Fabzgy´s Life

Milan for the Weekend

Fabzgy — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:20:00 +0000

The main motivation to go to Milan this weekend was born approx. 3 weeks ago when I ve read a feature on Indymedia Germany about the student protest in Italy.
Since there were new protests announced for the 14 of November I ve bought a train ticket from Milan to Freiburg (to be sure to get back in time to attend my seminars) and searched a host on BeWelcome for this time.
On Thursday morning I stood on the ramp to the A5 direction south. Hitchhiking was easier this time then on my last experience to Paris. I ve got picked up by a guy who brought me to the next gas station on the Highway within 5 minutes.
There I ve searched for around 15 min and then had a truck which was going to Varese (25 km from Milan). Even though it was a truck and it cost me hours o nthe borders I wasn t worried. Rather a safe, slow ride with panoramic views then getting lost somewhere on the way. I was supposed to read some texts for University anyway.
At around 7 pm I was arriving in Milan a guy from the Philippines helped me to find the address of my host.
I was again very lucky. Since I ve wrote already in my messages to the BeWelcome members why I was visiting Milan I found a politically active guy in his early 40s who helped me a lot with understanding Italy. We had very nice discussion and awesome food!
On Friday morning I went into the city to participate in the Protests against the educational reforms of the Berlusconi government and worte my article for Indymedia in the evening.
On Saturday we went to a strange concert of electro-music and had dinner late at night with some other friends.
On Sunday morning I was already on my way back “home”.
It was amazing to ride the train through the alps. Before the Gotthard tunnel we had amazing wheater and I was chatting with to Argentinian women for two hours until they left the train. Afterwards I studied in my textbooks and listened to the people around me in the EuroCity. It was a real Eurocity. I ve heared at least 5 languages in the seats around me. It was a very nice but in the end a little bit too long (6,5 hours) trip.

I spend in total 70 € on this weekend (45 € for the trai nand 25 € food and local transport) and I had a very beautiful and sunny weekend in Milan with wonderful people. Even though I enjoyed it very much I want to stay here in Freiburg for a while now… let s see if this is going to work out!

What is addiction and who benefits from addiction?

Fabzgy — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 08:24:00 +0000

I ve observed it now a couple of times and I m sure others did so as well. Friends or colleagues look kind of unhealthy. They are pale-faced, look overtired, they have problems with concentrating on their work, they always talk about the same stuff, seem kind of disconnected to the real world, etc.
Overall I m guessing they ve got a drug problem. They change their social habits. Stick at home, barely leave to buy food (most of the time they call a delivery service.
So what could it be? Cocaine is unlikely - that “just” ruins you economicly and fucks up your brain and nose on the long run. Marijuana is told to have effects like that - at least thats what “they” tell us. So is it this weed?

This morning I picked up the Newspaper and saw this advertisement in our local Newspaper.
.
A free Sunday-Newspaper which reaches every household in the region. It promotes the fact that Media Markt opens from midnight Wednesday to Thursday morning at 2 am to sell the new World of Warcraft Addon.
Wow - I ve thought. Thats weired that they are opening just for the selling of a computer game (well I assume you are allowed to buy other stuff as well). But, as always, we can be sure that this is well calculated so it s worth to give an extra pay (if they do so) for their employees to open in the middle of the night.

The symptoms I was writing about in the beginning of this post was not about a “normal” drug (illegal by federal law). No I was describing the symptoms of friends who got addicted to the Computer game World of Warcraft. The Addon to World of Warcraft is launched in Germany on the 13. of November so Media Markt wants to be the first dealer who satisfies the needs of his addicts. It seems like there are enough human beings around who are willing to wait at midnight in front of a Media Markt (on a weekday) to buy a Computer game which will keep them in front of the computer for several days, weeks, months, … who knows?

I m not calling for the government to intervene in the selling of World of Warcraft but I ask myself how you justify the intervention in the consuming habits of one product and ignorance in others. Don t get me wrong. I don t want to make “gameing” illegal. But I think that some things should just not be allowed to be promoted too much… Tobacco, Beverages, Drugs, Computer games, GM foods, …

BTW: I ve found an amazing video: The Story of Stuff! Check it out!

Are Hitchhikers suspicious?

Fabzgy — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:11:07 +0000

I m writing this because on my last hitchhiking trip to Paris I ve got controlled by the police - again!
They do just check with my ID/Passport if I m wanted or got knows what they expect from screaming my ID number into the radio. I know tat they ve got the right to do that but why I asked the police guy do I just get controlled when I am hitchhiking?

