Hitchhiking 1
I’ve never thought of this way of traveling and I’ve never done that before in my life. It sounds exciting but also frustrating because one may get stuck on the side of the road to nowhere with nowhere cheap (or just plain nowhere) to stay. But after meeting travelers who are doing hitchhiking along my way, now I’m interested in trying it some day. J
This German girl called Hanna who I met in France has been hitchhiking ALONE through France since the beginning of May. Like many other people, my immediate response after hearing that was “Is it safe?”
“What if somebody really stops his car and offers you a ride but then you don’t feel like getting into his car?”
“What if nobody stops and you don’t have any place to rest your head that night… and then it starts to rain…”
“What if …”
A long list of what-ifs came afterwards. She didn’t answer promptly. Instead, she looked right into my eyes, finally broke into a smile and said “But that has never happened to me before!”
“Really?”
“Yup. You just need to be careful.”
True. One just has to be careful. Anything can happen even if you’re in the safest place on earth. I think most people should be able to use their common sense and distinguish who to trust and who not to on the road.
Hitchhiking 2
My host in Warsaw, Chris, has several hitchhiking experience. Few years ago he traveled through Lithuania and Estonia by hitchhiking and last year he hitchhiked from France to Spain.
Whilst in Provence he worked at a vineyard picking grapes.
“Provence! It must be nice!” I was getting excited as I recalled what I’ve read from Peter Mayle’s Provence series and Van Gogh’s “what an intensity of colors, what pure air, what vibrant serenity” exclamation upon his arrival in Provence.
I trust that the nature there must be beautiful.
“Yup it’s nice,” said Chris.
“Wow.” Eyebrows raised.
“But the people are not so nice.”
“… why …”
“When I was in Marseille, I walked down the streets and everybody smiled at me. But in Provence everywhere is wealthy people and they don’t greet people as warmly as people in Marseille do. Provence is nice, but I like Marseille better.”
“…” We walked back home quietly, both falling into contemplation.
Once again it proves my people-take-more-of-your-heart-than-just-the-place philosophy stand!
Hitchhiking 3
Petr is an outstanding architecture student in Prague. When students care more about their social lives and think studies can wait, he tries to have a balance of both. One day when he was studying, there was a point where he came to know exam was gonna drive him nuts. What am I doing here? I don’t wanna study anymore! He thought. So he took his backpack, blanket, sleeping bag and tent and left for Norway THE NEXT MORNING!
You can imagine he left Prague without knowing where to sleep at all.
But he wasn’t worried.
“See. This is Norway. They have large fields everywhere. You can sleep here, here, here, here, there, anywhere you like!” pointing at a picture of green fields in Norway.
One time he had nowhere to sleep in Finland.
He wasn’t too worried.
He climbed up to the top of a tower (probably not too high)and spent a night at the terrace with his friend.
“We got a nice view from there. That can compete with a pricey hotel!” said Petr.
Yup... and it must be mighty cold and windy too…
Again when Petr was in Paris he didn’t have a hostel to stay.
He wasn’t worried.
Actually this time he had a place more than just a grassy field or hard ground on a terrace. It has proven where he stayed is so nice that everyday he got many unwanted visitors to his place. Perhaps they are all jealous of him to have such a cozy place to rest his head. It caused hassle to him, though and sometimes they really got on his nerves.
You wanna know who these visitors are?
They are the homeless!
because …
he was CAMPING UNDER THE EFFIEL TOWER!
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Lost
The more south I go, the harder I find to get by given the fact that I don’t speak other European languages. In Barcelona, I didn’t have any difficulties in understanding Raul and Natalia as the Catalan that they speak sounds a bit like French. So a lot of time even if I don’t speak the language itself, I could still pick up a few words and had a clue of what they said depending on the context. But I think I’m more like a mute when I was in Madrid and Valencia. Though Catalan is spoken in the region of Catalonia in Spain, the different accents sometimes cross my legs. At dinner tables, I was often lost when following what people say.
BUT that didn’t prevent me from getting to know what people say, for Spanish people are far too expressive to let you miss it. It’s fun to see them talking! ‘cause there’s so much energy, gesture, and facial expressions in their talking. Stories like a bank teller being hassled by a gay man, or guys peeping girls who are in aerobics class through windows while working out have more to offer- watching them talk is like seeing them ACT! Yea… I love the language. It’s so lively!
