Travelling means discovering the world, experiencing magical moments and building memories for a lifetime. But it also means facing up to the unexpected… and sometimes having to endure a few major setbacks. After years of traveling the globe by backpack, bus, plane and even camper van, we’ve had our share of situations that have shaken us… and often made us laugh, but only after the fact.
In this article, we wanted to tell you about our 3 biggest travel problems, and a fourth that still makes us laugh today.
1. Food poisoning on a night bus in Bolivia
This is probably the one that stood out the most. As part of our backpacking trip around the world, we had to take a night bus from La Paz to Sucre, a fairly classic Bolivian route. Before boarding, we bought sandwiches in a small local store to make sure we had something to eat during the long hours on the road.
A few hours after setting off, we began to feel that something was very wrong. Nausea, cramps, chills… we realized a little too late that we’d been victims of food poisoning. Obviously, our medication was stowed away in the bus’s hold.
We spent the night wrestling with our upset stomachs, between two impromptu stops by the driver and magnificent Andean landscapes that are hard to appreciate in this state.
💡 This experience has taught us to be much more vigilant about food preservation and to always keep a small first-aid kit with us, even for an overnight journey.
2. The missed plane in Australia
After three incredible weeks linking Australia’s east coast to Darwin by van, we were completely out of touch with the calendar. Sun, beach, surf… we lived by the rhythm of the trip, without looking too closely at the dates.
We were due to fly to Malaysia to continue our round-the-world trip. Except that in our heads, we’d got things completely mixed up. We had returned our van a day later than planned, convinced that our plane was leaving the next day. In reality, the flight was scheduled… the day before.
When we arrived to return our van, confident and relaxed, we quickly realized our double mistake: we had returned our van a day too late and therefore missed our plane.
Impossible to negotiate anything, the plane had been gone for 24 hours. We had to repurchase tickets, change our reservations and revise part of our schedule. A mistake that cost us a little money and a lot of time, but that also taught us to double and even triple-check our travel dates.
3. Broken camper van rooflight in Spain
A month into our European motorhome tour, we had landed on a beach in southern Spain, around Malaga.
☀️ As it was a very hot day, we had opened all our skylights, then a small gust of wind blew in. Nothing impressive on the surface. However, we immediately realized that something was wrong: the motorhome’s skylight had cracked in two under the pressure of the wind. In a matter of seconds, we found ourselves with a hole in the roof, exposed to the wind and dust, a little stunned by what had just happened.
Fortunately, we had planned to drive up the coast to Barcelona. So we adapted our itinerary and extended to Perpignan to have a new skylight delivered. A few days later, everything was repaired and we were able to board the boat from Barcelona to Italy to continue our European motorhome adventure.
4. A shoe mygale in the Amazon
This last one is almost funny… now. In the middle of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, we used to say that you should always check your shoes before putting them on. Between humidity and insects, you never know what might be lurking inside.
One morning, Matt slips his foot into his shoe without checking. He immediately feels something abnormal. He withdraws his foot in a split second and throws the shoe away. A small mygale quietly emerges. More fear than harm, fortunately.
We shuddered for a few minutes, then laughed it off. Since then, checking your shoes has become an absolute reflex, whatever the country.
Travelling means accepting that things don’t always go according to plan. We were stressed at the time, and sometimes exhausted, but today they form an integral part of our most vivid memories. Of course, we’ve got plenty more to tell. We’ll keep them all to ourselves for a future article!
Don’t hesitate to tell us about yours in the comments, because in the end, at the time, we often feel alone and helpless… then we quickly realize that we’re all going through the same thing!
