E3 - Sasha: Embracing the World Through Stories and Journeys

Embark on a globetrotting adventure without leaving the comfort of your home, as we sit down with Sasha, the Russian wanderer with a penchant for hosting and a heart filled with stories. His journey, ignited by childhood curiosity and a map on the wall, unfolds in our latest episode, revealing not just the sights he's seen but the souls he's met along the way. From couchsurfing beginnings in Moscow to the far reaches of Malaysia, Sasha's tales weave through the transformative power of travel and the connections that transcend borders.

Navigating the globe is an art, and Sasha's insights into travel technology paint a vivid picture of how to master it. We swap anecdotes on how apps like Couchsurfing and Mapsme have not only streamlined our travels but also opened doors to cultural exchanges that are too good to miss. Your ears will perk up hearing about the candid moments when language barriers fall and friendships form, proving that the journey is as much about the people you meet as the places you visit.

As our conversation culminates, we explore the evolving landscape of travel from Sasha's lens, capturing the essence of what it means to truly embrace the destinations and their denizens. Whether it's the thrill of hitchhiking across unknown lands or the serene nights in the Åland Islands, Sasha's anticipation for the roads ahead is contagious. He leaves us not just with wanderlust, but with practical pearls of wisdom for our own journeys—reminding us that every trip is a chapter in the grand story of our lives. Join us and be inspired to write your next one.

Connect with Sasha:

• Sasha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sasha_travelling
• Couchsurfing: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/alexander.diordiev

Connect with me:

• Igar Garai Instagram: https://instagram.com/igargarai
• or be my CS guest: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/igar-garai

Transcript

Igar: 0:01

Hello, travelers from around the globe. Today I have a privilege to sit with truly experienced traveler who was Hosting more than hundred people, travel more than ten years, each hike, tons of countries and like it's my dear friend Sasha from Russia. Welcome, man, thank you, hey, thank you for having me here. Cool, cool man. Man, like we can talk about a lot of stuff, like like the amount, what you did, uh like of the travel, like what way you've been, the way, how you travel, um, again, the couch surfing app I was mentioning before in previous episodes, and like I think, so far, you like, you know, on all these parameters, like top of the top, you know. So, man, like can you please open up you know the way, how you started all this journey of traveler? Because, man, more than 10 years ago, and your destination so exotic, you know, so unpopular and popular in the same time. So how, how, how, where it's all coming from well, where should they start?

Sasha: 1:10

I think it all started when my dad showed me he bought a map, world map and he showed me a few places like bandar, seriribigavan and Addis Abeba, I don't know, and I was so curious about those places. I was like what the hell like? Why do these countries far away from my home, why do they have so long names? And out of curiosity, I started to explore this map and I discovered many places, started to learn about capitals and mountains, rivers, everything. So that's how it started. Probably I couldn't travel for a long time.

Sasha: 2:02

I started to travel, like when I was 20 years old, I think, and my family, they, they really treat me like a crazy guy who who travels everywhere, especially my grandma, and she's like again, you went somewhere, to mongolia or whatever. Like, what are you doing there? And just stay at home, eat, eat something and yeah, and be safe. But, um, yeah, it was just the truly inquisitive, uh mindset which I had from my childhood and I really wanted to do this, as many people, but they probably stuck with some other things and I was. I was lucky to to you to find about, to find out about, course surfing and stay with a guy in Moscow who told me about hitchhiking and how he traveled all country and even other countries like five to six, seven thousands kilometers by hitchhiking. I was the TV, so, yeah, it's actually opened my my eyes a bit. And after this I started to meet more and more other travelers, crazy travelers, and yeah, then I started to do hitchhiking and yeah, that's how it started.

Igar: 3:51

Oh, wow. Do you remember your first trip, Like how was it? Where was it? The way it was, like like couchsurfing was like Moscow one, but like when you decide like hey, let's go to travel was like Moscow one, but like when you decide like, hey, let's go to travel.

Sasha: 4:08

Hmm, what was that? My first experience was pretty interesting. Like first host, he was living with his parents. They didn't have couch or sofas at home, so basically they were sleeping on the floor on the sleeping pads and in sleeping bags and they were pretty comfortable with that. So at that moment for me it was like a bit, maybe, uh, too radical. But they were totally fine, they work, they were like normal people. Yeah, that was interesting. The second night, the second experience I had in St Petersburg, where a guy he asked us our passports or IDs and he took a picture of them but like on couch surfing or like it was like a regular booking or something it was like facebook group on couch surfing.

Igar: 5:14

It's actually vk, but yeah, it's like yeah, uh, so in this social, media.

Sasha: 5:20

Okay, okay, you know okay, okay, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but he was actually nice guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But actually, at first, uh, I, I couldn't use couchsurfing because I thought I have to fix it and learn about this language more with yeah, it is what it is, and yeah, I was scared that I couldn't speak like fluently. So maybe I couldn't speak like fluently, so maybe I don't have to use it. So I left this idea for some some moment. Then I come back when I really wanted to meet foreigners and I started to host and it's really boosted my uh, like, uh like motivation to learn this language.

