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Let’s go east
  • JuJo Tours

Let’s go east

Disconnect to reconnect: getting lost heading east to discover unknown places and to meet new people with different ways of life :) Read more
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  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Climbing to the Gods of Mt. Olympus

    September 26, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Mount Olympus is known as the home of Zeus and the major Greek gods. But not only Greek mythology makes this mountain so special, the location itself is very magic. It raises almost straight from the Aegean Sea to a height of 2917 meters, making it the tallest mountain in Greece and the second tallest mountain in the Balkans. I climbed this beautiful mountain in 2 days straight from our camping at the beach. Arriving at the top (called Mytikas) at 9am, sadly I couldn't meet Zeus or any of the other Gods, but instead Konstantinos a nice local photographer. He spent the whole night taking photos on the summit in his bivvy.Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Getting into the Greek culture

    September 27, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We keep on saying that although travelling it's an awesome thing to do and to experience, it's also an energy consuming activity. To get the most of a place and of a culture you need to pause, to stop for a while: you need time to soak everything in and to give yourself the time to process what you are living.

    Jona likes mountains, to get lost in the middle of nowhere and to feel nature at its fullest. Whereas I prefer beaches and the chill and easy atmosphere that you can feel when you are close to the sea. It was time for a compromise, for a break in a place where we both could feel alive and happy. Camping Sylvia in Plaka was the place: quiet, with a private and isolated beach situated on the foot of Mt. Olympus.

    We spent 4 days together at the camping and it's surroundings and 2 days apart. It was the first time in almost two months that we took separate ways to get some me-time.

    That camping was the perfect place to chill during the day or to discover some villages nearby, and to have fun with the Greek owners at night. Every night they practiced their traditional dance (Sirtaki) for a wedding and they invited us to join them and to share their food accompanied with some laughs.

    We also had the chance to meet Kostas. He offered himself to take us home when he saw us from a bar trying to hitchhike with no success. He invited us to visit the following day his wooden house where he prepares his own olive oil. He invited also his best friends, they played some live music while doing a BBQ, some Greek salad, nice bread, olives and cheese and a fantastic olive oil. To me that felt like being in heaven :P

    The rest of the time I visited a beautiful village nearby, I enjoyed swimming in the ocean and doing some yoga.

    Greece was out of our budget, a pit-stop, but we really enjoyed getting a taste of this country and its wonderful, crazy and warm-hearted people. One day this country will be our travel destination. See you soon! Next stop: Turkey!    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Hoşgeldiniz Türkiye

    September 30, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Welcome to Turkey :)

    Istanbul was the first place where we did Couchsurfing on our trip. Sibel & Sezin hosted us for three days at their place and we felt like home from the beginning. Being with them and to dip into the Turkish daily life was the highlight of our stay in Istanbul. We cooked together Turkish and Spanish dishes and learned our first Turkish words. We got to know their family (Sibel has three sisters) and we spent some time together. We hope to see you again soon. We had a fantastic time! Teşekkür ederim :)

    With its almost 18M people, in the middle of two continents and its huge extension, it took us 6 days to visit our must-see places. Easily we could have spend many more days. The city of Istanbul with its totally changing neighborhoods, buzzling streetlife, friendly people achieves in a unique way to combine differences between traditional culture and upcoming modern lifestyle. Many cities remind us of others, but Istanbul is incomparable for us. It felt like it never gets boring. At every street corner there are new things to discover, an unknown mix of different smells guided us to tasty local food, the spices and sweets market, shisha-bars and uncountable glasses of Çay (the inoficial water of the Turks).
    Our first visit to a Hammam (Turkish Spa) together with Simón and María left us relaxed and with the skin of a newborn. And there's no better way to finish a day than standing on the Anatolian side of the Bospuros watching its beautiful sunset.    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Pamukkale & Karahayıt

    October 5, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Pamukkale is famous all over the world for its natural site build by carbonate mineral left by flowing water. Seen from the bottom, for us it was just an overpriced white mountain full of tourists searching for the perfect photo.
    But as always the good lies not far from the bad. In Karahayıt, a small village nearby, we enjoyed a sunset bath in the beautiful hot springs surrounded by many Turkish families.    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    1

    Hiking the Lycian Trail

    October 13, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We hiked a few kilometers on the 500km long Lycian Trail; we named a isolated beach after our names, visited ruins dating back to 2000BC, climbed dunes, wild camped at the coast and stayed in a hippie community.Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Hitchhiking along the coastline

    October 16, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    On our way hitchhiking along the Mediterranean coast we met some very helpful and friendly people. Alibaba aka "Shoe doctor" invited us to camp at his farmhouse close to Kaş. Most of the products served during dinner and for breakfast came from their own garden.

    In Finike heavy rain stopped us from hitchhiking. It turned out to be the right place. In our guesthouse we felt once more like home. Ramazan's family shared their meals with us and at night we all enjoyed some moves dancingTurkish music. Furthermore the destiny brought us to the twin city of Mosbach :)

    We spent our last days at the coast in lovely Çıralı. This has been one of our favourite places so far. We found a piece of paradise here. It has a wild, wide and quiet beach where we enjoyed either beautiful sunrises, long walks nearby the beach or chill swims. A magical place which is even more special for having Yanartaş on the background, a mountain that you can hike during the sunset to find fire coming out of the mountain. This unique rocky mountain site has literally been on fire for thousands of years. The reason lies in abiogenic methane gas that reaches the surface through several holes.
    People grill marshmallows and sausages in the fire while enjoying the sea view and some shooting stars.    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    As the boarder to Syria is not far Konya is used as NATO base :S

    Konya and a more traditional Turkey

    October 22, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We'd been told not to go to Konya. Sometimes people said that we would be robbed, that people there have an obsession with money; that Konya is full of Syrian refugees (many Turkish people don't see with good eyes that their country is asylum for around 3M Syrians). Others said that there is nothing to see.

    To make our own experience we ignored all kinds of 'stupid' recommendations and discovered a very traditional city full of people wearing less modern and more modest clothes. Their traditional dishes were all cooked with meat, so we kept it also traditional with our favourite vegetarian combination: lentils soup + rice + white beans. Konya isn't used to see the amount of foreign tourists that other cities receive, so the locals were very interested on us and treated us like their guests meaning also that they didn't try to rip us off.
    Besides discovering who was Mevlana and the dervish tradition, we also discovered that Konya university has many students from abroad. We got to enjoy an entire evening with two of them, Ahmad (Jordan) and Emi (Algeria), and shared some different points of view about life, politics and religion. Thank you for your kindness guys! Shukran!    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Very sweet Chinese women at a salty lake

    October 24, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    At the hotel in Konya we met Wendy and Folter, two Chinese women living in Australia that were about to leave to Cappadocia. We spontaneously joined them and we enjoyed a funny and very nice drive to Tuz Gölü, a salty lake between Ankara and Cappadocia.Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Breathtaking Cappadocia

    October 25, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Okey, Cappadocia is a very touristic place and everybody says that is very beautiful but, so beautiful??? This place was a very special one for us with stunning rock formations and breathtaking views that let you feel that you finally landed on the moon.

    Waking up early is a must when you are in Cappadocia to see the hot air balloons flying into a wonderful sunrise. During the day we got lost through the canyons that join Rose and Red Valley and conquered a small summit. Once there we could have a 360° view of the hole region and we kind of felt like being on another planet.
    We stayed at a hostel that is below the ground. It used to be a cave and some people still live in caves in this region.

    The rest of the days we trekked through other beautiful valleys and took hundreds of pictures of this magnificent place. Just enjoy the photos... ♡    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    1

    Ankara the capital of Atatürk

    October 29, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    After the end of the Ottoman empire and several "liberation wars" it was general Mustafa Kemal Pascha who founded in 29.10.1923 the Republic of Turkey. He became the first president, later to be nicknamed "Atatürk" (which means "father of the Turks"). Separating religion from the state (unlike Turkish politics nowadays :S), he is considered the founder of modern Turkey and is still a kind of Superstar. You find his portrait and name everywhere, especially when you by chance visit the capital on the country's foundation day and thousands of Turkish people come to worship the tomb of its idol.
    As Judit followed her dream to go surfing on a longterm in Sri Lanka and I could manage to get my Visa in the Iranian embassy, Ankara was the place were after 3 months of adventure we said goodbye to each other for some weeks..next chapter together: India :)    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    111

