I am Sierd (23) and I've hitchhiked over 15000km through Africa. AMA.

What was the weirdest encounter you've had?

I've had many weird encounters in my life, but it was really weird catching a ride with a 100% Afrikaner boer who would almost drive into a few black Namibians simply because of the fact they were black. He gave us a ride because we were white. I've hitchhiked through some parts in this world, but that was just too real to believe at first glance. So you light another cigarette, slowly nod to the Afrikaner equivalent of redneck music and you keep on going...

Damn, if he had pinned any of those Namibian guys, you should have smashed that motherfucker's head. But yes... I've been there. Nod your head and keep quiet.

Exactly. It's sensitive stuff you can't really tackle when somebody is showing his hospitality. It's a weird situation that you can only discuss with your next ride. So we did, and that truckdriver shook his head and pretty much suggested what you just suggested.

That's the strange thing about hitchhiking. Besides the racists, there have been religious fanatics who want to break you in, and the gay men who really hope that you're open enough to have an experience with them. People want to have their ideas validated. "I'm giving you a ride, so you should probably agree with me."

Very true. We've met the religious fanatic from the US in Nairobi. The gay man I met last year in Greece. It's quite interesting to laugh such awkward situations away. In total I've hitchhiked 35000 kilometres now and never have I laughed so much more than that moment when this Greek guy couldn't stop asking about sizes of genitals in The Netherlands. Fortunately you meet a lot more normal people.

Definitely. But the taboo conversations do give you a bit more interesting stuff to talk about, even if people have a hard time believing it.

That is true. And sometimes it's even interesting to make the weirdo believe that you believe in the same thing. Then you unleash more fury and before you realize you can find yourself in a melancholic story about missing apartheid and burning the continent down. Harsh, but your perfect mind candy fix.

Is this documentary going to show me the real Africa?

Good question. When travelling through Africa you automatically bump into that question. What is the real Africa? On the Zambian border a truck driver welcomed us to the real Africa. The Africa we might now from that chickflick with Meryl Streep. Elephants, zebras, lalala. Until Zambia we didn't see any kind of wildlife apart from lost donkeys and shitloads of cockroaches. We didn't go to the national parks in Kenya and Tanzania. To me the real Africa is a collection of Egyptians who can't find the answer after the Arab Spring, Sudanese bureaucracy, begging kids in Ethiopia, drunk businessmen in Kenya, perfect laziness in Tanzania, people who were chased away in Zimbabwe, fastfoodrestaurants in Botswana, Germans in Namibia and international students in Cape Town. As long as it happens in Africa, it is real. Every day was real.

You make a good point, it's a freaking huge continent with a mind blowing diversity, it's ridiculous to try to pin down in a few words, images or videos what Africa really is.

You wouldn't assume North Korea and South Korea were similar because they were Asian, people shouldn't do the same with Africa.

but they are similar...

Everything in Africa is the real Africa.

What do you particularly like about certain parts of Africa? Also, what do you think that people who live in a "First World" nation with a "Western" mentality are truly missing from the continent? Thanks in advance!

Northern African chaos, Eastern African laid back mentality, Southern African craziness (+ and -). It is a fucked up continent, but it sure is beautiful. I haven't seen West Africa, but now I am dying to see it.

I am not sure if we are truly missing something that you can find in Africa. What I am sure about is that I see a lot of people from a 'first world' nation who think they should somehow share some of their morals and skills for the African people to learn. But you didn't ask me that, so I could eloborate on that in another question.

So could you be missing from? Take it a little more easy. Take a little, micro, tiny bit from the 'African time' mentality. It gives you a much more pleasant morning. That however may only work if everyone is up for a change in time management...

Have you ever felt in real danger with any dodgy people who picked you up? did you sometimes look at someone and think "nah"?

Chris and I sometimes can't really sense the danger, but Neda was much better at that moments. Female instinct I guess. She rejected a hospitality deal in Budapest. I couldn't believe my ears, but later turned out that he was pretty much the sickest person of the country.