Sasha: 6:30

So, yeah, after this, when you meet people from around the world, you feel you're part of this big community. And when you hear stories like, okay, I just take my kayak and I go to Zimbabwe, do you want to join? Or like, oh, our big family, we go from Chad to Angola by bus, and we just hear those stories. Or like, come on, let's go to K2 in Pakistan. It's like, it's like too easy, like Everest, but it's a bit harder, but it's okay. And you're just wow, wow, that's kind of impossible. But not, you see, but it's a bit harder, but it's okay. And you're just wow, wow, that's kind of impossible, but not, you see, it's possible.

Igar: 7:12

People they do this. Yeah. So so if I understand you correct, like uh, you host. Oh sorry, you visited some like um places inside your country.

Sasha: 7:24

Then you started to host people and only after like some time, like you got like like abroad, like travel abroad, right, yeah, yeah yeah, so yeah, yeah, I went like uh, I live for some time in ukraine and I traveled to Belarus for, but it was just like music festivals or so, so yeah, then I went to check in other European countries.

Sasha: 7:51

Oh no, well, first of all I went to to Malaysia, to Kazakhstan, uzbekistan, kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Yeah, it was a great experience. It was truly different and totally different if you compare it to other countries like Russia, belarus, ukraine. Mentality is much closer to those countries than to, I don't know, like germany or like france.

Igar: 8:33

So uh yeah, but it was like I like it and for me it was something peculiar and unusual bro, you touched some like topic and it's I I found it's really interesting and really important um the language. Right, like both of us, like russian speakers, and I know the pain, what was like in general, like communication with people, international people. You know how to communicate and we have this social pressure. Maybe you know some perfectionism that, like, you have to say I don't know, I was there, not, I were there.

Igar: 9:17

You know, and like all these people always, like you know, trying to, even though they don't speak, you know, like they're not native speakers and they try to fix. And it's like you know, it's like we have a lot of pressure in our countries. Uh, you know, speak correct, do this or do that correct anyway. So, um, and you said by yourself like you had this fear, like you know, and how did you like manage it? How you manage it, how you kind of went out? Do you have any like some particular story who, let's say, calm you down and say, hey, man, like it's okay, it's not our native, we speak the way we speak, you know, like I don't know, like, yeah, if so, like I don't know in general, general, like what was your way to improve? And and then like how much important the language in your opinion is, like to know at least some to communicate with people, because, yeah, in first stages, let's say, communication was not much so, but still it was a lot of fun, right, correct? So, yeah, how was, how was that?

Sasha: 10:23

part for you. I would say that from my perspective, or perspective of Russian speaking person living in countries like Russia, you don't really need to learn other languages. It's like normal to not to speak other languages and some people treat you like a super wise guy who like learned some, like one, two languages. You're like a genius or something. But again, when you dive into this community, what I did and it was pretty normal to speak three, four, five languages it was nothing special. Maybe I didn't have this big fear, but I was. It just really gave me a reason to learn it, to show, okay, you, you wanna, you wanna travel, you wanna meet travelers, you wanna learn more, discover this world. So, come on, do this. And I started to, to do some. What's the name of this popular application application? Yeah, kind of Duolingo, yeah, but like better version than this yeah, I didn't like Duolingo, sorry guys.

Igar: 12:01

Thanks, man same, I totally resonate with you. It's not for language. You know it's not for language. You know it's not for language application. I don't know why it's popular.

Sasha: 12:09

Yeah, yeah, I actually tried Memrise. If you like to try something new and learn languages, I think they have a good. Memrise is an app. Memrise is an app for learning different languages. They don't have many of them, but at least like european languages, like italian, french, german, obviously english, I think, some chinese, um, portuguese as well, which I learned there and and yeah, so also I was watching my favorite series, my favorite movies, like Breaking Bad or Californication. Rob hello, you know you're a huge fan of Californication, like me, and yeah, yeah, it helped me a lot. It helped me a lot, especially when you love something music, some movies which you've already seen or heard before, it really helps you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What about you? And how did you start? How did you manage it?

Igar: 13:28

The language. Like you know, I have like one the moment, like what kind of got me really more cheerful in general, like towards the language approach, like because I had the same this like social barrier that like, hey, I need to speak perfectly or don't speak at all, you know, like I speak correct or don't speak, you know, but once upon a time I was hosting also one Spanish girl and like also my good friend nowadays.

Igar: 13:56

And, like you know, we was hanging out like just walking around in some park in Warsaw and like the way how I was communicating it like, uh, you know, like here, like I don't know, trying to use hands and everything. Like you know, like trying to express the way you can. You know, like you use everything possible sometimes translator. You know, it's like not really um, efficient. Maybe nowadays it's better, but like back then it was like I don't know, also eight years ago or something. It was a little bit like, anyway, slow, you need to type. And, like you know, vibe is killing. And then like and I was always like, oh, sorry, sorry for my bad english, sorry, sorry, you know. And then like she was like man, you know, I'm not native speaker, like I understand what you say, like just like you know so.

Igar: 14:38

And in this kind of moment, that kind of simple phrase impacted me and I like, yeah, really like you know so. And in this kind of moment, that kind of simple phrase impacted me like, yeah, really, like you know, none of us native, so why I worry? Like for grammar or for what you know? And then, like this time to time, kind of like with practice speaking with people, like travel, you need to express you need to buy something I don't know in other countries, only kind of english. In this way it's common language more or less. You know everybody more or less knows around. So like that kind of helped me. And then like practice and travel and practice and like it's get better, better even like memorize like you know like a baby, like literally repeat for the, the sound on the ground. Yeah, like a baby, literally repeat. You know, like the phrases or words you hear from other during communication yeah, and it was coming to my mind.

Igar: 15:29

I mean like this time, like subconsciously, like not you know, yeah, and of course like, like if originally it was not from the scratch, you know, like originally in school I had some small base, you know some.

Sasha: 15:42

I think everybody can have it right yeah, yeah, yeah, so, but uh, was it. Uh, uh, are you saying that it was actually couchsurfing like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, totally yeah couchsurfing in general.

Igar: 15:58

Yeah, that's why I touch this application a lot in the podcast, even though it's not the greatest application, um, but like it gave me a lot. It's made me like as a person with a lot of aspects and even simple things like a language you know.

Igar: 16:14

Yeah, so and by the way, maybe you know, like, like, is there any other, like nice apps, like I don't know? You can recommend people in general, like I mean, or like you had experience because similar with couch, or maybe like different doesn't matter, I know, for example, uh, for hitchhiking there was like this high hitchhiking, right yeah, yeah, this website I think it's website right, it's website yeah yeah, or like, for example, groups.

Igar: 16:42

Obviously you work one or another way like this, like on facebook or something, and uh, I know that like some, like word breakers or something but I don't know like if you have experience, if you like, try them. If you like you know meet people through them. Like, yeah, like, if so, like I would I would like also to know by myself, and yeah yeah feel free to share to my already mentioned about memorize.

Sasha: 17:12

It's a app for uh to learn languages. This is one. Um, well, maybe I'll recommend Mapsme. If you travel, like if you go to the mountains, for example, or you go for hiking or spend time in nature. It's really good because it shows you all roads and itineraries where you can go and find a way, because, unfortunately, some other big maps we all know it works not well sometimes, especially out of city, in cities. It's a check map and they have even better itineraries and routes for all small stuff. You can check, like how high this mountain or this one and compare which row should take to go this way or this way or worse river. So it's really good for again hiking this kind of stuff. If you're into it. What else too good to go? But it's a European countries, most of european countries. Uh, it's must, must try here in poland it's very common and you can find lots of stuff and not just save money but also help environment. Yeah, so it's really good, it's like, it's like food application.

Igar: 19:01

Yeah right, like these restaurants, like what kind of leftover to don't throw so you can grab it.

Sasha: 19:08

Like my like way cheaper, way cheaper, yeah, yeah, then it's, either it's some I don't know products from grocery store or I don't know, some buns and coffee from coffee shops something like this so yeah, it's, uh, it's really good. So what about other apps? What kind of apps do you always use when you travel for?

Igar: 19:32

me personally. You know, yeah, I'm like really into this. I was trying to find alternative of couchsurfing, for example, like, but I read different articles that still, you know, they have the biggest group base of people I think it was around 11 million users, like at least three years ago when I was trying to find alternative because, like, application not really updating and the kind of you know bugging. However, again, like you know, people are there and like, the day is a phrase like couch surfing then, but this, this stuff is still works I give into this application somehow again, not somebody maintaining, but it's not really something with developing, right.

Igar: 20:17

Like it's application from 2010s, you know, right, and nothing changed since then. Since I started with nothing changed, zero updates. Like just like some, yeah, and like there was some word, not word packer, something different, mmm, but that was the biggest kind of similar application and it was 800,000 users. So like kind of more than 10 times less. Imagine like the closest similar app and another app I haven't tried yet I'm really curious to try and like also one friend of mine and also the person I host in coverage. He developed it.

Igar: 21:00

It's called gulu app, but like I found the idea. It's really interesting. For example, like it's kind of social media, but for travelers, but not just for like these photos or like videos or whatever this social media offers, but more like kind of it's kind of oh, I don't really sure how exactly like what full functionality, but at least one. It's like you have the location and, let's say, you have group of friends right, like I don't know whatever, uh, you might. Like you know from around the globe and like you never know where you are. And even me posting on instagram I don't post like in the same day, like, and then people are you there, no, I'm really not there, like sorry and like, but that app is like this, you know, you can see. And then, like, you have notification, hey, like you know. Hey, sasha igor is like in warsaw, you know, and go, man, like you're here. Hey, let's catch up. So I think it's quite interesting the idea and how. I'm really curious how he will develop it.

Igar: 21:55

So yeah, it's interesting yeah yeah, and I think again, especially if you're like already like experienced traveler and you have this group of people kind of and you can actually follow not all everybody also is social media, especially from like you know, um, like travelers like more like alternative for, like more nature, more like you know this, they kind of like keep low profile and try to be connected like life you know. So, like, and if this kind of thing can help to meet me a person what you know you can like forgot, we don't know that this person is there and the person, especially if you travel together, like I, would be really really interesting for me. So, and other apps tend to, ah, you know what. A really interesting app like what I can recommend is trust house sitters like I. It's like you can take care of house or pets like you know, like some people is a go for vacations, but let's say they have dog or something, or like cat or whatever any other animal, even cows, like on farms, you know, and and then you kind of apply saying like, introduce yourself who you are, you have an interview.

Igar: 23:08

The other part of this app it's like not, it's more for western countries, for well developed, like in netherlands and stuff, you know, and you need to pay for this, but it's really payback super fast. Imagine, like you go to Netherlands where hostels cost for I don't know, 50 euros and this app costs subscription, like yearly, like 70 or 100 euros, yeah, and so if you stay in cool apartments, like in all the houses and usually in Airbnb, you will pay like 70 or like even more, like in netherlands, I believe. Yeah, so you will literally pay back, like like it's the same day or half day of spending time there. So I think it's really worth um and but yeah, location wise it's limited and uh, and again, if we talk again going out from apps and talk about not western countries, because I think apps and all this vibe it's more western countries, yeah, other countries also use and couchsurfing, but let's say, you go to middle east, right, you, you know, and all like middle asia, right, like what you mentioned, like adjikistan, uzbekistan and so on.

Igar: 24:21

Kazakhstan, like they don't need even app. You know the hospitality of these people. You know there's no way you will sleep on the street or even on the tent. You know, like, or something you will always food full, fulfill with food. You know you will always yeah, you can always ask for a help. Yeah, yeah, yeah, normal thing, yeah, so, like the culture itself is fascinating for me, to be honest. The culture how the people still approach the way, like to take some stranger, like to home home and come to us. I mean, app still has some.

Igar: 24:52

You see, like, as you mentioned the guy asking passport, you know like, oh, you still have some references, you know, you still a little bit know who this person yeah, you can predict, predict more or less, you know, like uh, but can be surprises, but more most of the times, yes, all cool and but he is like completely random, it's like the same, like you know, literally hitchhiking way, but to your home and like to your family. Yeah, the hospitality of those countries is another level, anyway, yeah, anyway, um, anyway, yeah, like it's actually what I wanted. Another stuff that I wanted to touch is like so you travel, like in total, what more than 50 countries, right, and not like one continent, europe fully, I think you finished right, like, and then like this, uh, middle east and like, um, south america.

Igar: 25:48

I know you've been yes, yes yes um have you been in some african morocco?

Sasha: 25:55

you've been yeah, I've been in morocco and uh, yeah, morocco and Balkans. Europe, turkey, if you consider it Europe.

Igar: 26:09

Europe, Middle East, anyway, that's it.

Sasha: 26:13

Both.

Igar: 26:15

Azerbaijan, georgia. So, and what is like, let's say, your point of view towards the travel? How like was it changing during the time? You know like, back then, like 10 years ago, right, like it was completely new world. You know like and full of surprises and full of like craziness and like. You know, like a baby tried to like discover it and you want more like so, like, like do you and like with your amount of your host? You know like, so do you feel some sort of addiction from this? I don't know like, kind of, I don't know, not a general addiction, but more like like for new experiences. Maybe you know like, kind of like, hey, I want to go out, like cannot sit in one city for a long time you know, do you have some challenges with you.

Sasha: 27:08

You know Right now probably not, because I decided that it can be actually Pretty nice to stay in one place and explore it and also meet people, because sometimes, when you don't have this opportunity, you can host people, you can meet people, uh, from other places. And sometimes it feels like you are again in the road, because sometimes it gives me I don't know so much energy and just covers me in the pure happiness when you traveling again, just walking down the road with your backpack, and it's just super nice. Sometimes it's it's better maybe than to go to psychiatrist and find out about your problems, because you can actually talk to yourself. Maybe some people will think it's crazy, but it's like a treatment to stay in nature, to be closer to nature and, um, just be yourself, explore yourself in this world, meet people. This is what I love. But what was your question?

Igar: 28:33

well, yeah, no, no, in general I I wanted to uh, just to follow your.

Igar: 28:40

You know like kind of mind change during, let's say, last 10 years, yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah about, uh, the way how you see the travel and like if, like, that brought you some sort of like, yeah, like addiction. You already answered like that, like now you're more like into calm mode. Um, totally understand you, uh, in certain way, like I, yeah, also don't really go in like for amount of something. Now I'm like, yeah, like trying to get some experience, some extra. You know, like, as you know, like the skydiving, right like go to another country, see from the top, experience different people, and then have this experience like in another country, like oh, wow, interesting. So like I don't know some other activities, or like, again, nature wise, yeah for me nowadays.