    26h Doğu Ekspresi to Kars

    November 1, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    More than 1 entire day in the same train sounds like a nightmare to you? Then you've never been at the Doğu Ekspresi from Ankara to Kars :)
    The Turkish railway connects the central country with the last city before the boarders to Georgia and Armenia. The train passes magic, model railway equal landscapes. In the last years this train became so famous for young Turkish people that tickets (especially in winter) have to be reserved months in advance. I was lucky to get the last free sleeping space. Singing, dancing, taking photos or learning Turkish board games... Time flew by and a group of 8 friends was ready to discover the highlands of Kars. On top of everything we could celebrate the first snow of the year, which made the scenery even more beautiful.
    Çok güzel, hepinize teşekkürler!    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    1

    Doğubayazit and the boarder to Iran

    November 3, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    My last stop before the Iranian boarder was Doğubayazit. This city is not only very practical for changing the last Liras into Dollar, the Turkish and Kurdish town is also famous for its stunningly beautiful surroundings. It's close to some of Turkey's highest peaks including the Ararat 5137m. And over the city towers the unique Ishak Pasa Sarayi palace.
    Regarding the boardercrossing I was a bit nervous, due to 2 Jordan stamps in my passport showing clearly that I was in Israel not long ago. Ater several 'good luck' wishes from Turkish officers, I was welcomed from a friendly boarder officer on the Iranian side. After explaining my purpose of travel she smiled and showed me the current unofficial exchange rate from Euro to Rial 1:125000 ... One hour later I became Multimillionaire and I was ready to get to know a country I was curious about since long ago.    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    1

    Tabriz and Kandovan

    November 5, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Who said that time travel is impossible? Thanks to the persian calendar I'm back in ١٣٩٨/٨/١٣ (13.8.1398) on my first day in Iran :)
    Here in Tabriz I stayed at Morteza's home and for the first but not last time I could see how useful persian carpets are. How else could you be able to host 5 guys and a dog at the same time?
    Everywhere people are greeting and welcoming foreign people and after some small talk it doesn't need a lot to be invited to have a tea together, eat in a restaurant or even to their home. Basically everywhere I met extremely friendly and helpful people. I understood what Iranian hospitality means. A very good example was in Kandovan, Iran's little "Cappadocia", where I spent the day with Farzin and his engaged wife. Thank you!    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Enjoying the scenic bazaar with locals

    November 6, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Tabriz is known for its famous traditional bazaar aswell as its passionately helpful freelance guides. Leaving the subway I met Hadi, the son of a traditional cotton yarn seller. Thanks to him I got to know the whole carpet section and learned a lot about persian carpets. Everywhere we've been invited to stop for a cup of tea or taste the local sweets. The people here are mostly 'Azari' Turkish speakers, so it was a smooth transition between Turkey and Iran. English conversations are somehow funny and very repetitive:
    Hello you're welcome, where are you from? Iran good? My answers in Farsi though have a similar level :)    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    The liberal north of Iran

    November 8, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The green north of Iran includes the highest mountain range and the long coastline of the Caspian sea. Here is the place where the heat and air pollution stressed people from Teheran and the central Iranians flee in summer to breathe fresh air. What I didn't know and had to learn the first night is that the region is also stressed by constant earthquakes all over the year. I woke up because of guests slamming doors and leaving the hotel. I could feel the earth shaking.

    I hitchhiked along the coast and met wonderful locals that don't exaggerate when they say they have the country's best climate, food and cookies.
    Sitting on a bench I met Hamed and his young family. He showed me around how beautiful Lahijan and its tea plantations are. At the end of the day I was invited to a spa (men's only for sure) and to stay overnight at a friends place. The region around Rascht city is one of the most liberal parts of Iran, here the scarfs of the women sit a bit looser and people offer you their selfmade alcohol. Giving a TV interview on the street I was asked what I think about Iranian TV. Of course I couldn't tell them the truth ;)    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    1

