Loes Bazelmans of Six Wheels East
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Hello, I am Loes Bazelmans from the Netherlands and just started my second overland journey with my boyfriend Harm.
In 2017 and ‘18 we drove from the Netherlands to Central Asia & Mongolia and back in 20 months. What an amazing experience! During this trip we decided to arrange our lives in such a way that we can keep traveling. So here we are, ready to take off for a new adventure on a new continent AND with a new vehicle!
Our first journey was with an ‘86 Toyota Land Cruiser LJ70 (driven by me) and an ‘87 Yamaha XT 600 Z Ténéré (ridden by Harm). That’s where the name “Six Wheels East” comes from: 4 on the car, 2 on the bike. Harm was in front for most of the time, and I enjoyed a lot of me-time in the car. Don’t feel sad, I really loved it! Playing my own music, nobody judging me when I sing along. I really can’t sing, just so you know.
But now Harm has fulfilled his boyhood dream to ride a motorbike to Mongolia, so we are squeezing together in a car. Or a van, so no need to squeeze. We just bought an ‘84 Volkswagen T3 Westfalia High Top in Chile. So for sure, this is going to be a whole different experience: We traded 4WD for the comfort of living inside our home on wheels.
Through our Instagram account @sixwheelseast we’ll keep you updated about our overland experiences! Yes, we are still using “Six Wheels East”, but that might change. It’s still open for discussion.
Photo credit: Alessandro Settenvini
Who or what inspired you to choose independent vehicle travel as your mode of transportation?
In university we made plans to travel together. Somehow the idea of buying a car and drive ourselves popped up. At that time (2012) I already did some research and if I remember well the first blog I read fully was “Slippers op reis”. (I just looked it up and the blog is still online, it is in Dutch.) When reading this blog, I was like “Yeah, this is what I want to do. This is amazing! Let’s do it”. You must’ve felt this too, at one time. Unfortunately, being poor students our budgets didn’t match our dreams just yet. So, instead of driving, we decided to backpack through Central America. Which was great, of course, but during this trip we kept on dreaming of being independent of public transport and having a vehicle to bring us to wherever we want, instead of wherever the bus stops. Ultimate freedom. We kept saying to each other that we would do this “one day…”.
You know how these stories usually go. I mean, I have had many people telling me things like “I also wanted to do that, but then I had well-paying job, a mortgage, kids etc.” All kinds of excuses for not doing what you really want.
When friends started to buy houses, get married and/or have kids, we feared that the same would be expected of us. Apparently, that is what people our age do… We decided against all three for now, and before I knew it, we were talking about that crazy idea we had years before: traveling the world with our own car. The energy this gave us made us decide to just do it! We’re not the first ones doing something like this, so we dove in the literature. At this time, it was the blog of “Landcruising Adventure” that popped up again and again and became our oracle. (Karin-Marijke, if you read this, I felt like I knew you before we met just because of your great online encyclopedia.) We don’t document our travels that extensively, so I really want to give a big shout out to all of you who do! Every blog and magazine I read really helped me gain the confidence to go my own way. While making plans for our first overland journey I was surrounded by friends, family, colleagues living the “normal” live. Reading stories from others who do things differently helped me realize it is not impossible to live the life I want.
Everyone always asks a traveller what their favorite country is. Do you have a favorite country? If not, what is a place that is special to you?
I don’t really have favorites. Every country has something, and it is impossible to compare. I do have special memories of Tajikistan though. Coming from the Netherlands, it was the first country where I felt alone in the world. Up in the Zorkhul Nature Reserve many days could pass without seeing a soul. The offroading was extreme and the nature amazing. Especially since I drove every kilometer of it myself (since Harm was on his motorbike, remember) I felt on top of the world.
Words can’t describe how impressive the mountain ranges I climbed were . Some of them so high nothing grows there. The only thing left are rocks, rocks and rocks. Like what I imagine the moon looks like.
Travelling has taught me… to live with less. Before our first overland travel Harm and I sold almost everything we had. I found this difficult at first. I noticed I was attached to my stuff. But once I started recycling and or giving away everything I had, I felt free. Hard to explain in words, just try it. Now everything I own is in our van. Except for some boxes at my parents’ with memories: old diaries, school stuff, pictures etc.
Overlanding sucks sometimes because… of the lack of showers. I don’t consider myself a girly girl, but overlanding sucks sometimes because instead of asking myself “Shall I wash my hair today?” the question becomes “Will I be able to wash my hair this week?”
I have no problem with not showering for days. Or a “ navy shower”, if the only water available is ice cold. But I have a hard time washing my hair with cold water only. So I skip that part and wait until an opportunity comes by. The longest without has been three weeks. By then I really got bored of the ponytail, the only thing I was able to make of my greasy hair. But it did teach me to appreciate a good shower ;).
