Search Results

Our journey through Morocco is almost over. Things that we were surprised about at first, we are now getting used to. We first experienced a kind of culture shock when we first entered the country. In this blog we will examine the culture shock and talk about being stuck in assumptions and habits. Culture shock Before we went to Morocco we had done some research into the country and the social customs here. In various vlogs we heard about culture shock and that you need a few days to get used to the country. Well, that's absolutely true! To be honest, I didn't find the first few days in Morocco that great. I found it chaotic, felt like I was being watched and constantly asked myself whether I met the cultural norms and values. “Words are a source of misunderstanding. The heart understands without speaking.” Blowing hair The first street scene in the coastal city of Asilah showed me mainly women with hijabs, I also saw no couples walking hand in hand and I certainly saw no bare arms or legs. There I was, walking in my T-shirt and blowing hair in a foreign country where you hear the call to prayer from the minaret every few hours. What am I doing here? I asked myself a few times in passing. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small % of the purchase goes towards financing this website. The Little Prince All of this reminded me of the timeless classic The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In the book, a little prince visits different planets and meets strange characters, such as the king who wants to rule everything, the vain man who only wants to be seen and the businessman who counts stars as if they were money. Each of these characters looks at the world with a limited view, stuck in their own beliefs. This reminds me of how we are sometimes stuck in our cultural habits and assumptions. Open look In another culture it is essential to look at the other with an open mind. When we think that our way of doing things is the only right way, we limit ourselves and our relationships with others. A nice quote from the book is: "You can only understand things if you tame them first." This means that we have to invest time to really get to know a culture. For me it was a matter of switching and especially not getting in your own way. Now that we are a few weeks further, my image of this country has completely changed. To adjust We believe that we are guests here and that we may adapt to the cultural customs of this country. Where possible, we do so and that helps us to understand the local culture better. It was quite a shock when we suddenly realized that we had been walking around with a Jumbo shopping bag with a greasy pork sausage on it for two months. How to adapt, we had a good laugh about it. Two months on the road By traveling through Morocco for almost two months now, I experience the country so much differently than in the beginning. I no longer notice the hijabs, I get used to the chaotic traffic and I notice that tourists are more than welcome. I also get the impression that they don't care whether or not they wear a hijab, eat with their left hand or drink alcohol occasionally. I don't think they expect this from non-Muslims at all. Liefdesmeren Isli (bruidegom) en Tislit (bruid) Learning to see with the heart One of the most famous quotes from the book is: "Only with the heart can you see well. The essential is invisible to the eyes." This is a beautiful lesson for me while traveling through Morocco. It is not just about understanding words and social customs, but about seeing the person behind the culture. Empathy and curiosity are the keys to real connection. Conversely, I often see curious eyes looking at us, I quickly saw a judgmental look in it at first, but now I know better. They are often people who want to practice a word of English, react enthusiastically when you say you are from Hulanda and want to know what you think of their country. The Berbers have often invited us for sweet 'berber whiskey' by the fire. They laugh at the worries of the western world, comparable to the king who meets the little prince, who thinks he rules over everything, while he only gives orders to what is already happening. Vuurtje met 'berber whiskey’ Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we post a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

We don't really know where to start in this blog. The past few days we were in the Sahara and we are speechless. The grandeur with only sand. You can't comprehend it and we are speechless. If you click on the photos they will appear larger. Kelly op weg naar stilte The Sahara From the coastal area we have now arrived in the Sahara via the Anti-Atlas Mountains. The Sahara is the largest desert in the world with 9.2 million square kilometers. Or actually Antarctica is the largest desert. There too, less than 200 mm of rain falls per year and is therefore officially the largest desert we know. But the Sahara (literally desert in Arabic) is by far the largest 'hot dessert' sand desert. Vegetation In the village of M'Hamid the paved road ends and we have to leave Globus 2 behind and exchange it for a 4x4. From the village to the sand dunes it is another two hours drive through arid, rocky terrain. Just before we arrive at the high sand dunes, which you can see looming from afar, we drive through an extremely green strip. In the previous blog we already wrote about the enormous amount of rain that fell in Morocco last September. This has ensured that an entire strip is now overgrown. The contrast between the light green bushes and the vast, dead sand dunes could hardly be greater. A photo with the sand dunes and strip of fresh green is therefore quite unique. There will probably be nothing left of this next summer. Then to think that the desert once consisted of grassland. Once every 41,000 years the area alternates between desert and savannah grassland. To live By the way, that deathly is not so bad, there is more life in the desert than you might think. In addition to the well-known goats and camels (actually dromedaries) you can also find desert tortoises, beetles, ostriches, rattlesnakes, kangaroo rats and desert owls. And what about the fast gazelles with their fast feet, the elusive cheetah and the small fennec fox. The desert is teeming with life. Quieten We spent one night in the desert. On top of the highest dune with sand dunes as far as we could see. We saw the sun set and the sun rise. You sit there, watch and then..... nothing. Silence. No other people, no airplane trails in the sky, no sound at all. Only sand. Oh, and of course the wind. The wind that sandblasts you and later you find sand in your underwear and your camera 😬. "Where are the people?" asked the little prince. "It's a bit lonely in the desert. It's also lonely when you're among people," said the snake. Tagelmust By the way, for anyone who ever goes to this region, we can heartily recommend a tagelmust (turban), which everyone here wears. It takes some practice to wrap it exactly, but what a pleasure. It fits wonderfully and you are much less bothered by sun, wind and sand in your hair. At first we may have had a prejudice against people with such face coverings because they would be unapproachable and distant, but now we find it beautiful as well as very practical. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com. A small % of the purchase goes to financing this website. Speaking silence in the Sahara Sitting on top of such a sand dune does something to me. It is as if the silence in the Sahara has a story to tell, a message to share. How insignificant and small am I in this world? Who am I really? What is my role in this life? All the time to let thoughts pass by. Last week a dear friend/colleague of mine passed away. In the prime of his life, too young and vital. For me he will live on forever, because what the heart has seen is forever. But how difficult it is, especially for the survivors, to have to miss his physical presence here on earth. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