Sasha: 29:29

So so something like this I wanted, because back then, back then, for me was like, yeah, like budgeting, like save money and like keep going, you know, like further more, yeah, yeah, yeah, so the same way I think when I started it was pretty funny because some experienced hitchhikers and travelers they were like when they saw my pictures in the internet, because, like in russia the same for poland we have have in both of these countries you'll find a big hitchhiking community and these people they were like when I posted some pictures they were like come on, man, you have, you're traveling with plastic bag. You are you like redneck, homeless or what like? What's going on? Like you should be like this and like that. And some people because in russia yeah, I'm saying a lot of this word maybe- some people this word, maybe some people won't like it, right, well, it's your country.

Igar: 30:33

It's your country, you know you don't choose this stuff.

Sasha: 30:35

Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's an interesting fact because in Russia hitchhiking is actually Officially it's a sport, it's official type of sport and Hitchhiking race they do it like every year. I think maybe twice or three times per year and the same for Poland.

Igar: 31:01

They also do this. I know in Poland for students. They have something like that you can go like I don't know. It's Red Bull or something I heard or some Erasmus. I don't remember somebody. Yeah, I heard, but too late, I was already no student.

Sasha: 31:14

Yeah but in Russia, like all people like 40, 50 people, 50 years, 50 plus years, they do this. People 50 years, 50 plus years, they do this and they have special costumes, like so they're pretty crazy. They have like their sign gestures, guides like how to do this. Uh, yeah, you cannot see this, but yeah, it's actually interesting how they do it.

Sasha: 31:37

That's interesting, yeah so it's like, uh, I don't know religion or something. Yeah, yeah, some people they're too crazy and uh, sometimes they ask, like hitchhikers like me, why do you go to to the road to? It's just your thumbs up, you just show your thumb up. It's like it doesn't work. Like this, you should be like better than this or something.

Igar: 32:06

So yeah, it's just, yeah, people find out their thing, you know well, actually also interesting, uh, interesting uh topic and like I think, way of travel, right, the hitchhike, like in my opinion, besides like just saving money, what is obviously is a lot of saving money, even though it's like, besides that, again saving money like it's also hard, let's say, work in certain way, you know you it's, let's say, fucked up a little bit your schedule. You never know who will pick up when you will arrive, where you will arrive. Like you know um, save, not save. You know like um. And also, you know, like you meet the people. You still have your part of your travel. You still talk to these people, you discover these people. You like you still during your like way, knowing the country and in my experience, yeah, never, I think I never had bad experience, but like, like it was like. You know sometimes, like, okay, people don't speak language, but anyway, it's not about it.

Igar: 33:12

So, like, and you also mentioned you also travel a lot with each other. There's different countries like super different, you know like. And in the middle east, like in, again, like I don't know, maybe you can tell where, I don't know like, because you're everywhere you do it, you know. So, like, uh, let's go to this topic and like, like, open up maybe you know so far some like highlights, what people might like to know, like again, some kind of tips, hints, you know, for safe, nice, cool and the best experience from hitchhiking, how to don't fear it. Uh, also, I think, worth to mention, like we, both of us we travel with female, uh friends or like partners. So you know, and, uh, you know, like also like maybe female audience would be interested, how to be safe. You know, um, if you know some information, yeah, please, please, feel free. Yeah, I will start from from the end.

Sasha: 34:11

Because I have some uh, uh female friends. They travel by a chinese alone. And I know one friend she traveled whole turkey alone, iran and tajikistan, so it's kind of impressive and she told me that she never had a bad experience. And this kind of girls they always have a special. If guys they do like kind of pickup lines. So she has I don't know how to say it, how to put it uh, like she's like a pickup line goalkeeper or something, because she always know where ball goes and she can catch it. Especially if girls they're scared to go to Muslim countries. You can always say that you're religious. Of course, sometimes you have to lie that you're religious or you have a husband, boyfriend, who waits for you in the next city where you go with your driver. But yeah, unfortunately it happens sometimes when you're a female traveler and you guys trying to hit on you. But you just have to be, you have to be ready for it. One of my friends she always used this strategy. She told everyone that she has hiv.

Sasha: 35:50

Yeah, I don't know if it's true, but I hope she's fine, julia, and uh, yeah, but she told me she never had a bad experience. I hope it works. What about, uh, man's perspective? Or just in general, if you travel as a couple or like with a like mixed, uh like male and female, uh, couple.

Sasha: 36:18

So usually you just, after some time of you, see people, how they look at you and different people stop for you in different countries rich guy on Rolls Royce, or it can be like Devon Exier from Uzbekistan, like very, very poor car and oops, I hope he is all right.

