Hiking through Armenia’s Dilijan National Park
At 6.30AM I walked through the empty streets of Yerevan on a Sunday morning. There were only a few joggers and the odd cyclist. Everyone else was still asleep. But today I had plans: a group hiking trip to the Dilijan National Park. When I reached the meeting point I was surprised to see a big bus waiting for all of us. We were hiking with 50-ish people! As we drove north we picked up a few people on the highway until the bus was pretty much full. I had the idea that everyone was Armenian. Everyone seemed to understand each other apart from me. After catching a glimpse of lake Sevan we stopped at a huge rest area, with supermarket, petrol station, restaurant and café. It appeared to be the must-do stop on the way north. When we left the bus drove through a small town and up the…
The Spreewald by water
It seems like I end up in the Spreewald once every summer, but never had I explored it on the water. When my team was planning a day out, I took the lead and booked some canoes. It was the last week of August and after some really hot weather, it seemed like fall was on its way. The weekend had been dreary and this morning clouds were hanging over Berlin, with about 19 degrees. But the forecast for the Spreewald looked better. So we packed layers, but also sunglasses and made our way to Lübbenau by train. While one guy explained the route to us, another put the 2 canoes in the water. We were ready to go! Close to Lübbenau we saw more canoers and kayakers leaving for a trip on the Spreewald’s waterways, but since there are so many options, it quickly spread out and at times…
Mystery and secrets in Laos
Even on my way to Phonsavan I wasn’t sure if it would be worth the trip. But that’s the thing about traveling, if you take a chance, at times you’re rewarded with unique experiences you never expected to have. Phonsavan is the capital of the most bombarded province in the world! Not just Laos, but the world! Still thousands of bombs are scattered around the landscape. In Laos, people still get hurt by unexploded ordnance on a daily basis. So why on earth was I heading this way? It took me over 6 hours to get here from the popular Van Vieng. At the North bus station I boarded a big family car. What!? Yeah, this was my bus. My bag ends up on the roof and I sit on a fold-out seat next to the window. There are 3 rows of people and 2 people squeeze in next to…
Karlštejn: the king’s jewelry box
Prague’s a beautiful city, but after several visits, I felt the need to explore somewhere further out. I found a castle in the small town of Karlštejn, South West of Prague, that looked like an interesting place for a day trip. After an enjoyable train ride of just under an hour, our train rolled into the small station of Karlštejn. We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, but we weren’t the only tourists alighting here. It was easy enough to follow the group in the right direction, across the river and up the hill, past souvenir shops and little cafés. In the distance we already saw the solid walls of Karlštejn Castle. On this beautiful summer day the castle was a popular attraction. You had to book a timed ticket for your visit. Perhaps that was why it didn’t feel so busy at all. I enjoyed the peaceful…
Through a quarry to the Stienitzsee
Combining history and nature in Rüdersdorf near Berlin On my walk on the 66 Seen Weg I’d passed through Rüdersdorf. On the way I saw an interesting looking museum: Museumspark Rüdersdorf. I didn’t have the time or energy to visit then, but when I saw a meetup that would visit the park posted on the internet, I grabbed my chance and signed up. As part of this meetup we first visited the museum and then hiked along the big Stienitzsee towards the S-bahn station in Strausberg. This was my first ever meetup and I hope it will be the first of many. All summer I’ve been hiking alone, but now the main Corona scare is over there are groups going out into the nature again. Beforehand I’d contacted some of the group and found a travel buddy so I could use the public transport for free. We met up at…
A walk to the monastery of Chorin
The train passed familiar places like Biesenthal and Melchow, places I had visited on my 66 lakes walk around Berlin. But today I went a little bit further into the state of Brandenburg to explore the Schorfheide nature area. At Britz I started my walk and I discovered another surprising area not far from the city. I walked the dirt roads that still exist in the town of Britz until I reached the forest. This time I’d remembered to put on bug spray at the train station, so it was a lot more pleasant than the day before. Suddenly the forest gives way to a little swampy clearing. Tall, thin trees shoot out from the bright green tall grasses. I cross a little overgrown bridge that bounces a little when I step on it. Like my guidebook says, it is truly idyllic, but it’s also very small. On the other…
Hikes of Berlin: Wannsee to Potsdam
I had such a great idea. Let’s go hiking on the hottest day of the week! I think the thermometer got to about 36 degrees and yet it felt perfect when I started my walk in the morning at the Wannsee S-bahn station. I’d picked a 15 km walk with swimming opportunities and the option to take a ferry to an island to do some more walking there. I started walking along the shore of the Wannsee, a massive and super popular lake. Close to the S-bahn station is a bathing spot and most people made their way straight there. Others were going on a trip with one of the big boats waiting in the harbor. I took a left and walked through an area with big houses and lots of sailing and rowing clubs. When I reached a statue with a lion I’d reached the walking path along the…
The elegance of Elafonisi on Crete
During my time in Chania on Crete I did a few day trips to the famous beaches in the West of the island. Elafonisi was on my list, but my roommate at the hostel had told me he wasn’t that impressed. He also said he went as part of a tour and felt as if it was a long day for just 3,5 hours at the beach, with stops at restaurants where he didn’t want to go. I wanted to see it for myself and decided to take the public bus. It meant I had a looooooong day at the beach, but at least I didn’t have the obligatory stops of an organised tour. I must say that from the moment my eyes saw the beach I was simply blown away. What’s not to like! It’s the perfect lagoon, with lots of shallow water that is so clear it looks…
Unwinding at Balos beach
Balos beach, the most beautiful beach in Greece? I’d seen many photos of Balos Beach online while I did my research for my holiday to Crete. This beach is considered one of the top beaches in the world. I knew a day trip out to Balos and Gramvousa would be beautiful, but I tried not to have high expectations. When the ferry docked in Balos I was blown away. I think my mouth actually fell open. This could not be real! I decided to book a day trip to Balos beach and Gramvousa island from Chania. Basically what it meant was that a coach picked me up near my hostel and dropped me off at the port in Kissamos. We received boat tickets and then we were on our own. I may as well have gone by public bus. A huge ferry boat lie waiting for us in the harbour.…
The Arkadi monastery on Crete
Taking the bus to the Arkadi monastery Not far from Rethymno stands the beautiful Arkadi monastery. It’s a popular destination for tourists staying in the Rethymno area. If you have a car you can make a great trip visiting the monastery and some other attractions in the area, like the pottery village of Margarites. Well… I didn’t have a car, but I made it out to Arkadi anyway. From the bus station I joined one other man on the bus towards the mountains. Arkadi was the first major stop on the route after about 40 minutes. My bus driver was pretty grumpy this morning. He pointed out I had the wrong ticket and walked back into the station with me. He had the ticket guy print another one, but again it had the wrong destination on it. A conversation happened in Greek and I was sent back to the bus,…