Although we were a bit skeptical about Morocco at first, we are now completely converted. We will not visit the west coast again soon, but the route we drove last week through the Anti-Atlas Mountains is truly fantastic. In addition to the beautiful things we see, we also meet many beautiful people. One even more special than the other. Grand Canyon Of course, this is all due to our poor preparation, but did you know that Morocco also has a real Grand Canyon? At Tafraout we drive to the Aït Mansour Oasis and then take a challenging road to the Grand Canyon viewpoint. After enjoying the beautiful view, we continue. The road here quickly becomes so bad that at a certain point we decide to turn back. We drive backwards for a few km before we reach a place where we can turn around again. Later we learn that this region suffered a lot of flooding last September and that many roads were completely or partially swept away as a result. We can clearly notice this in many places. Really beautiful Even though the roads are sometimes quite damaged and challenging we really enjoy the surroundings to the fullest. It is indescribably beautiful so just look at the pictures and the movie. Encounters One of the nice things about travelling is that you meet many other people. Other travellers with whom you can exchange experiences or local people who give an insight into their everyday life. For example, visiting a local market ( souk ) is quite an experience and local people come to the camper place 'door by door' to sell all sorts of things. For example, we could have our bus painted at a camper place or put the washing outside or just buy bread from a 'bicycle baker'. Wim and Liesbeth At the campsite in Tata we meet Wim and Liesbeth Wessels. At first glance just a travelling couple like so many others. They appear to have been to Morocco many times and know all the beautiful places on the map. Also which roads are currently passable and which are not. "Hey, I don't know you from anywhere!" Glasses Wim and Liesbeth have a mission besides just being on holiday. They collect glasses in the Netherlands. Glasses of various strengths. They check them completely, replace screws and clean them meticulously. With no less than 600 glasses they then travel to Morocco in their small car. They then personally ensure that the glasses end up here in the right place. Neither of them are opticians so it is a matter of trying until a big broad smile appears on the face of the new owner. They keep track of exactly how many glasses have been given out where on their website . So here is a call: if you have any unused, good glasses lying around, make sure they end up with Wim and Liesbeth. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com. A small % of the purchase goes to financing this website. Route changed Besides being impressed by Wim and Liesbeth's mission, I also gratefully make use of their knowledge of Morocco. They know exactly what the beautiful areas are. I tell them where our interests lie and this creates a completely new route. Now I just have to inform Kelly that it will take us a little longer. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

Everyone wants to experience miracles in life, right? But how can you make sure that you get more miracles on your path? We have been in Morocco for almost two weeks now and to be honest, we have to get used to it quite a bit. Besides the fact that it is so different from 'ours', it is a country with many contrasts. And then there is the broken windshield, anything but miracles, you could say. Switch over What a mess and chaos it is in this country. Every village you enter means chaos and you have to be able to handle that a bit. I personally like that. You have to dare to squeeze through the traffic. We take our route counterclockwise. So first along the coast to the south and then travel north via the interior. I think we are doing well there, because to be honest, the first few hundred kilometers are not very special in terms of natural beauty. It is just as flat as in the Netherlands and it is mostly vast fields with only yellow stones. As far as the eye can see. Positive Does the country disappoint us? No, definitely not! The broken windshield didn't help of course and I really hate the mountains of plastic that you see everywhere, but for the rest the contrasts and the big differences with our country are very interesting. It just took a while for the country to 'grab' us. Now that we have been on the road for a while and have arrived in the south, we are seeing more and more of the beauty of the country. Miracles The Anti-Atlas Mountains we drove through today were truly beautiful. We truly experience this as a miracle. Just like the fact that we met each other a year and a half ago, we dared to quit our jobs and now we can enjoy the mountains together. A modest miracle perhaps, but one of enormous size. “When every day seems the same, you have become blind to the miracles of your existence.” Experience more wonders How can you make sure that you experience more miracles? I took part in a course last year* where they had a beautiful view on this. You experience more miracles: If you have 100% confidence that the miracles will actually come your way. So not 99% confidence, because that actually means you have no confidence. If you have 100% patience for a miracle to come your way. When you expect a miracle it is actually no longer a miracle. If you want the miracle to come now or at least very soon you push it away. If you can muster 100% forgiveness . Everything you experience takes place within yourself, it is your own interpretation of reality. In this way you may give up hope for a better past. We have almost all experienced terrible things in the past. Live in peace with what happened and forgive the people who did that to you. And true forgiveness is not that the other person must first say sorry... When you are 100% grateful . Not just for the beautiful things, but for everything that comes your way. Nothing needs to be solved or changed. Everything that comes your way is helpful and serves your highest plan. With your ratio you probably don't know what that plan is exactly, but on an intuitive level you do know. If you are 1% willing . Really 1% is enough, with 100% willingness your ego runs away. *) Part of the Miracle Roadmap program of 365dagensuccesvol.nl . Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com. A small % of the purchase goes to financing this website. Wonders in Morocco Back to Morocco. It is a miracle that we have found a suitable second-hand windshield for Globus 2. The landscape we are now driving through is wonderfully beautiful. It is a miracle how grateful and helpful the people here are with the little they have. It is a miracle that we have been given the opportunity to enjoy this together. Where are we? We are exactly 4,000 km away from the Netherlands and today we drove through the Anti-Atlas Mountains. We have seen nature change from vast bare plains to a beautiful mountainous area. We are starting to feel more and more at ease. This week there was finally a big walk on the schedule. Which we enjoyed immensely. It was therefore high time that we put on our walking shoes again. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