Sasha: 37:03

There's something falling down from the wall, I guess. Yeah, phone down, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's okay, don't worry, guys. Well, so, yeah, basically you just see this kind of people and for your first hitchhiking, probably you have to find someone who did it before. Just, you have to see how it works, how people with experience can tell you more, especially on the road, with practice. So try to do this and don't go far away. Yeah, just go for like 20-30 kilometers to the place where you've never been for sure, you've never been in the closest village, where you have some I don't know handcrafts, something and or some I don't know river, or yeah, like my grandma she lives in Odessa in Ukraine and for the last 10 years she was. She was on the Black Sea, maybe one time, because I asked her like let's go.

Sasha: 38:14

Come on, you live just 10 minutes from the sea. Come on, come on. And she's like.

Igar: 38:18

I'm too lazy.

Sasha: 38:20

Yeah, and I guess most of the people they would love to go some far away to go to I don't know Mumbai, Sumatra, or I don't know Washington DC, but not like I don't know mumbai, sumatra, or I don't know washington dc, but not like I don't know, like lots, uh, from from warsaw, like 100 kilometers.

Igar: 38:42

So well, and like to wrap up like the hitchhike itself. So what would be your like? Steps, you know, like, let's say, like what you would do if you need to go, let's say, from warsaw to washington dc. Like what you will do, or like I don't know engine doesn't matter to istanbul, like what you will like. What's your plan? And then action, you know like kind of just steps, preparation, you know.

Sasha: 39:13

It's interesting, it depends. Sometimes I ask just people from this country or region where would you like to go? And because I don't really like to use this top five destinations in Norwayway or top this top that um, I try to approach locals if I have friends there or something, or go surfers um, yeah, also research. Sometimes I just I feel like I'm a map geek. I can just explore map for hours. Right now I can do this, but before, when I had more time for this, I was like staring at map, like oh, here's like some Manitoba province in Canada. What do they have here? Like in the western part, like there's nothing, there's just tundra. Okay, I will see. Like, what do they have here?

Sasha: 40:19

So, yeah, for example, when I plan to go somewhere, I want to see something special, some sites. I want to see something special, some sites, uh, nature, places, something, maybe UNESCO heritage, um and meet people. Of course I check our surfing. Always I ask my friends do they have a friends who know, some friends who can recommend something? Yeah, it just just go. Just go there and see what will happen. And with hitchhiking as far as I already travel a lot I can count more or less where I will end in the end of the day.

Igar: 41:11

Kind of like kind of final destination where I will end in the end of day. So depends on the country.

Sasha: 41:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Because I know approximately I will like in Europe, I will make like 700 kilometers per day, or like in different countries it works differently, like in Brazil it was.

Igar: 41:30

Sometimes you can stuck for hours there and nobody will pick you up uh, especially if you're a bit black like me yeah, yeah yeah, sometimes they will treat you like I didn't trust this guy right, I didn't trust this guy, right, right, and they do have this. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, like you do usually like signs or like just fingers, as your community in russia didn't like the finger way, but, like you know, uh, yeah, because, yeah, like I don't know, like how, from your practical, like way, like is it must have this sign, maybe for big cities? I don't know, maybe yes, but in general, like, do you mean like tartan?

Sasha: 42:16

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah I think, yeah, sometimes it it works. Again, you have to know uh some uh special uh um, I don't know. It's not rules, but some. Basically, you just have to ask locals about how it's better to do, like, do people usually do this or not? Because for some countries, like in russia, ukraine, I never did this I mean a few times I used a carton board with the sign like written city or something. But yeah, in europe it's, must you? You should have it.

Igar: 43:06

Uh, well, yeah, yeah, it's, it really depends, it really depends what you will do, like if again on your way, let's say the way not going smooth and let's say the like you know you're kind of ending up a little bit on the road getting dark, like what, like how you will figure out the situation with sleep, I don't know. Like yeah.

Sasha: 43:34

I've heard this question many times.

Igar: 43:37

Yeah.

Sasha: 43:37

Yeah, yeah, um, there are several options. You can use a tent if you have one. That's what I usually do in summertime. If you don't have it and you're stuck and there's no hotel, hostel, motel, whatever, uh you can, um, you can, uh stay at a gas station for a night. Not the best choice, but sometimes it's a bit better than stay outside when it's minus 30. Right, right, uh. So, yeah, again, you can. Right now I can calculate where I will be and find couchsurfing or book a hotel. But, yeah, if you travel in, it's better. It's better to travel in summertime or like time when it's warm in your country region and just take a tent, if you're not scared, to put a tent and sleep alone. I was scared 10 years ago.

Sasha: 44:48

I was really scared to sleep alone in just in the forest, like, oh my god, what, what if, what if? It was always in my mind.

Igar: 44:58

But uh, I turned out well, so, yeah, that's, that's uh what I would do, got it, got it well, and you might mention this like no-transcript. It's constant fear, constant, constant discomfort in some ways, um so like, like, and you mentioned that, yeah, you, you, you had this fear.

