An Introduction to the Complexity of Vanlife and Overlanding.
Living and traveling in a van is not just about finding picturesque camping spots, enjoying admiring glances or driving on breathtaking routes. It's also a journey that requires patience, where you hold your breath as new noises are made by the engine and where you visit garages with bated breath in the hope that the mechanics know what they are doing.
Also read: What is VANLIFE? † Why is it so popular and is it for you?
Looking for expertise: Maintenance in foreign countries
So far we have visited several garages. One didn't know much about old engines, the other specialized in it. Now in here Georgia, we met an old man who at least worked on a Volkswagen T3 before. As they work on the engine, more and more screws are loosened, more and more parts are taken out, but still not the part that needs to be repaired... It feels a bit like a heart surgeon working on your brain - they are expert, but just not in the right area.
Solve car problems in Georgia
When passing the European limits, we expected that people here would know more about classic motorcycles, given the number of older vehicles. But here in Georgia, where foreign cars were banned during the USSR era, old Volkswagens are missing. Fortunately, there are fan clubs everywhere, not only for Volkswagen enthusiasts, but also for other classic cars or van life in general.
Rickshaw and Sawadee offer ready-made tours for Georgia. Sawadee mainly focuses on group trips and family tours, while Riksja sells more individual trips.
At Riksja you can also use building blocks. A day less or longer here or there is no problem. You then actually put together your trip exactly the way you want.
- Good price / quality ratio
- Very flexible
- 20 years of experience
Here in Georgia we contacted the Porsche fan club. It's worth noting that Porsche and Volkswagen share a close history; Ferdinand Porsche drew inspiration from the design of Jewish creator Josef Ganz to create the iconic Beetle, which fulfilled Hitler's vision of the Volkswagen. The discovery of this fan club was a gift from heaven. We sent a message and received a warm response.
Lasha, the president of both the Porsche Fan Club and the Classic Car Fan Club in Georgia, was a blessing. With his connections, Lasha introduced us to Giorgi, who owns a T3 and 'Vanlife Georgia' has started on Instagram, and another man has a Beetle and a range of other classic cars. We got together, inspected the vans and looked for a garage. Their diagnosis was consistent with the insights of our Dutch rescue advisors (Dominique, Sander and Jaap); it was the bearings in the alternator.
Trust and humanity
Although we put the dynamo in Italy had replaced, the technicians were, to be honest, a bit confused. Instead of repairing a cable, they replaced the entire alternator. Luckily we still had the original, so we decided to put it back. Our new friends, Lasha and Giorgi, knew just the right place. It is such a hidden gem that you would never find on your own.
Yet, despite the optimism and help, there we stood with expert hands deep in the heart of our camper. The road to China isn't paved with just thumbs up because alexine is so beautiful, but with a well-functioning engine.
The ability to rest amid idyllic settings depends on the reliability of the engine. Watching others take parts apart, sometimes with a certain doubt, questioning each other about the steps they are taking – it is a bittersweet sight. Language barriers exacerbate the situation, leaving us in the dark about their intentions.
Tip:: Curious what we shoot with? Then view the display below.
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A lasting connection
Nevertheless, our faith remains intact – in humanity and in our Volkswagen T2. We owe our journey so far to the resilience of the engine; these vehicles are designed for durability and reliability. Not just within city environments, but for long-distance travel. Our original intention for this car was focused on how we use it now – to transport people, travel from one place to another, perhaps even facilitate meetings via the kombi. To be honest, we wouldn't have met this variety of people if it hadn't been through alexine Has been.
De DJI Mini 4 Pro is an impressively compact and foldable drone with numerous advanced features. It super compact size and weight in combination with sharp 4K images makes this the ultimate drone to take with you when traveling.
- Compact drone of < 249 grams
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From Vanlife friends to fellow travelers
FROM Branko in Montenegro, who deftly installed a new CV joint, assessed our van and offered valuable advice, to lasha, Tsebo en Giorgi in Georgia, who played a crucial role in restoring the alternator and introducing us to the delicious flavors of Georgian cuisine, we met people who share a bond with classic cars, surprised us with beer, cherries and even excellent places to sleep (like shown below).
Hope for the future
While we wait in Georgia for the restoration of alexine, we hold our hearts and hope that she returns to her former glory, rejuvenated instead of weakened. There is no certainty, but we hold on to hope. This is also Vanlife.
Rickshaw and Sawadee offer ready-made tours for Georgia. Sawadee mainly focuses on group trips and family tours, while Riksja sells more individual trips.
At Riksja you can also use building blocks. A day less or longer here or there is no problem. You then actually put together your trip exactly the way you want.
- Good price / quality ratio
- Very flexible
- 20 years of experience
Plan your holiday to Asia here
- Specific tours : Bali travel, Thailandtravel en Srilankatravel.com.
- Worldwide tours : TUI, Asiadirect, rickshaw travel, king monkey, sawadee, shoestring en Djoser.
- Flight tickets for Asia you book via Skyscanner.
- Hostels & Hotels in Asia you book with Hostelworld en Booking.com.
- Rental cars book yourself Sunnycars, Alamo en rental cars.
- Tours and Activities in Asia you book via GetYourGuide.
- travel items such as suitcases, bags and more you can buy at Bol.com.
- SIM cards and e-SIMs for Asia you can buy from International sim.
- Parking at the airport you can arrange via Parkos.
