What can you do with 50,000 RMB? Buy a mini car or a luxury handbag? Chengdu youth Li Rui plans to use that amount of money to cycle to Panama. Having set off in February this year, he has now cycled over 6,000 kilometers across 17 countries. Landmarks like Greek temples, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower, and Big Ben in London—most people only see these world-famous sights on TV—but Li Rui has been there. He measures the planet beneath his feet with the wheels of his bicycle, proving that a global cycling tour is not just a dream.
Feast for the Eyes
Breathtaking Countryside in Europe
Cycling across the European continent is like traveling through a beautiful rural expanse. The over 530-kilometer journey from Basel, Switzerland, into France and on to Paris is almost entirely through the countryside.
Feast for the Palate
Cooking Sichuan Dishes Foreigners Love
Whenever warmly welcomed, he prepares Sichuan dishes with a Western twist to treat his hosts. At a home in Derry, Ireland, he stir-fried pork belly with ginger, garlic, and chili oil, then simmered it with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and potatoes, finishing it off with a generous amount of sugar. This oddly delicious red-braised pork was a huge hit—the guests loved it and were very happy.
Setting Off: "Afraid My Health Will Decline, Afraid I’ll Lose the Determination"
"Taking one month each year to cycle through one or two countries is just too much of a waste of time, and it’s not good for anything." On the other end of WeChat, Li Rui, currently in the UK, spoke to a reporter.
Over the past few years, Li Rui, an "80s-born" from Chengdu, used his holidays to cycle through eight countries and regions including Southeast Asia and Australia. After completing a cycling trip around Taiwan last October, his passion for cycling grew even stronger. "I’ve already cycled in Australia and New Zealand—just a bit more fuel and I can go global," said Li Rui. "If I don’t do it now, it might be too late. I’m afraid I won’t have the same good health or the spontaneous determination I have now."
Quitting his job, on February 22 of this year, Li Rui flew from Chengdu to Tehran, the capital of Iran, with his bicycle, beginning his global cycling journey.
With the experience of previous cross-border cycling trips, the global journey is just an extension of distance for Li Rui. "I know how to ride, how to pitch a tent, and some essential skills, and of course my English has improved a lot." However, the most troublesome part for Li Rui is still the visa. "Some countries offer visa-on-arrival, some are visa-free, so I need to understand the policies first."
For example, in January this year, Turkey stopped issuing visas to Chinese citizens. Li Rui had prepared to bypass Turkey, but when he arrived in Tabriz, Iran, the visa officer saw that he was cycling and made an exception to issue him a visa.
Touching Moment: "It’s Too Expensive for You Here, We’ll Pay"
During his cycling trip in Europe, which coincided with the rainy season, Li Rui often got drenched. Especially in Germany, where he encountered seven consecutive days of rain, he even had to sleep under a bridge. The hardships along the way go without saying, but Li Rui prefers to share the touching moments from his journey.
In Iran, Li Rui and open-minded youths secretly drank black beer in the park (alcohol is prohibited in Iran). In Turkey, Li Rui’s favorite place was gas stations. "They’re like home for cyclists. Not only can you wash up, do dishes, charge your devices, and refill water, but there’s also free WiFi, and sometimes the staff even offers me tea."
After arriving in Zurich, Switzerland, Li Rui found a couple he had cycled with in New Zealand a year ago. "They warmly hosted me, took me to tour Switzerland, and even paid for my train tickets and mountain railway fares. Switzerland is extremely expensive—the train ticket alone cost nearly 100 euros that day. As they put it, 'It’s too expensive for you here, so we’ll pay.'"
The Netherlands is one of the countries where Li Rui felt the deepest sense of human warmth. "Whenever I was confused about finding a bike lane at intersections, someone would always say, ‘Can I help you?’ nearby."
Throughout this cycling journey, Li Rui also documented his experiences on his personal Weibo account, "Li Rui yngtaro." Reflecting on the touching moments, he wrote: "As long as you’re on the road, the whole world will help you." For this global cycling trip, Li Rui plans to use all his savings—50,000 RMB. To save money, since setting off, he has only stayed in hotels three times, twice due to heavy rain. Most of the time, he camped out, occasionally stayed in youth hostels, or used the "couchsurfing" system.
On July 20, Li Rui will take a ship to New York and plans to cross the U.S. via Route 66. "After these high-cost European countries, prices in the U.S. will be a bit cheaper."
The final destination of Li Rui’s global cycling trip is set as the Central American country of Panama. "The money definitely won’t be enough—I’ll figure something out when it runs out."
Couchsurfing
Besides being extremely hardy, being a couchsurfer (as the name suggests, it means "sleeping on someone else’s couch." When you’re traveling, you can stay in accommodations provided by others. When others visit you, they can stay in the place you provide for them; in exchange, it’s all completely free) helped Li Rui save a lot of expenses.
After arriving in Ireland, Li Rui enjoyed the most carefree days as a couchsurfer, often being hosted in mansions and villas and treated to lavish meals. At the home of his couchsurfing host, Derek, Li Rui went hiking, sightseeing, walked the dog, and fixed his bicycle. "I didn’t even want to leave." Soon, another host, John, even drove specially to pick Li Rui up, cooked for him, and he has a son who is also cycling around the world.
Li Rui said finding a "couch" isn’t easy. "You have to send dozens of emails before getting one reply, and out of the four or five replies, only one might invite you. It really depends on the quality of your request email—whether it can move the other person, what you can offer them, and of course, who you are as a traveler is also very important, such as your Facebook profile, etc."