A cup of Ethiopian coffee

A sensual ritual of preparing coffee I visit a tiny souvenir shop in Addis Ababa. Lemlem is roasting beige coffee beans on a clay hearth. Just within minutes the sun is overcast by dark clouds and an imminent intense rain sets all the shopkeepers to action. I help Lemlem and her sister to hide merchandise…

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The unique Abyssinia

Kids on the roads less traveled are curious, throughout the world I get up at crack of dawn. Logically reasoning, a new day has just started. While a European would say it is six, according to Ethiopian time it is zero hour. The notional concept of time we are used to may be delusive. What…

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Ethiopian flavours

Khat house is a common meeting place The very two things that will take aback a visitor to Ethiopia is khat and injera. Moving around the country, it is the stimulant herb khat, chewed over and over again by the inhabitants of Abyssinia and a firfir, a resembling sour bubble-pancake dish, which would become a…

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A glimpse from Ethiopia

An Ethiopian beauty In the center of Addis Ababa, just off the main street we find a friendly Ethiopian, a happy owner of a timless Renault 4. He give us a ride to the bus station. This old car has a unique charm. Clutch is a manual handle, the gears transmission works vertically and on…

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A man who makes Zambia a better place

Zambian beauty Immediately after crossing border and making a first step on the Zambian soil I feel a full-scale relief affecting all my senses. I feel the hundreds of liters of sweat flowing down my body after some strenuous weeks spent in the Congo. Finally I am able to easily communicate with mutual understanding. Sitting…

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Cycling through the Congo

Curious children looking through a window in a bar A red gravel road ahead heralds hundreds of kilometers pedaling into the Democratic Republic of Congo. For the next few days I expect to become absolutely detached from the outside world, with no mobile phones, no electricity, no running water and at most a few poorly…

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The footsteps of Kazimierz Nowak

In the years 1931-1936 a Polish explorer Kazimierz Nowak traveled all Africa using only the strength of his muscles as the first person in the world. His achievement unfortunately has never gained the appreciation it deserves. A groups of enthusiasts inspired by the character decided to plan a relay travel in the years 2009-2011 to…

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Lotoko, a Congolese moonshine

Penetrating dark passageways in search of lotoko An accidentally met Congolese girl leads us through the dark streets of Kalemie. We believe she is a person who knows a place where you can buy lotoko. In twilight, seeing only the shadows cast by warm light of street lamps we reach the secret place. It is…

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The Congo is falling apart

Transportation of barrels in the rural Congo The value of Congolese deposits of natural resources is estimated at over 20 trillion dollars. That is approximate equivalent of the entire U.S. housing market, or ten times the most recent financial crisis. The amount could be alternatively used to buy everyone on the planet a three packs…

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A marketplace in Bujumbura

Meat stall at the market in the capital of Burundi A group of butchers is using machetes to chop bony cuts of beef. An incomprehensible kirundi language chatter is set to background by mixed sounds of bones being crushed and hullabaloo of hyperactive flies. A slightly tense atmosphere rises, then it suddenly intensifies. No one…

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Burundi, the heart of Africa

A Hutu tribe woman, Burundi A scenic river runs along the valley defining the border with Rwanda. Since the outbreak of civil war and even after the official ceasefire, Burundi has a reputation of a very dangerous country. Just a year ago the capital city of Bujumbura was the only area controlled by the state,…

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A school in Rwanda

Meeting kids in Rwandan school We visit an elementary school on the way. In one of the classrooms kids have classes. We decide to take a short break here. With a principal’s approval the students interrupt their lesson to meet us. The entire crowd of kids gathers up outside the building. For a good start,…

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Meetings in Kigali

Kigali, situated on the hill capital of Rwanda During the whole journey through Rwanda I hold the view that the country can easily be crossed on a bike without pedals. Nothing but short-lasting, adrenalin filling rides downhill and continuous uphill struggles, which are so steep that it is often more convenient to push the bike. Just…

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One thousand hills on a bike

Mzungu among Rwandan kids Tired of a long journey we are looking for a bottle of cold beer. Searching through the mysterious alleys of Kigali all we find is a warm and tart banana wine. We still have to take a five-hour bus ride to Gisenyi, a town on the western end of Rwanda. It…

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When the temperature drops to minus 40 ºC

The temperature is approaching -40ºC Central Norway is the coldest place in Europe. Contrary to the apparent logic, moving further north you will find yourself within the range of warm Mexican current, which makes Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea never freeze. Therefore the air temperature has also relatively small fluctuation over the year. In Gålå…

