終於來到伊朗，未到已經感到其好客之道

在阿美尼亞最後的小鎮卡渣蘭度過一夜，第二朝一早出發，因為不知道過境到伊朗要需時多久，過了境還要走百五公里到城市坦里斯會伊朗的第一個梳化主人。其實我們預計中途要截幾程車，要等的話，可以要中途找地方過夜，才可以到坦里斯。誰不知我們截了一架貨車一程就到坦里斯! 司機名叫依巴謙叔叔，剛送貨到阿美尼亞，駕着空貨車回家，而他的家就是在坦里斯。我們很感恩，沒有一夜沒成果的截車，我們便不會在這第二天遇到他，還要一程便能到達目的地。依巴謙叔叔的英文能力有限，我們的波斯語是近乎零(除了懂得打招呼、問去邊度、問人稱呼、問地址外, 就沒有了)。在這一整天的車程，我們用手語，有限的英語溝通。知道他有一個女兒，他也知道我們帶着BB入境。可能因此他特別小心及照顧我們: 在入境前的油站他帶我們到相熟的東主家喝茶吃早點；讓出駕駛位置後的床讓太太睡；過境時又耐心等我們這對外國人被關員盤問。其實他大可以不等我們,而我們就只有截第二程車，但他沒有這樣做，很可靠守信，我們感動不已。

其實我們帶着違禁品入境，就是阿美尼亞特產干邑。伊朗禁酒，何況帶酒入境，得知過關不太搜女士，就由穿得較腫的太太放一支小瓶在衣內。過境時好奇的伊朗關員看着太太的蓋頭證件相打量一番，就很快放她走。到我被打量後過了關，竟然不見了她! 這個盲頭烏蠅過了境居然走回阿美尼亞那邊的出口...

過境後的車路是沿着阿塞拜彊的邊境走，要申請該國的護照很昂貴，而且聽聞很難申請而且不歡迎外國人，我們一看隔河對面的阿國就算了。依巴謙叔叔還算倒不如去伊朗吧，人有好物產豐富，這個我們也相信。還有百五公里路，還要花兩小時多。第一個深印象就是油站，當依巴謙叔叔入油時，我們看見他們那着一疊疊鈔票付錢，最少鈔票面值也是10000! 我們在坦桑尼亞已領教過幾十萬未開頭的頭痛，看來我們又要就做人肉數鈔機。 另外這裏的油價平得難以相信，是香港的十份一! 叔叔說已經算貴了，五年前還只是十份一價錢呢!

到了坦里斯，叔叔還帶我們到梳化主人家附近的十字路口。他沒有電郵，我們還留下電郵地址，希望他的女兒可以寫電郵給我們，保持聯絡。

Back to Turkey and feeling blessed

While waiting with two backpacks in Istanbul otogar (main bus station) alone, as Adley was running between different bus companies to check bus tickets time and price towards the Black Sea coast,  I was suddenly approached by two teenage girls walking passed after their friends. They gave me a friendly smile and suddenly hugged me with kisses on both of my cheeks, one by one, and walked away!!! It was sweet but left me rather confused. 

After an overnight bus ride from Istanbul towards Bartin, an early connecting bus took us to Amasra, we walked a little bit around the small seaside town and managed a rather long lift to Sinop, where we stayed for a night. 

In Sinop, we found a pansion in a convenience location. Price was fair but we still tried to bargain. The owner stood firm on the rate but offered us home cuisine and Turkish tea all the time.  We tried freshly made Barack, fig jam, paprika dip, tomato nut dip and got so many cooking tips. Her kitchen cum reception cum living room is always fragranced with food.

We are at the right time of Bayram in Turkey, and witnessed the animal butchering ceremony in Sinop the next day. Sheep and cows are contributed by the wealthy ones. Butchers then killed and cut in public with the raw meat given out to poor people. It's a rather unusual event to watch, though not for the faint hearted and probably vegetarians. There was a lot of blood, some struggle but not much heart breaking cries. We heard that usually after Bayram, there will always be a day of rain. Seems that God has his way to clean the land.

Later at night, we watched news about runaway cows and injured helpers during the ceremony all around Turkey.  Our friend laughed that this always happened every year. Such great escape is almost an entertainment.

Getting lucky with hitchhiking on the first day, we confirmed our impression of how easy it is to hitchhike in Turkey. Hence, we insisted to try our luck again.

Two lift with not too long waiting took us 110km from Sinop to Samsun.

When we were hitchhiking today, from Sinop to Gerze, something bizarre happened. Two girls stopped their car in front of us, but instead of taking us a lift, she passed me a mobile phone. It was her curious friend in Trabzon, saying hi to me and probably trying her English. 

We waited a little while more and met a beautiful couple Dilek and Adem, who only got married two months ago and having a little excursion from Sinop directly to Samsun. We exchanged emails and we were invited to their place if we were in Sinop again! They handed us to our CS host in Samsun and left. 

The unlimited hospitality we received here made us feel so blessed and well taken care of!

So we are absolutely fine.

Enjoyable ride along the Turkish Black Sea coast 1

After an overnight bus trip from Istanbul, we arrived Bartin. It was the cheapest bus ticket we could buy to somewhere near the Black Sea coast. It was near an important religious celebration and everyone was crazy leaving Istanbul to go to their home. Many buses were full. Bartin was still not on the coast but 30km uphill. We arrived in the misty morning, not impressed by the boring town center and the scattered village house; we left right away to the coastal town Amasra. There we started our Black Sea journey.

Amasra is a small town. After some sight seeing we started hitchhiking along the coast. With our good memory of hitchhiking with the nice and helpful Turkish drivers in May, we hope we could go as long as we could along the coast to the east, before around 4pm. There we find a hostel or a cheap pension to stay, as we need a good hot shower.

"Maria power" worked again. A delivery vehicle took us for around 30km to Kurucasile. This distance took one hour because the road went zigzag along the hillside next to the sea,     some on the cliff. Yosef had a four year old boy, with some English and was happy to show us the boy's pictures. We have the good view along the road between mountain and sea. It is autumn and the leaves are changing color.

Our second hike was even more exciting. It went all the way to Sinop. The driver Murad took his passenger, who is a middle-aged woman, with his tough toyota truck, to a village first. It is our first time seeing the natural scenery behind the mountains. It is a world by itself, another natural reserve between two ranges of mountain. He dropped his passenger in the village and move back to the coast. We passed Cide, a town with 8km beach, then we went inland again because Murad said the  280 coastal road afterwards was to zigzagly and rough that speed can be just 30-50km/h and it will take very long to go. It is very scenic too but Murad was in hurry going home. We should follow his way. 

Although we did not go coastal, the inward route to Kastamonu passed the colorful forest and beautiful canyon. We saw so many colors in the forest: red, orange, yellow and green all around. It was so magnificent.

The way back to coast was another 180km of the 360km on the highway which we could run 120km/h. So it only took 4 hours for this 360km instead of that 280km which could not run more than 40km/h most of the time.

We are very happy with this drive and thank Murad for that. He even bought us sweet. It was kind of new year, people visit each other and serve candies. We arrive Sinop at around 5pm to see the animal market. It is a scenic fishing town where Istanbulis have holiday break.

We have other scenic Black Sea route waiting for us.