Sometimes you feel a little unsure. There are language barriers that you have to overcome. We'd overcome it with cigarettes and listening to the radio. One thumb up, smile and keep on rolling. A lot of shit could have happened, but we were fine.

So how many of you were there? And start smoking if i want to hitch hike? Got ya

Haha. Many drivers like to smoke as they cover big distances. It definitely helps. We were with the three of us.

Would this be a trip possible for a woman/women to take, or would you think its really just too dangerous?

Generally spoken I find hitchhiking a tricky business for a woman, no matter where. I always tell my female friends to make sure a man joins. Simply because of the fact I don't want to be the one who started the trouble by telling there is no problem on the road. You don't mind that? Yes, it is possible and I've actually heard a story about a girl from Poland who did a big part of Africa on no money and no money at all. Brave girl.

Did you meet Kony?

Have you won a poker tournament?

How well can you swim?

I haven't seen Kony and I couldn't be bothered looking for him. I've never won a poker tournament and I'm a pretty good swimmer. We hitchhiked a ferry from Turkey to Egypt, if you thought we were doing an international triathlon.

They were just random warm up questions. Cheers!

Any time. :)

What was the most stunning or shocking thing you saw on your voyage (geography, the people of Africa)?

Not really in Africa (yet), but definitely on the way there. On the ferry from Turkey to Egypt I made friends with a 6 year old Syrian kid. He was travelling with his family from Syria to Tunisia to find safer soil. It was nice to see this little kid smiling at the Mediterranean. You could tell he loved being on a journey to a safer place. I was shocked by the simple fact that his father put a cigarette in his mouth, lit it and the kid smoked it. Then his father showed me pictures of the kid drinking tequila. One of the only moments during my trip that I could cry out of disbelief.

Geography: All the sunsets on our route. Amazingly beautiful. I've seen more stars than I have ever seen from the European continent. Victoria Falls, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, Table Mountain and the desolated deserts of Namibia. Most beautiful continent I will ever see in my life, I am sure.

How long did it take you to mentally prepare for the trip?

As we were packing our bags many people told us that we were crazy. As we unpacked our bags in Cape Town many people told us we are crazy. I arrived back home one week ago and I'm still not really mentally prepared. I've managed to find a lot of distraction before the trip, so I could just go and did not think too much about what was ahead of me. Perfect.

Some of the Vice travel guides make Africa seem very extreme, but is it actually a lot safer than you had imagined? How prepared were you just in case you were attacked? I typically take a knife and pepper spray, but that's within the US. In Africa I would be a little more concerned.

In Africa I felt safer than I have felt during hitchhike trips through the Western Balkans. In Africa I started feeling unsafe while taking a stroll downtown to find the cheapest guesthouse. Then I'd have a Swiss knife opened on two sides ready in my pocket. I never had to use it. All was fine. We were robbed in Tanzania while camping on a deserted golf court. That just had to happen sooner or later. Last year I was robbed twice in the Balkans. There is a lot of social control in Africa. It's not as bad as it may seem. Just watch your back in South Africa, but I think recent developments in the media showed that face of the country already.

You say you traveled through Zambia. Having lived there for a month, I hope to go back sometime. Where all did you visit in Zambia and what was your favorite? Did you get the chance to enjoy the Victoria Falls?

We did some spontaneous bush camping in the North East, had some chill out time in Lusaka and yes, we did see the Victoria Falls. Logically one of the high lights on my trip. I did the bungee from the Zambezi bridge. Amazing. Zambia is wonderful. I have never seen so many people wearing their national soccer jersey in their own country. :)

Truly a fantastic country and fantastic people. I lived in Lusaka but traveled to Kitwe and Livingstone, I didn't do the bungee but I did jump into Devil's Pool! Glad you had a great experience as well!

From the Zimbabwean side I've seen people jumping in that Devil's Pool. Terrifying sight. I'm glad you're still with us.

What route did you take? I'm fairly well travelled in Africa.

Netherlands-Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria-Turkey-Egypt-Sudan-Ethiopia-Kenya-Tanzania-Zambia-Zimbabwe-Botswana-Namibia-South Africa.

Cool. I haven't been to Sudan or Ethiopia. What did you make of them? How did you travel across them?

I've travelled to Iran and Iraq two years ago and somehow we found the same hospitality deal in Sudan. Sudan doesn't attract a lot of tourism, and you can really sense that in the streets. Of course we couldn't travel across regions like Kordofan and Darfur, but that give us a possibility to see the Arab stronghold of Khartoum. This president is a scary man, but he's guiding a lot of beautiful people who are waiting for your visit.

Ethiopia. We discussed the big child labour problem that Ethiopia is having a lot of problems with. There is a lot of landgrabbing happening and poverty is a big deal. I've seen a beautiful country that reminded me of Asian rice fields, extremely fertile land. Children helping out their parents on their underdeveloped farms. Shopping malls and the African Union HQ in Addis Ababa. Alcoholism in the streets and a bar every 20 meters. Kind, proud people who are more than willing to brag about their history while they chew some qat away. Interesting. Going back there asap!

By what method did you travel across the country though? Hitch hiking the whole way? Any visa troubles? I hear you need to get visas in your home country which is a big problem if you are on the road.

We've hitch hiked the whole way. 145 different vehicles. Here you can find pictures of the first 112 rides until Livingstone, Zambia. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3686091637365.2135364.1427380610&type=3 My friend Christiaan who shot the pictures is still working on uploading the remaining set of pics.

Not a lot of visa troubles, apart from the Sudanese visa we had to obtain in Aswan. That took us long boring days in a small cabin with an arrogant consul. Most visa we obtained at home, so we'd be prepared. As soon as you reach Southern Africa everything becomes easier.

I've been to West Africa (Guinea, Niger, Sierra Leone, Mali, The Gambia to name a few) many times and I'm wondering about the people you met. Before I ever went, I assumed the people were unhappy and angry because of their lifestyles but I found out it was, in fact, the opposite! In general, West Africans were just about the nicest people I've met. How have you been treated and how did you perceive the attitudes of the people you've met?

I think about 2000 people have asked for a cigarette. That started to become a little annoying but apart from that I loved the people. I saw many happy people and I have never seen so many people who just do a little dance on the side of the road. I've also seen a lot of drunk people. People like their beer. The people were extraordinary nice. They are famous for that. And these insights come from the other side of Africa. Now you do the East side and I will be glad to set foot on the West side. Let's see what's the difference :)

Haha I'd love to. It would be nice to get to see the difference. And yeah, the requests were a little bit overpowering. I don't know how many times people have basically shoved bananas in my window trying to get me to buy them.

Others before you bought them and others before me gave away their cigarettes. They're smart ;)

Definitely. One more thing. I was staying in a compound that got robbed overnight. The guard basically just let them in when he saw they had guns. I woke up to it but stayed in the room I was sleeping in because obviously I didn't want to get shot. So my question is, have you ever had any truly frightening experiences?

After the trip I stayed with a member of the 27s, a branch of The Numbers Gang from South Africa. He helped me out to get the car I was driving out of the mud. When I was in his house I found there was a pistol in every room and he had killed 9 people in gang wars. It was scary, but interesting too. I played the kind journalist and we ended up saying we would meet again for coffee. I don't have a lot of fear, that may cost me my life sooner or later, but I like it this far :)

It seems like Westerners are less likely to get in trouble, at least from my experience. And be careful! It's a great place but you don't want to go asking for trouble.

When you walk into the wrong street, you should find that out within seconds. If you don't, you should have stayed at home. There may be trouble, you may be unlucky. But it should never stop you from exploring your curiosity. Be careful is the only thing my dad always says. Use your brains. Don't get too drunk. Keep thinking, keep looking. And yes, I tell people I'm Dutch when that helps.

