An idea. A personal project. Self-financed, because there are no money for nice things without compromise. I start this blog at the beginning of the journey to Nepal. The plan is to do the trip by land, passing through Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India.
The duration is 3 months and during this time I will study the culture, habits and traditions of the people I meet. I also want to give some value on the way, so I’m planning some activities. I will do trainings and educational activities for schools and NGO’s and I will meet representatives of local organizations. I’ll speak about the Romanian culture and about European NGO work.
I will use the intercultural value that I receive during this time for the organization I am member of (League for Education, Culture and Sport – LECUPO) and for the next projects.
I promote hitchhiking because:
– it’s perfect for low-budget travelers
– as a growing experience. Hitchhiking means meeting the unknown, getting out of the comfort zone and facing new experiences
– the intercultural value. One of the best ways to meet the real people of a country
– it’s ecological. By hitchhiking the environment is not affected. I take an empty seat in a car that is going anyway in the same direction.
When traveling as a tourist, everything is provided to you. Food, accommodation, transportation and program – they are already given, you belong to a group and the interaction with local people is minimal.
As a traveler you have to deal with all your needs, you have to plan everything and this cannot be made only by the book. Because reality is much different… There is no group or it’s just a small one and it’s a much better intercultural experience.
The recommended number of hitchhikers is maximum two. That means a direct contact with local people. People you would never meet in different circumstances. There are risks in hitchhiking, but these can be prevented or reduced.
I named the blog “pathzero” (pathzero.wordpress.com) because the way we are, no matter how insignificant looks, it is the most important. Because everything we have is in this moment… not yesterday and not tomorrow…
“Pointzero” (www.punctulzero.wordpress.com) is the Romanian version. No matter where I will be and what I will do, I will try to speak about my life from the moment, open and natural.
Everything in this trip is related to people. Because any person I meet can bring value to my life. In every abroad experience I am looking more to meet people instead of places.
The choice is East because people are closer to their souls, because they fully enjoy life, with all its pains and sorrows. When I talk with somebody from this area, I often feel it very close as a human being.
If you want to contribute financially please use the lei account Alpha Bank, RO33BUCUG47782642511RO96, Iordache Mihail Alin. For euro account please contact me. Any small amount can bring a deeper intercultural experience or materials for a workshop. Thank you!
In Bucharest there are some wonderful people that are making the blog possible. I just record the texts and modify them, if necessary. They process the recordings and give shape to the website. They are Daniela David, Laura Gavrila and Olivian Breda. Thank you guys!
For personal email you can use mihai.iordache [at] gmail [dot] com, but if you have any comments please post them on the blog.
Thank you for coming with me in this journey! 🙂