Miran Ipavec, the world class hitchhiking guru
Meet Miran Ipavec, he's a world class hitchhiker. The former mayor and CEO of a company has hitchhiked 8 and half times around the globe in 31 years (if all the mileage of his hitchhiking would be combined). How many miles have you hitchhiked? He says he’s got no competition in Slovenia, when it comes to competitive hitchhiking. Will you take up his challenge? His hobby is presented in the book: Hitchhiking tales; and also in his own hitchhiking museum. Have you heard of either?
Hello Miran, you’re a former mayor of the town Kanal ob Soči and you’re also a CEO of a company. How do you differ from other mayors or CEOs?
I differ by my way of travelling. Other entrepreneurs and mayors travel with their own or company’s cars – I attend a meeting, a fair or any other official visit by hitchhiking. For me hitchhiking is a hobby, and it’s less dangerous than what most people do: rock climbing, hunting, etc. When I attend a meeting, gathering or any other formal event, I stay there in a hotel and dress up nicely, but how I get there is a whole different story.
You’ve hitchhiked for 340.200km in 31 years. How is that different from a regular way of traveling?
Combined, I have made enough hitchhiking kilometres to travel eight and a half time around our globe. For me, this is the regular way of travelling, I know no other. In the last period I’m involved in the “sporting” or “competitive” hitchhiking – the purpose is to get as fast as possible to the place you want to go. I’ve just concluded such a trip, where the goal was to hitchhike through 31 countries in 10 days. I’ve made a combine of 7450 kilometres and exchanged 88 vehicles. I started in Finland and ended in Sweden – I’ve also hitchhiked to the start location in Finland and back home from the end location in Sweden.
Where did you get the idea for intensive hitchhiking? Did you have any role models?
Countries like Netherlands, Lithuania and Russia have hitchhiking much more developed than we have. Such competitions are very frequent there. In Slovenia I’ve nobody to compete with. My role models would be in Russia, but unfortunately I didn’t know about them before I started with my hobby, so I’m self-thought. Travelling this way I also help spread the good image of Slovenia and make sure it’s internationally recognisable.
The book contains 266 pages with 47 real life stories that happened to me while travelling. There are no descriptions of nature, but only of meeting the most different people possible. Sometimes even strange. I also present the unusual situations and encounters with the representatives of the law. There were times when I got into quite a predicament, but was somehow always able to get out of it and return home safely. I suggest you read the book – the link is at
www.autostop.si/index.php/author-login.
You’re also the founder of the Hitchhiking museum - Avtoštoparski muzej in Kana lob Soči. Where did that idea come from? Are there any such muesums abroad? What can one see there? After I’ve finished a book, I was wandering around and got the idea about the museum. I opened it up in Kanal ob Soči, but I’m moving it to Ljubljana this year, to get more attendance – the national capital is more visited than my hometown. I’m also thinking of moving the museum for city to city each year. From what I know, there’s no such museum anywhere in the world (yet) – so I’m the first one. There are several exhibits in the museum (over 50 items), from ice-cream spoons to traffic signs and hitchhiking plates. There’s also tickets for city transports, caps, scarves, and much more. There’s also games to test your knowledge of foreign countries. You can check it out at
www.autostop.si.
Can you tell us one of the adventures?
There were many and all were interesting. It’s hard to say which is the most interesting – I’ve collected them in my book. But there is one, that had the most lasting impact on me and happened 20 years ago. It was when I met an Italian businessman, with whome I’ve opened a business together.
What are your plans for the future of your hobby?
My plan is to hitchhike for 40.000 kilometres in a year (that’s once around the globe) – and that in the period between September 1st 2014 and August 31st 2015. I’m still a few kilometres short, but am sure to reach my goal. As before, I’ll spend most of my weekends and free time to hitchhike.
How well are you acquainted with HI Slovenia? Have you used hostels a lot? I’ve heard of
HI Slovenia, but I don’t like joining any clubs, memberships, associations … I’m a lone wolf. I bet it’s great to sleep in hostels, but I’d lose too much time spent to set the record. I practice shell-surfing (at gas stations), which saves me a lot of time.
What advice would you give to travellers who lack the courage to hitchhike?
I suggest they be open and positive. Be open to other people, languages, cultures. It’s all going to help you with your life and career. You must always look positive and remind yourself, that the world is full of good people. Some try to hitchhike, but give up fast. That’s a mistake. I once waited 11 hours before I got a ride – but didn’t give up or lose hope.
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