7 Lessons learned & Résumé

In total I wrote down 13 aspects, where I improved myself or I broadened my perspective of the world. In this article I want to share 7 of my “Lessons learned”. At the end I will answer a commonly asked question. Did I return as a different person?

Why should you read this? Would it not be more wise to make your own lessons?

Dear reader, you are right. The things that I’ve learned on this 1 year journey are a first hand experience. If I tell you about the lessons I learned you will probably understand what I mean but it won’t be your experience then. Nevertheless I want to share the 7 Lessons as short as possible to give you an idea why a journey to unknown places might be the right thing for you to do. Hopefully it will inspire you to start your own project to break out of the comfort zone and grow. Let’s get started:

Things will become easier with repetition: Like any task which requires a certain amount of effort and will power, cycling will become easier and easier with every day. In the beginning I had major concerns because it seemed to be so tough with the load on the bicycle. But day by day I got used to the discomfort until it felt quite comfortable. If you are in a difficult situation, don’t give up, and try to continue with steps, small enough that you can manage them.
We have more in common than you think. Other cultures seem to be so different at first glance. When I entered Iran for example, I felt this differentness of the Iranian culture, which is dominated by Islam. And India seems to be a compete different world. But the longer I was exposed to those cultural differences, the more I could see what all of us, every human being has in common. We want to live a peaceful and happy life. We want to have a good time with family and friends. I was lucky being invited to many families, this is where I felt the most connected to the people.
The world is less dangerous than media proclaims. Switch on your TV and see: Shootings, bomb attacks, war. Or alternatively: Sell your TV, go out and make your own picture of the world. While I was still fearing the risks in the beginning of the journey, I became more and more relaxed trusting people that I meet for the first time. “This is naive” you might think? In my opinion, if you give trust, you will receive trust. People are in general friendly. I also based my decisions more and more on my intuition.
Patience makes many things easier. “I need to reach this city today!” “Why do I have to wait so long for this document?” Thoughts like these can result in unnecessary stress. In my experience, “stress” or “waiting” is just an idea, common in our western society. An idea made up in the mind. Time is passing always in the same speed, it is YOU categorizing your time in “enjoyable” and “not enjoyable”. Things will happen as they are supposed to happen. If you need to “wait” somewhere it is first of all your choice to wait there. You could either go, accept the situation as it is, or even enjoy the situation. Observe people, observe your breath, enjoy doing nothing. Enjoy pedaling on the endless straight road by singing a song which you came up with.
Nothing in this world is “normal”. “Do you also have a normal toilet?” may be a question of a westerner in Iran or an Iranian in Germany. What is considered “normal” by one group of people might be “abnormal” for the other group. European “sit- toilets” vs. eastern “squat- toilets, using toilet paper vs. using water, sleeping on the ground vs. sleeping in a bed. But it is not only about the physical world. The way people talk to each other, the way they behave, the way they drive their cars might be normal or abnormal, depending on the perspective, depending on YOU! Of course it can be confusing if you ask an an Indian something and he replies by shaking his head sideways. Was it a “yes” or a “no”? But this is one of the things that makes travelling so much fun.
Anyone dies. After one year usage, my bicycle looks now more “mature” than at the beginning. Sooner or later it will rust, break, “die”. And so we will die some day – yes – also YOU! Everything that exists will not exist at some point. But I am not depressed about this thought, but see it as an opportunity to give the best and enjoy every moment. Did you ever see a depressed cat, bird or dog? It seems that they are not (although I am not sure about dogs sometimes^^). The human mind with its incredible abilities is also able to worry about things that have not even happened yet. On this trip I learned to appreciate the current moment. Cycling through a good smelling field, having rain after long time of dryness, watching birds, someone smiling at me, sleeping under stars. Simple things can be wonderful if you pay enough attention.
You are responsible for your happiness. Smile! Really, are you smiling now? If you read this, smile and hold it for a few seconds. Smiling is a choice. Every time I took a selfie with someone I got reminded to smile. A while ago I had times where I didn’t smile on pictures because I thought my smile would not look good. Never miss a chance to smile. It will affect the people surrounding you and of course it will affect your mood. When I used to cycle up steep hills I trained myself to smile and guess what happened.. This tedious activity became much more enjoyable. Smiling can be a habit like anything else. But I think what helped me also was to receive the happiness from people all over the world. Let’s help each other to be happy!

Did I return as a different person?

Many people asked me whether I think I completely changed my personality throughout this trip. And in fact some things definitely changed.

Looking back, I had this huge challenge ahead, cycling from Germany to India. I was not very confident if I would even make it half way, but I was committed not to give up easily. I expected days where I think “I want to QUIT right now!”, and these days came, although rarely. Having mastered this challenge made me feel much more capable of reaching a big goal and working for it day by day.

The experiences in 13 different countries not only showed me that the world is a much better place than expected, but it also teached me how to solve problems on my own. Most of the time there will be people to help you along the way, turning a difficult situation into a great memory.

I am much more enthousiastic than I was before. I started to see more opportunities in life. Business ideas, projects, creative thoughts. I am more likely to say “YES” to an opportunity, although I cannot see the outcome which might result.

My friends and family said that I changed, but they still see the person that they know as me. In general I would say that I am still the same person, with a spectrum of additional skills, ideas, behaviours. I could improve my strengths and lose some weaknesses. And in general this trip made me a much happier person, thanks to all the amazing people I met along the way.

And of course I changed my standard, how I want to live. Every culture has a few aspects that I liked a lot and I want to implement in my life. The overwhelming friendliness like in eastern european countries. The generous attitude of the iranians, inviting people for tea like turkish people, the pretty living rooms in Oman with carpet and cushion, turkish breakfast with loads of leafy greens and olives, delicious Indian daal and rice, appreciating little things like the children in Samparc school and more..

Overall this one year will remain unforgettable and a great experience. Thank you for following this blog. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or for feedback.

Special thank you to my father, who accompanied me on the first kilometers and the last few days back home. And YES, I’ve cut the dreadlocks^^

Am I planning a similar trip like this for the future?

If I will do another cycling trip, I think I would limit it to a maximum of one month and I also would look for someone to accompany me. I think about destinations like Lithuania, Stockholm, Prague, Spain, Maroc. Let’s see what the future brings. Sooner or later, I will be back to search for “the finest road“.

