Coming from the Hitchfest

Hitchhiking with another female partner. We were leaving the Hitchfest (Hitchhiking Festival) location (2 days after the end of the festival) to go to Porto. We got picked up first by a local, a young man Manuel who came enjoying the Hitchfest as well. Dropped us off in Lousada.

Local couple who also came to the Hitchfest

It seems that the Hitchfest got a very good hit on local people. Got picked up by a local couple, Manuela and Cristiano who also came to see the festival during the weekend before. They never picked up Hitchhikers before coming to the Hitchfest.

Last 15km

We got picked up by a Joaquim who had a meeting in Porto and dropped us off in the city center. Nice ride.

Ecaussyteme Festival (Gignac) -> Limoges

After spending the weekend to the Ecaussysteme Festival in Gignac (en Quercy) I HHed back to Limoges. Got picked up in less than 5min by 2 women who were also at the festival. Nice, easy and fast ride. Friendly people.

Rennes -> Lorient

Got picked up in 5min by 2 students, Khalil and Mathieu going back to Lorient. Nice ride as well.

Plouer-sur-Rance -> Rennes

Stormy weather, I knew I had to go on the morning because of the storm "Miguel" arriving. Lots of local traffic, I started to hitchhike with signs as I could go in both directions it seemed to confuse people. Even with one sign whatever I wrote I had people make me feel it was too far so I gave up on signs and lots of people stopped. Even if locals, at least they stopped till… (read on in Trip)

Chateauneuf-Ille-et-Vilaine -> Plouer-sur-Rance

I was walking and hitchhiking at the same time as it was staying only 7km to my destination. On the way I got picked up by Laetitia for the short ride till Plouër-sur-Rance.

Bordeaux -> Niort

Guillaume was driving to Orleans for work and picked me up till Niort.

Niort -> Nantes

Guy was driving to Nantes for work, picked me up in Niort and drove me till Saint-Herblain (west part of Nantes).

Nantes -> Rennes

Met another hitchhiker at the entrance of the highway north of Nantes but was going towards Vannes (west) and I was going North. Mahmoud picked me up, and after 10 minutes asked me to hold his hand. I refused several times. he asked why, I said that we didn't know each other and I wasn't holding hands of people I don't know. Made me feel very uncomfortable, hoping all the way… (read on in Trip)

Rennes -> Chateauneuf-Ille-et-Vilaine

A great encounter. Martine was coming back from Rennes where she assisted at an audience to support a migrant. She traveled from Rennes to Stockholm by foot!!!! And she now has a glass blower workshop in Saint-Meloir-des-Ondes. Awesome person.

Vannes -> Bordeaux

Because he picked me up, the driver thought he could ask for sex.

Ottawa to Nowhere

After 3h waiting time, about to give up finally Dave stopped and drove me halfway on the 417 at the exit to go to Hawkesbury where there is the Herb's gas station. Not many people there, almost no one going on the highway. Thought I was going to have to pinch my tent for the night!

Nowhere to Montreal

Finally I got very lucky and the second car getting onto the highway stopped to pick me up to Montreal. Temy and Aletta, 2 professional dancers who were going to teach a workshop in Montreal and stopped at the gas station to refill. Nice ride

Winnipeg to Kenora

After being dropped off on the Highway 1 by my host (thanks so much!), got picked up by Eric in 5 min for a first ride towards Kenora. Good ride, Eric used to hitchhike a lot as well.

Kenora to Ottawa

After 1h15 min waiting on the 17 north of Kenora, Marcel stopped to pick me up. He said he was going south of Ottawa. He has a pick up with a caravan. After what happened between Calgary and Winnipeg (You can read that on the Calagary->Moosomin trip), I try not to be to optimistic and stay on guard in case he turns to also be an asshole. But Passing Thunder Bay I agree to go… (read on in Trip)

Moosomin to Winnipeg

After being unpredictably staying for the night in a motel in Moosomin (because of the fucking pervert and asshole of the day before –> see previous trip), I started hitchhiking around 9:30am to go to Winnipeg. Traffic was pretty low, half very local. I finally got picked up after 40min by 2 very nice guys, Martin and Timon. We had very nice talks and I spent a good time… (read on in Trip)

Calgary to Strathmore

Diffcult start, I waited 1h30 at the traffic light and gave up this HH spot. Then I walked past the bridge to hitchhike directly on the highway, got pick up while walking on the side showing a thumbs up, not even had time to reach the point I was aiming. I definitely recommend to not try at the traffic light and walk directly on the Highway. I got a ride with Nick, a nice guy,… (read on in Trip)

Strathmore to Toronto? Oh no Moosomin.. Thanks asshole.

