This year’s campaign is, of course, fully corona-proof while still enjoyable for everyone as the messages of peace are spread on the streets in a form of art. The #Murals4Change slowly pop up everywhere in Flanders. In this article, I’ve summarized most of the artworks which you may encounter during your Flanders trip.

Lichtervelde – West Flanders

The town of Lichtervelde became a bit more colorful with this Mural4Change. A small gesture, with a deeper meaning. You’ll find this message of peace walking towards the town square, along the Marktlaan. Mural created by local artist Bjorn Bossu (aka surroundedbygiants).

Kortemark – West Flanders

What puts this town on the map? Definitely the mural expressing the fights against injustice. This Mural4Change brightens the fields of Kortemark, thanks to several determined volunteers. The artwork is found at Edewallestraat 71, which is located on the road towards Kortemark center. Make-off:

Roeselare – West Flanders

Murals empower the message through art, a beautiful way to express the voices of the changemakers. Located near a busy roundabout, this wall shouts out to the Changemakers all over the world. This colorful message is created by Siva, a local artist who brightens the streets of Roeselare with more of his work.

Kortrijk – West Flanders

The megaphone is a symbol for giving a chance to speak up for those who need it or those who fight for better conditions for their community. This Mural4Change was created by Toon van Ishoven (aka #artoon), who adorns the streets of Belgium with his magic touch of art. More work by Toon Van Ishoven:

Destelbergen – East Flanders

The faces of the changemakers 2020 are now immortalized on the walls of Destelbergen. This Mural4Change was realized by Encq Re Dudder, who you may also know from the Greta Thunberg mural in Brussels, and graffiti artist Yvic Fiers who goes by ‘Niemand’. Make-off:

Changemakers 2020

Now, who are those ‘changemakers’ I keep mentioning? As the word explains itself the changemakers are those who fight for better conditions for their community. They speak up and make the world aware of their situation. Take Athit, for example, who fights for better working conditions at the clothing factories in Cambodia. Or Judith, a strong Congolese woman who comes up for better implementation of women’s rights in Congo. Discover more changemakers here.

What can you do?

Plenty of people are out there, spreading the messages of peace. Making the world a better place can be done in many ways, one of them is by supporting organizations such as 11.11.11. You can donate to 11.11.11 through this link, or support the local actions near you!

A special thanks to 11.11.11 and all volunteers for their input in this article. Cheers!

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Preparing yourself

• Read blogs & watch vlogs in order to get informed by likewise travelers. 
• Do a try-out trip 
• Choose your bike wisely 
• Make sure you get a comfortable saddle

On the road

• You should know it’s important to plan your day according to the amount of daylight (ex. difference winter-summer)
• It’s not a race. Like Katrien and Kobe say: “The kilometers per day is not what mattered to us; it’s the overall experience. And in the end, the distance you travel depends on yourself and your mood.“

Apps & websites

Accommodation

• Warmshowers: The perfect platform for people who are traveling by bike. According to Katrien and Kobe, the website works better than the app.
• Couchsurfing

Navigation

• Maps.me: Offers basic offline maps 
• OsmAnd: A bit more complicated than Maps.me to use but offers more in-depth (offline) information 
• iOverlander: finding camping spots & other points of interest

Communication

• Google translate: Offers a ‘translate by speech’ function and offline translations

Money

Find yourself a suitable budget-app that allows you to track the amount of money spend on certain necessities (for example Goodbudget).

Info about arranging visas

The website recommended by Katrien and Kobe is Caravanistan.com. There, you’ll find all the needed information and ongoing-forums for traveling to destinations on the Silk Road.

Anything to add? Contact me!

Feeling inspired? Check out the recent article about the adventure of Katrien and Kobe on the blog or learn more about sustainable travel.

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Disclaimer: Katrien and Kobe made it to Turkey when the COVID-19 situation started getting out of hand. They decided to fly back to Belgium and stop their trip for now.

My very first question to you: how did you get the idea of long-term traveling by bicycle?

The idea of ‘long-term traveling’ after graduation has always been on our minds. We just needed to figure out what/where/how. One day we ended up at a travel convention, not having an idea of what our trip would look like. The only certainty about our trip was: heading east and wanting to avoid flying as much as possible. Speaking to several travelers did confirm our intention of traveling and finally, we ended up talking to a man who had traveled by bike … that specific conversation warmed our hearts and we started dreaming. We decided to do a ‘try-out trip’: a 10 days departing from our hometown and ending in France. Together we decided to take the challenge and bike to go as far East as possible overland: China.

How do you prepare yourself for a trip as such? Concerning visa, planning routes, accommodation, etc.

The way you prepare yourself is completely up to you. Some people do not need a lot of preparation, some people do. Both works! Creating our personal itinerary started off by summarizing the countries we’ve always wanted to visit. For example, we were always curious to see the ‘STAN’ countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc.). China became our ‘destination’ point as it is -from where we departed- the furthest point. However, our trip wouldn’t just end there. We’d bike back through Russia combined with a train ride on the Trans Siberian express.

Other great ways to prepare you is by reading blogs, watching vlogs, asking questions to former and current travelers, and to do a ‘try-out’ trip of a few days. Regarding visas, we can recommend you one website: the Caravanistan website. This site summarizes the visa requirements for the countries that are located on the Silk Road. They also offer a forum where people can write their latest update of their visa-experience in a certain country. This is the perfect platform for those who travel overland (for example bikers, hikers, or road trippers).

I think traveling by bike is an awesome and brave idea. I imagine that, besides all the positive comments, you also got some negative judgment when announcing your trip to family and friends?

No one was really that surprised about us coming up with such an idea. But of course, many questions were raised by our close friends and family, such as “will you find food everywhere?”, “are the countries you’ll visit safe?” and “what about wild animals when sleeping in a tent?”. We ended up making a PowerPoint presentation for our parents that included the pros/cons and potential risks. This detailed presentation, along with our preparation, helped them understand that we thought everything through.

I can’t help but asking THE most asked question… What is the distance (on average) you traveled per day?

We started our trip rather calmly, especially because we weren’t yet used to biking long distances. The elevation profile of our route affected this as well: on flat areas, we’d end up biking about 80 kilometers (50 miles) per day and on not-so-flat areas, we’d bike about 60 kilometers (37 miles). Of course, this varied as every day was different. The wind could also be holding us back and we also found ourselves limited by the amount of daylight throughout the winter. You have to keep in mind that this kind of trip is more than only the ‘sportive challenge’. It’s exploring, setting up and breaking down the tent or finding alternative stays, arranging food, getting to know local people who randomly invite you, etc.

The kilometers per day is not what mattered to us; it’s the overall experience. And in the end, the distance you travel depends on yourself and your mood. It’s not a race.

What did you think of the biking-infrastructure in other countries?

The more east we went, the bike infrastructure became less of a thing. In Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, and Austria everything was very well arranged and we almost never cycled on the main roads. Only in Luxemburg, we encountered some issues with getting to grocery stores, that all seemed to be located along highways. Ever since Croatia, however, cycling paths were nonexistent and building routes was more of a challenge. From time to time we were even forced to travel on highways. In some countries, like Albania and Turkey, cyclists are not an unusual sight and there was no problem in sharing the road with a few cars. Contrary to Croatia where many people drove like fast and dangerous, obviously not knowing how to act around bicycles

Which country was physically most challenging, considering you biked from Belgium to Turkey?

Every country has its own challenges, but physically we’d definitely say Montenegro. We were only there for a few days, but we conquered quite a lot of hills! There, we followed a route along the Bay of Kotor, crossing over the mountains and then down to Lake Skadar. Up till today, we still think it was one of the most beautiful parts of our trip, so all the sweat was definitely worth it! 

Is there a certain (online or offline) community for this niche group of travelers?

There is much out there. For example ‘long-distance cyclists’ and ‘Bicycle touring Bike packing’, which are great groups if you are seeking some general advice. But unfortunately, just as in every big Facebook group there are also some irrelevant posts/comments. To us, Instagram gave us more the community feeling, as we got connected with other cyclers and used the app to communicate with them. Also Warmshowers is a great way to meet like-minded people. It serves as a platform for connecting host-families with cyclists. We are still in touch with those who hosted us during the trip. Of course, this community is not only online…Sometimes we met other travelers along the way and when we were lucky enough to be heading the same way we ended up biking together for a little while.

COVID-19: let’s talk about the crisis and getting home.

We made it to Turkey when the Corona-situation started getting out of hand. We did the right thing by flying back home, and there was also no alternative for us. As we got to know through a WhatsApp group with other travelers, countries were slowly closing borders and even denying foreigners. Continuing out travel was a no-go. We are, however, planning on resuming our long-distance travel one day!

My last question goes out to Katrien: I saw on your Instagram profile that you shaved your hair! What made you decide that?  (Super badass by the way!)

It was the most logical thing to do. It always got stuck between the clipper of my helmet and my hair was always somewhere where it shouldn’t be. Further, I’ve always been curious about the look so… I went for it ?

Any last thoughts you want to share?

On this trip, we realized that our life in Belgium is very privileged. We also learned that there are genuinely kind-hearted people in this world, no matter how little money or belongings they have.

Also:
1. Don’t hesitate and try it out!
2. It’s not as hard as it sounds.
3. You don’t have to be super-sporty to start this kind of a journey.

Want to get to know more about sustainable travel? Check out Sustainable travel – who/what/how. Got inspired to start your own cycle-trip? Read here the tips provided by Katrien and Kobe.

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Monique – New Zealand

New Zealand is by far my favourite holiday destination. It’s a remarkable country that has it all. New Zealand has something to please almost everyone. You can find some of the most fantastic sceneries. Within a few kilometers, you’ll find yourself on the beach or on top of a glacier for some Heli Hiking! Be impressed by volcanoes, thermal landscapes, fjordland and fantastic mountains.

Everywhere you go you’ll be surprised by one spectacular view after another. It’s a country where you can still wonder about on a beach and run into seals, sea lions or even pinguïns. If all this beauty and quietness gets too much it’s also the place to be for thrill seekers. Of course, everybody knows about bungy jumping and rafting, but my personal favourites are Jetboating on the Shotover jet, Heli Hiking on Franz Josef Glacier, and if you love hiking you should definitely not miss the Tongariro Crossing.

For the finest beaches, you should visit The Bay of Islands on the North Island or Abel Tasman National Park on the South Island. And at this last destination, it’s also great to combine beautiful walks with canoeing or a ride on one of the fast water taxis. And let’s not forget the people. The Kiwi’s are super friendly and hospitable. Truly awesome folk.

If you want to find out more about this fantastic country, please read more on Monique’s blog: www.ontdeknieuwzeeland.blogspot.com or visit her Instagram page @ontdeknz

Amber – Portugal & Tenerife

Hi y’all! I’m Amber, a 19-year-old travel nut from little, rainy Belgium. It’s sooo hard for me to choose one ultimate travel destination…. I’m so lucky I’ve already had the chance to travel to a lot of different places. For instance; this year, 2017, I traveled to four different countries.

I went to Germany (Berlin), Tenerife, Portugal (Lisbon) and Italy (Milan + Venice). I actually love the city life and the beach life… both stole my heart this year. But I think I’m more fond of the beach, certainly during the academic year. I really like to have my holidays quiet and tranquil. This year I visited Portugal and  I loved it for its amazing views and peaceful places. We hiked to places without tourists and breathtaking views… it was wonderful, really. Tenerife is my second fav destination. In Tenerife, we hired a car and went to a few hotspots. We made it to El Teide, a volcano surrounded by an amazing national park. Again, Amazing views here. No houses, no animals, only arid nature. I will never ever get tired of these views. I mean… How beautiful can the earth be? I think I’m probably going back next year… yeah, definitely… I’m going back.

Check out Amber’s blog the Comfy Creative & Instagram account!

Kyana – New York City

New York City is the love of my life. But why actually? In 2013 I went there for the first time and well… she stole my heart. In February 2018 I’m going back for the fourth time because I have never felt more home somewhere else but in NYC.

My place to be in the city is East Village, Saint Mark’s Place to be more precisely. I recommend it to all of you. The atmosphere is amazing and it just feels so different than anywhere else. It offers many piercing/tattoo shops, cafes, vintage stores… The nicest place to have dinner is Little Italy, for sure! It’s a downtown neighborhood very close to SoHo and China Town, also two of my all-time favourites.

With the NY-subway you can go from Financial District (Manhattan) to Coney Island (Brooklyn) in about 40 minutes. The city also offers super nice museums, for example the MoMA, the MET, NYC museum, Natural Museum of American History etc… Times Square, Penn Station, Central Park Bryant Park… all those places are incredible and really make me feel at home, although I’m not a New Yorker ( yet ). I’m always trying to tell people how good NYC has been to me, but it’s so hard to put your feelings into words. But anyway, I still think she is the greatest story I’ve ever told.

Liked her story? Check out Kyanas pictures on Instagram!

Joyce – Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town has it all: mountains, beaches, vineyards, colorful neighborhoods, outdoor markets, … For me Cape Town is the most beautiful city on earth, exploring CT is a pure pleasure. It’s not only the scenery that is amazing but so is the food (as a real foodie I can only guarantee this ). The city has a variety of outdoor activities for the adventure seeker. Hiking up the Lions Head and Table Mountain is a must. Even without hiking, you can enjoy the views thanks to the scenic drive routes through the mountains (such as Chapman’s Peak Drive) and the cable car available at Table Mountain. By the way, did I mention Cape Town has a beach full of with penguins?! I think visiting Cape Town should be on everyone’s bucket-list.

Check out my Instagram page for inspiration!

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Chengdu Food Tours

After living in Chengdu for a while I realized that I didn’t know a lot about the food culture. I was always eating the same dishes, the dishes I felt comfortable with ordering. Time to get out of my comfort zone! I looked around a bit and finally Chengdu Food Tours drew my attention. Obviously, like the name says so, Chengdu Food Tours organizes food tours. It’s as well an online platform for courageous foodies and cultural interaction. CFT is about interacting, learning (for sure also teaching), and exploring.  The platform includes different kinds of food tours, workshops, ‘the Sichuan food blog’, and more. Jordan, the author, sees food as the cultural vehicle when diving into a culture.

Jordan, founder of CFT

When I interviewed Jordan I was obviously not only curious about his business in China but also about his personal experience as a foreigner moving to China. Just like many other foreigners that are established in China, Jordan sets his first steps into China as a student. His passion for the Chinese culture, his curiosity, and his international relations led him to the idea/opportunity of Chengdu Food Tours. Food became a big focus, not only because he is fascinated by the flavors and diversity but also as a tool to indulge in a particular culture. Getting to know the food is getting to know the culture. He uses Chengdu Food Tours to share his experience with other travelers.

Chinese Food Culture & Typical Sichuan dishes

In Chinese culture, food has many symbolic meanings. I’ll give you a very clear example: during the Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as Mooncake Festival), people will eat mooncakes. At weddings, people will serve seeds, as symbols of bearing many children. I tell you, there are too many dishes that have a symbolic meaning to sum up in this article. Every region in China has its own specialty. Food in China is very regional and seasonal. If you want to be able to experience Sichuan optimally, you also have to appreciate the local food. Sichuan province is the province that’s known for its spiciness. By the way, did I mention that Chengdu is a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy? Here are some pics of typical Sichuanese dishes.

Street food

I’d get on the first flight back to Chengdu just to get some street food. Like the word already gives away: it’s food sold on the streets. Especially at night, Chinese vendors come and go with their little vehicles. It’s an important part of Chinese food culture. The most known street food is Chinese Barbecue or 烧烤 (Shaokao). But, always be careful with your stomach when trying street food: many vendors have never heard of the word ‘hygiene’!