– Lewin

June 12, 2019

Overview about Galleries of the entire trip, sorted by countries:

Countries visited

List of all blogposts published:

Social project: SAMPARC SCHOOL

This is not a regular travel blog post. It is about a project I want to support from my heart. Why should you read it?

You are interested in volunteering?
You stand for more social justice and want to do something about it?
You don’t know exactly why, but are curious?

If so, I want invite you to introduce SAMPARC School to you, which provides education for rural, less advantaged children, boys and girls from first grade to graduation.

On May 11, 2019 I had the opportunity to talk about the 1-year cycling trip and I was happy to see that almost 100 people came this evening. In total an amount of 260€ was raised for SAMPARC school, which is enough to provide education for 3 children for an entire year! I also could share the project with many people. Thank you to all the people who came to the event and donated money.

General information:

The main achievement of SAMPARC school is to reach orphan, needy, helpless, disadvantaged children of commercial sex workers, tribal and poor rural and urban community children for their shelter, care, rights, protection, nutrition, best education, and to make them strong, educated and skillful.

Read more about the ethics of the school in the flyer (Picture below) or on their website. Please share this article with friends who are interested in volunteering or want to support financially a social project for children, whose parents cannot afford their education.

The school is always happy to have foreign visitors. Please contact them or visit them on your India trip. 🙂

Contact:

info@samparc-india.org

+91-02114-227335 samparc.org

Location:

Near Amby Valley, between Mumbai and Pune

~Donate Now~

My opinion:

I think this school program is worth supporting. In the 7 days I have spent in the school I had a great time in a friendly environment. The school kids day is structured and begins at around 06:00 in the morning with a morning routine, exercising, singing or praying. After the breakfast, which is provided by the school, as well as their hostel, the children go to class. They learn Hindi, English, Science, Mathematics and more. The best time for me was to play football with the boys or watch boys and girls playing a special kind of wrestling, which is a great team sport. The girls have the opportunity to learn Karate and self defense.

I was kindly treated by the teachers and staff. What I appreciated the most was that the atmosphere in the school is warm and friendly.

Thank you for your support.

The last article will be about the “Lessons learned” of the 1 year trip.

– Lewin

End of the journey

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It is a strange thought beeing without a bicycle after almost one year having it every day

Day 319-365: I feel lazy, lazy and settled. The climate here in Hampi end of march is scorching hot. And the summer has just begun. Maybe it is better to flee to the cooler north of India before the big heat comes. This means I will have to take bus and train to be there in 1 or two days. I check the map one more time and decide to go to Jaipur first, where I will visit a friends family. This is where I will pack my bicycle in a box to prepare it for the flight back home. It is a strange thought beeing without a bicycle after almost one year having it every day. I am happy how everything worked out. I made it all the way to India and although I skipped several parts in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran I still cycled a distance of almost 9400 kilometers. Don’t you want to reach the 10.000? This question came to my mind frequently the last few days. But to be honest, my mindset shifted comparing to the beginning. Now it is much more appealing for me to enjoy the trip fully instead of chasing a number of cycled kilometers to impress people. Are 9400km less impressive than 10000km? I don’t need to answer this question, because my intention is not to impress people, but inspire them to consider using their bicycle for their next vacation and discover beautiful places right in front of our doorstep or their neighbor countries. It doesn’t have to be a big trip like mine taking almost a year. Especially Europe has so much to offer for cyclists and a high density of attractive sights. Why don’t you look for interesting places near your location for your next weekeFrom Hampi I still have to cycle an entire day to the next railway station which has a direct train to Pune and later Jaipur. The railway system in India is excellent because it brings you to your destination on time and the entire process is very organized. Other than in Germany, most trains have a sleeper class, where you get a reserved bed which is short, but comfortable and makes even a 16hours train ride quite relaxed. The reservations are crucial, because trains are the number one for transportation in India. They are fully booked most of the time, probably because it is also the cheapest way to travel. Travelling 1000 kilometers will cost not more than 10€. What I also like in the trains is that there are men and women selling food and water for the same prices like anywhere else. Only the frequent shouting of “Cay, Cay, Cay” of the tea sellers can be annoying over time.

I put my earplugs in and let myself rock to sleep by the gently shaking train. Tomorrow afternoon I will be in Jaipur. I dream about many of the people that came along the way and Gallery:\nYou want to see more pictures?..\nHave a look at my Google photo album:\nLink: India 2made this trip so memorable. In the end this is what it is all about. Meeting different people and listening to their stories, which I now also became a part of.