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Definitely. But what I would really like to do right now is finding myself a foursome of wheels in Cape Town and drive back home along the West coast. I never expected this continent to be so fascinating, but it grabs you. It's fucked up, but so beautiful. Would I hitchhike again? Every car is a story. As you enter the country your first ride gives you a nice introduction on life, love and laughter in the country. Somewhere in the middle you start understanding the local politics. Your last ride asks you if you would come back. We've always answered with a sincere yes.

Which expectation/'prejudice' you had beforehand turned out to be completely wrong?

What do the charity ads show us? Small children with big bellies because they don't get proper nutrition. I've seen a lot of poverty, but I've also seen a lot of rich people. Honestly I thought Africa was a shithole in which we would drown in hunger and would have to take an intruding snake out of my bag every day. I've only seen two snakes and I think I didn't lose any weight.

Whats the worst experience you have had hitch hiking?

There wasn't really a worst experience. Every ride is different in every aspect. It may be the fatigue that pretty much sucks all the fun out of the hitchhiking on a certain moment, but I think I can speak for every hitchhiker that everything is back to being perfect the moment a car pulls over. No complaints.

Just wanted to get this kickstarted (although I am way late but I think this deserves more attention).

1. Most memorable experience?
2. Any experiences you wish you didn't have to go through? Hardest physically, mentally?
3. Did you meet anybody there that you still keep in touch with?
4. Would you do it again?
5. Why did you do it?

No worries about being late. A newspaper is slower.

1. Maybe a little plain, but bungeejumping the Zambezi bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe, a 111 meter jump is something I will never forget. Of course meeting that girl on the end of the road, in Cape Town, is something worth remembering too :)

2. None, apart from the financial aspect. It was hard coping with a little bit of money. Exchange rates, keeping track of expenses. It's not my best skill.

3. Loads of people. There is the benefit of Facebook. Some people just come and say hi, others are there to stay and become your friends. There is some people I will meet in the next few years. No doubt about it. While hitchhiking you - also - meet a lot of people who may be very interesting for your long term professional network. Business opportunities unfold as you talk about them in an informal context.

4. Definitely.

5. It is such a great way of travelling as it shows you a lot of different aspect in society. We got rides from ambassadors, businessmen, truck drivers, carpenters and housewives. They all tell you their bits of about the country and that gives you a very nice insight. Every car is a story.

I'm doubting that you'll check this again but figured I'd give it a shot.

So i see where you talked about the route you took for your trip and with my little knowledge of the rest of africa (im currently living in the DR Congo, i'm american), im guessing that you probably didn't have too much trouble with any sorts of violence? How were you treated in Egypt? and did you guys ever have times where you were afraid for your lives or any harm? if so, do you think having a camera and filming had an positive or negative affect on the africans actions?

The cameras didn't always have a positive effect on people. The first impression you give is that you have much more money than you actually have. There would be a support car following us from time to time to cover the story, but the hitchhiking was much easier when they were far away. A production car just seeds confusion.

In Egypt we weren't always treated that nice. The Arab Spring caused a lot of depression in the country of mass tourism. The tourist scams are getting worse by the day because people are losing jobs on the same pace. Our South African cameraman got into a fight in a shop as he refused to pay the tourist price. The vendor and he ended up throwing chocolate bars at each other.

We were never afraid of our lives. Sometimes you find yourself with people who have a bunch of AK-47 and who don't speak English. You just keep on smiling and assume all is fine. It's about using your brains and human knowledge. Everything went well.

How is the DRC treating you?

Have you ever been harmed, or come close thereof, while hitchhiking?

In the pouring rain in Zambia I ran a little too fast to a car. I opened the door and the sharp edge it hit my chest. Two months later there is still a pretty big scar. Apart from that we had 145 safe rides.

