Gain a new perspective by train, bike, vespa, boat, or even your own two feet.

Experiences You Should Have Show Notes: Biking from Alaska to Argentina with Guests Kristen and Ville Jokinen


Ville and Kristen Jokinen did the impossible. They went from Alaska to the tip of Argentina via bike while only spending (on average) $800 a month! This couple lives in Bend, Oregon and they decided they wanted to have an adventure of a lifetime, and boy did they find adventure. Click on the play button to listen to this episode, or listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts.

 



A Little About Ville and Kristen
Ville was born in Tampere, Finland. He grew up playing all kinds of sports and in his teenage years, he made the decision to focus on football (soccer). After graduating from high school he tried his wings in professional soccer in Finland and Algeria. After a few years of serious playing and several knee replacement surgeries later, he decided to hang the cleats and go to college. After college, Ville worked for 7 years as a financial analyst for Toyota.

In 2008, he decided to take off work and travel to South East Asia for 3 months. In Vietnam, Ville met a crazy, loud and beautiful American girl named Kristen. Listen to the episode above to get the behind the scenes on their first meeting. After that, they&#39;ve been traveling the world together and he&#39;s very thankful for finding someone who loves the same adventures.
Get to Know Kristen
Kristen was originally from Bend, Oregon, born and raised. Because she grew up in such a beautiful place so connected to the outdoors, it drew her to explore the great big world we live in. She graduated from High School early to go backpacking around Central Europe alone and you could say that is where the travel lust began. Kristen moved to San Francisco to work as an AuPair for some big-named families, saved money, bought a house in Bend, worked as a wildland firefighter, nanny, waitress, teacher, tutor all while going to school. She signed on for an internship in Chiang Mai, Thailand and when she finished teaching, she met a handsome Scandinavian Stallion on a Scuba Diving boat in Vietnam. Again, listen to the episode above to hear about this meeting.

 

They traveled the world and when they ran out of visas to stay together, they hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) while dating, which was her first time sleeping in a tent. After that adventure, they got married.



 
Why Did Ville and Kristen Decide to Bike From Alaska to Argentina?
The adventure was an idea formed on the PCT and became a  reality once they finished. They both know the importance of not wanting to live your life, and the planning began. The plan is to thoroughly wear out these crazy bodies and when they have no more get-up and go, they will have some incredible memories to share while they swing life away on their front porch somewhere.

 

This is a couple who knows how to live life.

 
Map of the Ride


 

How Did They Bike From Alaska to Argentina?
Kristen and Ville had their bikes shipped to Alaska. That&#39;s where their adventure began. Starting in Alaska, they saw over 60 polar bears and they had a fright of a lifetime when they scared away a mama bear who was charging at them by acting loud and big.



They then went to the Yukon, British Columbia then hit up the San Juan Islands. Just an FYI, Lopez Island is a fantastic island for bike riding and it&#39;s a very friendly island. They biked the 101 from the Pacific Northwest, down the coast of California, then into Baja. From there, they took a ferry over to the mainland then biked through Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica. They had to take a plane across some sketchy borders from Panama to Columbia, then went to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

 

They chose to go over the Andes mountains in South America rather than the coast, which let them experience small towns (and very friendly people) off the grid.

Biking Huascaran National Park in Peru,

Alaska to Argentina Bike Ride

Women are often told that they shouldn’t travel alone. We’re warned that it’s dangerous, and we need to be careful. But this doesn’t mean that women shouldn’t travel. And in fact, by traveling, women can challenge the status quo. 
 

We chat with Juvena Huang, who wanders the world by scooter. As a young woman, she rode 44,000 kilometres across 25 countries, from Singapore to Europe, on her trusty Vespa. Juvena joins us to share stories from her travels, what it&#39;s like to travel by scooter, and her thoughts on women traveling solo.  
 



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GUEST: Juvena Huang 
<a href="http://thewanderingwasp.com/">The Wandering Wasp</a> &#64;thewanderingwasp

 
RESOURCES


<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dearalyne/videos/918470671690789/">WATCH: &#34;Where Women Can Go&#34;</a> 
 <a href="http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/85239/9789241564625_eng.pdf?sequence&#61;1">READ: Global and regional estimates of violence against women </a> 
My Boyfriend Through Airport Security Tiktok: &#64;somaddysmith
 


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CREDITS 
Written and Hosted by: <a href="https://www.pinatravels.org/">Erin Hynes</a> 
Producer: <a href="http://www.kattielaur.com/">Kattie Laur</a> 
Music from Motion Array 
Logo by Christopher McCluskey

S4 Ep73: Traveling by Vespa from Singapore to Europe

“Riding trains offered a great chance to chat with people we&#39;d never cross paths with in our lives normally.” –Monisha Rajesh

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Monisha discuss how her interest in train-travel dates back to a series of journeys she took around India (2:00); her more recent experience of taking the Trans-Mongolian train across Russia and into Asia (14:00); what it was like to travel by train in North Korea, China, and Southeast Asia, and how they differ from European trains (28:00); what it was like to take trains across Canada and the United States, and which global trains Monisha likes best (45:00).