挪威大石臺 Preikestolen

離開Tyssedal到Odda，已經天黑，其實只不過是黃昏六時，我們急急買過食物，便在一間油站外截順風車往南向”石臺”(Preikestolen)進發。我們舉起牌，很多車經過，很多司機留意我們，但都走過，等了一小時還是無起息，心想等到九時都無車，就到對面的戶外停車場找片草地紥營煮飯。怎料我們正想這樣做之際，一個媽媽駕車接我們二十公里南面的小鎮 Skare (我想這還好, 至少也是要道，繼續爬車也方便)。後來Anne還提議我們在她家裏留一夜，恭敬不如從命，況且天氣寒冷，天黑車輛愈來愈少，又不知會否能當晚上車。她很好客，曾招呼不少經過的背包客。我們去到她舒適的家，在她廚房煮晚飯，了解家庭生活。她的三個兒子逐一離家，而她只在夏天經營附近的紀念品店，對於將來只有兩老在家感到唏噓。她很想和丈夫在後者退休和兒子離家後到處旅行，但又不想放下舖頭，而丈夫又有風濕不能呆在野外太久。我們提議她想想駕車旅行，還開玩笑說我們可以幫忙開舖呢(如果回港後找不到工作的話)。她很喜歡喝茶，我想想可以寄些普洱給她。

第二天(星期三)我們近中午才出發，Anne送我們出去乘巴士，巴士費很貴，但如果不付錢坐車，就不能在星期四或之前到Preikestolen，要坐順風車還有二三百公里，而且這裏的人好像不太熱衷載人。既然我們在Sandnes找到人住，我們決先去那兒，星期四再出發，去不到大不了在Stavenger觀光一天。Martin和她的姐姐是斯洛法克人來這裏工作發展，我們在這裏第一晚煮了餐焗雞翼、甜酸蝦和炒飯，吃得我們滿肚腸肥。第二天乘車和船，有些轉接地回Stavenger -> Tau -> Jorpeland -> Josund。如果是夏天就不需那麼轉接了，現在已經是季尾，交通班次不密。

季尾的好處是人不多，如果是夏天旺季上山的路便塞得水洩不通，原來單程兩小時也要三小時以上。Anne和Martin都不約而同擔心季尾可能下雪出路難行。不理會了，現在已經在路上，下巴士還要再行車路個多小時才到達兩小時路程的山路開端。同行還有一個在巴黎做事的北京女人，後來我們要趕車要快上山，就抛離她，況且我們還可以截順風車免了這段較悶的上山車路。

從車路轉山路，去的路真的花了兩個多小時，當中試過迷路，也碰見來自香港的學生，她們在山腳青年宿舍住了前一晚，今天出發。中途下雪，有些大風有些寒，石路很清楚，但也濕滑。我們也因找路吵了一頓，就算最後找到石臺也心情盡失。 在寒風中吃過三文治，拍幾張照(我不捨得走，蹓蹥多久，在大石臺上不敢向下望，直落五百米就是海了，風又大，怕被吹下去，但實在壯觀，不久就下山趕車了。

下山時雪也下得密，我們失了最後往碼頭的巴士，只有沿高速公路截順風車。好運地我們分別截了輛Audi跑車到Ornes(那兒我們在關門的遊客中心看到三文魚場及一輛由一榮升媽媽駕的車(後者還參與建築Martin所住公寓的工程，世界真少)回Sandnes。

回Sandnes得開心，還有時間購物，為老婆買了新的行山褲，我們亦買了一條2.5公斤的大鱒魚回家焗。

第二天晨咁早三時起床坐四時半巴士(因為平, 249kr一位,還有免費上網和報紙)回Bergen，結束這五天的尋石之旅，目標達成，而且所費不太高。在挪威旅行太貴了，坐一程城內巴士單程也要44kr (約HKD60)，吃就不敢奢望在餐館吃(動輒幾百元一餐午飯，而且只是快餐)。雖然如此，這裏的大自然實在太美，我們玩得樂而忘返。

Hot Spring under the Star in Chile

Thanks to our host in Santiago, Diego, who recommended us to a nearby hot spring, around 2 hours by car near the city, Termas Valle de Colina, which is in Cajon del Maipo. He drew a cute map for us, although his flatmates teased him for that. It was very kind of him; we were still keeping this map as his gift to us.

We took metro from Tobalaba to Las Mercedes Station, which take about an hour, then got on a blue bus to San Jose de Maipo.

San Jose de Maipo is a quiet little town, we waited for a while and there was not much car around. We still have a long way to go heading Termas de Colina.

