The world...by bike
Posted Tuesday, August 05, 2008, 1:10 AM by Lonely Planet
Want your kid to grow up to be a travel writer? Give them an atlas and a bicycle for their 10th birthday. That's what Dervla Murphy got, and she spent the day working out how she could ride from her home in Ireland to India. And being Dervla, when she grew up, she did it.
Full Tilt is her account of this astonishing journey. She did it on a no-frills army bikes (no electric shifting for this gal). She battles her way through record blizzards and up mountains, and takes on wolves and lechers with the same aplomb. She's indomitable, but also friendly, curious and supremely comfortable in her own skin.
It's a mingled pleasure and sorrow to read her rapturous account of Afghanistan, her favourite part of the trip. The people may be as warm and honourable, the weather as clement, but the wondrous country she describes is good and gone.
It's hard to suppress a cheer when she finally coasts into India...and this was just the start of a long life of adventures, often with her young daughter.
Ah Dervla. You're my idea of the ultimate traveller.
- Cherry Washington
Labels: Afghanistan, cycling, Dervla Murphy
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5 Comments:
anyone interested in their own ''world by bike'' trip might be interested in this rally going from london to kenya in september: http://www.downrightkenya.org/
Nice post. For a modern-day equivalent, you might be interested to read this blog post on Away.com about the Vogel family, who have just set off on a 20,000-mile, 30-month bike journey down the Pan-American Highway. Quite inspirational!
Ultimate traveler, indeed!
Beth
Sounds like it'll be a great read. :) Amazing how small things from ones childhood can leave a lasting imprint.
I think it would be amazing to go on a bike trip around the world. The only problem with it is that it is hard to find that much time to do something. If i ever have enough time i would definitely consider it.
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