Just a few photos from the Traben-Trarbach camp in Germany a few weeks back

Readers probably know I’m traveling now since april 2010 more or less, so time to celebrate I’ve been moving around for a year now. Just as a reminder what alternatives are there and what you could’ve been doing instead of earning profits for your bosses. Believe me it’s not that expensive and clearly cheaper than usual living in the Netherlands.

This post is dedicated to all the lovely people I have met on my way. By listing all places I’ve been shorter or longer is remembering that a year is a pretty long time (instead of popular complaint) and all the people, adventures, stories and fun which are behind the names of the place. After all a place is just a place somewhere, but who and what you can find there makes it truly magic.

So there goes:

Amersfoort, Apeldoorn, Deventer, Holten, Rijssen, Enschede, Bad Bentheim, Rheine, Hobsten, Osnabruck, Lintorf, Lubbecke, Porta Westfalica / Minden, Obernkirchen, Hameln, Eschershausen, Afeld, Bad Gandersheim, Seesen, Goslar, Bad Harzburg, Ilsenburg, Wernigerode, Ballenstedt, Lutherstadt Eisleben, Halle (Saale), Desslau, Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Budapest, Erd, Szentendre (-Sziget), Belgrado, Pancevo, Sarajevo, Maribor, Ljubljana, Bohin, Kloden, London, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas, Willemstad, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Taganga, Tolu, Medellin, Manizales, Jamundi, Cali, Popayan, San Augustin, Bogota, Pasto, Otavalo, Quito, Macas, Santiago, Puerto Galileo, Santa Maria de Nieva, Saramariza, Tarapoto, Chachapoyas, Piurra, Loja, Cuenca, Guayaquil, Montanita, Puerto Lopez, Quevedo, Ambato, Banos, Riobamba, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Nuevo Chimbote, Casma, La Union, Huanoco, Tingo Maria, Junin, La Merced, Huancayo.

I didn’t include a few small towns, but I hope I didn’t forgot locations where I met cool people.

So, The Republic got the complaint that there is not enough basszje on the last series of pictures. While the official guideline is that not a lot basszje is enough basszje, on special request here goes:

London, with our host:

London, a bunch of couchsurfers:

London, with random chicks:

Aruba:

Aruba, with Bob who hosted us on his ship:

Curacao during Heineken regetta, with James and Susan who hosted us at Tabbycat:

Colombia, Taganga:

Manizales, with Arthuro – my lovely host:

Manizales, with Angelica (girlfriend of)

- After saying goodbye to Couchsurfers in Medellin I met up with couchsurfers to spend the night and after that I ran into another bunch of couchsurfers I met before – what does that say?

- The local bus here in Zona Cafeteria is called Espresso Cafeteria

- In Monteria sitting at a local tienda one guy could dance to Michael Jackson, probably also the only English music they had there

- Children in Monteria said to us in Spanish that they couldn’t speak ‘gringo’

- Prices here are strange. Bag of chips is 5000 pesos while a pack of cigarettes is about 2000 ( 2500 p = 1 euro ).

- A bottle of local wine is 12000 pesos while this is three times cheaper in NL, regardless of all the importing.

- Electronics are the same or more expensive than Europe, except for hifi speakers I guess

- For 12,50 euro’s you get 30 grams of grade-a natural weed

- A few grams of coke is 10.000 pesos ( no, I’m not about to try, but unfortunately a lot of people on the streets are and I’m getting offered all the time – just a service so you know )

- I still spoke more German in Colombia than Spanish since we keep running into Swiss people ( really they are all here! )

- About half the population can list all big Dutch football clubs.

- In Cartagena the sound production at all times was around or above 100 dB’s on the streets

- I bought a new original (grin) Omega(tm) watch for 5000 pesos

- Epica is very popular amongst the alternatives here

- Christmas is on the 24th at 0:00 when the party starts. On 25th everybody sleeps

In the meanwhile we started in London! Hosting by lovely Sharna, pictures stolen from Miriam.

Which happened to result in a lot of pictures with two persons on it . (All photos not taken actually in Maribor )

(credits also go out to Sarah for some photo’s!)

(credits also go out to Sarah for some photo’s!)

Recently we said goodbye to CS-er Marja Liisa from Finland with a dinner and a bunch of funny pictures. This is the best from my camera…