Hitchhiking, not an activity most New Jersey girls would want to find themselves in and not likely to actively engage. But what brought about this downfall (or, depending on your opinion, a nifty way to get from “point a” to “point b” or somewhere in-between)? They do say that necessity is the mother of invention but I am not going to claim I invented hitching a ride; that has been in existence much longer than my own existence. Necessity, in this case, was the mother of “well, why not get in”?
It happened the first time (that’s right, I am a repeat offender) on mainland Shetland, down around Jarlshof. I had picked the Shetland Islands at random while in Wales and set off, plans not exactly set down in concrete. So I was standing out in the wind and precipitation waiting for a bus that was not coming anytime soon. Having thought long and hard while eating my apple, I had concluded that the only way to get back to Lerwick and the warm, dry hostel I was staying in was to walk till I found a bus or taxi. From the southern part of the island to Lerwick it is more than 24 miles. Although I love adventure, I was not looking forward to the long lonely walk ahead.
That is when opportunity drove by, slowed down and rolled down its window. Opportunity came in the form of two women from London on vacation. Although we did get lost, as they were not familiar with the island themselves, the three of us had a wonderful drive, even stopping for tea. They drove me most of the way back, leaving me at a much more frequented bus stop than the one they had found me at.
The people living in Shetland make hitchhiking a wonderful experience. While going to see Clickimin broch outside of Lerwick, I somehow ended up in a residential neighborhood. I honestly have no idea how I ended up there or how to get back to anything I recognized. When I asked an elderly couple for directions, despite just returning from the shops, they gave me a ride to where I was headed and directions on how to get back to town.
When I extended my trip to Unst, using a bus to get around was not an option. I accepted quite a few rides while I was there. Sometimes, when the car would stop and the window rolled down, it would be someone that I had ridden with earlier during my stay. I always got a lot of questions; where was I from, what was I doing on Unst, etc. And the people I met were really helpful, often giving me further instructions on how to get to my destination.
The Shetland Islands are a completely different place than Malta. The island of Gozo in Malta is hot, dry and sunny while the Shetland Islands are wet, cool and overcast. I decided I was not going to take taxis or busses while staying on the island but instead walk everywhere or hitch when the group I was with was not using the van we had. This turned out to be most situations.
Hitching a ride on Gozo is different than in the Shetland Islands. The culture is different, the language is different and as noted, so it the weather. While in Shetland I never put out my thumb. There are not a lot of people on Unst as compared to where I am from so cars are few and far between. If, as you are walking, the first car headed in the same direction as you does not stop and inquire if you need a ride, the second car will. On Gozo, I found the easiest way to hitch a ride was to be actively walking and put you thumb out while you were still moving.
I do not except every ride that comes my way; some just seem off. And some rides I have accepted have been a bit sketchy. Hitching to San Lawrenz, Gozo for their festa, the ride I accepted leaned towards the “perhaps I should have just said no thank you”. I was almost to my destination but hot, tired and running shot on time as I was meeting some people there. He was an older gentleman and we had a pleasant conversation with the exception that he kept inviting me to a wine festival. It was probably just the Jersey girl in me, but it gave me that I just want out of this car feeling. However, he delivered me safely to the festa in one piece, once again invited me to the wine festival. I thanked him but declined (yet once again) and he drove off.
Will I hitch a ride again after that? Of course I will! I have found hitching to be a way to get to know both locals and other people visiting the same places I am. Information and views are shared, conversation and brief connections made. Hitching can open up options you never would have considered otherwise. It allows you to see things differently than you would if you were just sitting on a bus. It can give you a peak into the inside workings of a place.
