ploce... I was waiting 6 hours in total among those lift and still I waited 3 more to the next lift to Split. I had such a big amount of time that I dedicated to decorate my sign...

But finally, two young guys, who were doing a car transfer between Dubrovnik and Split picked me up... they drove it fast, and also looked for a hostel for me. A youth hostel in the centre, but if I have to be honest I don't remember the name to recommend it.


                      But Split... another amazing city. Amazing during the night.

                           And amazing during the day... must be visited.

After the NINE hours of Hitch Hiking of the previous day, I decided to take the morning but to Síbenik, where Igor was waiting me. 6 month after met him in Bilbao... we were again together, what a crazy young guy.... and from there to Tribujn to his family house.

Another relaxing week is going to start, this first afternoon, to the beach...

 ... and then a walk around the town while Igor is working.

Lot of days came of beach and party, meeting people, friends of friends, new people, dancing,... very great time.

In every single trip there had to be times for sunsets... and Igor love them too, so called to two finish couchsurfers that were hosted by a friend of him and he bring us to an impresive castle to enjoy such a great moment.

 If I'm not wrong, this day is when he told me: "Koldo, do you know what would be amazing... to do the transiberian by hitch hiking..." and smiled me.

Of course... I always acept the challenges.

 Beautiful colours in the sky and  great views to take a pictures of...

The calm and prettiness of the sunset in a good company is something that worths.



After a great week there, the time to said goodbye arrived, and he brought me to the motorway entrance where was supossed to be a good spot to hitchhike. Yeah, not bad at all, one nice fisherman picked me up to Pag, one Island that was supossed to be in my way to Zagreb. Buuuuut... I never arrived to Zagreb, because "Bura" started blowing and the conections with the mainland were closed. Ups, OK, nmo problem "stay in my garden and you could sleep in my boat" he said while he invited me to a lot of beers... the evening was great, but little by little the wind was harder and harder, and at 21:00 neither him nor me were able to assure that the boat was going to be there next morning with such a hard wind, so he told me where the youth hostel was and I ended there the day. 30 euros!!!!! this guys are crazy, but the weather is not to take risks sleeping outsite.

Next morning I went looking for the fisherman as he told me the previous day, he was going to bring me to the ferry. But "Bura" said no, and the fisherman told me that was imposible to abandon the island. Anyway, he took me in his car and we went visiting another friends and drinking some rakia. But I couldn't spend another 30 euros for another nite in the hostel, so I sent a sms to Igor asking for help.


The help arrived in the form of positive answer, he knew one couchsurfer from Zagreb who was working and living in Pag and accepted to help me. In that way I had the oportunity to meet Pamela Konjevod, big traveler and great person, and also the creator of "Skinny chick travelling". I had a very good time with her and her roommates.

                                                                      Finally she get it!!!!

Next day I was going to leave Pag even if I had to swimm, was decided, even if I wanted to meet Pam more deeply... but was time to continue. And in Zagreb still I had to meet the sister of Pamela, also Igor's friend... I hope to see all this guys again, were wonderful!


6:00 am, I leave the Yellow House and ask to a taxi driver "the ferry is not working today"... what???? - BURA - was his answer... I'd already started feeling something against that wind... Letś try in the bus station. I don't have more croatian money... but as soon asone bus driver after discusing with others said "I'm leaving in ten minutes", I managed to get a ticket.

I arrived to Zagreb in a very precary situation, I didn't have almost any croatian money and my laptop and mobiles were without battery... another odisey to get everything to manage to contact my host, and get how to arrive to Budapest next day, because was predicted bad weather and my backpack and clothes weren't waterproof... so I was going to have to buy a train ticket or bus again... But I wanted to hitchhike!!!!

Anyway, I met Helena in the evening, very nice girl, we had the dinner together and took a walk around the neigborhood with her dog... very nice chat and time. But just one night... My trip had to continue. I have started to feel that I should take more time in each place to discover it and them more deeply. But that will be next time, this trip is going to the end.

The train, a nightmare, nothing in common with the hitchhike; even if I met a cool british guys and I spend the half of the trip talking with them... In Budapest were waiting for me another couchsurfer couple, Vásárhelyi Tamás and Gabi. He is a known CNN sports reporter in Budapest, and both are fanatyc of sports... very good and attentive people, even if because the olimpics she wasn't at home and he was so bussy.



But anyway, they give me the chance to discover Budapest, very beautiful city, and remmet up with an old couchsurfing friend from there: Torben Boleman.

He had to work so we were going to meet for lunch in the centre and walk the city together... finally, he had to work, so we leave it for the dinner, and I walked around alone.

The city has very beautiful views from the river, in both sides,...

And some touristyc but, anyway, incredibly beautiful places in the old town.

Making time to meet up with Torben... and finally we did, Torben, his wife and son. One beer, some shoping and he cooked a great dinner for us.

Next day I had to cover 500 kms to arrive to Krynica-Zdroj... but it's not something new, everybody helped me, invited me, explained me and gave me long time of interesting conversations.

How could I leave traveling with such a great peoplearound the world?

I'm planning the next... Igor, I think you will have the key.