Mardi-Louise & Kaz

Travel information

We are currently

Activities we are interested in:

In Portugal, setting up irrigation for our trees!

Description

Karim and I met 7 years ago on a train and have been travelling and adventuring together ever since. We do travel on our own quite a lot if our work schedules don't match up.

Mardi-Louise: I was born in Namibia, grew up in rural South Africa and relocated to the United Kingdom, living in London for the last ten years. During COVID I bought a piece of dusty, dry land in Portugal and for the past few years I have been building an off-grid homestead. I am mainly rewilding the land, but have set up (by myself!) a solar system and irrigation for the hundreds of trees I have planted).

I like to live close to nature (I'll happily sleep on the ground in a bivvy, on the beach or where ever there is a dry and safe spot), and see the world through the eyes of the people who live in it.

I own an old Victorian home in a London suburb and have spent much time and energy in renovations, landscaping (more like postage stamp gardening!) and maintenance, including plumbing and electrics! I have never gotten used to the "consumer society" we live in, so most of my friends think I'm a bit batty because I can always be found fixing things: broken washing machine? coffee machine? laptop? Fix it!! Upcycling and repurposing is my jam.

I travelled across much of Africa on my 20 year old motorcycle by myself and thus know a thing or two about oil leaks and engine maintenance! For a time I "got stuck" in Morocco and in that time I was gifted a small piece of land near the Atlas Mountains where I built a typical "village house" from mud and dung with the help of the local villagers. I learnt that digging big holes by hand (for septic tank) is NOT as easy as it looks in the movies!

Karim: a city boy at heart, I have lived in London all my life. I love to travel off the beaten track and connect with local people living ordinary lives. I am a keen musician and cook and will happily teach anyone the skills I have. Other than that I love working in the outdoors, especially with animals. I work in a cat shelter in London on a rural farm and this has taught me a lot about caring for living things.

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
Afrikaans: Fluent
English: Fluent
Arabic: Beginner
German: Beginner
French: Beginner
Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner

More details about my language interests
I would LOVE to get more proficient in any of the languages that I have studied. I have a good reading knowledge but without actual practice is very hard to become proficient.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Gardening

Being an elderly companion

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Charity Work

Languages

---

Able to teach about:  

DIY and building projects

Babysitting and creative play

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Art Projects

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Teaching

More details about your skills

Property maintenance (decorating, flooring, wooden fencing, gardening, plumbing, electrics). Technology (computer hardware, web development, digital marketing). Arts: (Photography, piano). Other (Driving, motorcycle)

Age

48 & 38

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies
  No allergies

• 

  Special dietary requirements
  No special requirements