Monisha Rajesh (<a href="https://twitter.com/monisha_rajesh/">&#64;monisha_rajesh</a>) is a travel journalist, and the author of <a href="https://amzn.to/31ik7iN">Around India in 80 Trains,</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ds4rBg">Around the World in 80 Trains</a>. She currently lives in London with her husband and two daughters.

Notable Links:
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indrail_Pass">Indrail Pass</a> (Indian rail-pass for foreign nationals)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Basil%27s_Cathedral">Saint Basil&#39;s Cathedral</a> (church in Moscow&#39;s Red Square)</li><li>Eurail Pass (rail-pass covering 33 European countries)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans%E2%80%93Mongolian_Railway">Trans–Mongolian Railway</a> (long-haul train route)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circum-Baikal_Railway">Circum-Baikal Railway</a> (railway in Russia&#39;s Irkutsk region)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace">War and Peace</a> (novel by Leo Tolstoy)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones">Game of Thrones </a>(fantasy TV series)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_State_Railway">Korean State Railway</a> (train system in North Korea)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Chief">Southwest Chief</a> (American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak">Amtrak</a> route)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarzenau_Brethren">German Baptist Brethren</a> (Anabaptist group)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinghai%E2%80%93Tibet_railway">Qinghai–Tibet railway</a> (Asian train route)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper%E2%80%93Prince_Rupert_train">Skeena</a> (Canadian passenger train service)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandovi_Express">Mandovi Express</a> (train route in India)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_shame">Flight shaming</a> (environmental social movement)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Limited">Sunset Limited</a> (American Amtrak route)</li>
This episode of Deviate is brought to you by<a href="http://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt&#61;cl&amp;merchant_id&#61;5fe78bbf-2c60-40d1-9888-0f35abfe4e57&amp;website_id&#61;cf0b9575-81a8-4b70-9f19-692ca3537b78&amp;url&#61;https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tortugabackpacks.com%2Fcollections%2Ftravel-backpacks"> Tortuga Backpacks.</a> Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel &#43; Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

This episode is also brought to you by<a href="https://www.airtreks.com/"> AirTreks</a>, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album <a href="https://cedarsvt.bandcamp.com/album/lumber">Lu</a><a href="https://cedarsvt.bandcamp.com/album/lumber">mber</a>.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate&#64;rolfpotts.com.

The joys and idiosyncrasies of global train travel (with Monisha Rajesh)

Walking is such a wonderful way to explore the world - it&#39;s a way to slow down, really look around you, often to get in touch with nature too, and it&#39;s healthy and environmentally-friendly as well. In Episode 253 I chat with travellers who&#39;ve walked in many parts of the world and got so much out of it that it&#39;ll make you want to follow in their (literal!) footsteps.
First up, I chat with Kath and Howie of The Museum of Us, a couple who have become quite addicted to long walks over the last few years - curiously, as the result of knee injuries. I talk with Kath and Howie about their experience of walking the Camino a few years back.
Next, Justin Watson tells the story of a popular walk in Bhutan to see the Tiger&#39;s Nest Monastery or Paro Taktsang in Bhutan. It&#39;s a pretty vertical walk and it&#39;s a fun story!
Finally, Tara Wells talks to me about how to get the most out of walking - she&#39;s just published a guide book on a long Sydney walk, so she should know!
Links:
<li>Kath and Howie’s YouTube channel The Museum of Us - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/themuseumofus">https://www.youtube.com/themuseumofus</a> </li><li>Justin’s blog Justin’s World - <a href="http://www.justins.world">http://www.justins.world</a></li><li>Tara Wells’ website - <a href="https://www.tarawellsauthor.com/">https://www.tarawellsauthor.com/</a></li><li>Tara’s book, The Bondi to Manly Walk - <a href="https://amzn.to/3lNeL9u">https://amzn.to/3lNeL9u</a> </li><li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li><li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li><li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/253">https://notaballerina.com/253</a></li>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

253 Walking the World

Would you be able to ride a bicycle for eight months along the ancient Silk Road through 13 countries, while interviewing tech companies and hosting workshops along the way? Eva Yoo, an international cyclist and writer, just accomplished exactly this feat — and she’s the subject of our latest podcast episode. Born in Korea, Eva has worked in five countries and speaks four languages. Rather than enjoying a nice job in Shanghai, she decided to challenge herself by taking a bike trip from Shanghai to London. In this episode, she shares the danger and joy that she experienced during the trip and what she learned about China’s ever-expanding <a href="https://radiichina.com/tag/belt-and-road/">Belt and Road initiative</a> along the way.