    Teheran - the beast

    November 13, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    With its population of more than 15 million people and maybe the same amount of motorbikes, Teheran is the economic, vibrant heart of Iran. More and more locals move here for work. The capital pays the price: overcrowded subways, smog that covers the nice morning views of the mountains throughout the day, roadcrossing with a high risk of ending up in a hospital.
    Besides there are historically interesting places to visit like the Ex-U.S. embassy (known as the Den of Espionage). Here the CIA organized a coup d'etat that finished the government of Mossadegh in 1953. Supporting for years the Sha government, the embassy was a main target in the revolution in 1979. Right after the foundation of the world's first Islamic republic, the end of the embassy was symbolic for the end of the U.S. influence in the country. Today's political position towards the U.S. can be seen on many impressive paintings surrounding the building.    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Kaschan

    November 14, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Kaschan was my first stop on what you could call the classical route for visiting persian architecture. Fascinating mosques with small blue tiles, bazaars and hamams surrounded by very dry landscapes.
    Here I met Patrick again (who cycled from Berlin to Iran) to hand over his rain clothes he forgot in Tabriz. As cycling in the cold desert isn't that funny, we went on travelling together for some days.    Read more

    See translation
  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler

    Esfahan "the beauty" under shock

    November 17, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    I "arrived" at Esfahan after a long day hitchhiking and visiting a mountain village on the way. But we couldn't enter the city because of road barriers and burning tires in the street! I never saw serious demonstrations like that before. As the government raised the petrol price three times overnight without any previous announcement, people tried to stop the normal life and fight for justice. This scary scenery (e.g. i saw people destroying entire petrol stations) only last one night, because of the government announcement to permit killings of protesters (what they indeed did see link below). Furthermore the internet was shut down the same day to avoid more organized mass demonstrations and to stop the flow of information into foreign countries. After sleeping one night at a random locals home in the suburbs of Esfahan because I couldn't move, the city was empty though. Most of the people stayed at home, the shops were closed and the several government special forces in the streets made everybody understand that they should stay quite.
    For more information regarding the demonstrations:

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/amnesty-…

    Esfahan wasn't the beauty it shall be, but it showed me these days how the reality looks like living in a country that suffers under a cruel dictatorship penalized by economical sanctions. People are angry, people are upset but people are forced to be patient...    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    1

    Shiraz & Yazd

    November 22, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    After the thrilling days in Esfahan we found some kind of peace in the deserttown Yazd. Full of historical mud-bricked buildings and wind catchers (called badgirs, the first A/Cs to cool down houses) the old town preserves a relaxed charm. Cold nights brought us to a traditional Iranian hamam. On our way to Shiraz we have been stopped by snow and had to sleep one night on the floor in the bus terminal. But our stay in magical Shiraz and the old ruins of Persepolis (meaning the City of the Persians) more than compensated all the hassle.Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    12

    Persian gulf islands & goodbye Iran

    November 25, 2019 in Iran ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    My last days in wonderful Iran were spent at the coast of the Persian gulf. I took my time to visit the laid-back islands of Qeshm, Hengam and Hormuz. This region is miles away from the rest of the country. In a homestay I got in contact with the still existing traditional gulf culture which in all other countries around the gulf has disappeard. Most of the people have Arabic origins (so called Bandaris). Some women still choose to wear colourful masks to cover their face. Fishing is the Nr.1 activity, so did I. The landscapes are incredible. Easily you can fill many days just hiking or cycling around in the moon-like surrounding.

    One more (last) time I felt the hospitality of the Iranians. Something that I will never forget in my life. It hurts to know that a huge part of the world opposes such a welcoming culture and politicians play with the fears of the people.
    I highly recommend to visit Iran, the people deserve it!    Read more

  • JuJo ToursLet’s go eastTraveler
    2

    Dubai

    November 28, 2019 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Sure it was never my dream to go to Dubai, this artificial desert town built out of oil. After one night on a ferry I arrived together with some other globetrotter in Sharjah. It turned out to be 2 surprisingly interesting days, mainly because of the many Indians (~40% of the population) I met. They were very happy to see me travelling to their home country. The main population of the United Arab Emirates consists of expats. The 10% of the Emirati are rarely seen and if so the most of the time they are hiden behind tinted car windows. One fun fact I learned is that for the Emirati the amount of digits on their car licence plate is very important. They pay a lot of money to have few digits, only to show off that they can afford a rich life. This is just one of many examples about how life is in this bubble in the desert.Read more

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