Hitchhiker and hitchee in one weekend

Hitchhiker and hitchee in one weekend
Hitchhikers not that rare in Belgian mountains

I spent the Easter weekend in the “Deutsch-Belgisches Naturpark Hohes Venn-Eifel”. These compromise an area of woodland and highmoor on an altitude of up to almost 700 meter – the high mountains of Belgium. Of interest to this German Autostop-society may be that the major deal of the Belgian part makes part of the “Deutschsprachige Ostkantons Belgiens”.

On Saturday morning we picked up a hitchhiker in the vicinity of Verviers. It was about 11 and he had started hitching at about 8 AM, coming from a place close to the coast in Belgium. He had thus crossed the whole country – 200 km or so – in three hours. Not bad!

We took him about 20 kilometer to Baraque Michel, one of the most famous spots in the Belgian “high mountains”. He had winter camping equipment including a tent with him.

Sunday evening, when we drove down again, we saw a few hitchhikers. Alas, they were headed the other direction (and I would not change direction, like I did once).

As I decide to stay also for Monday, my friend drove home in my car. I hiked the way up to Baraque Michel again, about 22 kilometers of woodland, river valley, snow, clouds, sun, ice, water, icicles, birds and traces of mammals in the snow… enduring a wind storm on the high moor plain.

At Baraque Michel traffic was very messed up as numerous people had come up for the day for some cross country skiing. In snow traffic passed by at a pace of ten kmh. Every fifteenth car would be Dutch and I would raise my thumb. Just ahead of me the public bus stopped to let in most of those who had come up by public bus earlier the day. After the bus had left, completely full of people, some of the remaining ones attempted to hitch a ride. After a while a couple who were in the Dutch plated car behind me started to go, and I could go along with them, back home.

Hitching from Baraque Michel, halfway Eupen and Malmedy, to Maastricht is extremely easy every Sunday afternoon, as 99% of the Dutch tourists who leave there then are passing through.

Conclusion ~
The first weekend in which I both picked up a hitcher and was picked up myself was a great one!

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