Last day: Bohemia (CZ) and back to Netherlands

While in Salzburg, I realized that I forgot my driver's license in Rotterdam (actually in Denmark). Which means that I drove through Belgium to Paris without documents, and I was about to drive again from Prague to Germany! I immediately wrote a message to Andre about it, and even considering not taking a ride with him, and going further to Berlin instead.

Meanwhile, it was 9h and I left Salzburg for my last 24 hours of travels. I walked towards the exit to A1, and the location is not good. The cars were too fast, low visibility and it was still inside "the city". After 20min I walked a bit backwards to try before the last traffic light. Found a shadow for my backpack, got my "A1 - LINZ" sign up and in 5minutes a car stopped. Katia and her brother Mark were starting their vacations in Eastern Czech Republic, and they could take me until Linz. I was not sure if I should continue hitchhiking or simply take a train to visit Bohemia (southern part of Czech Rep), or go straight to Prague. My mobile was apparently not working, so I was unable to receive SMS and know if people could host me in Prague or not...

I decided to stay in Linz, and took the train to Ceske Budejovice (hometown of the original Czech beer Budweiser). The train was hot, slow and boring. Once in Budweiss (as called in German), I realized I didn't have much time to go to Ceske Krumlov. This is a historical town in Czech Republic, a dream I always had, and never managed to visit in my previous 2 trips ti Czech Republic. Decided to take the chances and go there. Took the train and arrived there at 6pm. The last train would leave at 8pm so I thought about staying until the first train in the morning, at 5am! I found out a bus going straight to Prague at 5.20am, so it was even better.

In the train I met Fiona, a girl from Singapore traveling around Europe and couchsurfing as well. We had some nice conversations while walking around the old town until it got dark, we had dinner and a beer. At a certain point she mentioned that I was surely a hippie when "younger", with long hair and stuff... hahahahah thanks for the compliment! :)

After Fiona left, I ended up going to some pubs, having some beers, writing my journal and having chats with other travelers. Austrians, Dutches, Swiss, Americans... at 2am I left a local disco (bad music and random people) and decided to find a place to sleep... outdoors. Next to the river, there was some benches, a little bit protected from the wind, in the dark. Perfect spot for my sleeping bag! Nice nap for over 3 hours, felt very good being close to nature, woke up on time for the bus to Prague. Horrible trip (long, and unable to sleep).

By that time I had received a call from Andre, saying that he couldn't find another driver for the car, and I had to do it even without my license. He had been "banned" from driving in Czech Republic due to speeding, so he could be in jail if the police catches him driving. He was going to Netherlands on vacations with his wife and kids. As we were 5 people, he rented a bigger car, and when I met him in Prague I realized that it was a big van (that looked like a truck!). I even asked "are you sure I can drive it with a B-type license??". Well, I didn't even had a license anyway... ;-)

The car was very hard to drive, never tried that before. After getting used to it, we started to move around Prague, towards the exit to Plzen. I was a bit nervous. As we tried to turn in one street, 200m ahead of us I saw two policemen stopping cars. Ohoh! I don't know how I reacted, but turned immediately right into one little street, which was bus-only. Adrenaline started to pump. I turned the car, as if nothing strange was happening, and took the street in the other direction, getting away from the cops. It seems they were distracted with the other car or didn't notice me as "suspect". I breath deep and move straight outside Prague. Still tense until we crossed the border (2 hours later), when we stopped in Germany and I could finally relax. Andre continued driving and I slept for some hours. Arrived in Amsterdam by 11pm and enjoyed the city with some Brazilian old friends, before coming back to Rotterdam last night.

I'm still enjoying the great feeling of adventure that this trip meant to me. Awesome time, new people that I would never meet otherwise, new ideas and thoughts, old friends and family visited and a high degree of risks taken. Good stuff!!

I spent a total of 286 euro in 13 days of traveling, or 22 euro per day. It was a total of almost 3,800km "on the road", which 1,400km were by pure "finger" hitchhiking! Another 1,800km were rides arranged by the Internet and the rest were by bus and train (600km).

