I just discovered your report - nice adventure!

In my eyes, your decisions were reasonable. Not one thing would bother me about them, I'd probably do just the same things. Your concerns about your ankle match my experiences, so I guess the reasoning is fair, and honestly, the mosquitoes would probably have bothered me enough to pass on a night out there camping for a night in my own, comfy bed.

I have hitchhiked a few times, and the worst was a ride that I hitched when I got lost walking back to my B&B in the Austrian Alps from a conference, in the winter, deep snow, ten-degree-night, wearing just a business outfit and high heels, no coat. I had been wandering around for a while already, seeing headlines like "Scientist found frozen to death on remote logging road" and the like in local newspapers in my head, so I decided to hitch a ride, against all advice I have ever gotten in my life.

A "ski-taxi" with "Hotel XX" written all over it stopped, so I thought it was safe to accept the ride, especially when the driver said he knew where the B&B was (I had only been there for a short stop to drop off my suitcase, before heading out to the conference dinner). After I had gotten into the car, I smelled that the driver must have had a good amount of "Jagatee" (tea laced with lots of herbed liquor), and he acted a bit doozey. The drive on the mountain roads, on packed snow, with the drop-offs on the right side, was quite scary, to say the least.

And I am not sure if the driver really knew where the B&B was, unless he was driving around just for the fun of it.

Still, eventually we arrived at my B&B, just then, the driver started babbling that he was sure he "somehow" knew me, that I was "so nice", and he demanded a kiss. WTH???

With a click on the button, he locked the doors, and there I was, on the back seat, fortunately, tightly clamping on to my wooden briefcase with its metal studs. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if I had been in the front seat... maybe the driver would have ended up making the headlines...

I negotiated with him, slyly complimenting him on his safe driving and good looks , thanked him nicely for bringing me to my B&B, and ignored his pleas for a cozier good-bye. After some lengthy bending of the truth, the driver eventually decided to let me go, believing there was a prospect of seeing me "some other time" for him in store. Knowing I'd leave the next day, I happily waved to him and quickly closed the door of the house behind me. Phew!

20+ years later, the story is quite entertaining, but at the time, it was actually a bit scary, so I can relate to your thoughts, and your second-guessing of your decision to hitchhike back out!

20+ years later, the story is quite entertaining, but at the time, it was actually a bit scary, so I can relate to your thoughts, and your second-guessing of your decision to hitchhike back out!

Wow yeah, and you didn't even really hitchhike. Sometimes it is just good to be a 6"3 male. Although it makes it harder to actually get a ride.