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What a turn of events! When writing our last newsletter in January from Kazakhstan we couldn’t imagine that Covid-19 would be ruling the world and that we’d get stuck in the Netherlands. A lot of things have happened in between - hiking, quarantine, more hiking and biking.
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Hiking in Israel
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We had an absolute blast hiking the 1000-km-long Israel National Trail. The combination of hiking through a variety of landscapes with staying with a lot of local people made this adventure so special. Thank you so much friends in the off-road community and the so-called ‘Trail Angels’ who opened their homes to us.
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As for a number of years now, we are grateful for the equipment and clothing provided to us by different companies that make such a difference when going out on hiking adventures such as this.
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Hiking & Biking in the Netherlands
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The long-distance hike in Israel had a sad ending as we had to quit 4 days before the end due to a complete lockdown in Israel. It’s an incredible story of how we met the right people, Yoav and Jaana, at the right time so we could get back to Tel Aviv and catch the plane to the Netherlands where we locked ourselves up for 14 days in Coen’s hometown.
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We are incredibly fortunate that our parents live near each other and that there is enough space at my (KM) parents house for us to stay. As we have no clue what the (immediate) future holds, we stay put and are fine with that.
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After weeks of ‘intellectual lockdown’, the Netherlands is opening up. So we are back on the road again. No, not in a car. On foot and on bicycles (thanks Judith & fred and Edwin for lending them to us). We are getting to know our own country in a totally new way, and it’s great.
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Our 3-day, 90-km-long Twentepad was a good warm-up for the 500-km-or-so Pieterpad that we will walk in July. The Pieterwalk is a long-distance hike from the northern coast of Groningen all the way to the southernmost point in Limburg.
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Tomorrow we’re off on a 2-week cycling trip through the Netherlands from east to west, visiting (overlander) friends in different places.
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By the way, even though we are sparse with our newsletters, did you know that you can stay in the loop on our whereabouts on our website? As such we have a dedicated section called Where Are We. Now, in Covid-19 times, everything is screwed up so also our Where Are We updates, but normally we share a Where Are We in the first week of the month.
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Shop
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In between fun outdoor activities, we work long hours to write our articles, update our websites, and renew the Landcruising Adventure Shop.
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We have updated the shops dedicated to Covid-19 masks, T-shirts, and Clothing. Check them out and let us know what you think. Questions or requests?
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Don’t hesitate to let us know!
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New Publications
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Among the new publications are:
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Overland Journal - Hiking the backdoor to Machu Picchu
Toyota Trails - Metal Fatigue; Keeping the Land cruiser in Shape (overhaul in Kyrgyzstan)
Expedition Portal - Why add the Pamir Highway to your Overland Adventure
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For a complete list of publications check out this page on our website:
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Notes on Slow Travel
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Our second website, Notes on Slow Travel, long needed a digital overhaul. Finally functioning behind the scenes again, I have started working on it again and sharing stories that fit the slow-travel narrative.
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Take a look if you like, and we’d love to have feedback on the (dis)likes.
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The Overland Reunion
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![Overland Reunion Sign Up [©photocoen]](https://landcruisingadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/OR_signup-800x534.jpg)
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Our annual Overland Reunion in May was canceled due to Covid-19 restrictions. But Europe is opening up again and so is the Netherlands. This summer campsites with shared facilities are open again and so we have a new date for the Overland Reunion in August.
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Here is all the info plus the form to register. Hope to see you there!
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Car Talk
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Many ask how and where the Land Cruiser is. It is safely parked in a guarded parking lot in Almaty. Additionally, our friend Eduard keeps an eye on it and regularly updates us with a photo or video of our car on wheels. Thank you Eduard - we really appreciate your time & attention for the Land Cruiser!
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As you can see on the photo, the Land Cruiser is partly covered in plastic. Hopefully we have covered the cracks and holes, however, we don’t really know where rain enters but do know that it does (we never got that figured out despite years of searching) so yeah, the interior may be getting a bit molded during our long absence. That combined with not having taken out the batteries, which won’t them good for such a long time, we have just two minor worries for now.
