also visit  my personal website   |   Books (Dutch)   |   Expedition Kilimanjaro   |   Somebody Had To Do It  

Reports

During my travels, I received free accommodation for a night in exchange for writing a daily travel diary. This diary documented how I reached my next destination, the hosts who welcomed me, the food I was offered, and other experiences along the way. Below, you will find the archives of these extensive reports. Please note that English is not my native language, and most entries were written quickly, often around midnight. Enjoy!
« Previous reportAll reportsNext report »
Monday, 7 May 2001
--> Den Bosch (NL) day 1

About how I got from Breda to Den Bosch by walking through high green grass farmlands, handing over the guitar to my hostess Tamara, eating out at a Greek restaurant and deciding to stay another night.

Frank and Helie had already left for work, giving me the opportunity to sleep in longer than usual. At around 11 a.m., I woke up in a deserted house and made myself some coffee with a sandwich.

It’s truly incredible to me that they trust a stranger to stay in their home. I had never encountered such a high level of trust before, and it felt very special.

In the same room where I slept, I used the computer with a cable internet connection to write some reports. Unfortunately, my website was still a mess, only showing reports from the first 3 days due to database issues.

At 12:30, I closed the door behind me, with my backpack and an acoustic guitar in hand, ready for the journey to the city of 's Hertogenbosch!

After studying the local city map on a tourist board to find the best exit to the highway, I decided to take a bus to the nearest highway off-ramp. However, it took me over 2 hours to realize that it wasn’t the best spot to hitchhike.

Consulting another map, I determined that my best option was to walk to another highway point where the road split towards 's Hertogenbosch. This required a nearly 3-kilometer hike through someone’s farmlands with tall grass. While the terrain wasn’t the biggest challenge, the farmland also had some small creeks halfway through.

Imagine this guy walking through a green grass field with a backpack and a guitar. Picture me taking everything off and throwing it one by one across the little creeks, then jumping over the creek and continuing this a few times. It was exhausting! Sweat was dripping down my back...

The best part was getting a ride within 5 minutes of standing at the right spot. The driver dropped me off in the city of Tilburg, where I easily caught a ride to my destination.

I arrived in 's Hertogenbosch around 5 p.m., and my hostess for the night, Tamara, instructed me to take a bus to the Central Train Station where she would pick me up. The public transportation cards I had were just enough to get me there.

It was wonderful to see Tamara’s surprised reaction when I gave her a little gift—a guitar. She had never expected such a thing.

The note that came with it, from Frank, mentioned that she only needed to renew the strings and could learn to play the guitar herself. She promised that if we ever met again, she’d play some songs for me...

Tamara lives about a 5-minute walk from the Central Station in 's Hertogenbosch, with a view of the University of Brabant (the current province I was in).



After dropping off my things in her 3rd-floor student flat, she took me out to explore the city. 's Hertogenbosch is a very clean and old city, with much of its historical architecture preserved. The little canals running under the city remain a major tourist attraction (reservations are required two weeks in advance to join the canal boats with the elderly—so no chance for us to get on).

I mentioned to Tamara that I was feeling a bit tired, especially after the hike through the farmland. So, we soon settled at a terrace with a view of the impressive Saint Jan Cathedral of 's Hertogenbosch.

Over dinner, we chatted extensively, and she bombarded me with questions about my travels around the world. She was very proud to be part of my journey by hosting me.

Later that evening, around 9 p.m., Tamara searched for a nice restaurant in the city center. Most places were closed because it was Monday, but we found a charming Greek restaurant called "Sirtaki". The balcony offered a great view of one of the canals disappearing beneath the city.


During this excellent dinner, I confessed that I was a little tired after 7 days of touring the Netherlands, even after a long sleep that morning. Tamara then convinced me to stay another night in the city. I could rest the next morning and explore the city during the day, while she worked until 5 p.m.

I didn’t hesitate long and agreed to stay another night at her place—my first extra night during this project!

When she converted the couch into a bed after dinner, I crashed on it and fell into a deep sleep...

« Previous reportAll reportsNext report »