1½ days later in Jaipur: I am one more time reminded how amazing people can be. Strangers, which I never met before welcome me like an old friend. Wait, who am I talking about? It is now a long time ago since I met Satya in Sofia, Bulgaria. The fact that he is from India and my plan of cycling to India made us connect easily. “If you come to India, please come to visit me and my family” he told me, unsure whether I will be there in the future. And now I am. Unfortunately he could not be there this time, but his Sister Meena and family welcomed me with open arms. It truly was a special moment for me to the End of this journey, as you might notice on the picture below.

~~~ THE END ~~~

Really? That was it?

Indeed I still have a couple more days left to visit places in northern India – without bicycle. In the last 3 weeks I will spend 1 week at Meena’s home, visiting Jaipur and doing day trips to Jodhpur and, a highlight, celebrating the colourful Holi festival in Pushkar.

In the last two weeks my cousin is going to visit me and we will do a motorcycle trip in the province of Uttrakhand, the eastern Himalayans of India, which will be an adventure by itself. A great highlight to the end of this trip. Later my trip will finally end with my flight back from Delhi to Frankfurt, Germany, from where I will have another 3-4 days of cycling home.

I can understand people who visited India and said afterwards “India? Never again!”

Wait? And you didn’t even see the famous Taj Mahal?

In fact, on the way to Delhi from Jaipur, I made the extra distance to Agra, where the famous sight lies. I was not too excited to see it, but this is something you have to see visiting India, don’t you? As expected, Agra is one of the most touristic cities in India, which means that people there treat you like a walking wallet. “You want a Rickshaw? Want to buy a souvenir? Visit my shop. Hello my friend, you need help?” MY FRIEND. In Agra I have so many friends which talk to me relentlessly, making the entire experience quite uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that I decide that it is enough for me to have seen the Taj Mahal from the outside, which is in fact a pretty and impressive memorial. It is easy to be scammed here and I can understand people who visited India and said afterwards “India? Never again!”. It is just horrible in those touristic places and it gives a bad image to an entire population, which is in my experience very friendly and honest.

Would I visit India again?

India is truly a unique country which is rapidly changing. Almost anyone around my age has a smartphone today. The contrasts seen in this country are immense. Poor people living aside the road where a wealthy man rides his brand-new motorcycle. Hindus, Muslims and Christians living side by side. Ugly streets, pretty dresses. And a lot of memories are connected to tastes in the air I never smelled before, some of them horrible. All those contrast together make India a unique and exciting country to visit.

At this point I want to thank you, dear reader for following my blog and I want to inform you about the last 2 Blogposts to come:

About my social project at SAMPARC school, where I stayed for a week volunteering, giving lessons to children.
A final conclusion of the trip. What would I do differently? How did it change me? Which lessons did I learn?

Travelling – It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.

– Ibn Batutta

– Lewin

Overview about Galleries of the entire trip, sorted by countries:

Countries visited

Gallery:

You want to see more pictures?..

Have a look at my Google photo album:

Link: India 2

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/EqKCjnisbjUN2bmr6

Goa – Hampi

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Day 304-318: Where is Hampi? Or rather what is Hampi? A German guy in Goa told me about this magical place, which is known for its boulders and therefore attracts a lot of climbers. But not only that, the village Hampi is what is left from an ancient Vijayanagara Empire. The ancient metropolis had been a thriving center in around 1300. In 1565 the turks conquered this place and destroyed many of the holy temples. Today there are still hundreds of temples to see in this area. One of the most impressive is the Virupaksha temple in the heart of Hampi village.

The few times I got food poisoning in India was in restaurants

The road to Hampi leads me through the humid lower area of Goa, then up on the plateau, an area which is much more dry than along the coast. When the monsoon comes in July, the most rain will go down at the side of the mountains. It is incredible how the vegetation changes within one day of cycling. From a dense forest area with banana plants and monkeys jumping around in the huge trees, the landscape changes to a flat, dry and hostile environment. The ground here looks not fertile at all, only a few kinds of trees survive the hot dry season. This is part of the province Karnattaka. In Hubbali, the first big city of this state I cycle past the biggest garbage dump I’ve seen to have a rest and eat in this not very charming city. In my experience, the it is safe to eat at street food restaurants, because you can see how the hygienic standard is. The few times I got food poisoning in India was in restaurants. Also a good indicator is if there are many people eating, which means that the food won’t lie around that long.

Gallery

Most Indian people miss the moment where situations become awkward

It must be around 7am, the sun just came up, time for me to wake up too. It is still quiet here, only a few people walking in the distance. Wait, the steps are coming towards me. And I’m in the middle of the field.. What are they doing here? I look up and see two men walking towards my tent. Only one if them can speak basic English. “Hello my friend! Where are you from?” Damn, they found me again! This means I will have people to watch everything I do until I leave. A little bit grumpy I start packing my stuff faster than usual. “Where are you going?”. I look at the guy and point in the direction where Hampi is.. “Hampi? With cycle?” I start brushing my teeth so I won’t have to talk to much. “Hampi is very far, 150 kilometers..” 150 kilometers means that I might make it within 2 days. “Big highway, very dangerous“. I nod, and spit out the toothpaste. “Are you single?” A question I get asked many times. He wants to know if I am by myself. I start to undress to change my clothes. Probably he won’t leave to let me do my stuff. “Where is your family? Which country?” “GERMANY, my family is in GERMANY” I speak to him, with lowered pants. It is hard to understand that most Indian people miss the moment where situations become awkward. “Germany! Good country! Which is your city name sir?” He won’t know the name of my hometown and I wonder If he knows the next bigger city Stuttgart. By the way, it was not my choice to have this conversation at 7am in the middle of the field, I don’t need to give an answer. “STUTTGART, my city is STUTTGART”. I’m about to finish packing my stuff in the paniers. “Good, good” He seems to think about my last answer, time for me to go. “Happy journey” I thank him and cycle off. Thank you for this interview, I think even more grumpy, knowing that it won’t be the last interview of today.

As expected, I could make the last 150 kilometers within two days. In one village before Hampi I get a reminder that I enter tourist area again.

At some point a guy is stopping me, which is not unusual for India, probably he wants to take a selfie. But this time I am surrounded by many children and youths. Some children are asking for money while other begin to climb on the back rack of the bicycle. Another smaller child is lifted on my handlebar. This is too much! I need to get out of here! Angrily I tilt the bicycle so the kids climbing it will fall off and I push against the people in front of me to get out of this crowd.

In non touristic areas the people still have a certain respect, but here where a lot of tourists are, the people behave very badly.

I forgot quickly about this incident because I finally reach the destination: Hampi. What I don’t know yet. Tomorrow there will be a huge celebration for God Shiva.

