Expedition Overland - Char Is Far

Overland Journal Day 11-16: Bosnia and Herzegovina & Montenegro

Charelle — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 18:29:02 +0000

We drove 3240 kilometers in total. After Croatia, we made our way to Sarajevo. What a beautiful and impressive city. I mistakenly assumed that I would see mostly concrete Soviet apartment buildings. How I was wrong. Instead, we walked through narrow alleys in the historic, Ottomon city center. We learned a lot about the war in the ‘90s and the divisions that still exist in the country. Our next stop was Montenegro. We drove the winding mountain roads of the breathtaking Durmitor National Park, visited the holy Ostrog Monastery and enjoyed a boat ride on Skadar lake. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mostar and Sarajevo Although we could easily have stayed a few more days in the photogenic town of Dubrovnik, we decided to travel onwards to Sarajevo. An unknown destination for us both. We wanted to learn more about the war in the ‘90s that left its marks on the society today. We also knew surprisingly little about Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country. So it was definitely time to change that. We crossed the border near the town of Neum. Fun fact: this is the only town on Bosnia’s 25 kilometers of coastline. It was the first border on our expedition that was not an open border, as we were leaving the European Union. It didn’t feel that way, however, as the customs officer barely even glanced at our passports. All in all, the border crossing took no more than a minute. On the way to Sarajevo, we visited the town of Mostar, where you find one of the most famous bridges in Europe. The original bridge collapsed during the war, dividing the local population into two camps that lived on opposite sides of the bridge. Since then, the bridge has been rebuilt and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the city center of Sarajevo, our next stop, we rented a small apartment for 30 euros a night. We read that parking could be a challenge, but luckily our car fit precisely in the apartment’s garage. And in the basement we had a private gym, guarded by the owner’s pit bull whose fierce gaze would follow our every move. For the first time during the trip we could exercise properly again, yay! To familiarize ourselves with the city, we did a walking tour with Meet Bosnia, the city’s best-known tour operator. To our surprise, the center consisted of small, Ottoman alleys with bazaars, mosques and bakeries where they sold baklava and all sorts of sweets. These were not the grim, concrete Soviet flats with bullet holes that I was naively expecting. This was a lively, historic center! Hopefully you will forgive me my ignorance, but this was a huge unexpected surprise for me. But, as we would see the following day on a guided tour about the siege of Sarajevo, you also have the grim, concrete Soviet flats with bullet holes. Our timing was extraordinary: it was exactly 32 years since the siege of Sarajevo began. The siege lasted a total of 4 years, making it one of the longest sieges of a city in modern history. The horror of the daily life of people in the city during the war quickly became apparent. The people of Sarajevo had nowhere to go for years, as the hills surrounding the city were occupied by Serbs with heavy artillery and snipers. We drove along an endless path of empty shoes, symbolizing the more than 11,500 victims in the city alone. Among other places, the tour took us to the infamous “sniper alley”, a road where more than a thousand residents (including more than 200 children) were shot by snipers. We drove past a busy market, where there have been several bombings. We walked through the narrow tunnel below the airport, that the people of Sarajevo and the Bosnian army dug towards each other to supply the city. It was very impressive. What struck me most, was that all of this ‘history’ wasn’t even that long ago. People that were the same age as us, or older, went through all of it. And it is far from forgiven and forgotten. The country is still very much divided, which isn’t strange. Especially if you know how the war “ended”. I realized that the peace treaty was merely a cease-fire, rather than peace as we know it in the Netherlands. Our guide, a Bosniak living in Sarajevo, became visibly tense as we drove into Serb territory, also known as Republika Srprska. There were Serbian flags everywhere, and we even saw a memorial of Ratko Mladić, the commander-in-chief of Bosnian Serb forces during the war. Nicknamed as “The Butcher of Srebrenica,” he was sentenced to life in prison for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. A man still considered a hero by some people. I asked our guide, “So what is it like for you, being here?” He told me that he