Gunther Holtorf and his travels

[Mablo]

Nice story. Thanks for the link.

Here is another one, no Merc this time but an old Toyota: http://www.weltrekordreise.ch/a_starte.html

[fixbones]

Thanks for sharing.
Aaahh.. the simple life

[Muggins]

His G-Wagen reminds me of an Austrian family* we spotted near Edinburgh once - they had the largest off-road vehicle I've ever seen, the bottom of the doors wasn't far off eye level it was so big. I reckon you could get enough stuff in there to have crossed continents in it without stopping, and they certainly had room for more than two cameras.

Adrian

*names, blood groups and flags on the doors.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Moriturii

Quoted for absolute truth.

What might be even sadder that a lot of people typing away at their keyboards right now looking at this thread and this man thinks that they need tends of thousands of dollar saved up to do this.

But in reality, everything you'll need (food, bits and peices for the car, gas) is things you can get a long the way.

If only we had the bollocks.

I'll be going soon

Speaking of bollocks...

How much time have you spent on the road? Even in India you need a minimum of something like $50 a day for fuel, food, accommodation, incidentals. That's before anything goes wrong with the car, or you've paid for insurance, visas, ferries, medical care...

Having driven quite long distances, on a shoestring, in Europe, India and the United States, I am sure that you'd be VERY hard put to survive overall on $100/day, i.e. $36,500 a year, and I suspect that 35,000€ a year, rather over $45,000, is more realistic. Now this is far from an impossible pension, but equally, it's more than many people earn, let alone more than many of us are likely to see as pensions.

Sure, if you stay in one place for a long time, especially somewhere cheap, you can drag this down quite a bit, but it's still going to be far more than most people (including me) can afford. How much do you think you'd need to live on, if you were on the road like this? And how much travelling have you actually done?

For examples of long journeys, I've done 4000 km around South India on an Enfield Bullet; in 2009 a Land Rover tour that took in France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosova, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Switzerland (I've forgotten how far, but it was a long way); and last year I went to Estonia and back, 3850 miles/6000+ km, taking in France, Belgium, Germany and Lithuania, on the way there and back. So yes, I spend several months a year travelling (as he does), on my own nickel, and I have a better idea than most of what it costs.

Cheers,

R.

[Murchu]

Originally Posted by Bob Michaels

And the only difference between Gunther and us is that he got up off his *ss and did it while we sit at keyboards talking about doing it.

Well, not sure how many of us sit at our keyboards imagining 23 year road trips

On a more serious note, very, very cool, and second the poster above who said there is not a big enough smiley emoticon.

[Murchu]

Originally Posted by Mablo

Nice story. Thanks for the link.

Here is another one, no Merc this time but an old Toyota: http://www.weltrekordreise.ch/a_starte.html

They once tried to kill a Toyota 4x4 on Top Gear. As I remember, it survived being dropped from a great height, being drowned, even being set on fire. In all, very impressive

[paradoxbox]

if you're envious of his lifestyle then do something about your own life to make it possible.

i'm guessing almost everyone here has a normal job, normal house, normal family, etc etc and you can't pack up and leave. if you're unsatisfied with that start changing things.

make your own business, or start investing.

a few years of smart investing or creating a profitable business, you won't need to be around the house anymore, you can pay others to take care of your work and go out and enjoy life.

if you're not willing to do that, well then you'll just have to be content with what you've got now.

(i started a business a few years ago and am somewhere around the 1/4 to 1/2 mark of being able to stop working entirely and just go travel whenever/wherever)

i also wanted to throw in my two cents about travel costs, if you're spending 50$ that's way too much. if you cut your expenses and live more frugally it can be done for much, much less. i won't say anything more about the matter except that i've managed to travel hundreds of miles around japan and live for under 10$ a day when i first arrived here. in southeast asia or other less developed countries 10$ a day would go far.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by paradoxbox

. . . i've managed to travel hundreds of miles around japan and live for under 10$ a day when i first arrived here. in southeast asia or other less developed countries 10$ a day would go far.

With a big, thirsty 4WD?

Staying where? Eating what?