Indian celebrations are always great and a good opportunity to experience the local culture intensively with all senses. The smoke of the incense, the drummers music, people dressed in their best clothes, free food and a variation of street foods. Foreigners are most welcome. Together with two more cyclists I met in Hampi I visit the celebration. I notice that there are many old people to attend the celebration. The inside of the temple is cramped with people, many of them sleep on blankets.

Hampi is truly a unique place. No wonder that I stay there for a total of 8 days. After such a long time on the road I got a little bit lazy. My motivation to make big distances is insignificant. Is my trip going to end here? Will I sit one more time on the bicycle? What else should I do within the remaining 4 weeks in India?

– Lewin

Gallery:

You want to see more pictures?..

Have a look at my Google photo album:

Link: India 2

If the link doesn’t work for you, try to enter this URL in your browser (copy-paste):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EqKCjnisbjUN2bmr6

Goa: my TripAdvisor

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Day 296-303: Congratulations that you bought this book for only 42.42€ It will give you all the advise you need for your upcoming vacation in Goa, or as the insiders say, Ganga Beach.

Accommodation:

$$$ High budged accommodations have not been tested by our travel experts.

$$ If you don’t want to spent to much money go to one of the plenty hostels like “Rasta Mansion”. For around 4 to 6 euro you will be cramped into a tiny room with a maximum number of beds like social travellers like it. Don’t forget your earplugs not to be disturbed by your snoring neighbors. Aircondition is nice, but not necessary, because there will be fans running the entire night on maximum creating a ~~storm~~ sufficient airflow which will also take out the bad smell from the cabin. After waking up the next morning relaxed and stung by hundreds of mosquito’s you probably decide to look for an accommodation with more natural flair which is also cheaper, the nature.

$ Camping on the beach is a great Idea which unfortunately a lot of people had before. It is only a good idea if you want to wake up the next morning without your valuables, without your tent, naked on the beach, completely ripped off and lost. Not that Goa is an unsafe place, but camping on the beach is forbidden and some people say, extremely unsafe! Better follow the road at least 2 kilometers away from the beach and camp in a cashew farm to get some proper sleep and feel like a badass hippie.

Food:

What else does a hippie need? You are right! Good wi-fi! That’s why most hippies go to a restaurant to stay there as long as possible and pretend to be hungry with the positive side effect of having some good organic, aryuvedic, energizing food. Avocado Salad, Buddha Bowl, spinach shake are very popular. But be careful with the spinache shake, it is gross. Better have some fresh juice which is ridiculously cheap in goa, so better drink two. The fruits solar energy which they collected during their lifetime will provide the best frequency to open your chakras.

For low budget food have some breakfast at Granthik juice station. which actually serves breakfast for local prices, around 30% of other prices. It seems that only russian peoplehave noticed this and visit it predominantly.

Party:

Goa is known for its good parties, but more it is known for all kinds of funny chakra opening drugs to make the bad parties good.

Psytrance is a common music genre at goan parties. If you are not into Psytrance and still want to attend although you don’t have dreadlocks, don’t worry. Dress yourself in hippie clothing you can buy in the stores, wear trippy mirroring glasses and put some glitter on your face and you won’t look like a newbie. Try to move with the music freely and don’t mind looking foolish.

Jamsessions happen spontaneously at places where enough items are available which make a sound if clapped on them or hit against a hard surface. Make sure to go to a jam session before the critical amount of “instruments” exceeds the number where you could damage your ear drums from the noise.

Don’t miss the “Hippie parade” which begins every evening before sunset at the beach of Arambol. ~~Freaks~~ artists of all kind, magicians, shamans, healer, and seller of hanycraft gather at the beach and show their arts. Don’t forget to buy a souvenir like a wooden amulet which will remind you of the great time you had in goa. But more than that it will remind you to brag about the great vacation you had while your colleagues had to work and it will also open their chakras to make them more receptive to listen how many joints you smoked.

Activities:

You have a sore throat from yesterdays Psytrance party? Perfect precondition to express your scratchy voice in a course for shamanic throat singing. Your friends at home are eager to listen to this forgotten ancient art? Perfect!

Or maybe you rather learn how to do a Tantra massage to please your partner at home: Against all misconceptions a tantra massage has nothing to do with sex. It is more about connecting with your partner through gentle touch and merge your divine sexual energy to penetrate the universal frequency of love. Give it a try!

Chakra healing: To much opening of the chakras can lead to cramps and tendencies in the chakras. Chakras work basically like muscles. If you use them to much they will be in pain and only a proper chakra massage helps, which this course will provide.

Nothing for you? Try out one of the following courses. Find your life rhythm by learning how to play Hang drum. The metallic sound of this magical instrument goes hand in hand with Extatic dance, which is great fun to do with friends. Or you go back to the basics and do some yoga. The old guru Sri virucandosplits already knew that yoga should be a natural activity for anyone to do like breathing, eating, sleeping. Good that sleeping is already included in the yoga practice.

At the end don’t miss to go to the rebirthing workshop to have the opportunity for a first time experience of your favourite workshops again.

We hope you will have unforgettable holidays in Goa. Make sure to order our second episode of the travel guide: Goa – How to settle down and live a sustainable Hippie life

– Lewin

Gallery:

You want to see more pictures?..

Have a look at my Google photo album:

Link: Goa

If the link doesn’t work for you, try to enter this URL in your browser (copy-paste):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/24xxHdrwyNVesR9g7

Mumbai – Goa

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Day 272-295: 7 days in Mumbai passed by quickly. I already had the opportunity to try out some street food and are surprised that my stomach took it without any complaints so far. The food is spicy, but delicious.

Spicy chickpeas with fried puri bread is a common breakfast. Delicious, but it is quite heavy to eat in the morning. Yesterday I also finished screwing my bicycle back together, which is now ready to go. At least this is what I thought. As I start to cycle, my chain gets stuck and makes a horrible noise. It takes me a while to find out that the chain link of the new chain is to wide to fit through the derailleur. And it took even longer to find someone to fix this little problem, one entire day exactly. I learned a lesson that solving simple problems can take much longer in India than expected.

It feels like being in a film scene, but it is real

The road to goa is a heavy task. There are plenty of rivers flowing into the Ocean to my right, which means that I am going down to sea level to cross each river and back up to a 100 meter plateau. The roads are more like a single stretched out pothole. Why did I even decide to take this small coastal road? The answer comes up instantly when I look down to the sea from one of the plateaus. The view is amazing and the road empty. The roads condition might be even to bad for cars. As I continue cycling, two boys on a scooter drive right next to me. They invite me to a celebration at the next temple. “Only two kilometers”. In two kilometers I am surprised to see that many people have gathered there at the temple. The two boys are already waiting for me and show me first the shrine where I am supposed to drop some flowers on a pile. Many people are squeezed in this tiny room which smells like the smoke of incense. It feels like being in a film scene, but it is real. The two boys offer me a place to sit outside in the open dining room where vegetarian food is distributed.

Rice, dal, chapati, sabzi, papad. Any more questions? The basic indian food is rice, lentil stew, flat bread, smashed potatoes and cooked vegetables. A few people walk around with big pots and put food one the plate. I’m a little bit concerned by the man putting the rice on my plate with his bare hands, but I eat anyways, although I am interrupted constantly by people asking me why I am here. “Which country sir? What’s your family name? You came here with cycle?”. The Indian curiosity is something else. A westerner in this non touristic area is like a people magnet. If I would just stop somewhere it would not take long until a little crowd has gathered around me to ask questions and take selfies. Where do all those people come from? India is a densely populated country, and in my experience, the biggest challenge sometimes is to find a place to be alone. Especially the province of Maharashtra, where I am at is the most populated in India. The good thing is that I will always find food and water to buy, so I stopped carrying to much spare food with me. The downsite is that it can be very difficult to handle all the people asking me questions just to be asked the exact same questions again a few minutes later. “Are you Married?” is also on the list of questions to ask a foreigner. It is time to leave the celebration and continue cycling.

Crazy truck drivers that pushed me off the road several times

India is not the easiest country for cycle touring. Cycling out of a metropolis like Mumbai is an experience my brain already moved to the “forget about it“- part of the brain. I like how the human mind is designed to forget about the bad memories more likely. In this part there are also deleted memories of struggling with the humidity in the coastal area in february, the crazy truck drivers that pushed me off the road several times, the dust, the trash and bumpy roads.

But there are also many positive things to say about travelling in India by bicycle. It just needs to be said that it is not an easy country to begin with cycle touring. I want to talk about some common misconceptions about India:

India is poor: The poverty seen in India can be shocking. But nevertheless the country is not poor as many of us think. According to this website India is with 82 Billionaires on 8th position in the ranking. To be more realistic it needs to be considered that India almost has 1 billion inhabitants. The gap between rich and poor in India is tremendous. Many industries are growing exponentially and the country is rapidly changing. I hope that also the distribution of wealth will also change more rapid to a more even distribution.
Indian people scam tourists: I heard this many times from other travellers and it is true for one case. It is true if you are a tourist in a touristy area. Other than that I experienced an overwhelming honesty among the people outside the tourist centres. (My thought: Are less honest people moving to cities or are cities causing people to be less honest?)

The days before reaching goa I am lucky to have more and more beautiful beaches. My daily routine is to cycle in the morning hours until it is to hot and find a pretty spot on a beach to relax and swim. In the evening I would cycle one more time or stay at the beach to pitch up my tent there to sleep.

In two days I will reach Goa. How will it be to be in such a touristic place again after seeing only locals for weeks? Will I like the hippie vibes?

– Lewin

Gallery:

You want to see more pictures?..

Have a look at my Google photo album:

Link: Goa

If the link doesn’t work for you, try to enter this URL in your browser (copy-paste):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/24xxHdrwyNVesR9g7

First impression of India in Mumbai

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Day 266-271: Mumbai is with its population of at least 15 million inhabitants a city of a scale I’ve never been to. Like a big chaotic organism it lies at the west coast of the Indian continent. From the airplane I cannot see much of the mess, because the air is dusty and reveals only a fraction of the huge metropolis. Sooner than expected I dive into this new world, the last country of my journey.

A seatbelt would not save me from a fatal crash

It is almost 11am and I take a taxi to bring the heavy bicycle box to the hostel. It fits perfectly on the back seat of the small cab. “To Belinda Hospital please” I tell the taxi driver. I wonder where he wants to go because he already started driving before checking where to go. He shakes his head sideways which I assume to be a yes. “Hospital..” he mumbles, apparently to focused on the traffic. It is not necessary to fasten the seatbelt here, but the more we drive the more certain I am that a seatbelt would not save me from a fatal crash in this horrible traffic. I notice that the drivers cab has no side mirrors, and I think I know why.. He already would have smashed them several times if he had some. I begin to sweat, which might also be because of the heat, but mainly because of the fear of crashing into one of the other vehicles.

“Belinda Hospital?” I ask him to be sure that he is driving to the right destination. “Where?”, the taxi driver apparently does not know this hospital. Where are we driving to? “Can you please drive to Sakinaka Metro?”, the next station from the hospital. “Sakinaka Metro!?” The driver repeats much louder. He starts to complain angrily, “Other direction!”. This means we drove in the wrong direction for the entire time and now that the driver really knows where to go he starts pressing angrily on the gas pedal and drives even closer to the car in the front. For a while I watch pedestrians on the sidewalk and they are not much slower than we are. But with my heavy bicycle box walking is no option for me. Suddenly our taxi breaks and stops at the side of the street. “We are here.. Hospital”. My angry driver points at a hospital which is a different one than I was talking about. “This is a different hospital.” “Nei nei, Belinda hospital”, the driver repeats. He wants me to get off the taxi, but he won’t fool me that easily. I shout out of the window to ask pedestrians if this is Belinda hospital. I don’t need to know the answer because everyone here can read that this is a different hospital, and the driver also knows it. He kicks on the gas pedal even more abruptly to cross the next intersection before the traffic light is red. While I wonder why they even have traffic lights in this mess I start to feel sorry for the driver because the taxi is prepaid and he probably lost some money with this ride. Finally we reach the hospital which I luckily don’t have to visit after this dangerous ride. Instead I go to my hostel on the opposite side and even give the driver a big tip for the extra way, not mentioning that he tried to throw me out of his car several times. I carry my bicycle box to the entrance of the hostel and wonder.. How will I be able to cycle in this insane city?

The crazyness of India, some people love it, others hate it

Mumbai is certainly not the best place to start with India. It is very stressful, the streets are crowded and dirty. It also has the biggest slum of India. Piles of trash along the streets are common and smell disgustingly. Nevertheless, I wander through the streets of this district with great curiosity. Everything here is so much louder, more hectic, overwhelming than in any other city. People spitting on the streets, a man carrying a stack of canisters on the head, next to him children running and playing barefoot in the street. A goat is tied next to a workshop where sparks of the metal saw are flying out of the dark garage. To many things are happening to process it.

This is the crazyness of India, some people love it, others hate it. I plan to spend 3 months in this country. Which person will I be? Will I get used to it? Or even start to like it?

Gallery:

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Oman

[Reading time: 7 minutes]

Day 258-265: I am in the middle of the mountains, under the scorching sun. Only my heavy breath due to going uphill disturbs the silence and the sound of rubber rolling on decent asphalt. There are not much things making sound, no birds, no trees to shake in the breeze, no animals in sight. And no cars! This is one of the most peaceful roads I’ve ever taken and I love it! The brownish mountains that surround me appear strong and majestethic. The air seems fresh although the temperatures already rose above 25°C now in mid-january. I make it to the top of the climb from where more mountain chains are in sight. In the distance I spot a few palm trees in a river bed. On the second look I also see a few white houses in the green oasis. This is where the road leads to.

Oman is truly a beautiful country. So far I haven’t spoken to anyone except the border police officer. In the following 7 days I will find out whether the people who live in this beautiful area of sand, stone and fertile oases are as warm as the climate here.

What do you know about Oman?

It is an Arabic state, the religion is Islam. The county is wealthy due to oil resources. Is that all I know? Is it even safe to go there? It seems like this country lies in the shadow of the United Arabic Emirates. To be honest, I don’t know much about this country and I guess that’s a good thing. Time to explore!

the end of the first day of cycling I reach a small mountain village. A few boys are playing football on the street, so I join them for a while until I confess that my legs are to weak to continue playing. “Can I sleep over there?”, I point to an empty parking lot on the opposite side of the houses. Some of the kids are nodding so I take that as a “yes”. The day was tough but I am more than excited to be here. With the Emirati turban which I wear to protect my face from the sun lots of people give me curious looks. The Omani people wear a similar cloth on the head in different colours or a small hat, like many Muslims wear it. The people in the village are interested in who I am but it seems as if they are to shy to talk to me. After I’ve pitched up my tent on the gravel, one man comes to me to talk. “Welcome to our village. Where are you from?”. Later he will tell me that he is police officer in Muscat, which is around 300 kilometers away from here. “You live far away from Muscat, why don’t you move there for your wophotos.app.goo.glrk?”

“This area is very beautiful, here is my home”, he explains me and also that he works only one week full time and has the next week off. I look around me, this valley is really beautiful. Who would change this for a busy city to live in? “Are you hungry? I will bring you something!”. Before I can decline the offer, the man walks of to his nearby house. Later he will return with delicious pancakes his wife made and drinks. This kindness is incredible. And incredible is also my appetite. I almost finished a big pile of pancakes when the kids come back whom I played Gallery:\nYou want to see more pictures?..\nHave a look at my Google photo album:\nLink: Oman\nIf the link doesn\’t work for you, try to enter this URL in your football with before. Each of them has something in their hands to add to my dinner table. Juice, dates, bread, grilled chicken. That’s amazing. I will pack the leftover for tomorrow and later when the boys are gone give half of the chicken to a street dog after eating half of it. One of the few times where I throw my vegetarian diet over board. It would be a pity not to accept this kindness.

The next day, I will cycle to the coast, where most of the cities are located. Such as Sohar, my next destination. Like in the emirates, in Oman there are also many pakistani and indian people. In Sohar I stop at a restaurant and get a first impression of how it might be in India. The shop owner is bombarding me with questions. He says that he is from Kerala, south India. Like many of his friends he moved here to work and have a sufficient income. “Can I have your phone number?”. I am still chewing on a piece of soaked bread and type my Whatsapp number in his screen with greasy fingers. This might have been a mistake. I will have one more guy to spam me with messages like “Helo Jon, were ar U now?? Send some pics plz!” I still haven’t found a way to deal with those people. I should stop giving them my phone number. In India it will be even more. India will be more of everything, I think, getting a slight headache. I cannot fully befriend with the thought of being in India, although I will be there in less than one week.

The bulldog starts to chew through the net on my arm as I try to push him away

The coastline south of Sohar to Muscat is unfortunately much less pretty than the mountain roads. The water is green from algae and the buildings along the coastal road have been broken down to make room for a bigger road. Only for one day I cycle along the coast until I see a german Firefighter truck parking at the beach. The truck belongs to Finn and Sarah, a german couple at the end of their twenties who both gave up their jobs to travel in their customized truck together with their 1 year old son and a bulldog of approximately my bodyweight named “Schnuffel”. A rather cute name for a frightening animal with foam at the sides of his mouth. He welcomes me with a big sneezer which shoots a decent amount of slimy foam on my shirt. “SCHNUFFEL!” – the owners are sorry for the monsters mess. “What’s your next destination?” I ask Finn while wiping off the slime with a piece of tissue his wife handed me. We will go to visit the fort Al Awabi, it is only 2 hours from here. 2 hours with the truck equals one day with the bicycle. On this trip I enhanced my decision making process. Considering that the remaining time would not be enough to make the extra way to the fortress I ask them whether they could take me with them. “Yeah sure!”, Finn responds, “but we need to see how it goes with Schnuffel”. So we tie my bicycle to the back rack of the huge firefighter truck and go.

The slobbering monster apparently does not like the new companion and shows its discontent with an angry snarling behind his net right behind me in which he already bite a few holes. What a grotesk situation, I laugh nervously. While we listen to music that I listened to the last time with 3 years old to make the baby stop crying, the bulldog starts to chew through the net on my arm as I try to push him away. “SCHNUFFEL!” – the monsters owners try to stop the dog from eating my arm. This name becomes less and less suitable. I would suggest a name like “Rufus” or “Rocky”. Luckily Sarah takes the angry dog where her feet are and places her feet above since all the space is taken by Schnuffel.

We arrive at the fort which looks quite spectacular on the first look. It has been restored which explains the new look of it. Together we visit the fortress while the dog waits in the shade tied to a tree.

On the next day, I visit another fortress, the Nakhal Fort, which I will see only from the outside. Not far from the fort there are some hot springs where many people take a bath and relax in the river. Even two hummer trucks parked in the river bed and the people put camping chairs in the water to bathe their feet in the hot water. On the way back I meet Nasser, another very kind Omani, who later will offer me a place to sleep on his property between palm trees. But first he wants to invite me for dinner, so we go to an Indian restaurant and he asks me about my thoughts on Oman. This country has been one of the biggest surprises on this trip so far. I would rank the country under the top three with Greece and Iran considering their attractiveness for cycle touring.

The week has been short in Oman and I feel like I should come back to see more of this beautiful country. My flight will go tomorrow morning and I will have to spend the night at the airport.

But how did I prepare my bicycle for the flight? After more than half a year I feel very comfortable dealing with issues like this. And I also have the impression that the luck always comes towards me. Not only did I find a bike shop which provided a bike box for free, but also I got a free lift to the airport by a friendly guy from Egypt named Mahmood. Since it was the first time for me to take the bicycle in the airplane it took a while to figure out how to make it fit, but it worked out well and I could take it with me without paying any extra fare for the luggage. I even reduced the weight of all the belongings I carry with me to 28 kilograms – bicycle included.

For the first time on this trip I take an airplane. I wanted to avoid this because of the emissions and It will sound stupid to say that I cycled to India and took only one flight. But nevermind, now I am sitting in the airplane and the engine is about to lift to the sky.

