HITCH-HIKE JOURNEY

Roman Vehovsky

About my travelling

At september 2002 i pack my rucksack and start my longest hitch-hike journey.. I had no idea, that my overland trip to Australia via Asia will prolong up to seven years.. I embark on an adventure of a life-time..

When i began my journey, i had no idea when and which way i will one day come back.. I had no idea what will be after half year not even where i will sleep following night.. I didn't care about my come back.. My journey was open.. Open to everything.. And everything become a challenge.. A challenge witch i didn't fight with.. Always look towards my travel, never thinking about end.. I was sure, that i will feel, that the right time is close.. Till this time i was happily travel - a year, two, six.. Sometimes i changed my wander boots for working ones and begin work to heal my week travel budget.. One time i was thinking to continue my travel further via South Pacific Islands to Latino America.. But i had to step aside from this idea.. I was already travel for six years and i was only fiddling between Australia and Asia.. If i will continue across Pacific, than my journey will never ending.. I slowly realized, that 6-7 years is already long time.. My parents hair become grey ( they blame me ), my grand parents become week and they wanna see me and some childs at relations already forget me.. I think its right time to appear at home.. So decision was made.. This year (2009) i'm going home..

My journey turned into what is, and has, become an epic odyssey which took me through Europe; Turkey and Iran - prior to my arrival in Pakistan.. I stayed in Pakistan for a month, but unfortunately was forced to "rest" for a week in Lahore's Hospital. When I was discharged from the Hospital, i visited northern part of this country.. Than I headed for India where I spent four months touring. Since Rail Fares were so very cheap, I also took the opportunity to travel at one of busiest and biggest railway system on the world..(which was sometimes much bigger adventure than hitching..) During the first month of my stay in India, I traveled with my hand strapped in plaster - this was a bit inconvenient ( not only when it came to signing my Travelers' checks ..)

From India, I traveled to SE Asia. I had fun hitchhiking through Thailand, Laos and Malaysia. I caught a Ferry in Penang to cross to Medan, Sumatra. From Medan, I made my way to explore several Islands - that was after having crossed the Equator - Java; Bali; Lombok; Sumbawa; Flores and Timor. Following my visit to East Timor; I caught a flight to Darwin, which is in the Northern Territory, Australia. During the year that I remained in Australia, I mainly worked on farms to supplement my income to give me sufficient funds to keep experiencing this wonderful time in my life.

When I landed in Borneo, I set out from the small Sultanate of Brunei to hitch around Sabah. Afterwards, I booked another ferry crossing, leaving from Sandakan, when I eventually arrived in Zamboanga in the Philippines. From Zamboanga, I hitchhiked around Mindanao; Negros; Cebu and Bohol.

I returned to Brunei where I was booked on a flight to Bangkok. I took another opportunity to revisit the Malaysian Peninsula, where I explored the east side of Peninsula. Singapore then beckoned and I spent a few very interesting days there.

I will never forget 1st January 2005 when my "feet" touched the ground in amazing Cambodia. My next port of call was Vietnam, followed by a visit to the Canton Province in China - prior to my undertaking a short hop over to Hong Kong. Whilst in Shanghai, I applied (using my "student" card - made in Bangkok ;-) for 'student' ferry ticket which I used to be ferried to Osaka, Japan.

It was a hard task when I endeavored to sell the photographs which I had taken on my travels, to the Japanese Public in both local Parks and busy Streets. Luckily I managed to save up enough money to pay my way on yet another ferry, to take me over to Korea.

Being on a ferry is much more interesting than using air plane. So I took up the same mode of transport to sail from Inchon back to China, but this time my destination was China's capital, Beijing.

I climb some non-tourist parts of the Great Wall of China and camped at ruins of their towers. I had an amazing time when I hitchhiked my way through the Mongolian Gobi Desert, and was lucky to arrive at my destination of Ulaanbaatar, because roads were conspicuous by their absence! Because Mongolia has not the busiest traffic, i take one week trekking at steppe.. I felt humbled, after spending one month cruising around the country-side, which was made famous by the the great Genghis Khan.

Than I re-visited China for, what seemed to be a "Marathon" which involved my hitchhiking my way through this enormous Nation. After two weeks nonstop hitching i was taking a well-earned rest in the Southern Province of Yunnan..

Feeling refreshed I returned to SE Asia, where, once more, I spent a further year thumbing my way to renew my memories of this area. After yet another year in Asia, which has come and gone, I suddenly found myself back in the "Marsupial" country of Australia, where I lived for another 17-months.

New Zealand, one of the Southern-most Islands in the Pacific Ocean, beckoned me to explore the North and South Islands. I found employment in a Te Puke Kiwifruit Pack house. Te Puke is known by as being the Kiwifruit Capital of the World.

Towards the end of August 2007, I returned to Japan . One month i spend hitching around Hokkaido. Another month i spend at Honshu.. I then took a flight out from Japan to New Caledonia, where i experienced Melanesian custom and culture..

Than at New Zealand i meet up with my brother. We had great time together over two weeks sharing the beautiful scenes that New Zealand offers. When my brother departed NZ Shores, I happened to still be in NZ's South Island, where I celebrated both Christmas, 2007, and welcomed in the New Year, 2008.

At january i arrival again at Australia to hitch around places where i haven been yet - Great Ocean road, Nullabour Plain, Western Australia,.. before arriving, yet again, in Darwin for the second time in six years.

Short fly take me again to Singapore.. My next focus is on going back around Asia.. The september 2008 was marking six years since i left my home.. As a present i get the best hitch of my journey.. I was sailing on nice yacht for ten days between amazingly beautiful islands of southern Thailand.. From SE Asia I moved again to India.. New year 2009 i welcomed with friends at Katmandu.. Than short fly took me from Indian Chennai to Colombo.. I have great memories for travel at Sri Lanka even being bitten by venomous snake.. After trekking at mountains and glaciers at northern Pakistan i was on the way to Iran.. Before i crossed border i was robbed of cash for Iran.. One week at Persia i survived almost with out money.. Spend few days at historical Esfahan and than hitched to Turkey..

After i crossed Bosporus channel i was back at Europe.. Than directly to home..

Six years and eight months.. That's it.. My journey was over..

You can visit albums from each country at Photogallery and Journal entries as well..