In the meantime, keep on searching for Tartapishan, we miss him!

What’s Up!? is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

Hello I’m Tartapishan the hedgehog.
I’m born in the summer of 2004 to bring good.
I travel around the world to spread love, peace and brotherhood.
Each traveller that chooses to take me with him has to make a picture of us both in a place, somehow significant for his journey.
After taking a picture pass me to a new traveller
you’ve made friends with and whom you find responsible and suitable for the task.

is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

February 2006, Tartapishan surfing in Costa Rica

Hi everyone!
I´m back again. My last trip (together with Tartapichin, my son) has been a surf trip. I went to Costa Rica with Fonz (Coloma´s brother) and Aleix.
We left from Mallorca on the 19th Jan. Mallorca-Madrid-San José. However, we didn´t spend much time in San José. We went straight ahead to the Pacific coast in the search of waves.
We spent 2 weeks chilling and surfing in Sta Teresa, a nice, young, surf town, where we met very nice people: Nico, Nuri, Paco, Betina, Chino…
One day went canopying! Canopy is quite popular in Costa Rica, and consists in sliding through cables from one tree to another…We met a nice gay canadian couple…
Another day, we visited Montezuma waterfalls! That was just amazing. We had a great day jumping from the top of one of the waterfalls (over 14 metres!) swimming, and bouncing from a rope tighten on a branch of a tree…Just a natural water park!
We surfed every day in Sta Teresa, although the waves were not very big, but it was consistent and a good place for learning. Surfing in the sunset, and in between manta rays and turtles was part of our everyday lifestyle!
Anyways, after 2 weeks we rented an expensive 4×4 car to go up north in the search of new waves, new people, new places and new adventures. The roads were an adventerure itselves, they were so bad that you really need a 4wd car. Sometimes we had to cross rivers, sometimes beaches, skip iguanas…Aleix became a professional rally driver!
We visited so many beaches all along the Nicoya Peninsula: Nosara, Playa Negra, Playa Junquillal (probably one of the most beautiful ones, but no waves that day), Tamarindo, Playa del coco…Finally by the 11th Feb we arrived to Roca Bruja. A magic place!
We first got there by car in such a mission because the road that goes to the beach is in a terrible condition. Roca Bruja is a huge rock in the middle of a long sand beach. For some reason, behind the road grows an amazing tubular wave known by surfers from all over th world.
Aleix, Fonso, Tartapichin and me spent the night at the beach under the stars. It was Fonso´s birthday that day (11th feb) and we had real fun at night building a shelter and having a great dinner of petrol station sandwiches and snikers!
The next day we ran out of food so we went to playa del coco where we booked a boat trip (together with english Sam) to go back surfing to Roca Bruja and Ollie´s point.This time with a full stomach! We saw all kind of creatures on the way: whales, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, pelicans… It was a great day to say good bye to the pacific ocean!
We had to return the car in San José, but, on the way, we stoped to visit the volcan Arenal. This volcano is still active, and during the night you are supposed to see the lava falling down. However, we were not lucky with the weather. It rained cats and dogs and it was cloudy as ever, so we didn´t see much…
After 2 days in Fortuna (the volcano town) we returned our “tamagochi” car in San José, so from this moment we moved by bus.
We took tickets to Puerto Viejo (Caribbean).

February 2006, With friends on the Costa Rican beach

Puerto viejo is a rasta, chilled town plenty of characters. Good waves, good weed, and good food.
Salsa Brava is the name of the most popular wave there. It is big and quite dangerous. Not recommended for beginners!
Anyways, our last destiny of the journey was Bocas del Toro (Panamá). I think this was the most impressive place of the trip.
Bocas del Toro is a group of islands on the Caribbean sea situated in the North east of Panamá close to the border with Costa Rica. You arrive there by a boat that leaves from a river. It´s a 40 minutes boat ride between “manglares” and fallen trees. The main island is Colón. The colonial houses are built half on the land , half on the sea, supported by posts. It si plenty of wooden piers in town where you can wait until a taxi boat comes. In Bocas, it is easier to move by boat than by car. It is a paradise for surfers. Perfect reef waves grow on deep waters so touching the bottom is normally not frequent. Moreover, you don´t need to touch the reef neither to get to the spot since you arrive by taxi boat. The taxiboat drivers drop you there and come back whenever you tell them. It is recommended to pay them on the way back so you make sure they won´t forget you.
In Colon, we met Nico and Nuri again! The nice “malagueños salerosos” that we first met in Sta Teresa by the beguinning of the trip. The sign was clear, they´d be my new trip mates! My last days with the Fonz, Aleix, Nico and Nuri were very cool! We moved to an island next to Colon called Bastimentos. That island was less touristic and more authentic. We met a group of very nice Argentinians. Two beautifull ladies and three good surfers. We surfed everyday in great waves, got lost in a muddy jungle, had party at Carnival…A blast.
Finally it was time for the farewell (march 2nd). Fonz and Aleix, my Mallorcan friends, had to go back to their island in the Mediterranean, while me and Tartapichin had to continue our journey with my new friends: Nico and Nuri. They were the chosen ones to take care of us.
I wonder where will will we go next!

