Why am I doing this trip ?

This is probably the most frequent question I have been asked since I had the idea to do that trip.Well, the first time I had this wish, being able to travel the world on a bike was about 12-14 years ago when I red about Dave Barr in a bike magazine.That story was short because he "just" had started his trip and was arrived in London.I guess, when I got my job at Pomp, the last resistant cells left got infected. I was traveling for a living every 10 to 12 month from city to city and than it needed only the book from Claudia and Klaus to get me going.

While I was working in Munich, I had the chance to see many slide shows organized by Michael Martin, those events made me hungry to go out and see some of these things with my own eyes.I realized that soon the adventure of having a family will be wanted too, so before that really happens I had to squeeze in a little bike tour to some places I haven't seen yet.I never had a specific route in mind or a world around trip according to the official requirements (yes they do exist) as a goal.

So what ever may come up to me, I will just go for it if it makes any sense to me. I was afraid that I might never get the chance to see some of the beauty and the madness of nature, the country's, cultures, throughout the world. All of that was finally enough to made me leaving home on the bike.

The most difficult part wasn't quitting the job or making all necessary arrangements, no, it was the minute of leaving. Finally getting on the road. I was riding on roads I probably had driven a 1000 times before. But that time it was different. And that was taking over being different everything was different. The longest one-way street I ever went on. But then, the excitement is taking over. Every day is different, totally. You never know what's behind the next corner, but you will find out.

I was always seeking for a purpose of that trip. I found one, the second wasn't found yet.

Source of the text: www.terra-unlimited.de

Christoph Wienecke on Olkhon island. Summer 2001. Photo by Jack Sheremetoff