We got a colectivo stopped for us. Colectivo is a shared taxi going to a fixed location, where everyone pay a fixed price per person, depending on the distance.

There was an old lady in the front and it was able to take us to the police control of San Gabriel. It is the end of the concrete road, beyond that, it's all pebbles and mud.

On our way, there was another girl getting in, after knowing that we wish to go to Termas de Colina, she helped us make some call and asked if we like a taxi order for C$300 (?!) It was so expensive, but she said no bus will go there. We actually see some irregular bus going further to El Volcan, there was someone waiting in a bus stop but we were not sure if there was anything for the guy.

We reached San Gabriel police control and walked up the valley for a while. We reached a campsite near the riverside, lunched there and saw a couple hitchhiked successfully nearby.

With more confidence, we waited in the same spot. There were mostly construction trucks passing by, as there were a lot of mines and construction site (for a power station, I heard). We finally got lucky and managed to stop a van who was heading to a construction site near Banos Morales. This is great! We are then very near to our destination, with a sign showing 17km.

A flash of thought thinking we should stay in Banos Morales for a relaxing hot spring resort stay, but Adley insisted on moving forward.

We thought walking was not too difficult, though it probably took a while- 3 or 4 hours? The valley was going uphill and no cars around at all. For a one day hot spring trip, we are already quite late, it's almost 3pm.

We walked for an hour or two, the road seems never ending. There was Sam Jose Volcano and we kept circulating the colorful mountain, thinking another turn will get there but the road never stop. We tried to stop a car leaving the valley, wanting to ask the direction to make sure, however they thought we are hitchhiking, didn't stop and show is they are full.

They looked like finishing a hot bath, so we moved on.

We got lucky again and found a 4x4 passing by. A pair of love birds was heading to the hot spring! The lady shared some walnut and the road was really narrow and bumpy and long.

Another half an hour or so, we finally get there - Termas de Colina. I missed the picture before, and was surprised to see that there is...nothing! An entrance gate with no one there, a deserted area with sand, mud, snow and nothing, a cafe that is closed, then we drove uphill and there was a car parking area with a few cars there. We thanks the couple and walked on.




We passed some vans, with their backdoor opened and they were partying, with a giant wok of soup, meat, chicken and seafood, a fire, beers, table, cups and plates. We looked curious and was invited by a guy who speaks a little English.

He was the son of a butcher. His father was here for a day off with his friends. So nice, closing the shop on Friday to enjoy hotspring! We shared their soup and food and some rum coke as well. Then headed for the hotspring.

Just turning a short path, we are there. Seems like the Istanbul lake in layer, it was a group of small outdoor ponds, with water coming from a cave.

We set a tent, got changed and i rushed into a pond with good view of the volcanos and no one. Then I noticed why there was none. It was a lower pond, hot water cone from the top, so temperature gradually decrease and the weather was really cold. I had a hard time standing up to the cold wind before jumping to an upper pond.

The ponds in layers have some fountain source which work like massage for shoulder. The ponds and hot water are natural from the mountain and there was mud too. People all put mud on their face and the water was a little salty.

We soaked there for a while and was considering if we should ask the butcher to take us back to Santiago, as it's so windy and cold up here. Also, I'm worried that there is no car going back.

We joined then for another hot soup, escaped from the trashed and drunk son, who fell on me at the back and I had a near escape of falling on the rocks next to the campfire and decided to stay for the night there.

That night, we camped in there, only the two of us (so we could get naked !) and jumped into the hot spring after dinner. The sky was filled with stars, and alas, we see a shooting star! Despite the coldness and wind, the water was so warm. We lied down on the edge of the pond, looking into the starry night and soaked until our skin winkled.

No regret. Weather getting even colder (water was freezing) but spending a night alone I'm the hot spring is unspeakablly good. Adley wish to soak all night long in the hot spring but I was getting itchy all over, so I rushed to the changing room and showered before getting back into the tent.

The next day, we returned to the hot spring again, seeing sunrise with the stunning mountain scenery.