Cycling the Silk Road

September 21, 2021 ~ When most picture rail travel in the states, towering red rock canyons, scenic ocean views, and breathtaking mountain vistas might not immediately pop to mind.  These are however in fact just some of the epic experiences that await you alongside the nation’s rail system.  Preview these and more with train travel experts Krystle Sampson of Rocky Mountain Mountaineer and Jim Marini of Amtrak Vacation and Rial Bookers.

Well-Traveled With AAA ~ Domestic Rail Travel

Erin Dunn &amp; Alice Lawson - kayaking from England to Finland

England to Finland

Have you ever dreamed of riding the Trans-Siberian or the Trans-Mongolian? This is your ultimate guide to one of the world&#39;s truly great adventures: when to go, where to go, where to stop, what to eat, how to book, and how to survive life on board. We&#39;re chatting to a whole range of experts, including &#34;The Man in Seat 61&#34;, Mark Smith, and UK-based author Monisha Rajesh, to discover everything there is to know about this truly bucket-list experience.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

The Trans-Siberian: dream travel on the world's greatest rail journey

Join best-selling author Adam Weymouth on a 2,000-mile canoe journey down the Yukon River, from its source in Northern Canada, through Alaska, to the Bering Sea. It&#39;s one of the wildest and most pristine places on Earth filled with Moose, Bald Eagles and Grizzly Bears. But this is more than just an epic paddle. The Kings of the Yukon are the King Salmon, the Chinooks, who swim up the river every year in their tens of thousands to spawn at the place of their birth. It&#39;s one of the most remarkable migrations in the animal kingdom, and it&#39;s also one of the most important because the people that live by the river, mostly First Nations people, depend on that salmon run to survive. But it is now under threat. By tracing their journey, Adam tells the story of the salmon, but he also tells the story of the lives of people whose fate is intertwined with them. This is a beautiful adventure, but it&#39;s also an important and inspiring meditation on what it is to live, and survive, in one of the most remote places on Earth. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE - Discovering one of the most remote, pristine and beautiful places on Earth - Learning about the lives of the First Nations people that live by the river, their culture, history and way of life - Finding out about the migration of the King Salmon, one of the most remarkable journeys in the animal kingdom - Feeling what it&#39;s like to paddle 2,000-miles through one of the most remote places on Earth, camping on river side beaches along the way - Meeting Andy Bassich, reality TV star from Life Below Zero who lives on the Yukon River, and other off-grid characters Adam passes along the way - Hearing about the Gold Rush History of the Yukon from an indigenous perspective - Learning about the First Nations protest against the fishing ban, why it matters and it&#39;s relationship to Gandhi&#39;s famous Salt March of the early 20th century - Being inspired by a First Nations view of fishing, hunting and the interconnectedness of the natural world - Finding hope and optimism, for the King Salmon, and the people whose lives depend on them WHO&#39;S THE GUEST? Adam Weymouth is the Sunday Times&#39; Best Young Writer of 2018. An environmental journalist, his work has been published in the Guardian, The Atlantic, the New Internationalist and by the BBC, with his primary focus being the relationship between humans and the natural world. www.AdamWeymouth.com / &#64;adamweymouth His book, Kings of the Yukon: an Alaskan River Journey, is out now. BOOK THIS TRIP Please visit the individual episode pages of the Armchair Explorer website to find out how you can do this journey, and others inspired by it: www.Armchair-Explorer.com ABOUT THE SHOW The Armchair Explorer podcast is adventure storytelling set to music and cinematic effects. Each episode one of the world&#39;s greatest adventurers tell their best story from the road. No long-winded interviews, just straight to heart of the action. Host Aaron Millar is a multi-award-winning travel writer, journalist and author. He contributes regularly to The Times of London, National Geographic Traveller (UK), and many other national and international publications. He has presented travel documentaries for National Geographic TV, written two books for London publisher Icon - 50 Greatest Wonders of the World &amp; 50 Greatest National Parks of the World - and is the 2014 and 2017 British Guild of Travel Writers Travel Writer of the Year. Aaron grew up in Brighton, England but is currently hiding out in the Rocky Mountains of Louisville, Colorado.  &#64;AaronMWriter https://www.instagram.com/aaronmwriter/ https://twitter.com/AaronMWriter Facebook: &#64;armchairexplorerpodcast

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