Picking up my route again

After my time in Poland I managed to do a bit more traveling in Hungary and Slovenia, but after just four weeks some domestic affairs made me opt for another short interruption of my vagabonding experience. Without being fully in control of matters, that short interruption turned into quite a long break from what I actually had planed on doing.

Early December it finally looked as if I could start traveling again. But I had a problem now. More than two months had passed and the outlook of snow and ice made me wonder whether picking up my trail in Slovenia and meandering from there via Ex-Yugoslavia into Transylvania (which was my original idea for continuing) still made sense. So I got a map and some climate charts and after some studying I decided I should instead concentrate on Turkey and the Middle East. Using public transport to get there, I could choose my route and still see a bit of, at least, Romania and Bulgaria before reaching Turkey, and it would also link this forthcoming vagabonding episode geographically to my travels from last year.

I started with some travel research, sent my passport off for a Syrian visa (apparently Jordan and Lebanon issue visa on entry), bought my first digital version of a Lonely Planet guide (being able to do a text search is just fantastic!) and then, just after getting my passport back the snowy road conditions forced me of my bicycle (thanks to a rather daft maneuver on my part). To cut it short, I managed to injure my foot and this meant I had to wait another couple of weeks before backpacking became an option again. But this latest delay also had a positive side; I got to spend a few days around New Year with a bunch of close friends and we had a truly awesome time.

And this takes me to the presence: I am fully eager to get going, my foot has sufficiently recovered, I am half packed and have one more day to sort the final bits and pieces. On Sunday I'll catch a train to Budapest, and from there I'll get another one to Romania. I have planed to spend a few nights there and in Bulgaria, before heading to Istanbul and beyond. Depending on how things go I will visit at least Syria, Lebanon and Jordan and then return home in April and start looking for work.

Some impressions from Hungary...

Boat spotters, or more likely they are just enjoying the view over Budapest ;)


Delicious local wines and foods at the annual Budapest wine festival. It venues in the castle grounds which just adds to the whole experience. The Tokaj was a wee bit sweet for my liking, although the pickles made more than up for it.



No matter what age, many Hungarians still mourn the loss of land that came with the peace treaties after WWI & WWII.



...and some impressions from Slovenia: with emerald-green rivers and high soaring mountains it is a paradise for outdoor lovers...



In the mountain resort of Bled I came across this vending machine for, you guessed it right, MILK! You can choose between small and large bottles and you even get to fill them yourself!