Hitchhiking Log

Years ago, I remember talking with my brother about taking a trip around the US by hitchhiking. Of course it was just a crazy dream that we never lived out. Since that day, however, I’ve met many hitchhikers during my travels and have been inspired to join the club. It’s not as predictable, comfortable or convenient but it is free and a lot of fun! After my first 30 or so rides, I realized that I was forgetting all of the interesting people I’d met. To remedy the problem, I started taking pictures with those who aren’t scared of the camera. Here’s the result.

26 May 2010, Paris

Name: Patience & Sandra

Hitching with: Solo
Waited: 15 minutes
Distance: 20km
Offered: -

Notes: Evangelists from Congo living in Paris. Picked me up in the pouring rain, said they always pick up any hitchhiker they see.

26 May 2010, Beauvais to Paris

Name: Bruno

Hitching with: Solo
Waited: 25 minutes
Distance: 60km
Offered: -

Notes: Refused a picture. Middle-aged man who wants his daughter to go to the US and learn English.

26 May 2010, Beauvais

Name: Rémy

Hitching with: Solo
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 10km
Offered: -

Notes: First time picking someone up, drove by a couple of times before deciding to pick me up. Was in France’s only fraternity.

19 May 2010, Bursa to Yalova

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 70 minutes
Distance: 75km
Offered: Gave Pedro an evil eye and gave us money for lunch

Notes: Insane man. Dangerous driver. Very friendly.

19 May 2010, Bandirma to Bursa

Name: Gokhan

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 2 minutes
Distance: 115km
Offered: –

Notes: Picked up by young recent grad, Dr. Gokhan. A GP looking to become a plastic surgeon.

19 May 2010, Biga to Bandirma

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 66 minutes
Distance: 75km
Offered: Cokes and cigarettes

Notes: Truck driver with “Maasallah” written on it. Refused a picture.

19 May 2010, Lapseki to Biga

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 40 minutes
Distance: 60km
Offered: Food

Notes: None

19 May 2010, Canakkale

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 1 minute
Distance: 15km
Offered: Troy keychain

Notes: None

19 May 2010, to Lapseki

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 1 minute
Distance: 10km
Offered: None

Notes: Asking the way to Istanbul and 2 soldiers picked us up, dropping us off in the outskirts of Canakkale to get out of the city. Couldn’t believe we were hitching to Istanbul.

17 May 2010, Island of Bozcaada North to South

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 15 minutes
Distance: 15km
Offered: -

Notes: Rode to beach with man and his young daughter around 10pm

17 May 2010, Island of Bozcaada South to North

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 15 minutes
Distance: 15km
Offered: -

Notes: None

17 May 2010, Island of Bozcaada North to South

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 15 minutes
Distance: 15km
Offered: -

Notes: None

17 May 2010, Geyikli to Bozcaada

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 15 minutes
Distance: 15km
Offered: -

Notes: Bus driver picked us up for free and dropped us off at the port. Had to pay for the ferry. At this point we actually had 20 different rides in Turkey, though I only remember around 10.

17 May 2010, Ezine to Geyikli

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 10 minutes
Distance: 20km
Offered: -

Notes: Rode with 2 old people in a small town

17 May 2010, Canakkale to Ezine

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 50km
Offered: Turkish Pizza

Notes: None

16 May 2010, Troy to Canakkale

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 35km
Offered: ?

Notes: None

16 May 2010, Troy

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 5km
Offered: ?

Notes: Asked in the parking lot for rides to the highway 5km away. European couple told us they had no space, though there was nothing in their car at all, and we thanked them anyway. Started making the walk to the highway and they picked us up as they drove by, apparently convinced that we weren’t killers.

16 May 2010, Canakkale to Troy

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 35km
Offered: ?

Notes: Owner of insurance company in a nice car – took us to the entrance of Troy

15 May 2010, Gelibolu to Canakkale

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 50km
Offered: ?

Notes: First time hitching on a ferry. Rode with a big guy, greesy slicked-back hair, spoke no English – very friendly, listened to ridiculously loud techno music and drove like a bat out of hell. Hitched with him onto ferry to Canakkale.

15 May 2010, Kesan to Gelibolu

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 70km
Offered: ?

Notes: None

15 May 2010, Tekirdag to Kesan

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 90km
Offered: ?

Notes: None

15 May 2010, Istanbul to Tekirdag

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Pedro
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 150km
Offered: ?

Notes: None

2 May 2010, Le Mans to Paris

Name: Jean Bastien

Hitching with: Krista
Waited: 15 minutes
Distance: 200km
Offered: -

Notes: Tall, clean cut handsome guy in a nice car. Designs rooms in trains for a living in Belgium, but lives in Paris. Commutes. Added me on Facebook

2 May 2010, La Fleche to Le Mans

Name: Jessica

Hitching with: Krista
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 25km
Offered: -

Notes: Pretty girl picked me up on the side of the highway, took me to a rond-point to a Paris péage in Le Mans

2 May 2010, Nantes to La Fleche

Name: ?

Hitching with: Krista
Waited: 15 minutes
Distance: 180km
Offered: Cigarettes

Notes: Romanian guy driving all the way to Germany and through Paris. Spoke no English or French. Would have been a direct ride, but he got pulled over in La Fleche for speeding and had to stay, waiting for a friend to pay his fine. Headed out on the highway, planning to walk 5 hours to Le Mans, spending the night and taking a train.

3 Apr 2010, Nantes to La Rochelle

Name: Cheese Man

Hitching with: Krista
Waited: 1 minute
Distance: 140km
Offered: -

Notes: Met Krista’s friend, guy who wanted to make her a cheese dinner, at a rest station. Took us to La Rochelle. It was raining, so Antoine picked us up on the way to Bordeaux. Left my “George hat” in cheese man’s car.

3 Apr 2010, Nantes

Name: Pierre

Hitching with: Krista
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 30km
Offered: -

Notes: Woman (grocery clerk?) left us on highway, didn’t know what we were doing. Walked to a rest station where we saw one of Krista’s friends.

3 Apr 2010, Nantes

Name: Pierre

Hitching with: Krista
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 30km
Offered: -

Notes: Took my number, messages me on occasion to ask how I am

3 Apr 2010, Nantes

Name: Unknown

Hitching with: Krista
Waited: 20 minutes
Distance: 30km
Offered: -

Notes: Took us to middle of nowhere, had to hitch back to Nantes

Hitchhiking Log

26 May 2010, Paris

26 May 2010, Beauvais to Paris

26 May 2010, Beauvais

19 May 2010, Bursa to Yalova

19 May 2010, Bandirma to Bursa

19 May 2010, Biga to Bandirma

19 May 2010, Lapseki to Biga

19 May 2010, Canakkale

19 May 2010, to Lapseki

17 May 2010, Island of Bozcaada North to South

17 May 2010, Island of Bozcaada South to North

17 May 2010, Island of Bozcaada North to South

17 May 2010, Geyikli to Bozcaada

17 May 2010, Ezine to Geyikli

17 May 2010, Canakkale to Ezine

16 May 2010, Troy to Canakkale

16 May 2010, Troy

16 May 2010, Canakkale to Troy

15 May 2010, Gelibolu to Canakkale

15 May 2010, Kesan to Gelibolu

15 May 2010, Tekirdag to Kesan

15 May 2010, Istanbul to Tekirdag

2 May 2010, Le Mans to Paris

2 May 2010, La Fleche to Le Mans

2 May 2010, Nantes to La Fleche

3 Apr 2010, Nantes to La Rochelle

3 Apr 2010, Nantes

3 Apr 2010, Nantes

3 Apr 2010, Nantes

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