Not even a week in Morocco and we already have damage to Globus2. Really annoying! We don't know if we can get it repaired here. We might not even be able to drive it any further. More about that later in the blog, first our first experiences in Morocco. Crossing, customs, the people etc. Strand van Asilah Crossing to Morocco The past few months, everyone we spoke to was talking about a certain Carlos. With him, you can arrange the crossing cheaply and quickly. So we went to this well-known Carlos to book our tickets. We were very curious about this company. What kind of travel agency would this be? A small-scale one-man business that sells tickets for the crossing? It was clearly a successful company. Many campers were queuing. Buying the tickets was a bit chaotic, but we were quickly helped in a friendly manner. We even got a bottle of wine and cake with the tickets. Very thoughtful. On board The next morning we take the first ferry to Tangier Med. The prayer rooms and the images of King Mohammed VI immediately catch our eye. Once on board, we first arrange a visa at customs on board. After the stamps are put in the passport, we enjoy the sun on deck. Stressful moment Actually we were a bit tense on the boat. Not because we find Morocco so exciting. No, because a number of things were not quite right for a smooth entry to Morocco. The following things were almost right: The green card, which is so important in Morocco, shows an incorrect start date of 28-01-2025. Of course Globus 2 is insured, but this can only be proven digitally. Moroccan customs would like to see the green card on paper and not digitally. In addition, the night before we thought that walkie-talkies might not be allowed. Richard had read that once in a book about Africa. We knew this about drones, so we dutifully left them at home. Richard also occasionally takes a rapé . A what?! Rapé, that's a kind of snuff from the Indians of the Amazon. It is particularly effective to introduce a meditation. The drug dogs won't react to this, will they? Surely not, but in retrospect we would have preferred to leave it at home. As we drive off the boat to customs, I can hear the dogs barking in the distance. “Chicken, calm down,” Richard says. That’s what he often calls me when I’m experiencing a stressful moment. "Traveling? Everything you leave at home is a bonus" Customs Arriving at customs, we show our passports for the fourth time, which are then taken away. How was it again, never handing over your passport? While waiting, we see numerous packed Moroccan vans and cars. The vehicles are filled with stuff both inside and out on the roof. They are picked out by customs and have to really take all their stuff out and then wait for the check. It is already clear that the instructions of the customs officer have to be followed closely , otherwise he will come running angrily gesticulating. After a while, the drug dog Globus 2 comes in and sniffs around, but fortunately does not react. Then we get our passports back, including a small white piece of paper. That is the proof that we are temporarily allowed to import Globus 2 into Morocco. Without that piece of paper, Globus 2 will not leave the country. We are allowed to continue. Relieved, we drive into the country. Withdrawing money and SIM card Once through customs we immediately withdrew money and arranged a sim card. Without cash you won't get far here. At Inwi we bought an unlimited sim card for €50,- with a validity of 30 days. Via hotspot the other person can also use this card. By the way, the sim card was installed and activated immediately by the employee, ideal! Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Chaos What immediately strikes you is that the cities are overwhelmingly chaotic. While the muezzin calls for prayer, pedestrians cross the street in a criss-cross fashion, mopeds come from all directions and there is a lot of trading going on in the streets. When you walk into the medina , you go back in time for a moment. In small dark shops you see people weaving textiles, making shoes, making furniture and repairing cars. Mess There is a lot of rubbish along the roads. You also see people almost everywhere hanging around aimlessly along the road. Or are they waiting for a lift? We experience the population as extremely friendly and very social. They greet and help gladly. Overal rommel langs de kant van de weg Police It is unbelievable how much police you see here. At roundabouts, toll roads, when you enter or leave a city, you can't think of anything that you don't pass another checkpoint. We had already heard from others that humility and showing respect is important. So wait for a nod and a friendly smile to be allowed to continue driving. Stop sign really means stop here, even if there is clearly no traffic coming. The same goes for keeping to maximum speeds. They are everywhere with radar guns. Injury . Even if you stick to the rules, you can always have bad luck. While driving, a flock of birds suddenly flew low over the road. And yes, one hit the windshield, causing a large crack. Besides the shock of the impact, it is especially annoying of course. It has to be repaired. However, that turns out to be not so easy. The VW Crafter is not that common in Morocco. At the VW dealer they could arrange a window that would arrive in a month at the earliest. Not what we had in mind. After looking at various options, we ended up at GlassAuto. They managed to get hold of a second-hand window without windshield heating. We are happy to accept that as long as a new window arrives. Driving on the highway while you hear the cracks creaking is not exactly relaxing. Garage After a few days of uncertainty, we finally managed to install a new window today. That is a great relief! We can safely continue our journey.  Super service van GlassAuto Where are we? We are now about 3,200 km from the Netherlands. The crossing from Spain to Morocco actually went very smoothly. Our sympathy goes out to the bird that destroyed our window. It did not survive. We are staying at campsites and camper sites on this trip, that also goes smoothly. We are now in Casablanca and are going to visit the large Hassan II Mosque, which we are very curious about. Then the plan is to continue our route further along the coast to the south. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

We are just on our way for our second big trip and are already enjoying the relaxed life and everything we get to see. We really do not regret a single day of the big steps we have taken. Quitting your job, renting out your house, leaving your family and friends behind, it is all quite something. Why not now? Who doesn't know the resolutions: when I retire, we'll travel and enjoy life. Will that actually happen? We also all know examples that this ultimately can't happen. For example, because health doesn't allow it or because there are other things that keep you stuck at home, such as grandchildren or something. What do you really want in life? A while ago I read the book The big five for life. This book really got me thinking. It asks you to write down five things that you definitely want to have done in your life when you are dead. These can be big things like taking a long trip, but also simple things like spending more time with your family. The next step is to look at your agenda to see which appointments are in your agenda that contribute to one of those five things. And if there is nothing in it, is that the case for next week, month or the year after? If there is nothing in the agenda this year, will the goals ever be pursued? “Do you have a plan for your life or are you going to sit on the couch waiting for life to begin?” My big five of life I couldn't even find it easy to write down five things I really want to do or experience in life. Ten years ago I finally came up with the following five: Being a loving, devoted parent to my children Having a loving, intimate relationship with my partner See/travel a lot of the world Inspiring others / making a difference in society Giving space to creativity, for example with my photography Pyreneeën, Noord Spanje Plans From the moment I had my five most important points clear, I started making a plan. How can I realize these five points in my life? Every step I took was in the direction of my dream and not in the opposite direction. Now, I am a planner by nature, so that went well for me. My risk is to be so busy with that that I forget to live in the here and now. Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Ten years later It's been ten years now that I read the book The big five for life and I'm so glad I kept my focus on my goals. What a satisfaction to experience that I'm really realizing those things now. Of course I've had setbacks, had to postpone plans, had to start over, but I've never lost sight of my ultimate goals. And how intensely I enjoy this life now. Setbacks will certainly come in my life, but at least I've already experienced this period. And you know what's so nice now..... You can revise or adjust your big five of life as often as you like. Where are we? We are now about 2,500 km from the Netherlands. When we arrived in Spain, we immediately dove into the Pyrenees, visited Andorra and drove further south with a wide arc around Barcelona. We certainly do not want to skip Barcelona, but we will do so on the way back, when it is a bit warmer. Then we leisurely drove further down towards Algeciras for the crossing. If all goes well, we will buy tickets tomorrow and be on the boat to Morocco the day after tomorrow. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

The month of December is over, all friends and family have been visited and the chores on Globus 2 have been done. We are ready for a new adventure. And that new adventure starts right away in the cold. A new start First of all, of course, everyone a very happy 2025 with, as we say, many safe kilometers. A new year, a new start. We left the Netherlands again on January 2. The main travel destination for the coming months is Morocco. After Morocco we want to take plenty of time for the east coast of Spain and then be back in the Netherlands around April for the necessary social contacts. Administration In addition to all the jobs we have done on Globus 2 we also adjusted some administrative things. Because many of our readers are also nomads or maybe want to become nomads, we share them in this blog. Camper insurance On our blog about " What does it cost to be a nomad " we received a lot of responses, some of the responses were about the camper insurance. I was insured with the NKC where you are allowed to travel 365 days a year but not to live in your camper. Since we do this, I delved into the insurance world again and switched to Aveco . Here you can expand your insurance with "travel, live and work in your self-built camper". Exactly what we do. Post We are still registered at a Dutch address. As long as we make sure to be in the Netherlands for at least four months a year, this is no problem. The only problem is the mail. When it is delivered, we only read it when we are back in the Netherlands. Sometimes that is just too late with bills. Of course we do as much as possible digitally, but some agencies are still not that far. We have now taken a service from PriPost . Here you get a kind of post box. All mail that is sent there is scanned and emailed to your email address. If there is mail with value, such as a new PIN card or a certificate, they forward the mail to a forwarding address of your choice. A family member, for example. We are curious to see how we will like this. Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Rental property I have written before that I have decided to sell my house. However, this decision gave me a stomach ache for quite some time. I then 'sat down' with it again during a long meditation and finally decided to continue renting out my house. Despite the fact that temporary rental contracts may no longer be concluded. Now I have to wait for a new tenant. Fortunately, the rental agent takes care of the selection and formal matters. "Happiness does not consist in the absence of problems, but in the ability to deal with them" Startup problems Our journey started with some inconveniences. We were supposed to leave on December 31st, but we both got sick and decided to recover a bit first. With colds and little energy we finally left on January 2nd. Just before Luxembourg we stopped for a place to stay. Kelly wanted to start cooking, but unfortunately no gas.... Could I have done something wrong when installing the second gas tank? After some searching and half an hour later I turned out not to have pressed the button of the HD gas hose for the monocontrol . So panic for nothing. Frozen water pipes The second night we were a bit before Dijon in France. It was chilly. About 5 °C below zero. In the evening we had turned on the parking heater, but we always turn it off when we go to sleep. The nice thick blankets keep us warm and otherwise we always have each other. When we woke up in the morning there was no water coming out of the tap, the water pipes were frozen. I tried for a while with the electric heater, but without result. I was afraid that the water pump had frozen. For the time being that means living with water from a jerry can. Hours later the tap suddenly worked again. So those pipes had frozen well. From now on we will leave a heater on in temperatures below zero. All in all, we have to get back into it again. Where are we? So we're off again and a little over 1,000 km since our departure. After some start-up problems we're already in the South of France and we hope to drive into Spain tomorrow. Let's see what the temperature is like there. After all the grey December days in the Netherlands and the cold of last night we're longing for some sun. Don't want to miss a blog? Fill in your e-mail address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an e-mail when we have placed a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