I completely agree about changing your life if you don't like it. But on the other hand I don't want to sleep rough and live exclusively on dhall, chapatis and onions. Nor am I convinced that 'investing' (or indeed starting your own business) is an option for everyone. Yes, I've worked for myself for over 30 years, and I've travelled a lot during that time. But time spent working your arse off, in the hope of early retirement, is time not spent travelling. I've preferred to enjoy life as I go along, rather than planning for an uncertain future.

Cheers,

R..

[jarski]

Originally Posted by paradoxbox

if you're envious of his lifestyle then do something about your own life to make it possible.

like someone said, most people prefer familiar hell over unfamiliar heaven. edit & clarification: am not meaning peoples life is hell! rather the logic of choosing the familiar over unfamiliar

Originally Posted by paradoxbox

i also wanted to throw in my two cents about travel costs, if you're spending 50$ that's way too much. if you cut your expenses and live more frugally it can be done for much, much less. i won't say anything more about the matter except that i've managed to travel hundreds of miles around japan and live for under 10$ a day when i first arrived here. in southeast asia or other less developed countries 10$ a day would go far.

if this was very recently, I must raise a virtual hat to you. cheapest bus tickets between major cities like Tokyo to Osaka starts from 50$. I was in Japan on modest budget, but seeing least something during day (sights, museums etc), two cheap meals, coffee or two and hostel easily brings day cost over 50$.

IMO 10$/day sounds doable to India, and even there one really has to follow each expense carefully.

[Glass Addict]

Originally Posted by paradoxbox

if you're envious of his lifestyle then do something about your own life to make it possible.

i'm guessing almost everyone here has a normal job, normal house, normal family, etc etc and you can't pack up and leave. if you're unsatisfied with that start changing things.

make your own business, or start investing.

a few years of smart investing or creating a profitable business, you won't need to be around the house anymore, you can pay others to take care of your work and go out and enjoy life.

if you're not willing to do that, well then you'll just have to be content with what you've got now.

(i started a business a few years ago and am somewhere around the 1/4 to 1/2 mark of being able to stop working entirely and just go travel whenever/wherever)

i also wanted to throw in my two cents about travel costs, if you're spending 50$ that's way too much. if you cut your expenses and live more frugally it can be done for much, much less. i won't say anything more about the matter except that i've managed to travel hundreds of miles around japan and live for under 10$ a day when i first arrived here. in southeast asia or other less developed countries 10$ a day would go far.

Smart investing and profitable business all sound good on paper, but in reality, only a very small portion actually succeed over long term.

IMO, $10/day is impossible in Japan today.
Either way, you can be frugal to certain extent, but the whole point of this is for enjoyment.. so I wouldn't want to compromise the basic necessities. $10/day will pay for food at best.

[FrankS]

Right. One needs to figure out the cost per day being independent, not mooching off friends or kind strangers.

[jarski]

Originally Posted by FrankS

Right. One needs to figure out the cost per day being independent, not mooching off friends or kind strangers.

couch surfing is fun and helps with budget too

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Glass Addict

. . . Either way, you can be frugal to certain extent, but the whole point of this is for enjoyment.. so I wouldn't want to compromise the basic necessities. $10/day will pay for food at best.

Quite. And pretty basic food at that.

Cheers,

R.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by jarski

couch surfing is fun and helps with budget too

Possibly more fun for the surfers than the surfees.

And unless they start giving hospitality out as well as taking it, there's a word for couch surfers. It's 'parasites'.

Cheers

R.

[jarski]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Possibly more fun for the surfers than the surfees.

And unless they start giving hospitality out as well as taking it, there's a word for couch surfers. It's 'parasites'.

Cheers

R.

Mr. R you are too skeptical. it can be fun and inspiring for surfees too

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by jarski

Mr. R you are too skeptical. it can be fun and inspiring for surfees too

You are without doubt correct. But how sustainable is either approach as a lifestyle?

Cheers,

R.

[Nigel Meaby]

I have an American friend, Nicole (27 at the time) Who was on a tight budget during her stay in India a couple of years ago. She tried the whole Couchsurfing experience. Of course a lot of the time you're not sleeping on the couch but more often, in a spare room. One of her stays was with a family in Rajasthan. They had a jewellery business, were quite wealthy, and during the day for example, Nicole had the use of the Families Chauffeur driven car to take her around the town, wherever she wanted to go! The family derived great pleasure from having her stay with them and the whole cultural exchange experience. It was a sad day for her and the family when it was time to move on.

