March 1972
Caen Normandy
After violent protests against the death of Pierre Overney, the narrator lives in an anarchist community. He decides to leave France with Daniel to join his sister in Göttingen.
Göttingen is an open-minded student town, where the narrator stays after Daniel leaves. He finds work and accommodation in a Wohngemeinschaft (student flat share).
Pierre, a Swiss friend, joins him to carry out their joint project: a long journey across Asia, inspired by counterculture and the writings of Kerouac and Hesse.
Their departure is postponed after their arrest in Switzerland in 1971 for illegal occupation and drug use. The narrator is deported, while Pierre is sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to serve.
Back in Caen in April 1972, they finally prepare for their departure: passports, money, books (On the Road, Siddhartha) and minimalist equipment.
Their itinerary includes Greece, Istanbul, and then Central Asia.