Tartapishan in Costa Rica and Panamá is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

February 2006, Tartapishan surfing in Costa Rica

Hi everyone!
I´m back again. My last trip (together with Tartapichin, my son) has been a surf trip. I went to Costa Rica with Fonz (Coloma´s brother) and Aleix.
We left from Mallorca on the 19th Jan. Mallorca-Madrid-San José. However, we didn´t spend much time in San José. We went straight ahead to the Pacific coast in the search of waves.
We spent 2 weeks chilling and surfing in Sta Teresa, a nice, young, surf town, where we met very nice people: Nico, Nuri, Paco, Betina, Chino…
One day went canopying! Canopy is quite popular in Costa Rica, and consists in sliding through cables from one tree to another…We met a nice gay canadian couple…
Another day, we visited Montezuma waterfalls! That was just amazing. We had a great day jumping from the top of one of the waterfalls (over 14 metres!) swimming, and bouncing from a rope tighten on a branch of a tree…Just a natural water park!
We surfed every day in Sta Teresa, although the waves were not very big, but it was consistent and a good place for learning. Surfing in the sunset, and in between manta rays and turtles was part of our everyday lifestyle!
Anyways, after 2 weeks we rented an expensive 4×4 car to go up north in the search of new waves, new people, new places and new adventures. The roads were an adventerure itselves, they were so bad that you really need a 4wd car. Sometimes we had to cross rivers, sometimes beaches, skip iguanas…Aleix became a professional rally driver!
We visited so many beaches all along the Nicoya Peninsula: Nosara, Playa Negra, Playa Junquillal (probably one of the most beautiful ones, but no waves that day), Tamarindo, Playa del coco…Finally by the 11th Feb we arrived to Roca Bruja. A magic place!
We first got there by car in such a mission because the road that goes to the beach is in a terrible condition. Roca Bruja is a huge rock in the middle of a long sand beach. For some reason, behind the road grows an amazing tubular wave known by surfers from all over th world.
Aleix, Fonso, Tartapichin and me spent the night at the beach under the stars. It was Fonso´s birthday that day (11th feb) and we had real fun at night building a shelter and having a great dinner of petrol station sandwiches and snikers!
The next day we ran out of food so we went to playa del coco where we booked a boat trip (together with english Sam) to go back surfing to Roca Bruja and Ollie´s point.This time with a full stomach! We saw all kind of creatures on the way: whales, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, pelicans… It was a great day to say good bye to the pacific ocean!
We had to return the car in San José, but, on the way, we stoped to visit the volcan Arenal. This volcano is still active, and during the night you are supposed to see the lava falling down. However, we were not lucky with the weather. It rained cats and dogs and it was cloudy as ever, so we didn´t see much…
After 2 days in Fortuna (the volcano town) we returned our “tamagochi” car in San José, so from this moment we moved by bus.
We took tickets to Puerto Viejo (Caribbean).

February 2006, With friends on the Costa Rican beach

Puerto viejo is a rasta, chilled town plenty of characters. Good waves, good weed, and good food.
Salsa Brava is the name of the most popular wave there. It is big and quite dangerous. Not recommended for beginners!
Anyways, our last destiny of the journey was Bocas del Toro (Panamá). I think this was the most impressive place of the trip.
Bocas del Toro is a group of islands on the Caribbean sea situated in the North east of Panamá close to the border with Costa Rica. You arrive there by a boat that leaves from a river. It´s a 40 minutes boat ride between “manglares” and fallen trees. The main island is Colón. The colonial houses are built half on the land , half on the sea, supported by posts. It si plenty of wooden piers in town where you can wait until a taxi boat comes. In Bocas, it is easier to move by boat than by car. It is a paradise for surfers. Perfect reef waves grow on deep waters so touching the bottom is normally not frequent. Moreover, you don´t need to touch the reef neither to get to the spot since you arrive by taxi boat. The taxiboat drivers drop you there and come back whenever you tell them. It is recommended to pay them on the way back so you make sure they won´t forget you.
In Colon, we met Nico and Nuri again! The nice “malagueños salerosos” that we first met in Sta Teresa by the beguinning of the trip. The sign was clear, they´d be my new trip mates! My last days with the Fonz, Aleix, Nico and Nuri were very cool! We moved to an island next to Colon called Bastimentos. That island was less touristic and more authentic. We met a group of very nice Argentinians. Two beautifull ladies and three good surfers. We surfed everyday in great waves, got lost in a muddy jungle, had party at Carnival…A blast.
Finally it was time for the farewell (march 2nd). Fonz and Aleix, my Mallorcan friends, had to go back to their island in the Mediterranean, while me and Tartapichin had to continue our journey with my new friends: Nico and Nuri. They were the chosen ones to take care of us.
I wonder where will will we go next!