Igar: 45:55

You're fucking scared, like you know, in these moments, and I I had on myself, you know, like that I remember once in tent we were just sleeping on some field and then we woke up this like tent, like shaking, moving, like what the hell? We thought somebody, maybe, like you know, maybe we're on some territory, maybe something, we did something wrong and crap like this tent was like you know, do something like fight, like hitting it, what the hell you know, like in the more you like first thing what you have. In the morning and I had, I was with my friend. The friend was like a little bit bigger than me, he's like physical gym guy and I was like crap, man, you go, you know, check it out. You know he's going out, he's taking out the head, checking carefully.

Igar: 46:41

It was a cow and cow was walking and there were strings from the tent. The cow was literally, like you know, hitting my legs because cow doesn't know that, like what the hell. And it's like ding, like guitar, you know, and the hotel like somebody like punching, yeah, like oh my god. But if you're inside you're like crazy scared.

Sasha: 47:01

Maybe some, I know, like wolves, you know people, I don't know, like whatever you know, especially if you're just sleeping in the middle of the night, right, yeah?

Igar: 47:10

yeah, yeah. Yeah, so it was so random, you know like and scary, really scary, so like, anyway, yeah, how, how you face this fear like and like. What can you also tell the people about?

Sasha: 47:22

like, like the you know to facing the fear, like, yeah, yeah well, if we're talking about tent and how to put it safely, I would recommend you, if you travel abroad, like not European Union or countries like this, maybe like USA or something, maybe Asia or this kind of countries you can always approach locals. Maybe, and again, even like in the Western countries, you can ask locals to stay in their property if they don't mind, or in countries where you a bit scared about maybe what if, like, someone will steal from me something, you can go to a police station. You can put it close to police station, for example in.

Sasha: 48:28

Uzbekistan. Once I asked if we can put our tent close to this police station. But people were like, come on, will you stay here? No, no, no, it's too cold. Like, come on, this guy will host you. And there was a guy, just a random guy. He probably visited his friend in the police station. He was like well, it's like almost midnight, okay, let's go. And he knocked the door like hey, wife, we have a guest here.

Sasha: 48:59

Yeah, yeah, like super random it was super fun and also you remind me of some scary situations. Where you were, I was sleeping or we were sleeping with my friends in a tent. I think it was Kyrgyzstan and it was something close to a Kazakhstan border, and we were in a very picturesque hill with mountains and stuff like that mountains and stuff like that and in the night we heard like super strange screams or sounds like something like this. And it wasn't wind, it wasn't like humans, for sure, it was something, something unusual, and we were kind of scared. Uh, we were just three of us my friend from paris, my friend from russia and me and I was like, okay, okay, let's try, I'll go to see what's going on. And I saw a bunch of horses going somewhere and they were doing this strange breath or something Like Sometimes yeah, it was, but it was actually so beautiful, like watching a movie.

Igar: 50:29

You're going out from your tent and you see like tens of, like dozens of these beautiful horses yeah, so yeah, yeah, you see, like it's kind of sometimes it's like fear is nearby, the beauty right in certain way. Yeah, when you kind of you have fear, but then you discover like, oh crap, it's actually you know something cute or something cool or something else. You know something kind of like I'm pointing a lot of stuff, like our mind playing games right with us.

Igar: 51:00

You know like in, like in especially in situations when it's something unknown and then you mind trying to maybe it's protection right of the mind like better to think about bad. So you will be ready to this instance rather than, like you know, they be like with rose Glasses and, like you know, pink world and, like you know, everything will be cool.

Igar: 51:20

Even though, like I like this positive approach, but I think, like you should be ready just in case for Like how to say like how to say unpleasant situation unpleasant you know, like, what you will do, what you will react, where you will call, where you will run, where you will like I don't know, punch, you know person if need, really, really. You know, like, like, if there is a situation of safety, like it's better, you know punch and run, you know, or like something like this for safety reason. You know, yeah, and anyway, nice, nice, nice, nice. And you know, sasha, I wanna move a little bit to topic.

Igar: 52:04

Like again, with all this amount of experience, and like, your life how is changing? And you know like we are somehow growing up. And like again, like you know, requirements of the life sometimes change, right, the same travelers change. You know, yeah, so like, uh, I know that lately you start your um, it's not like an agency, but like, like you providing like tour services to people. Right, so, like, and I know that you are trying to make it in a beautiful way, unusual way, the way, how you, how you did it like for like 10 years when you try to show the people just like in the most safety way less crazy, but like you know, so people can discover different places, like, not just like go to some city, hey, let's do some site, but like you bringing them to some nice destinations.

Igar: 53:04

You try to find them on your map, random map, yeah, yeah, and like I was, I can do right and I was there, participator somehow on the one of the tours, like in the like really cool, like stone forest in czech, I don't know how you call this like it's just like it's nice, cool big stones, like biggest fuck stones, you know it's kind of cliffs, but oh okay, okay, cliffs, right, maybe, but usually cliffs are just near the sea, but yeah, but the thing is like it was not kind of connected to some kind of mountain, but anyway it was magical, magical forest, where there was, like you know, rain, what create the vibe.

