Alexander Gabriel (29 years old) graduated from university with a degree in sociology and works at a non-governmental organization in the city of Munser (Germany).
`My mother did not support this trip because she thought there were many dangers lurking, but my father supported it. He is retired so he regrets the experiences he did not have when he was young,` Alex said.
Bold decision
The couple shared that they were very confused about the means to travel around the world, and finally decided to choose bicycles because they could save money and were easy to bring through border gates without customs inspection.
They bought 2 large trekking bicycles, each carrying about 30-40 kg of luggage, which contained all the necessary items such as sleeping bags, tents, cooking utensils, clothes, car repair items, and equipment.
Jana on an Asian road.
The route was planned, but the couple’s trip was very spontaneous, on average cycling 50 km per day. In some places, they stayed for 4 months like Türkiye, but in Slovenia it was only 4 days.
Alex said they will stay in Vietnam for about a month, then cycle to Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand…
Interesting experiment
Jana said that along the way, they were always welcomed by people, invited to eat, drink, participate in festivals… They also faced many incidents such as car breakdowns, illness, and enduring harsh weather.
`Once we broke a car axle in China at night and had to knock on the door of a family to ask for a place to sleep. They directed us to the school next to our house and we spread out a tent to sleep there. The next day we went to the school next door.
Alex teaches English to Chinese children.
Talking about his companion, Alex said that there are couples who go exploring together and have arguments and their relationship is broken.
`I’m stronger than Jana, so many times I cycle up the mountain first, then leave the bike and jog down to take Jana’s bike up the mountain. Sometimes when I’m tired, she takes care of me,` Alex shared.
To save money, the couple often calls for help from local people to sleep over or sleep in tents in safe places.
Stopover in Vietnam
`Each country has very different beauty, so it’s hard to say which place is more beautiful,` Alex said.
Coming to Hanoi, they visited many scenic spots such as Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Hanoi Old Quarter, Temple of Literature… Alex also loves the street food in Hanoi and calls the street rice shops `buffets`.
`I want the journey to continue forever, each country gives me interesting experiences,` Jana said.
Talking about cultural differences, Alex commented that in Europe, people often borrow money to travel, while in Vietnam people often accumulate personal assets rather than spending money to travel.
The couple said that their journey is still very long and they do not know when they will return home.