indeed did not like to be in Serb territory He said: “I always make sure that I take my valuables out of my car when I have to park here. And my money, as well. That way, if they shoot me at least I won’t leave anything valuable for them to finance them.” To us perhaps unimaginable, to many people in Bosnia part of their daily lives. It made me realize once again how lucky we are to be born in the Netherlands and how privileged we are in this world. With the words of our guide still in our minds, we drove to the border with Montenegro after three impressive days. Montenegro: Durmitor National Park, Ostrog Monastery and Skadar Lake Our plan was to drive the “Durmitor loop”, a road through the mountains of Durmitor National Park of approximately 80 kilometers. Along the way there was a spot for wild camping, which we were looking forward to after spending several days in the city. We made our way to the top of the mountains via winding roads with sharp U-turns. The green, barren meadows gently gave way to thick snow, next to and ón the road. The first few snow-covered roads were fine, but slowly it brought us to halt. Out of nowhere, a car appeared in the distance and indicated that we had to stop. It was the first car we had seen in hours. Naturally, we stopped. The driver told us there was too much snow on the road further on to continue. With a glance at our car, he added that “we might get through, though.” We drove on, but unfortunately in vain. Our car become more of a snowplow than an actual car. The wheels kept turning and the snow kept accumulating in front of the car. At one point, we were just stuck and didn’t move forward anymore. Too bad, we had to turn around as well. Although it was not a bad place to end our journey: the panoramic views of the high plains, glaciers and snow were breathtakingly beautiful. For me, it was the highlight of the trip so far. We were in a bit of a hurry as it was 6:30 PM already. The sun was about to set and wild camping is prohibited in Montenegro (except for the spot that we were driving to, but couldn’t reach). We drove back along the winding roads to the first village. According to our offline navigation, there should be a guesthouse. Fingers crossed that they would be open. And they were indeed: for 10 euros we could pitch our tent in their garden and use their facilities, including a hot shower. They also had a restaurant with delicious food and cold beers. I was quickly convinced. During sunset, we pitched our tent – again, it only took us 2 minutes – and the rest of the evening we sat by the wood stove with cold beer. Wild camping for not-so-diehards. In the morning I woke up 5 minutes before the start of the Formula 1 race. I woke Marcel, we ran to the restaurant with WiFi and witnessed yet another win for Max. I did not expect at all that we would be able to watch a Formula 1 race live in the mountains. The rest of the day we slalomed along the park’s beautiful roads, deep gorges, clear mountain lakes and green forests. To get some mileage in too, we drove on to Montenegro’s southern border, arriving at Skadar lake after dark. Along the way, we visited the Ostrog Monastery, a rock-cut monastery and one of the holiest sites for Orthodox Catholics in the country. People were praying, kissing the walls and bowing before a buried holy man. While monks were chanting in the background, we walked past the ancient mosaics and frescoes that decorated the walls. We ended our time in Montenegro with a boat ride on Skadar lake. In summer time the water is covered by thousands of water lilies. Although the water lilies had yet to bloom, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was about 25 degrees (10 degrees warmer than usual in April, according to the locals) and the sun was shining. Our summer had started. And according to the weather forecast, it would continue for a while with temperatures of at least 23 degrees on the Albanian Riviera. Our next destination. What I like so far is that we really live in the moment. We make a plan for the day in the morning, sometimes for the day after and in exceptional cases for the day after that. Very different to our lives in the Netherlands where the days are packed, work appointments pile up on even more work appointments and where we just seem to have so little time. While sitting on the beach, looking at the calm sea and the horizon, that life seems crazy to me. Experiencing what it is like to have time – actual time – is very special. I can’t imagine getting used to that fast life again. Although you probably will be used to it after just two weeks when you’re back in the Netherlands. Oh well, I don’t need to bother myself with these thoughts right now. We still have a long expedition ahead. Follow the expedition on Instagram for real-time updates, and a lot more photos and videos!

