Karin-Marijke Vis and Coen Wubbels are giants of modern overlanding. Originally from the Netherlands, they set out in 2003, driving west across the Middle East and Asia in an old Land Cruiser. Between 2003 and 2006, they explored 15 countries and drove 46,000 miles. Forever Off Track is their origin story.
This book is captivating for many reasons. I said Karin-Marijke and Coen are giants of modern overlanding. That’s because they didn’t stop when they reached their original goal, which was to drive as far east in Asia as they could. This massive accomplishment was merely a beginning for the duo. Since then, they’ve driven their Land Cruiser all over South America (2007-2015), then back through Asia–the northeast this time (2016-present). Twenty-two years later, they are still overlanding!
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We all start somewhere
For two people who loom so large in the overland community (2013 Overlanders of the Year), it’s interesting and inspiring to find they’re normal people like you and me. At least during their initial overland journey, they argued while they were driving, got annoyed by visitors at camp after a long day, and constantly battled ants (until they found the tennis ball-sized nest hiding in their awning).
Forever Off Track tells these stories and many others, displaying the wide range of emotions that strike those of us who travel out of our comfort zone.
Cultural curiosity and care
Karin-Marijke and Coen have personalities well-suited for the overland lifestyle. Even when they don’t agree with cultural norms, they observe carefully and do their best to fit in, like in regards to gender dynamics in Iran and Pakistan:
Traveling in Iran and Pakistan was fascinating, not easy. I was constantly adjusting and keeping a low profile. Coen was working twice as hard because he had to do the talking, negotiating and asking around. This unbalanced division of roles took a toll on both of us.
Whenever possible, the couple met and interacted with locals to understand where they were. Hosted in homes across Asia, they took the time to converse and ask questions. This allowed them a deeper understanding of these new cultures, and we as readers benefit from what they learned. I’m amazed by stories like when Coen stopped to play mahjong in China:
Under a tree along the side of the road stood a table. Four men and women were playing mahjong. They laughed when Coen asked them if he could join them. Their faces were skeptical – a foreigner? Playing mahjong? we saw them thinking. When they realized he was serious, one them stood up.
‘Take my place,’ he gestured.
How do you learn a game in the company of people with whom you don’t share a language?…It didn’t matter that we didn’t understand how to play mahjong properly. It was a privilege to be playing one of China’s most traditional and popular games with local people.
It’s the introvert in me that finds interactions like this hard, even in my first language in my home country! But I know how much richer travel is when we take risks like this. Again, Forever Off Track is inspiring.
Practical advice
While this book is a travel tale, not a how-to book, there is still a lot readers can learn. For example, when a drunk police officer in Laos demanded the couple’s passports, Coen replied, “I take yours, you’ll get mine.” They didn’t want to risk the police keeping their passports for an arbitrary reason or bribe. Coen’s method worked!
From how to navigate hecklers in a busy market, to how to interact with devout religious observers, Karin-Marijke and Coen model how to navigate difficult situations with humor and tact.
Time capsule
Forever Off Track is also a beautiful time capsule. Countries change, sometimes quickly. Because they traveled 20 years ago, Karin-Marijke and Coen saw the Middle East and southeast Asia in a way I’ll never get to. But I can read what these countries used to be like to travel through, and that historical chronicle is a gift.
Keep reading
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It is one of the best overland memoirs set in the 2000’s I have read–possibly the very best.
And after you pick up your copy, make sure you bookmark landcruisingadventure.com. It’s the duo’s blog, a mind-blowing collection of articles ranging from stove maintenance to Peruvian travel routes. There is so much information available, an underrated resource for the overlanding community.
-B
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