How much money did you bring and how did you manage food and eating and stuff like that?

We've spent 500 euros each on travelling. That was the budget we set. On that money we made it to Botswana right before Christmas. Then we decided we wouldn't hunger strike and put some extra money together. We ate a lot of bread and peanut butter. A lot.

Thanks! Any favorite or strange local cuisine you had the chance to sample along the way?

Chickenfeet, fried caterpillars, injera, nshima and also a lot of cheeseburgers :)

You hitchhiked with 2 others, how many of the 120 days were you at each others throats? I imagine things can get frustrating when you're sleepy, hungry and can't get a ride.

We were constanly at each others throats. No, not really. Before we'd start the day we would make sure that the three of us would be fine. Neda, the girl, had a hard time in the morning because Chris and I would keep on snoozing until the afternoon. Let me not mention her periods. But of course, there are a awkward moments. We'd just always make sure that we wouldn't have to bring them all the way to Cape Town. Three strong opinions, three strong wills, there's some interesting footage about that in the documentary. Two of the three could laugh their sucks off while the third didn't really understand the joke. Or vice versa.

We would sing the theme song of the Lion King to kill the silence for some time. Or Dutch schlager. Or we would just keep silent for hours.

Did you see any charities at work? What were your thoughts?

It may sound a little extreme, but I would like to hold a magnet above the continent that can pick up all the white Toyota Land Cruisers with all the famous abbreviations stickered on the door. Click, activate and go back home. I don't share that exact same opinion with my friends, but I would just like to see the people fix their own problems. I haven't seen any kids on the backseat of SOS-Children Villages fieldcars for example... We discussed many of these issues as we also visited a lot of NGOs. In the documentary you can see the three opinions evolving from start to end of the journey.

I agree, however, one of the biggest impediments to people "fixing their problems" is the influence of large, multinational corporations in these fragile democracies. Companies like the Royal Dutch Shell Company come in pay off leaders, plunder money/resources, pollute the land, and do other generally shitty things. I bet if these companies operated in a legit fashion then people would be able to help themselves. Stop paying people off, stop buying elections, employ local workers, and stop polluting the enviroment! Don't mean to come off as hostile but I can't stand Shell. Edit: Sounds like you had a cool trip dude. Rock on!

You are very right. Now, if we fix that problem, the aid actually makes sense. On a certain point during our trip we had a ride of a diplomatic car. I can not mention the nationality of the ambassador who was not in the car. If I would do that, the driver would lose his job right away because the country involved is not far from here. But we got the privilege to read the communication between a few embassies Eastern Africa. It was WikiLeaks. I have never seen such big figures being washed corrupcy lane. Shell are bastards. I'm sorry they're Dutch. And thanks man, appreciated!

Did the locals take to you kindly?

What was the scariest moment of the whole trip?

They took us very kindly. The scariest moment of the whole trip was getting awake and finding out that somebody had entered our tent and had stolen a backpack. The idea of somebody entering your safe zone is always a little weird. But the police returned all stolen objects. This story is covered in the documentary :)

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Cairo-Capetown is safe! I checked it for you! Don't let the media make you too crazy, go and see for yourself. That has worked for me in Iran too.

how did you pay for it?

I've worked for some time and saved up money. A great part of the mediaproject was crowdfunded. Everybody on the team was a volunteer in their own field of expertise. My friends and I were just hitchhikers. Two filmmakers, one production leader and just go.

Did you hear any reggae while there, and is Bob Marley a hero to them?

We've heard loads of reggae. Haile Selassie, also known as Ras Tafari, made sure his Jamaican friends would have a nice place to stay in Shashemane, Ethiopia. Ethiopians love Bob Marley. And he is loved all across the route we took. I think he is an important role model to everybody who shouts 'One Africa One Love' on a daily basis.

