on the road to.... SOMEWHERE dreaming of cycling to Africa- Asia

[May van Gent]

Hi everyone

Im new on this site. My name is May (From Amsterdam) and I have a dream that never goes far out of my mind and which got to do with cycling a BIG trip. ( still not sure about the route aiming for asia or africa)

My first trip was in mexico in 2003 unprepared I as on the road for 1 month I loved the ride and is still one of the most amazing things i have experienced. Since then i did some small cycling trips in vietnam, from Amsyterdam to Paris and in 2010 during the world cup in Southern africa and Tanzania.

Slowly but surely Im planning a new cycling adventure. This time i would like to make a longer trip.
I wish to start cycling around mid september 2012 and the end destination will find it's own way. The idea is to combine it with filmmaking. These days Im editing over 40 hours a week so Im ready for some real life action again.

I have a view theme's I like to work on but didn't make a final disicion yet. The ideal is to cycle for 2 weeks and then make a reportage with local filmmakers for let's say 3 weeks and then make a serie of 8. I didn't look for funds or sponsors yet but I believe that one's I get a tight plan it can work out fine.

For many people my plan sounds crazy but i believe in it and it can be such a great trip. I think once you know how it is to travel with a bike its a bit addicting and what is better then combining creating and experiencing with sharing!

Did any one of you made a big trip before and do you have some advice?

Would love to hear some travel tips, trics and stories from others to get me inspired and motivated to really do this.

 

[suffolkcindy]

Hi
Yes i met a young guy called Leon McCarron in cambodia combining solo cycle tour with documentary filming. We rode together for a while and he carried one camera on his helmet. He has a website all about it and it made enough of a name for himself to get sponsorship for other adventures. I hear he is now filming a long walk through china?
Www.leonmccarron.com
Hope it is useful?
Cindy

 

[Yellow7]

My advice is go for it!. The hardest part of my last tour was cycling away from my front door, leaving behind friends and family and the creature comforts and easy life. Life presented no challenge, just the monotonous, routine 9-5, looking forward to each weekend, before yet another Monday morning arrived.
If you’ve got the chance, then jump ship! You’ll never be looking back with regrets then. Maybe my blog could inspire you, all the post’s are still on-line, it would be good to know what you decide.
Happy planning, Mark.

 

[May van Gent]

Hi
Yes i met a young guy called Leon McCarron in cambodia combining solo cycle tour with documentary filming. We rode together for a while and he carried one camera on his helmet. He has a website all about it and it made enough of a name for himself to get sponsorship for other adventures. I hear he is now filming a long walk through china?
Www.leonmccarron.com
Hope it is useful?
Cindy

Hi Cindy

Thanks for your link.
Really inspiring great to see that there so many adventures people around really doing it.

So happy to see this and motivating.

 

[May van Gent]

My advice is go for it!. The hardest part of my last tour was cycling away from my front door, leaving behind friends and family and the creature comforts and easy life. Life presented no challenge, just the monotonous, routine 9-5, looking forward to each weekend, before yet another Monday morning arrived.
If you’ve got the chance, then jump ship! You’ll never be looking back with regrets then. Maybe my blog could inspire you, all the post’s are still on-line, it would be good to know what you decide.
Happy planning, Mark.

Hi Mark

Wauw cool and I love the push bike song.
So you cycled al the way with only 1 puncture. That's amazing.

I still have the plan. If I want to do it this year I should leave in about the time you left only 3 weeks later because of work.

I will let you know when I really take the step and jump on the push bike. By that time you might have some use full advice regarding the route.
Im still in doubt what would be the best way throw west africa after Morrocco.

Thanks for the note and push.

So inspiring to see and hear that there are many more people with the same dreams and know the freedom, joy and enlightment you get from these kind of every day people adventures.

 

[hoopdriver]

I have done several big trips but the biggest and by far the best was a 10,000 mile solo trek I made thriugh th Australian outback. Along the way I stoped off at lonely cattle stations, sheep stations, minng towns, Aboriginal communities - you name it. I took my time, it was a nne month journey, and loved it.

I am a writer - I gather you are too, or a film maker. The story of my trip appeared as a three part series in National Geographic and later came out in book form. It can be a lot if fun and ver rewarding to do something professionally with such a journey, but you want to be careful not to lose the soul of it.

 

[Yellow7]

"Im still in doubt what would be the best way throw west africa after Morrocco."

