ABOUT US
WE ARE ON THE ROAD
First things first: No, you don’t have to be particularly fit for a trip like this and you don’t have to have won the lottery. We were in the middle of our lives, had various jobs and actually had a really nice life in our home town in Switzerland surrounded by beloved friends / families and a vibrant cultural life. We had no desire to escape and break out of the hectic routine, but we never really fit in either and the desire to lead a different life was there for both of us.
The story behind this journey: It all started in 2016 on an old rental bike in Luang Prabang in Laos. We have only been together for two months and we cycled for a few kilometers towards a waterfall in the jungle and we found out only later that we were thinking the same thing simultaneously – we would like to do a longer cycling trip one day.
The idea didn’t leave us and we started to do smaller rides in Europe and whenever we had to return to our life and jobs, we wanted to cycle further. It never seemed to be enough. There was always this longing to look around the next corner and to experience the world from the saddle. At the beginning of 2018 our curiosity turned into a concrete plan and we set summer 2020 as our departure date. We started to save, organize and figuring out the most interesting cycling routes and were daydreaming a lot and watching inspirational cycling vlogs became a regular Sunday activity.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and called everything into question. Are we allowed to live this nomadic lifestyle, how would people react to us, is it selfish to cycle and keep traveling? There were so many questions in our heads as we worked from home in spring 2020. But after such a long planning phase, we couldn’t imagine continuing our daily life and put all the plans on hold. We decided to start our trip and let our curiosity lead us. Always taking into consideration, that our route can change any time and that we have to remain flexible. We finally started to cycle in July 20 towards the east, as far as possible and as far as it feels right for us.
LISA
Inspired by the wonderful book “Erfahrung der Welt” I have discovered many countries and the curiosity and wanderlust only got bigger with the years. Through my job I was able to explore many places, but also began to look at tourism from a different angle and started cycling more often.
There was always this dream to start exploring from my doorstep without a return date and cycling is for me one of the most intense ways of traveling; you get to experience the changes in landscape, climate, culture and food at a close range. Meanwhile it gives you enough time to discover sights and take detours from the route. Then I met Dario and to share this passion with him and to listen together to the murmuring of the world beneath our wheels is the greatest gift.
What I did before: Product Manager in the travel agency Sense of Travel, Translator, Lecturer.
What I like: Being on the road in general, immersing myself in different cultures and learning languages, concerts, spicy food, the first coffee in the morning, spontaneous, authentic encounters, Ecstatic Dance, daily Yoga- / Meditation practice, remote camping spots, being by myself just enjoying the silence, walk in forests and just generally all the ups and downs of this wonderful life.
What I don’t like: Unnecessary climbs, head-wind, constant nagging, Nescafé, narrow-minded people, potatoes and mosquitoes, the constant pressure of fitting in and of being a certain way, the restrictions of society sometimes.
Discoveries during the trip: I need comfort more often than I thought (I’m getting old), vegetarian food can be found in the most unexpected places, and somehow I really can’t do without good coffee.
DARIO
For a long time my limited holidays consisted of visiting music festivals, going skiing and organizing our yearly outdoor cinema and music festival in Baden – a culturally rich lifestyle based in Switzerland. My dream to see the world was asleep until I met Lisa, who took me right away on a trip to Southeast Asia with her. I have been a cycling enthusiast before, as it has got the perfect speed for me. Cycling allows to immerse yourself in the surrounding and everything is more immediate and at the same time you achieve something and you are getting somewhere.
What I did before: Architect, Organization of Freiluftkino Baden and One of a Million Music Festival.
What I like: Concerts, movies, board games, cycling, swimming in rivers, lakes and the sea, the evening hours, turning night into day with my friends, being outdoors preferably with a campfire.
What I don’t like: Injustice, dishonest people, tomatoes and peppers, coffee, bad drinks and of course mosquitoes.
Discoveries during our trip: Planing cycling high mountain passes from the comfort of a couch is something very different from the reality. We stay more in accommodations than I initially thought. Dogs get confused when you stop your bike and usually leave you in peace afterwards.