Bernd

Travel information

I am currently

Description

About me:

Hello from on the road somewhere. I´m Ben. Now in: COLOMBIA. For 9 weeks

During my trip around the world I was there the first time. Totally loved it. As a nature lover who likes watching birds and flowers a perfect place. And I loved the people. Still have some friends there.
Now I want to come back.
9 weeks I can allow myself.
- visiting friends again (Bogota, Armenia, Bucaramanga)
- do some bird excursions
- go hiking
- dancing
And do some volunteer work again!
Since the not-so-long time for my whole tour I am looking for opportunities for 1 or maximum 2 weeks.

I like to explore the regions where I am, hiking and doing bike tours. And I like to get in contact with interesting people who live wherever I go, who are willing to tell me about their lives and culture.
I recognized that I totally love to travel by staying longer in one place, helping wherever I can in exchange for having a place to sleep.
I had beautiful experiences as a volunteer in different places, working for a sustainable orientated whale-watching company on La Gomera Island, Spain, monitoring endangered shorebirds in the USA, as well as working on a guest-ranch in Iceland or just helping out at home, doing the chores or whatever was to do.

What I still want to do/learn:

Someone who shows me to dive, to dance Tango Argentino or/ and other dances), to play my harmonica, to ride, to plant a tree, to herd some sheep, to run a hostel (the more managerlike things), to seakayak, to sing, to learn wall-paintings, make own wood-craftings, to better learn to help elderly or disabled persons, being involved in local community work

My hobbies:

I like nature, birds, flowers and trees, good museums, culture, handcraft (although I don´t have much time to do such), music (though I don´t play any instrument - maybe you can teach me?), dancing (my favourite is a waltz, and love to lesrn many more). And of course travelling.

My trip around the world:

In July 2016 I started my journey. And it lasted to end of July 2017.

I wanted to see a little bit of the world.
I wanted to make new friends.
I wanted to learn new things.
I wanted to try new hobbies.
I wanted to help whenever it´s possible.

My trip started at the Lake Baikal in eastern Russia. Then I worked on a permaculture farm in China, did kayak tours in Laos, being an English teacher in Cambodia, volunteered for a Wildlife Rescue Center in Malaysia, stayed at a treehouse and Recycling project in Indonesia (sadly they had just finished days before I arrived, so I couldn't help anymore). Via Timor Leste I arrived in Australia and helped mainly weeding. Last station: Tonga, where I do maintenance, gardening and kitchen aid for an Eco Resort. Next place to visit was New Zealand, helping out a bit with a home renovation. Then via Tahiti to the Easter Island, workawaying for a local woman by helping her to transform her home to a holiday apartment and write the text for booking platforms. I reached South America in Chile. In South America I spent 3,5 months from north to South, helping out in two hostels and translating the website of a social welfare projects.

My job and university background:

Travelling is also my job; I work as a tour guide for a German company that offer hiking holidays.
Working in tourism my mind is always full of organized tours and I always have the feeling that staying in hotels you never reach the people really living in this area. It just this "taking a beautiful scenery, give me nice sunny days but don´t bother me with a real living in this country" -Feeling. At the beginning I liked it also this way. But I want to learn from the people, who live there, stay with them and share memories afterwards. Couches instead of hotel beds, people instead of tourism shiny paper magazines, do some good work there instead of only comsuming.

Originally I studied Geography, Biology and Geology, plants and animals as well as my world Atlas have always been my favourites book since childhood days. Before working as a tour guide I was working in an animal park. And next to my Job I have a teaching degree to do forest interpretation walks.

Where I have been before:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, the Easter Island, Ecuador, Eswatini, France, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, the United States, Zimbabwe


Updated January 2025

Interests

Carpentry

Van life

Sustainability

Sailing / Boating

Nature

Outdoor activities

Photography

Music

LGBTQ

Mountain

Gardening

Hiking

Events & social

Dancing

DIY & crafts

Cycling

Culture

Books

Camping

Charity work

Animals

Languages

Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Being an elderly companion

Life at a Farmstay

Helping around the house

Charity Work

House sitting

DIY and building projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Animal Care

Art Projects

Teaching

Helping with Computers/ Internet

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Able to teach about:  

Eco Projects

Hospitality/Tourism

Languages

More details about your skills

I can do a lot, and can learn whatever is needed.

I have worked on a Christmas market , on Iceland I worked on a guest farm helping out in the kitchen, cleaning the rooms and doing interpretive talks to tourist groups, worked as a kitchen-aid, teaching children, did tours as an environmental interpreter, have contributed in scientific projects with plants and animals in Germany, Slovakia, Mongolia and Cameroon, since 21 years I am working as a tour guide and hiking guide (in Germany, the European Alps, Greece, Cyprus, Iceland, Greenland, southern Africa, Mali and Canada), part of these tours also as a minibus driver and cook, I have a licence for health related outdoor hikes, did presentation speeches about foreign countries, have helped on a tourism fair, was a whale-watching guide on La Gomera, gardening, teaching English, trail maintenance, working in a Wildlife Rescue Center .......probably even more than these

working with people, and nature are a big favourite

Age

53

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements