Difference between revisions of "User:Tmoon"
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[[Image:tmoon.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Trying (and failing) to hitchhike out of [[Maastricht]], [[Netherlands]].]] | [[Image:tmoon.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Trying (and failing) to hitchhike out of [[Maastricht]], [[Netherlands]].]] | ||
| + | [[Image:Israel_338.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Quiet road through the Maktesh Ramon crater at [[Mitzpe Ramon]], [[Israel]].]] | ||
Hitchhiker from the [[UK]], living on the [[Isle of Man]]. Wishes he could unicycle. | Hitchhiker from the [[UK]], living on the [[Isle of Man]]. Wishes he could unicycle. | ||
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''Adventure #7:'' '''The TT course''', January 2008 | ''Adventure #7:'' '''The TT course''', January 2008 | ||
| − | ''Distance travelled:'' ''' | + | ''Adventure #8:'' '''Israel by thumb''', January-February 2008 |
| + | |||
| + | ''Distance travelled:'' '''10737km''' of which 5920km hitchhiking alone, 2891km with one other hitchhiker, and 1926km hitchhiking in a group of three; done 10157km by road, 580km by rail, and not hitchhiked by sea or air... yet | ||
''Longest lift:'' I think it's '''352km''', through Germany from [[Inntal Ost]] ([[A93]] services) to [[Pforzheim Nord]] ([[A8]] services), September 2006 - and by the goodest good golly gosh were we grateful for it | ''Longest lift:'' I think it's '''352km''', through Germany from [[Inntal Ost]] ([[A93]] services) to [[Pforzheim Nord]] ([[A8]] services), September 2006 - and by the goodest good golly gosh were we grateful for it | ||
| − | '' | + | ''Furthest distance in 24 hours:'' '''1042km''', from [[Rome]], Italy, to [[Lausanne]], Switzerland, August 2006 |
| − | ''Countries hitchhiked (earliest first):'' [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], [[Netherlands]], [[Poland]], [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Estonia]], [[Sweden]], [[Denmark]], [[Switzerland]], [[Italy]], [[Austria]], [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Ireland]], [[Isle of Man]] | + | ''Countries hitchhiked (earliest first):'' [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], [[Netherlands]], [[Poland]], [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Estonia]], [[Sweden]], [[Denmark]], [[Switzerland]], [[Italy]], [[Austria]], [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Ireland]], [[Isle of Man]], [[Israel]] |
''Most useful lift:'' Gabor the Hungarian, who picked us up at Pforzheim Nord and didn't care where he was going - he wanted to be a personal taxi service. So we got him to take us to a mate's house in [[Kelkheim]], 177km away. Although neither of us trusted him, and he tried to abduct my travelling partner, it was one hell of a useful lift | ''Most useful lift:'' Gabor the Hungarian, who picked us up at Pforzheim Nord and didn't care where he was going - he wanted to be a personal taxi service. So we got him to take us to a mate's house in [[Kelkheim]], 177km away. Although neither of us trusted him, and he tried to abduct my travelling partner, it was one hell of a useful lift | ||
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''Least useful lift:'' the Slovakian white van man who took us to the wrong side of [[Bratislava]], on the wrong motorway and facing in the wrong direction, making us fail the Bummit to Belgrade competition | ''Least useful lift:'' the Slovakian white van man who took us to the wrong side of [[Bratislava]], on the wrong motorway and facing in the wrong direction, making us fail the Bummit to Belgrade competition | ||
