I just finished read a book written by Dato' Hasan Nawawi. The title of the book is 'Cabaran Berbasikal Mengililingi Dunia'. A story of an extraordinary journey by a senior government officer (he was 46 years old when he started kick the paddle) with his brother cycling around the world. I took about a week to finish the book and feel like I was a part of the adventures. He wrote his adventures very nicely. He took about a year to complete the journey started on Jan 2001. I felt a little sober at the end of the journey when he wrote that he felt so eager to hug his youngest son when he almost reaches the border between Thailand and Malaysia. His experiences inspired me to be like him, at least in my dream.
I turn to internet to find similar an extraordinary experience. I found a lot of foreigners especially westerner whose have such a great journey travelling around the world by bicycle. The recent one is Nicolai from Denmark who travel solo on bicycle. According his plan, he will finish in year 2010. Now, he is in Central America and will reach USA soon. I'm following his dairy and so excited to know what is next happen to him in his diary. you can reach him at worldtravellers.dk.
The other one is Rune Monstad from Norway. I think he is crazy but yet a funny person. He started his journey from Bolivia in year 2006 and now he is in Central Africa. Why I said crazy? from his blog Viking Biker, you can find that he is travelling by bicycle alone without any plan nor sponsor. He just let it be. He managed cycling alone cross Colombia, where criminals and drug gangsters are everywhere, he was rob in Seattle, USA but then he become famous and cycling alone in a snow storm crossing Canada. Here some of his opinion from his blog about people on cycling around the world that he met along his journey.
"Have seen many long distance bikers and you don't believe what they bike with. One 65 year old man bike from Mexico to Colombia with girl bike for and all his stuff in a backpack. Another one biked Central America with roadracing bike and 3 kg (7 lbs.) of stuff, he was shaking his head when he saw how much stuff i had. Then there was the guy that bike around the world with 60 kg (132 lbs.) of gear and bike 200 km (125 miles) everyday. Another one cross USA with a trailer for his dog. A homeless man bike with homemade bike and homemade trailer, he have biked around USA for 8 years. A 60 year old couple bike Central America with tandem bike, man in front off course. they fight a little about who pedal the most. Some bike in group, two or alone. I like to bike alone, you meet more people when you bike alone." source Viking Biker
From my opinion, beside a great adventure lies a braveheart. The hearts of a pure survivor which never break even has to face the toughest obstacle, calm to face any resistants and dare to dream higher than the others!.
