Mardi-Louise & Kaz

Travel information

We are currently

Description

Karim and I met each other on a train in London about 6 years ago and have adventured together ever since. We do travel separately also, depending on work schedules.

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. Whilst I am now very much a Londoner, steeped in big city life, my African roots call me back to nature constantly. When I travel I aim to NOT be a "tourist", 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. London has afforded me the opportunity to travel inexpensively to many countries in Europe, but my lust for adventure and meeting new people and places is never sated.

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 is a born and bred Londoner. Deeply passionate about music, he is a talented guitarist and just about plays any instrument he puts his hands on! He is easy going and loves traveling the "local" way. He is terrifically calm and laid back and therefore the guy to be around in any crisis!

Apart from being a dab hand with most manual tasks, we can teach things like photography (I owned a professional studio in London), anything to do with computers, marketing/social media and English language.
With COVID our work life has changed making us free to work remotely so now our dream is closer: buying a small bit of land somewhere where we can either become self-sufficient or support the local community with sustainable food production. We are therefore keen to experience this environment first hand.

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