You've written that Colombia is one of your favorite countries to travel in. What makes Colombia so special? People, I mean, they have poetry when they speak. And even though it's not actually easy to hitchhiking Colombia, because of all the problems with gorillas and kidnapping,. They are a bit cautious at the time of giving you a ride. But once you are there and you're talking to people, he says. He also cited Transnistria as one of his favorites.
Travel writer Juan Pablo Villarino had visited 90 countries before making the trek to exotic Arlington, Virginia for this chat with Tyler. Amazingly enough, this recording marked his first trip to the mainland United States, which is now the 91st country in an ever-expanding list.
The world's best hitchhiker talks with Tyler about the joys of connecting with people, why it's so hard to avoid stereotypes (including of hitchhikers), how stamp collecting guides his trips, the darkest secrets of people he's gotten rides from, traveling and writing books with his wife, the cause of violence in the Americas, finding the emotional heart of a journey, where he's going next, and more.
Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.
Recorded May 4th, 2018 Other ways to connect