The map on my blog shows the route I took.

Mauritania is not quite the kidnap capital that most would like you to believe, it had its peak but the government came down heavy-handed on a group of kidnappers, as tourism was being badly affected, and slaughtered their entire village, or so I was told in Nouakchott.

Senegalwas as friendly as you’d want, the Gambia was amazingly friendly and I could have conversations as English speaking. I planned to visit Timbuktu so headed east through Gambia back into Senegal, then Mali, but unfortunately at the time there was a dispute and travel to Timbuktu was advised agains, ving sometimes the best made plans fall apart so be flexible. Keep an eye on current affairs and visa issues. Some countries visas are available at the border, some not. I paid twice the rate at the Burkina Faso border than I would have done at their embassy in Bamako (Mali). So it pays do the homework, but again things can, and do, change overnight as I found out.

West African political unrest has calmed down somewhat from what it used to be but again, do the research. The lonely planet West Africa guidebook is useful, albeit quite a ‘brick’ to carry but had its uses. Catholic missionaries in the large towns and cities proved a great place to stay, price was good, breakfast included and most had good wi-fi, which made visa waiting 'down-time' useful as blog updates could easily be done.

Happy planning, just make sure it becomes a 'did', not a 'was going to'.

 

[May van Gent]

Hi hoop Driver

Thanks for your message. Looks like you made some amazing travels. where can I see some of your work?

Im curious did you have a assignement before you left or did you do the trip and made your pieces and then sold it?

At the moment Im tempting to just do it... start the journey meet people..
I will bring some equipment and hope the stories and video's will develop as the journey develops.

What do you mean by you have to be carefull not to loose the soul of it? Something like your getting to focussed about the filming and creating and captering that you forget to go with the wind?

Also when bringing expensive equipment I will be more up tide about leaving my bags-bike at places.. I think I should bring a second hand not to expensive stuff...

Wauw slowly the journey is starting to grow out of its seed!

 

[May van Gent]

Happy planning, just make sure it becomes a 'did', not a 'was going to'.

Hi Mark

Thanks again for you message and useful information.

I guess good researching is rather important. My first mission is to get from Amsterdam to Marrocco and from there on or along the road I will do beter planning/research about countries. This coming month I will start the setting the bike and camping gear up.

Where would you normally sleep along the road? Did you do a lot of camping. For me it will be a new thing to be camping alone and to do wild camping but I think for this trip it would be a good idea to bring camping gear!

So you did cycle throw Mauritiana and the western sahara?
Is there a route along the coast?

Your a technician right? I think I will try to get a solar panel something so I can be a self sufficient cyclist! accept form water ofcourse

Love the, just make sure it becomes a 'did', not a 'was going to'.

Very very stimulating! THANKS

 

[hoopdriver]

Hi hoop Driver

Thanks for your message. Looks like you made some amazing travels. where can I see some of your work?

Im curious did you have a assignement before you left or did you do the trip and made your pieces and then sold it?

At the moment Im tempting to just do it... start the journey meet people..
I will bring some equipment and hope the stories and video's will develop as the journey develops.

What do you mean by you have to be carefull not to loose the soul of it? Something like your getting to focussed about the filming and creating and captering that you forget to go with the wind?

Also when bringing expensive equipment I will be more up tide about leaving my bags-bike at places.. I think I should bring a second hand not to expensive stuff...

Wauw slowly the journey is starting to grow out of its seed!

I was a journalst for many years before I set off on my big trip around Australia - a senior writer for Time Magazine, in fact. And so I had a good track record in writing and photography and was able to secure a comission before I left.

When I said to hang onto the journey's soul I meant to be sur that you are taking YOUR journey, thevone yo want, rather than simply doin a bit of reportage you hope will sell. Make the selling of the tale a secondary point.

As far as writing goes, I appear fairly regularly in National Geographic, albeit not usually about cycling. I've got three stories on the go at the moment, in different parts of the world - one about wildlife, one about human culture, And one about archaeology. The story of my cycling journey around Australia came out in book form, published by National Geographic under the title Cold Beer & Crocodiles. I believe there is, or was, a Dutch translation. I also write a cycling blog - web address below.

I would take lightweight camera gear and, as you say, keep a close eye on it. I have found that those malleable Joby Gorilla tripods are brillant for taking on cycling tours. Are you writing as well? Shooting stills?

Best of luck with your travels and feel free to ask any questions.