Medimurje is nice

26, Aug
---Woke up by cold of early morning, forest was covered by mist, my luggage were wet,,,different from tropical Greece. Soon sunlight began to cover the air, very small traffic, a police car stopped and asked me brief questions politely, wrote down my passport info. friendlily, even shook hands and "nice to meet you,good luck!"?
.It took time for hours till someone picked me up,but it's alright I've already done my mission of "Get out of Shengen",I can stay in Croatia maximum for 90days. And I don't have any secure CS-host here yet, just try to go to festival, although I don't need it or something special event actually,as everyday something small incidents happens on travel.
. Trakoscan castle  ,,,very peaceful with calm lake but, I'm afraid I wouldn't remember here exactly for long, as I don't have camera and as I've been meeting many similar nice places so far,,
.small city (town?) Ivanec, at noon. Too hot, temperature is same as Greece? but the sea is far, no way to escape so that even more I feel hot.

.In hot afternoon, arrived to center(old city) of Varazdin, but shops were taking siesta,,No they're all open, there's no siesta culture here.
Spancirfest

.I deposited luggage at somewhere underconstructional house's site, since hot summer's Greek trip sometimes I do it,,sooner or later I will be stolen?? Lots of people are in festival, so that somehow there's no shortage of my foods,,,and Oh, there's screen and keyboard for free Internet in MacDonald! but still no good answer from CS, only one in neighbor city Cakovec like"I would like so much to host you!,,,I will try to arrange,,,I will get back to you,,," without writing mobile number,,(finally there was no next answer from same one anymore. Why people say "I will" the break promise?? It's much better to say ""maybe" or "might be" than it.) 

.I slept at my luggage's deposit site, on the wooden stand, under the sky.

27, Aug
.Going for a walk from 6am because woke uo by cold,but already old town were cleaned up by shop owners, but rampart hill around castle was full of trashes,,,drunken people in the evening are normal,OK but it's almost,,,"trash festival"!?
.At post office from10am till 2pm for writing postcards that I couldn't finish even I already put Greek stamp,and send them to George in Crete to ask him to post them to Greek post office. Then participating with fest like yesterday without money, often check mail at MacDonald with slight hope to wait next answer from a CS-host in Cakovec, without buying nothing.
.A guy with magic bar for miracle(?) were sitting at the corner and enjoying observing faces of passing crowded people.  He reminds me of one of old people whom I was taking care of as my job in Japan, asked how about my traveling although he already knew it, gave me tips that Croatian bakery usually gives us yesterday's bread for free, and has unique instruments of "magnetic wind" same as I've seen from stroyteller I've met in village festival in Greece. His travo your soulmate is also impressive, finds various worth things by talking to many people friendlily, gave me something to eat but toward my words of Thank, he said "No,not to me, Thank to your exitence."
.Why is MacDonald so popular? it's too crowded in the evening but I have done CSing work,and finally I updated reference for E to negative.
,,,after all, I slept at same place as last night but in the earthen pipe,first time in my life,like one of my characters in my favorite Japanese comic(it was much more bigger earthen pipe though) ,,but it was shorter than my tall so I woke up by cold in very early morning, and checked old city again How "trash festival" it is?

28, Aug
Thanks for MacDonald for ignoring me to use Internet for long hours till today.
In afternoon finally move to Cakovec,,,but small city in Sunday afternoon was dead city (like Chirpan of Bulgaria), everybody answers me "no place for Interenet,," Just one pleasant meeting on the street with British Lindsay (she had lived here 6 years ago and now living in England with Croatian boyfriend from here).
OK,try to walk to surburb to hitchhike and move to somewhere village actually nowhere to aim at though,with knocking doors and with being declined it,,,(bakery gave me yesterday's "old" bread) but couldn't catch a car till getting dark, Oh I'm so haphazard and too optimistic? although I was so tired by sleeping under the sky for 3 nights (4th night will be exhausting beyond imagination), maybe I was still in fresh excitement of trip without CSing since making a flight? I should give up to move somewhere nowhere and should knock doors this region BUT
"USHIIIIII !" ?!? Who is calling my name?! (equal as Who can know me here?!)
(,,to be continued)

