Phnom Penh, Cambodia (19 January 2011)
Mr. Muhamad Ali River, a Russian Polish man, has barely slept in a comfortable bed or tent, since he set off on a cycling tour across the world, over ten years ago.
His first day on the journey was January 1, 2000. Although he has reached the age of 75, Mr. River is full of energy. He started off in Europe, from the Canary Islands in Spain, to the last village of the North Pole in Norway.
Mr. River has already traveled over 138,000 kilometers across 119 countries. He plans to finish his global cycling tour at the opening day of the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. At that stage he will reach 150 nations which is equivalent to 200,000 kilometers in distance. The average speed of his cycling is about 30 kilometers per day.
Before starting the long ride, Mr.River told The Southeast Asia Weekly at a catholic church in Phnom Penh that he was a rich international sports manager, and lived an elegant life.
One day, before his journey began, something stuck in his mind. “I was sitting in my home along the beach side, looking at the beautiful weather, and was eating spaghetti. I was thinking that I have money, and I am not married. I was tired of this lifestyle. The very next day, I went to the shop and bought a 50 dollar bicycle to travel around the world.”
His Southeast Asia Tour started back in November of 2009, setting off from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. Mr. River has currently arrived in Cambodia since December 8th, 2010. He will depart from Cambodia to Laos on February 8th.
In Cambodia, he firstly began to cycle around the north-west part of the country with his five small bags and an aging bicycle through the Cambodia Thai border, Poi Pet. Mr. River rode along sandy roads, and, most of the time, he walked because there was no road to ride. He often stays in pagodas or outdoors. Both of his legs got injured and swollen due to snakebites and other accidents. “The doctor at Pursat advised me to stop riding bicycle, but I can’t stop it,” he said.
Spending only two dollars per day in Asia, he always confronted difficulties. In Phnom Penh, he has only one meal, a kilo of local fruit and three liters of rainwater. He noted that his major concerns in Cambodia are to find a place to sleep, a place to eat and a person with whom he can communicate.
Mr. Muhamad Ali River is an Italian resident. He was brought to Rome when he was three years-old, from his native country, Poland, after his parents were killed during World War II. He finally noticed that Cambodia is a safe country. He has never experienced robbery wherever he has gone. Although he had to bike through dense forests with no police in sight, he still remained untouched, unlike other countries. Many people who have never known the country believe that Cambodia is a very dangerous country. “Cambodia is the most safe and secure for traveling alone and around. Nobody touched and came to rob anything from me,” he added. (SEAW)
By CHRIN SAMVISAL (Vol.5, Issue 5, SEAW)
No comments:
Post a Comment