I am a badass woman because… I drove a 4x4 through crazy parts of Mongolia with no one to rely on but myself. I sometimes need to remind myself that I am allowed to call myself a badass, so thanks for this question. Driving the Land Cruiser from the Netherlands to Mongolia while Harm was riding his motorbike. All the rough roads I had to do myself. Something my 18-year old self would have never believed. I mean, it took me ages to pass for my driving license. That experience alone made me dislike driving for years. I always felt insecure and unsafe on the road. And then, there I was, driving crazy off-road tracks and mountain passes like never before. Nobody sitting next to me to assist or take over, only myself to count on. Heck yeah, I am a badass!
What is your favorite quote?
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
I first read this after we had been traveling for almost a year and it describes exactly how I felt about our decision to go travel.
Before the trip, sharing my overland plans with friends, family and colleagues several of them told me things like “I wanted to travel, but then…”, followed by all kinds of valid and not-so-valid reasons. To not end up with any regrets, I decided to take the plunge. Try it and see what happens. And if it wouldn’t have been the life for me, I would have turned back, having learned at least that.
One of the most common questions we get is about finances. Do you have any tips, tricks or advice on this topic?
Our first overland journey to Central Asia and Mongolia was fully funded by our savings. From the day we picked a date about a year and a half in the future, we saved as much as we could. We exchanged fancy (or any) restaurants for shopping at discount supermarkets. New clothes for wearing down our existing wardrobe. This didn’t feel as drastic as it sounds, because we knew what we were doing it for.
“Unfortunately” we discovered that this way of living becomes us but savings eventually run dry. To keep on traveling, we needed money. That’s when we started freelancing, working remotely for a variety of Dutch clients. At the beginning of 2019 I started my own business as a virtual assistant: I assist entrepreneurs with a variety of back-office tasks. And with experience in marketing analytics, Harm works as a data engineer.
I used the year between Mongolia and South America to set up my new career. Fully focus on my goals and using this opportunity to get in touch with potential clients offline. Because of that investment we are now traveling South America while making money.
How has this experience changed you?
I have grown more open-minded and curious to the unknown. Assuming the best in people. And letting go of the need for stuff: After traveling months in a tiny Land Cruiser, you learn what is really important, and it is not your stuff. It is the people. Funny enough, the people I met who in our western eyes were the poorest, were the kindest.
And I learned how the media skew reality. Everywhere else is more dangerous than your comfort zone. Don’t go there, it’s not safe there. Please, sell your TV, go outside and see with your own eyes what the world is like and I promise you, you will love it!
What do you think is the biggest challenge for women overlanders? And the biggest advantage?
I have the feeling that the difference between men and women is even greater in non-Western countries, which I think can be both a challenge and an advantage.
One time in Kazakhstan Harm and I were pulled over by a police officer. He addressed Harm, but he pulled us over for the car so that is my area, not Harm’s! I felt annoyed that I was ignored, at first. But then Harm stepped back and had me talk to the officer. That made him extremely uncomfortable, resulting in him letting us go without having to pay the fine (read: bribe). Being a woman is an advantage ;)
What are your favorite overland resources (blogs, books, FB pages, etc.)?
I love all the different Facebook groups related to all sorts of overlanding topics. There is one for Dutch overlanders, but also the international ones per continent. And of course Woman Overlanding the World! To share not just the practical questions but also the emotional issues you encounter as a woman.
For our travels through Central Asia we used Caravanistan extensively. And for finding a camping spot when we are too tired to search one for ourselves, we use iOverlander.
What is a simple life hack you’ve discovered while on the road?
Track your cycle and try to cycle sync your overland life with your period. Use the power of your female body instead of going against it, only frustrating yourself and those around you.
In between the two overland journeys I decided to stop with hormonal birth control. Not to have children in the near future, but because I was annoyed by the idea that I was giving my body artificial hormones for almost 15 years. I wanted to get to know “the real me”.
However, this means that this time I have to deal with my period. To be honest, I really enjoyed not having a period when I was on the Mirena spiral during the previous journey. It is so easy when living outdoors. But life isn’t always about choosing the easy way. So recently I have been diving deeper in the female hormone system and cycle syncing my life. It has taught me that in the first half of my cycle (from menstruation to ovulation) I am more energized and open for social activities. While in the second half (from ovulation to menstruation) I have the need to go inside my cocoon and be alone. At that time my energy levels are lower and I feel more tired.
When possible, I try to sync our activities with my cycle. Which means, the first weeks of my cycle are perfect for city life, doing more social and high-energy activities. While the second half is better spent in the middle of nowhere, enjoying some me-time. Of course this is the ideal and not always possible, but since I now better understand how my body works, I can explain my mood swings and I get less frustrated if things don’t go as planned. I also share this with Harm, so he knows when to challenge me and when to just leave me be.
What advice would you give to someone with a dream to travel overland?
It probably sounds cliché but just go! Don’t make yourself crazy with all the stuff or experience you think you need. Just go with what is available to you and you’ll learn along the way. Overland travel is different for everybody. During our first overland trip I really enjoyed driving the Land Cruiser and taking it off-road through dry riverbeds and over snowy mountain passes. But this time around I chose for comfort and enjoy overlanding as a lifestyle. Who knows what will be next. There is not one way to go, so just go and find yours!
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