De Mochilas [EN] is a travel podcast about people, place, and perspective. Told from the road, one backpack at a time. I’m Mikel, and in each episode we explore cities and hidden corners of the world to understand the cultures that shape them: everyday conversations, local traditions, food, history, language, and the small human moments you only catch when you slow down and listen.
Expect immersive soundscapes, street interviews, reflective storytelling, and practical context (without turning into a guidebook). If you love meaningful travel, learning through real encounters, and seeing the world with curiosity and respect — you’re in the right place.
🎒 The De Mochilas ecosystem
De Mochilas [EN] (English edition) -> translated & adapted from the original Spanish show
De Mochilas [ES] -> the main feed and original storytelling voice
Raíces y Rutas / Roots & Routes -> deeper cultural and historical context through interviews and research
Caminos / Pathways -> conversations to understand people, perspectives, and identity across places
No Estamos Listos / We are not ready -> candid moments, challenges, and behind-the-scenes from the road + creator life
🎧 New episodes: weekly 🌍 Original show in Spanish. This is the English edition: De Mochilas [EN]
Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos/ (https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos/)
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos (https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos)
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mikelmateos (https://www.twitch.tv/mikelmateos)
Webpage: https://mikel.world/ (https://mikel.world/)
Discord Community: https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY (https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY)
China -> Beijing: the market across from the Forbidden City I could have spent a week in
There's a market right across from the Forbidden City that I went into more than five times. Not because I got lost. Because every time I left, I found something new. The last time was right before leaving for Shanghai, to finally buy something I'd been thinking about since day one.
Musical instruments I'd never seen before in my life. Bugs on sticks I ate without asking what they were. A silk dress with a golden dragon I couldn't afford but had to price anyway. And a fan shop where I had to physically stop myself from buying everything.
In this episode I stay in the area around the Forbidden City, but the story shifts completely.
🔗 Follow me and join the community:
🌐 Web: https://mikel.world (https://mikel.world)
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MikelMateosC (https://www.youtube.com/@MikelMateosC)
💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY (https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY)
🎒 Fluxer: https://fluxer.gg/bgkcyAQd (https://fluxer.gg/bgkcyAQd)
🐦 X: https://x.com/MikelMateosC (https://x.com/MikelMateosC)
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos (https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos)
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos (https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos)
🎮 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/MikelMateos (https://www.twitch.tv/MikelMateos)
8 Jul 2026
China -> Beijing: we walked into the Forbidden City and the first thing we saw made no sense
We walked into the Forbidden City and the first thing we saw had nothing to do with thousand-year-old statues or gilded murals. Without context it makes no sense. With context, it makes complete sense.
After multiple visits I still felt like I had barely scratched the surface. Andrés and I got separated and lost more than once. And from a hill in a nearby park, I saw something I don't think I'll ever forget: the entire Forbidden City with the capital surrounding it.
In this episode I talk about the many laps we did around one of the most important places in the world, and what it actually feels like to be inside it.
🔗 Follow me and join the community:
🌐 Web: https://mikel.world (https://mikel.world)
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MikelMateosC (https://www.youtube.com/@MikelMateosC)
💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY (https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY)
🎒 Fluxer: https://fluxer.gg/bgkcyAQd (https://fluxer.gg/bgkcyAQd)
🐦 X: https://x.com/MikelMateosC (https://x.com/MikelMateosC)
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos (https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos)
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos (https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos)
🎮 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/MikelMateos (https://www.twitch.tv/MikelMateos)
1 Jul 2026
China -> Beijing: why China is actually big, not just big on a map
In Mexico City, two metro stations is about fifteen minutes on foot. In Beijing, those same two stations are thirty minutes at a normal pace, no traffic lights stopping you. I learned that on day one, and it completely changed how I moved around the city.
But the scale of Beijing wasn't the only surprise. There were also cities we wanted to visit and didn't, for a reason we didn't see coming until we were already there.
In this episode I talk about distances: the ones I walked, the ones we underestimated, and the ones I wish we'd understood before leaving Mexico.
🔗 Follow me and join the community:
🌐 Web: https://mikel.world (https://mikel.world)
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MikelMateosC (https://www.youtube.com/@MikelMateosC)
💬 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY (https://discord.com/invite/hNG6UJXhPY)
🎒 Fluxer: https://fluxer.gg/bgkcyAQd (https://fluxer.gg/bgkcyAQd)
🐦 X: https://x.com/MikelMateosC (https://x.com/MikelMateosC)
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos (https://www.instagram.com/mikel.mateos)
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos (https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelmateos)
🎮 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/MikelMateos (https://www.twitch.tv/MikelMateos)
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