29, Aug
---checked out at its maximum time 2pm.
Inside library, I met nice girl Gabriela who is from village and plans to become journalist, tried to ask about hosting to both her and boyfriend Golan, left there 7 PM of closing time.
.Hitchhike to north till Slovenian border town Mursko Sredisce, but my intuition said it's still a bit bigger place to find host, so I didn't get out there and went to village Zabnik (near Sveti Martin na Muri). It's already sunset time, I started "my job" knocking doors to all houses where I found someone there.  Actually the first house was under construction but just I tried to ask to whom were painting its wall,as nobody knows who brings me something good news at least,,,then after around 15 houses I visited (some of them said "no,I don't have money" ??),when a boy suggested me to go and ask to the village bar, a car came and stopped and told a boy something,,,
(,,to be continued)

30, Aug
.Mura river (from Maribor :) has grand grace stream with having thriving green trees densely along both side that leaves are approaching surface of water.
.In neighbour village Marof, visited private ethnographic museum of Mr.Stanko
,,,I wanted to surf his couch
(,,to be continued)
.Small exploring in wineyard hill reguin in Medimurje county by bike, nice people in many wineyard or corn fields or apple or else,,
in western town Strigova almost Slovenian border, meeting with local people at bar KULT, Thanks English speaker Damiel and mates with Croatian wine mixed water " " .
.18:30 move to border town Mursko Sredisce,
now I'm writing this by free Internet at OniX bar, thanks! ,,then started to knock and ask from dark 20:00.

(,,to be continued)
many students gathered to me
(,,to be continued)

31, Aug
."hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare,,,"
.10:30 OniX bar again, updating negative reference with hoping never again,,took time for hours :(
.14:30 Back to Cakovec but library was already closed, so I hitchhiked to east,
Thanks refreshing heavymetal guy by sportscar,even if I hadn't seen his eyes behind sunglasses.
.Sun-tanning nakedly on breakwater at reservoir of Drava river "Jezero HE Donja Dubrava" near Prelog, I miss swimming days in Greece, now here is enough temperature but a bit dirty,,
.Do my own job of hitchhike, and even while drivers are parking somewhere village on the way and doing some their job I do my another job of asking people for hosting, even if the family were fluent English speaker but just moved from Holland and luckof space for me by under construction.
I've choosen place to stay for tonight just its name, the village "Sveta Marija"
(usuless info. Sveta means "holy" by Croatian,but "slut" by Japanese).
Many people refused me before I asked,on the other hand,some people tried to think somewhere or somebody. Already dark and a dog was balking me but I don't hesitate to enter inside gate (surely I changed from my past that too coward toward dogs) have small kids so the mother answered me she can't,but
(,,to be continued)

1, Sep
Thanks Lily and Goran and family.
.negative e-mail from E again, but what I can do is just don't care and leave it.
.goodby Sveta Marija, sunny blue sky with green and clean river, a guy Joe talked to me, I was introducing myself by strange my own Russian as usual,then suddenly he began to speak by English. He traveled in Iran by bike,nice. We walked for a bit silently,then after we shaked hands and said bye, "Do you fuck with bitch?" I said "mmm,No." then he "I did in Istanbul by 50 euro,,,Serbia or Bulgaria were also good" ,,,Thanks for useful? info. in the idyllic countryside.
(,,to be continued)

Munich aiport has many Couches

It's been 10 years since I came to Munich
,,slept in airport, Muslim' prayer space
(,,to be continued)

