Since 2003, Karin-Marijke Vis and Coen Wubbels travelled the world in a classic Land Cruiser and delighted us with their wonderful travel stories. Now some sad news has reached us. Coen Wubbels has died.
Their journey began more than 20 years ago, and what started as a trip turned into a way of life. In spring 2003 Karin-Marijke and Coen left their home in the Netherlands in a 1984 BJ45 Land Cruiser and headed for Southeast Asia. In 2007 they shipped the car to South America, where they spent eight years. In 2016 they moved on to Central and North Asia, and I still think back fondly on meeting them in Mongolia and the fun days we spent together with other travellers in Ulaanbaatar.
On this continuous trip around the globe, the point was never to cover big distances in as little time as possible and rush from one place to the next. It was to stay a while in the places they visited, to get into local life, to share people’s everyday routines and so really experience and understand something. On average they covered about 50 kilometres a day, which made them known as the slowest overlanders in the world.
There was barely a plan to the whole thing, and Coen once told us: „We’re bad at planning and we don’t have a crystal ball. So I’d say our future is pretty foggy. We only plan a few weeks ahead, and that suits us just fine.“ And his best memories as an overlander, he said, were the memories of people’s generosity and their hospitality. Over all those years full of experiences came countless travel reports, stories and great photos, and we got to share in them.
And even when a tumour turned his life and their journey completely upside down, his courage, curiosity, openness and humour never left him, and Coen set himself new goals: „When life throws a spanner in my plans, I go for a run to get over the obstacles.“
Thank you, Coen, for the many inspiring stories you shared with us. In our memory you will live on through them. Safe travels!
Karin-Marijke Vis and Coen Wubbels in the Matsch&Piste interview
Website of Landcruising Adventure
© Photo: Landcruising Adventure