I m now 23 years old. I ve got asked 5 times for my ID in Europe. I don t count Latin America because there it is a different situation and habit of controlling.
Okay out of these five controls four occurred while I was hitchhiking. The only time I got controlled and was not hitchhiking was when a whole bunch of police wanted to kick students out of a crossroad they blocked during a protest.

Once I ve got controlled by the Spanish police standing on the ramp of the highway (they gave me a ride after they figured out that I m not a criminal), then I ve got controlled twice walking with my backpack on a gas station which were both connected to the highway and once standing on the ramp of the Highway here in Germany.

The police officer did not really answered my question. He just told me that he has the right to do so. Yes, I know and I don t like it. But what do police officers think when they see a hitchhiker? Are there any statistics that proof that hitchhikers are more likely involved in criminal activities? Or is it just the influence of bad Hollywood movies? What is the reason why the police controlled my Identification?

If you are a hitchhiker and you have similar experiences or an answer to one of the questions I rose please feel welcome to comment here. The comments are moderated because of spam but I will keep a close eye on it during the next days.

Paris - get together with Costa Rica Connection

Fabzgy — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:47:17 +0000

Last Wednesday a traveler I ve met in Zaragozza in the Hostel visited me here in Teningen for a few days. She came over because I told here that I was going to hitchhike from Zaragozza to Freiburg. She was pretty interested in this hitchhiking thing and we decided to hitchhike to Paris together since she wanted to visit Paris anyway and I was about to meet some friends who studied with me in Costa Rica in the first semester.
So I was pretty optimistic since I ve done this trip several times already but I was not prepared for what we experienced. It was my worst hitchhiking ever. We made it on the first day just from Teningen to Strasbourg that means 75 km and we hitchhiked 7 hours.
It was absolutely awefull. I wa already about to go to the train station and go back home but she still wanted to get to Paris. So I called some people from the Hospitality Club and arranged an accommodation for both of us. Our hosts were super nice. We had dinner and a great breakfast together, nice conversations and lots of fun.
The next day I followed the Hitchwiki recommendation and took the train for 15 km out of town in order to get to a gas station on the highway.
From there on we had a ride until “Longeville” which is 30 km before Metz. There we stood almost 1,5 hours again and she was already upset and wanted to go to a train station when this very cool arabian guy turned up an dbrought us to the next gas station after Metz doing a detour and he bought us food even though we always said that we are fine and don t need food or coffee. Anyway he brought us to this gas station which was unfortunately on the wrong side of the highway. I ve thought that we would be fucked again but after 10 min we ve got a ride alomst till Reims and from there a german car took us right into Paris. SO in the end the second day was not so bad but it s a shame that we needed two day to get to Paris. All my friends in Paris were laughing at me when I told them the story.
Nevertheless we had plenty of fun in Paris remembering good old times in Central America and cycling around with Velib.
This morning at 7 am I ve took the TGV train to Strasbourg and from there I came here with local trains. It took me less then 4 hours to sit here on my laptop in my room but I ve spent as well around 90 €. When I did this travel in 2006 I ve payed 30 € less. It s nice to have fast trains like the TGV but I don t like that they removed the slower and cheaper alternatives.

Hitchhiking from Zaragoza to Freiburg ~ 24 h

Fabzgy — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:00:56 +0000

It was everythin but a perfect ride.
First I choose a very bad spot to get out of Zaragoza^because there was no information so fari n Hitchwiki.org and I was too hangover to make a good preinvestigation. Anyway I took the bus which seemed to go very close to the highway on the east end of town.
Thre it looked pretty good. Gas station, Redlight and right after the acces to the highway. After 10 minutes not one of the hundrets of cars passing me entered the highway - all drove by. I was afraid that the access is not ready yet but after 10 mi one car entered and I saw it seconds later on the highway so theoretically it works. Just 90 % of the people driving by there just go to the next suburb without using the expensive highway. Anyway after ~2 hours I got a lift to the gas station on the highway. the driver was one of the “I ve gotthe perfect spot for you” guys - unfortunatelly he left the highway and left me at a gas station next to the highway.
There it took me againn a while but I finally aranged a ride with a trucker which droped me close to Barcelona. There I continued till Avignogn France with a German family. By the time I got to Avignogn it was dark and at the gas station a fellow hitchhiker mate waited for me. Actually it was a gangster with a baseball cap and totall dark/black dressed. Without any luggage and a weired expression on his face.
Unfortunatelly we got our next ride together which brought us almost to Montepillar. The problem was that the driver thought that he had to exit the highway in Montepillar Sud - 3km before the big area de service.
So I got stuck with the ghetto freak at 10 pm in a peage station. He did not seemed to be really motivated to smile or do anything in favour of our luck. He almost insulted the people when he asked if they are going our direction.
After 2 hours a guy with one free seat turned up and took me to the gas station. By the time I got there there were hardly any cars in the gas station. every once in a while German cars pulls over but all filled with people, vacation stuff or bad mood.
finally a french guy took a little extra way and brought me close to Bourge-en-Bresse where I very fast got picked up by a bulgarian truckdriver working for a spanish company - the second on this day.
He dropped me in Colmar and from there I walked and hitchiked to Freiburg.