23, Aug
Hitichhike to Maribor of Slovenia.
Meminco will stay there till 26th morning and fly back to Japan,
my Shengen'deadline is 25th,
so anyway I wanted to reach there till 24th'evening and leave to Croatia(out of Shengen) on 25th,
if I arrived there on 25th we won't have time to spend together. 
(My plan was Munich---Salzburg---Gratz'---Maribor)
.8am started at the airport, luckily soon 2 young guys picked me up to the city, I wanted to avoid to enter inside million city,but they passed by intersection to Salzburg with some reason? anyway they're local guys,would be OK. then after went out from highway "Go straight ahead and take a southern highway,it's the way to Salzburg, Bye!" Thanks but small hotel's old woman showed me map, I was in opposite side from south in million city, I had to go through center of city for 10km (but of course I don't take a bus or metro in such high price country, so that walking is hard)or back to highway and take big big detour of ring road round city,Oh No!
.Anyway take a breakfast in the green park,people are enjoying cycling or walking with children,,surely I had been to somewhere beautiful big green park in Munich in 2001,,Oh it's a pity that I have to hurry up now! and Creten honey is so sweet but Creten bread is too hard to bite and chew.
.It was my exit of highway but now it became entrance, but almost of cars were heading to straight,Stuttgult, rarely turns right to the opposite side of city. Almost noon, keeping thumbs up under the strong sun like Greece,, Oh I nearly fainted, not usual on me.
.super open car picked me up to ring road, I said feels like I'm on Japanese super express maximum 250 km per hour, so he flew by 260km per hour,,,then dropped me off in parking,not many car come.
.Next car also took me to next parking but even more smaller,more worse.
---Finally I went out from ring road of Munich highway, at gas station around 6pm.
.Then typical German girl (of my prejudice) girl drove me with sometimes'pleasant talk but not too funny(my prejudice) till entrance of highway of small city Raubling? --- then entrance of small village--- then 8th car dropped me off small traffic' entrance,,,it's already getting dark,but still inside Germany,I nearly determined my mind to sleep on fields and gave up to reach to Maribor till tomorrow.
Tried to stand inside highway (is prohibited)with a bit desperate heart BUT,
(It always happens when I gave up)
a car stopped by hard brake like a comic,"Hello,I'm going to go to southern Austria." Oh!
.German student Christoph reminds me of my travel-master Masszuu who was my host of this journey's very first night (in Japan, 2007) and succeeded to meet with me in Morocco(2008),,Oh in these 4 years I took a flight only twice but both time were to meet with old friend.
Unexpectedly I could progress till near Slovenian border but it's a bit pity that already it's dark so we couldn't see Austrian mountain (near Alps?) instead, I had a exciting super high speed driving with stars because the highway of both Germany and Austria are much developed than Greece and people normally drive very faster than Greece, honestly I had been scared and hoping speed down,but at the same time I felt That's the real thrill of travel, some people ask me When will you finish travel? but How can I think it!?!?
.His destination was near Villach,near border of Slovenia and Italy,(so Gratz is far but Ljubljana is closer,I can go to Maribor anyway), took me to entrance of another highway. He repeated "Sorry,I couldn't offer you place to sleep,it's not perfect." but for me, perfect would be not perfect,maybe. "I have place for you in Stuttgult!" OK I would go there really :)     
It was the area just for car traffic'intersection, nothing there except road. I slept on meadow---then woke up by cold of early morning (as I expected),changed the place to someone's car that window was broken(by thief?) and door was opened.