The three months that Kelly and I have been on the road together have placed different demands on Globus 2 than the two years that I lived in the bus before that. In this blog all the adjustments that we were able to make in December. Gas for cooking During the last trip we quickly discovered that one gas tank was not enough to cook for 3 to 6 months. Since it is difficult to get your bottle filled abroad, a solution had to be found. We considered an LPG tank under Globus 2 but that may not be the best solution in cold areas. Butane does not evaporate in cold weather and LPG is a mixture of Propane and Butane. We prefer to have the bottle in the bus. In the end we decided to simply place a second gas tank. That did mean that the 'old' gas bun had to be replaced by a new larger one. The wooden box that we made for that is completely glued and later sealed, so that no gas can escape. At the bottom of the gas bun there is a hole to the outside so that the gas, which is heavier than air, can escape to the outside. Now all that is left is to place an elbow on the gas pipe and a shorter gas hose, so that there is no tension on it. Grey water tank As I wrote in this blog we didn't have a waste water tank in Globus 2. We used a separate tank on wheels that was in the garage while driving. When you're somewhere for a longer period of time that's quite handy, but we soon found out that it wasn't always optimal. So we decided that there had to be a permanent grey water tank under the bus. It was not easy to find a suitable model tank. The tank has to be placed near where the waste pipes (kitchen and toilet) come through the bottom of the bus and there is limited space. After a lot of headaches we finally decided to use a standard drain pipe of 110mm diameter and a little over a meter long as a storage tank. This gives a capacity of more than 10 liters which seems more than enough to us. Placing the 'tank' might have been more of a summer job. Man, it was cold, wet and windy under the cramped space under the bus. But we did it. Now let's see how we like it. Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Various small jobs In addition to these two larger jobs, a lot of small jobs were also carried out, such as: The LED strip under the kitchen cabinets has been replaced with a dimmable version that can also be operated by telephone The bedside lamps are turned a quarter turn so that they do not fall down while driving Sealing edge of countertop/stove redone. The epoxy layer we applied to the countertop had a chemical reaction with the sealing edge, making it very sticky and not hard. Crumbs stuck in it. Very dirty. Now a new piece of epoxy has been applied, making it look neat and fresh again. Because the gas bun had to be replaced, the shower connection that was attached to it also had to be remade Made a lock on the large drawer under the table so that it does not open during heavy braking A water filter placed on the filling hose, so that we can always fill up with drinking water A curtain spiral that keeps the curtains in the bedroom secure Torn shelf in the refrigerator repaired Second Mopeka gas meter placed under the new tank and connected to the Victron Cerbo installation Kitchen roll holder placed under the top cabinets The brackets in the garage where the awning and groundsheet were located have been replaced with a plank on which everything can now lie. We have also installed various fun camper gadgets from the E-trailer company. In the coming period we will test these extensively and then we will write an extensive blog about it. "Hold it between the lines with the shiny side up" Regular maintenance Finally, we replaced a number of things, such as the water filling hose. We always consciously use a transparent hose and after a year you can really see some mold forming in it. I often see campers being filled with an opaque hose and then I don't really want to know how long that hose has been in use. The fire extinguisher and the gas hose have also been replaced periodically. Finally, the distribution belt has been replaced, but of course I didn't do that myself. So, as my regular garage owner Stout in Rotterdam always says: The bus is completely fine again, keep it between the lines with the shiny side up. Where are we? We are currently commuting a bit between the west and the east of the Netherlands to meet up with our family and friends. It is wonderful to be in familiar surroundings for a while, but four weeks is long enough. We are itching to get going again. Don't want to miss a blog? Fill in your e-mail address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an e-mail when we have placed a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

Traveling without end time brings us into contact with people of different cultures, languages and beliefs. These encounters allow us to experience different forms of hospitality. While traveling, we are partly dependent on the kindness of strangers. It invites us to let go of our judgment and seek connection, even when we do not fully understand the other. Wild camping Portugal Wild camping has been allowed in certain places in Portugal since 2021. You must comply with certain rules such as not staying in the same place for more than 48 hours, not dumping waste or grey water doh!, not exhibiting camping behavior, etc. It is also not allowed in the Natura 2000 reserves . For Portugal, this means a very large part of the coastal area. Camping behavior We usually avoid campsites, but at the same time we do want to sit in the sun in front of the bus every now and then. Richard therefore posted a message on Facebook asking where you can go wild camping in Portugal with camping behavior. Nice with the chairs outside, without having to worry about being sent away or even worse, getting a fine. Call on Facebook Klusjes doen op de camping Soon dozens of messages came in with tips where this is possible. We also received invitations from locals and people who have emigrated to Portugal. A Dutch campsite owner also responded. He invited us to stay at his campsite in exchange for some chores. The chores mainly consisted of chopping wood. That wood could be used to heat the sauna and the hot tub. We were also allowed to use it ourselves. One evening we were in the sauna and the next evening we were in the hot tub under the full moon. It was as if