THE TRIPS OF CONGO AND WHISKEY
THE STORIES OF VALERIA AND FABIO
Awkward part-time travellers, Their slogan is “Enjoy Human Diversity!”. For them, travel is synonymous with meeting and learning about other cultures, other ethnic groups, and exchanging with them. The travels of Congo and Whisky is the blog where Valeria and Fabio tell their stories
Welcome to Easy Travel Hosting! Can you tell us a little about yourself, starting from the name of your blog to your way of travelling?
Hello everyone and thanks for the space you gave us! We are Valeria and Fabio from the travel blog “The travels of Congo and Whisky”, our virtual little house where we contain the stories of our adventures and unusual experiences around the world to discover different cultures.
The name of the blog comes from two nicknames that were given to us by our guide during our first trip to Uganda in 2015.
Congo is me, Valeria. I earned this name thanks to a sleepless night, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, during which I was terrified of hearing noises similar to gunshots coming from who knows where, presumably from that country so close to us and which unfortunately I knew was the scene of clashes and guerrillas.
Obviously they weren't gunshots but when the following morning I told them about the terrible night I'd been through, everyone made fun of me. Fabio on the other hand is Whiskey because... well, you can imagine what he liked to drink every evening after dinner before going to sleep!
We thought that “The travels of Congo and Whisky” was a fun name by which to be represented, also because Africa in particular is a country that we love very much, even if we still have a lot to see.
The diversity of this world as a wealth for some and a source of fear for others. What is the true essence of travel for you?
Which generally leaves an indelible mark on our minds and hearts. The one that makes us feel richer every time we return than when we left. Embarking on a journey, long or short, near or far, for us means listening and observing. Be open to welcoming everything that is different.
Between your travels as a couple and your trips alone, you have seen so many countries. impossible to make rankings! However, we ask you for an anecdote each from a country you have visited.
Well, a very nice thing happened during an off-road transfer in the Kenyan desert, near the remote Lake Turkana. There were no tracks or roads there, our driver oriented himself with a GPS but in fact we were driving in the middle of the sand.
At one point, in the middle of nowhere, we were stuck with our wheels in the sand and all attempts to get out on our own were in vain. It was around two in the afternoon and it was about 40 degrees. We got out of the car and slowly, as often happens in Africa, people started appearing out of nowhere offering, each with different ideas, to help us get the car out.
Everyone wanted to have their say, some even argued among themselves because they wanted to lead the operation! I was exhausted and even a little dejected but Fabio started playing with the many children who had gathered and, after arranging them in a circle, started teaching them songs in Italian, including popular songs in our Emilian dialect.
In the end, a moment of difficulty turned into an afternoon of laughter and unexpected fun.
Another time when we laughed until we cried was when we went to visit a Rwandan village, rebuilt according to ancient traditions. We never expected that for the visit they would dress us in the typical costumes of the King and Queen, with feathers on our heads, ornaments and spears in our hands.
In the village we then met a series of really funny characters so, even if we couldn't understand each other well, we spent a couple of hours of pure madness, laughing out loud.
However, we must say that we always have a lot of fun while traveling and that unexpected events have often turned into pleasant and unforgettable moments that have made the experience even more special.
What do you do to make your travels more eco-friendly?
Well, doing a lot “On the road” certainly the first thing that comes to mind is our faithful friend the water bottle, which we carry everywhere and which totally replaces plastic bottles.
In general we try to avoid plastic as much as possible. Another aspect on which we are absolutely super strict is the attention we pay to not dispersing waste we produce into the environment.
Even if we are out and about all day we keep all the waste together and then dispose of it once we arrive at the hotel or destination. Often then, when undertaking quite adventurous trips, we happen to stay in eco-friendly structures that exploit renewable energy.
Easy Travel Hosting thanks Valeria and Fabio very much for taking part in our interview.
If you want to find out more, you can follow her on the site by clicking here. And on social media too!
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