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March - December 2019
An epic journey from Australia to Germany by car Read more
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  • Going home
    Day 51

    Our first workaway experience on a farm

    April 30, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    You gotta love farmlife! And I'll tell you why:
    Once we had done most of the things we needed to do in Melbourne, we still had quite a bit of time on our hands before we were handing over the car to the shipping company and heading off to Japan. To fill it, we could either go and explore more of Melbourne's surroundings or look for a workaway host in the area. If you've never heard of "workaway", it's a platform connecting hosts all over the world with travellers that look for a cultural exchange. The deal is you work for about 4-5hrs a day and get free accomodation, meals and most importantly cultural insights in return. Our goal is to be with at least a host in every country, so starting in Melbourne was very appealing.
    Luckily, Karen and Al agreed to take us in on very short notice and so we just spent the last 5 days on their gorgeous little farm in South-West Gippsland. Situated on top of a hill, it provides a gorgeous view, but unfortunately it was raining when we arrived. Al and Karen had made up for the gloomy weather by lighting a fire in our bedroom and turning on the heater in the living room and so we spent the first couple of hours getting to know each other and the five birds and three cats that live in the house. Yes, Al and Karen have a big heart for animals and have rescued most of theirs from bad fates. Apart from the in house family members, there are a Maremma (north italian sheep dog), five Murray Grey cows, two Highlanders, three horses, three goats, a flock of guinea fowls and a few chickens. No wonder Al and Karen moved further away from the city to find a home for all of them!
    Over the next few days, we learned more and more about how to take care of all of them (the animals), as well as what it means to set up a farm on a long-time neglected property. Our hosts not only had to clear vast areas of the land but also take on huge renovation projects in the houses (there are two on the property). Step by step it's all shaping up.
    I was particularly impressed by the community spirit that seemed to be present in the area. The neighbours would trade use of machinery for stock feed, bring over leftovers if someone's kitchen wasn't working and generally be very supportive. Al and Karen have some ideas for further community building as well and being the great hosts they are, I'm curious to keep on following their journey.
    Our work mainly consisted of help in the household, clearing out some concrete in the back paddock and stacking up some wood. Al was a great teacher for the big machinery, including an excavator and a front loader. Tom had fun like a little boy and I equally loved playing and cuddling with all the animals. Both of us enjoyed the physical activity and being outside (despite of the rain) and yet appreciated coming into the house to enjoy great food by Karen and have meaningful conversations over dinner in the living room (that were interrupted by the birds needing attention only every now and then ;-)). Karen's interest in sourdough gave Tom a chance to bake bread in her great oven almost every day which of course added another plus to the whole experience.
    As we had spoken about food in general quite a bit, Tom and I thought it would be a good idea to have a Bavarian dinner on the last day and so we cooked bread dumplings with a creamy mushroom sauce (Semmelknödel mit Pilzsauce). And since no real Bavarian dish should be served without beer, we got some local craft beer to pair it with. After dinner we watched an episode of "Fawlty Towers", a TV series Al introduced us to, quite similar to the "dinner for one" humour. Picture perfect cultural exchange.
    All in all we had a marvellous time, learned new skills and have just been strengthened in our wish to some day do something similar somewhere.
    All the best to Al and Karen and the pursuit of their vision!    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 57

    Starting the container journey

    May 6, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    And off he goes... I still can't quite believe it and I think neither can Tom but we won't see Hans for another at least four weeks.
    The weekend was spent getting a few last things done, like putting vinyl decals on the car, creating a blackboard surface for people to leave a message, washing the car and most importantly, deciding what we would need for the next month.
    It feels kind of weird leaving everything you own behind. I guess it's not very often that you put your home into a container.
    Japan will be a backpacking adventure for us, so we took essential clothing, our valuables, the coffee maker (bialetti) and a few documents, but everything else is now locked up in a 20ft container on the way to Valdivostok.
    Tom drove Hans in himself, which was a huge help in not worrying too much what would be going on at the port. As was the fact that Brent from Bikes abroad, our shipping agent, was there to make sure everything went well. Apparently there has been a last minute vessel change, but Brent seemed not too worried about anything. Boy, organising sea freight and custom clearance etc etc really is far from being child's play!
    A last hurdle had to be taken: Unfortunately we were a few centimeters too long with the bikes. Thankfully we had an easy fix: we took them off on the spot and they're in the car now. The container doors could shut.
    And as always when you get ready for a trip, now we're thinking about all the things that we could have taken out of the car. Oh well, too late. Just wish us luck that everything will still be there when we'll be reunited in early June.

