An Indian runner and Bitcoin hodler is on a mission to travel to 40 countries in 400 days using only the cryptocurrency.
A speedy Bitcoiner has already toured 7 out of 40 countries on his Bitcoin-powered journey around the world.
Paco the Runner, also known as Paco from India, began his adventure on September 17, 2021, paying for his entire trip thanks to all the Bitcoiners in the world. It is proving that “Bitcoin gives everyone the freedom they want.”
Paco went from “living a lie in the fiat standard” to traveling the world living off Bitcoin (BTC) only when a dear friend gave him the book The Bitcoin Standard. Reading and subsequent conversations with friends about money and the nature of the world led him to become interested in Bitcoin.
He told Cointelegraph that, “once you see it, you can’t unsee it.” He had become just another bitcoiner; he said that, “It was a full moon night and my friend asked me if I wanted to travel the world. I said yes. He said you had to travel with Bitcoin.”
Paco’s Decision and Travel Experiences
Once he made his decision, from then on, Paco’s travel plans turned into a campaign of “Bitcoin awareness, mass adoption, and demonstrating the kindness of human beings.” He documents the journey and every Bitcoin transaction through vlogs and social media updates.
He is excited “sharing about Bitcoin with people from different walks of life is a blessing. Being able to share the importance of Bitcoin compared to shit coins with the whole world is like one of the best things.”
So far, he has successfully lived off BTC in the first seven countries he has visited. It only uses “cash for public transport”. However, the Bitcoin-only journey has not been without problems.
While visiting Sri Lanka, he lost his “keys to his room and the hotel owner got angry.” He added that “I ordered a spare copy and ran to a neighboring town, and there was no power. Finally, he came and I asked him if he accepts Bitcoin, and he said yes. LIKE WTF. A BITCOIN KEY MANUFACTURER.”
He also remembers the moment he arrived on Koh Samui in Thailand, an island known for its anti-Bitcoin stance. I was scared because it was a new island, 100 km. Panic seized Paco when he thought, “how am I going to live on such a big island without money?”
Fortunately, he started touring the island, and “within 200 meters I saw a sign saying that the place accepted Bitcoin. As if the universe had conspired for this to happen.”
Later, he added, “A train ride in India and my neighbor had a Trust wallet, I gave him some satoshis and he got me dinner for the night. A guide in India, [who] I convinced to accept Bitcoin. [In Cambodia, I went to a bar and paid with Bitcoin.
The list goes on and on: banana bread in Cambodia, “haircuts, burgers, Tuk-tuk, dentists”, even a “silver coin” paid for with BTC.
Paco’s Insights and Recommendations
Traveling dependent on crypto-assets is not easy, but Paco recommends that for other travelers with Bitcoin aspirations, it is best to start small. He says the following, “Convince your neighbor, your favorite store, the bar, the cinema, start sharing your satoshis. It is easy for them to learn from a familiar face like yours. Be that pebble you throw in the lake and it will create ripples that they will benefit from future generations.”
Meanwhile, Paco will continue his journey around the world, meeting Bitcoiners and non-coiners while spending satoshis. In addition, he concludes: “every step you take now will mark your future.”
By Audy Castaneda