[rbrooks]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Staying where? Eating what?

Wasn't this answered in the video? It mentioned that they sleep and cook in the G Wagen.

Having said that it does cost real money to travel even if one has an eye toward frugality...

[andersju]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Possibly more fun for the surfers than the surfees.

And unless they start giving hospitality out as well as taking it, there's a word for couch surfers. It's 'parasites'.

I actually enjoy hosting more than "surfing".

I've hosted around 40 couchsurfers from a dozen or so countries in my apartment in Stockholm, and surfed a few times. Nothing but good, often great, experiences. Some guests have become very good real-life friends. But then I'm also very careful with whom I accept (well-written request? Interesting profile? Anything in common? Good references? Do I have time? Etc.)

If you don't want people who couchsurf but never host themselves, it's easy to ignore them, thanks to Couchsurfing's reference system.

Of course some people abuse Couchsurfing, but on the whole, I think it's fantastic. It has certainly enriched my life.

[Nigel Meaby]

bump

[useless generation]

would be very interested to see his images if anyone could find them?

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by andersju

I actually enjoy hosting more than "surfing".

I've hosted around 40 couchsurfers from a dozen or so countries in my apartment in Stockholm, and surfed a few times. Nothing but good, often great, experiences. Some guests have become very good real-life friends. But then I'm also very careful with whom I accept (well-written request? Interesting profile? Anything in common? Good references? Do I have time? Etc.)

If you don't want people who couchsurf but never host themselves, it's easy to ignore them, thanks to Couchsurfing's reference system.

Of course some people abuse Couchsurfing, but on the whole, I think it's fantastic. It has certainly enriched my life.

Thanks. Sounds good. The problem is probably with how it's been reported n the few pieces I've read...

Cheers,

R.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by rbrooks

Wasn't this answered in the video? It mentioned that they sleep and cook in the G Wagen.

Having said that it does cost real money to travel even if one has an eye toward frugality...

Para 1: I was referring to the post about Japan, not the G'Wagen man. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

Para 2: No argument.

Cheers,

R.

[paradoxbox]

i see there's a very huge disconnect (age related?)

some of you aren't willing to give up comforts to go travel. so you can stay at home or spend a few thousand dollars every few years to go somewhere exotic. that's fine!

or if you don't mind being frugal then you can go and explore the entire world on a very small budget. people in their early twenties do this kind of thing all the time. they eat local cheap food, they don't stay in hotels, yeah they even "mooch" accommodation as some of you put it.

if couch surfing and eating cheap food makes you uncomfortable then i guess you'll just have to stay at home or spring for a vacation trip every once in a while..! everybody has differing levels of tolerance for that kind of thing i suppose.

as for my trip through japan, i started 4 years ago and it's still ongoing. i still travel far from tokyo at least once a year. i have a road bicycle that can get me +100km in a day if i bike hard. camping, couch surfing, staying with friends i've made in the past or online, etc.

last year i went to okinawa (being an island the airfare was the biggest expense) and paid no more than about $15 a day including accommodation, food, drinking and clubbing (HEAVY drinking and clubbing!) etc. two years ago i went to a place called mie and stayed for free for about 4 days. ate like a king. it was fantastic. mooching? no, i don't expect people to put me up for free but if they do, then i appreciate it, and it's always a fun experience for both the people i'm with and myself.

and as for starting a business or investing not being for everyone, i disagree with that. anyone can start an ebay business or some other kind of business that can be run entirely from a cell phone IF they put in the effort and research. everyone has SOME kind of marketable product or skill that can be used to generate income in some way or another. i know of a couple that sails around the world and their only source of income is the money they get from having a mobile sail repair business they own on their boat - they have a sail sewing machine on their boat and do sail repairs at every marina they stay at. they're making a great living and i've seen them complaining recently that they're too busy to sail anymore with all the orders they have..!

i highly recommend taking a step outside your comfort zone and just trying out something new! life's too short to get hung up about "mooching" accommodation or eating cheap food

[FrankS]

As author of the mooching comment, let me explain that many of us older folk seem more aware of personal responsibility and paying our own way. An unbalanced "tally sheet" (either in or out of our favourite) makes us feel uncomfortable. My comment had nothing to do with putting down cheap food and accommodation in order to afford travel.

Other than that, I agree with your philosophy that life is short.