"So the journey is over and I am back again where I started..." - as one of my favorite quotes say, always very true - "...richer by much experience and poorer by so many exploded convictions, many perished certainties. For convictions and certainties are too often the concomitants of ignorance. Those who like to feel they are always right and who attach a high importance to their own opinions should stay at home. When one is traveling, convictions are mislaid as easily as spectacles; but unlike spectacles, they are not easily replaced." - Aldous Huxley

Venezia, and road to Salzburg

I stayed in Venezia for 3 days in total, and if I had more time I could have stayed more. I was actually in Caorle/St.Marguerita, a beach area on the Adriatic Coast, east of Venice, where my aunt had rented a house for the summer. Very nice, not much to worry, time to relax and play with my little cousin - not so little anymore, already 12, almost 13! Finally I managed to jump in the water, sleep and eat well. And surprisingly, I had a full lesson of Italian!! I didn't plan to (re)learn so much of Italian in such short time. I can say that my level moved from "basic" to "intermediate" these days!!

One day was of course dedicated to Venezia itself. And a nice time together with my cousin, who joined me for the day. A wonder of the world perhaps, it's umbealivable that "she" was totally built on water, over 500 years ago. Arriving by train to St.Lucia and walking the streets it's impressive. Of course, you need to search for the less traveled streets and stay away from the mass of tourists. Piazza San Marco: an ocean of people under a massive square... sometimes I get more attracted to look at people than old buildings :)

Yesterday morning my adventure restarted, after some days of rest. The destination, hopefully Salzburg in Austria, 450km north. I got a ride from my aunt to the beginning of the autostrada, where I should begin. Bad place, local traffic, fast cars. I stuck there for 2 hours, wondering if I should return and get the train. It was also quite late (11h). Luckily, a couple coming from Geneve on their way to bike in Croacia picked me up at around 1pm. A nice Audi with two bikes on the roof, they could me take near Udine. But while I celebrated this "move" I got distracted and missed the last "area de servizio", and had to stop almost in Trieste!! Again luckily, at least there was a passage underground to reach the other side, and I had to go back. I was in the border with Slovenia by 3pm... I got again stuck for over 2 hours, when I met the first hitchhikers in Italy so far, a couple of Polish in their vacations (first Croacia, then Spain, then back to Warsaw), eveything on autostop!! They had guitars and even volleyball... they were going to Milano and they managed to find a Polish truck driver going to Verona, in less than 5 minutes! I was happy for them but sad that I missed the chance to chat with other travelers... they gave me some paper and a marker, so I did mine again. Another hour had passed and an Italian guy, with the help of the gas station worker, offered me a ride for 2 stops, until near Udine (remember, I was 100km in the wrong way...).

We spoke only Italian on the car and I was very proud of myself! He confessed that he wished he had the courage to travel like me and he even took me further, north of Udine. Nice guy. There I could see the mountains, the sun starting to fall at 5.30pm, and I even considered spending the night in those woods, very nice location, I wouldn't mind. But when things are meant to be they simply happen, so in 5minutes I was in a German car, a couple returning from vacations, straight to Salzburg!! We had a 2.5hours trip through the Alps, one of the most beautiful roads I crossed in Europe, and I managed to check in at a cheap hostel in Salzburg, take a shower, eat my last sandwiches and go for a walk. Nice town, I wish I had some partner for some partying here, it sounds like a good place to have fun!

I still don't have a place to stay in Prague, so I'm considering stoping in Bohemia (southern part of Czech Republic) for the day and then taking a night train to Praha. I still have another 400km to go today. Tomorrow morning I drive a car to Germany and then back to Netherlands. Friday night is party time back in A'dam!! Hopefully :))

That's all for now!!
(my thoughts and reflections will come later, once I'm home again...)

Zurich and Venezia!!