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Overland Journal Day 1-10: Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia & Croatia

Charelle — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 14:31:00 +0000

Ten days ago we departed from our rainy hometown, Utrecht in the Netherlands. So far we have driven 2243 kilometers. Via the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Slovenia we currently find ourselves in Croatia. And most importantly: we also found the sun here! What did we see and do during the trip until now? Read all about our first ten days here. Germany: Autobahn and Neuschwanstein Castle On our first day we drove the most kilometers to date: 480 in total. Obviously that’s not very hard on the smooth asphalt of the German autobahn. Our car was in perfect condition, after months of being at the garage in the Netherlands to get the car ready for our trip. What a relief. The day flew by as we got to know every nook and cranny of the car. In the evening, we decided to opt for convenience: we slept in a roadside motel. Not the romantic image I had in mind, but very practical nonetheless. We head out into the picturesque Aschaffenburg and had some food and a beer at a local restaurant. We celebrated the start of our trip, and decided we would do something fun the next day. We are not traveling just to sit in a car and drive kilometers, obviously. This trip is all about seeing and experiencing the world around us. At 8:30 the next morning we left for Neuschwanstein Castle. A fairytale castle on the rocks, whose tall towers overlook the forested, rolling landscape of Bavaria. We hiked for 2 hours through the woods surrounding the castle. Our Dutch calfs were not at all used to the height difference, but it was a welcome change from sitting in the car. And the panoramic views of the surroundings and the castle were more than worth it. We saw the first snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance, green hills and clear blue mountain lakes. It was beautiful. Along with a few hundred other tourists, by the way, who had also decided on Monday morning that Neuschwanstein Castle was worth a visit. Beautiful places are popular for a reason. Next we drove on to northeastern Austria, where the lovely hills slowly transformed into the jagged Alps. Austria: Mountains in Tyrol, Highline 179, Zillertal and Zell am See Before we left on our overland journey, I often thought about our trip, naturally. I imagined us driving along the desolate Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, or making our way through China with a guide in the back seat. I never really thought about the countries close to the Netherlands. Austria turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I felt euphoric as we drove past the first snow-covered mountain peaks. Mountains just seem to have a special place in my heart. Around dinner time, we were looking for apartments in the area to spend the night, but we discovered that there is also a downside to Austria. Everything is super expensive! In the end, we found a campsite for thirty euros. The tent was set up in no time – literally 2 minutes – and we had a great view of the mountains around us. It would be a great test right away with -2 degrees and a storm that night. Wearing thermal underwear and a fleece vest, I crawled into my sleeping bag, only to overheat within minutes. One learns by doing… The good news: the tent stayed firmly on the roof despite the strong wind, and the sleeping bags are nice and warm! Early in the morning, a rooster next to our tent couldn’t wait to greet the sunlight. A 10-minute drive from our sleeping spot, we visited one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe, dangling 114 meters above the valley. I suffer from vertigo and was determined to overcome it, but once I was on the bridge everything was fine luckily. This allowed me to enjoy the phenomenal view of the surroundings even better: a green valley, eternal snow and small villages. The next stop: the green ‘Zillertal’. The very last winter sports enthusiasts were desperately sliding down the last bits of slopes. We took a detour via a winding mountain pass. It turned out to be a good choice. The road took us deep into the woods, where thick packs of snow lay on either side of the road. It was magical. Finally, we pitched our tent at a campsite in Zell am See and opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate our expedition. The next morning the sun shining bright, we visited my cousin and his family who run a B&B in southern Austria and arrived in country number 3: Slovenia. Slovenia: Lake Bled and the Postojna caves Rain, rain, rain. That best sums up our 24 hours in Slovenia. Lake Bled is beautiful even in the rain, but I suspect it would be a lot more pleasant with better weather. So we set our sights on Slovenia’s second highlight: the Postojna Caves. The Postojna Caves are one of the longest cave systems in Europe. You can explore them by – yes, truly – a train. Together with a whole horde of other tourists, you board a train that then makes its way through the narrow passages of the extensive cave system. You’ll see epic rock formations of stalactites and stalagmites. A magnificent natural wonder meets Disneyland. Weird? Yes! Cool? Yes! The weather forecast wasn’t promising, so after just 24 hours we headed for the next country and the sun. Croatia. Croatia: Plitvice and Dubrovnik Our first destination in Croatia was a small cottage in the woods. Marcel was not feeling well, so it was a good time to get some rest. The sun was shining, it was 23 degrees and we felt like we were alone in the world. From our cottage we had a panoramic view of the surrounding woods. We saw a squirrel swinging through the trees, a fox running by and in the morning we were greeted by three deer. I finally had time to work out, started reading the book ‘The Last Overland’ (about someone who drove from Singapore to London in an old Land Rover) and hiked through the woods. It was simply lovely. Once again, I decided we should take it slow more often. After two days of doing nothing (during which time always goes surprisingly fast), Marcel felt a little better and we decided to go on. The first stop: the famous Plitvice Lakes. Here you hike past crystal clear, turquoise lakes and hundreds of picturesque waterfalls. The largest waterfall is appropriately called the Great Waterfall (Veliki Slap) and is a whopping 78 meters in height and surrounded by smaller siblings. A feast of waterfalls as far as the eye can see, so to say. Definitely one of the highlights of Croatia. True natural beauty, even in winter (and an entrance ticket costs about 30 euros less in this period than in high season). We drove along the coastal road from north to south through the country. Along the way, we stopped in the old port town of Trogir and visited the impressive old city center of Split. But the real highlight was the road itself. With each bay we passed, the water became a little more blue, and the mountains a little more rugged. I imagined myself in a tropical resort and even dared to compare the beaches to the spectacular beaches in Asia. This is it, our goal. Driving the most amazing routes we can find and enjoying everything we encounter along the way. Our destination of this enchanting coastal road was Dubrovnik. Expectations were high, because it’s a popular place. And rightly so. I am a Dubrovnik fan. Behind every corner, a tiny alley was begging to be explored. The crooked steps made their ways up to the red roofs of the historic houses. The old city center is surrounded by sturdy city walls, overlooking the bluest sea I’ve seen in ages. I could count the rocks at the bottom of the sea. And fun fact: the entire town is featured in Game of Thrones and has been used for numerous scenes. As true GoT nerds, we obviously went to all the filming locations. A little further along the coast is the deserted beach resort town of Kupari. A place where Yugoslav soldiers and Tito, among others, vacationed. During the Yugoslav civil war it was (literally) shot to pieces and bombed, only to fall into oblivion. The result? A bay with abandoned, dilapidated hotels and broken-down villas. A bit of an apocalytic vibe, but worth a visit. I always find such places interesting. Places which seem to be forgotten by everyone and everything, and are slowly decaying over time. We ended the day by driving to a hill with beautiful views of Dubrovnik during sunset. It was the most beautiful day so far. I could have stayed here for a while longer. But we decided to seek out the slightly less tropical Sarajevo. This city has a fierce recent history that we want to learn more about. And a real milestone: we are leaving the EU! Follow the expedition on Instagram for real-time updates, and a lot more photos and videos!

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The Start Of Our Adventure

Charelle — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 06:30:21 +0000

We finally hit the road: we’re 4 days, 1400 kilometers and 4 countries in. We crossed The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. In this blog you read more about the highs and lows and the life lessons we learned so far. Ultimate freedom We were so busy preparing for the trip the last few weeks that we didn’t really have time to think about what we were going to do. The people around us seemed more aware of this than we were. But the time has finally come: our adventure has started. We left our hometown Utrecht in our Toyota 4Runner with rooftop tent to drive to Singapore. When I woke up on the day of departure – last Sunday, March 24 – I realized that I don’t have to go to the office the next day. I’m not expected anywhere whatsoever. Same goes for the next day, and the next, and the next… You get the point. We can literally go wherever we want. Decide every day what we want to do. Is that the definition of ultimate freedom? Pitching your tent when it’s time to sleep and waking up with the sun? Life lessons I am typing this on day 4 from Bled, Slovenia. We drove over 1400 kilometers and passed through 4 countries in total. We’re obviously never going to keep up this pace, and we don’t want to. It’s not a race to get to Singapore as soon as possible. We have time. Although I really need to start realizing that more often. I need to learn to let go and see where the day takes me. Which is surprisingly difficult if you are used to the rat race in the Netherlands. So it seems I already learned some life lessons in just 4 days time. Ultimately, that’s what this trip is about. I don’t know if we will ever arrive in Singapore. Or when. But that doesn’t really matter either. It’s about everything we see and experience along the way. The lessons we learn from it. And what we do with those lessons the rest of our lives. The highs and lows Is it all fun and games, then? I wish! We almost fell asleep on the German autobahn out of boredom (although we will probably miss that smooth asphalt in a few weeks time), we barely got any sleep in our rooftop tent, Marcel got sick and I managed to set our gas stove on fire. Like, the entire stove, not the thing that is meant to burn. But it was all well worth it. Because above all we saw so many beautiful places along the way. The fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle with its tall, white towers overlooking the wooded hills of Bavaria. The green, rolling valleys and rugged, snow-capped peaks of Tyrol. The mysterious Lake Bled, with its small church on the island in the middle shrouded in fog, clouds and rain. What struck me most, however, were all the invitations we got from people all over the world, asking us if we want to stay at their place when we drive by. Simply because they like what we’re doing. Hospitality unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. The world has so much to offer, if you are open to it. We can’t wait to discover it all. Follow the expedition on Instagram for real-time updates, and a lot more photos and videos!

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Our 4×4 Overland Itinerary From The Netherlands to Singapore

Charelle — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 19:48:58 +0000

When I Googeled for the first time: “Is it possible to drive from the Netherlands to Southeast Asia?”, the answer was: “No, nearly impossible.” I refused to take no for an answer and spent my nights reading the requirements for different countries along the route. In only six weeks time we will finally leave for Singapore by car from our hometown in the Netherlands. We have been preparing for this expedition for months and had to make some important choices about our overland itinerary. Which countries do we want to see? Which countries are we even allowed to enter by car? What are the requirements per country? And what about safety on the road? Our overland itinerary For some countries we have to arrange everything well in advance (looking at you Iran, Turkmenistan and China), otherwise you can’t even enter the country. However, we want to keep our options open and decide on the way how long we want to stay somewhere and where we want to go. So our itinerary is definitely not set in stone, but I expect we’ll drive at least through the countries below. It also states – if applicable – what you need to arrange to drive through the country with your own car (updated January 2024 – applicable for Dutch citizens). If you ever want to follow in our footsteps… I mean, tracks? Europe Asia Did I miss anything? Or any words of advice on what we need to do on the way? Let us know in the comments!

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