We left at around 10am. It was too early to have any car come for hot spring and take us back to town.

We walked down, checking our the only hostel and no car intended to leave. And we were chased by the guard to pay entrance fee. http://www.termasvalledecolina.cl/en

We tried to hitchhike without success and walked all our way back to Banos Morales. It was impossible to walk back all the way. So Adley and I had some lunch and waited in the deserted bus stop.

We saw a guy who looked like walking from the mountain of El Morado National Park dropping from a car. Tried to get in but it was leaving. The guy told us there is bus in El Volcan (but it's another 2-3 hours walk). Then a 4x4 arrived. We all got in, all three of us.

We are so lucky that the young man Santiago, who speaks English and his friend just returned from some mine for research and was heading back to Santiago.

They took us all the way back to town. Just one metro station from Tobalaba, where we lived!

Hitch-hiking from Puerto Madryn to Rio Gallegos

Leaving our lovely couch host, Dr Yamila in Puerto Madryn, we headed off south of Argentina.


Our target is a town named Rio Gallegos. It's a small town of 90,000 population (as told by LP) with some of the continent’s best fly-fishing nearby and 'where most travelers stop here just long enough to catch the next bus to El Calafate, Puerto Natales or Ushuaia.'


By bus from Puerto Madryn to Rio Gallegos is around 16 hours ride of over 1000km and about Ar$480-528 (around HKD1000 each).


We heard a lot about how easy it is to hitchhike in Patagonia, so we decided to try our luck.


We met a guy in a hostel of Puerto Madryn that hitchhiked his way from Ushuaia in 3 days; while another greengo discussed loudly about his plan of hitchhiking from Ushuaia to Chile on the bus from La Plata to Patagonia.


Yamila drove us to a roundabout on the edge of town on Route 3 and bid us farewell. In merely thirty minutes, a kind truck driver stopped and picked us up for 54km to Trelew and stopped us at a gas station.


From there we waited almost 2 hours before we got another kind truck driver, Carlos, taking us almost 300km to Comodoro Rivadavia. It was a 4 hours ride and he asked me to sleep in the bunk rather than dosing off in the centre without seatbelt.


The patagonia highway was flat, long and rather boring. The road was nicely paved in the middle of some neverending plateau, with small dry bushes, no trees and occasionally some running ostrid, rabbit, sheep and qwanako. Everything was flat, even the mountains.


As there was no light, and the land is so flat, the starry night is amazing. Carlos stopped the car and let us enjoy the sky filled with stars, while he took a leak. The galaxy is just above us and we don't need to look up to see stars! They are all in front of you. In Hong Kong, this is impossible.


The wind was getting stronger at this point, when the sun was gone and we started to get the feel of the coldness of Patagonia.


We arrived a gas station at around 9:30pm. The kind-hearted driver was concerned where we stay for the night, as he said most truck drivers would rest at night and head off around 7am again.


We hold the whiteboard 'Ruta 3 o Rio Gallegos' for another 1-2 hours and thought we don't have much luck for the night. Hence, we found some deserted location at the back of the gas station, behind 2 trees and set up our tent for the night. It was so windy all night but we managed to get some rest.


The next day, waking at 6am, we packed and parked ourselves at the gas station cafe. With toilet to refresh, heater for warmth, microwave for making rice as breakfast and buying a relatively expensive cafe con leche (Ar$12), we stayed until the sky lightened up.


Comodoro Rivadavia and its proximity has numerous patrol plant and early morning at the gas station are vans after vans of workers heading to work in the oil fields stopping to get some breakfast or lunch.


We stood outside the gas station with our thumbs up. It was until almost 9:30am that a van which had finished sending workers to Oil field picked us up for 100km to a town named, Caleta Olivia, where the driver, Daniel George, would rest at home and drive for another 3 rides again later in the day.


Daniel stopped us on Route 3, outside town. Apart from oil fields, road under construction, strong wind, blowing sand and birds, there were only cars that went back to town through the roundabout or trash trucks picking carton boxes to the recycle garage nearby.

