Fear and Loathing with Pegasus Airlines

By |March 1st, 2017|adventure, Asia, Central Asia, Gear, Journeys, Kyrgyzstan, Philosophy, Tips, Topics, Tough Luck!|

Since I flew for the first time in 1999, a lot has changed. Flying is nothing special anymore, pure routine like riding a bus. You can eat at home, check-in online, stewards and stewardesses no longer need to smile and no one cares about safety instructions. It is understood that the pilot lands the [...]

The Pants for Every Purpose

By |December 8th, 2014|Gear, Journeys|

I've been wearing them almost  every day for ten months straight, no matter if I was horse trekking in Mongolia, on a glacier expedition in Kyrgyzstan or on a desert tour in Uzbekistan. My Fjällräven Barents G-1000 never let me down. Before the trip, I bought it  in a shop for hunting gear and I [...]

Couchsurfing in Switzerland

By |May 5th, 2014|Couchsurfing @en, Europe, Journeys, Switzerland|

"You must not park here!" says the man, waving the wrench in the air. I'm standing on a gravel yard next to the road and before I even can get out of the car, the resident appeared to rebuke me: "You have to park in the marked bays." After eight months Kyrgyzstan, the Swiss pedantry [...]

Do you need a Solar Panel?

By |January 14th, 2014|Gear, Journeys, Topics|

Before I started my trip, I got myself a Goal Zero solar panel, the smallest one: Nomad7. It is available as Adventure Kit, with all kinds of adapters and other accessories. I didn't have to use it very often, but if I did, it was really necessary - primarily to charge my cell phone. These [...]

Couchsurfing in Almaty

By |January 8th, 2014|Asia, Central Asia, Couchsurfing @en, Journeys, Kazakhstan|

The taxi driver asks: "What was your first impression of Almaty?" I answer: "A nasty rip off by a taxi driver." In the morning, I took the Mashrutka from Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) to Almaty (Kazakhstan):      Cost: 500 Som (10 USD) one-way      Driving time: approximately five hours      Border post: Korday      Reason: visa extension [...]

The Red Fox

By |September 7th, 2013|Asia, Central Asia, Gear, Kyrgyzstan|

It may happen that you start traveling in summer and, unintended, are not yet back in winter. Because there was no room in your 70-liter backpack for the thick down jacket, you will just stand there, clueless and freezing. The purchase of winter clothing can be fatal for a small travel budget. In this situation, [...]

Couchsurfing in Bishkek

By |September 5th, 2013|Asia, Couchsurfing @en, Kyrgyzstan, Topics|

"The shower is over there" , my couchsurfing host, Erdem, shows me his apartment. " A bathroom!? INSIDE the house?" I have not seen this for a long time. Erdem takes a beer from the fridge and puts it in front of me. Then he shows me the WiFi access. I 'm in seventh heaven. [...]

Couchsurfing in Ulan Bator

By |August 9th, 2013|Asia, Couchsurfing @en, Mongolia, Topics, Trans-Siberian Railway|

An American guy on the train told me: "Don't stay too long in UB." I wasn't planning on, but I ended up staying over a week and a half in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. Why? - Circumstances. Now I'm sitting here, in Sun's Nomads Guesthouse (10 U.S. dollars per night with breakfast), located [...]

Couchsurfing in Irkutsk

By |July 27th, 2013|Asia, Couchsurfing @en, Russia, Trans-Siberian Railway|

"Das ist mir scheißegal! " Sasha shouts, pulling his eyebrows together. We laugh. "That really sounds German" I praise him. Sasha is my "couchsurfing host" in Irkutsk. He lives in a large two bedroom apartment in the city center. He is a programmer and speaks excellent English - a welcome change from my previous encounters [...]