How exciting! How will the arrival in India be? Where will I go next? Goa? Delhi? Varanasi? India is a huge country so the possibilities seem to be countless.

– Lewin

Gallery:

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Link: Oman

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Dubai

[Reading time: 6 minutes]

Day 254-257: How will it be to visit the city of superlatives with the bicycle? Will it be a shock after the poor southern regions of Iran?

Dubai was not on the list of places to visit. The original plan was to cycle through Pakistan, but Dustin, another world cyclist (insta: Dublintodelhi) told me that he had a lot of issues with the border police. Not that he was experiencing danger, but he was not permitted to cycle in the Beluchistan area. Instead he had to take the train all the way to Islamabad. I am a little bit sad that I won’t see pakistan, because I heard from other travellers that the people there are incredibly hospitable. And pakistan would have been one of the most adventurous places I could imagine.

But enough of those “what-if”- thoughts. I am already on the ferry to Schardscha with another 6 cyclists. Claire and Felix are with me and two couples from the Netherlands. The boarding process took a long time, almost four hours. But cyclists are patient people and we also have a lot of stories to share. As always, when world cyclists meet each other, each others equipment is checked. “Wow, you have the Rohloff 12 gears”… “I like how you customized your handlebar”… “Cool frame!” is how the excited tech-talks might sound like. At some point everyone comes up with his own modifications and the bicycle transforms slowly in a piece of art that tells a lot of stories. A few stories are still to be written. How will I like Dubai? I probably will be overwhelmed by the unlimited decadence of this city. I can only dream of how incredible it will be. It is already 10pm and I make myself comfortable on the short bed while the ferry is slowly rocking me to sleep.

Women have to go to to a room where “Eye-checking” is written

On the next morning we arrive in the port of Schardscha, but we still have to go through the tedious border procedure. Together with another 20-30 people we wait in a room and listen to the instructions a man with Sheik-clothes gives us. It takes several hours of confusing instructions and tests. Women have to go to to a room where “Eye-checking” is written above the door. I still don’t know what they are doing in there, but probably the women lift their veil to proof their identity. Finally we can pick up our bikes and we follow the port officials car to the exit. From Schardscha it is still around 15 kilometers to reach Dubai, which we cycle altogether. This picture was taken before our cycling team separated.

Dubai is truly overwhelming, but I am surprised that it doesn’t shock me that much. It is interesting to see how huge everything is. The buildings, the roads, the parks with its artificial green grass. For today I will accompany Claire and Felix to the airport. They will take their flights tomorrow. And what will I do? Take a flight from Dubai to India? After a while of researching I change my mind a little bit to spontaneous than expected. I want to cycle to Muscat in Oman, to take a flight from there. It will be a kind of compensation for the missed section through Pakistan.

On the next morning I wake up in a huge roundabout in Dubai next to the airport. I see palm trees, a sculpture of a camel in lifesize and an artificial waterfall. What? What am I doing here? Probably wildcamping is one of the things forbidden in Dubai, which doesn’t mean that it is impossible. For me it is already the second night sleeping in this roundabout, which is actually a very nice place. The French couple and I discovered this place with a nice overview over the airport terminal 2, our office with good WiFi. We had to come up with a creative solution to sleep somewhere without spending lots of money on a hotel, and there it is. This place is actually very nice, the cars cannot see us, we have a great view and of course the waterfall. By the way.. who builds an artificial waterfall in a roundabout? This is slightly over the top! I will leave this crazy city today cycling past the Burj Khalifa, the highest building in the world heading to Al Ain.

Dubai is not a city for cyclist. Cycling on a road with 6 or more lanes is definitely not the most pleasant experience as a cyclist. So I stop just briefly to take a picture of this big needle poking in the sky. The Burj Khalifa looks like a mammut tree surrounded by a forest of regular sized trees. The view on the many other skyscrapers is spectacular, but makes me feel somehow uncomfortably inferior. This world here represents so many things which I am not thriving for. Commerce, consumerism, maximalism, decadence, wealth and prestige. This city is built mostly by Pakistani Indian and Nepali people who come here to send some money home to their families. With their blue suits the workers seem to be like bees following the commands of the queen bee, or probably a king in this case.

“The winner can win some money and in some races you can win a car”

But luckily this will not be the impression which will last of the emirates. I will have also a very nice encounter with an emirati, which gives me another insight in the local culture. Bahyan is the first sheik that I meet in my life. On a off road section he greets me from his pickup truck and we have a brief conversation. After a little hesitation he invites me to see his property and show me his racing camels. How cool is that! On his property there are a few small single stories houses which he says, act as his families winter residency. In one part of the garden I see children playing, which are his 2 children and more children of his brother. His mother is also there and his wife.

He shows me his camels which he seems to be more proud of than on the V8 jeep in his backyard. “This breed is good for camel races” he explains me. “They will have a microphone installed on their backs to give them commands to run faster”. “How often did you win a race? What is the price for the man with the fastest camel?” I ask him. … explains me that he already won a few times, but he doesn’t make it more specific. “The winner can win some money and in some races you can win a car.”

But not only does he have camels on his land, also sheep and some rare breeds of goats. Although this man is probably quite rich he appears to be very humble and when talking to him I feel comfortable like talking to a friend. Bahyan and his family are also very hospitable. They even provide me an entire room to sleep in with a luxurious bathroom. In the evening we drink hot camel milk together, which tastes somehow sweet and less gross than I thought. “Camel milk gives strength” Bahyan tells me. Good, I will need this for the mountains of Oman. Hopefully I will be as fast as a racing camel to reach the airport in time.

– Lewin

Why will Oman make it on my list of the top 3 countries of this cycling trip. How is this country most of us know only little about? I will have 7 days to find out.

Gallery:

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Link: Emirates

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Iran’s islands

[Reading time: 5 minutes]

Day 244-.253: Iran has basically three main islands in the persian gulf:

Kish, the decadent luxury Island, which holds plenty of hotels, casinos, stores.
Qeshm, the biggest Island with the most population. The island has only a few elevations and has little vegetation.
Hormuz, which with its colourful rocks is also known as “Rainbow Island”.

I think you can guess that I am not much interested in hanging out on the luxurious island, that’s why I visited only Qeshm and Hormuz. Since I spend Christmas evening in Asaloyeh it is still a few kilometers to go to reach the ferry to Qeshm island:

The south of Iran is populated by a majority of arab people, which are predominantly sunni muslims. Hossein from Kashan explained me that Iran is dominated by shia Muslims, who are also in leading positions of the government. Hossein also claimed that the sunni parts of Iran are neglected of the government which lead to poverty in those areas. Especially the southern provinces Hormozgan as well as Sistan and Baluchistan are receiving less financial support.