So all in all:
24 h for 1360 km GoogleMapgs says you can do it straight in ca. 12 hours.

In the end I m just happy to be back home and not on the road with my backpack.

HOME SWEET HOME!

Zaragoza, España

Fabzgy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:33:41 +0000

The last week in Tulum was not as easy as I thought it would be.
I ve ended up paying 10 US a night for sleeping on a terrase (with breakfast included). The “Riviera Maya” is the most expensive spot in Latin America. However. It was my last week and tright now I m in Youth Hostel because either HC, CS nor BW worked to find a place to stay here since there a the “Fiestas de Pilar” here in Zaragoza. I don t have to tell you that I m paying more then 10 US a night here. The plan is to earn at least a little bit of the money back with juggling or guitare playing inthe streets. Today I earned 7 € already without playing too much.
Lets see what the day brings tomorow.
In general it s strange to come back to Europe. The first time since 15 months I m not spoted on the first sight as a foreigner or/and a money source to explore. In the Metro in Madrid I wqas surprised because I had the impression that 80 % of the passengers were actually female.
Everyone is walking around with a mobile phone and talking to someone else instead of the people right next to him/her. Very strange situation.
Since I was still in contact with some HC people from Zaragoza I needed a mobile as well and the first guy I asked in the Atocha train station was the guitare player of SKA-P.
Saturday or Sundy Im going to continue to germany. Lets see if my hitchhiking luck keeps on me …

Tulum, Merida: One week left

Fabzgy — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:54:10 +0000

Today I ve got to Tulum after a day in Palenque. Before I was in San Cristobal - trying to work again with the Zapatistas. Unfortunatelly CAPISE, the Organisation I went in Feb. to the community does not send volunteers anymore and FrayBa just sends for two weeks.
So I went just running around a bit in San Cristobal and visited two Caracoles of the Zapatistas.
Now it s just one week left after 15 months of travelling and studying out of Europe.
I ve got to say that I m really looking forward to get back and have a change again. Travelling is exhausting. Even though I m sure that I m going to keep moving within Europe for the next few months and then maybe hop over the atlantic again. But next time not so much for travelling. I do feel a lot more like getting somewhere, renting an apartment, looking for a kind of “occupation”. I mseriously starting to hate buses and getting into a new town and searching around for everything (food, accomodation, internet, etc.) again.

So you ve read it in the anteriour post, come to the KTS or you can show up on the 17. at my place in Watterdingen.

See you in Freiburg, Germany

Fabzgy — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:19:28 +0000

Since I m convinced that the NATO should not keep on fighting against terorism in the world I would like to invite all of you to the SoliParty in the KTS in Feiburg.
That is going to be the welcome back Party for the Freiburg Connection and all the profit from this party goes to a fund which helps to organize the protest against the aniversary meeting of the NATO states in Strassbourg (FRA) and Kehl (GER) in April 2009.

more info: http://natogipfel2009.blogsport.de

PS: Yes, I m still in Mexico. Right now chilling on the beach in Mazunte, Oaxaca.