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Until January the Land Cruiser can stay in Kazakhstan on its Temporary Import Document so no worries for now on that side. So, overall speaking, our situation couldn’t be more favorable considering the whole Covid-19 situation.
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ARB Europe to the Rescue
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We are proud to have become ambassadors of ARB, even though right now that isn’t saying much. After several broken leaf-springs last winter, caused by the tough off-roads in Kazakhstan, the entire suspension is ready for an overhaul. ARB Europe quickly responded and sent a full package to Almaty. We had hoped to be installing it as we speak but ala, that project has to wait another couple of months.
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Speaking of projects and ARB, they just started their summer camping product promo, which is valid for all European customers until July 31st (including UK).
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Interested in Overlanding?
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It’s already a long newsletter, but let me finish by sharing this great You Tube channel, dedicated to overlanding. Dan Grec has overlanded the Americas and Africa, written books about it and is now particurlarly active on his You Tube channel.
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Check out his latest episodes where he discusses common topics as what you need to go overlanding, tires and stoves, and budgets.
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Sharing Adventure Vibes
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Apart from what we are doing and promoting our own blog and webshop, we are happy sharing other people’s work too. We have shared the work of seasoned overlanders such as Dan Grec, A2A expedition and Dare2go, as well as hiking, biking, and kayaking outdoor adventures. We are always on the lookout for overlanders/outdoor aficionados who are just as enthusiastic in sharing their experiences and knowledge.
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Would you like to be featured here, or do you know of overlanders/outdoor adventurers who have an interesting story to tell?
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Please, let us know so we can share the overland and adventure vibes far and beyond.
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Uzbekistan Overland Travel Guide - Travel Information for Your Road Trip
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Overland travel information for Kazakhstan: roads, navigation, gas stations, camping, and more in our Kazakhstan Travel Guide.
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Books about Israel and Hiking the 1000-km National Trail
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Before hiking the 1000-km National Trail in Israel, we updated our Kindles with books to read about Israel in general and hiking the National Trail in particular. As so many are inspired by our book lists, I decided to share my books on Israel too. More Books about our Favorite Travel Destinations Books about JordanBooks about RussiaBooks about Japan: History Books …
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Overland & Land Cruiser T-shirts - What's New?
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As it is impossible to carry large numbers of Overland & Land Cruiser T-shirts, other clothing and goodies with us in the Land Cruiser, we have long outsourced the practical side of our Landcruising Adventure merchandise to Redbubble. Big as the online shop is, Redbubble can be quite a maze and not evident to navigate for the first-time visitor. Thus …
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Overland Reunion – How Do I Sign Up?
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The yearly Overland Reunion, what's it all about and where do you sign up? Find all information and sign-up form here.
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Covid-19 in the Netherlands (Where are We)
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What do you do as full-time overlanders (travelers) when Covid-19 spreads across the world? Despite everything we saw happening in China last winter, how many of us realized this might actually become a world-wide and long-term issue – a pandemic? Coen and I for sure weren’t among the enlightened ones. As explained in our previous Where are We, our itinerary …
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What's Next?
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As mentioned earlier, this summer we will be biking & cycling in the Netherlands. When we will get back to our home on wheels entirely depends on Covid-19 and government rules. Right now we have no clue as to when that may be.
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If you’ve enjoyed our blogs, you have our patrons to thank – at least in part. Patreon helps us to stay freelancing and create more website stories for everyone to enjoy!
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Thank you for supporting us on Patreon:
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Aeron, Augustus, Barbara, Bernard, Bordan, Calin, Chris, Craig, Eric, Henk en Marianne, Jack, Jan, Joost, Judith, Justin, Katja, Lena, Marieke, Matt, Mike, Monique, Mélanie, Pauline en Wim, Peter en Michelle, Rob, Robert, Travis, Ylona, and Yolanda.
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We now have a tier system that includes unique benefits – Go check it out.
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Keep in Touch
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Please stay safe and we hope to hear from you!
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If you enjoy this newsletter, will you forward it to friends and family? Thanks!
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Best,
Karin-Marijke & Coen
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