My favourite Ethiopian reggae song, recommended to me by my favourite truck driver Habtamu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEAHkVt7OLY

What is your favourite country in Africa? I'd love to do the eastern part (Kenya - Rwanda - Tanzania - Uganda - Ethiopia) some time as it seems it's relatively stable compared to many other areas in the continent.

Also did you get to Somalia at all or did you scratch that off the list. Ok second question - what is the most dangerous/dodgy country you went to?

It is said that South Africa is one the most dodgy countries in the world, but really it became my favourite country. Maybe it has to do with the people you meet, after all they are your best references. But it's such a versatile country, a bit fucked up, but therefore so interesting. At first glance it looks so Western, but in the backyard it's very tribal. This collection of face is beautiful to me. But I can definitely recommend Kenya and Tanzania. They are beautiful and not that hard to travel indeed. We had to scratch Somalia off our list. I will come back to see it though.

The first thing i thought of is that 15000 km is 9320 miles. Sorry.

What made you want to make this documentary?

What kind of gear did you find most useful on the trip?

What's your favorite kind of breakfast cereal?

We wanted to make this documentary to show what is hitchhiking all about. It is such a great way of travelling as it shows you a lot of different aspect in society. We got rides from ambassadors, businessmen, truck drivers, carpenters and housewives. They all tell you their bits of about the country and that gives you a very nice insight. Every car is a story. A backpack is a traveller's best friend. A world adapter is a definite necessity nowadays. Just like a mobile phone, to (re)connect with people on the road, I name CouchSurfing, Facebook, Twitter. It's a great tool of sharing your experiences nowadays. So we did. I love Weetabix on cold milk and a few drops of sugar.

What did you think of Kenya?

It looked like a safaripark to us. There is an elephant on your beer, there is a rhino on your pack of matches, there is a giraffe on the bank your withdrawing your money and the currency comes with the big five. It's a beautiful country, especially Northern-Kenya, where you still can't find paved roads. We'd crawling through the Savannah on a 20km/h pace. Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ok6AdEtCg4

The first minutes show you what I'm talking about. This is footage that we have shot.

Hej, not sure if you'll still check this out but its nice to hear about your story, and ill definitely follow through.

I've been hitchhiking quite a bit myself, went from belgium to norway during winter with a budget of a hundred bucks and recently I just got back from another trip where ive spent even less money. I'm hooked by this way of travelling however I find it frustrating to only be able to tell the stories because people doesnt get the feeling of how awesome it is to be on your own surrounded by people you dont know on a house u never been before in a new country(well u know the feeling...) those moments are awesome. I'd like to do a trip with footage too to let people see what it really is like, kinda like you i'm assuming? anyways was it hard to get someone to work with you filming what was happening? or youre lucky and got some awesome crazy friends? can u give me some advice on the matter? id really like to do that.

by the way if you ever come by mallorca make sure u send me a PM and will get you some couch and show you around.

I am lucky and I got some awesome crazy friends. I met these people who have a love for Africa and for hitchhiking. They combined this in setting up a media project and I was allowed to screen as one of the three hitchhikers. It's quite an assignment you're giving yourself when you decide to carry your experiences to the big screen. Because still it may be hard to feel what's it all about, but I have this fucking talented filmmakers as friends now. They are full time documentary makers and they did an awesome job in collecting the footage. I can promise you, if you help us getting this documentary to the finish line, that you will get your most favourite travel documentary. You like hitchhiking for a reason.

So it's not easy. Plan your trip really well. And that's hard, because what is there to plan when you're hitchhiking. Make sure you collect the right people.

I will do that. Thank you for your questions!

Thanks for the reply. I've got a really close friend here in mallorca whom ive travelled with the last winter and sometime this winter aswell, he is the one i count on to do "crazy" ideas, we're really hooked by this way of traveling and we want to start seeing more exotic countries.

