Leif Pettersen's Travelogue

This butt-ugly piece of cyber clutter is my original, raw travelogue from 2003-05. This material was later used as a base for writing my first travel articles, hence the sometimes absurdly detailed anecdotes. With the nature of my high speed travel and internet being less omnipresent for nomadic backpackers at the time, very little effort was put into research, grammar or even spelling. The material here is just my on-the-fly impressions and experiences enriched by amateurish photos.
Destination Tally: 412 cities/islands in 57 countries
Want the travelogue in chronological order? Go here.

Andorra- Andorra la Vella
Australia-Sydney, Mackay, Cairns, Magnetic Island, Airlie Beach, Bundaberg, Noosa, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, The Indian Pacific Railroad (Perth to Sydney)
Austria- Salzburg, Vienna
Azerbaijan- Baku
Belgium
- Bruges, Brussels
Belize - Caye Caulker
Brunei Darussalam
- Bandar Seri Begawan
Bulgaria
Cambodia - Siem Reap
Canada- Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Gimli, Hecla
Chile- Santiago, Puerto Montt
Colombia- Bogota, Medellin, Guatape, Cartagena, Santa Marta
Costa Rica- Playa Samara
Czech Republic- Prague
Denmark- Copenhagen, Vejle
Dominican Republic - Samana
El Salvador-
El Tunco
England
- London, Bradford
France- Toulouse, Bordeaux, Paris, Lyon, Nice/Eze/Monaco/Antibes, Avignon, Bourg d'Oisans, Carpentras, Venosc, La Chambre, Les Baux-de-Provence, Orange, Roussillon, Saint Jean de Maurienne
Germany- Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart, Lindau, Salem, Mainau Island, Konstanz
Greece- Athens, Santorini, Naxos, Paros
Guam (USA)
Hong Kong - Hong Kong
Hungary- Budapest
Iceland- Reykjavik
Israel- Tel Aviv, Arad, Ein Bokek, Jerusalem
Italy
- Milan, Verona, Venice, Bologna, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Naples, Marettimo, Sicily, Agrigento, Sicily, Taormina, Sicily, Pisa, Livorno, Oristano, Torregrande, Cagliari, Sorrento, Pompeii, Perugia, Montefalco, Bevagna, Torgiano, Camaldoli, Pratovecchio, Poppi, Verna, Sansepolcro, Arezzo, Castiglion Fiorentino, Cortona, Sorano, Sovana, Pitigliano, Montemerano, Saturnia, Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole, Orbetello, Grosseto, Castiglione della Pescaia, Vetulonia, Massa Marittima, Piombino, Isola di Elba (and a bunch of towns therein), Populonia, San Vincenzo, Suvereto, Sassetta, Castagneto Carducci, Bibbona, Marina di Bibbona, Cecina, Vada, Castiglioncello, Radicofani, Cetona, Sarteano, Chiusi, Montepulciano, Monticchiello, Castiglione d'Orcia, Bagno Vignoni, Montalcino, San Quirico d'Orcia, Pienza, Montisi, Asciano, Siena, Casole d'Elsa, Monteriggioni, Volterra, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Poggibonsi, Montaione, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pistoia
Japan- Sapporo, Noboribetsu, Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo
Laos- Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Phonsavan, Sam Neua
Luxembourg- Luxemburg City
Malaysia- Kuching, Bario, Mount Kinabalu, Semporna/Pulau Sipadan, Kuala Lumpur, Miri, Sandakan
Malta- Valletta, St Paul's Bay, Rabat
Mexico- Culiacan, Los Moches, Acapulco, Mazatlan, Cancun
Moldova - Chisinau, Orhei, Orhei Vechi, Soroca, Rezina, Saharna, Tipova, Vadu lui Voda, Cricova, Cojusna, Ialoveni, Milestii Mici, Tiraspol (Transdnistria), Bendery (Transdnistria), Comrat (Gagauzia)
Morocco- Marrakesh, Essaouira, Rabat, Agadir

