Ludovic Hubler is a
French traveller and author. He achieved notoriety for his five-year long tour of the world, completed entirely by
hitchhiking
Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free.
Signaling ...
. He wrote the travel book
''Le Monde en stop'', and later received the 2010
Pierre Loti
Pierre Loti (; pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud ; 14 January 1850 – 10 June 1923) was a French naval officer and novelist, known for his exotic novels and short stories.This article is derived largely from the ''Encyclopædia Britannica Ele ...
Award.
Biography
Childhood
Ludovic Hubler was born on 11 September 1977, the son of Monique and Jacques Hubler. He is the brother of the consultant Eric Hubler and the photographer Marc Hubler. Passionate about football and geography, he grew up in Wasselonne and Obernai in the Alsace region in eastern France. In June 2002, he graduated from
EM Strasbourg Business School
EM Strasbourg Business School is a French business school located in Strasbourg, Alsace. It was established in 1919.
History
In 1919, at the initiative of the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI), the Institut d'Etudes Supérieures Spéci ...
with a Master of Science in Management.
Tour of the world by hitchhiking
At the end of his master's program, believing that discovering the realities of the world was a valuable pre-requisite to entering the work world, Ludovic Hubler decided to start a tour of the world using hitchhiking as his only means of transportation.
This adventure, which he baptized his, "life PhD", lasted 5 years during 2003-2008. From "sail-boat hitchhiking" to cross the Atlantic and the Pacific, to "ice breaker hitchhiking" to reach Antarctica; from crossing the Sahara Desert or visiting countries as notorious as Colombia and Afghanistan, Ludovic used his thumb in all kinds of improbable and difficult to imagine situations.
His encounters were as numerous as they were diverse. Among the most striking were his meeting with the
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...
, who received him in his hometown of
Dharamshala
Dharamshala (, ; also spelled Dharamsala) is a town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It serves as the winter capital of the state and the administrative headquarters of the Kangra district since 1855. The town also hosts the Tibeta ...
(India) in 2007, and some of the thousands of students in all corners of the world with whom he shared his story.
Over the course of 5 years, the 170,000 kilometers travelled, the 59 countries visited, the hundreds of lectures given, and his gratitude for the help of over 1,300 drivers give an idea of the richness of Ludovic's trip - an adventure that was shared on a daily basis with pediatric cancer patients at the
Hospital of Strasbourg, back home in Strasbourg, France.
Image:katagdalailama.jpg, The 14th Dalai Lama giving Ludovic a khata
A ''khata'' or ''khatag'' is a traditional ceremonial scarf in Tibetan Buddhism and in Tengriism. It is widely used by the Tibetan, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Ladakhi, Mongolian, Buryat, and Tuvan peoples on various occasions. It originated in Tib ...
Image:confafghanistan.JPG, Sharing his journey in a school in Afghanistan
After the tour
Ludovic Hubler now lives in Menton and works as Head of Programmes and Field Operations for
Peace and Sport
Peace and Sport (also known as "L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport") is a sports organization based in Monaco under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Ivorian Football player, footballer Didier Drogba became the organization's ...
, ''L'organisation pour la paix par le sport'' placed under the High Patronage of Prince
Albert II of Monaco
Albert II (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, reigning since 2005.
Born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, Albert is the second child and only son of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. He attend ...
.
He continues to regularly give lectures sharing his journey and what he learned on the road. Ludovic Hubler is now married to Panamanian native Marisol Richards Espinosa, whom he met during the trip in September 2005, as he hitchhiked through Panama.
Bibliography
*2009 : ''Le Monde en stop, 5 années à l'école de la vie'', éditions Géorama. 2010
Pierre Loti
Pierre Loti (; pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud ; 14 January 1850 – 10 June 1923) was a French naval officer and novelist, known for his exotic novels and short stories.This article is derived largely from the ''Encyclopædia Britannica Ele ...
award, rewarding the best travel book of the year 2009.
References
Tour of the world by hitchhiking
Press
*
Article in the magazine oopartir.com*
Article A/R Magazine*
, titre=Le monde en stop, Article Instinct Voyageur*
*
RTL*
Article Sud Ouest*
Article Bangkok Magazine, Thaïlande*
Article Road Junky*
*
*
Article Vietbao, Viêt-nam*
Article The Star Malaisie*
*
Livre Homo-travel*
TV
*
Reportage CBS Texas, USA*
Reportage Floride, USA*
Reportage TV Sohu, Chine*
Reportage Dragon TV, Chine*
Reportage One TV, Nouvelle-Zélande*
Reportage Televisa, Mexique*
Reportage One TV, Nouvelle-Zélande
Peace and Sport
*
Article ITTF aux championnats du monde de Tennis de Table, présentation du programme Peace and Sport-ITTF "Table Tennis for Peace"*
External links
Official site of Ludovic HublerInterview e-marginalia web siteTV report Incroyable mais Vrai
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hubler, Ludovic
1977 births
Living people
French travel writers
People from Bar-le-Duc
University of Strasbourg alumni
Circumnavigators of the globe
French male non-fiction writers