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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 15, 2017 10:00 PM First stage - by bus...
I was waiting long time (like long 3 months!) for this day... Finally I am on the road again! From my house in Zaspa quarter there is convenient direct tram no. 4 going to the main bus station in the centre of Gdansk. Sunny but rather cold day... I need to take an international bus to Cologne, Germany - my flight to Mauritius departs tomorrow from Koln-Bonn airport. Lucky me! There is a direct bus of Sindbad company going to that airport. I boarded the bus at 1.40 pm. They have even wi-fi on board. Let's go!
After an hour of thravel I already know that Sindbad bus is not so sweet. First of all it is not direct bus. My bus goes to the border town of Swiecko where at midnight I have to change to other Sindbad bus. Second - yes, they have tea and coffee onboard, but you have to pay 0,5 euro per small cup.
Midnight. Cold. I wait for the new bus...
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Mar 14, 2017 10:00 PM New voyage -"By slow boat to China"
I set out on a new journey! I call it jokingly: "By slow boat to China" - do you remember this cute song? It will start with the journey by bus from Gdansk to Cologne, Germany. From there, using the award ticket - prize for previous flights with Star Alliance I'll go up to the distant Mauritius.
There - in Port Louis I will embark the cheap ship sailing so unusual route to China. Travel experience paid off: I was able to find a ship sailing for the renovation in the shipyard in China! Such occasions happen really rare. Along the way, we will call at many ports. Almost all of them I know from previous trips, but it will be nice to look at them from a different perspective - again after years.
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Mar 11, 2017 10:00 PM Travellers Festival in Gdynia
Every year in March in Gdynia, Poland they organize a huge (biggest in Europe - they say!) Festival of Traveling, Alpinism, Sailing and Spelunking. Crowds are coming to the big Gdynia Sport's Hall - also because it is free. The place has 4000 seats andnumber of young people also lay on the sleeping bags on the ground.
I was invited there to give the first lecture 10 years ago.
Today I was invited to give my second slide-show. The title was "50 years with the backpack". They promised me 50 minutes of time, but for unknown reason it was reduced to 30 min. Never more!
I will say true: I was unhappy jumping fast slide to slide. But still I got an applause and many people after the show wanted to have the picture with me. They bought also all my books brought to the place. "-Did you really managed to travel 12 times around the world?" Yes, I did!
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Dec 23, 2016 09:00 PM Merry Christmas dear Friends!
Merry Christmas dear Friends! Let's SantaClaus brings you an air ticket to your dreams destinations (I am also expecting at least one) :)
and have also a Happy New Year 2017 - healthy and full of interesting voyages!
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Dec 21, 2016 09:00 PM Patagonia voyage is completed!
Bravo easyJEET! Despite the busy Christmas period we departed Milan Malpensa on time and landed in Berlin SXF 5 min before the schedule... Minus 1 deg Celsius here! Brrrrr... I had still enough time to prepare in the waiting room a hot instant soup kept in my backpack for the "black hour" - the backpackers know how to make it :) Right in front of the Terminal B of Schonefeld airport there is a stop for international buses. PolskiBus arrived on time and soon we were on the way to Poland. Limited comfort for next 8 hours, but I am going home!
It was 5.25 am when I disembarked the bus in my Gdansk.
Great solo voyage to the fjords and mountains of Patagonia is completed! Did anybody of our travellers reached the dead end of Carretera Austral? Thank you dear friends for keeping your fingers crossed... After 3 sleepless nights I need a rest and then will be the time to buy a Christmas tree. Christmas time is coming!
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Dec 20, 2016 09:00 PM Those Airbus 350 to Milan....
Do you remember my airplane story from the beginning of this voyage? Latam brand new Airbus350 in Milan airport was going twice to the runway trying to start but eventually they send us bus to the hotel and we were flying only on the next day...
Now I was boarding similar Airbus350 of Latam in Sao Paulo. Everything was on time until... Departure to Milan was scheduled on 22.25 The boarding was completed and the doors locked. Why they do not taxing to the runway? 10 minutes, 20, 30. Finally captain announced that they must fix communication system... I was waiting next 40 min, 60 minutes. Can you imagine what I was thinking during that hour in the brand new Airbus350? Will they send us back to the hotel again?
Finally we left Sao Paulo at 0.30...
They served soon a hot meal (nothing special, but I appreciated Bavaria beer) and I found an interesting movie to watch.
After almost 11 hours in flight we landed on Milano Malpensa. With the delay of course, but my easyJet flight to Berlin departs at 6.40 pm.
