Adventure
Meet the man who traveled 30 countries in 13 months overland
One man’s year-long adventure of food, fun, friendship and a foldable bike.
You’re probably reading this slumped over your desk chair at work after returning from a ten-minute toilet break, stealing a glance at the clock which registers 2 hours and 49 minutes until lunch where you will hopefully try to hit your target of spending less than RM7 from the roadside stall right outside your office today. This is what you think your life has come to.
For Lau Soong Huey however, he chose to take the road less traveled. Stopping over 30 different countries from Malaysia via China, Russia and India was the ultimate dream come true. Together with his travel buddy Nicholas Chin, they sought to get to their next location by any means possible – on foot, cycling, by train and buses -- you name it, they’ve done it. We sat down with him to get a little insight on his 13-month adventure.
Travel Statistics
- Number of countries travelled: 30
- Number of continents: 4
- Estimated mileage covered: 35,388 kilometers
- Modes of transportation used: Train, bike, plane, bus, foot, hitchhiking
- Total spent: RM 26,000 for 13 months
Trying to hitch a ride
© Nicholas Chin
Hitchhiked from Barcelona to Valencia, Spain
Hitchhiking was such a different experience and the people and scenarios I’ve encountered were certainly for the books. In Spain, it took a longer time and we would actually find ourselves standing by the road for a good 1-2 hours trying to get a ride. In Barcelona, we chanced upon Gao Yuan, a Chinese businessman en route to Tarragona for a meeting. He pulled over and offered to drive us to Tarragona, where we could hopefully hitch another ride to our next destination from. At one point, he pulled out his cell phone and announced that he had cancelled his meeting and would be sending us straight to Valencia! He even treated us to an international buffet. After roughing it for so many months, you can bet I stuffed myself silly.
Waking up to this view from our cave 'hotel'
© Lau Soong Huey
Spent the night in a Mongolian yurt and a cave
While in Bocairent, we hiked at dusk to the countryside, where we were to spend the night in a Mongolian yurt. It was really unique to say the least. We even had the chance to hike up Parque Natural de la Sierra de la Mariola, an extremely picturesque national park, where we kicked back and stayed the night in a cave! It was extremely, extremely cold in there that we didn’t even manage to get so much as a wink of sleep. However, waking up to the Spanish skyline from such an elevated level was definitely worth all the hours of hiking.
Hiking the Swiss Alps
© Nicholas Chin
Failed photography mission in Oeschinensee, Switzerland
Nick, an avid photographer, was really keen to get a shot of the Lake Oeschinensee and its famed reflection. The weather was not very conducive to say the least, and we were covered in snow up to our knees. We spent about 5-6 hours hiking and after what felt like eternity, Oeschinensee came into sight, right in front of us in all its glory. But alas – for a lake to reflect, it has to be in the form of water and Oeschinensee was fully frozen over. You should’ve seen how dejected Nick was!
Close to midnight, it started snowing and we were chilled to the bone as it was entering the sub-zeroes. We wanted to pitch our tents, but you can’t pitch the tent on snow as it’s just going to turn to slush. In the distance there was a secluded holiday resort that exuded eerie vibes straight out of a horror movie scene. We were pretty desperate for some shelter at this point so we decided to retire there for the night, and let me tell you, sleeping on a comfy couch never felt so good.
A sky full of stars
© Nicholas Chin
Battling a blizzard in Russia on two-wheels
Better safe than sorry – that was one of the lessons I had to learn the hard way. One of the biggest mistakes I had to bounce back from during this trip was not preparing myself for the blizzard faced in Russia – all while cycling! Upon my embarkation to my next destination, my host was really concerned about the unruly weather and asked if this was really something I wanted to do. "It can’t be that bad," I told him, shrugging it off. Lo and behold, flakes of ice started pelting down in an angry vortex, stinging my skin until it was raw to the touch. I wasn’t wearing gloves either, which made those two hours of cycling that much more of a feat. I had to try to warm up my hands by putting them into my pockets, and I couldn’t stop either, as the movement of my body while pedalling was generating heat that I couldn’t afford to lose.
Pro tip: Go for outerwear that is compact, water and wind resistant, easy to roll up, and layer up on innerwear instead of heavy, thick jackets that soak up water as it would add to the weight. Try to limit your luggage to about 20% of your body weight, as you’ll be lugging it everywhere you go.
Hanging out with the local policemen who initially came after us in Turkey
© Lau Soong Huey
Sleeping in public spaces
Hitting the sack in public places was as much of an adventure as it was an effort to save a couple of bucks. We slept in public frequently enough to get used to the whole idea of it, and it didn’t bother us anymore. I’ve slept in a public toilet in Norway, which was extremely clean and comfortable. I’ve slept by a highway in Romania, which also happens to be one of the major tracks where they test Ferraris. Some cops even came after us once in Turkey, but they ended up kicking back and hanging out with us instead.
Pro tip: Hook all your belongings onto each other, so you can’t miss them if they ever go missing. Also, we slept on top of our belongings, using our bags as pillows so that if by any chance someone tries to take them, we would feel it immediately.
Making ends meet by busking on the streets
© Nicholas Chin
When running low on travel funds... get creative!
I’m a beatboxer, so I’m proud to say I contributed to the local entertainment scene by busking on the streets while amassing a pretty substantial amount from it. So that’s one way you can go about it if you’re in the entertainment scene or have a knack for performing. Just make sure you fulfil the required conditions and permits, which differ from country to country. The ATM is your best friend when you’re constantly on the go and travelling to so many places. I deposited all my money into a bank and relied on the machines and my debit card for almost all my transactions. If you want to carry cash, make sure it’s done discreetly and that you hide it in a safe place because Europe is notorious for pickpockets. And as a traveler, you definitely stick out like a sore thumb and probably might have a higher chance of getting mugged.
Pro tip: At any one time, I would highly suggest not to carry more than 100 of the local currency. When I was in Europe, I kept it down to 50 euros.
Spending time with the locals
© Nicholas Chin
How traveling freely changes you
As cliché as it sounds, seeing so much of the world really helped me appreciate life and all it has to offer. Everything that someone does shapes the world, reality and who we are today. Traveling really helps you open your mind and keeps your perspective open. I really wanted to consume as much as I can during this period of time, and it was definitely the time of my life meeting all these unexpected people, and I would do it over again a million times.
Pro tip: You really have to go with the flow and not follow a plan so rigidly because you’d get caught up in the system that you lose the whole meaning of traveling. Adapt to the circumstances, improvise, be flexible and come up with new solutions. After all, there’s no good or bad way to go about it, just different.