Quixoticguide
Hi, I’m Maarten Van Den Driessche, a curious human, aviation enthusiast, vexillophile, world traveler, and food lover with over 14,000 days of life experience.
-
Fly Baghdad Is Back: The Iraqi Airline Returns to the Skies
After more than two years on the ground, Fly Baghdad is flying again. The privately owned Iraqi airline resumed commercial operations on 20 September 2026, operating its first returning service between Baghdad and Istanbul. The flight marked an important comeback for an airline whose future had appeared highly uncertain only a few years earlier. From…
-
Ciudad de La Paz: Equatorial Guinea’s New Capital
For decades, Malabo was the capital of Equatorial Guinea. Located on the island of Bioko, far from most of the country’s continental territory, it was one of Africa’s more unusual capitals. But in January 2026, Equatorial Guinea officially entered a new chapter: Ciudad de La Paz became the country’s new capital. On 2 January 2026,…
-
Airport Malaria: When a Tropical Mosquito Arrives by Plane
Malaria is normally associated with tropical and subtropical regions. Mention the disease and most people think of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Asia or remote areas of Latin America. But very occasionally, malaria comes to you. A mosquito carrying the malaria parasite can board an aircraft in an endemic country, survive the flight and emerge thousands…
-
Airbus A350F: The A350-1000-Based Freighter That Could Transform Air Cargo
For years, Airbus has dominated parts of the passenger widebody market with the A350 while Boeing has remained the far stronger name in dedicated large freighters. The Airbus A350F is Airbus’ attempt to change that balance. Sometimes informally described as an “A350-1000F” because it is heavily based on the A350-1000, its official name is simply…
-
Kazakhstan Is More European Than You Think
Kazakhstan is a Central Asian country. Open a map, however, and you will find that it does not fit entirely within Asia. The Ural River runs through western Kazakhstan and is commonly used as part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. By that definition, the land west of the river is European Kazakhstan. It…
-
The Saudi Arabia–Jordan Land Swap: How Jordan Traded Desert for Red Sea Coastline
That shape is not accidental. In 1965, Jordan and Saudi Arabia redrew their border in one of the Middle East’s lesser-known territorial exchanges. Jordan gave up more land than it received, but what it gained was arguably much more strategically valuable: additional coastline around Aqaba. A border inherited from an earlier era The frontier between…
Where Curiosity Leads
Travel is more than ticking countries off a map. It’s about discovering the stories behind places, understanding the people who call them home, and seeing the world through new perspectives.
Quixotic Guide is a collection of destinations, cultures, history, aviation, food, and ideas, created for curious travellers who want to go beyond the guidebook. Whether you’re planning your next adventure or simply exploring from home, every article is designed to help you understand the world a little better.
Explore Beyond the Tourist Trail
- 🌍 Discover fascinating destinations
- 🏛️ Understand history and cultures
- 🍽️ Explore national dishes and traditions
- ✈️ Travel smarter with practical guides
- 💡 Gain context behind the headlines
- 📖 See the world through curiosity
“The more you understand a place, the more meaningful your journey becomes.”
My Travel guides
- Not instructions, but orientation.
- These guides explain how places work — so you don’t just visit, you arrive.
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” –
Ibn Battuta
Maghrebi traveller