WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP TO IRAQ VIA 21 COUNTRIES - AND ENDED UP STAYING LONGER THAN EXPECTED...

• Johannes and Anna converted a 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser into a livable home
• They set out from their home in the Netherlands on a nine-month trip 
• While their Instagram shows 'dreamy' shots, they soon ran into problems

Two adventurers have told how they set out on an epic road trip through 21 countries including Iraq, where they defied travel warnings and ended up staying far longer than expected.

They enjoyed an array of wonders from the Dead Sea to a strange mirrored building in the desert, but there were low points too. 

Johannes and Anna converted a 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser into a livable home and set out from their house in the Netherlands on a nine-month trip, ending up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Their Instagram @jatonowhere documents the stunning highlights, but in an 'ask me anything' Reddit thread, Johannes reveals some of the hardships that went on behind the scenes. 

Asked if they had any 'emergency type situations' by one Redditor, Johannes recounted a story around getting a flat tire while isolated in the desert. 

He wrote: 'At one point after driving 25 miles deep into a desert and not encountering a single car along the way, we had a flat tire. When we tried with our compressor to check it, the hose of the compressor also blew a hole in itself, Murphy's law at its best.

'But in the end we could simply replace our tire and continue the remaining 50 miles [through the] desert, luckily without further issues. We do have a satellite communication device for emergencies though.'

Many commenters were eager to know if the couple felt unsafe anywhere. 

While they never felt threatened, Johannes said if he had to pick one place that felt dangerous it would be Iraq. 

He explained: 'That was mostly because we have a red travel advisory, and because we were less experienced. But in the end "most unsafe" was still safe.

'We entered open-minded, ready to speed through the country in three days if we felt uncomfortable, but in the end we stayed three weeks.

'My impression is that most fighting in the country is very targeted... Ultimately I think it is not easy to accidentally end up in somebody's crossfire, but of course the risk of something going wrong is non-zero, which is also why the Dutch government recommends against travel.

'Also, in the end this military back-and-forth is the only risk I see when traveling there. All the people you meet in the street are nothing but friendly and curious. You are like a VIP.'

Along with keeping their wits about them, the couple had to juggle their finances. 

They spent about $1,600 'all in' in the cheapest months, but more than $3,200 in more expensive months, 'mainly driven up by hotel cost or depending on the fuel prices.'

Before traveling the duo worked around the clock to save money, with Anna employed as a vet and Johanne working as an engineer. 

They also sold most of their belongings and canceled the lease on their house. 

To save money on the car conversion, they did everything themselves, although the pop-up roof required an expert's touch. 

Detailing the space inside, Johannes wrote: 'The Toyota Land Cruiser, [for us, offers the] best compromise between capability, reliability and interior space.

'Inside we have a full, albeit very tiny living space.'

On Instagram, the couple explain next to shots of the van's interior that 'this is what our tiny home looks like on the inside, where we can eat, sit, lounge and sleep.'

They add: 'The storage space we have is just enough, but getting stuff in and out feels a lot like playing with Lego.'

Johannes said Saudi Arabia was their favorite country, 'due to the sheer scale, diversity and awesome people.'

One of the highlights there was visiting Maraya, the largest mirror-clad building in the world.

Johannes says that 'normally you need some tricks to visit, since the building is in a restricted area.'

However, while they were there, there was a free art exhibition which allowed them to enter with no issue. 

At the other end of the scale, Johannes said the UAE was potentially their least favorite spot - they found 'Dubai underwhelming after other Gulf cities.'

However, he admitted that they 'did not visit any of the mountains and dunes in the country due to a lack of time, so we can't judge really.'

Meanwhile, Bahrain was the country that surprised them the most during their trip. 

He said of the island country on the Persian Gulf: 'It is just a big city on a tiny island, but the atmosphere and amazingly friendly people turned it into a small adventure for us such that we stayed much longer than expected.'

After finishing up their trip, Johannes and Anna flew back to the Netherlands and had their 4X4 shipped over to Kenya, where they plan to go to next and continue their journey to South Africa. 

Reflecting on their recent trip, Johannes said the coolest things they remember most were 'experiences with local people inviting us and taking us on completely unexpected adventures.'

He concluded: 'We are not the most outgoing ourselves, so when reading travel stories we always thought that this would happen less to us. But people all in the Middle East are amazingly friendly and hospitable. 

'To the level that we ended up at one point in a five star hotel in one of the Gulf states, with compliments of the ministry of tourism, which was again the family of some guys we met earlier on the day who showed us around the city as they had seen our Instagram handle on our car, and invited us through a DM. And that is just one of many examples.'

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2024-06-23T19:25:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd