Episode 2: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Globe Trekker

November 6, 2025
In episode 2, Globe Trekker veterans Ian and Justine swap stories and weigh up the pros and cons of one of their favourite modes of transport - hitchhiking! Hear why, in spite of some hair-raising tales, our fearless duo are convinced there is no better way to soak up a culture and experience the joys and challenges of spontaneous travel. Get ready to ‘embrace the discomfort’ and enjoy the bumpy ride… and find out why that familiar thumbs up gesture may not get you the lift you’d hoped for.

0:00 intro
1:32 The Mossad follows Justine’s mom
2:42 How to pass on a ride
4:27 Thumbs up on hitchhiking!
6:15 Rutger Hauer ruined hitchhiking.
09:58 Mad Max in Morocco
13:09 “I could have been lost forever!”
14:53 Stuffed
18:01 Ian the Icebreaker
21:08 If you will it, it will come.
23:26 Plan B: Buy a car
25:09 Justine in leathers
29:30 Hitchhiking etiquette
35:22 Women Unite, Take Back the Night
40:45 Hitchhiking today
43:12 Where’d the thumb come from?
44:08 “Sorry, but did you just call me a wanker?”
45:44 Dial-a-ride: Hitching in Germany
48:21 From ‘Thank you’ to ‘F you’
50:44 “Time for me to diiiieee!”

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Episode Cast & Crew

Hosts: Ian Wright and Justine Shapiro
Producer: Stephen Lennhoff
Editor: Thomas Lorne
Sound Mix: Dan Olmsted

Kuku Studios, Berkeley, California USA
Haverhill Music Hub, Haverhill UK

Major Funding

Season 1 was made possible thanks to a grant from The Khosravi Family Trust. 

Our Loonies

Mrugesh Thaker
Joseph Tindle
Prateek Shrivastava
Rajeev
Mike Matera
John Miles
Nikhil Patel
Saurabh Chaudhary
Craig Richardson

Bhavika Gadhvi
Joe Guzman
Heather Munro
Robert Paul
Ignacio Gil
Abigail
Richard Logan
Era Orozco
James Wheaton
Melanie Rudzinski
Cliff Matheson
José Pizarro-Otero
Rob Furber

Season 1 Credits

With gratitude to those from Pilot Films and Television, UK who helped create Our Looney Planet

Ian Cross, founder of Pilot Productions and creator of the Lonely Planet / Globe Trekker TV series.

Deb Marrow Cox
Anne Bogart
Sarah Blinco
Sanyukta Shrestha
Helen Roberts
Richard Howard
Chris Hampson
Amanda Kramer
Ian Ritchie
Neville Farmer

Megan McCormick
Emma Cahusac
Angela Gourley
Rachael Heaton-Armstrong
Andy Margetson 
Lucy Cooke 
Bini Adams  
David Tibballs 
Saami Sabiti

Nick Robbins
Nigel Kinnings
Lynn Mitchell
Georgie Burrell
Neil Harvey
Simon Niblett
Ian sciacaluga
Rik Lander 
Peter Boyd Maclean
Tim Knight

With gratitude

Rachel Mercy Simpson, Berkeley Community College
Interns: Seungjun Kim, Martin Mercy, Matan Ziv, Manny Cox

Betsy Rate, UC Berkeley School of Journalism
Interns: Negar Ajayebi, Alicia Chang, Zane Karram and Fuwad Ahamad

Rob Burchell, The Hall Media Facilities, UK

Honorbarre.com
Cardiowithcarah.com
The Center for Creative Exploration

Jeanette McDonald-Wright 
Rie Aldous
Jackie Shroff
Tony & Chesney Mumford
Marvin and Mr. Monk
Paul Mourey & Karim Crippa
David Orelowitz & Lauren Heymann 
Vicente Franco
Jim Capobianco

Lucy Kaplan
Mateo Evaristo Shapiro Bolado
y Carlos Bolado
Tony Cataldo
Carah Herring
Année Kim
Stephanie Mackley
Marcia and Paul Masse
Paul Zaentz
Chaz Blanc

Michael Wilson
Mick Erausquin
Elizabeth Gray
Catherine Girardeau
Jason Reinier
Roopa Ramamoorthi
Laura O'Brien Crisp
Guy Reingold
Esme Agilar
Sonia Mistry
Sherry Sly
Claudia Erzinger

With Gratitude To Those We’ve Lost

Jonathan Leffman, Sound Recordist
Stephen Luscombe, Composer
Paul Pierre Standifer, Fixer/Producer
Leslie Weiner, Producer
Roger Whitby, Sound Recordist
Nick Corey Wright, Director
Arno

For MATLANA

Executive Producer: Justine Shapiro
Series Producer: Liliana Cortés
Producer & Editor: Gregory Scharpen
Producer & Editor: Thomas Lorne
Producer: Stephen Lennhoff

Title Animation - Zazie Capobianco, Aerial Contrivance Workshop
Media Management & Website: Sage Brucia
Bookkeeper: Craig Paull
Fundraising Strategist: Bri Castellini
Grant Research and Development: Heather Munro
Legal: Richard J. Lee Law Group and Madison Karsenty, DCP Law

Produced by MATLANA a 501(c)3 organization

MATLANA Board Members

Deirdre English
Jocelyn Leroux
Jena Resner
Justine Shapiro