I enjoyed a couple of days in Zurich together with Thomas. Zurich is extremelly organized, rich, clean, full of trees, expensive and with a very high quality of life (the highest in the world). You see business people walking the streets, super cars everywhere. Friday I left the city - I needed some fresh air and nature - and together with Claudia we went trekking at the Mt. Rigi. A beautiful day trip through lakes and small towns, and the view of the Alps (altough a bit foggy). In the evening myself and Thomas had dinner at his place, drinking wine at the balcony with front view of the Lake Zurich, while talking about life and everything that's good about it. And I have an invitation to come back for EuroCup in June 2008... ;-)

Yesterday, Saturday, was a loooong and adventurous day. Before leaving home I got an e-mail from Fanny, the French girl I met days before, saying that she made to Venezia and she would stay one day longer there before catching the ferry to Greece, so we could meet up! Nice. I started by catching a train at 7 to Luzern, where Bas would be waiting for me. He is a teacher in Amsterdam and he was on his way to Toscana, for a 1-week biking tour. He drove me all the way down the E35 until near Bologna. We crossed the Alps though the Gothard Passage (we didn't take the tunnel due to heavy traffic and took the scenic road). We really feel as in the top of the world, and mountains all around you.

At 4pm I decided to get off near Modena, and try to get the road to Venezia through Verona. I was in a gas station and I had to cross to the other side of the road, but there were no passages. I saw a bridge a bit further so I walked there. Not made for people unfortunately, and as I tried to cross the bushes and climb the hill to the road, I realized that was a bad idea. It was 37C, no wind, me and my backpack, a lot of dust, sweat and scratches. I had to "look good" if I wanted to get a ride! So I came back to the gas station and stick to my original plan, to get A13 near Bologna and head north through Padova, about 150km left. My aunt was already waiting for me in San Donà di Piave.

Although the location was bad, I waited less than an hour and got a car with an Italian (chance to practice my Spanish-mixed-Italian). He was going home to see his child, driving a very nice Honda with air-conditioning (bonus for the hitchhiker!). He dropped me off before Ferrara, on the good road to Padova and Venezia. I though "great, I'll be there very soon!", but as a hitchhiker you never know what is going to happen, and it took me 2 hours there waiting there before someone stopped for me, and over 3,5 hours before someone took me! During this time I became slowly less shy, and as the sun was going down (9pm) I was approaching cars in the entrance!

Ricardo was going to Padova, and by that time all I wanted was to get somewhere and take the train. It wouldn't be nice to my aunt to wait for me like that. He was very suspicious at the beginnning and later in the car he told me it was the first time he took someone (nice!). As one hour in the car passed, we talked a lot (in Spanish), shared stories of traveling and meeting people, and at the end he even invited me to come back to Padova for party there, on Tuesday night! That's something I love about hitchhiking... challenging the fear and breaking down the walls we create, and show that trust in strangers is possible!

With a huge huge smile in my face I got to Padova train station and there was a train to San Donà (via Venezia Mestre) in 20 minutes, at 9.30pm. I would arrive at 10.30pm. I bought something cold to drink and relaxed reading my book. In the meantime I tried to contact Fanny, and she was unable to meet me due to strikes. Strikes? Hummm... I realized that when I got to Venezia Mestre, the main train station. Hundreds of people (maybe thousands) stuck there, trains being cancelled, delayed, a little Italian Chaos! The note in the wall says: "Strike on the trains from 9pm Saturday night until 9pm Sunday night".

All trains to San Donà were bring cancelled and I managed to catch one (only and last one) at 1 in the morning!! I met Rejanie at 1,30, I had a great shower and we had dinner. What a long day, in the end I can't believe that everything worked out. Well, it always does...

And I hope Fanny is doing good, she was going to sleep at Venezia Santa Lucia station (in the island).

Now I deserve some rest, so today no traveling, time to go to the beach :) It's almost 40C now in San Dona and we go to Caorle, where my aunt rented a house for the holidays, and I'll meet my cousin Bruno after 4 years apart!

I should stay here some days and then head north to Austria and Czaech Republic. But I was wondering about cancelling the trip from Prague and going up until Berlin and spending my next weekend there. Hummm... options...

