Destinations

The sun finally comes out from behind the clouds and it suddenly gets downright hot. While I got wet before, the sun is now drying my bike and me again. It’s lunchtime and I’m hungry. It’s a good thing that the canton capital of Solothurn is right in front of me on my journey…

After a café in Luxeuil-le-Bains I finally reach Burgundy. I come through many small villages and drive through the fields on lonely roads. Where are the vineyards? Isn’t Burgundy famous for its wine? Shouldn’t one venerable winery line up next to the other? I come through countless…

There are old, medieval stories in which Burgundy plays a big role. The action also takes place there in the German Nibelungenlied, although the capital of the kingdom is Worms. However, the city is about 400 kilometers away on the Rhine and there is also Xanten where Hero Siegried comes…

For the whole time during my stay in Cyprus I wondered what it would be like on the Turkish side of the island. Is it like the Greek part or is it like Turkey? Is it everyday life or anarchy? As always, there is only one way to find out: go there yourself! After seeing the Greek part…

Having already explored the city of Paphos and the mountains of Troodos by motorbike, it’s time for the coast. After all, this is an island. I imagined Cyprus to be bigger, but the more I get to know about the island, the smaller it seems. The cities are not particularly big, but…

From the port city of Larnaca at the eastern end of the Greek part of Cyprus, I take the intercity bus to the western end of the island. There is a short stop in Limassol, also called “Limassolgrad” by the locals because of the high proportion of Russian residents, before continuing to…

After three years full of crises caused by the wave of refugees from Syria, the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the economic crisis with the resulting inflation and bomb attacks in Istanbul and now the earthquake in the east of the country, I am back in Turkey and at TIAFI swept in…

Having arrived in the dark, I haven’t had a chance to eat anything yet. I find a café for breakfast, but then the program continues. I book one of the local day tours and after the last drop of hot tea on my lips I’m off. The tour group is boring, but I get the opportunity to get…

Our epic South America trip is now over. From Medellín we flew to Istanbul via Bogota. There we meet Sara’s family at the airport and fly together to Antalya. The political situation in Iran does not allow us to stay there. We would actually be in mortal danger there. We take a nice…

We take a taxi through Medellín, the city of eternal spring, as the residents affectionately say. However, over the pleasant climate and friendly people, a dark shadow hangs over the city: the legacy of Pablo Escobar. Pablo Escobar was one of the most notorious drug lords in…

In the morning after the night full of spiders, snakes and other poisonous animals, the program continues straight away. I found out that it is possible to visit a village of the indigenous Embara people and I really want to do it. I persuade Sara and Uwe and fix the day for which…

From the beautiful valley of Quindío and the idyllic town of Salento we return to the expressway and follow it north towards Medellín. We cross the tropical mountains and follow the Rio Cauca, a flowing river of brown broth with a powerful current. When we stop for lunch, the…

Over the pass of Alto de la Línea we finally reach Armenia with a few obstacles. We were referred to Angela and Jorge by travelers we met along the way. The couple has a beautiful finca outside the city surrounded by fruit, cocoa and coffee plantations. We announced ourselves via…

Overlooking the Tatacoa Desert as the sun rises, we enjoy freshly brewed espresso and boiled eggs. It’s time to head out and a shower would be a good idea too. But then an opportunity presents itself… What could be better in the morning than a proper mud bath? North of Villavieja,…

Surprisingly, it continues after the end of the world. In the nearby town of Mocoa we have to withdraw money, get water and buy insurance for the car. It’s going on forever because they can’t get along with my passport number as identification. The South American ID cards only contain a…

We leave the magic of the jungle behind and face the bitter reality. Close to the Colombian border, safety is our top priority as there are many ugly stories about drug smugglers in the area that are not to be trifled with. The increased police and military presence around Nueva Loja…

We spend another ten days in Quito until the parts we need finally arrive. In the meantime, my friend Uwe has also reached us, who will accompany us for a month. Through other travelers I learn that a landslide destroyed the Panamericana in southern Colombia. There are few…

Previously we rented bikes in Puerto Villamil and rode them to the end of the beach to spend time with Leon, the white and black beaches and the cold waves and its residents. Now it goes a few stations further. The path continues after the long beach and leads through a bizarre…