If it will be on time I will catch in Berlin direct night bus to Gdansk. Let's hope!
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Dec 19, 2016 09:00 PM Buenos aeropuerto on strike... I am stranded!!!
I am forcibly in Sao Paulo waiting for the alternative evening flight. Yesterday in Buenos Ezeiza airport was during half a day on the "trial" strike. It was enough to delay my evening flight to Sao Paulo by 3 hours. The next plane did not wait...They sent us through Brasilian immigrations and customs (it takes a time!) - then at the "checking connections" desk just near exit we were waiting to get the boarding passes for the next day and vouchers for the hotel and meals.
Transfer to the hotel took us again 40 min... Once in the room I started to search for the new transport option on Milan - Gdansk segment. Not easy task just before Christmas, whern the ticket prices are rising!
Got it! - via Berlin... It was 3.15 am when I was finally in the bed. Boa noite, Mr Toptrotter, here is your another adventure!
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Dec 18, 2016 09:00 PM Buuuenos Aires!
Sunny, hot morning. After last visit some 4 years ago I am again in Buenos Aires. City is huge - they say 8 mln people live here, but it has a charm - at least the central part... It was a pleasure to take the morning walk to the well-known places. Casa Rosada, Avenida 9 de Julio - the widest street in the world. I did not see many changes. Only the traffic is bigger and also the city is more polluted... Shame...
Palm trees, beautiful women, flowers, cafes... and everpresent on commercial Florida Street "cambio, cambio..." In the cathedral there are still guards in the uniforms at gen. San Martin's tomb.
What a lovely day at the end of my journey! In ths afternoon I plan to take a cheapest public bus no. 8 from Avenida de Mayo to the distant Ezeiza Airport. I belive that three next flights will be on time! :)
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Dec 17, 2016 09:00 PM Along the Lake Nahuel Huapi
San Carlos the Bariloche lies on the huge lake Nahuel Huapi. The location is very nice. If the sun is shining the water in the lake has unforgettable deep-blue color. And the landscape is framed by the chain of the Andes with some snow on the peaks.
To enjoy the landscape in the morning I took the walk along the coastal road taking pictures in the best places. The most beautiful was kilometro 7,5... It took me some 2 hours to reach this place.
Then I started to hitchhike back to Bariloche but nobody wanted to take me... It seems that in Chile people are more friendly. Finally bus no. 20 arrived and took me to the center. It is comfusing, but to pay for the city transport in Bariloche you have to buy first SUBE electronic card (30 CLP) then put some money on it and than you can pay entering the bus. Standard fare is 13 peso, to the airport you pay 19. Let you know that you can use the same card in Buenos.
In the afternoon I took a flight to Buenos Aires. Latam flight was 40 minutes delayed but it took me to the AEP airport in Buenos, which is closer to the city. As you exit terminal turn right, go to the end of taxi lane and you will see city bus stop. I jumped on 45, which took me to Avenida 9 de Julio for just 7 pesos. Welcome to Buenos Aires!
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Dec 16, 2016 09:00 PM Through the Andes to San Carlos de Bariloche
From Puerto Montt, Chile to Bariloche, Argentina you have a choice of minimum 3 buses per day. I was travelling with Bus Norte, paying 18000 CLP (25 USD) for 7- hours trip. There is also much more interesting transfer by bus-boat-bus-boat-bus with the extra views on sunny day, but it costs 150 USD. I did it 30 yaars ago when it was cheaper... Bus goes via Osorno, there are nice lakes on the way but trees reduce visibility. We reached Chilean immigration post at 12. There was a line of buses but it goes fast on this side. Then we were climbing to the mou tain pass through the dead forest - sad view. Argentine post was 17 kms down from the pass and I must say that theviews on this side were great. Argentine customs were not so sweet - they took selected bagages from the bus and screened them. This takes longer.
After control we started a descend to the famous Lake Nahuel Huapi. Regular bus doesn't on view points but sitting at the right window you still have opportunity to enjoy the great views. At 4 pm I was at the Bariloche bus terminal it is 3 kms before thd center of this big and fancy resort town. 30 years ago it was more quiet... It still has great location but I do not like crowds of tourists, school excursions, and homeless people...
Apart from the lake and mountains Bariloche is famous for the chocolates produced here. In the town, especially around Civic Center (read: city hall square) you will find many samples of Alpine architecture. Bariloche has ambition to be the Switzerland of Argentina. Also so expensive...
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