Follow The Toad
Stories from this world, in words and pictures.
Recent Posts:
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Stranded at Lake Iskanderkul
A long day behind the wheel, a nasty track, fatigue and a few stupid decisions was all it took. Now we’re standing there, on a mountainside in the middle of nowhere. The Honda is parked with a damaged drivetrain on the least steep part of mountain meadow I could find. Tea water is boiling on…
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Seven Lakes and a Bumpy Track: Finally in Tajikistan
The border crossing into Tajikistan goes smoothly. As is common in Central Asia, the co-pilots have to go through the separate pedestrian lane while I take the car across. After a bit of back and forth between customs, road authority and paying various fees at different payment points, after an hour, we are in the…
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Road Trip Characters: The Serious Overlander
In this series I portray — not to be taken too seriously — various characters that we all come across at some point when travelling, or when we find inspiration on the internet. What exactly is an overlander? Nobody knows for sure. There are various definitions floating around the internet: some mean a traveller who…
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Storing Your Vehicle While Travelling: This Is How It Works
There are many good reasons for interrupting your travels. Our long journey in stages only works because we can keep parking our car abroad until we come back to continue. There are a few things to consider and also a few pitfalls. I’ve been able to gain some experience in vehicle storage and have done…
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Turning onto the Silk Road: Tashkent and Samarqand
To be honest, I always imagined Tashkent to be a hostile concrete hell. After all, according to the weather statistics, it is the hottest place on our entire trip. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. The city is much more pleasant than expected, even at temperatures above 40 degrees. There are many parks with…
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Borderline Crazy: From Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan
When you’re travelling fast like I am on my way to Samqrqand, you spend a lot of time at borders. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Today it will be more. I’m travelling from my overnight camp near Shymkent to the Uzbek border, expecting a easy crossing from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan — two countries that don’t have…
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In Laika’s Footsteps: Kazakhstan
Coming from Russia, the Kazakh border has a relaxed, Central Asian vibe. In the queue in front of me I spot number plates from pretty much every stan. When it’s my turn, I’m first led into a back room. The officer sitting there is obviously not in the mood for an interrogation and waves me…
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Road Trip Characters: The Drama Vanlifers
In this series I portray — not quite seriously — various characters that we all come across at some point when travelling, or when we find inspiration on the internet. We’ll start with a particularly prominent group. Ah, vanlifers. They used to have it easier. A few years ago, #vanlife was intensely celebrated on social…
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A Transit in Difficult Times: Russia
After a short day in Belarus, I approach the Russian border at the Minsk-Moscow motorway. This is not really a border crossing, as Russia and Belarus form a state union. Citizens of both countries can travel back and forth across the border relatively unhindered. Only foreigners are waved onto the shoulder. A quick look into…
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About Stalin’s Pipe and Siberian Sweets – a Day in Belarus
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Finally, after a year of preparations, we set off. I drop the young co-pilot off with the older co-pilot and begin the long journey eastwards through Berlin’s evening traffic. I spend the first night at a fishing pond halfway to Warsaw. Tomorrow I’ll travel on to the Lithuanian border with Belarus. After some research into…