The Last Nomadic Hippie-Photo Prose | Photography

TonHis pandemic disrupted the plans of many people, including mine. As a freelance journalist, my original trip to South America disappeared, and I had to find an alternative. Nevertheless, I found a job in a logistics warehouse during the lockdown and was able to save some money. After the restrictions began to relax, I bought an old truck and converted it into my new home for the next few months with the help of some friends.

I come from Badajoz, a small city in southwestern Spain, just a few kilometers from the border with Portugal.I have been visiting Portugal Because I was still a child, but I never had the opportunity to explore the neighboring countries more deeply. With the world paralyzed, this is my chance.

On July 11, 2020, the land border between the two countries reopened. A week later, I started a trip without a fixed itinerary. My only goal is to stay away from everything, live without a watch, and be closer to nature. Of course, my camera will accompany me.

In the beginning, I drove alone along the coast south of Lisbon. I try to socialize with people I meet on the beach or where I park my truck. Often found that they are typical tourists, I began to despair, thinking that I can finally spend the rest of the journey alone. However, experience tells me that I must be patient and persevere. Journey is a crucial process, and I know I must believe in it.

About five days later, when I arrived at Lagoa de Santo André (Lagoa de Santo André), my luck began to change, which is a seaside lake in a small fishing village. As soon as I got there, I saw an old RV parked in a field with a sign saying “Alex Freestyle” on it. I have a feeling that the person inside will not be an ordinary tourist.

The owner is a German man in his 50s. He and his partner, a 32-year-old Belgian woman, lived in the motorhome for several years. I contacted them immediately and they welcomed me into their alternative lifestyle. Their goal in life is not to accumulate wealth, but freedom. Watching the sunrise and sunset is a daily ritual. Time is not an important concept. They don’t feel rooted in any land. If they feel comfortable in a place, they will stay until their nomadic instinct calls them back on the road.

My travel began to become meaningful. A few days later, I met Lili, a Portuguese woman in her 30s who lived in her car for more than seven months. It is difficult to understand how her life can be controlled in an area of ​​no more than four square meters. She slept on a cushion on the passenger seat and used a watering can as a shower.

Gradually, as more and more tourists came to the beach, the hippies began to feel uncomfortable. The pandemic dispersed the hippie community because the festivals where they used to gather were cancelled. Although they live and enjoy every day, the uncertainty of the situation has begun to haunt them.

Lily was the first to leave. Then I headed all the way south.

A few weeks later, I met Lily on the road. We traveled together and lived on the beaches along the Costa Vicentina until we reached Praia do Amado, a small town called Carrapateira in the Algarve region.

Here, I met Sabrina. She is an artist and has lived in a motorhome with her 9-year-old son Inti since the 1980s. When she sold her handicrafts on the beach, Inti made friends and went surfing.

Although he is older, he has lived in several countries and is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Salentino, the Italian dialect of his grandparents. He also speaks some bad English as well as some French, German and Swiss. Once a week, he goes to another school. And he has more life experience than the adults around him.

My journey lasted until October, and I met other hippies along the way. They choose to stay away from the established social life and embrace the values ​​of brotherhood, exploration, contemplation, nomadism and respect for the environment.

The pandemic has caused many of us to question the values ​​of today’s society. I wonder if these nomadic hippies already have some answers.