Myanmar- Introduction, Yangon, Inle Lake, Mandalay, Bagan, Yangon Again & Interview With a Myanmar, Sittwe, Mrauk U, Ngapali Beach, Bago, Golden Rock
The Netherlands- Amsterdam, The Hague, Maastricht, Leeuwarden, Utrecht, Texel
New Zealand
- Wellington, Picton, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Queenstown, Franz Josef, Rotorua, Napier, Taupo, Auckland, Wanaka
Nicaragua-
Granada, San Juan del Sur, Masaya
Northern Ireland
- Belfast
Northern Mariana Islands- Saipan, Tinian
Norway- Introduction, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, Bodø, Oslo, Grimstad, Fyrestal, Bø, Sandane, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Froland
Poland - Gdansk, Wroclaw, Krakow
Portugal
- Lisbon , Lagos, Porto
Republic of Ireland- Dublin, Sligo, Donegal, Killarney, Dingle, Cork
Romania- Iasi (PDF format), Bucharest, Constanta, Brasov, Bran, Sinaia, Rasnov, Sighisoara, Oradea, Suceava, Radauti, Marginea, Sucevita, Gura Humorului, Vama, Campulung Moldovenesc, Vatra Dornei, Durua, Piatra Neamt, Targu Neamt, Tulcea, Mamaia, Ploiesti, Giurgiu, Calarasi, Targoviste, Pitesti, Curtea de Arges, Ramnicu Valcea, Arefu, Cozia, Horezu, Targu Jiu, Craiova, Calafat, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Baile Herculane, Timisoara, Arad, Baile Felix, Oradea, Satu Mare, Baia Mare, Sighetu Marmatei, Valea Izei, Sapanta, Ocna Sugatag, Sarbi, Budesti, Ieud, Poienile Izei, Viseu de Sus, Borsa, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Rasinari, Busteni, Targu Mures, Putna, Sfantu Gheorghe (Danube Delta), Sulina, Snagov, Mangalia, Eforie Nord, Neptun-Olimp, Doi Mai, Vama Veche, Odorheiu Secuisc, Miercurea Ciuc, Bistrita, Deva, Alba Iulia, Predeal, Medias, Biertan, Viscri, Bucium, Lacu Rosu, Cotnari, Victoria, Gherla, Zalau, Ciucea, Poieni, Huedin, Turda, Rimitea, Orastie, Hunedoara, Ulpia Traiana-Sarmizegetusa, Hateg, Petrosani, Saliste, Sibiel, Cristian, Cisnadie, Rasinari, Paltinis, Fagaras, Zarnesti, Moieciu de Sus, Simon, Gheorgheni, Baile Tusnad, Covasna, Sfantu Gheorghe (Transylvania), Prejmer, Harman
Scotland- Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow
Singapore - Singapore
Slovakia - Bratislava, Kosice
Slovania -
Ljubljana
Spain
- Introduction, Granada, Alicante, Valencia, Madrid/Toledo, San Sebastian, Barcelona, Figueres, Cadiz, Seville, Malaga, Torremolinos, Marbella, Tarifa, Almeria, Playa de Piles, Gibraltar, Mallorca, Ibiza
South Korea-
Seoul
Sweden
- Stockholm, Göthenborg, Malmö/Lund
Switzerland- Kreuzlingen
Thailand
- Nong Khai, Bangkok, Ko Chang, Ko Mak, Ko Kut, Chiang Mai
Turkey- Istanbul
Ukraine- Kiev
Vietnam - Saigon, Phu Quoc, Hoi An, Hanoi

The Chronological Travelogue

Iceland- Reykjavik (June 11th, 2003)

Norway- Introduction (July 2nd, 2003)
Stavanger (July 2nd, 2003)
Bergen (July 2nd, 2003)
Trondheim (July 2nd, 2003)
Bodø (July 2nd, 2003)
Oslo (July 2nd, 2003)

Sweden- Stockholm (July 8th, 2003)
Göthenborg (
July 8th, 2003)
Malmö/Lund (July 8th, 2003)

Denmark- Copenhagen (July 17th, 2003)
Vejle (
July 17th, 2003)

Germany- Berlin (July 26th, 2003)
Munich (July 26th, 2003)

Austria- Salzburg (August 3rd, 2003)
Vienna (
August 3rd, 2003)

Czech Republic- Prague (August 9th, 2003)

The Netherlands- Amsterdam (August 16th, 2003)
The Hague (August 16th, 2003)
Maastricht (August 16th, 2003)

Luxembourg- Luxemburg City (August 18th, 2003)

Belgium- Bruges (August 27th, 2003)
Brussels (August 27th, 2003)

Scotland- Aberdeen (August 29th, 2003)
Edinburgh (August 29th, 2003)

Glasgow (August 29th, 2003)

Northern Ireland- Belfast (August 29th, 2003)

Republic of Ireland- Dublin (September 1st, 2003)

Spain (Part One)- Introduction (September 21st, 2003)
Granada (September 21st, 2003)

