The Cyclists

Who are the brave cowboys and cowgirl attempting such an endeavoring journey? Meet Jory, Yuri and Duncan:

Jory

On my Koga Miyata from 1993 I have biked through Scotland, Belgium, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Now I long to cycle out of Europe through and to the countries where I have lived before: Uzbekistan (2000-2002), Macedonia (2002-2005), and Nepal (for a short time in 2005). This way I will finally have a close encounter with the large and beautiful amount of land which I have now only passed over by plane.
I am apt at learning languages, although I would rather not get started yet on Chinese; my Russian might be of good use for a large part of the journey. I study theoretical physics, which pleasantly keeps me busy mentally but lets me down in more practical situations. To be able to pay for this journey I work as a system administrator. I will administer this website; for any questions, comments, or suggestions please contact me .

Yuri

I am Yuri Villa Rikkers, 23 years old and hoping to add another year to the books by the time we reach the inlands of Turkey. A couple of years ago a passionate curiosity for getting to know the world far abroad took me by surprise. The option of getting on a plane to some distant place and stay there for some time seemed boring; it wouldn't bring with it the sensation of truly getting to know those things and especially people surrounding me. The great social gap I sensed between me and people living in places abroad, even when traveling for example from the Netherlands to France, had to go. By slowly traveling through all that is between here and abroad - up close on my bike - and staying aware of the ever changing environment I'm hoping to find out what all of the people on this planet eventually share. What is the basic set of rules all cultures oblige to? I'm not making illusions as to how this will work out, but after six months on the road I should at least get a good impression.
My plan after this journey is to work on getting my Masters degree in some language, anywhere across Dutch borders. Which one is not decided yet - let me start by getting to know my options better. One thing is clear though, the road has not seen the last of my tires.

Duncan

Hi there friend, family member or interested reader: my name is Duncan Huizinga. My 22 years make me the youngest one of the bunch - physically and (mostly) mentally. My list of activities in the past years is best summarized by a couple of failed study attempts and a colorful collection of short-lived jobs - a list that has been calling for a change in the all overseeing plan.
My cumulated savings and general dissatisfaction with office-jobs added strength to the idea of leaving the warmth of home for a more adventurous and continuously changing habitat. By June 2010 I ran into the plans of two previous fellow students: a bicycle trip to Nepal. I had planned to head for Morocco, but after a couple of months of daydreaming and some nice dinners together it seemed an attractive proposal to join in. Heading for Nepal offered enough opportunity to see a lot of the Arab world – and being accompanied by two equally enthusiastic travelers seems the way to do it!