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On the road to...

Imagine leaving the humdrum of daily life behind on the road to adventure and find new experiences. For company, there’s a faithful canine in a vintage Volkswagen van. Call it crazy, even wild and free.

Home is 30,000 kilometres away and the distance is widening for Jens Jacob, who, after driving through Germany and 11 other countries, is now in Dubai and looks to go further. He claims he’s a different man after the drive of his life.

“It has changed me and my thinking,” says the happy German, who’s unsparing with his laughter. It’s infectious and you join in the guffawing, while wondering what you are doing here.

He looks calm and cheerful after the long trip. “I’ve learnt to relax, to take life easy,” says the former real estate agent from a small town in Germany.

Ten months on the road have been a revelation for the 33-year-old from Bielefeld, near Bremen. The people, places, food; he’s been there, done that and enjoyed every moment of it.

He first crossed into The Netherlands, then Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Albania and Greece. The road then took him to Turkey, Iran and now the UAE.

Volkswagen supports the trip and provides technical assistance by shipping spare parts when needed. So far, the 1965 VW has passed the test with flying colours, with only minor hitches on the way.

“In Istanbul, I met this man, Volkswagen fanatic Oto Fadil, who owns a dealership there. He helped me fix a brake disc and since then we’ve been great friends,” says Jens.

The journey has been all about people for the adventurer, and the difference they have made to his mundane existence.

He looks fondly at Nea, his friendly nine-year-old Labrador, one hand on the leash, while he pats his hair into place. Jens almost lost her during the crossing from Bandar Abbas in Iran to the UAE. “They asked me to go ahead and said the dog would follow on the launch with the car in two hours. She did not arrive for two days. It was terrible; I was angry.’’ Dubai port officials in Hamriya were helpful and dog and owner had a tearful reunion eight 
days ago.

She’s always by his side and the German cooks and sleeps in the van, his mobile home, sometimes under the stars. It’s a spartan existence for the man on the move. What about the loo? There are public toilets in malls, the beaches and the woods.

You notice a tiny sink and a benzene stove in his cramped living space, the only luxuries he cares to indulge in. He started the journey with 7,000 euros and works in places he visits to fund the next part of his trip.

In Europe, he played the saxophone on street corners and earned money, sometimes even 80 euros per day. He worked on a farm in Italy for the heck of it because they gave him food and a place to rest his tired limbs.

He witnessed poverty at close quarters in Iran and says there’s much to do for the many impoverished people there. “They may be poor, but they are lucky because all they have to bother about is where their next meal will come from,” he says.

AIDS is his pet theme and he spreads the message on the road. “I talk to kids in schools about the dangers of the disease and try to create awarneness among them.” The effort has the support of a charity organisation named Billi Bildungsfond from his hometown, which believes education is one the strongest weapons against AIDS.

Dubai offers hope and opportunity for the young traveller. He is seeking work here to fund the next leg of his drive to Oman. India then beckons, followed by the Himalayan heights of Nepal, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Surely a road less travelled and a drive worth taking.

allan@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE