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.

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What If Every Human on Earth Stood Side by Side?
A thought experiment that will change the way you look at the world It started with a conversation in Turkey. My friend Alex Tsaplev, traveller, thinker, the kind of person who asks questions nobody else thinks to ask, turned to me one evening and said: “Do you know that every human being on Earth could…
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Oman and Norway: Two Countries, One Population, Worlds Apart
At first glance, Oman and Norway seem to have little in common. One is a desert kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula, the other a Scandinavian nation famous for its fjords and snowy landscapes. Yet these two countries share a surprising statistic: both have a population of around 5.5 million people. This unexpected similarity often leads…
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Flag Etiquette — The Essential Guide to Displaying a Flag Correctly
A flag is more than just a piece of fabric—it represents history, identity, values, and pride. Whether you’re displaying a national flag, state flag, military flag, or organizational banner, following proper flag etiquette demonstrates respect for what that flag stands for. This essential guide covers the key principles for displaying a flag correctly and respectfully.…
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Japan’s Population Problem: What Happens When a Country Starts to Shrink?
Japan is often seen as a glimpse into the future. The country is famous for its cutting-edge technology, efficient transportation, and some of the world’s safest cities. Yet behind the neon lights of Tokyo and the bullet trains racing across the country lies one of the most significant demographic challenges of the 21st century. Japan’s…
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Exploring the Provinces of Turkey
Turkey is divided into 81 provinces (iller), stretching across two continents and offering an incredible variety of landscapes, cultures, and histories. From the beaches of the Mediterranean to the mountains of Eastern Anatolia, each province has its own unique character. Why Turkey’s Provinces Are So Diverse Turkey’s provinces span seven geographical regions: Provinces Every Traveler…
Where curiosity leads
Travel isn’t about collecting countries, but about understanding them.
These are places that shaped how I see the world — not just destinations, but contexts, encounters, and stories waiting to unfold
Travel Beyond Tourism
- Discover Places
- Understand Cultures
- Travel Better
- Meet the World
- Learn the Context


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