Tartapishan in Costa Rica and Panamá is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

December 2005, Ourizo Tartapishan in Faro, Portugal

Coloma, Tico and I are having great fun travelling
through Spain and Portugal. I first landed in Madrid
where Coloma took me everywhere, only by that
time she couldn`t get hold of a camera. I also went to
Segovia, and Malaga, but there`s no pictures cos she
had no camera. It was a week after the trip started
that she bought a camera and started the report in
Tarifa, the windsurf Meca (Coloma`s paradise). She met
up with Tico and said good bye to Cristina and Adriana.
Planning to go to Morocco, but it couldn`t be because
of stupid burocracy between Costa Rica (tico`s home)
and Morrocco.So we went to Granada.Then to the Alpujarras,
Andalucias mountains, and then to Portugal.
I`ve also been in Seville and right now I`m in a small
town called Montellano. Back to Mallorca tomorrow for
X-mas and going to Greece on the 9th of january.
Hopefully I`ll get someone worth my custody on
that trip. Coloma and Tico are very concerned of my
wellbeing and refuse to hand me to just anyone. They
seem to be looking for THE ONE. Thats about it so far.
Merry Christmas, and happy new year to all
my beloved friends around the world,

Tartapishan, and Coloma and Tico

December 2005, Erizo Tartapishan and Tico in Alhambra, Granada, Spain

December 2005, Erizo Tartapishan in Alpujarras, Andalusia Spain

Tartapishan in Spain and Portugal is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

Tartapishan in Mallorca is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

February 2005, Grainneog Tartapishan and Lukas in Galway city

Hey, my name is Lukas Vnucko and I m from Prague, Czech Republic.
I ve new pictures of our friend…
These pictures have been taken in the city of Galway, Ireland in
February 2005.

Thanks 4 doing such things like this.

I wish good luck for every traveller who will meet this amazing fellow.

Cheers.
See ya
Lukas

*********************************************************************

October 2004, Tartapishan and Roel Klerx in Letterfrack, Connemara

Tartapishan in Ireland is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

Tartapishan the hedgehog is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

September 2004, Egel Tartapishan and Malin at the mill in Sprang-Capelle

Tartapishan is a wonderful creature, and I was very happy to be his travellingmate in Israel and on the way to Holland. He’s born in Israel out of the water of the Kinneret. Without Itamar Tartapishan wouldn’t have existed so I would like to thank him for this miracle. To start Tarta’s travels, Itamar and I made a backpack for him in a place called Yuvalim, the Galilee. His journey could begin…

It was difficult for Tartapishan to leave Itamar because without him, he wouldn’t have existed and his mission couldn’t start or even happen. So they shared the last day together on the beach of Tel Aviv, watching over the sea, wondering about what’s coming and hoping they might see eachother again in the far away future.

I took Tartapishan with me to Holland, the place where I was born. It was a great adventure to travel with him. The woman at the incheck counter was very curious about Tarta, but she could only smile and praise him because of his mission. The flight wasn’t such a nice experience for the hedgehog, because he was squeezed in my bag and almost deaf as a result of the airplane motors. So next time, handluggage please!?! Arrived in the Netherlands we took the train together and he watched the flat landscape of Holland while sitting in a busy train. There was a sun and Tarta was happy his journey really started. In a full train it was easy to reach a lot of people, I saw the twinkling in their eyes when they heard of his mission, bring peace, love and brotherhood!! They all wanted to touch him and take him. But Tarta is a precious animal and finding a new mate for him is a difficult task. And anyway first I had to take a picture of him and me.

I went down to an old mill in the place where I live and together we climbed the sails, he watched out over Holland and blew his goodness into the air. It was difficult to say goodbye to the beautiful creature but I had to. Roel is going to be his new travellingmate, and I assure you he will take a good care of him. Together they will explore Ireland and find a new human being to continue Tartapishans travels…

Bye Tarta,

Malin Wittebol, Sprang-Capelle, The Netherlands

Tartapishan in the Netherlands is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.

August, 2004: Kipod Tartapishan and Itamar Aravot at the seashore of Tel Aviv

Tartapishan in Israel is a post from The Travelling Hedgehog://Tartapishan.