BLOG: My green travel

Kerem Çevik decided to travel green from Finland to his homecountry Türkiye after a youth exchange at Villa Elba. Green travel takes the carbon footprint of travel into account as a whole, which means both the travel itself and the decisions made along the journey are considered.

The first question that popped into my mind when I found out I was accepted for a project in Finland was whether it would be possible to return to Turkey by bus. Later on, when I spoke with the Turkish team leader, he assured me that it would be possible. Upon receiving this answer, I began preparing for my green journey. I bought plenty of sandwiches and water from Finland, then did my laundry at Villa Elba. I packed my suitcase to hit the road at night and took the train from Kokkola to Helsinki.

I traveled with the Turkish team until Helsinki, where the Turkish group leader advised me to get off at the last stop. However, I got off one station earlier and started exploring Helsinki. The tranquility of the city, its urban planning, and the respect and peace among people were striking. Helsinki completely captivated me. Since I got off one station earlier, I had to walk about 7 km to the ferry port to Estonia (carrying a 15 kg suitcase).

From Helsinki to Tallinn by cruise ship

I purchased my ticket from Helsinki to Tallinn, which was relatively cheap for a cruise ship journey, around 10 euros. Then I arrived in Tallinn.

I was starving and hadn’t even researched hotels yet. Moreover, my SIM card had run out of coverage, so I had no internet access. It was a situation that would appeal to an adventure enthusiast. The night had fallen, but I wasn’t worried as I knew I was in a safe country; the only problem was the cold weather. I bought a SIM card for 3 euros from a shopping mall and found a budget-friendly hostel online since I assumed food would be provided on the bus (in Turkey, meals are provided during bus journeys, so I thought it would be the same in Europe). When I checked into the hostel, I realized it wasn’t as comfortable as a hotel, and I would be sharing space with strangers (this was the first time I understood the difference between a hotel and a hostel). I grabbed a meal from a fast-food joint, then returned to the hostel to sleep. I was extremely tired from the non-stop journey from Kokkola to Tallinn.

The next day, when I woke up and saw the city in the morning light, I was amazed by its magnificent architecture and the friendly, happy people. There was a distance between the corporate buildings and traditional ones, preserving the city’s historical texture. I couldn’t find sandwiches or ready-to-eat food at a market for breakfast, so I settled for fruit yogurt, assuming I would be served a meal on the bus (I went hungry for 17 hours from Tallinn to Warsaw, mistakenly assuming that meal service was similar to Turkish buses). The first stop on the bus was Riga, Latvia. The first thing that caught my attention was the presence of a toilet on the bus (Turkish buses don’t have toilets). When I realized there was no meal service on the bus, I tried to buy something in Riga, but there were only vending machines, and I didn’t know how to use them, so I couldn’t buy anything. During the bus break, I took a short stroll in Riga. Although I saw a few historical sites, there were mostly Soviet-era apartment blocks near the bus terminal. Then I continued on to Vilnius, Lithuania.

I arrived in Vilnius at night, and since there were no open markets at that hour, I remained hungry. I had 3 hours until my bus to Warsaw, so I decided to explore Vilnius despite the cold weather and the fact that I was in an unfamiliar country. I couldn’t see much of the city due to the cold, but at least I saw a few historical sites and a large Lithuanian flag.

Poland

When the bus to Poland arrived, I boarded it, thinking I would have a smooth journey. However, when we crossed the Polish border, the bus was stopped by Polish border police, and a passport check was conducted. When they saw my Turkish passport, they took all my documents and passport to inspect them thoroughly in their police car (Turkish citizens require a Schengen visa, but I traveled with a service passport). After a lengthy inspection, they returned my documents to me, and we continued on to Warsaw. When I arrived in Warsaw, my first task was to satisfy my hunger and buy another SIM card for internet access. Then I started looking for a hotel. I visited three hotels, but either their location was wrong or they were closed. When I reached the fourth hotel, I settled in, even though it wasn’t as advertised (there were no windows in the rooms, and it wasn’t hygienic), because I was there to explore the city and would only stay for one night. After settling in, I went out to have dinner and explore Warsaw.

The next day, I boarded the bus to Krakow. While waiting for my bus to Budapest in Krakow, I met two Turkish girls who were Erasmus students in Poland, and we chatted for about 2 hours. Then my bus to Budapest arrived, and I set off for Hungary. I arrived in Budapest around 6 a.m. and admired the city’s magnificent view as the sun rose. Since I was experienced by now, I had breakfast with sandwiches I had bought in advance and found a hotel. The hotel wasn’t as advertised; there were no windows in the rooms, and it wasn’t hygienic, but I didn’t mind because I was there to explore the city and would only stay for one night. I settled in, went out for lunch, and then strolled along the streets by the Danube River, where there were palaces and beautiful houses with stunning architecture. I took many photos, climbed one of Budapest’s high hills, and gazed at the whole city. Later, I indulged in traditional Hungarian desserts and took a boat trip on the Danube.

Due to my interest in history, I visited a church where the hand of a Hungarian king, whose arm was cut off during the Ottoman-Hungarian War, was preserved. The church was built in Baroque style, and as I’m interested in Baroque architecture, I spent a long time inside. Then I went to the Hungarian Parliament building, but couldn’t go inside because the entrance fee was too expensive. After visiting many places, I had dinner and returned to the hotel. The next day, I continued exploring Budapest. In the evening, I had a bus to Romania, so I had to make good use of my time. During this time, I encountered another problem: I had miscalculated my budget for the green journey, and it had run out due to a math error.

14-hour journey from Budapest to Bucharest

Life suddenly turned into a Tolstoy novel for me. With the last coins in my pocket, I bought lunch and a sandwich for Romania. Then I explored the city again, visited many historical sites, and returned to the bus station. My 14-hour journey from Budapest to Bucharest began. This time, I went through the first official border control and got a stamp in my passport.

When I arrived in Bucharest, I left my suitcase at a luggage storage facility and went out to explore the city. Since I had been to Bucharest before, I revisited many places to refresh my memories. I saw a church where traditional food was being distributed, but when I saw that the food contained meat, I hesitated due to the possibility of it being pork, as per my beliefs. Later, I had a hearty meal at a kebab restaurant with my remaining coins and set off for Istanbul without resting.

Istanbul

When I arrived in Istanbul, I settled my suitcase at a relative’s house, had a meal, and immediately started exploring the city. I visited many historical sites and took a boat tour on the Bosphorus. I threw simit to the seagulls and daydreamed while looking at the luxurious houses by the Bosphorus. Then I returned home and rested. It was the first day of Ramadan in Istanbul, so I continued exploring the city while fasting (during Ramadan, we are prohibited from eating and drinking at certain times). I met a friend who had come to Istanbul, and we had dinner together. After dinner, I returned to my city, Kastamonu, by bus, completing my green journey.

During this journey, I saw many places, met many people, tried various foods, and most importantly, gained many experiences.

There were difficult times, and there were times when everything was resolved easily. However, I never regretted embarking on this journey; it was truly a unique experience that everyone should have. If I could go back, I would visit a few more countries. I thank everyone who helped me during this journey.

Author: Kerem Çevik

Green travel grant

In several volunteer projects of the European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ funded programs low-emission travel is supported. For example, the participants can receive an increased ‘green travel grant’ if at least 50% of the trip is made by environmentally friendly means of transport.