| − | ''Best hitchhiking spot used:'' [[Brunautal West]] ([[A7]] services) in Germany, where three | + | ''Most fun lift:'' two Israeli soldiers found me north of [[Tiberias]], and took me with them for a great day out throwing snowballs, avoiding minefields and exploring abandoned military outposts in the [[Golan Heights]], before tasty ostrich steak and a cross-country drive just to drop me back in [[Haifa]]. Also, drinking syrupy hot chocolate with a French white van man and his two young children as we travelled through the Italian Alps was fun. And I won't forget the three Danish students on the start of their roadtrip |
| + | |||
| + | ''Best hitchhiking spot used:'' [[Brunautal West]] ([[A7]] services) in Germany, where those three Danish students dropped me off in front of around 200 hard rock fans going home from the Wacken festival. I could pick and choose from so many offered rides, going all over Europe... the only way the situation could have been better would be if I was among a crowd of hippies | ||
''Worst hitchhiking spot used:'' an empty motorway junction outside [[Meerane]] (near [[Zwickau]]), Germany. All hope seemed lost. Whilst I was thankful to the previous driver for going 50km off his route, he did it so as to drop me off in the most useless place he could find | ''Worst hitchhiking spot used:'' an empty motorway junction outside [[Meerane]] (near [[Zwickau]]), Germany. All hope seemed lost. Whilst I was thankful to the previous driver for going 50km off his route, he did it so as to drop me off in the most useless place he could find | ||
| − | ''Shortest time waiting:'' | + | ''Best scenery:'' waking up at a service station in the mountains east of [[Aosta]], then travelling through the town, and north on the [[E27]] across the Swiss border towards [[Lausanne]] - this was unforgettable and was well worth the overnight hitchhike from [[Rome]]. In Germany, I had the opportunity to hitchhike to [[Traben-Trarbach]] through the hills and vineyards. I've hitchhiked through some beautiful Israeli scenery, especially Route 40 south of [[Be'er Sheva]], and the mountain roads around [[Galilee]] and the [[Golan Heights]]. All of the Isle of Man (especially the A18 'mountain road') is breathtaking |
| + | |||
| + | ''Shortest time waiting:'' two seconds, at [[Antwerp]], Belgium. A driver pulled up just as we'd picked our spot, and took us towards the Netherlands. My travelling partners both fancied the pants off him | ||
''Longest time waiting:'' a spot in central [[Cologne]], going east. I'd used the spot the year before and it took 2 hours for a lift to arrive. This time we weren't so lucky; after waiting for eight hours, we cut our losses and hitchhiked a train | ''Longest time waiting:'' a spot in central [[Cologne]], going east. I'd used the spot the year before and it took 2 hours for a lift to arrive. This time we weren't so lucky; after waiting for eight hours, we cut our losses and hitchhiked a train | ||
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==Planned hitchhiking trips== | ==Planned hitchhiking trips== | ||
| − | [[Image:Sheffieldbedroomwall.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A collection of [[signs]] used in 2006. | + | [[Image:Sheffieldbedroomwall.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A collection of [[signs]] used in 2006. 2008 collection under construction...]] |
| − | Yes, some trips are planned :). | + | Yes, some trips are planned :). But I don't have any planned at the moment. Come to the [[Isle of Man]] and I'll race you around the [[TT course]]! |
| − | I don't | ||
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| − | |||
| − | |||
==You want some more info! Yes you do ;)== | ==You want some more info! Yes you do ;)== | ||
| − | |||
*[http://tommoon.fotopic.net Tom's webpage] | *[http://tommoon.fotopic.net Tom's webpage] | ||
*[http://secure.hospitalityclub.org/hc/travel.php?cid=tmoon Tom's Hospitality Club profile] | *[http://secure.hospitalityclub.org/hc/travel.php?cid=tmoon Tom's Hospitality Club profile] | ||
Revision as of 03:03, 8 February 2008
Hitchhiker from the UK, living on the Isle of Man. Wishes he could unicycle.