Got picked up at the exit of Strathmore in less than 5 min by an Indian truck driver, Gagan, who doesn't speak english very well, but we could manage to talk. This guy was driving from Calgary to Toronto! I'm going till Halifax so I saw a potential very long ride. Except that once the night showed up, he stopped in Moosomin, for potentially spend the night there as Calgary –>… (read on in Trip)

Kamloops to Canmore

Glenn, truck driver, pick me up in Kamloops. Great ride, interesting person, offered me lunch!!!!! Refused to share the price. Offered me to take his hotel room, and he will stay sleeping in the truck instead if I decided to stop hitchhiking for the day. Big traveller himself and hitchhiker.

Canmore to Calgary

After being dropped off on the highway in Canmore around 19:00, there was still some daylight so I decided to give it a try to reach Calgary. In 5 minutes I got picked up by a Engin and his daughter. I was the first hitchhiker he picked up in his life. Very nice person who travelled a lot as well. Made a detour to drop me off at my friend's place directly.

Hope to Kamloops

While walking along the road in the direction of the on-ramp I was having my sign visible in case, and got picked up in less than 5 min while walking for a direct ride to Kamloops by Tony. Great ride as well, Tony had many hitchhiking stories and traveling stories to share.

Vancouver to Hope

Got picked up in 20min by Andre who was going to pick up some friends and then drive to a cabin north of Hope. We stopped to pick his friends and managed to pack up everything in the car. We stopped by a Costco for them to get some groceries for their trip. Nice and fun ride! Got dropped off in Hope.

Got a very cool invitation

After 1h30 waiting, got picked up by a retired man very cool guy. I saw me a first time, didn't stop and made a detour to come pick me up. He was living halfway around Hoodsport and offered to me to spend the night at his house and to drive me to Port Angeles the day after as he wanted to go to see a friend there.

Tow truck

Got picked up by an nice indian guy tow truck driver till Petaluma. We listened some good reggae music and talked about music festivals.

Petaluma -> Santa Rosa

In 20 minutes I got picked up in Petaluma to go to Santa Rosa by Carlos who is working in a grocery shop. We talked a lot about life in America and California very interesting conversation. This guy is making his own cider!!!

Hippy powaa

Picked up by 2 hippies. Very good music in the car. Nice conversation about traveling. The guy spent 1 year traveling in a school bus on the west coast of the US with other hippies. They drove me to Ukiah.

Too picky :/

The gas station from Laytonville is a perfect spot. Hippy town, lots of people propose you a ride but most of them aren't going far. I was expecting to find a direct ride to Eureka or Arcata. But no one was going more far than half way to Garberville. By misunderstanding I refused a ride to Fortuna which is almost in Eureka. But when I asked to the girl where is Fortuna, she… (read on in Trip)

Changing final destination

My objective was to go to Portland, thinking to cut the trip in 3. For the first day I was hoping to reach at least Eureka or Arcata. I arrived late in Garberville. I could see from the start that there was not much traffic through the town at that time and also that a lot of people were hanging out, probably here to trim and try to find jobs in the local farms… So not… (read on in Trip)

Local guy

Definitely more people are ready to pick hitchhikers on the northern part of California! Refused 3 rides from people going just to the next town. A guy even stopped when I was sitting on the grown having a break eating, not even actively hitchhiking (and no sign). Finally got picked up to go till Laytonville. Californian nice guy, coming from a very big family (9 brothers and… (read on in Trip)

Classical Music Composer

I took the metro and the bus 534 to leave LA and start hitchhiking at the beginning of Malibu. After 45min I got picked up just for few miles by and an interesting man who is a classical music composer.

Indian/American

Got picked up then by a computer engineer. An indian guy very nice. Drove me till Santa Barbara.

