This is not about my trip in Latin America, but I just felt like telling you about a great TV series we did in Finland on Strangerless travel and couchsurfing a couple of years ago. It’s called Sohvasurffaajat and it’s about…surprise, surpise: getting to know cultures through people!! The series is in Finnish, but the first season has been subtitled into English.

Would you like a spontaneous encounter with a stranger in the midst of your day-to-day life? If the answer is yes, then Urban Hitchhiking is for you! Created by urban-space-mastermind Lauri Jäntti and myself, Urban Hitchhiking is all about unexpected encounters in an environment where collective rush often hinders the mental space from extemporaneous meetings with new people – the city.

If you want to go on a long cycling trip, be prepared to talk to strangers and give random interviews. Even in the most odd circumstances. Why? Because not only is it a great opportunity for you to meet people, but you and your heavily stocked bicycle will definitely draw people’s attention at you!

How on earth do you train for long-distance cycling and contact with strangers if you live in a city? Unless you’re one of those people into Urban Hitchhiking [sic!], meeting people on the streets of a city can be a tricky business. However, with a spark of imagination, there are loads of things that will draw people towards you. Being a taxi driver on a Saturday night is one option, but an other, more ecological and mentally less challenging one is getting yourself a pink rikshaw!

Body language is essential when approaching strangers, especially, if you’re standing next to a busy road waiting for a ride. Signs and gestures vary from culture to culture, so even when hitchhiking, one can never be completely sure about what the driver is trying to communicate. If you have ever thought about catching a lift from a stranger in Europe or have already done so yet still have doubts on some of the things you’ve seen while on the lookout, then here’s your ultimate guide to understanding drivers and the hidden messages behind their gestures (and my thoughts on them)!