    For those of you interested in shipping your car somewhere, here is a quick timeline:

    - a long time ago we started saving
    - 6months ago we started researching and contacting different shipping agents and freight companies
    - 4 months ago we had the offers narrowed down and decided which agent to use. We also decided on container shipping opposed to RollOn RollOff (RoRo), as we were hoping prices were comparable and it seemed to be the safer option.
    - 3months ago we decided on the suitable timeframe (flexibility helps when you're looking to share the costs with travel partners). We also decided on the final port of departure and arrival.
    We received a quote and confirmed.
    - 2months ago we received a first shipping schedule and set the date to 9th May
    - 2weeks before the shipping date we got the booking confirmation from our agent, got to know that instead of sharing a 40ft container, Hans would now travel alone in a 20ft one and we paid the invoice. We were also introduced to the agent that will handle the Russian side of things.
    - a few days before actual departure of the ship the car was loaded into the container
    - we're now waiting for the bill of landing that will allow us to track our car on its journey and we will let you know how everything went once we're reunited.    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 59

    Autumn forest colours - a tale of fungi

    May 8, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    We're about to leave Autralia which, apart from many other things, also means that we'll be approaching summer instead of winter soon. Time for a tribute to autumn.
    Spring and autumn in Brisbane were very short periods of time and since it never really got cold, there were only few things to marvel at. At least in autumn.
    This season, we had the chance to fully experience autumn in Australia. First in Tassie and now in Melbourne, too. And it's a beautiful season. Not as wet as it would be in Germany, there are so many things to appreciate outside. The golden rays of sunlight, the changing leave colours, the cooler breezes challenging the ones still clinging on to their summer wardrobe and encouraging the others to switch over to the warmer clothes.
    This year, I've been particularly impressed by all the mushrooms and lichen. Vivi, my sister, had amazing stories to tell (of one-cell fungi spreading meters wide over a forest surface for example) and more than once we've found ourselves hunting for the most beautiful mushroom, eyes firmly directed to the ground, fallen logs or dead branches. The beauty of mushroom hunting is, once you've found it, it won't run away. All the time in the world to get the best shot. And trust me, we discovered a whole new world! Amazing colours and shapes, surprising locations and so much fun. Have a look yourself!    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 59

    What we eat on the road in Australia

    May 8, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    While driving along Australia's east coast and Tasmania, we hardly ate out. Instead, we embraced the nomadic lifestyle and our Coleman cooker and prepared our meals ourselves.

    Coffee, the most important thing to start (Tom's) day, is made on Tom's soda can cooker, using methylated spirit for ease and speed to get the day going. Towards the end of our time in AUS we even buy a handgrinder, Australia's fondness of good quality coffee will accompany us along the way, it seems.

    Breakfast then depends on the climate of the day: on a hot day we eat cereal with milk or the soy/coconut version, on a cold day we have porridge with different toppings, such as raisins, dried apricots, almonds, walnuts, maple syrup, honey and cinnamon. If we're fancy and its locally available we'll have fresh fruit such as apple, banana, passionfruit etc. as well.

    As free electric BBQs are very common in many places in Australia, we also eat toasted bread with peanut butter and jam sometimes. Or fried egg and avocado.
    In order to do so, Tom needs to find the possibility to bake bread first, though. We're simply not the biggest fans of the white toast that can be bought everywhere. Tom is still experimenting with baking in a Dutch oven on a campfire, however, the results are always super tasty and so much better than anything that can be bought. Only downfall are the local firebans... no fire, no bread.

    When we started our roadtrip, I had been convinced that a pressure cooker would be a good idea, allowing us to cook legumes, potatoes and soup etc. much faster. Well, I was wrong. Unfortunately, the Coleman doesn't produce enough heat for large quantities and after three attempts to cook potatoes or soup, we give up. It worked, but took forever and hence wasn't economical anymore.
    It now has a new home with Ange and Mathew, giving us a bit more space and them great meals. Or so I hope!

    We still cook soups and vegetable curries quite often in a common pot. Especially in Tasmania's cold they keep us warm and our bellies full.
    Another staple is stir fried veggies with pasta or rice. Anything using fresh and local products really.

