From one meeting to another
What amazes him most, in a positive sense, is the hospitality of people along the way. “Making contact is so easy, that bicycle arouses curiosity. People everywhere ask what I do, where I am going. When they hear my story, they often say: ‘Wait, I know an address for you!'” One meeting leads to the next.
The names of new friends keep appearing on his Polarsteps. In Jalama, for example, where he literally rode into hospitality. “It was a village on the coast of the USA with a great vibe. I pitched my tent, and a woman came to me with a fresh fish taco in her hand. Within a few hours everyone knew me, and I had to participate in everything: football, dancing, costume parties. A really great experience.”
Jeroen is now also temporarily staying with a couple who invited him to spend the night. Tomorrow an acquaintance of theirs will take him across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. There he starts the Spanish-speaking part of his journey with full courage. “Spanish isn’t quite there yet, but it will come.”
Jeroen’s adventures can be followed via polarsteps.