For Some, the Worst Travel Story
“What’s your worst travel story?”
It was a question tossed around one night in Dahab, Egypt — a town where world travelers seem to collect like seashells.
Do-hyun: “I took a bus from Tanzania to Zambia. Forty-eight hours. It was cramped, it stank, cockroaches everywhere… Once I opened my eyes and there was this woman’s foot right in front of my face. I was so done that I just snapped — ‘Aghhh! Get your fxxking foot away!’”
Me: “…Right. I’m never taking that bus.”
And I didn’t.
I took something worse.
55 Hours on the Road
From Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Livingstone, Zambia — 2,422 kilometers.
I left my hostel in Dar on the morning of the 2nd, and arrived in Livingstone at 11 p.m. on the 4th.
– 09.04.2025 –
I think it’s time to leave Africa. After 55 hours of travel, I reached my hostel but didn’t feel happy. The second bus — the 21-hour one — nearly killed me. It was hell. Not dramatic, not funny. Just hell. “Pick the worst possible scenario for a woman on her period during a long-distance trip.” That was me. I actually startled myself when I heard my own voice yelling, “Shit!”
I used to think I could handle long bus rides as long as there's a window and I have good music. Turns out, there are a lot of conditions attached to that. No cockroaches. No smell. Enough legroom to move. No blaring music. Actual toilets during stops. Only then can you “enjoy” it.
I said I came out here to face discomfort — but the truth is, pain doesn’t feel that poetic when you’re in it.
The dream of crossing Africa started in the fall of 2023. Back then, I just wanted to run away — to numb one kind of pain with another. Reading stories of people surviving impossible journeys, I thought, I’ll cross Africa too.
– 11.06.2023 –
It’s been a while since I ran. Felt alive for the first time in months. Lately my head’s been full of reckless ideas — traveling Africa, backpacking, walking from Cheongju to Daejeon after eating gimbap — anything that would push me beyond my limits. I really want to take a break from school. Let’s see what it feels like to do something I truly hate, just to see what kind of satisfaction comes from it.
I wanted to drop everything and leave, but I didn’t. I faced what was right in front of me, and endured. After that, I stopped dreaming of escapist travel.
That was the first time the phrase “self-discovery” meant something to me. I started asking myself what I really wanted. I also realized I’d been living like a greenhouse flower —protected, small, and unaware of the world outside. And now, here I am. Out of the greenhouse, folded into a stinking bus seat. This is the pain I thought I wanted — but now that I’m in it, I just want to run back to the greenhouse. Funny, isn’t it?
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls lies on the Zambezi River, right between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Stretching 1.7 kilometers wide and dropping 108 meters, its mist can be seen from several kilometers away. Locals have long called it Mosi-oa-Tunya — “The Smoke That Thunders.”
When explorer David Livingstone arrived here in 1855, the place was already sacred to the people who lived nearby. The roar of the water was believed to be the voice of the gods, and many avoided approaching out of fear and reverence. Moved by its grandeur, Livingstone named it after the British queen — Victoria Falls.
Today, it’s also known as one of the most thrilling bungee jumping spots in the world. From the Victoria Falls Bridge, which connects the two countries, you can leap 111 meters down toward the Zambezi River. Right before the jump, you question every life choice that led you here — trembling in pure, unmistakable fear.
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”
“AaaAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!!”
For a few seconds of free fall, I understood why this place was once called the realm of gods. I almost joined them.
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What’s something you’ve challenged yourself to do?
And what did it feel like afterward?
J: Starting conversations with people I barely know. I’ve done that a lot here. Interviewing strangers on the street too — always pretending I’m fine. But I’m not. It’s stressful as hell. Feels like I’m marinating myself in pain. Pain juice.
J: Depending on the challenge, it varies — but I rarely feel like I’ve “overcome” anything. If anything, I’ve learned not to force myself into places I don’t fit. Keep my cool. I’ll attract what I attract.
M: Learning something new. Taking the real estate agent exam was a big one — I knew nothing about that field.
M: But once I passed, I actually started believing, I can do this.
D: Starting a business.
I quit my job as a high school teacher — stable hours, good pay, everyone said it was ideal — and told myself, My parents make more than me, I don’t have anyone to support yet, so let’s gamble once in this life. Turns out, quitting was the hardest part. Once I started, things went smoother than I thought. I used to roll my eyes at “Starting is half the battle,” but that time, it really was. Then came something I couldn’t control. Business was growing, regular customers were coming in — and then COVID hit. Every new case on the news meant fewer customers the next day. For three years, I earned nothing. That was harder than quitting my job. I sold my house, moved into a studio, and even thought about taking the teacher’s exam again. But I waited it out — and when things reopened, the customers came back. Now it’s going well again. The end.
D: Bungee jump.
I have a fear of heights, but when I got to Vic Falls, I thought, This is my chance to beat it. I walked to the edge, looked down — and nope. Didn’t jump. Still haven’t lived that down. Even now, I know I’d make the same choice again.
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Fear isn’t something you overcome. You just get used to it. That’s what I learned from the jump at Victoria Falls. I’ll probably always be afraid of falling — and that’s okay. I’ve stopped waiting for the day it becomes easy. Talking to strangers will always make my heart race, but that’s exactly why it feels so rewarding afterward. That’s why it’s fun. That’s why, even trembling, I’ll keep doing it.
Now it’s another 30-hour ride down to Johannesburg, South Africa. Thirty hours — easy, right? (Not really.) I’ll rest a few days there, then head to Madagascar.
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