    And we're still trying to avoid plastic as much as we can. That means shopping at farmers' markets and bulk shops whenever possible - even if it results in our pantry box taking up a huge amount of space in the car.
    Avoiding plastic also means that we don't want to buy cookies wrapped in it. Being quite big fans of sweet snacks on the road, I had to find a solution: energy balls! I fought for space for our mixer in the car, mostly to be able to make them. And now, I can turn whatever dried fruits we've got, oats, shredded coconut and other nuts into tiny little treats that satisfy our cravings and are environmentally friendly. Win win.

    Talking about sweets: we also tried our hands on "cobbler" once. Basically cake made in the Dutch oven over a campfire. We still need to get the temperature right, but the result did taste like pineapple cake and was super delicious. Quite a treat after a day long hike.

    And last but not least, I am still a big fan of foraging. Now probably more than ever. In Tasmania we found an abundance of blackberries (great addition to our porridge) and rosehips (got turned into jam, made on a campfire when the fireban was lifted) and back in Melbourne, I foraged prickly pears (be aware of the thorns. They aren't called "prickly" for nothing). They made an awesome smoothie paired with coconut milk!

    All in all, our diet hasn't changed much. It's still about what is available locally, lots of veggies, a few carbs (mainly to prevent Tom from losing weight) and fruit (to prevent me from being grumpy). And the occasional serve of chips and craft beer from a local pub. Gotta support the locals!    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 60

    Fare thee well

    May 9, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    The time has come to say goodbye to OZ. It took a few days to digest the fact that we are not going on a vacation, we are not just gone for a few weeks. This is in fact a goodbye. But no, I will use the much preferred German “Auf Wiedersehen” which at least conveys the notion of a reunion.
    Thank you Australia! Thanks for your amazing natural wonders, thanks for the interesting culture, thanks for the uncomplicated travel opportunities. But more than anything thanks for the people! Thanks for the friends we made, the hospitality we were lucky to experience and thanks for all the support we received in the last weeks and months! The people we met are what made the past two years fantabulous and what will leave a hole in our hearts once we’ll have jumped on the plane in just 3 hours!

    We’ll miss you all terribly!

    Jo and Tom    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 61

    Next stop: Kuala Lumpur

    May 10, 2019 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    4.20am Friday morning. Our plane touches the ground and we're getting ready for a 10h quick stop to explore Kuala Lumpur. A HUGE difference in price (and the curiosity on Jo's part to always take the chance to go and explore when it presents itself) made us choose an AirAsia flight to our final destination Japan, including this layover. Be aware of hidden costs when making this choice: in true low cost carrier fashion, you have to pay extra for your bags, your meals and even water! It still ended up much cheaper though.
    AirAsia planes seem to be designed for as small people as I am. If even I complain about space issues, it's real. However, as it was a night flight, both Tom and I slept through most of it and arrived in Kuala Lumpur fairly well rested.
    I am still impressed about how easy it is to enter certain countries. With no visa needed, we simply walked through immigration and entered Malaysia at about 4.45am. I had been a bit negligent about the fact that internet wouldn't be as readily available and the fidgeting with the open wifi cost us the first skybus (yes, I hadn't saved a screenshot of our tickets... duh). Everything else went as planned though. The 5.20am bus took us to the city, that still lay dormant in the dark. Early morning hours, especially during Ramadan, didn't seem to be the most active ones in Kuala Lumpur. Initially I had wanted to get to the park, but as we wouldn't have seen anything yet, we headed for coffee first. Turns out, the breaking daylight was needed to navigate our way through all the highways anyways. We finally crossed a few, walked through a hotel lobby and secretly followed fellow pedestrians to get to the part of city that was easier to walk around. I had booked a 90min tour with "withlocals", a platform connecting travellers and local travel guides, that was starting at 8am. Thanks to offline maps, we made it well in time and started to get a feel for the interesting city on the way. Old and new, rich and poor, clean and dirty, traffic and people sleeping by the road. The contrasts were later described by Siddoz as diversity, and I think that might be a better term. KL's history made it a multi ethnic city. 68%Muslims, 23%Chinese, 7%Indians and 2% who knows what all live together, creating a melting pot that is hard to describe as anything other than diverse.
    Despite the fact that it is Ramadan, Siddoz, our guide, took us out for a traditional breakfast: Nasi Lemak (fried chicken, boiled egg, anchovies and peanuts served with cucumber, rice and a spicy sambal) and cham, a local drink that mixes tea and coffee with condensed milk. I was amazed that the drinks all came in a takeaway option: a plastic bag and a straw. Siddoz pointed out that plastic bans are becoming more and more common though and that the government supported women in leading positions. His way of saying that Malaysia is a forward thinking and modern country. Palm oil, on the other hand, is regarded as a major economy boost, creating jobs and opportunities and there is little discussion about its downfalls locally. How do you approach such topics? When talking about vegetarianism, Siddoz simply mentioned that Malaysian cuisine is mainly carnivorous and vegetarian dishes are rather found in Indian and Chinese restaurants. China town seemed to be full of meat still. Our casual stroll through the market, where animals were killed to order, simply regarded as goods, not so much as living beings, made me question the meat eating once again. While both Tom and I follow a rather vegetarian diet, trying to eat meat only when we know it's been ethical sourced, I haven't turned vegetarian or vegan completely, mostly because I don't want to take away the joy of trying local dishes. But I need to be stricter after all...
    Apart from food, Siddoz introduced us to a few historic buildings and temples in the area and filled the 90min with many interesting historic facts. A really good introduction in such a short time. As the tour progressed so did the heat and humidity (it stays 31-34 degrees year around!) By the end, time didn't allow for much more than to head back to the station. Navigating the confusing streets and crazy traffic once again, we made it back. Pedestrians are really a rare sights outside of the old part of the city opposed to cars as well as bikes jumping red lights, going the wrong way or driving on the rare pedestrian walks even in front of police stations. Oh craziness, I've missed you.    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 62

