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6 Stories from Hosts + Guests in Lockdown: Hospitality in the Time of Corona

Iris Veldwijk

Our world has shrunk a great deal since the globe went on lockdown for the coronavirus. Blindsided by the sudden changes, travelers had to make some tough decisions mid-adventure. Amidst the chaos, I knew there would be some people out there who remained kind and trusting of virtual strangers. People who would keep their doors open when they were told to keep it shut. I’d been thinking about the people showing or experiencing hospitality under such extraordinary circumstances. So I asked around looking for stories from both hosts and guests to share their experiences. Many people responded with their stories,Continue reading

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Hitchhiking in Myanmar – Everything You Need to Know!

Iris Veldwijk

Jonas and I went hitchhiking in Myanmar between the 3rd and the 31st of January 2020. These tips are based on our experiences and the laws of Myanmar during that timeframe. Feel welcome to add your own hitchhiking in Myanmar experiences + adventures in the comments! Basic Tips Have the map of Myanmar downloaded onto your smartphone. I prefer Open Street Maps! Have the Google Translate app. Unlike Thai, Google doesn’t have an offline package for Myanmar language yet. Get a SIM card in Myanmar upon arrival. Always make a hitchhiking sign. Buy some black markers, preferably black markers withContinue reading

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Experiences of 2015, #1: Albania! All of it!

Iris Veldwijk

It’s almost the end of the year according to the calendar I grew up with. And all the bloggers seem to be doing it. So here’s a recap of my year in hitchhiking, adoring nature, and meeting people! 2015 was not the most exciting year I’ve had in travel; there were a few sad things going on personally. I stayed in Europe mostly as I was trying to hitchhike to all the missing countries I haven’t been to. But suddenly a happy change happened; now I’m in South America continuing the adventures in hitchhiking! There were so many opportunities justContinue reading

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Gibraltar: Tech Problems and Blind Hitchhiking

Iris Veldwijk

I’m back in the UK! Last night I found a last-minute couchsurfing host in the Spanish border town of La Linea. He was so kind to drop me at the border today. So now I can go hitchhiking Gibraltar and explore the monkey rock. The guy who took this photo is a born and raised Gibraltarian. He organizes some of the concerts for the national week here. Many people in the streets dressed in the national colors in anticipation of this week. It culminates on the 10th of September when it’s their national day. The border crossing to Gibraltar wasn’tContinue reading

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Yurt-Surfing in Andalucía, Spain

Iris Veldwijk

How life gives you awesome people: what began as a spontaneous one-night freecamping invitation after a bad ride, turned into a three-day yurt-surfing adventure with my new friend from Hungary! Turns out she lives at this awesome place hidden in the woods with alternative housing. Housing such as yurts, caravans, and other ‘outdoor furniture’ (Spanish law is strange). The first night I pitched my tent next to her caravan, from where you could even see the Rock of Gibraltar! After that, we crashed at a yurt (i.e. yurt-surfing) at her neighbor’s place, because the winds were too strong. Yurts areContinue reading

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Siracusa: Eat Pray Love Streets in Sicily

Iris Veldwijk

After hitchhiking yesterday from Pozzallo to Siracusa, I was feeling a little #EatPrayLove—though I REALLY dislike that movie. Siracusa has some cute small streets that reminded me of it. And somehow these streets activate the girly travel girl Instagram pose instincts in even the ones most aware of performative femininity. Makes me want to buy a dress or something? (And then I look at the photo and think ehm, you tried!) Anyway, I ate some Sicilian stuff that came highly recommended. But the only name that stuck was “arancini”, which is a sort of fried rice ball with for exampleContinue reading

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A Modern Odyssey: Sailing Theatre Company in Valetta, Malta

A Modern Odyssey: Sailing Theatre Company in Valetta, Malta

Iris Veldwijk

At the marina in Valetta, I met this Italian lady who is an actor with a theatre company. That wouldn’t be remarkable without the tidbit that they’re traveling by a huge sailing boat. They’re sailing all over Europe to perform and they even carry their own stage stuff around. Fittingly, they’re doing part of Homer’s Odyssey, right here at the marina. It’s giving me some flashbacks to Greek class in high school, which was basically all Illiad and Odyssey. They let me sleep in the dressing room, which they call a ‘loft’. The cooks of the ship are Dutch andContinue reading

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Sarandë to Vlorë: Albanian Coastal Hitch

Iris Veldwijk

Goodbye Sarandë and hello Vlorë! Though this road was desolate and there was only a little bit of shade left to stand in at noon, I caught a direct ride with a truck driver from Berat on this amazing coastal route. Tea and Tears But before I caught a ride to Vlorë, I had to walk along this road in the sunshine. It was quite a long walk. With the heat getting to my brain, I made a stop at a building on the south-west side of the road that I hoped would be a shop of some kind. IContinue reading

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Dogs of (Spontaneous) CouchSurfing (Tiranë, Albania)

Iris Veldwijk

I love it when my CouchSurfing – spontaneous or official – have pets, such as dogs! Look at this adorably small dog of my host in Tiranë, Albania. It’s so small and sweet and playful. As you might know, I grew up with a dog named Ashley, who is now a bit old but still doing great. I also recently hitchhiked with the humongous dog of my drivers in Romania, which was nice because it was cold until I received dog cuddles. Though getting into a car with a dog present is always a little scary. Will the dog like me?Continue reading

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