OST-EUROPA-MOTORRADTOUR #20: Eine beschwingte Fahrt nach Lviv

Was sich dem Titel nach an eine Kaffeefahrt denken lässt, war in Wahrheit ein Tortur. Okay, kann eine Kaffeefahrt auch sein. Wobei ich das Motorradabenteuer, jetzt im Nachhinein, natürlich bevorzuge. Die morgendliche Fahrt durch die nebelverhangene Bergwelt Transkarpatiens hätte was mystisches haben können, wenn da nicht die gelöcherte Strasse und das kaputte Motorrad gewesen wären. Jedes Schlagloch und jede Bodenwelle liess die Honda extrem nachschwingen. Obwohl Lviv über 200 Kilometer entfernt ist, fasste ich es als Ziel ins Auge. Die Chance dort den defekten Stossdämpfer ersetzen zu lassen, schien mir um einiges grösser als wo anders. So rüttelte und schwang ich mich mühselig von Kurve zu Kurve. Kaum war der Belag mal besser, taten sich unvermittelt riesige Schlaglöcher auf. Einmal nicht aufgepasst versinkt das Vorderrad darin und die Schwingen lassen mich in die Höhe springen. Legenden nach verschwinden hier ganze Kleinwagen in unheimlichen Schlaglöcher. Für -wortwörtlich-geschlagene hundert Kilometern folgten Schlagloch auf Schlagloch. Ich glaube man kann sich sogar an das gewöhnen.

Dann plötzlich wurde die Strasse sanft und ruhig. Ich war aus dem verwunschenen Tälern heraus. Sachte konnte ich den Gashebel aufdrehen. Bis die nächste Bodenwelle mich fast aus dem Sattel warf. Aber auch daran gewöhnt man sich und lernt die Strasse zu lesen. Diese führte mich schnurstracks zu meinem billigen Hotel ausserhalb Lviv. Für günstige 10€/Nacht durfte ich ein einfaches Doppelzimmer beziehen, also der Preis, den ich sonst für Camping bezahle.

Na, dann reicht das Budget auch noch für einen Cappuccino in der Altstadt, denke ich mir, und sitze bald darauf bei herrlichem Sonnenschein auf dem Marktplatz vor dem Rathaus. Die ersten Eindrücke gesammelt und auf Pixel gespeichert, vernahm ich bereits die nächste Hiobsbotschaft. Der Bankautomat rückte kein Geld raus. Es scheint, meine Bank blockte die Karte.

Kein Problem, dachte ich, und zückte triumphierend meine „back-up“-Karte. Doch auch damit weigerte sich der Automat Geld abzuheben. Nun stehe ich mit kaputtem Motorrad in der Ukraine und komme nicht an mein Geld. Das vermeintliche Restaurant beim Hotel gibt mir kein Essen aus, da sie gerade einer Festgesellschaft ein Bankett herrichtete, und das nächste Esslokal serviert mir einen überteuerten Avocado Salat, wobei die mickrigen Brotscheiben extra verrechnet werden. Zu allem Überdruss sind die Hotelwände noch so dünn. Im Dunkeln liegend, wähnte ich das schreiende Kind zu meiner rechten und das stöhnende Liebespaar zur meiner linken zu haben. Irgendwie schlief ich dann doch noch ein, und wache hoffentlich in einer besseren Woche auf…

The Underground Market

By BRT, the brandnew city bus system, we get to Kariakoo. Ferdinand, my guide, leads me trough many street market to a remarkable building, with funnel type roof. It was built by the Germans as an exhibition and market place, he explains me. The roof was constructed to collect rainwaters and drain it to tanks. While traveling trough Africa, i was wondering so many times, why no one got the idea to collect rainwater, but going long ways to muddy wells or to rivers. And although the Germans brought this idea decades ago, there’s still hard to find areas, where rainwater get collected. Inside and around this building are market as found all around Africa. But there’s a big concrete way leading under the halls. It remains me at entrance for military bunker. Once inside the black hole, the eyes needs time to adapt on the dark. Some torches were lit to show customers the vegetables, fish and other goods sold by women sitting in the darkness. Keep your stuff tight on you, reminds me Ferdinand, while i try to follow his voice. From a few windows light breaks in and lays over the piles of tomatoes. In the darkest corners candles shows the way to the potatoes and fishes. It feels weird and thrilling to wander trough those halls, hearing strange sounds and whispering people. From far comes bright light trough a big gate, the exit. I step into sunlight, heat falls on my head and i’m back into hustling Daressalam.