Curious about Chengdu Food Tours? Check their website. Cheers and enjoy your meal

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January 11th –  Lalibela

Another day in Ethiopia! After our very delicious and filling breakfast we walked to the bus station we were dropped off at the night before and we got tickets for a minibus to Gashena which is more than halfway to Lalibela. The distance from Dessie to Gashena is 225 kilometers which took us about 5 hours to get there. Once we reached Gashena we had a minor altercation with the bus drivers because they were trying to get away with not giving us our change back and also trying to charge us more to get to Lalibela from there. After that was sorted out we had our lunch and we were yet again on our way to Lalibela. It was quite a bumpy ride. From Gashena to Lalibela it is 64 kilometers, which took us about 3 hours to get there.

Once we got at our location we met three young gentlemen who guided us to our hotel free of any charge (we made sure to let them know that it was not necessary and that we could find our way, but they insisted and they seemed friendly enough). I got to admit they were a bit of a distraction because they engaged us with conversation and we couldn’t really concentrate on our surroundings, which is something one wants to do in a new location. They also told us a lot about themselves and that one of their birthday is tomorrow. They invited us to a get together the next day. Not sure if that is something they tell every tourist or not and at this point it was irrelevant. Just wanted to let you all know to just be aware. We found our hotel and got all settled in our room. It was time for dinner.

We went out for some food, found a small restaurant packed with people; not for the food but for the soap opera that was airing on TV, and it was for a dubbed one. We went into the other room, had our dinner and left. When finally back to our hotel room, we were tired and ready to sleep.

January 12th – Lalibela

Woke up and went for breakfast at the hotel we were staying. The hotel was quite the hotel with really beautiful designs, pleasant staff, and nice outdoor scene.

After breakfast, we decided to head on over to the Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela, aka the reason we came which also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a short walk up we found the office to buy tickets, they charged me 10 birr, while they charged Meg 50$ for entrance. They suggested we get a tour guide to walk us through it all. We got a price of 500 birr.

Our tour lasted for a few hours. The tour guide tried his best to elaborate and explain each and every church we went to. We had a lot of questions, came to a point where our tour guide couldn’t answer them. We happened to be at one of the churches known as Beite Denagel (House of Virgins), there was a priest there (FYI every church has a designated priest), and so our tour guide directed the question at the priest. Our question was “Who is in charge of labeling or deeming one person as a saint?” This question came up because he was telling us how the churches came about, and how King Lalibela was considered a saint. What had happened was, after King Lalibela was born every inch of his infant body got covered in bees, which was understood as being covered in angels and or a sign from above. And when he became king, he slept for three whole days, people thought he was dead but his body wasn’t cold so they refrained from burying him. After three days passed King Lalibela arose and was determined to build the churches, New Jerusalem. As the pilgrimage to the actual one was getting complicated due to the Muslim conquest that was taking place. He also continued to say that it was King Lalibela with the help of angels that built all of the churches. We weren’t sure if the angels were a metaphor or not at this point but needless to say, there were more than angles helping. Which brings us back to why we asked the question we did. After some time spent trying and sort of failing to answer the question, the priest resorted to saying that we have no faith, and one must have faith in order to understand. The closest answer to our question came when the priest said, saints are considered saints based on their actions, or what they have accomplished. Which we can all relate to I think, like the saying says, “Actions speak louder than words!” saint or otherwise.

The other thing that I will mention about the tour is that the churches that symbolized heaven and hell.

For more information about the Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela please click here.

We checked out of our hotel that afternoon to try and get the bus to our next destination, Gondar. We got to the bus station and must have waited about three hours in hopes to find transportation but to no avail. They informed us that the buses direct to Gondar leave at 5 AM, and we didn’t want to take a bus to Gashena (that location that is 3 hours away from Lalibela) and have to be stuck there over night, as it seemed to be a little town with no hotels in sight. But what we did do is eat three servings of this delicious plate of food, pic below at this home/restaurant that was across the station.

With our bellies full we headed back to the same hotel to check back in. That evening there was a beautiful full moon hanging in the skies, so we decided to grab a beer at the hotel bar and unwind.

Lella Misikir, 木兰

Like her writing? More articles of her coming & definitely check out her blog too!
Interested in being a guest writer too? contact me!

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