Jason & Claudine, an engineer and an elementary school teacher, a couple who love a challenge
Jason & Claudine, a couple who love a challenge
TRAVEL INFO
2 Years
35000 Km
16 Country
Jason & Claudine, an engineer and an elementary school teacher, are a married couple who are stubborn and love a challenge! They visited three continents, their plan to end their journey in South Africa, and the path of their adventure is amazing and full of interesting details! During their stop in Zambia we had an exclusive interview about their unique experience.
INTERVIEW
We asked Jason and Claudine : Introduce yourself, talk about anything you want, your age, your country, how did your passion for travel begin…?
They said : We are Jason and Claudine, both 30 years old and from Switzerland/Greece. I, Jason, am a software engineer and Claudine is a primary school teacher.
Before the pandemic, we had planned a three months trip to South America but then the pandemic hit… Our flight was canceled and we were stuck at home without being able to travel.
After postponing and postponing, we had to find an alternative. First idea was to walk for a couple of weeks somewhere in Europe. But we quickly discarded the idea. Too slow … But by bicycle we would have the perfect speed. We could experience the whole journey with all our senses but would still get somewhere.
We had our doubts before this trip. We were total beginners. We knew how to cycle, sometimes we cycled by bicycle to work. But never long distances, never a bigger trip.
So, we decided to cycle first to my parents in Kefalonia, Greece, to see if we liked it.
And, yes, we did 😉 We then continued cycling through Turkey and Iran and then by ferry to Dubai. From there we took an airplane to Rwanda. In Rwanda we did a loop in the eastern part of the country, and then continued to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, through Malawi to Zambia. This is where we are at the moment. Our final destination in Africa is Cape Town.
Question : What are the most important difficulties in yours experience during the adventure ?
They said : In our opinion, the most difficult part is in our heads. On a bicycle trip, you have to push yourself, even when it’s difficult. Even when it is rainy, cold, steep or all of them together. You have to actively get out of your comfort zone. Because only then, you realise these moments, these sometimes really difficult moments, are the ones that make the experience memorable.
Another difficulty is when you are cycling as a couple and living in a small tent. Sure, there will be conflict, especially if you are two stubborn hotheads like we are. Most conflicts evolve if we are hungry or tired anyway. We always need to keep that in mind. And at the end of the day none of these experiences would matter, if I wouldn’t have Claudine by my side to share them.
Question: Is financing long trips easy ?
They said: I think, it depends on the way you choose to travel. If you want to stay every night in a hotel and eat in a restaurant, you will need more financial resources than someone who is sleeping in a tent and cooking by himself. It depends on you, your travelling style and also the countries you decide to travel. When we started, our budget was calculated for 3 to 4 months travel in South America. When we decided to go on for much much longer, we adapted our budget. Leaving Europe, helped a lot. It is much cheaper to travel outside our home countries. We are now a year on the road and still going. But we are very aware of our privileged situation. We are lucky that we both have jobs we can return to anytime we want or need to. We know, not in all countries or in all jobs you can be certain about that.
Question: What is your purpose in traveling ?
They said: We are curious about the world, we want to learn about people’s stories, their culture and their way of living. We want see and experience beautiful nature for as long as we can. We want to test our limits and grow as humans.
Question: How did you see the world through a bicycle ?
They said: After this travel, we feel cycling is the best way to travel. Yes, it is sometimes very exhausting and compared to other ways of transport, you are slow! But you are also just fast enough to get somewhere and slow enough to experience the journey with all your senses. Sometimes all these impressions can also be stressful. You are always exposed. Exposed to people, culture, sounds, nature and animals. There’s no bubble around you. In a car, you feel more protected. More like you are in a box and you can choose, when to let the world in. When it is too much, you can just pull up the window and give yourself a break. On the bicycle, this is not possible. But, although we sometimes envy car drivers for this reason, we still wouldn’t want to change our way of travelling. It is just too much of a thrilling feeling, to look at the map and being proud of yourself and your partner. Being proud of how far your legs could carry you. Of how strong (or stubborn) you can be.
Question: What is your incentive message for those who want to take a bicycle tour ?
They said: Just, do it! You don’t have to plan a world trip, you can start small. We didn’t start by saying we will cycle from Europe to Cape town. We set reachable next goals, or places we want to see on the road and then cycle towards them. Also, don’t focus to much on gear. Buy what you need, but don’t overdo it. You will always meet friendly and helpful people on the road.
