The great thing about hitch-hiking is the not knowing. The
not knowing where you’ll end the night, not knowing how long your next lift is,
not knowing what your next lift will be (Harley Davidson in NZ anyone?), and
not knowing the person that’ll pick you up – The outlooks and knowledge you can
learn, or (hopefully not) get sick of!
However, with a delayed start, a hitching partner in tow (hello Danny!) and a deadline to adhere to, getting to Bratislava in four days was always going to be a big ask. I did however believe it could be done. It had taken me four days to get to Gdansk just the year before, and how much difficulty does one extra person (a bloke! Dun dun duuuuhn) really add?
Danny was going to hitch from Chorley to Brighton and meet me down the pub for a quick one or two, before we’d set off on the Saturday morning. However, add my lunchtime jagerbomb, and subsequent after work jagerbombs, with Danny’s very slow movements (Warrington in four hours), the Saturday morning ferry to Dieppe was never going to happen.
Then we ended up having a quick pint or two on the Saturday, which turned into 10 or so and a visit to Brighton Pride. A fight with a lesbian and a few jagerbombs later we were staggering back to mine at 9.30am Sunday… after the departure of the morning ferry. The Sunday evening ferry it would have to be!
Upon arriving into Dieppe we quickly set about finding somewhere to camp. We spotted the ideal farmer’s field, just a minute from the roadside. Only when we set up the tent did we realise it was a manure covered field. Just a couple of hours in and we already stank!! But it was time to dust off our thumbs and head to Slovakia!
The first day was a frustrating affair, short lift after short lift, getting dropped off in town centres, and suffering from frustratingly long waits… I started to doubt we’d make Bratislava by Thursday. We pitched up in another farmer’s field and I dreamt of the following day ahead… Roll on day two!
However, with a delayed start, a hitching partner in tow (hello Danny!) and a deadline to adhere to, getting to Bratislava in four days was always going to be a big ask. I did however believe it could be done. It had taken me four days to get to Gdansk just the year before, and how much difficulty does one extra person (a bloke! Dun dun duuuuhn) really add?
Danny was going to hitch from Chorley to Brighton and meet me down the pub for a quick one or two, before we’d set off on the Saturday morning. However, add my lunchtime jagerbomb, and subsequent after work jagerbombs, with Danny’s very slow movements (Warrington in four hours), the Saturday morning ferry to Dieppe was never going to happen.
Then we ended up having a quick pint or two on the Saturday, which turned into 10 or so and a visit to Brighton Pride. A fight with a lesbian and a few jagerbombs later we were staggering back to mine at 9.30am Sunday… after the departure of the morning ferry. The Sunday evening ferry it would have to be!
Upon arriving into Dieppe we quickly set about finding somewhere to camp. We spotted the ideal farmer’s field, just a minute from the roadside. Only when we set up the tent did we realise it was a manure covered field. Just a couple of hours in and we already stank!! But it was time to dust off our thumbs and head to Slovakia!
The first day was a frustrating affair, short lift after short lift, getting dropped off in town centres, and suffering from frustratingly long waits… I started to doubt we’d make Bratislava by Thursday. We pitched up in another farmer’s field and I dreamt of the following day ahead… Roll on day two!