Ex-prisoner

In Santa Barbara, a mexican guy picked me up and drove me till Santa Maria. He was very interesting also. Ex-prisoner he is now changing is way of life and has the amazing project to build a house to help people in needs in Michuacan in Mexico. The construction has already started! He made a detour to drop me off more far than where he was supposed to at the beginning.

Small jumps and incredible hospitality

In Santa Maria, a very nice woman stopped and convinced me to come with her for just few miles where she knew there was a better spot to keep going (She was right!!). She gave me her phone number and told me to call her if I could not find a ride and she will come back to pick me up and offered me to stay at her home for the night and then on the morning she will drive me even… (read on in Trip)

Carpenter

I finally got my last ride for the day (I decided not to keep going till SF as the afternoon was already well advanced). A carpenter coming back from work offered me a ride till San Luis Obispo which will be my stop for the night.

Nice drive

Shaun pickep me up in San Luis Obispo and droped me off in Monterey. Very nice talks, cool HH experience.

Musician

After 4h waiting in Monterey, I finally got picked up to go to the next city to Seaside trying to change the HH spot. I got picked up by Kristen a singer. She gave me 1 of her albums (and it's very good music). She offered me to stay at her place in case I was getting stuck again. So nice!

Please don't go to Salinas

I was supposed to HH till San Francisco. But stayed blocked 4h in Monterey/Seaside. Changing HH spot I met 2 other girls from Canada, hitchhiking south. We were talking when a guy stopped asking if we needed a ride. We all jumped and went to Salinas back on the 101.

TO KNOW!! Salinas is very bad, I was really feeling unsafe as a solo female HHer there. If you can avoid it… (read on in Trip)

Hippy powaa

I started hitchhiking from Encinitas on the ramp on the highway 5 which is technically a good spot with traffic lights and a wide place for cars to pull over at the entrance of the on ramp on the left side. But I guess that the neighborhood isn't very HH-friendly… 45 min for a first car to stop (A father and his daughter), but they were really not going far enough. Then… (read on in Trip)

Not even time to reach the HH spot

After being droped off from my first ride, I was kind of studying the possibilities for the next HH spot. I wasn't even physically hitchhiking (no thumbs up, no sign…) just looking around and a guy at the traffic light opened his window and asked me if I needed a lift! Very nice guy who drove from Dana Point to Laguna Beach and talked to me a lot about this area.

Old mexican pervert (again)

An old mexican stopped to pick me up at the exit of Laguna Beach. When I got in he first touched me the leg and then put his hand on my back and I told him to stop right away. I didn't do it again but his first conversation topic was to know if I liked beaches and if I was wearing tangas… And then he tried to convince me that it was the women's fault if men were harrasing… (read on in Trip)

2 australian sailors

To end this trip I got picked up by 2 very nice australian guys who are sailing around the world. ery interesting people. They drove me till my final point on a metro station in Long Beach.

Racist and homophobic

We started hitchhiking at the gas station at the exit of the city. The mexican guy living in San Diego and working in Mexico and the US who picked us up started talking to us and was very racist and homophobic. He did drive us till Tijuana, but it was definitely a very neutral experience concerning conversation topics…

Federal Police

For the last few km to Ensenada, the night was falling, I started to hitchhike close to a gas station. The gas station was on my back and didn't see there was a federal police car behing me (which you usually try to avoid n Mexico). I heard someone hailing me and turn to discover it was a federal policeman in his car… He asked me where I was going and picked me up till… (read on in Trip)

Pervert old mexican truck driver

Got picked up in Bahia Tortugas by an old truck driver. He drove me till Vizcaino, we left at 21:00 and before leaving offered me to sleep in the passenger sit of the truck for the night. I needed to be in Vizcaino before 8am the next morning to catch another ride to Ensenada. He started first to try to put his hand on my leg several times. I was sitting on the right the… (read on in Trip)

Social hitchhiking

On the morning, I had another ride which I call a social hitchhiking ride. I had met a german traveller earlier that month who told she went down Baja with a very cool truck driver. At the end the guy told her that if she needed another ride he was doing Ensenada-La Paz once or twice a week and so she could call him and he gave her his phone number. When I met her she told me… (read on in Trip)