Alicante (September 21st, 2003)

Valencia (September 21st, 2003)

Madrid/Toledo (September 21st, 2003)

Portugal- Lisbon (October 5th, 2003)
Lagos (October 5th, 2003)

Porto (October 5th, 2003)

Spain (Part Two)- San Sebastian (October 15th, 2003)
Barcelona (October 15th, 2003)

Figueres (October 15th, 2003)

Andorra- Andorra la Vella (October 19th, 2003)

France- Toulouse (November 13th, 2003)
Bordeaux (November 13th, 2003)

Paris (November 13th, 2003)

Lyon (November 13th, 2003)

Nice/Eze/Monaco/Antibes (November 13th, 2003)

Italy- Milan (November 23rd, 2003)
Verona (November 23rd, 2003)

Venice (November 23rd, 2003)

Bologna (November 23rd, 2003)

Cinque Terre (November 23rd, 2003)

Florence (December 14th, 2003)

Rome (December 14th, 2003)

Naples (December 14th, 2003)

Marettimo, Sicily (December 14th, 2003)

Agrigento, Sicily (December 14th, 2003)

Taormina, Sicily (December 14th, 2003)

....................

The Last True Adventure in Europe - Cadiz, Spain to Iasi, Romania by Bus (posted on July 5th, 2004)

...............

Australia-Sydney (December 1st, 2004)
Mackay (December 1st, 2004)

Cairns (December 3rd, 2004)

Magnetic Island (December 3rd, 2004)

Airlie Beach (December 5th, 2004)

Bundaberg (December 7th, 2004)

Noosa (December 10th, 2004)

Brisbane (December 10th, 2004)

Byron Bay (December 14th, 2004)

Canberra (December 19th, 2004)

Melbourne (December 23rd, 2004)

Perth (December 30th, 2004)

The Indian Pacific Railroad (Perth to Sydney) (January 5th, 2005)

New Zealand- Wellington (January 7th, 2005)
Picton (January 15th, 2005)

Kaikoura (January 27th, 2005)

Christchurch (January 28th, 2005)

Queenstown (January 30th, 2005)

Franz Josef (February 3rd, 2005)

Rotorua (February 5th, 2005)

Napier (February 9th, 2005)

Taupo (February 11th, 2005)

Singapore - Singapore (February 16th, 2005)

Malaysia- Kuching (February 28th, 2005)
Bario (March 4th, 2005)

Brunei Darussalam- Bandar Seri Begawan (March 6th, 2005)

Malaysia (again)- Mount Kinabalu (March 12th, 2005)
Semporna/Pulau Sipadan (March 17th, 2005)

Kuala Lumpur (March 22nd, 2005)

Thailand- Bangkok (March 29th, 2005)

Myanmar- Introduction (April 26th, 2005)
Yangon (April 26th, 2005)

Inle Lake (April 28th, 2005)

Mandalay (April 30th, 2005)

Bagan (May 1st, 2005)

Yangon Again & Interview With a Myanmar (May 3rd, 2005)

Thailand- Nong Khai (May 4th, 2005)

Laos- Vientiane (May 5th, 2005)
Luang Prabang (May 5th, 2005)

Phonsavan (May 10th, 2005)

Sam Neua (May 11th, 2005)

............................................

Hungary- Budapest (August 3rd, 2005)

Poland- Gdansk (November 18th, 2005)
Wroclaw (November 18th, 2005)
Krakow (November 22nd, 2005)

Slovakia- Bratislava (November 23rd, 2005)
Kosice (November 23rd, 2005)

 

Random Babbling



Packing List
What to bring on an open-ended homeless odyssey?

Updated on Dec. 2nd, 2004


What I've Learned
Updated on Aug. 4th, 2004

Open Letter to Lonely Planet
Posted on Aug. 4th, 2004

The Last True Adventure in Europe
Cadiz, Spain to Iasi, Romania by bus
Posted on July 5th, 2004


The Don't Go There Series

Don't Go to Naples

Don't Go to Monaco

Don't Go to Andorra la Vella

Don't Go to Berlin
Updated on May 26th, 2004



Sugra Morley
Posted on 3/22/04

My Brain Is Oatmeal
Posted on 3/10/04

I Rule!
Posted on 1/30/04


The Road
Posted on 10/8/03

Confessional
Posted on 9/24/03


I'm Afraid of Americans
Posted on 7/18/03

Norwegian Unicycle Tour
Posted on 6/26/03



Back to the main page