We had some left over empanadas that I made in Yamila's lovely home to change our luck. Right after our short lunch, we got picked up by a 4x4 driver, who took us to a gas station in Tres Corros.


Apart from the flat plain, straight paces road, the only stopovers are the gas stations, with small shop, cafe and hotels. Otherwise, there is almost nothing between towns.


We met another 4x4 with two tourist, who looked like Germans, with a driver. We tried asking for a lift and found that they are hitchhikers too and also heading Rio Gallegos. They said their car is full and no more room.


Well, so far we have reached half of our way, although we need to wait some 2 hours at every point on the second day. We have confidence that if we are lucky, only another one or two more cars, we could reach Rio Gallegos on the same night.


We found some disposed box and write bigger letters of our destination and hold with our thumbs up for another 2 hours.

Another petrol plant staff van got us and took us almost 140km to Caleta Olivia.


We waited there and met those German hitchhikers again at the gas station. They waved again and we bid farewell with jealousy in our eyes.


We managed to meet 2 other trucks at the gas station heading for Rio Gallegos, however, both are full, with companion next to the drivers.


We waited for another hour and to our amazement, a 4x4 stopped some distance ahead. We were not sure if it meant to take us or it only stopped for checking out the map. Adley ran to the car and we are really lucky to found that Luis, the driver do welcome some companion, speak some English and was heading to the same town!


It was a long 4-5 hours drive and it's the first time for Luis in Rio Gallegos. But he got GPS and was greeted by some people from work when he reached town.

Luis owned an engineering consultancy and was working with oil company on pipes. The company had arranged him a room and he brought us there as well. But Ar$250 for a double room was way out of our budget, compared to the camp site of Ar$10 each mentioned by LP. He wished to take us there but his car with pipe and machines forbid him to drive too far around town, so we thanked him and went to the camp site by walking. His local contacts was astonished by our idea of camping in such cold weather and also suggested us to take a taxi, while there is no bus available.


We walked to the campsite as told by Lonely Planet and found that they only offer football field but not hospitality at this season.


We went to a small restaurant for dinner and they only offer chicken with vegetables of Ar$50 per person. We shared one and the owners seeing how cost saving we were, offered us an extra warm vegetable soup, bread and a free 500ml Sprite.

"greeted" by dog while finding the hostel

With our belly filled and after some more turns in the quite, windy town, we arrived another cheap hostel suggested by Lonely Planet, named as Hospedaje Casa de Familia Elcira Contreras, it was near the bus terminal, with bread shop, supermarket and carnicería nearby and costing Ar$70 per person for dorm, with a room of 4. And it was low season, where we got the whole room.

my first time in youth hostel

It's a nice hostel, with heater, wifi, warm water, fully equipped kitchen and free coffee and tea in the morning. We had a good rest in the cozy room.

Long distance hitchhiking in Uruguay

At first we did not succeed in hitch-hiking to Rocha, where the highway number 9 passed and went south to Punte del Este and Montevideo. Many drivers expected us taking bus, which we finally did by hopping to the bus going to Montevideo. We could have taken that bus and went all the way to Montevideo by just paying the full fare, however, an aim of this trip was to practice our hitch-hiking skill. It would be a pity if we did not practicing it before going to the latter part of our South America trip which hitchhiking should be more frequent. Therefore we changed our mind and took off at Rocha. There was supposed to be a couchsurfing host working in a farm there, but he turned out to be an inconsiderate one who left no contact after agreeing to host and actually was in Montevideo, and wasted our time waiting and making false expectation. However, at least we had a chance to join a local Catholic mass. I thought we just let God lead our way and He really did.

