Peubla, Mexico— One of the most fascinating people I know is my Spanish friend Borja.
At almost two metres (6.5 feet) tall, he towers over most people. What he has in height is equally proportionate to his sense of adventure and authenticity. He’s travelling around the world without money and relying on the hospitality and generosity of strangers. To me, he’s living proof that the world is full of good, kind-hearted people. He also inspired me to do this trip the way I did.
I met him in Toronto for the first time in March 2015. Numerous bracelets adorn his right hand, gifts he’s been given from people along his travels. He hitchhikes to get around the world.
He left his hometown in Spain to go to his first destination in Mexico. Yes, this means he hitchhiked across the Atlantic Ocean… on a cargo ship. He also managed to thumb it onto a plane too in Texas. That’s just scratching the surface of his epic travel tales!
Borja wanted to make his way to Alaska during his trip to Canada. When Paul and I finalised the details of our trip to Alaska earlier this year, I let Borja know our route. Borja jumped at the chance to join us. He was in Montreal and had just over a week to make it across 5,000 kilometers in Canada to meet us in Vancouver. By then, he was a skilled hitchhiker. He made it to Vancouver two days before we were to leave.
The night before we were set to head north, I contacted Borja to finalise where we would pick him up. Late in the night he responded that “a miracle happened!”
He met a Buddhist monk in the park who started to tell him about Buddhism. Borja was intrigued and the man offered to teach him more. This resulted in him being 40 kilometers southeast of Vancouver at a Buddhist temple at the time he messaged us.
“I am staying here for the time. I need to discover about Buddhism. I wish you safe travels tomorrow,” his message read.
Paul and I were both stunned. But we both agreed that it was Borja.
But, as is the case with Borja, the story got even more entertaining.
After our trip to Alaska and the Yukon, we started heading south. Borja, now slightly more enlightened, was heading north to Alaska. We agreed to meet Borja at the Liard River Hot Springs in British Colombia on a certain date.
We spent a rainy day at the hot springs, which have been in use since the 1940’s. We had left notes around the site letting Borja know where we were. I started to ask people who I met there if they saw a two-metre tall Spanish man hitchhiking his way north. He wasn’t hard to miss.
Unfortunately, no one saw him.
Enter the Borja Hunter
The tales of Borja captivated the attention of Madeleine, a vibrant, hula-hooping Albertan making her way up north.
She had a little Italian coffee maker and a set of espresso cups that her mother gave her as a gift for her road trip. Although a somewhat impractical gift at the time, it proved to be a great way for her to meet new people on her journey. She offered us a fresh cup of coffee after our visit to the hot springs.
I told her more stories about Borja over lunch and coffee. She really wanted to meet him and would do her best to find him as she headed to Whitehorse, Yukon. I dubbed her the Borja Hunter. I armed her with plenty of stories and inside information about his travels.
That’s when I had an idea…
I gave Madeline a mission. If she found Borja, I told her he would got into the car and introduce himself with is renowned “Hello, I’m Borja!” which he says with a hard-to-forget intonation.
Madeline’s response to his warm greeting would be calculatedly simple: “Yes. I know. I’ve been expecting you.” As they drive off together, a long silence would then ensue for dramatic effect. This would eventually be broken by her telling him stories about his life.
The twisted challenge was set.
A day or so later while I was eating breakfast in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Madeline sent me a message that she arrived in Whitehorse and didn’t find Borja. It was a long shot, I said to myself.
Minutes later, I received a message from Borja apologising for not being able to meet us at the hot springs. He said he was in Whitehorse at the visitor center. A somewhat sinister smile crept across my face at the breakfast table as things started to fall into place.
I told Borja to stay at the visitor center for a little while so we could do a Skype call after breakfast. Then I messaged the Borja Hunter about the location of her prey. Like a true professional, she said she could be at his location in a few minutes.
I was filled with glee when I later received Madeline’s message, “I have spotted the Borja.” The plan was executed. The prey was caught.
During the Skype call afterwards with both of them, Borja said he thought he met an angel! Perhaps he did.
Two months later, I was waiting in Panama City for a connecting flight to Peru. Mexico would be my destination after visiting Peru. Borja contacted me from Alaska and we discovered that we’d both be in Mexico at the same time. So we made it a point to see each other since we missed meeting up twice before.
The third time was a charm! It was such a great time catching up with him and hearing more of his crazy adventures. His genuine heart and charismatic personality have made his travels around possible for more than 18 months.
The very first contribution to the What Is Love Journal was actually penned by Borja. I found it rather fortuitous that we were able to meet again during my travels for the book.
More on Madeleine
But Madeline’s story didn’t end in Whitehorse…
Shortly after the Whitehorse encounter, Madeline went to Dawson City, Yukon. Oddly enough (or not so odd at this point), she arrived the same day as Luke, the young man Paul and I were travelling with across Alaska. I connected the two together.
They ended up hiking around the Yukon together. At the end of their excursions, Madeline dropped Luke off on the side of the road to hitchhike a ride back to Whitehorse. She then stopped at a Tim Hortons coffee shop for something to drink.
There, an older man sat at her table and started talking to her. As they parted ways, the man said he was heading to Whitehorse. She told him to keep an eye out for her friend Luke who was looking for a ride in the same direction.
As luck would have it the man saw Luke on the side of the road. He stopped to pick him up.
As Luke came into the car, he asked, “So you’re Luke, eh?”
What is Love? 