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Cross-country craze

Cross-country skis will get you anywhere you want I bet I have traveled much more on cross-country skis than the combined distance covered by car, train, bike and on my feet during nearly a five-month long Norwegian winter. Cross-country skis or langrenn (in Norwegian) is undoubtedly the pride and the national sport here. Locals are…

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Surviving the Norwegian winter

Snowshoe walking I settle down the place where the sun sets at three in the afternoon, merely an hour later it gets completely dark. And so it is until nine in the morning. It’s hard to get used to the long shadows cast already early in the afternoon. The early December’s temperature of minus 20ºC…

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Port in Porto

Night panorama of Douro riverbank We park nearby Paços do Concelho, the city council of Porto. Shortly after I befriend a Portuguese woman who appears to be the parking ticket warden, so for that reason parking becomes complimentary. We crawl along Avenida dos Aliados, the main alley leading from the center to the Douro riverside.…

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Peniche

Fortaleza de Peniche We are too late! This year’s world surfing championship at the beach of Supertubos ended two days ago. We missed Kelly Slater and Laird Hamilton, the world’s top surfers. One of the accidental hitchhikers assured me that last week during the competition there were six meters high giant waves. The atmosphere of…

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Portuguese Odyssey

Sanctuary on the dark Cabo Espichel The winding mountain path is surrounded by the lush green vegetation of Serra da Arrabida nature park. At dusk we arrive at the terrifying Cabo Espichel. The heavy, wet fog reveals only the outlines of abandoned buildings at the very end of the cape. This is a cultic pilgrimage…

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Lisbon

The great explorers set off their romantic travels I admire the dramatic view of sun subtly setting behind the clouds . Sailboats released in the wind, an ocean cruising ship and a few fishing boats cast long shadows on the wrinkled surface of the river. In the foreground there is the monument Padrão dos Descobrimentos…

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The vineyard of Herdade da Ajuda

Wine production in Alentejo Portuguese province of Alentejo. A dark complexion, a little bit obese worker is arranging stacks of wine barrels. Drawn away from his work at the moment he reveals unconcealed enthusiasm and willingness to guide us through the vineyard. We are on the 21-hectare plantation in central Portugal. Not so long ago,…

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The land of Alentejo

Windmill in Odeceixe The road north leads through a small fishing town Vale dos Homens. At the fish market we buy several doradas for dinner. This is a peaceful place, people rarely appear on the streets. We meet an old man sitting on a wooden bench in the shade of acacia lazily reading a newspaper.…

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Mussels and squid

Praia do Amado Cooking squid for not a skilled cook is kind of a challenge. Awkward incision makes intensely black ink  splatter around. I remove the squid’s float, looking indistinguishably like a part made of plastic. Everything around is stained with ink and definitely does not look like anything edible, not to mention being tasty.…

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Algarve tripping

Surfing time Early in the morning I say goodbye to southern Spain and cross the Portuguese border. My first stop is at the tourist information office. Courteous black girl, probably in the seventh month of pregnancy greets me with Portuguese “Bom dia!” and a smile on her face. I collect detailed information on the Algarve…

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Laid-back Andalusia

Sometimes a road turns into the river Andalusia is considered the poorest and the least developed part of Spain. Take a look from another point of view. It is by far the most sunny part of Spain and time is running much slower compared to the other parts of Iberian peninsula. Our adventure begins as…

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Paella and snails

Our feast in Tomatito bar, Tarifa During my stay on a surfing spot near the Valdavaqueros beach, one day I take my longboard for a ride to Tarifa. I visit my friend Polly, who is working for the summer in a bar called Tomatito. This is a very unusual place taking into account not only…

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A place for a grilled chicken

El jardí de Sòl de Riu Cruising along a swerving coastal road we head south. Our intention is to skip the toll tunnel to see more of beautiful Catalonia. We stop at numerous viewpoints on our way and in the evening we arbitrarily choose a place to stay. A small village of Vinaròs is located…

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Longboard BCN

Barcelona is a longboarder’s paradise Last time I visited Barcelona I made a mistake and didn’t bring my longboard along. This time I finally got a chance to fix it. Now, my only concern is to park the yellow car in the center. This is not trivial issue, because by definition, you can’t move by…

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Sardinia

A place for snorkeling A night ferry from the Italian port Piombinio takes us to Olbia, a city on the north-eastern Sardinia. Still long before dawn we head towards the Isola de Gabbiani and Porto Pollo. It is getting bright and this is exactly the time and the place for a hearty breakfast and morning…

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