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Enjoy the freedom.🌿 Read more Panketal, Deutschland
  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 359–362

    Desert, Wardi and back to Muscat

    March 13 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Rainy mountains, old capital city, desert, beach and now back in muscat. We didn’t had much time but we made the best out of it.

    In the desert we been like 15 min but we also couldn’t live without being there. We both been covered in suncreme, just a quick run on a little hill and down again with a sled.

    Man it was hot and it’s just the beginning here, some month they hab’s here over 50 degrees!!
    We couldn’t wait to be near the ocean again.
    So our mission was to hitchhike to the sea as quick as possible. That day was not really easy but at one point we got a lift and three lifts later we arrived in Tiwi.
    Our camp was right next to the ocean, we stayed for two nights. The day after arrived we been in a wardi, just swimming and relaxing before we had to go back to Muscat.
    It’s nice how green it is when there is water around but some meters away you have the feeling of a desert again.

    One night back in Mucat and not much to do..
    We been to the biggest mosque of Oman again and the rest of the day we will chill until our flight is coming. The mosque is one of the most or maybe the most beautiful building we ever saw.
    One last traditional Omani meal will be the last important thing on our journey.

    So that’s it! It’s time to go home and prepare for the next adventures.
    See you again..    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 357–359

    Nizwa and Ibra

    March 11 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Hello old capital city!

    After our crazy hiking and no eating day we needed a rest day. It was also the last before Ramadan, means the last day where restaurants are open in the day time.

    So we had a little lift in the morning to Nizwa and there we stayed the whole day. Nizwa is finally a better looking city and has also some history. Like I said was Nizwa the capital city before, not just for ones and I also don’t really remember the date so I leave it like that.
    In the middle of the city is an old castle with a market where we spent the most of the day before we climbed a hill where we slept.
    That was probably one of the best sleeping spots on our journey.

    New day, new energy and new hitchhiking experience. Our first lift was great, an old man picked us up and gave us a little sighting tour.
    He was really nice and told us a bit about the area. He also visited like every mosque on the way, means we needed over 2 hours for a 30 min ride. We still had a good time and it’s nice to get some input from local people.
    Fun fact he don’t know his age. He said he is like 70 to 75 (not sure which calendar)
    We think he is like 80+

    After he dropped us we had some more lifts and in the times between we been dying in the sun. There is not much to tell.
    We arrived at noon time in Ibra climbed a mountain again and slept next to a river.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 355–357

    Muscat to Tanuf

    March 9 in Oman ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Back „hitchhiking“..
    The first day was working really good and we arrived really quick in the mountains. The people here are really nice and helpful. One time a taxi stopped for us and we told him we don’t want to taxi because we don’t want to pay. He said it’s ok we can go for free and at the end of the ride he gave us 5 Rial (12,50€)

    As soon as we arrived in the mountains nearly no car was coming anymore and we had to walk, we had to walk a lot! The situation just got worst the second day because of really hard rain. The road was destroyed or under water many times. Means we been walking nearly the whole day.
    It was not like nobody wanted to pick us up, there been just no cars absolutely zero for hours and hours.
    The hike was ~17km and 1500m up, it was raining, very hot sun and we been inside the clouds. So we had everything you dream about when you go on a hike.

    We been also fasting yesterday, probably not the best day for no eating but we made it and I felt really good. Leon had a bit more issues but he made it as well.

    The mountains here are stunning and the hike was amazing even with all the trouble we had. So far we enjoy Oman a lot.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 353–355

    Muscat

    March 7 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Hello Oman!
    The time has come and now we are here.
    Our last stop on our journey together before we go home. (for a bit)
    The journey from Taiwan was long but we made the best out of it. Muscat is not really a place with much to see.
    We Visited the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. That is probably all to do here.
    We also organized some stuff for the next days.
    So we had 1 1/2 rest days and tomorrow we start our journey to the countryside.

    Oman is the first Arabic country I travel as a backpacker btw. Let’s have a good time.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 336–350

    Fo Guang Shan

    February 19 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Before our monastery time started we been some days in Kaohsiung, it was nice. We saw André and Wei again, we been shopping, we been out and we had fun. That is all I want to say about it.

    And so the monastery time starts!
    After a long time without a workaway we are back. The biggest Buddhism monastery in Taiwan and we are here two weeks for volunteering. The work was way easier and way less then we thought before. The most time we been not working so we had time for us. I played a lot of basketball and been walking around while Leon was drawing, drinking tea or leaving to the city.
    Typical for a monastery I stoped smoking and drinking for the whole time (was pretty easy)
    Normally I am very social but I used the time to be by myself and I liked it. Maybe I was a bit tired of socializing or maybe I was because I been not smoking who knows.

    My favorite job was carrying the dragon and I also was the guy that was infront so all the attention was on me and I had lots of photo shootings. The people went crazy when they saw the dragon show, it was really nice to see all these hundreds of people so happy every day.

    Now is our time over and in 2 days we fly out of Taiwan. We had an amazing time here, a time we will never forget.

    Next post will be from an Arabic country. Peace.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 325–331

    好茶舊社 (old good tea)

    February 8 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    What an experience!!

    Like so often Leon and me went for an hike into the nature. It was planned to hike for 2 days but we had now idea what was waiting for us in the middle of nowhere.
    A short time before the sun went down we found an old village, we looked a little bit around but just saw one man and we couldn’t talk to him. We went to bed and prepared our self for leaving after breakfast.
    While leaving we met more people and the people spoke English (first photo)
    We had a nice conversation and the boys told us that they rebuild there old village, all of them been indigenous people (Rukai) and they had to leave home 1977.

    We really liked the place but we didn’t had enough food for more then one day so we walked down again(5 hours to the next village). But for us both it was sure that we have to come back. In the evening we met a friend from Germany (Natalia), we told her about our plans, we bought enough food and the next morning we went back up again.

    We stayed in Sasalas house and helped a little bit with rebuilding work. The most of the place is still abandoned but it makes slowly process and we hope more people will come up here more and maybe also live here again.

    This place gave us a lot and we have the best feelings about the time, but it’s too much to write, so if you read that and want to know more just ask me.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 317–324

    South of taiwan

    January 31 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    After spending 3 nights in a hostel we wanted to go back into nature. We decided to do an old indigenous track on the beach for 2 days. Was maybe the hardest 2 day “walk” I ever had, we been just walking/climbing over rocks. I was really dead when we finished but also happy that I made it.

    After the hike we needed some rest days and camped next to a surf spot in Gangkou. As soon as we been back to full streng we kept traveling to Hengchun, we visited the most southern point Taiwans on the way (nothing really special).

    In hengchun we found straight away nice people and they invited us to stay with them. The one guy was half German/ half Taiwanese and we slept in his party bus for 2 nights. His name was Jimmy and er had a great time with him. The last photo is from his party ground/home.

    One day while being In Hengchun we went for a quick climbing session until we found out we are in the middle of a military area.
    Was fun and lucky nobody saw us.

    We also saw Achan again for one day.
    Now we go back up north to Pingtung.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 309–316

    Chiayi to Dulan

    January 23 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    On our way to the second workaway and back hitchhiking. Again we took a road through the mountains. So far so good, at one point in the mountains they told us that the road is closed for 2 more days. That was no problem because we had time before our new job starts. We had a nice apartment and after 2 nights we kept going with our journey.
    The mountain region in Taiwan is really beautiful. On Saturday we arrived at our destination but then we got told that the workaway is not happening because they forgot us.

    We needed a new plan, good that we had a recommendation from a hostel some villages away. In this hostel we stayed 3 nights and slowed everything a bit down. Sometimes it’s good to relax and not be on the road the whole time.

    No works means we have more time to travel.
    We have now 3 weeks left until we work again. Let’s see how we use that time.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 300–308

    Workaway Chiayi

    January 14 in Taiwan ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    There we are first workaway in Taiwan and the first one in my life!

    Location: tea shop from Steve in Chiayi

    Other people from workaway: 6 (included Leon)

    People that left early because off Problem with Steve: 3

    How many time we climbed over walls: 2 times

    Yes Steve was not an easy guy especially to some of the girls, we still had a good time because the gang we had was class.
    Main group: André (55 from Germany/Colonge) Achan 22 and farm owner from Japan, jolynn 27 from Singapore.

    The work was really easy and not often so we had plenty of time to do something with each other. We had a great time, played chess, went to a bar, worked around in the city and much more.

    So I would say first job was really good even when we not really worked.
    Off to the next one, back to the East coast.    Read more

  • Laurin Hermann SchmidtBack on the road.
    Day 300

    Hualian to Zhushan

    January 14 in Taiwan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    After being on the East coast for two days we already had to leave back to the west side of Taiwan.
    After a short train ride we started hitchhiking in the taroko national park.
    Just one road for two days, a really nice one. We went up to over 3000 meter.
    The first night we slept in a little old house next to a Tempel.
    The second day we went for a hike on a 3422 meter mountain. In the afternoon we had a really long lift with a guy that spoke a bit of English (not many people can speak English here). He invited us in his house and showed us around for a bit.
    3 days left before our first work away started so we stayed in zhushan for two more nights, probably in the best Airbnb ever!!
    We had a flatscreen, Nintendo, darts and a whole house for us. (30 euro a night)
    At the first day we also met a girl and went with her for dinner, she invited us for her wedding at the 21.02 but sadly we have no time. People are really kind so far but it’s hard sometimes because nobody here speaks really English.

    Next stop work away in Chiayi!    Read more

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