But what is the difference between sunni and shia? Both are based on Islam, both believe in Mohammed as a prophet and the holy Qur’an. My friend Hossein from Kashan explained me that they don’t accept some of the other branches prophets – and vice versa. He also said that the way how the sunni in the south of Iran do their prayers differs. He said that they are very serious about praying at the exact right time and their prayer is very brief.

For me all those differences don’t really matter, because the experience I have of the people in the south is the same friendly I am used of Iran. In one small village I meet Bahram, who works at the petrol station. To my surprise this petrol station has WiFi and there is also filtered drinking water, so I stay there for at least one hour. Bahram offers me to sit in his little cabin and is apparently happy about having a visitor.

Most of the conversations I had in the last few months were conversations with men

It is already late afternoon and I decide to dump my plan to continue cycling and accept Bahram’s invitation to come to his home. He lives with his wife, two sons and his mother and and father in a simple house outside of the village. Also his brother is there, who speaks luckily good enough english to translate the conversation to his family. His wife made dinner and we eat together. Obviously only the males of the family eat together while the women eat in another room, how it is done in more conservative families. I notice that most of the conversations I had in the last few months were conversations with men. But it doesn’t bother me that much at Bahram’s home, because we have a good time and his two boys are hilarious. On the next day, Bahram will show me the area and we will go to a beekeeper and eat incredibly delicious fresh honey. I could even see how the old man harvested the golden honey.

I am much more open to the differences of individuals

Back on the bicycle I think back with a smile about how I started this cycling trip in Germany. My expectations have been excelled by dozens of positive experiences with kind people. I could not imagine how it would change my perception of people and the world we all share. Now I am much more open to the differences of individuals and see more the things we have in common. Friendship, family, living a fulfilled and purposeful live. I don’t know when I felt that happy and free for the last time. It is just amazing!

Amazing is also the last memorable encounter I had with an Iranian guy named Godhrat, who is in his forties. Godhrat is an intimidating personality on the first look. He speaks very loud and has the look of a Russian boxer. I see his pickup truck stopping next to the street. Did they stop because of me? I don’t think so. But at least he waves with his hands signaling me to slow down. “HELLO, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” he shouts. Apparently we have the same destination, Qeshm island. He explains me that he has a ship that lies in an harbour in the west of Qeshm. “DO YOU WANT TO COME WITH US?” He points on the deck of the blue pickup truck. Why is he still shouting, I wonder. He is standing right in front of me. It is still 60 kilometers to the island and the prospect to sit in the truck having conversations with a shouting guy is more attractive than cycling this road, which also did not feel very safe. “I’m down, thank you for your offer.” I tell him while removing the bicycle paniers and loading them on his truck. We share the front seats with his friend, who is also working on his ship.

I didn’t expect ever to spend a night on a wooden pirate ship

As we speed along the highway we talk about god, history, politics and the world in general. The fact that Godhrat is a big fan of Adolf Hitler doesn’t help to find him sympathetic. “HITLER WAS A GREAT LEADER”. I try to explain him that he was also the reason for the death of almost an entire population, but my words remain unheard. Should I also shout to be heard? This guy has a weird, distorted opinion. But he is not dangerous. I try to accept the way he is with his “football-hooligan” kind of speeches and see that he is actually a very sincere guy. Meanwhile we reached the ferry to bring us to Qeshm island, which coastline we can already see in a distance of less than 5 kilometers. I am glad that I am not on my bicycle this time and do all the organisation for the ferry. Unfortunately we just missed the last ferry and have to wait for the next one. A good opportunity to shoot some pictures, while Godhrat discusses in anger with the port officials why he cannot put his truck on the free space of a private ferry. Godhrat has a schedule, me not. He wants to get his ship ready to ship to the emirates and trade goods like fridges, TV-screens and electronics. Proudly, he shows me pictures of his ship. It is a wooden ship that is still produced and used on Qeshm island, which to me looks like Jack Sparrows pirate ship. “Do you want to see the ship?” he asks me, his voice in a normal tone. The discussion with the port officials must have cost him a lot of energy. “Yeah great, I will come with you!”

I didn’t expect ever to spend a night on a wooden pirate ship. Climbing on the ship from the shaky plastic boat on the dark was an adventure by itself, but sleeping on it even more. Together with the captain of the ship, an old man who truly matches the stereotype of a captain, Godhrat and his friend we have dinner on the ship.

On the next day, Godrath brings me to Qeshm city, the capital of the Island. This evening will be new years celebration, although the Iranians don’t celebrate this day. Their new years eve is on another date in march. Will I celebrate alone? I am glad that at least 8 travellers gathered to celebrate new years together in the public park of Qeshm city. Felix and Claire, who could successfully extend their visas, the italian girl Valentina who came with her bicycle from China, the “Rollingdutchman” Cohan who is traveling with his bicycle for the last 2 years and with whom I will cycle on Hormuz Island (use the link to the gallery). Then we have Aise and Arat, a Turkish backpacker couple who I met in the north of Iran and Thomas and Kathrin, another backpacker couple who I will meet again several times in India. “Happy new year everyone!”

Instagram:

Cohan: “Rollingdutchman”
Valentina: “Valentinaonwheels”
Felix: “fzekat”
Claire: “mishmash.trip”
Arat: “arat saadetyan”
Eise: “awaretraveler”

I wonder what the new year might bring for my journey. I am happy to reach India soon? But how will I get there? In two days, the ferry will bring me to Dubai. Where I will go next is not 100% sure, but I will have to take a flight.

– Lewin

Gallery:

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Link: Iran

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Did I return as a different person?

Am I planning a similar trip like this for the future?

General information:

Contact:

info@samparc-india.org

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Location:

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My opinion:

It is a strange thought beeing without a bicycle after almost one year having it every day

I can understand people who visited India and said afterwards “India? Never again!”

The few times I got food poisoning in India was in restaurants

Most Indian people miss the moment where situations become awkward

Accommodation:

Food:

Party:

Activities:

It feels like being in a film scene, but it is real

Crazy truck drivers that pushed me off the road several times

A seatbelt would not save me from a fatal crash

The crazyness of India, some people love it, others hate it

What do you know about Oman?

The bulldog starts to chew through the net on my arm as I try to push him away

Women have to go to to a room where “Eye-checking” is written

“The winner can win some money and in some races you can win a car”

Most of the conversations I had in the last few months were conversations with men

I am much more open to the differences of individuals

I didn’t expect ever to spend a night on a wooden pirate ship

Cohan: “Rollingdutchman”

Valentina: “Valentinaonwheels”

Felix: “fzekat”

Claire: “mishmash.trip”

Arat: “arat saadetyan”

Eise: “awaretraveler”

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