Ecuador, Quito,09-10-1990. Nothing can distrup my good mood this morning walking through a still foggy Quito devoid of traffic at this early hour. These Ecuadorians are definitely not early risers. I feel a bit like hiking the streets of a past era, a pre-conquistadores time though the whitewashed and red-tiled houses, the many colonial churches reminding me that the times of complete seperations of the American continents from power hungry medieval European rulers are a far away reality. Leaving the Quito historic centre behind, I enter a residential area full with modern looking shopping malls, embassies and prosperous looking banks. Obviously these are the middle- and upper-class residential neighborhoods and under normal circumstance of no importance to an intripid backpacker on the South-American Gringo Trail like me... When finally I make it to the airport, still ... read more

Amsterdam, 05-10-1990. - So you really gonna do this, Hans? His question seems obsolete considering the bulky backpack leaning against the wooden table, the countless discussions we had these last couple of days about my up-coming trip...further away as ever before in my young life, all the way to Ecuador and Las Islas de Galapagos, maybe a short detour into Colombia as well... Two big pints of frothy Heineken cover both sides of our chessboard, a iron astray full to overflow and the burning spliff in James's hands adding to the already laden air heavy with the sweet aroma of Ganja green leaves, outside the opaque window I can discern a fat Bahama shorts clad tourist having a massive arguement with a wintered African prostitute, the expensive camara she tries to pry from pinkish sausage-like fingers ... read more

Almere Haven, Flevo Polder, 02-08-2001. For the last two days I have been in a haze, cycling well beyond 200 kilometers a day on sandy tracks, wild paths in the forest, along tranquil canals and forest streams, across rugged hills and gliding across the German/Dutch border pas de problem despite my vagabond appaerance, despite the wild eyed-look in my face looking back at me from the mirror of a bathroom in the very first restaurant I found once back on Dutch soil, the face of a man possessed... possessed by the sharp claws of society, paying my rent and keeping my job...ah yeah, paying my taxes of course!!! Possessed my Nong's guiding voice that brought me back from mental instability induced by nearly four weeks of marijuana-free excistence after months of a daily plant induced high, ... read more

Braunschwein, 30-07-2007. Braunschwein, a fitting name considering all the wild boar I have seen these last couple of days, whole brownish colored families of wild boar foraging in the left-overs of maiz harvested fields, totally unperturbed while I got off my bike on numerous occasions for sketching purposes. Huge flocks of forset sparrows landing on wild pork backs, searching the hairy raw hide for nutricious tics, releaving their hosts off the inevitable evil in a swine's excistence. I brush my teeth and wash my face using the main square's fountain, waiting for the McDonalds to open, surely keen of a fatty McDonalds breakfast with limitless strong black coffee after my days of living rough...a needfull diversion in the form of good food. Bold city sparrows - a bit bigger than their forest cousins - have an ... read more

Somewhere..???...south of Berlin, 28-07-2001. I stumble and fall, not in the real world maybe late at night on the way to that no-name coffee shop at the end of street where the dog behind the counter always growls at me when I buy a pre-rolled joint, already way too intoxicated to be here for a "last" smoke before hitting the sack, necessary sleep for another day of rushing on my cycle through a traffic congested madhouse, small streets blocked by unloading trucks, the delivery in my messenger bag screaming out loud in frustration, editors awaiting serious work transported through the city environmenatlly friendly by bicycle messenger - little does the client know the Alleycat Clan is a hopeless bunch of drunks and dopeheads....little does the client know his million dollar contract is in the "capable" hands ... read more