Language alumnus cycled back to England from Malaysia
Language alumnus cycled back to England from Malaysia over 14 months
David Steedman graduated from the University in 2014 with a First in BA (Hons) English Language with a Modern Language (Spanish). When he and his friend, Ellie Cowell, found themselves on the other side of the world, they decided to extend their adventures and cycle home.
When David's English teaching contract was ending, roughly at the same time as Ellie's (who was working as an Occupational Therapist) they decided to buy bikes from a shop in Indonesia and cycle home to England. David and Ellie left Kuala Lumpur in August 2018 and arrived back in the UK 14 months later after passing through 21 countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Holland and finally the United Kingdom, covering a phenomenal 17,475km!
The route took them through deserts, mountains, tundra and tropical rainforests. They witnessed some incredible wildlife, including trees full of hornbills, thousands of migratory butterflies, wild tortoises, dolphins and even an adolescent red wolf.
On completing our contracts, we were not ready to return to the UK so quickly. Both of us wanted an adventure and a challenge, so I suggested cycling home. Ellie needed to think about the proposal for a week because she had never done such a thing before whereas I had completed some long distance bike rides, the longest of which was a cycle from Granada, Spain back to Huddersfield. In my opinion, cycling is the best way to travel.
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David was skilled in bicycle mechanics and, with a bicycle multi-tool and an adjustable spanner, they were able to fix most problems roadside or fix temporarily until the next bicycle shop. Unfortunately on three separate occasions they had to hitchhike to the next town; David's front and back rims split through metal fatigue within two weeks of each other and Ellie’s back wheel buckled three times. Thankfully these problems never hit more than 40km from the nearest city. While in the Kyzylkum Desert, they were often more than 100km away from civilisation, so they carried spare brake and gear cables, plenty of new inner tubes and in central Asia one spare tyre.
Most nights David and Ellie wild camped in forests or by the roadside, but in Vietnam they struggled because of the amount of rice paddy, arable land and built up urban areas so they stayed in hostels. In central Asia they camped nearly every night without worry, as there is a right to roam throughout the region. Kazakhstan means “Land of the wanderers,” and it still has many nomadic people who build yurts on the vast landscape. David said: "We also found hosts in many cities using a website called Warmshowers. It’s a platform specifically built for cycle tourists to find hosts and places to stay for free. The hosts are mostly a mix of cycle tourists who want to repay the hospitality they experienced along their journeys and people who just want to improve their English."
The Highlights
"One of our favourite countries was Georgia, the country that gave the world wine. The food is exquisite, walnuts and pomegranate seeds are a staple blend mixed with varied vegetables, light bread and fresh cheese. The scenery is extremely mountainous and the rivers run crystal clear. We were lucky to arrive into Georgia towards the end of spring, and the roads were lined with wild fruit trees. From Georgia to Serbia we picked apricots, figs, apples, cherries, pears and plums at every corner.
"Uzbekistan was also a surprise for us. The local people were so hospitable and would invite us into their houses to sleep nearly every night. It was also surprising to us how abundant in life the desert was, especially in the east of the country. We arrived in the early spring and there were so many flowers of all colours. Orchids and poppies as far as the eye could see that fed bees and ladybirds. There was also a constant chatter of birds that flew from shrub to shrub."
"Thailand was possibly the easiest country to cycle in. We got permission to set up our tent in the grounds of the Buddhist temples, of which there are thousands, so camping was never a problem for us. The food is some of the best in the world, the road surfaces are very well maintained and the drivers are considerate.
"Cycling along the Danube from Romania to Germany and then along the Rhine Valley was beautiful, AND FLAT! It was our first taste of a European autumn in four years and really felt like we were arriving home. Of course, the first sight of Castle Hill was the official coming home."
The Lowlights
"We timed it slightly wrong entering China. From central Vietnam (where we had Christmas and New Year) it rained on us all the way to Guilin, China. When in the mountains of southern China, the temperature often dropped as low as zero Celsius. All our equipment and ourselves were constantly damp and we were beginning to question what we were doing.
"In the opposite climate, we were questioning again. Our time in the desert was difficult, not only for the dryness (we were drinking up to 10 litres of water a day), but also the relentless headwind that could make it easier to get off the bike and push rather than cycle along a flat road. The frustration at the difficulty of this section was exacerbated by homesickness. Ellie and I were both living in Kuala Lumpur for 2 and a half years before setting off on the bike ride, and we both loved the city. Uzbekistan was more or less the midpoint of the ride, so we were as far away from each home (Huddersfield and Kuala Lumpur) in the middle of a desert.
"On the whole, we had many more high points than low points, and while Ellie is reluctant to set off on such a journey again, I would leave tomorrow if I could afford it."
David is currently looking for work as an English teacher so that he can further develop his professional skills. "Currently I'm looking for work in the UK, but I haven't ruled out moving abroad in the new year."
You can read more about their adventures on their blog here.
