Now hitchhiking isn’t for everyone and just like riding a motorbike, taking a bus in Bolivia, and walking under a coconut tree there are risks. There is always a chance that the sweet family that just picked you up, offered you snacks, and set their two year old next to you is actually a gang of psychopath serial killers or maybe they’re just a kind-hearted family picking up the funny and lost-looking foreigner.
Other than it being free why do we like hitchhiking so much?
First of all hitchhiking is always an adventure, and an unexpected adventure at that. You never know if the couple that just picked you up will end up taking you to a giant family lunch that they had planned to go to before they drive an hour out of their way to take you to your destination, or if the funny guy that due to a language barrier you can’t communicate with except for sign language and laughs will end up taking you to his house to show you his farm animals and invite you in for a cold glass of milky rice wine, or even if the ride will end up inviting you to stay at their awesome beach house equipped with a yacht, or maybe the next person will just pick you up and drop you off at your destination with only light conversation and a picture to show his friends later.
Not only is it an adventure but hitchhiking is also one of the best learning experiences. Its one of the most interesting ways to learn more about a culture and also learn a little bit of the language. A few hours in a car with someone does not equal uncomfortable silence. There is actually a sort of hitchhiker’s etiquette. As someone picks you up and is giving you a ride you in return should give them pleasant conversation and positive feelings about picking up the weary traveler. In doing so, as a language barrier exists this usually ends up being a situation in which you constantly point out how beautiful their country is and asking them questions about their lives such as if they are married, how many kids they have, what kind of work they do. In addition, you often get the chance to learn some new vocabulary in their language and learn more about the daily life in their country.
Now if you do want to take a go at hitchhiking we do have some tips to share for those first timers. Please check out the next blog with some advice for getting started! Also for hitchhiking in a specific country feel free to check out our country section of the blog.
If you're interested in learning more about hitchiking, we invite you to read our articles :
Hitchiking: Advice for the Adventurous
Hitchiking: A "How To"
What do you think about hitchhiking? Too dangerous? Exciting? Would you try it out?
If you have hitchhiked before did you enjoy it?
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