Arrivederci!

Paris > Basel: first 600km OK!

The trip out of Paris was a great adventure...

Left home at 8.30am and after walking a few minutes to Port Orleans, I met another hitchhiker, Matthiew, on his way home to southern France. He was a jazz musician with a beginner level of English. He offered me a coffee and then we stood at the avenue outside Paris (it could be downtown, horrible to hitchhike). I had my sign "A6 - Dijon - S.V.P.". After one hour and a half we decided to walk further to another exit to A6 and try our luck. Another hour have passed and nothing happened. No single car. I knew getting out of Paris is very difficult but I could try taking a train from Gare du Lyon to Villabe, a little village 20km out of Paris. So we did, but we took different trains. Matthiew gave me his CD, good music! After 3 metros and 2 trains, I arrived at 2pm in Villabe, walked for half-hour to the highway (gas station) and met Fanny, a French girl with big smiles, student of sign-language, on her way to Greece... yes, France to Greece, hitchhiking!

We had a good chat and in 15min we managed to get a car, who took us for over 200km! Very lucky. We talked a lot in the car and we got to another gas station. Fanny was going south on A6 to Lyon, and I was going somehow east on A36. She got a car in 15min and I stayed there for one hour. The location was very good and 4 cars stopped, but all heading south. I finally decided to get out of there and took a car for about 20min, until the next gas station. The driver's job was to recover old and historical books, and his main client was the National Library of France. In the back, piles of boxes of (valuable) books being taken to his small studio in southern France. Interesting guy, but short ride. I cross the road to start my luck north, and then I met two other French hitchhikers, one going up to Germany, traveling already for 2 days, sleeping next to trees on the roads, and Robin, going home to Mulhouse. That was my destination, so we chose to travel together. He was there stuck for 4 hours (it happens...) and I was wondering if I would have to sleep there (it was already 7.30pm...). In half-hour a car came and took us all the way to the entrance of Mulhouse, 200 km away. Very nice. On the way I was reading and reflecting on my trip, while watching the sun setting on the Franch hills and litlle villages of Alsace. I even got a phone call from Camila, old friend from Brazil, saying that she was in Paris, willing to meet me!! What a bad luck. Or not meant to be, right? We'll meet soon I know...

From Mulhouse I simply took a train for 30min to Basel, as it was getting dark and the train costed only 5 euro. At 10.30pm, Claudia picked me up, offered me dinner and wine. After a good shower, I was completely renewed and having a feeling of accomplishment that is hard to describe.

I'm in Basel, for the first time in Switzerland. Beautiful little city, in the border with Germany and France, having the Rhen river crossing and several nice bridges over it. Great day of sun and a good time walking around, reading and enjoying my time. And the best part was to meet Claudia again, Thomas' sister, who I haven't seen since 2004. She traveled around South America for one year and we spent the last day and a half in great conversations about everything. It seems the subject is never over and my mind is flowing with ideas (and new thoughts).

After two nights here, I'm on my way to Zürich (1 hour train). Later I should meet Thomas, and have a good time there. Looking forward for a swim in the lakes! Saturday morning I get a car from Luzern south to Italy, and I would still need to hitchhike for 200km to Venezia. Let's see what surprises Italy brings in the future, and let's enjoy Switzerland a bit now.

Auf Wiedersehen!!

Paris, uh-lala!

The trip started on Sunday morning, with a walk, a short train to Breda, and a 40min walk to the highway, where my ride would pick me up. On time. My backpack got approved, the weight was good for me and I felt I had everything I would need for the road.

I traveled with a nice 40ish year-old lady on her way to southern France, a Dutch girl raised in Holambra, Brazil and her boyfriend from India. Nice trip, nice chats, fun, and lots of food on board. I was asked to drive the car so I did for almost all the way until the périphérique of Paris. Cool!

Once in Paris I met Aristoteles, his French friend came later and we spent a couple of hours drinking wine with our legs inside the water in some fountain downtown Parism near De Louvre. Typical. We later watched Brasil win against Argentina and even eat some very French crepe. Very typical.




