Have mullet, will travel: Czech hitchhikes across US for free
Travelling along Route 66, riding free by plane, going to a casino and taking part in a beer run. These are just some of the many adventures Czech traveller Vojtěch Pechar experienced on a hitchhiking trip across the United States, during which he didn’t spend a cent of his own money. He spent three months travelling from New York to San Francisco, passing through 18 states, getting rides in 50 cars and covering a distance of 9,000 kilometres. He documented his journey on an Instagram account called Mullet na tripu or Mullet on a Trip, which refers to his rather unusual haircut, and which attracted more than 90,000 followers.
I caught up with Vojtěch Pechar to discuss his unusual journey and I started by asking him what made him embark on his trip across the US without a single dollar.
“I just love hitchhiking. I have been hitchhiking in Europe, and I wanted some bigger challenge, so I decided to hitchhike the longest range in a country where I can understand the language. That’s why I chose America and the longest distance between its two cities.”
When you say the longest range, how many kilometres is it?
“It is 4,700 kilometres by plane, but I hitchhiked around 9000 kilometres.”
To what extent did you plan your journey ahead? I guess you cannot really have a detailed itinerary when hitchhiking…
“My only plan was to get from New York to Los Angeles and the only place I really wanted to see on my way was the Grand Canyon. It was the only point I wanted to cross. But otherwise, I went wherever the wind blew me, so to say. It was kind of random.”
Hitchhiking is not really considered safe in the United States; I believe it's not even legal in some of the states in the US. Can you compare your experience with hitchhiking from the US and Europe? How long did you have to wait on average for a car to stop?
“In Europe, it’s around 30 minutes, but it of course depends on where you are. In Spain, it is harder than in other parts of Europe, for instance the Balkans, where it’s much easier.
“In the United States, the average waiting time would be two to three hours. It is definitely harder and it is definitely illegal in some states. But that’s why I came there. I wanted to see if it’s still possible. Because nowadays, it is mostly just homeless people who hitchhike in the States.”
“My only plan was to get from New York to Los Angeles and the only place I really wanted to see on my way was the Grand Canyon.”
So you haven't met a single hitchhiker on your way?
“I met one, at the end of my journey in Santa Cruz, which is a friendly hippie place. So that was the only normal guy who I saw hitchhiking.”
Where you often checked by the police?
“It depends where. In the East, it was more difficult and they would check me more. In the West, they were perhaps stricter if they saw me hitchhiking on the side of the highway. But I mostly met really nice guys among the police officers.”
What would they do, if they saw you standing by the side of the road in a state where hitchhiking is illegal?
“It also depends. In one state, they told me to leave and go to a petrol station and ask there. But when I was hitchhiking in Kansas, where it's illegal, a sheriff’s car stopped by and she asked me if she could drive me anywhere. She gave me a lift and then she left me with another cop, who drove me to his precinct. So it really depends.”
Did you ever refuse to get in a car simply because you had a bad feeling?
“Only once, because I thought the guy was drunk and it was a bit shady. He kept telling me to get in his car although I told him that he went in a different direction. So that was the only case.”
You hitched altogether 50 cars and four trucks, but also a plane. Can you tell us a bit more about that? How did that happen? How can you hitch a plane?
“I was left off by a driver at some random place and I noticed a lot of small planes flying above my head. So I got the idea to hitch a plane. I knew someone did that before, and I also wanted to try it.
“So I came to the airport and I asked around. Some people just laughed at me but then one guy told me he had a contact for another guy, and that guy gave me another contact, and that’s how it happened.”
And you didn’t care where the plane was heading?
“No, it didn't matter to me. I simply wanted to hitch a plane.”
Where did you end up?
“I ended up on Catalina Island, which was about 500 kilometres from where I started. And of course I ended up there with no money.”
Talking about money, you set off on the journey with $200 in your pocket as a backup but you never actually used it. How could you hitchhike across the United States without a single dollar? How did that work? How did you pay for food? Where did you spend the night?
“When somebody stopped me, they would ask about my story. I told them I was going from the East coast to the West coast without spending any money and they were mostly like, wow that’s crazy, I want to support you, here is $20 or something. So I got food from people and I got money from people and sometimes even shelter. But mostly I slept outside in my hammock.”
You spent 86 nights altogether on your journey and 34 out of that was in other people’s homes…
“Yes, it’s quite a lot. It’s crazy. I was surprised myself. But one of the reasons the number is so high is because there were some people who would give me shelter for the whole week.”
Did you expect such hospitality? Did you expect people to be so friendly?
“I never have any expectations. So I wasn’t really expecting anything and it all ended up well.”
Did you ever ask people for money or was it something you told yourself never to do?
“I never asked for money. At the beginning of my journey, I told myself that I would ask for money or food only if I was hungry and starving. But I never had to!”
You documented your journey on your Instagram account called Mullet na tripu or Mullet on a Trip, where you posted photos and videos. Looking back on your journey, what were some of the most memorable moments?
“I just remember standing on the road with my thumb up against the sunset and the hills in the West. It was a very cinematic moment! That’s what I remember most.
“I told them I was going from the east side to the west side without using any money and they were mostly like, Wow that’s crazy, I want to support you, here is $20 or something.”
“But if you mean moments with other people, I remember a really poor family in Nevada, who lived in the middle of nowhere in a really small town called Tonopah, with a population of around 2,000.
“There is really nothing in the town, just a few gold mines and a few silver mines, and a couple of old houses, but there was always something to do and I really enjoyed the time I spent there, with Janice, who hosted me, and her family. I met about 30 members of her family. That was really nice.”
You told me at the beginning that the only plan you had was to visit the Grand Canyon, but that also happened to be the most difficult moment on your journey. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
“Yeah, I went down to the canyon and I didn’t feel well, I was coming down with something, so it wasn't the best idea. It was also late in the afternoon and I decided to sleep down in the canyon. But I ran out of food and I didn't have much water. And when I went to sleep in the hammock, I heard some animals running around me, probably mountain lions, so it was a bit sketchy.”
How could you go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon without enough food and water?
“I spilt the rest of my water because it was hot and I thought there would be a camp site, but there wasn’t. Luckily, there was a little creek and I have a water filter!”
What place made the biggest impression on you? Was it the Grand Canyon or were there some other places that were equally impressive?
“I really liked the Car Forest. It's a place in Nevada close to Tonapah. There are just cars buried in the ground and the parts that are sticking out are spray painted. So that was a really cool place that I remember.
“Las Vegas was also crazy. I didn't expect I could enjoy Las Vegas without any money, because it’s a place where you go to spend money and I came there with empty pockets. But I actually got to meet Martin Garrix, a really famous DJ, and the next day I went to Zed's party, who is another really famous DJ. And then the next morning I ended up at a pool party. So it was fun and I got to do some fancy stuff without actually using any money.”
And apart from that one night in the Grand Canyon, what was the biggest challenge along the way?
“It was definitely completing the journey without using my money. It was my first trip without using money and it was a bit more difficult than a normal hitchhiking trip, because you have to think differently.”
You make it all sound so easy but what do you think it requires to succeed in hitchhiking across the US? Is it your outgoing personality or would you say you were simply lucky?
“A lot of people mentioned my personality. If I looked like a homeless person or if I was negative, no one would take me. Also it is really important to have a positive mind-set. Because if you're waiting somewhere for two days to get picked up by a car, it's not for everybody. You have to set your mind and go for it!”
