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Traveloka SG

05 Mar 2018 - 4 min read

5 Amazing Firsts While Hitchhiking From Sweden To Malaysia

Wandering in the Varzaneh Desert

Wandering in the Varzaneh Desert located in Isfahan province of Iran. Credit: Petrina Thong

The journey ofhitchhiking from Sweden back to Malaysiawhile being penniless for most of it was entirely new and unfamiliar in itself. Many of the events which took place, while memorable, were not always enjoyable. However, these are the few firsts which left me feeling amazed and grateful that I got to experience them.

1. Squatting in Germany

Making a fire

Making a fire. Credit: Petrina Thong

If you asked me what a squat was before this trip, I would not have been able to tell you. Even though I developed a growing interest in alternative-lifestyles, my knowledge of how people survived with little or no money was minimal. So to find myself unexpectedly stumbling across a squat community just outside of Berlin was quite a wonderful surprise.

Trailers, tents, teepees, self-built houses, were speckled all around these woods. I was shown an empty trailer to crash at as the owner hasn’t been seen in months. I spent the first 48 hours mostly cooped up in there, peeking out my window, nibbling on bits of a hardened baguette I found in the bins. Occasionally I took walks on my own but didn’t approach anyone because I felt extremely out of place. (Note that this was still pretty early on in the trip, and my shamelessness towards approaching people had not yet developed.)

Inside my trailer

Inside my trailer. Credit: Petrina Thong

Eventually I got really hungry and had to socialise to get some food. Only then I felt silly for being so shy because they were very welcoming and friendly. Meals were mostly sourced from dumpster diving or harvesting their own greens. The people from this community were made up of many nationalities. Each had their own reason for deciding to live here – A healer seeking to find more medicinal plants, a mother believing that carrying out her pregnancy in the woods would be much healthier compared to a city, a shaman looking for a new home, a young man who simply does not want to pay rent; it was an eccentric and fascinating mix of people all looking to live in peace and anarchy.

Walking in the woods barefooted

Walking in the woods barefooted. Credit: Petrina Thong

My days were spent looking for edible plants, taking swims in the lake, and absorbing all I could of this lifestyle which was so different from mine. I started to feel uncomfortable when one of the inhabitants kept following me around, professing his love, and claiming to “not like the vibrations here,” so, “we should go somewhere quiet.” I tried to avoid him as much as I could; then quickly and quietly left the one early morning. It was time to experience the city of Berlin instead… And finally take a shower after a week.

2. Rainbow gathering

Rainbow people

Rainbow people. Credit: Petrina Thong

I journeyed to the European Rainbow Gathering in the mountains of Lithuania with no clue of what this was. I followed the directions according to a hand-drawn map and hoped to God I was on the right path. Whenever I spotted an oddball who didn’t look like a village-folk from these parts, it was easy to guess that we were all headed in the same direction.

Soon enough we found ourselves hiking through the hills, following pieces of cloth tied to branches, before arriving at the Welcome Camp where everyone who was already there yelled, “WELCOME HOME,” gave tight hugs that lasted at least 10 seconds, and offered us a hot cup of tea. Although names were introduced, everyone was more commonly referred to as “Sister” or “Brother,” because everyone is seen as family. This gathering lasts a month, one full moon cycle, and I was surprised to see people of all ages camping out. From babies to people in their nineties. I didn’t have a tent of my own yet, so at first I bunked with someone, and then I discovered a communal teepee where I could crash with ten other people.

Meal time was one of the most bizarre eating events I’ve ever experienced. The communal kitchen cooks for all. So once they’re almost done, they yell out, “FOOD CIRCLE!” Whoever else hears that, yells it out as well. So the message spreads all across the mountains to gather these hundreds or thousands of people around the main fire. A circle is formed, hands are held, songs are sung, thanks is given, before food is served. Although it felt a little like church Sunday School to me, I struggled to feel comfortable participating in this sing-song.

An old man serenading us in a language I don’t understand

An old man serenading us in a language I don’t understand. Credit: Petrina Thong

I spent the first few days mostly on my own, soaking up these strange sights, realising that I am nowhere close to being a hippie, wondering where I could find a “normal” person to talk to. Spirituality, searching for higher consciousness, fulfilling ancient Native American prophecies; workshops on meditation, tantra, healing, seemed to be the reoccurring theme here. I could not have felt more like a secular city-kid.

Another thing that weirded me out in the beginning was the amount of eye contact made. When I spoke to someone, or walked past them, or sat in front of them in a circle, I would easily find myself locking eyes with someone for extended periods. If he was attractive, I’d consciously make an effort to maintain it, but even then I tend to look away first. I got accustomed to it after a couple of days and then it became really enjoyable. It’s actually a rather powerful tool and it made me realise how little eye contact we usually have.

There were other things which I highly appreciated as well. Such as, the absence of technology – With no phones, cameras, or watches, we gauged the time by looking at the sun; and how all it took was one person to start a beat and soon enough there’ll be a percussionist, guitarist, saxophonist, accordionist, flutist, an entire symphony of non-electronic instruments creating music together; then there’s the sight of children and dogs running free and playing together; and most of all, the people whom I eventually connected and bonded with.

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