    Tokyo - first impressions

    May 11, 2019 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Quick and dirty recap after the first day:
    - the trains on Friday night are full of super drunk Japanese, most of them in suits (Tom: I reckon after work drinking is popular in Tokyo... But not everybody was wasted!)
    - it's been ages that I've seen so much plastic. It's EVERYWHERE
    - recycling is a must and well spread
    - ordering food can be surprising even if there is an English menu
    - vegans with a soy allergy: good luck finding food...
    - there is few signs of public affection but young couples still cuddle
    - public transport is quite well organized, cheap and fairly easy to understand
    - I forgot how disgusting it is when people smoke inside of bars. On the other hand, there is smoking areas in public spaces. It's not just allowed anywhere outside
    - people like riding their bicycles
    - today seemed to be a popular day for weddings
    - Tokyo has its crazy corners (Harajuku for example) but just the next road can offer some peace and quiet
    - many people speak at least a few words German and will try it on you
    - a few words of Japanese aren't enough to have conversations, but they might trick your conversation partner into thinking you can communicate
    - most Japanese are super friendly, helpful and get excited about foreigners that desperately try to recall their few words of Japanese. It will earn you a lot of smiles
    - Shiba Inus (famous Japanese dog) are much smaller than I thought
    - Japanese sit down to eat and drink, even if it means blocking the way
    - Sourdough bakeries are super popular here as well
    - even sandwiches come in the form of sushi
    - there is good coffee
    - green tea leave liquor and soda might be my new favorite drink
    - Japanese tapas (such as minced tuna with avocado on garlic bread) is a thing
    - you can drink tap water in Japan
    - there is wifi everywhere
    - most places don't offer you to pay by credit card. Make sure you've got cash
    - be aware of sensory overload. Little doses of city paired with staying in a quiet park corner are advisable
    - Koenji is a neighbourhood worth to explore and I can't wait to see more of it    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 63

