By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Traveling opens your eyes, helps you learn who you are and creates meaningful relationships. Hungarian traveler Alfred Maleczki decided to explore the world, leaving his comfort zone behind to live the adventure, discover culture and meet new people. Kuwait Times spoke with Maleczki as he arrived in Kuwait, to learn more about his journey around the world that began with a step towards a dream.

Kuwait Times: Tell us more about yourself.

Maleczki: My name is Alfred Maleczki. I was born in Hungary. I am 38 years old, working as a quality manager at an automotive factory.

KT: When did you start your journey around the world?

Maleczki: I started dreaming about traveling after I first made a long trip across the world to Australia about 22 years ago. Since that time the desire for traveling lives with me like the desire for breathing. During my college years, I made several cycling trips in summers in different parts of the world, for example, Hungary to Morocco, Hungary to Indonesia, across Canada, across South America, etc. I just found no reason why I should stop.

KT: How many countries have you been to so far?

Maleczki: Currently 115 countries, out of which 10 are not among the 193 recognized countries.

KT: How did you find Kuwait?

Maleczki: Kuwait will always remain a shining moment in my life thanks to the amazing people I got to know here. No matter how far out cultures are, the new friends I met here make me truly feel at home. A small country with a big heart.

KT: What attracted you the most in Kuwait?

Maleczki: The modern and brilliant architecture, the exotic culture, the rich flavors of food, but of course, the people in the first place. I usually prefer destinations with good weather, as I grew up in the cold and dark winters of Europe, but I'm sure even if was 30 Celsius below zero, I would feel the same warmth here.

KT: What do you think of traditional Kuwaiti cuisine?

Maleczki: Whatever I tasted was incredibly delicious. Normally I'm not so enthusiastic about eating, but very enthusiastic about trying local food. Arabic and Indian food are on the top of my list, so Kuwait is also a great food destination for me.

KT: Tell us more about your experience with people in Kuwait.

Maleczki: I expected nice and friendly people obviously, as I had traveled to several Arab countries before, but wasn't sure how Kuwaiti people will compare to people from other Gulf countries. The local Couchsurfing community here is just brilliant. Even though I have an introverted personality, I felt very comfortable and always got a lot of positive energy from everyone. I will always refer to Kuwait as one of the countries when people ask me about my favorites. I always highlight I don't have favorites Ñ I just love different countries for different reasons.

KT: What are your plans after Kuwait?

Maleczki: I'll take a flight back home on Monday morning and will be back at work the same day, probably a bit late. Back to reality Ñ this is five days of work and two days of traveling. I'll have non-stop weekend trips until the end of the year, when I'll finally make a longer trip to close the year, probably to India.

KT: Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your journey?

Maleczki: COVID-19 did not stop me at all, except for one month. It made my trips more complicated, but I always found a way to travel, and probably spent a thousand hours on the phone rebooking dozens of flights after repeated cancelations. Airports were scary, deserted places, destinations were empty; it was a very different way of traveling.

KT: What is the scariest situation you faced during your travels?

Maleczki: Believing that I was being kidnapped in Ecuador during my cycling trip across the continent. I only found out I wasn't weeks later.

KT: What is your message to our readers?

Maleczki: Be open to accepting people whoever they are, wherever they came from. Be curious and hospitable and it will be an amazing experience for everyone. I wish the same lovely experience for all.