Puebla, Mexico

Fabzgy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:10:17 +0000

Yes I m still in Mexico. It was quite in the last weeks. I was visiting old friends. Hanging around in Morelia where I was staying at Faustos place. He visited me with his bycicle in Costa Rica and we travelled a bit back then. When he figured out that I was in Mexico he invited me over to Morelia. Whiel I was staying there two other girls from Hospitality Club arrived.
We went around to see the city and visited Pazcuaro. From there I went overto Mexico City where I stayed with Alvaro. Itwas a very pleasant stay but MExico has too much ot offer to see. On Sunday we went cycling with a Couchsurfing Member which was a lot of fun.
Now I m in Morelia staying with Jakob. I met this guy in 2005 in Huanchaco, Peru and later on in Bolivia again.
SInce then we kept more or less in contact and when I came to Mexico I remembered an E.-Mail from him saying sth. about Puebla, Mexico. So I ve dropped him a line and here I am …

Cuba and Public Transportation

Fabzgy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:19:43 +0000

The Challenge:
Get from “Moron“, Ciego de Avila to “Caibarièn”, Villa Clara

It looks on the map as if it is less then 100 km. We, my travelbuddy Alex and me, wanted to make this distance with a low budget in order to figure out how the cubans mamage to get from A to B in Cuba. Thats means Taxis are not allowed and car rentals either!

So we had variouse options I would like to present to you.

Option 1: National Buses (Astro)
There is a bus which is going from Moròn at 1 pm to Santa Clara. One day it pases by Remedios, so it takes the north route and the other day the bus takes the central road so we would have to switch buses in Santa Clara (arrival 5 pm) to another bus which brings us to Moròn.
Problem: The woman at the counter says that she is not authorisized to sell tickets to foreigners. Not even in “divisas”. She is the one wh recomends us the oficial option 2.

Option 2: The oficial one
Go with a municipality bus to Ciego de Avila. Take a taxi or walk for 1 hour (in a unsuportable heat with all your luggage) to the Viazul Terminal. Hope that there is still a free seat in the only bus which is leaving Ciego de Avila at 4:40 pm and gets to Santa Clara at 7:30 pm.
Problems: 1. At the time we get to Santa Clara there isno connection bus to Caibarièn so we ve got to stay overnight in Santa Clara. 2. We don t know if the Viazul has space for us. 3. We can t make reservation for the Viazul, not via Inet nor via Phone 4. Thats the normal/oficial way and hardly payable for cubans.

Option 3: Hitchhiking and Local/Municipality Buses
We could try to get through with hitchhiking and trying to hop on local transportation. That would reqire us to use three local buses and the probability that these are leaving more then twice a day is close to cero. So you miht catch the first one but will me stuck in the next town maybe for a day…
Okay so we hitchhike if there is no transportation. The problem ith hitchhiking is that there are very few private cars in general and the drivers are afraid to get a fine if they take foreigners because as a tourist you are supposed to rent your own car or go by taxi. Aditionally there are a lot of cuban hitchhikers and drivers always ask for money -sometimes uite a lot if they figure out that you are not cuban. By the way I suld mention that the Tropical Storm “Fay” is over Cuba in that moment and heavy rain showers are very likely.

Option 4: Train & Bus
At 1:20 pm there is supposed to be atrain to Santa Clara which could drop us of close to Caibarièn. When we got to the train station the it turned out that the Tropical Storm “Fay” has washed away a bridge so the train has to go on another track but it still should arrive in Santa Clara around 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 and sth. pm.
Instead of 1:20 pm we left at 3:45 pm, so almost 2,5 hours after we should have left.
we ended up paying 10.5 Pesos Moneda Nacional which is around 0.40 € and this was still twice the price then cubans payed.

In the rain there are plenty of people selling food, soaps, toothbrushes, cheesebatterys, etc. to the passengers. It s like alitle market. In the little villages we stop the local try to sell there products (fruits, cheese, eggs, …) to the passengers. before we left the train statio I was reading an article of the Granma about the punctuality of the trains. Accoring to the article 85 % of the trains were in time. Accorng to the cubans in the train the train has never arrive in time on this line.
Finally we arrived at 0.30 am in Santa Clara.
There people told us that at 2am a bus leaves to Caibarien from the train station. Allright .. we get some food and hopp on the bus - no problem. At 2 am three wasn t any bus. Then they told us that at 4 am another bus is supposed to arrive. Nothing happened. At 6 am there came finally a bus which brought us over to Caibarien where we finally git a 7.45 am in the morning the day after we left Moròn. The last bus we took was a bus which brings employees to the Cayos (touristic islands) and we ve had to talk the bus driver over to carryus because thats probably not allwoed either.

So finally it took us 22 hurs to figure out a way to go from Moròn to Caibarièn. A distance of probably less then 100 km. We could have just rent a car or take a taxi but then you wouldn t have anything to read …