The stats
My definition of 'hitchhike': a journey made
- for free,
- arranged at the moment the journey starts
- with the explicit consent of the vehicle driver,
- who is otherwise a complete stranger to you
(i.e. no car-pooling schemes or similar, public transport drivers must agree to let you travel without paying, and lifts from friends-of friends, work colleagues etc don't count)
Adventure #1: The Gent Escape, August 2004
Adventure #2: Home to Home to Home, June 2006
Adventure #3: "Jedzie Pan do Wrocławie?" "Tak! :)", June 2006
Adventure #4: AWOL in Europe, July-September 2006
Adventure #5: Bummit to Belgrade, March-April 2007
Adventure #6: Final taste of freedom?, August-September 2007
Adventure #7: The TT course, January 2008
Adventure #8: Israel by thumb, January-February 2008
Distance travelled: 10737km of which 5920km hitchhiking alone, 2891km with one other hitchhiker, and 1926km hitchhiking in a group of three; done 10157km by road, 580km by rail, and not hitchhiked by sea or air... yet
Longest lift: I think it's 352km, through Germany from Inntal Ost (A93 services) to Pforzheim Nord (A8 services), September 2006 - and by the goodest good golly gosh were we grateful for it
Furthest distance in 24 hours: 1042km, from Rome, Italy, to Lausanne, Switzerland, August 2006
Countries hitchhiked (earliest first): Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, United Kingdom, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel
Most useful lift: Gabor the Hungarian, who picked us up at Pforzheim Nord and didn't care where he was going - he wanted to be a personal taxi service. So we got him to take us to a mate's house in Kelkheim, 177km away. Although neither of us trusted him, and he tried to abduct my travelling partner, it was one hell of a useful lift
Least useful lift: the Slovakian white van man who took us to the wrong side of Bratislava, on the wrong motorway and facing in the wrong direction, making us fail the Bummit to Belgrade competition
Most fun lift: two Israeli soldiers found me north of Tiberias, and took me with them for a great day out throwing snowballs, avoiding minefields and exploring abandoned military outposts in the Golan Heights, before tasty ostrich steak and a cross-country drive just to drop me back in Haifa. Also, drinking syrupy hot chocolate with a French white van man and his two young children as we travelled through the Italian Alps was fun. And I won't forget the three Danish students on the start of their roadtrip
Best hitchhiking spot used: Brunautal West (A7 services) in Germany, where those three Danish students dropped me off in front of around 200 hard rock fans going home from the Wacken festival. I could pick and choose from so many offered rides, going all over Europe... the only way the situation could have been better would be if I was among a crowd of hippies
Worst hitchhiking spot used: an empty motorway junction outside Meerane (near Zwickau), Germany. All hope seemed lost. Whilst I was thankful to the previous driver for going 50km off his route, he did it so as to drop me off in the most useless place he could find
Best scenery: waking up at a service station in the mountains east of Aosta, then travelling through the town, and north on the E27 across the Swiss border towards Lausanne - this was unforgettable and was well worth the overnight hitchhike from Rome. In Germany, I had the opportunity to hitchhike to Traben-Trarbach through the hills and vineyards. I've hitchhiked through some beautiful Israeli scenery, especially Route 40 south of Be'er Sheva, and the mountain roads around Galilee and the Golan Heights. All of the Isle of Man (especially the A18 'mountain road') is breathtaking
Shortest time waiting: two seconds, at Antwerp, Belgium. A driver pulled up just as we'd picked our spot, and took us towards the Netherlands. My travelling partners both fancied the pants off him
Longest time waiting: a spot in central Cologne, going east. I'd used the spot the year before and it took 2 hours for a lift to arrive. This time we weren't so lucky; after waiting for eight hours, we cut our losses and hitchhiked a train
Biggest moment of genius: none. In this era, your average hitchhiker has a few screws loose
Biggest moment of stupidity: spilling freshly squeezed orange juice onto my rucksack and sleeping bag whilst trying to thumb down a VW camper van outside Jönköping, Sweden on a hot, sticky afternoon. The van didn't stop and I had to grudgingly trudge back to Jönköping centre, wash out my equipment and catch a bus
Planned hitchhiking trips
Yes, some trips are planned :). But I don't have any planned at the moment. Come to the Isle of Man and I'll race you around the TT course!