we had booked a wellness! As a thank you, we baked an apple pie in our Omnia oven. On a mountain in the mud We also received an invitation from a German couple to come and stand on their terrain. The terrain was in full development and everywhere there was a big mud pool, but that did not spoil the fun. Globus 2 could stand on a mountain, the chairs could be put outside and we had a beautiful view over a beautiful valley. We were spontaneously invited for pumpkin soup with delicious soft home-made yoghurt bread. As I write this, my mouth is watering again. Germans and baking bread, it remains a golden combination. Madrid On the way back we decided to visit our Weleda colleague David. He invited us to eat together with his family. We had already figured out that the Spanish do not sit at the table at 18:00. We had therefore already had some sweets to satisfy our initial hunger. Around 20:30 his wife was not home yet, nor were the children. David himself did not make any moves to start cooking. When he asked us what time we normally eat, he was shocked by the answer. He quickly called his wife and an hour later we were sitting at the table with delicious tapas dishes. We also received a large bag of Spanish (Christmas) sweets to share with our family in the Netherlands. Warm feeling Hospitality is more than opening a door and offering a cup of coffee. It is also about conveying a feeling, a warmth that lingers long after you have left as a guest. Hospitality is not what you do, but how you make people feel” This quote captures the essence of hospitality. It’s not about grand gestures or perfect etiquette, but about the art of genuine welcome. A friendly smile, a listening ear, or offering a favorite snack; these simple things have the power to make someone feel warm. Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Social Media We are sometimes surprised by the reactions that people leave on our messages. Especially on Facebook, for example. Most reactions are extremely nice and encouraging, but there are also quite venomous ones. Why do people do that? It provokes us to react negatively and defensively, but who does that do any good? We can really appreciate the encouraging, complementary and friendly reactions. This is also a form of hospitality that gives us a warm feeling. Where are we? It is already mid-December and we are busy with all kinds of chores on Globus 2 and with meeting up with friends and family. In addition, we are fully engaged in preparing for our next trip. Morocco and Eastern Spain. Blogs and vlogs from others are really a very useful tool. As usual, the festive month flies by, before you know it we are on a camel in Morocco. If you like to follow our experiences, sign up at the bottom of this page if you haven't already done so and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we have posted a new blog. Your email address will not be used for anything else! If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

We are back in the Netherlands. The first three months of our 'travels without end time' are already over. Time for reflection! How did living together and traveling in a van work out and what did we find really great and what was a disappointment. Are we going on the road again? In this blog we look back and look ahead. Nationaal park Serra da Estrela Conclusion Let's get straight to the point, we loved travelling with Globus2. We got to see so much of Spain and especially Portugal and it was all very worthwhile. The past three months have really flown by. So yes, we are already planning our next trip. In January we hope to leave for the east coast of Spain and then make the crossing to Morocco. Was travelling all one big party? No of course not! Let's start with the disappointments or what we encountered. Lowlights In random order and criss-cross: We had more rain than we thought. Maybe we should have left a month earlier for the weather. You keep cleaning. Especially when the weather is not so nice, you keep bringing all the dirt inside. Of course, we don't have a hallway where you can take off your shoes and coat. So sweep, sweep and sweep again every day. There are plenty of camper places in Spain and Portugal. However, if you want to be somewhere nice and preferably with a view of the sea or a valley, you have to search quite a bit and spend a lot of P4N * hours. We spent an hour to an hour and a half there every day. While we're on the subject of camper spots. We thought we could stay for a week or two at some spots with the awning out and the chairs outside. Of course, that's no problem at a campsite, but we don't want that in principle. For wild camping in these countries, the chairs could have stayed at home. Perhaps we were too good... Finding free camper spots in big cities was also difficult. Especially because after finding a place to stay we read a lot of negative reviews about burglaries. We preferred to pay for a safe place to stay. Globus 2 is equipped with a dry toilet. Perfect! Number 1 disappears into the grey water tank. But what to do with message number 2 if there is no bin nearby? We are stuck with that bag, until we do find a bin. Awkward! A bit uncomfortable, but that is also part of vanlife. Kelly and I have known each other for over 1.5 years now. That is still relatively short and we also lived on opposite sides of the country, so we only saw each other on weekends. So it was quite a big, exciting step to move in together in Globus 2 of 8m2. Besides the fact that we had a fantastic time together, we also experienced some less pleasant moments. Globus 2 then has no place to retreat to. Taking a long lonely walk is then the only option. Fortunately, we always managed to find each other again to reconnect. The gas tank emptied much faster than we had anticipated, so Kelly had to go on a kind of cooking ration. Globus 2 has a separate grey water tank. This fits exactly (if the tires are properly inflated) under the bus. A small bump in the road meant that the tank no longer fitted and we had to put a bucket under it. A tank under the bus also feels while you are standing in a parking lot at a large supermarket a bit crazy. *P4N= Park For Night, an app that allows you to find both free and paid overnight accommodations. Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Highlights Let's start with the places we've been to that we really loved. If you have the chance, the following places are definitely worth a visit. Picos de Europa Beautiful mountain area. Especially the enchanting walk Ruta del Cares (SP) was a highlight here. You have to walk this once in our opinion. Can you add that one highway from northern Spain. Went all the way along the coast. National Park de Somiedo (SP) Great natural area for walking with many blue lakes and beautiful valleys. Santiago de Compostela (SP) In Northern Spain we have walked parts of the Camino del Norte several times. Who knows, we might walk this route in its entirety again. The atmosphere on the square where the end point is and the famous cathedral gives us goose bumps. There is a special energy here. National Park Park Peneda-Gerés (P) Especially the fairytale forests on the north side of the nature reserve enchanted us. Unfortunately we did not walk here. The village of Podence (P) See blog The most dangerous roads National Park da Sierra da Estrela (P) Highest point in Portugal with breathtaking views. Douro Valley (P) Great route to drive through with a camper. Porto (P) Nice, relaxed city. Cool sights and of course delicious port tastings everywhere. Algarve (P) A real holiday destination; beautiful beaches, azure water, rugged cliffs. The icing on the cake was the seven hanging valleys trail walk. Gibraltar (UK) Peninsula with the famous rock where hundreds of wild monkeys live. By the way, to reach Gibraltar on foot you have to walk over a runway! Also the cave of st. Michael is well worth a visit. Seville Vibrant city, you will be taken into the Spanish temperament. Caminito del Rey (SP) Once described as the most dangerous path in the world. The “King’s Path” has fortunately been completely renovated and is safe for walkers. The path is absolutely spectacular. (Link) Living together Living together in a small van went really well. We never get in each other's way (it's simply too small for that 😜) or disagree about what we're going to do or anything. We love driving, we laugh a lot and can enjoy the walks we take together so much. We also each took on our own tasks. That happened very organically. For example, Kelly always cooks and Richard does the dishes. Richard drives and Kelly checks before leaving whether all the windows are closed, magnets are on them and the steps inside are in place, etc. Kelly sweeps, Richard fills the water. That way we form a real team. And yes, such a small space also means that we can trigger each other quite a bit. Then we lose connection and sometimes it feels like we have to end the trip prematurely. Fortunately, we have always found each other again. After all, your partner is the biggest mirror for your own development points. "Home is where love lives" Travels without end times part II We will be staying in the Netherlands during the month of December. Richard wants to do various jobs on Globus 2 (see previous blog ). The bus is also due for a major cleaning, both inside and out. Of course, now that we are in the area, we want to spend the holidays with the family. We will be leaving again in January. After having seen the entire west coast of France, Spain and Portugal, we would now also like to see the east coast. After that, we want to cross over to Morocco. With Globus 2 to Africa, in such a different culture. We are already really looking forward to it. So we will also use this month to delve into the local sights and customs. Do you have any tips? We would love to read them! Post comments under the blog, so that not only we, but also the other readers can see them. Where are we? So we are back in the Netherlands. Both in the east (Kelly) and the west (Richard) of the country. Time to visit family and friends. Working on Globus 2 and suffering a lot from the cold and the rain. When are we going again? If you like to follow our experiences, sign up at the bottom of this page if you haven't already done so and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we have posted a new blog. Your email address will not be used for anything else than this!

One moment you are still in the sunny south of Europe and the next you are back in our cold, dark, wet Netherlands. In four days we drove from Andalusia to the Netherlands. What is going on? Surprise There is nothing wrong! This was already in our planning from the beginning. What is the case: my daughter graduated last Friday. She has completed the clinical technology program and of course you want to be there as a father. For her, however, this was a surprise, she thought we were still traveling and we would follow her thesis defense online. So here speaks an extremely proud father of two graduated children :-) "Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad" December festive month Now that we are in the Netherlands anyway, we have decided to stay for a few weeks. Take the time to meet up with family and friends. We will also be in the area during the holidays to be with our family. Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Improvements Despite the fact that I have been living in Globus2 for two years, we still have a number of improvements that we want to make. Two years on a camping by yourself is different from traveling through Europe with two people. What do we want to change: Installing a second gas tank. In previous blogs we wrote that the gas, which we only use for cooking, runs out faster than we expected. A Dutch gas bottle cannot simply be filled in most other countries, which is why we want to take a second bottle with us. This also means making a gas bun that fits two bottles. The connection for the shower was attached to the old gas bun, so this also needs to be adjusted. Installing a grey water tank under the bus. At the campsite where I have been for the past few years, each spot had its own drain. Ideal! When we are on the road, we use a separate tank that we slide under Globus2. This turns out to be a hassle in parking lots or when the ground is not 100% flat, so the tank just doesn't fit underneath. So we decided to install a fixed grey water tank under the bus. (see photo below how it is now) Adjusting the LED lighting above the counter Above the counter we have an LED strip. This is so blindingly bright that we can light up the entire campsite with it. So we want to replace this with an RGB/W LED strip, so that you can create an atmosphere and make adjustable white light when you are cooking. Lock on the large drawer under the dining table Despite the drawer slides with resistance, the drawer sometimes opens during downhill descents and heavy braking. This should not happen of course and so there has to be a lock on it so that we can lock it when we go for a ride. New kettle The 'emergency' kettle we bought in Spain only has a capacity of half a liter and is only 600W. So it takes quite a while before we have just enough water for two cups of tea. Time for something different! Attaching a kitchen roll holder above the counter A kitchen roll is indispensable for us when we are traveling. The roll often floated from left to right, high time for a neat kitchen roll holder under the top cupboard. In short, plenty to do in December. Where are we? 8,500 km since our departure. After Gibralar we visited the cities of Ronda and Setenil. Very worthwhile. We also walked the Caminito del Rey, a walk we had been looking forward to for so long. It was a really great hike! Then we started our return journey. In between we stopped in Madrid and had dinner with an old Weleda colleague. Of course we also visited the city. Then we drove on to the Netherlands within three days. This concludes our Travels without End Time part 1 and we can prepare for our next journey. If you like to follow our experiences, sign up at the bottom of this page if you haven't already done so and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we have posted a new blog. Your email address will not be used for anything else than this!