Daressalam Fish Market

The fish market is next to the ferry station. Fishermen are busy unload their catch from big boats to the halls. In different sections buyers get smaller or bigger fishes, fish cleaning tables and fish frying facilities. The stench isn’t that smelly as expected and despite the crowd gathering around tables or auctions, the noise isn’t that bad either. The variety of fishes and seafood is big instead. Beside the piles of common snappers and other fishes, craps, squids, eels and different rays are also in the catch. I only feel disturbed to find frozen fish from China in that market too.

City Tour Daressalam

A city tour? I was walking around town on my last visit. To join two other tourists, who decided to take a guide for a city tour, gave me the opportunity to learn more about the city and seeing more places. Some first impressions here..

Solita’s Fashion Shooting

We had to talk with the guards, but then they let us to the roof top for a photo shooting. The location was perfect, my model Solita (instagram: @solitacruz) has been once more enthusiastic and the afternoon light just came right.

visiting ticino – southern switzerland

It’s a day trip over the Swiss alps by motorbike to reach the region of Ticino, the southern part of Switzerland. With the early golden morning sun i picked up a good friend who gave me nice company for this trip. At a lake just before the ascend to the alps started we had a coffee. From there it’s a winding road up to the heights of the mountains. Small, narrow roads, old, stoney bridges -as the „devil’s bridge“- and even a Russian monuments from the war at 1799 shows how busy this route was the last 2000 years.

By motorbike it’s a pleasant journey to lakes surrounded with mountains and palm trees. After a refreshing swim and some original Italian ice cream just over the nearby border, there was a nice stroll trough ancient alleys of town and visiting the castle of Bellinzona. Just before the night fell in, we were already back on the way north, letting the palm trees behind us.

making of: music clip with my travelcar

At first sight of the scenery i got confused. A girl was dancing on my dirty Land Rover and many spectators were watching her. As i noticed the film crew with all the equipment and the loud music from the back, i realized  my Land Rover gonna be part of their music clip. I didn’t find that clip on internet now, but desperately wanna see it when it’s published. And i’ll share it with you!

The Filmcrew

One night the pool area at my camp got bright lit by a film crew. When i arrived, a girl was dancing in front of camera team with loud music in background. Filming for a music video, a nice guy explained me. But there was not only music and dancing but also filming for some funny comedy movie. A big mama and a gentleman were acting around the place and making lots of fun. Later on i heard i stumbled into quite famous stars here.

Visiting Daressalam

Soon as i found a nice camp on southern beach of Daressalam i met new interesting people too. Some travelers i met before on my trip trough Africa or i made new acquaintances, with whom i went to city of Daressalam. There are some touristic spots with art and handicrafts, a national museum with old presidential vehicles and streets with shopping centers, hotels and good Indian restaurants.

Most impressive was the new build „Human Dreams Children Village“ south of the city. The people taking disabled kids to give them not only a home but also treatment for their difficulties. Among many projects in Africa, with this one, at least a few human beings with no chance for future got a place to survive and experience a worthy life.

Beach Beauty

„Please take a photo of me“ she asked me, showing her cellphone towards me. I was chilling and reading under the shade of the beach bar. „It’s not gonna work with your cellphone cam“, i explained her, „it can’t handle the bright backlight and you would appear only pitch black on the pic.“ „Try it anyway“ she insisted. I took a pic for her, but showed her my Nikon and offered her a short, spontaneous photo shooting. She got so excited and started to pose like a pro, but see yourself: