Roberto and Annika in Germany, Uzbekistan and Malaysia the same month different years.
Alor Setar, Malaysia, September 2013
About 20 kilometer from Bremen (Germany), where it all began, we found ourselves a bit lost on the road. It was the first day of our journey and we really felt inexperienced. We found a man and decided to ask him for directions. He explained the correct way to us and asked “Where are you headed with so much baggage?” “Malaysia”, Annika answered in an excited manner. That answer surprised him. “So where did you start?” he asked. “In Bremen”, I murmured, well aware of the fact that our point of departure was only two hours behind us.
He said nothing, but the expression in his face revealed a small smirk that we could interpret as an ironic Well Good Luck Pals. I really don’t think he thought we could make it.
Celebrating Two Years of Tasting Travels
After almost two years on the road and more than 13,000 kilometers cycled in 20 different countries we arrived to our destination. Monday August 4, 2013 was the day that signified our own personal triumph. Not only that man doubted in our project, but along the way bike mechanics (mostly from Germany and Austria) and even friends took our determination to reach Malaysia lightly. As many of other fellow cyclists already know, it all really starts with the first kilometer; from then on it is just moving forward.
We found ourselves with cheap bikes and no experience at all, but we discovered that the journey itself was the best of our teachers. The love of people that we met along our way, our strength and our project gave us the tenacity to keep on working on what we believe in.
Tasting Travels: Bike travel as a means to strengthen social empathy.
To celebrate our two years we will publish some surprises for your delight, including a video and a series of entries entitled: Two Years of Making Friends.
In this series of entries we will honor the people who have helped us forge human ties in all the countries that we have cycled in, thus strengthening our empathy for all of them. Today on September, 7 2013 and after two years of pedaling we are more than convinced that traveling by bicycle is a great way to get to establish a human connection with all type of people we meet on the road. It is difficult for us to think in terms of countries where humanity is way beyond any classification.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our families, our friends, our readers as well as the institutions that have believed in us and are eager to promote bike travel as a means to strengthen social empathy with the best equipment:
Cumulus, Unterwegs, Wechsel and our most recent sponsor Hellixir Beer. We hope to have more additions to our sponsor roster on the following years.
Also a special thanks to the Tasting Travels team: Jose, Anaid, Daniel, Alice, Aliss and Hector, your collaborations have had the most valuable impact in the development of our project. You are truly the wind behind our backs.
Dear readers with our most sincere love THANK YOU
Roberto & Annika
Note: After the first 3000 Kilometers we have decided that we did not want to end our travel in Malaysia, but cycle a fine line around the globe. We have barely accomplished one third of our way, so hopefully there is still more to come.
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