Yesterday I spent the day walking on my own around town, exploring and looking at people. Paris is as beautiful as you can imagine, but people live fast here. It's another huge city and for that reason I decided to go.

It's morning and I'm leaving towards Switzerland, my friend's sister replied me and she expects me in Basel, which is very nice, on the way, so my plans are Basel for today and Zurich tomorrow. I got another e-mail confirming my ride from Luzern to Bologna on Saturday morning!

My throat hurts a bit, which is NOT a good sign. It's cloudy in Paris, I hope it doesn't rain soon...

Au revour!!

My (draft) itinerary for the next two weeks

This last week I spent a couple of hours planning my trip. Everything started by the end, I got a free ride from Prague back to Amsterdam (through Hitchhikers.org)
on 27th of July.

Based on that, I decided to visit my aunt Rejanie and my cousin Bruno, living near Venice, Italy. Nice place to stay by the beach, great to meet family again.

Next, I found another free ride, from Rotterdam until Paris. So Paris will be. Two places to stay there with some Brazilian AIESECers.

Connecting the dots, another old friend is living in Zurich, so Switzerland will be (hopefully the montains!). And a potential ride from (near) Zurich until Milano...

I'm not sure about Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic yet, it depends on answers from CouchSurfing hosts... but let's not plan too much and see what happens...

Summarizing, the plan looks like that:

15/07 > Rotterdam >> Paris
17-18/07 > Paris >> Zurich
20-21/07 > Zurich >> Venezia
23-26/07 > Venezia >> Austria/Hungary/Czech >> Praha
27/07 > Praha >> Amsterdam
30/07 > Amsterdam >> Rotterdam


Let's hit the road!

My hitchhiking and couchsurfing trip

In about 9 hours I'm starting a two-weeks trip around center-southern-Europe: France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, (maybe) Hungary and Czech Republic. It's a brake from my work in Rotterdam and a good opportunity to recharge my energies for the second semester.

This time I decided to make it a bit more challenging and special: hitchhiking and couchsurfing.

For that reason, I'll be updating this blog twice a week (if I get access to the web) to tell where I am and what is going on.

I intent to meet new people, visit different places (including random small towns and mountains), talk with different people (both young and old) and be curious, learn and be open, take some risks too!

At the CouchSurfing Project website, there is an interesting quote, and I liked it:

"We make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge cultural exchange makes available. In sharing important moments, deep and meaningful connections cross oceans, continents and cultures. "

Ready to hit the road!
Henrique

PS: I'm available by phone +31 6 3863-6351 during these days.

Netherlands again, this time Rotterdam :)

I returned safe from Brazil, our project ended up to be extraordinary for us and it was an amazing experience. I still need to finalize some details and update our project website. While in Brazil I wrote a short article, that my friend Frauke published (click here). The article was also featured at the Kaos Pilots website.

After the final exams, loads of (crazy) parties and 2 weeks of beach-time in Århus (great weather), I came to Netherlands to support Kaos Pilots Netherlands (go to website kaospilots.nl) to select the Team 1, the first team of students. The school is opening doors in Rotterdam by mid-September. After two amazing days in Dordrecht (I really enjoy being observer and running workshops!), I managed to get some free days in Amsterdam, seeing old friends and enjoying a bit of the town. I even visited Rijksmuseum!! Of course the rain was annoying...

During these days I met with KPNL and an interesting proposal came on the table: to work for them during the summer, to setup the "Landing Zone" for Team 1, which means support in logistics, recruitment, location, curriculum and other thousand things, necessary for the start of classes in 2 months.

Well, I accepted the "summer-job" immediately, and just flew back to Århus to pack my stuff and go back to Rotterdam. I'm here until 20th of August, when my 2nd year starts in Denmark. The payment is less then working in Denmark, but the satisfaction and the challenge is much higher, especially working next to "education entrepreneurs", it gives me a lot of insights and I've learned a lot from this experience so far.

So, if you're near by, just come and visit me! :)