24,Aug
Woke up by morning'traffic' noise.
Hitchhike again. It's a bit different from Greek people (of scaring face) but most of people ignores me, seems trying to ignore.
.Luckily a elder couple who are heading to near Vienna picked me up, they will go through Gratz (OK change the route again),but then unluckily soon they went out highway and dropped me off(??) and "Go straight ahead, over 5km there's entrance of highway to Gratz."(??) What did you mean?? I didn't get it but anyway breakfast in green park, it's a pity that I have to hurry up now! and Creten bread is too hard to bit and chew,,,Is it same blog as yesterday's morning??
---Like yesterday's morning, I thought the 1st car took me to wrong direction,I went back to the exit/entrance of highway to go to Gratz but unluckily narrow space,difficult to stop the car, so I tried to go opposite way's entrance that 5km far,but luckily an old guy taught me there's a intersection to go to Slovenian'border ",,but Have you swam in our sea?" He meant the lake near this city Klagenfurt,Oh what a pity I'm in hurry!
.Oh, it's written SLO and Ljubljana! then someone's grandfather(image) piced me up and we confirmed where we will go by German,although I can speak German nothing. ---What a beautiful scenery of green fields and trees, like the scene of Japanese animation "the world's masterpiece theater"series that I grew up by it. Since Germany, forests or mountains are so fascinating vividly, different kind of beauty from Greece because here has much rain. For a while we drove then he dropped me off in the middle of countryside, he said not to way to Ljubljana but got my goal Maribor I think, so ideally I'm in between these2 cities but anyway it's still in Austrian side,I hope the sigh on the road "Lavamund 15km" is border city---
---It is! German tourist Sascha who was heading to Maribor crossed the border with me and said "more 50km around." The good thing is that German people's "50km around" means almost 50km,reliable about correctness of number, I don't say which nation's people are not reliable though. and although he said he's not in hurry, he checked the watch very often,,it's also because of German?
From Davograd till Maribor,the route along Drava river was also veriiiii naaaaice. He suggested me to go to Slovenian mountains (pity no time!), his ex-girlfriend was Romanian so he agreed with good and bad things of my favorite Romanain trip."and my another favorite EU is Lithuania." but no mountain country is not for me,my favorite EU is Slovakia." Oh I've never been there :) He even invited me to his couch in his city Dresden(Oh I've never been there :) around 1pm, finally we arrived and he left quite soon after I dropped off although he said he has time,,,I wonder I will visit him in Dresden in future??
.Anywyay finally I got back to Maribor since 2001!
nice clean central square! but it's too hot and strong sun like Greece!?
friendly student led me to Internet cafe, and cafe was also friendly to let me check e-mail for free (I hadn't wriiten down Meminco's hosts' number or address),I wrote her mail "I want to reach to you on 23th, but might be on 24th?" so she worried last night and sent me mail, but it's my character, although I was irritating by long waiting hitchhike till then, after I reached to "her city" I can't call to her immediately by shyness (and want to enjoy this specific feeling that not often occurs), so I took a walk till her host's home, Oh friendly 20 euro bill was on the road to be picked by me,lucky! but Memminco was not at home, although I shouted her name to her apartment building.
,,,,,But I don't write from here because I don't have energy to write about her and our memories since we met in 1991, it would be demended to make one more another blog page :p 
Anyway,
it's been 10 years since I came to Maribor of Slovenia and met with (Meminco's soulmate)
puppet artist Darka.
(,,to be continued)

25, Aug
Before I fly, Nothing I could prepare for my CSing after I moved to Croatia but,
GO OUT from Shengen till 24:00! hopefully,,
as I expected, my starting was late BUT
 Darka's aunt who was visiting her offered me driving BUT
before that,she took me to her own Maribor's short sightseeing drive,
so soon after we arrived at highway it got dark.
.Every stopped car tells me I'm gonna go to another direction from intersection 5km further.
One of them told me No here is wrong point to go to Croatia, you should go back to center and go another entrance of highway,,Oh what am I gonna to do!? I don't have much time to walk and change the point,and if here was better than there,,? but next stopped car told me Here IS right point!
then 24 hours'shift guardman Alan who is heading to Pulj took me until border, maybe the radio that was reporting Maribor's football team is wiining the game with Scottland at the moment let him help me more trhan enough? anyway Thank you!!
.Border officers gave me a stump even not check the date I entered to Shengen,,,
after walked less than 1 km, border officers seemed to suspect me a bit at the first,but anyway I entered
CROATIA.
.It was around 11pm or later, I walked till village nearby border and highway,after several houses, only road and woods in darkness, no traffic, there's sign of "Beware of deer's crossing", yes surely there's something sound from wood. Even of it's late hour I could knock doors but I couldn't help myself to indulge myself in satisfaction about travel since Munich,,,so I slept just on the street.
,,,Oh, in these 5 days I've been sleeping in different countries every night.