After the mass we had some dinner and washed up in the central plaza (taking water from the toilet of the nearby bus company). There were children playing and curious of us being the rare Chinese (expecting us knowing kung-fu). They kept asking us questions and we could only answer some such as where we were from. It was dark and we had to go. After walking for ten blocks back to the highway 9,we passed the gas station where there were several heavy trucks with lights off. I thought even they were on the right direction, the drivers could be sleeping and we may wake them up. The better time may be in the morning when they started off. However, we did not have plan to sleep next to the gas station though it was safer than next to the highway at dark. So we walked away, passed the bus station (there was still bus to Montevideo at 10pm, it was an easy way out but we did not want to take that), and kept thumbs up. We also made a signboard saying “en cualquier lugar hacia la Montevideo” (anywhere towards Montevideo, we were not sure if the Spanish was correct). Vehicles kept passing us.

The planned one came. There was a heavy truck stopping in front of us to buy stuff from the canteen nearby. We were so excited and must "thicken our face-skin". Practising what we should say in spanish “a donde va ?” (where are you going ?), “puedomos ir con usted ?” (can we go with you ?). The driver laughed at us following the words in iphone to ask these questions. He finally brought us, even though we did not know exactly where he was going. He said something like not going to Montevideo but “San Teresa” (we did not know, as long as it was south along highway 9 then it should be fine).

The kitchen at the side of the truck

Our first truck hitch-hiking in South America !!! The driving cart was so high up that we had to climb up the ladder into that. We thought that we could not do that if we were taking very heavy backpacks. The trip of the driver was from Sao Paulo of Brazil. It was a really long way to come here. Due to the high cost of living in Brazil, he cooked his meal on the truck, not in the truck. How ? There were two metal boxes at the side of the truck for storing food and a gas stove respectively. I wondered if the gas stove was actually burning the diesel from the tank ?! The driver wanted some hot water for his mate, so he stopped the truck aside of the highway, went out, got his kitchen ready, got water from the water tank and boiled it. He made us coffee. It was necessary that we stayed awake in the drive, because it didn’t look good to sleep on the way when the driver was giving a free ride. Better if we could speak spanish, we could chat with him. However he seemed to have fun talking to us even though we did not understand most of what he said.

We did not know where he was taking us, so I kept reading the map and got prepared to know where we would be dropped. Finally we were in San Teresa which was only 20km from Montevideo. Then we just paid 43 peso for two city buses getting to home, just about one-tenth of the long distance bus tickets. Hurray !!! Thanks to the driver of whom the name we did ask but still did not know.

We learnt a good lesson in hitch-hiking: the face should be thick (a chinese saying that we should dare to ask)

Hitchhiking練習薄

Hitchhiking練習一
 距離：15km （步行3小時／車行半小時）
地點：巴拉圭Encarnacion 列為UNISCO世界文化遺產的耶穌會遺址Jesuit Mission，Jesus與長途車公路之間
特點：遺址來回公路的公共交通只有一輛傳說是一小時一班的巴士（回程等了1.5小時也等不到）和沒有的士牌嘅的士


俾錢的話：公車每位約HK$5，的士每程約HK$50
Hitchhiking 經過：去程坐的士，中途見巴士在路上，回程時已查詢好巴士時間，並提早15分鐘在站前等候。結果1.5小時也沒有車，賭氣不坐經過嘅的士，心想，大不了行3小時，用走的吧，中途遇上巴士才上車。行了數公里，只遇到反方向走的巴士。心急起來，便胡亂擮車。居然有架工程車停下來，讓我們坐在車尾箱上的木梯、電線及鐵線之間。安全將我們帶回大路
心情：第一次hitchhiking興奮又緊張。


Hitchhiking練習二
距離：30km （步行5小時／車行一小時）
地點：阿根廷Posadas列為UNISCO世界文化遺產的耶穌會遺址Jesuit Mission的Nuestra Señora de Loreto與Posadas巿中心之間
特點：遺址到Posadas的公共交通又是一小時一班的巴士，但要走回頭路，須先回San Ignacio然後再𨍭車
俾錢的話：公車每位約HK$30一程，沿路卻沒有見過的士
Hitchhiking 經過：遺址只有難以辨認的石牆遺跡，參觀人數不多，有專人帶隊講解（否則完全不明哪裡跟哪裡）。參觀完畢，同行隊友中，是有車的本地人，我們走出大門，正迷茫如何轉車之際，輕輕的擧手，加上期盼的眼神，他們便停了車送我們一程。
重點：我們與一couchsurfing的保加利亞美女同行，車上則是兩夫婦及他們的男性朋友，上了車，後排擠住四個人，美女貼住那老友坐足一小時，問完名又問電郵......
心情：太幸運了！將我們送到巿中心。但太擠了，坐完腳抽筋！


