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Reports

During my travels, I received free accommodation for a night in exchange for writing a daily travel diary. This diary documented how I reached my next destination, the hosts who welcomed me, the food I was offered, and other experiences along the way. Below, you will find the archives of these extensive reports. Please note that English is not my native language, and most entries were written quickly, often around midnight. Enjoy!
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Friday, 4 May 2001
--> The Hague City (NL)

As usual, it got pretty late last night, but fortunately, I didn't have to rush today. Both Charis and I could enjoy a long sleep.

I slept on a mattress on the living room floor and was only awakened by the sounds of Charis's rabbit running around in its cage, around 1 pm. Charis and I settled in for some webcam time and checked our emails. As it took me a while, Charis started preparing a delicious sandwich with eggs for breakfast and made me a special espresso coffee! Knowing that my next host would be at work until 5 pm, we had plenty of time to relax, browse the internet, and have fun debates about various topics. My next stop for the day was Jasper, who works at a beach restaurant on Scheveningen beach—just one block away from the Bora Bora restaurant where Charis works, specifically at the Escubelle. Jasper had invited us both for dinner on the beach. We enjoyed a fantastic meal of sole fish with salad and spicy fried potatoes, all cooked by Jasper himself in the restaurant's kitchen—quite special! The exchange of The Gift with Jasper was a personal moment. Although Charis wasn't sure what to give the next host yesterday, she decided this morning on a photo of her with a friend and Lenny Kravitz, one of his albums, and a personal note. If that isn't a thoughtful gift, I don't know what is. Jasper was genuinely surprised and appreciated the gesture. He was so inspired that he decided to pass on a unique souvenir of Scheveningen beach—a flag that had been hanging outside the restaurant for over six years! On May 4th, the Netherlands remembers the victims of World War II and other disasters, like the Enschede fireworks explosion and the Volendam discotheque fire. At 8 pm, everyone observes two minutes of silence to honor those who died for freedom. Even the music in the restaurant paused in respect. For those unfamiliar with this tradition: Dutch flags are flown at half-mast, cars pull over and stop, and TV stations go black or show the national monument for two minutes. This is how we commemorate in the Netherlands. May 5th is Liberation Day, celebrating the end of World War II and freedom in all forms, while remembering those who are still not free. After our meal, we enjoyed some drinks and discussed Jasper's various websites. He runs a web design company called Treehouse-Design.nl, studies IT, and publishes his own weblog MrGreen.nl with friends. The name MrGreen originated from his first green-themed weblog design. As the sun set over the ocean—a stunning view from our table—it was time to head to Jasper's student house. I said a warm goodbye to Charis with a big hug. She's truly wonderful! Jasper took me to Huize 'SMAK' (short for 'S Morgens Altijd Koffie,' meaning 'In the Morning Always Coffee'). When we arrived about 15 minutes later in The Hague's old quarter, all the housemates were at their in-house bar. Yes, they have a bar inside their student house, complete with a web server and monitor! We enjoyed some beers, and the housemates offered joints to smoke while relaxing to some drum and bass music. Suzanne, who will soon move into an empty room in the house, joined Jasper and me as we played with the webcam and posted stories on MrGreen.nl. Since Suzanne didn't want to go outside at night, she stayed over. This led to an amusing situation: there was a two-person bed and a mattress on the floor, so we ended up with three people in the bed—Jasper, Suzanne, and me—though nothing exciting happened, just a lot of snoring. Jasper is the epitome of a laid-back, cool guy. He’s genuine, open, and leads a great life, working at the beach, cooking in the kitchen, and managing his own internet company while studying. I must admit, I was a bit envious! After some pillow fights and blanket adjustments, we all fell asleep soundly. Until tomorrow!

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