Our previous blog caused quite a stir. Read more than 6,000 times and a lot of reactions both under the blog and on social media. Most reactions were positive and we were even thanked for making this topic discussable and insightful. As always, there were also some critical remarks. That requires some extra explanation and some answers. Poll results The result of the poll what do you think of these costs was very clear. We spend more money than 71% of the voters had thought. Understandable, to be honest we also thought/hoped to come out a bit cheaper. We also received many responses from people who are cheaper, but also from people who spend more. Starting point We noticed in the comments that it matters quite a bit what your starting point is. If you are completely off-grid and you mainly stay in your own permanent community where you also grow your own vegetables, you can be a lot cheaper. If you are a pensioner who travels around the sunny south in the summers, you may be more expensive. As always, it is not our intention to say what is right or wrong. With our blog we only give a glimpse into our finances. For a complete overview, see our previous post . We would like to invite you to share your cash book below. This way others can see how it can be done. Livelihood We wrote that we spend €500 on groceries per month. This got a lot of reactions. Ranging from "Oh, that's about how much we spend between the two of us" to "you guys are really big eaters". If we look at this expense item again, we can adjust our expenses a bit. We budget €500 per month, but in practice we have about €100 left. We put this in our 'grocery savings account'. If there is enough money in this account, we can go out for dinner or do something else fun. Local farmers Annemarie asked us why we don't buy from local farmers. That is often cheaper and in this way we also support the local community. We accept this tip wholeheartedly and will definitely look into it. It may be our 'old' laziness that makes us want to buy everything from one supermarket. Camping and diesel At the camping and diesel post we also have to add the toll and parking costs. A trip from the North to the South of France costs about € 100, -. Now you can of course avoid the toll roads, but then you have to take into account a longer travel time and more fuel consumption. Sometimes we prefer one, sometimes the other. Insurances Unfortunately, insurance is a large part of the budget. The health insurance in particular, €278, is a considerable expense. The basic insurance will be around €157 per person in 2025. With a maximum deductible and annual payment, you can come out a bit cheaper. I then arrive at €139.11 x 2 people is €278.22. This without deducting any healthcare allowance if you are entitled to it. Globus 2 is fully comprehensively insured with the NKC. This could of course also be cheaper if you are only WA insured. Since Globus 2 Besides our means of transport, it is also our home, so I like to play it safe. Cost of Globus 2 Jelle pointed out to us that we do not include any depreciation in our overview. Of course, he is completely right about that from a financial perspective. We do not set aside a monthly amount for that. A possible Globus 3 should be paid from the savings account or the invested money. "The secret of a rich life is that it has nothing to do with money" Extreme Then it can all be even more extreme. You can deregister from the Netherlands and not pay any taxes or insurance at all. You will then also no longer be entitled to Dutch social security and you will no longer build up AOW. We consciously choose not to do that. We would like to use the AOW later. Advertisement: The proceeds will go towards financing this website Website Several people found the costs for the website on the high side. Of course, if you only have to pay for a domain name and some hosting, you are much better off. We currently have this site running on the WIX platform. In addition to a domain name and hosting, we also have many other functionalities such as: WYSIWYG layout, standard blog and forms, contact management, a CMS, sending mailings, statistics and extra storage. I was even a bit on the low side with my statement. In total, we now spend €532.40 per year on the site. Donation Michel also gave the tip to make a donate button on the site. That way people who like the blogs can donate an amount to cover the costs. We will investigate the technical possibilities. So thanks for this tip, Michel! Where are we? 5,525 km since our departure. After leaving Portugal we drove to Seville. What an unexpectedly nice and beautiful city that is. After a wonderful day in Seville we drove on to Gibraltar. Special to have to cross the runway after the border to be able to continue. Of course we climbed the rock to visit the monkeys and the caves. Various photos can be seen on Instagram and tikTok . If you like to follow our experiences, sign up at the bottom of this page if you haven't already done so and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we have posted a new blog. Your email address will not be used for anything else than this!