    Kagurazaka street festival

    May 12, 2019 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This Mother's day Tokyo has plenty to offer. Tom and I made a rough plan yesterday, start the day with coffee and cereal in the apartment (yes I know, boring western style but you know...) and head off to Yoyogi park. Year's ago Tom had seen many costumed Japanese hanging out here, today we are walking past plenty of sports groups, photographers, people admiring flowers and, of course, the dog park. I'm not sure I approve of dressing up your dog but it didn't seem to stop them from playing.
    The weather is beautiful and we're lucky enough to find a Thai festival on the other side of the park. Lots of food to try and buy and a few souvenir stalls try to promote Thailand as a travel destination. It's crowded and loud and FUN. Tom even wins two beers by joining a screaming competition (yes, he loves Chang ;-)) and we try some 'amawori' a traditionally brewed rice spirit. The only downfall: everything is served in plastic cups. Would you refuse to take part and taste? We discuss and don't this time, however, we have cutlery with us from now on and will be trying harder to avoid plastic consumption. Even if it is hard.
    Then it's time to head to our main destination for the day: Kagurazaka. It was once the Geisha district just in front of the Imperial palace and many people stopped here before entering. These insights are shared by Kerry, our meet up group leader. I found the event a day before and thought it would be fun to join a group to get more information about the historic street festival that's going on here. With a group of 40+ internationals (including a few Tokyoites) it is hard to get much more information across, but it is fun to get to know a few people and learn about life in Tokyo. Out of the many performances we see, the Edo marionette one amazes me the most. So much skill!
    Once the tour finishes, we say our good-byes but decide to stay back for the last performance a little later. Beautifully set to the background of the Akagi-jinja shrine, we watch a magician and three guys playing weird metal flutes. Unfortunately, we hardly understand a word, but we get the jist.
    Yosho, a girl from the meetup group, suggested a place for dinner earlier and so Tom and I, hungry nd a bit cold by now, head to our first Izakaya experience. An Izakaya is a Japanese pub, its name "i" (sit) and "sakaya"(sake) basically meaning a place to sit and drink sake. They always offer good quality food as well as it's unusual to just drink in Japan. You usually pair your drinks with at least a little something.
    Once again, we are overwhelmed even though we have an English menu in front of us. What to order? What goes with what? In the end, we settle for a plate of sashimi, udon noodles and pickled Japanese vegetables. Delicious and easy to eat, we happily enjoy our meal and Tom tries two sake as well. The best about our dinner is the fact that we can watch the kitchen and their interesting methods though. Boiling coal in a pot before it goes on the grill, grilling things on wooden spoons wrapped in tin foil that are held towards burning sticks, garnishing a salad with chopped tomatoes that are placed on the plate with chopsticks... all super interesting.
    And with our heads full of these impressions, we finally go home, exhausted, yet happy, and are already looking forward to another day of exploration.    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 65

    Random facts that made us wonder

    May 14, 2019 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Lots of things are quite interesting in Tokyo. Here is a few that stood out to us:

    The reason why people wear face masks is not quite clear. Either they're sick or trying to avoid to be. It's a very common sight and there are lots of different models.

    In Tokyo, you can rent a space to park your bicycle.

    I'm having a very hard time not to look into people's eyes. It's a natural mean of communication for me but the Japanese seem to get along quite well without it.

    Many places have a weird way to write 1am, 2am etc.. Here it's 25:00, 26:00...

    Toilets do play water sounds and have different ways to spray your private parts. Volume and pressure can be adjusted (I had read about this and still can't believe it's true). Some.even have the option to wash your hands on top of the water tank.

    You can rent lounge spaces to hang out in Shibuya by the hour. Probably lucrative due to the tiny spaces people live in.

    If a train is delayed, the cause and all other information is displayed on trains close by as well.

    There is an abundance of bushes that smell like sperm. Jasmine maybe? Haven't figured it out yet.

    A lot of things are tiny: streets, bars, cars, gardens, spaces and even dogs.

    People seem to like flowers. Many many houses have a garden patch, vertical gardens or at least a few flower pots outside.

    You mostly pay by cash. Credit cards aren't widely accepted, instead you can use your public transport card, charged with money, to pay in registered stores.    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 66

    Tokyo Part 1 - A wrap up

    May 15, 2019 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Tom’s wrap up:
    Our first few days in Tokyo have come to an end today with us jumping on a Shinkansen bullet train bound for Kyoto.
    It’s been my second time to this city and again Tokyo did not disappoint. While the last time I had a wild ride through Tokyo’s Karaoke bars, weird Manga places and its electronic craziness in Akhihabara, this time we took a closer day time look at Tokyo’s diverse sights. And there are so many!!
    My highlights include the Hamarikyu Garden in Ginza, the area of Kagurazaka and the tiny bar scene throughout Kōenji. The tiny bars are just awesome. Ranging from dark holes reminding one of opium dens to posh and stylish wine bars. There’s something for anybody.
    In general I just love the friendliness of people here. No english, no problem. If anything, they will get embarrassed for not being able to help you and do anything to make it work.

    Japan - off to a good start!

    Brief interlude on addresses in Japan for whoever’s interested (Matl):
    Addresses here are structured from big to small units. Something like: Bavaria, Oberbayern, Munich, Sendling, Block 2, Haus 4. The challenge is that houses are not numbered consecutively by location but time of registration of that house. Also streets are merely the space between blocks and rarely named; not the other way around as we are used to.    Read more

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