Somehow I think Spanish people are just as noisy(or even nosier) than Chinese people while dining at restaurant…
Last-minute decisions
It’s not surprising to see something unexpected popped up along the journey. After all, it’s part of my adventure! But going to places which were not on my way initially is totally a crazy idea for me. This city Stuttgart where I am now is definitely NOT a place where I would visit had I not met Petra. Petra is a German lady who I met in Tazie. She invited me to go stay with her if I travel to Germany. I didn’t take it that seriously at that time. The thought of visiting Stuttgart didn’t come to my mind until I was in Barcelona. I was having great time with Rual and Natalia in Barcelona and I thought it would be neat to stay with friends. So I emailed to Perta and later Susana. Both of them replied! So there I was in Spain!
Then started my search for plane flying to Stuttgart. It wasn’t an easy thing! I was nearly desperate as I saw all the exorbitant prices!!! Oh I’m gonna go broke if I pay for that. I thought.
Fortunately, I managed to get a more reasonable-priced ticket with Sus’ effort, but then the date interrupted my entire plan!!! Instead of July 9, on which date I wanted to leave, the date available for the plane was July 14! So … I was kind of “forced” to stay longer in Spain (actually I enjoy the type of lay-back life in Valencia… I don’t mind staying for longer haha- if I have a vacation which lasts FOREVER!).
That afternoon when I was flipping through the travel guidebook, I thought “okay now I got a few extra days in Spain why not go to Madrid?” I don’t wanna leave Spain without seeing Madrid.
A second round of search began. We got into internet, looked for place to stay and later went to the train station and checked the train schedule with the ticket office. Everything went fine. I’ m glad that I was able to find one nice cheap hostel and get the ticket.
All these were done the day just before I went to Madrid. Everything is just impromptu- I was going a place where I had NO idea of where to stay and whether I could get there or not.
It's hilarious and...
it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done! :-P
Susana
I know I’ve kind of mentioned that before. Still- I wanna say I enjoy my stay with Susana SO much. I’m grateful for EVERYTHING that she and her family did for me. It was a truly make-yourself-home experience. I’m grateful this family is so generous in sharing EVERYTHING with me. Their bed, their laundry, their fridge, their food, their clothes, their beach, their language, their Valencia, their Spain!
The other day when I was talking to my mom, she said I MUST treat Susana like a queen when she comes to Hong Kong. True. I guess I’m gonna owe this family everything that they share with me until the day that they come to Hong Kong.
Or else…
they would be like my credit card- I can never pay them back! ;-)
The more south I go, the harder I find to get by given the fact that I don’t speak other European languages. In Barcelona, I didn’t have any difficulties in understanding Raul and Natalia as the Catalan that they speak sounds a bit like French. So a lot of time even if I don’t speak the language itself, I could still pick up a few words and had a clue of what they said depending on the context. But I think I’m more like a mute when I was in Madrid and Valencia. Though Catalan is spoken in the region of Catalonia in Spain, the different accents sometimes cross my legs. At dinner tables, I was often lost when following what people say.
BUT that didn’t prevent me from getting to know what people say, for Spanish people are far too expressive to let you miss it. It’s fun to see them talking! ‘cause there’s so much energy, gesture, and facial expressions in their talking. Stories like a bank teller being hassled by a gay man, or guys peeping girls who are in aerobics class through windows while working out have more to offer- watching them talk is like seeing them ACT! Yea… I love the language. It’s so lively!
Somehow I think Spanish people are just as noisy(or even nosier) than Chinese people while dining at restaurant…
Last-minute decisions
It’s not surprising to see something unexpected popped up along the journey. After all, it’s part of my adventure! But going to places which were not on my way initially is totally a crazy idea for me. This city Stuttgart where I am now is definitely NOT a place where I would visit had I not met Petra. Petra is a German lady who I met in Tazie. She invited me to go stay with her if I travel to Germany. I didn’t take it that seriously at that time. The thought of visiting Stuttgart didn’t come to my mind until I was in Barcelona. I was having great time with Rual and Natalia in Barcelona and I thought it would be neat to stay with friends. So I emailed to Perta and later Susana. Both of them replied! So there I was in Spain!
Then started my search for plane flying to Stuttgart. It wasn’t an easy thing! I was nearly desperate as I saw all the exorbitant prices!!! Oh I’m gonna go broke if I pay for that. I thought.
Fortunately, I managed to get a more reasonable-priced ticket with Sus’ effort, but then the date interrupted my entire plan!!! Instead of July 9, on which date I wanted to leave, the date available for the plane was July 14! So … I was kind of “forced” to stay longer in Spain (actually I enjoy the type of lay-back life in Valencia… I don’t mind staying for longer haha- if I have a vacation which lasts FOREVER!).
