7 YEARS OF BACKPACKING AND HITCHHIKING AROUND THE WORLD / FROM APPICS TO STEEMIT NON-STOP

Hi great people of Steemit, my name is Benjamin and this is my introduction post in this fantastic and unique community! I just landed in Steemit from APPICS and I have to say that this (other) journey is getting very exciting!

My user name, “caminante”, means “walker”, or “the person who walks” in Spanish, which defines who I am and what I do.

Just crossed from Turkey to Georgia.

After living for 26 years what it was supposed to be a stable life with a job, routine, and the “comforts” who any young guy would like to have, I realize that that life was more unstable and empty than ever. So in 2011 I decided to leave my country, Argentina, and since then (7 years ago) I have been moving around this beautiful planet with my two backpacks in a non-stop evolution of my way of traveling. Gradually, I was changing from being a “normal” and comfortable backpacker (hostels, public transportation, etc.) to experience the magic of hitchhiking and camping, and become, let´s say in a way, more a traveler than a tourist.

With time I realized that living with a very low budget and in a simple way was the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced. By moving like this I got the chance to witness how big and extensive the hospitality in our planet is and the direct contact with locals and their generosity became food for my soul and my new goal: writing and sharing with all of you that the world is a safe place and full of love. I just a way to bring hope in humanity from my little and humble experiences.

With Tibetan women

Apart of that, I’m also an adventure junkie always looking for those uncommon and not much known corners of the planet.
I have plenty of good memories from the past years like a road trip in a van around Australia for almost a year, some urban camping in Japan and even being followed by a TV show while hitchhiking there!
During that same period I did an overland trip from China to Denmark, half hitchhiking and half with public transportation. Crossing the Himalayas by jumping from one car to another in winter through the Tibetan Plateau was superb. Learning about Tibetan life and witnessing one of the most shocking and fascinating events of my life, a sky burial, is also in my top experiences. Crossing the Gobi Desert, Mongolia and a part of Siberia with my thumb was also intense, especially because of the harsh weather of January.

Hitchhiking in the Tibetan Plateau at -28°C

Back in India some years later I decided to explore the unspoiled Northeast Region, also called “The Seven Sisters”. Those were two intense months moving only by auto stop while crossing military areas in the jungle, living with former head hunter clans, getting to know the different tribes from the Lesser Himalayas to the low and flat lands of Assam and passing through a National Parks looking for big felines to only find leeches and giant spiders that kicked us out of the adventure. Those were some of many other amazing and crazy moments in which me and some of my friends found ourselves into.

Another random military control in the Indian Northeast, near Myanmar border

In September 2016 I started a new world tour but this time completely by auto stop and purely camping and Couchsurfing. No more public transportation and paid accommodation. I began in Denmark and the idea is to get to Argentina from West to East. I crossed Europe, Turkey and now just arrived in Georgia. The plan is to continue to Iran, Pakistan, India, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and finally South America.
During this current trip I was successful in jumping on board of a sail boat as a volunteer in the Adriatic Sea. That encouraged me to do the same when the moment of crossing the Pacific Ocean comes.
Few months before I also volunteered in a micro nation called Liberland, between Serbia and Croatia, and also related with boats. I was in charge of looking after the river fleet and also taking tourists who wanted to visit Liberland and the Danube River area, always avoiding Croatian patrols, whose government is against this 7 square kms country. A very crazy experience, especially because I had no previous experience with boats and such things. After three months of living in the “embassy” and helping them to create this new and particular country completely into cryptocurrencies, I got the Liberland citizenship, which is a bit of an achievement to me, I may say.

With Liberland in the background. Yes, there is nothing built yet.

The stories are many and I will be glad to share them with all of you. I’m also here to help anyone who is planning a trip on a low budget and needs some tips on how to move around the planet, for example, with 5 USD maximum per day.

My way of living demands a lot of energy but writing a few lines in my journal at the end of every day is another very rewarding gift of what I have chosen. I’m living a dream, people. A dream of traveling as a way of living.
Thanks a lot for reading and I hope to see you around Steemit and also in person wherever you live 

And if you want, you are more than welcome to follow some of my old trips and also those that are coming:
Blog: www.mochilasperegrinas.com (I write there in Spanish, but it is easy to read)
Also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mochilasperegrinas/

¡Muchas gracias! / Thanks a lot!