Crete

---After all, there was nothing encounter with someone in my RARE ferry trip but it's OK.
6:30 AM ferry arrived at Kissamos' port,
it's sunrise time and calm deserted but beautiful view between 2 of peninsula's mountains' view. 
soon I jumped into the sea impulsively,,the best swimming I ever had, almost ecstasy.
No particular plan to go, anyway try to go to nearer popular old city Chania by hitchhike,
then,,,after all I couldn't move out from Chania whole day.
Depositting heavy luggage under someone's caravan car, finding fresh food from trash can, swimming in beach under cafe street with shower, Internet for a bit in Internet cafe,,somehow everything was free. But finally I missed 2 of meetings with CSers there, and finally I found there wouldn't be Going back to Thessaloniki (it means I don't need to persist to go to Macedonia or Albania next.Should I try to meet with friend who is traveling in Slovenia now?) and couldn't connect international call by street phonebox,,in vain but strolling alone till 2 AM in extremely crowded center of Chania like whole of town is in big party (yes it's highest peak days of people's vacation),it's something another world from me---then slept on the bench at the street even the amount of walker's traffic is big.
15, Aug
Sorry I've forgotten to pray silently at noon for commemoration of the end of the war in Japan,,but Japan and here has 6 hours' difference in time,so,,,
---Through so high mountains, I reached to southern coast of Crete, Hora Sfakion. "the most southern land of Europe"Gavdos island is lying down over the sea visibley, and more further is invisibly but Libya!? I was moved by its fact with swimming in emerald "Libyan sea",but it's very small very crowded beach,so I continued hitchhike along southern coast,,,NO, couldn't continue it because no car stopped under strong sun for over 3 hours,,I dragged my body and luggage on uphill road without shade for a few km,,then a car who are heading to northern coast piched me up,so I cancelled my ideal trip and went to CS-host's city Rethymno
(,,to be continued)
16, Aug
,,,actually it's near Rethymno, village Gallou,,,? How many Greek villages I could stay by CSing so far??
but I haven't succeeded knocking doors in Greece.
---before I write mail to M about possibilty of how we meet through Italy,she sent me "this time I won't try,,"
---Today I got rest in host's house till 5pm but when I have Internet it still take for long hours only to reply e-mails,then I got tired before I do what I wanted to,,
Rethymno city's looong looong beach, not so beautiful compare to other Greek beaches but anyway I swam, lately I'm usually wearing bathing pants anytime.
Again! 2 of Rethymno' CSers who wrote me mobile number for meeing, I couldn't connect with them.
(,,to be continued)
17, Aug
.Last night I sent mail to M about meeting,then this morning she sent me "maybe we can?" 
.Only 9 days are left until expiring date of my Greece trip!
but I still try to explore southern Crete by hitchhike (IF YOU READ THIS,PLEASE FLY TO CRETE SOON WITH YOUR CAR FOR PICKING ME UP,OK??)
(,,to be continued)
18, Aug
.Thanks priest and wife for hosting me!
Many cicadas were crying like bursting, he "Oh, beautiful nature music!"
,,Oh I remember that in my only few times of CSing without CSing.org in Greece,
2 of them were by priest's family has many daughters.
.My Crete trip is going on but I have to go out Greece within a week besides,
before that I hope to meet with M who is in Slovenia now,,,sounds mission impossible,,
(,,to be continued)
19, Aug
.Thanks Olya from Moscow!
.I reached to capital of Crete, Iraklio.
(,,to be continued)
20, Aug
.from 19:00 hitchhike, walked on highway in darkness or through village, finally reached to center of Chersonissos 22:30, then I phoned to CS-host but,
"Now I came to Romania" ?!?!?!
,,,slept in couch but in closed cafe nearby sea,,
(,,to be continued)
21,Aug
Now I'm writing this at Taverna at the beach near Ierapetra,
over this sea is,,,Libya !!
(,,to be continued)
22, Aug
After all, I haven't take photos in Crete or Peloponnese,,,
On the way of driving on my favorite northern coast route around Agios Nikolas,
Georgio said "You haven't seen village' life, You missed to visit festival, so you haven't geeting to know nothing about Crete." Yes, so I must come back again?? and "I'm always thinking that When we travel to somewhere,the best way is falling down to the top of mountain by parachute, then visit to villages to see real culture, before go to cities."
(,,to be continued)
.By success of hitchhike, I arrived airport more than an hour before starting check-in, it's exceptionall in my life---but while I'm writing postcards, time flies,all of passengers had already finished boarding, I was told Hurry hurry! at the counter and was the last one to board, as usual in my life. 

(,,to be continued)