That afternoon when I was flipping through the travel guidebook, I thought “okay now I got a few extra days in Spain why not go to Madrid?” I don’t wanna leave Spain without seeing Madrid.
A second round of search began. We got into internet, looked for place to stay and later went to the train station and checked the train schedule with the ticket office. Everything went fine. I’ m glad that I was able to find one nice cheap hostel and get the ticket.
All these were done the day just before I went to Madrid. Everything is just impromptu- I was going a place where I had NO idea of where to stay and whether I could get there or not.
It's hilarious and...
it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done! :-P
Susana
I know I’ve kind of mentioned that before. Still- I wanna say I enjoy my stay with Susana SO much. I’m grateful for EVERYTHING that she and her family did for me. It was a truly make-yourself-home experience. I’m grateful this family is so generous in sharing EVERYTHING with me. Their bed, their laundry, their fridge, their food, their clothes, their beach, their language, their Valencia, their Spain!
The other day when I was talking to my mom, she said I MUST treat Susana like a queen when she comes to Hong Kong. True. I guess I’m gonna owe this family everything that they share with me until the day that they come to Hong Kong.
Or else…
they would be like my credit card- I can never pay them back! ;-)
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Re: Cindy
You don´t know what yóu´re talking about when you see Paris from the point of view as a French! Haha... actually Ive heard that a lot of French say they HATE Paris ... except those who are NOT in France! LOL. National pride ?!
Anyway, thanks for your message. I hope you´re having a great time with your dad in Paris!
Re: Christina
You bet - Tim Hortons is a type of coffee dognut shop. Ah ... guess what? I went to a Chinese restaurant with Susana and her friend last night. yea.. here in Valencia... hehe.. ´cause i wanna know how they "Spanishized" Chinese food and they want me to see if what they are having is real chinese food or not...
Well well, we have rice, spring rolls, lemon chicken, beef with bamboo(?) with - Sangria(a sweet punch made of red wine, fruit and sprints) -- what do you think ??? *rolls eyes*
You don´t know what yóu´re talking about when you see Paris from the point of view as a French! Haha... actually Ive heard that a lot of French say they HATE Paris ... except those who are NOT in France! LOL. National pride ?!
Anyway, thanks for your message. I hope you´re having a great time with your dad in Paris!
Re: Christina
You bet - Tim Hortons is a type of coffee dognut shop. Ah ... guess what? I went to a Chinese restaurant with Susana and her friend last night. yea.. here in Valencia... hehe.. ´cause i wanna know how they "Spanishized" Chinese food and they want me to see if what they are having is real chinese food or not...
Well well, we have rice, spring rolls, lemon chicken, beef with bamboo(?) with - Sangria(a sweet punch made of red wine, fruit and sprints) -- what do you think ??? *rolls eyes*
Home sweet home
I still can´t believe where I am as I´m writing this- I´m in Susana´s place!!! I´m in Valencia!!! I´m now with a friend who left Toronto just a month ago!!! It´s hard for me to believe that we´re seeing each other just now. But it feels SO good. Visiting a place where I know somebody is expecting me makes me feel special, for in that sense, I feel I´m more than just a visitor or tourist to a place. Very often I find people take heart more deeply than anything else. Of course architectures, landscapes, attractions of a place can be fascinating, but if you know somebody from a place, that place means more than just a name on the map !
Having been traveling for a month, I feel a bit homesick - homesick for a place that feels like home. Staying with Sus´family helps a whole lot - ´cause here I can have homemade-style food, a bedroom where I can throw out whatever I like and not have to worry about it, a fridge from which I can take anything I like and a mom and a dad. As Sus puts it, " My food is your food. My fridge is your fridge. My house is your house. Whenever you feel hungry, just open the fridge and take whatever you want from it."
This make-yourself-home thing makes me feel truly comfortable to be here!
(Oh btw, another "homey" thing I can do here is to watch Roland Garros ((Spanish Nadal vs Argentine Ruperta)) this year! I miss it SO much! I hardly forget I´m one big tennis geek had Sus not asked ...and also one big soccer fan!)
*****
Blessed by the Meditterranean´s weather, Valencia is drenched with pleasane sunshine all year-round. The beach here in Valencia is just AWESOME! I don´t know how true it is that one doesn´t want to go anywhere after s/he has been to the beach, as Sus insists, but the time spent lying and just enjoying the sun this afternoon was great! I LOVE the beach now! ^.^
*****
Talking about staying here, I now find Spanish people are by far the most hospitable. This couple Raul and Natalia are my host in Barcelona. They are the BEST host I´ve ever had!!! They are such nice host who would like to do something togther with me and getting to know me. Unexpectedly, they prepared lunch when I first arrived, brought me out for dinner and went to places where I won´t go alone normally. I´m glad that they have a genuine interest in meeting and getting to know people. Natalia was so excited when I told her we had the cartoon "Heidi" back home (Raul and I laughed so hard when she was singing the theme song of Heidi in Spanish. Yea- Natalia ws high that time!!! ) and Raul was very impressed when he found me knowing so many soccer players in Real Madrid and Barca (Of course!!! Rual´s actually one of my favorite players!!!).
Being their first guest from Asia, I found them so interested in knowing about me. Sometimes even the most trivial and slightest matter can trigger their curiosity. One night when i was eating noodles with chopstickes , Raul was looking at me in awe. He didn´t say a word. Eventually I turned my head, feeling embarrassed to tell him that - the way that i hold chopsticks is wrong!
"Comment?" He looked in disbelief.
Then I explained that my mom isn´t that strict and she never really corrects me like other parents do by hitting their kids´hands if they don´t hold it right. And - actaully I find a lot of Chinese don´t hold chopsticks correctly!
He rolled his eyes , looking even more puzzled ...
I still can´t believe where I am as I´m writing this- I´m in Susana´s place!!! I´m in Valencia!!! I´m now with a friend who left Toronto just a month ago!!! It´s hard for me to believe that we´re seeing each other just now. But it feels SO good. Visiting a place where I know somebody is expecting me makes me feel special, for in that sense, I feel I´m more than just a visitor or tourist to a place. Very often I find people take heart more deeply than anything else. Of course architectures, landscapes, attractions of a place can be fascinating, but if you know somebody from a place, that place means more than just a name on the map !
Having been traveling for a month, I feel a bit homesick - homesick for a place that feels like home. Staying with Sus´family helps a whole lot - ´cause here I can have homemade-style food, a bedroom where I can throw out whatever I like and not have to worry about it, a fridge from which I can take anything I like and a mom and a dad. As Sus puts it, " My food is your food. My fridge is your fridge. My house is your house. Whenever you feel hungry, just open the fridge and take whatever you want from it."
This make-yourself-home thing makes me feel truly comfortable to be here!
(Oh btw, another "homey" thing I can do here is to watch Roland Garros ((Spanish Nadal vs Argentine Ruperta)) this year! I miss it SO much! I hardly forget I´m one big tennis geek had Sus not asked ...and also one big soccer fan!)
*****
Blessed by the Meditterranean´s weather, Valencia is drenched with pleasane sunshine all year-round. The beach here in Valencia is just AWESOME! I don´t know how true it is that one doesn´t want to go anywhere after s/he has been to the beach, as Sus insists, but the time spent lying and just enjoying the sun this afternoon was great! I LOVE the beach now! ^.^
*****
Talking about staying here, I now find Spanish people are by far the most hospitable. This couple Raul and Natalia are my host in Barcelona. They are the BEST host I´ve ever had!!! They are such nice host who would like to do something togther with me and getting to know me. Unexpectedly, they prepared lunch when I first arrived, brought me out for dinner and went to places where I won´t go alone normally. I´m glad that they have a genuine interest in meeting and getting to know people. Natalia was so excited when I told her we had the cartoon "Heidi" back home (Raul and I laughed so hard when she was singing the theme song of Heidi in Spanish. Yea- Natalia ws high that time!!! ) and Raul was very impressed when he found me knowing so many soccer players in Real Madrid and Barca (Of course!!! Rual´s actually one of my favorite players!!!).
Being their first guest from Asia, I found them so interested in knowing about me. Sometimes even the most trivial and slightest matter can trigger their curiosity. One night when i was eating noodles with chopstickes , Raul was looking at me in awe. He didn´t say a word. Eventually I turned my head, feeling embarrassed to tell him that - the way that i hold chopsticks is wrong!
"Comment?" He looked in disbelief.
Then I explained that my mom isn´t that strict and she never really corrects me like other parents do by hitting their kids´hands if they don´t hold it right. And - actaully I find a lot of Chinese don´t hold chopsticks correctly!
He rolled his eyes , looking even more puzzled ...