Igar: 53:46

Even more magic, you know this, um, yeah, so, um, can you tell me, like, how did you come to this idea? Why did you decide to do so? Because it's a little bit commercial anyway. Uh, and again, how you decide to take responsibility for people, for their, for their well-being in certain way, for their, um, experiences, right, because, like it's a lot of responsibility for this. And again, then, this monetary part that you need to like to, because it's like, you know, it's a lot of thing, a lot of job, it's not like just, hey, homies, let's go to travel, like it's a thing you know. So, yeah, how did you end up here and why?

Sasha: 54:32

uh, well, I think I did it several times, many, many, many times, when I organized my friends, because I love to play on itineraries, I like to uh think where we can go, what we can eat. I was actually did it for this many times, but I didn't think that I can earn money and it wasn't popular back then, many years ago. And right now I think I have this power, knowledge how to do this, how to organize it in the best way, because I did it many times for not really pleasant ways, let's say ways. So basically, I know how not to do and I know how to do it the best way.

Sasha: 55:44

So I try it and I already for this in this year I did like how many like at least four trips to different countries and most of the people like it. So the main reason probably they're like me, they like to explore, they like to meet new people. So it's just not about like a hotel where you stay at a pool and just drinking cocktails. I was Brisbane, yeah, so yeah, and you told me you like it. I hope it's not.

Sasha: 56:29

You're not flattering it's like true, and what people saying as well, and uh, bringing other friends with them again and again. So, yeah, yeah, I'm working hard and uh, you're always welcome to join me. Next trips will be, and where we'll go where we'll go.

Igar: 56:50

You know like we will go. We will go, you know like we will go, like to, like, end of June, we're like to this Finland island and something. So it will be our another trip, you know. And yeah, like, if you like, feel free to share, like you know, your upcoming trips maybe, yeah um, yeah, yeah, for the for next months.

Sasha: 57:17

I don't know when you will uh drop this uh podcast, when it will happen, but yeah, at the end of may I have a trip to mazur lakes. It's uh like the most popular, probably the most popular place where uh poles usually go for a vacation or summer if they don't have uh much time or much money to go abroad. Uh, and it's like it has much, many things to offer, because it's like basically thousands of lakes all together in this area and you can pick up, pick out any, any place which you like. It's like full of forest lakes. That's what I like and yeah, again, I have to admit that I like to. I don't know, I feel like it's my superpower to bring people together, to connect them, and, I don't know, it makes me happy, like to kind of share my friends, but don't think it's like, yeah, not this way, what you?

Sasha: 58:27

can think but yeah and just yeah, it's also like other. But yeah and just yeah, it's also like other discovery part which I like to do, meet people and yeah. So, end of May, missouri, what for June? June is gonna be 2014 of June, I think it's gonna be a trip to the Czech Republic. There is a place, brodowska Stena. It's a national park where you can uh we'll discuss this place uh where you can go to, uh go hiking around a beautiful forest with this cliffs. It's very nice. Check it out. Maybe you've heard about adersbach, or uh, swiss, uh, what's the name?

Sasha: 59:31

Swiss Saxony, close to Dresden in Germany they also have this kind of forest and huge stones. It's very nice. I also recommend you to go there if you've never been there, so please join me. Also, we'll have a trip to island islands. It's a finnish archipelago between sweden and finland, where they speak swedish, but it's finland. Yeah, yeah, yeah they have very interesting.

Sasha: 1:00:08

This store, like history very interesting. It was part of the Russian Empire, it was part of Sweden, it was part of Finland and later, like in 20th century, they demilitarized this uh zone and they kind of independent. They have their own like driver uh plate numbers. They have like their phone numbers, they have their time zone. So they're quite independent. They're like we're Alans, we're not like fans, we're not like Swedish, but interesting, and when we will go there it's gonna be a white night, so you can witness this time of the year when the sun just don't go, it doesn't go down. So it's really interesting. If you've never seen it, it probably will leave, you know.

Igar: 1:01:10

Man, yeah, like I'm excited about this trip anyway, like, oh and again, white nights, weather, islands, you know, sound that cool, cool, cool, um, is there any? Some? Is there anything what you would like to share with people you know, with travelers, maybe young travelers you never know who is who is gonna listen to us, but, like you know some encourage words or like some again some tips, like or like, if you, yeah, your tours already you shared, like whatever you feel kind of last word, yeah always drink water, try to be safe and always take care of you and people around you.

Sasha: 1:02:07

What I want to say yeah, travel, travel, it works to travel right right, thank you.

Igar: 1:02:15

Thank you, man, really really cool chat, nice chat, an interesting environment with some yeah yeah, my friend who hosted me. Neighbors noise, you know again this like I was searching word, but here we are with all of you and you hear what you hear. Thank you, man. Really it was really cool to talk to you, thank you, I feel the same Cool.