Halbzeit

Let it go
Half time. It’s about seven months and two weeks. I was planning, saving and calculating for 15 months. So this is it. What is about to come will be shorter than what’s behind me. Weird thought. I have a very contradictory feeling about the past months… On one level, so much has happened that it […] Read More

Bonjour Montréal

Let it go
And another booking completed, with airbnb and with the help of my friend Francois, whom I met back in Buenos Aires. Bonjour Montréal! I’ll be staying in Josées charming apartment in Plateau Mont-royal. It seems to be a great area and I can’t wait to discover the city. I have been to Montreal for only two […] Read More

In the heart of Tel Aviv

Let it go
I finally booked my place in Tel Aviv. I was really late this time and a lot of apartments were gone or partially booked for my time there. But I found a nice, central place with Adi, and it’s close to the beach and the Yemenite Quarter, where I already stayed in 2012. I’m looking […] Read More

On to Istanbul

Let it go
And I’m off again, now to Istanbul. I’ll meet Sven and Kevin there for a few days, then my sister Sabine will join me for ten days. I’m curious to see if I can tweet from there now. Interesting times. Here are the details: Flight 20 to Istanbul Date: 04/05/2014 Code: THY1914 from ZRH to […] Read More

75825 kilometers

Let it go
As I really like statistics and numbers, like the longest flight, the plane models etc, I kept track of all that data on my travels. After the first trip around the globe, here are the statistics: In total I travelled 75825 kilometers, which is roughly 1.9 times the circumference of the Earth. This figure includes the flights, the […] Read More

Full circle

Let it go
Today, I am boarding my last flight of my first Round-the-world ticket, flying from Tokyo-Narita back to Zurich, where it all started 6 months and 26 days ago. I’ll have a short technical stop at Lake Constance, seeing my family and a few friends there, washing, changing clothes and dropping some superfluous weight before heading […] Read More

Back to Tokyo

Let it go
I hopped onto the Shinkansen again this morning, speeding back the 894.2 km in around 4h45, which includes the little stop in Osaka. It’s an amazing technology, and such a smooth ride. Time flies. The tracks run through what is I guess the most populated areas of Japan, honestly it seems like one big continuous […] Read More

Slowing down in Osaka

Let it go
I need to slow down. Seriously. Who thinks after six months and three weeks I’m relaxed as can be should ask my feet. Or my back and shoulders. I need a massage… I am mostly so tired right after breakfast I want to crawl back to bed…. I’ve been traveling too much and doing too […] Read More

Osaka

Let it go
These two weeks in Tokyo have passed way to fast. I do regret a bit that I did not stick with my initial plan to stay four full weeks in Tokyo. I had feared I would be lost in translation (and I am!) and be bored like in the movie… What a big error. There’s […] Read More

Train ride through Nippon

Let it go
Next week, I’ll get my Japan Rail pass. I ordered it in New Zealand, as you can only acquire it from abroad. Two weeks for 330 Euros, (nearly) all trains except some few super-mega-express Shinkansen trains. But most of the high speed Shinkansen trains are covered… You just can’t beat that. So I had to […] Read More

Road trip budget

Let it go
And with the last bills paid, here’s the budget for the 16-day road trip through New Zealand. All in all I spent 1615 € in 16 days, which is basically the budget foreseen. 685 €  Hotels and Accommodation 435 €  Eating out & drinks 260 €  Cultural activities, entry fees, etc… 140 €  Supermarkets 50   €  other expenses […] Read More