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 »
Sunday, 13 May 2001
--> Leuven (B) day 1

Today I discussed about world conflicts, got to Leuven within 30 minutes and played a soccer match with Colombian and Mexican exchange students... Hey! Blisters of my feet!

I had a cup of coffee after waking up and took a shower around 10 o'clock. Even though it was about 20 degrees Celsius, I slept soundly, like a rose, in the girlishly decorated room of Sophia, the daughter of the house.

Before “brunch” (a combination of breakfast and lunch), I had enough time to catch up on some reports from the previous days, though I know I’m still a few days behind as I type this...

Time flies when you’re having fun.

The meal was just like yesterday – plentiful. The Nys family aren’t big on meat, so they treat themselves to a great variety of vegetables and fruit. And it’s all accompanied by a few glasses of white wine, even though it was only noon. But that’s normal here!

Around noon, I called home to the Netherlands to wish my mother a happy Mother’s Day. I don’t have a specific present for her (yet), but just talking to my parents felt really good.

Some of the family’s neighbors came over, and while the kids played outside or watched TV, I found myself in a fascinating conversation with the men. We discussed everything from Northern Ireland to the Israeli conflicts and, of course, the United States' involvement—under the radar, naturally.

What still amazes me is the fact that Belgium has five (!) governments. Combine that with the three different languages spoken here (Dutch, German, and French), and you can see why federal decisions move at a snail’s pace. It can take years just to get a highway built.

Imagine living in a house with ten people, each speaking a different language. You might get an idea of the situation when someone finally asks, “So, who’s going to do the dishes?”

My next stop will be the city of Leuven, the oldest university city in all of Europe. And, of course, I’ll have to experience the student life while I’m there!

Dirk, the father of the Nys family, insisted on taking me to this city, some 42 kilometers southwest. And when their visiting neighbor offered to take me as well, no one objected... How generous!

I arrived at the address of my next hosts, Wouter and his Colombian girlfriend Elisabeth, who live almost in the center of Leuven.

After dropping my backpack in the room they'd set aside for me, I gave them the Gift that I had brought from the Nys family. It was a wooden basket filled with homemade jelly, a manual tea maker, and a variety of teas. Elisabeth confessed that she'd always wanted one of those tea makers, and joked that she could even use it for coffee!

After a glass of water – it was over 25 degrees – they suggested we visit their Colombian friends, who had recently moved nearby. So, I hopped on a mountain bike, and together we cycled through the center of town, following the railroad tracks to Villa Park, where their friends lived.

When we arrived, we found a lively gathering. A group of eight young Colombian and Mexican exchange students were already enjoying the beautiful weather, sipping Leuven’s pride, Stella Artois, while passing around bottles of tequila and Colombian rum. After a few beers, they insisted I try the rum. It tasted pretty good, though I knew I needed to pace myself.

I'm not really used to drinking much, and with the students speaking only Spanish, their quick pace with drinks seemed to affect their speech, making it harder for me to follow the conversation.

After some singing, chatting, and more drinking, it was time for a spontaneous soccer match in the backyard. How did they manage to keep up with it all? Naturally, I joined in, only to prove that I’m not much of a soccer player. South America won with a score somewhere around 5–50, but with the heat, everyone stopped keeping track and just focused on chasing the ball.

That night, I didn’t need to look at my feet to count the blisters forming.

By 8:30 that evening, we said our goodbyes to the group and cycled back home, where Elisabeth started preparing dinner. Spaghetti – like I’d never tasted spaghetti before. Ohhh, mmm…

But as I enjoyed the meal, my thoughts drifted to the coming days. At Ludo's place on Friday, I had been invited to visit the radiostudio of Studio Brussels, Belgium's most popular radio station, next Wednesday. What an adventure!

If I were to stay another day in this wonderful city of Leuven (since I didn’t see everything on the bike, and everyone insists I should experience the student life here), I would head to Brussels on Tuesday. With two people inviting me to stay in Brussels (the capital of the European Union), I’d easily make it to the radio program and then continue my journey westward through Belgium, eventually heading towards France!

Wouter and Elisabeth were quite tired after the busy afternoon, but they offered to take me out tomorrow night—if I decide to stay another day.

After a few phone calls, everything was arranged. One more day in Leuven tomorrow! What a fantastic city this is, and tomorrow, I’ll get to explore even more!

« Previous reportAll reportsNext report »