再來一次
距離：400km（步行-唔係掛！？／車行4至5小時）
地點：烏拉圭東南方的海邊小鎮Cabo Polonio
目標：用三日兩夜時間，看看可否一直hitchhiking回到首Montevideo，單程巴士車費每位約HK$150
Hitchhiking 經過：
Part 1
從Cabo Polonio小鎭坐30-40分鐘鎮上唯一的交通工具 - 4x4巨型吉普車到車站（約HK$36一位），然後沿著回Montevideo方向的公路Ruta10走了約半小時，沿路一直嘗試折車，終於有一家五口的小貨車停下，說了一個我們聽不懂的目的地，但總之方向正確，我們便跳到車尾，一坐坐了近一小時，一直到了La Paloma附近。
心情：一車坐足100km，興奮又感動，就讓命運帶我們到下一個旅遊點吧！


Part 2
我們到了人煙較少的Costa Azul，在沒有人的教堂找到水源，吃了點朱古力及麵包做晩餐，再在沙灘附近找到適合的camp site。遊客租住面向馬路的落地玻璃海景渡假屋，我們則偷偷在馬路往沙灘的草叢旁露型。


早上起來，吃了早點，便沿著沙灘走到La Paloma，那邊有個碼頭，我們嘗試看看有沒有機會hitchhike隻帆船到Montevideo。碼頭多是釣魚人、漁船或忙著整理船隻機件的船主，看來機會不大，又怕羞不敢四處亂問，只好放棄，往巿內走。


又是一個海邊渡假小鎮，走了一圈，步行到公路去，已近下午4時。一直走、一直試，多是耍手擰頭，沒有遇上往長途車方向的車(長途巴士除外)，終於，我們還是上了一輛往Montevideo的巴士，但決定再試試運氣，在附近的小鎮Rocha下車。


在鎮上四處閒逛，看看巴士時間，吃了點包點，參加了一台彌撒已近七時半。又用走的出到公路碰運氣。


天氣已黑，我們想去油站截車，試試看有沒有前往Punta del Este或Montevideo的貨車，又怕要厚著面皮逐個問，溝通不了，只敢站到路上舉牌。公路的車也是風馳電制，我們拿著寫上Montevideo的紙牌，路上的車完全沒反應。

忽然，有輛超巨型的大貨車在路上停下，司機走到路邊還開的小商店，不知是買東西還是上厠所。機不可失，我們跑上前，等他回來，然後試著朋友教的 Hitchhiking spanish：
我：A donde va usted?（你去邊呀？）
司機大叔：Santa Teresita（其實都唔知係邊！？）
我：Es la Ruta 9? (是在9號公路嗎？）
我：Podemos viajar con usted?
（可以跟你走嗎？）
司機大叔：你去邊？
我：Montevideo
司機大叔：唔經喎！
我：經9號公路嗎？下個油站都得！
司機大叔（笑，斜對面就係油站！）
我：（睇住iPhone再照稿讀兩次）Podemos viajar con usted?
司機大叔（大笑）
得咗！
原來Santa Teresita是在Montevideo uptown,我們一坐，坐了三粒鐘順風車，途中仲停低在星空下打開車側隱藏的小廚房煲水飲咖啡、吃餅乾和泡mate。
重點： 要厚面皮, 唔理佢講乜,死而後已, 要上到車為止, "來讓我跟你走,流浪到天邊海角。
心情:   因為唔知去緊邊, 每見到去Montevideo嘅路牌都偷笑一次, 又近20km ...