Anyway we're trying to gather everything and do something with it, we can only write it down in a blog tbh, we did some fliming on a crappy camera and some pictures here and there but in no way it will reflect how really the trip was. When you are alone u think more about making it to the next city or finding someone who will let you sleep for free in their home and u forget about everything else, everything goes really fast on the road as u know. What I love about travelling with a low budget is the fact that you must interact with people in order to make it and this puts you in such new situations which are unfamiliar to u... really, thats the only reason I travel, well, you kinda sum it up in your intro.

If you do need any help with anything id be happy to provide it in any way i can, id like to hear about your future projects is there any way we can keep contacts? perhaps fb? or you dont like to have random internet ppl on your news feed?:D

I'll pm you!

Can you write a book Henry Richard Dana Jr. style so I can read it?

I am working on a neo-beat roadstory. Does that fit your shelf?

1. What music do the people listen? the urban youth to be specific?
2. and are they peeved that the image of africa portrayed by the irresponsible media when they believe that they lead lives which are not so different from their western counterparts?

1. The hiphop side of pop wins big time. Rihanna is a star, but Bob Marley is an all time hero. There is also a lot of local hiphop people listen to. In South Africa people dig a lot of deep house, Johannesburg DJs who are able to give this beautiful tribal twist to deep house. Check Oskido's Tsa Mandebele. The hit of the moment.

2. Yes. It reminded me of my studies, Bachelor of Education. When I teached the lower levels of education I always sensed a great deal of low self-esteem. I saw the same in Africa. The youth sometimes think they are way less than their 'Western' brothers and sisters. In fact they do exactly the same things as them, but indeed the international situations make them believe that their lives are worse. So they want to come to the Netherlands when I tell them that I am from there. Then I'd tell them they would drown in the Western pace of society. It's easier for me to live in Africa than for my African friend to live in Europe. It's hard work over here. This is a generalization, but I think you get the picture. That pays them comfort. Nairobi has a better nightlife than Amsterdam.

Nice design on the poster.

Thank you. What do you think about the trailer?

Looks interesting. Makes me want to travel.

The documentary will actually make you travel. Hop on board!

What was Nigeria like? I've heard the delta and the highlands are like two different countries.

We haven't seen Nigeria.

Netherlands-Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria-Turkey-Egypt-Sudan-Ethiopia-Kenya-Tanzania-Zambia-Zimbabwe-Botswana-Namibia-South Africa.

And Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique after everyone went separate ways.

Tell me a story . Your favorite story along the journey

I will give you something fun to watch. Similar stories will make it to the documentary. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGthen5YIls

I sold a high end hiking backpack to a girl who used it to hike from one coast of Africa to the other. I often times wonder how she did.

She may still be on her way.

Have you seen the Top Gear: Botswana Special where they travel across part of Africa? How accurate would you say they represented traveling across Africa?

First of all they clearly bought South Africa licensed cars. The GP license plate tells you the cars are from Gauteng, the district famous for the mines, Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Second of all these cars are scarce in Botswana. You will sooner see a big ass 4x4 or an older 4x2 Hilux. It's the richest country of Africa, but still a lot goes wrong. Therefore you see a lot of hitchhikers alongside the road. On certain moments we'd found ourselves on a hikers spot with 50 other hitchhikers, all locals who pay a fair amount for the gasoline.

The rest of it, sure, this is Botswana. The Kalahari, decent roads, beautiful sights, warm-hearted people. It just depends where you're going. The country is bigger than France. Worth seeing!

In what way do you think your journey is related to the Watergate Crisis?

Being a Dutch student I couldn't really share a lot of thoughts on the Watergate crisis until I had seen the movie Frost/Nixon. Our former prince Bernhard van Lippe-Biesterfeld had nice affair going on with the old boys of Lockheed and as I'm thinking about this I could only wish he was still alive so he could share his story with David Frost. I like David Frost, I like journalism and I did my fair share of asking questions on my journey.

I LIKE TURTLES!!

Splinter is much cooler.

Do you regret wasting your time?

I love wasting time as long as I am sure you waste a few seconds of your precious time to ask me a question about it.