Could You Travel To 37 Countries And Survive

[churchill]

Of course 1 pound eight years ago was worth a lot more than it is now and will be worth a lot less in eight years time .

Man travels through 37 countries on just £1

A man has cycled over 29,000 miles (45,000 km) through 37 countries after setting out from his home in Japan eight years ago with the equivalent of just £1.

Keiichi Iwasaki , 36, left on his Raleigh Shopper bicycle in 2001 to go on a tour of Japan.

But he enjoyed himself so much he caught a ferry to South Korea and since then has cycled through 37 countries without returning home.

He has been robbed by pirates and arrested in India, almost died when he was attacked by a rabid dog in Tibet and nearly married in Nepal.

In total Mr Iwasaki has cycled over 45,000km (27,961 miles) on his favourite Raleigh shopper bikes but two have been stolen and two have broken so he now rides his fifth.

His biggest achievement is climbing the world's highest peak Mount Everest, which stands at 8,848 m (29,029 ft), from sea level without using any transportation.

Mr Iwasaki, originally from Maebashi, Japan, says that only his ''strong will'' has kept him going. He said: ''Most travellers and adventurers need money but instead of giving up an opportunity to travel the world I want to clarify that dream can come true if you have a strong will.

''I have been travelling for eight years and I continue to do so from money I receive from performing tricks. I do not carry a credit card or traveller's cheque. ''My strong will is very important and I hope this trip will prove that. I wanted to travel the world in my early twenties, but I have not been able to do so until I was 28. ''I thought to myself that 'My life will soon be over before I do what I want to do!', so I decided to start this trip. ''I didn't want to use aeroplanes because I wanted to see and feel everything with my own skin. With bicycle, I can always feel the air and atmosphere of the place.''

Mr Iwasaki left home on April 15 2001 with just 160 yen, around £1, in his pocket after he became bored working for his father's air-conditioning company. He rode around Japan for one year before buying a one-way ticket to South Korea in March 2002. Since then he has travelled the world on his Raleigh Shopper bicycles and funded his travels by performing magic tricks.

In May 2005, he became the first Japanese man to climb Mount Everest from sea level without using any transportation. He has also rowed from the source of the Ganges river in India to the sea, a journey of 1,300km which took him 35 days. Mr Iwasaki is currently in Switzerland waiting to climb Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc.

Following this he plans to travel to Africa, across to South America and then make his way back to Japan for the first time in over a decade via North America.

He believes this will take him five years before he begins to write a book about his trip.

* Countries Mr Iwasaki has visited: South Korea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech, Austria, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Switzerland.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelne...-on-just-1.html

[mca]

With all due resepcts to the man for his amazing achievement but he didn't travel through 37 countries on a quid as the headline suggests. If he had then that would have been truly remarkable!

Edited September 10, 2009 by mca

[DP25]

I have been travelling for eight years and I continue to do so from money I receive from performing tricks.

Not really on $1 if he's been working as a rent boy as he goes.

[cyb]

Man travels through 37 countries on just £1

That statement is a little misleading.

In reality he has spent much more than that, By his own admission he made money by doing tricks.

So the £1 is irelevant.

[cyb]

I have been travelling for eight years and I continue to do so from money I receive from performing tricks.

Not really on $1 if he's been working as a rent boy as he goes.

Rent boy????? Is that not a gay prostitute?

DP25 Think you have misunderstood the word tricks (magic maybe)

Edited September 10, 2009 by cyb

[lordsux]

I bet he didn't spend any time on the internet putting down others achievements.

[sunholidaysun1]

Impossible unless someone is coughing up the dosh for him and he still has the pound in his pocket.

[jcon]

Mad respect for Mr Iwasaki.

I wonder if he ran into that ThaiVisa douche who said he was going to walk back home to Finland (from Bangkok).

[DP25]

Rent boy????? Is that not a gay prostitute?

DP25 Think you have misunderstood the word tricks (magic maybe)

Trick is American slang for selling sex

But yeah he probably means magic tricks.

[cyb]

I bet he didn't spend any time on the internet putting down others achievements.

I was not putting him down, What he has done is fantastic.

It was just the on £1 that i questioned.

[lordsux]

I wasn't aiming for anyone in particular 'cyb'

[babuhavas]

yes true he was working,forget this 1 pound statement

but travelling 37 countries on cycle is some achivement

well done

[DP25]

Isn't climbing Mt Everest extremely expensive?

[noahvail]

Isn't climbing Mt Everest extremely expensive?

It is indeed. But he may have met up with one of the mega-millionaires who love to go peak-bagging, and may have been "given" a place on a climbing team.

After all that cycling, I'm sure he would have been in great physical shape for the climb!

[MiG16]

I hope hes keeping a journal for his book

imagine trying to write about the experience 10 years later.....I have trouble remembering what happened to me yesterday

[FarangForce5]

I hope hes keeping a journal for his book

imagine trying to write about the experience 10 years later.....I have trouble remembering what happened to me yesterday

My thoughts exactly. Either way Im sure he'll have plenty of great stories to write about. I'd read the book myself if it wasn't for the fact that I'll forget all about it by the time it is published in 8 years or so...

[Soutpeel]

I hope hes keeping a journal for his book

imagine trying to write about the experience 10 years later.....I have trouble remembering what happened to me yesterday

My thoughts exactly. Either way Im sure he'll have plenty of great stories to write about. I'd read the book myself if it wasn't for the fact that I'll forget all about it by the time it is published in 8 years or so...

And this thread is Thai related how...

[473geo]

I hope hes keeping a journal for his book

imagine trying to write about the experience 10 years later.....I have trouble remembering what happened to me yesterday

My thoughts exactly. Either way Im sure he'll have plenty of great stories to write about. I'd read the book myself if it wasn't for the fact that I'll forget all about it by the time it is published in 8 years or so...

And this thread is Thai related how...

Op saw that coming......Thailand is highlighted among the countries he visited.....if you look....

I think the £1 is also important......after all if the title stated he set out with £100,000 in his pocket and bicycled to 37 countries etc......well it is not quite the same is it???......

Edited September 11, 2009 by 473geo

[mmushr00m]

I want to know more about the ....nearly married in Nepal....part.

Got caught performing rope tricks maybe