I had to wait for more than a week to continue my ride in the Scandinavia. There was some miscommunication and I was expecting a package coming from the US. After a long wait, I discovered that the package was never delivered to my address in Sweden. So I wasted nearly 2 weeks here. But it doesn’t really matter. Everything happens for a good reason. Sometimes, great experiences come not only while we are on the road, but it also happens when we stay in a place for a period of time too.
Uppsala under the blue sky
ice sculpture…
ice sculpture everywhere in Uppsala
I stayed a few days in Uppsala with my friend Jonas, killing some time walking around and exploring the small town of Uppsala. We went together with Johanna to Stockholm for a night to have dinner my other friend, Pouya, who used to visit me also a year ago in Malaysia. Stockholm is only some 40 minutes train ride from Uppsala. We stayed only for a few hours there before we got back to Uppsala. It’s a beautiful city but I’m not really interested to see cities. This is probably the only city I will visit here in the Scandinavia. Don’t think I will ride to Helsinki in Finland or even Oslo in Norway. I’ll be only in the wild… mountains… lakes… and fjords!!
Stockholm night lights
vibrant Stockholm city
After a while staying in Uppsala waiting… I got bored and wanted to get close to nature… and explore the Swedish landscapes. The woman I met earlier, Karen, who is also a cyclist and a photographer, invited me to her house, where she lives in a beautiful forest. So I thought, while waiting for my package, why not I just wait there on Bjorklinge instead of Uppsala. Its only some 25km north of Uppsala. So I decided to leave Jonas house and cycled to Bjorklinge instead. I then met the husband in Bjorklinge, Fredrik, a very nice and helpful guy who directed me to their house in the forest. I arrived when its already dark and they welcomed me with big smiles and lots of food!
very nice place in the forest!
the forest just behind their house…
It was really interesting to meet them. I guess it is fated for us to cross our path in life. Karen and Fredrik used to cycle from Sweden all the way to India, and back! It was a distant memory for them to live their lives on the road. Surely they learned so many things on the road and one of them is being hospitable. They were really nice to me and took a good care of me like Im one of the family members. They cook delicious food for me all the time. Sometimes I don’t feel good that I might interfere their privacy, since Im staying with their whole family. They have 2 lovely kids and I can see that they managed to balance their lives perfectly between work and personal life. Fredrik is working in Uppsala with flexible working hours and Karen does wedding photography mostly. Shes mostly stucked in front of her computer most of the time doing editing but sometimes she would go out skiing to the forest with her kids.
hehe… a very happy family
and the two lovely kids…
Since they are experience cyclists and know the Swedish forest really well, I learned some tips from them. Fredrik gave me some tips on making fire in the forest during winter, let me to experience Nordic ski and ice skating. I tried to ski in the forest but most of the time I was struggling instead of skiing… hehehe… The snow is really deep here in Sweden, twice as what I have experienced in Central Asia and China. Sometimes I fell in really deep snow until almost my waist. It is impossible to get through these places on bicycle, especially with heavy luggage. The only way to move around here is by using the Nordic ski.
learning some tips on fire making in the snow from the master!
horses shall not pass!
deep snow…
no way I can access this on a bicycle
After a few days of waiting, I finally realized that the package Ive been waiting was never to be delivered. It was actually some winter camping stuff coming from the US, a strong 4 season tent, a winter sleeping bag and a Himalayan Parka. So I decided to get back to Uppsala to get some stuff from the outdoor shop. My previous tent and sleeping bag are just like a toilet paper here in the Scandinavian winter. I need something really strong. So I got myself a really strong yet bulky sleeping bag by Mammut and a very light yet strong 4 season tent by Hillberg. Since I’m here, I better try some Swedish tent rather than American tent. They told me that the American tent are way too heavy for them and the 2 person tent that I got weight only 2.3kg, that’s very sweet for a cyclist! I then went back to the forest in Bjorklinge to test the sleeping bag. I slept in the forest without a tent, just a mat and the sleeping bag to see how badass is the bulky sleeping bag. It was mostly around -2 to -3 celcius for the whole night and it reached the lowest at around -7 celcius early in the morning for an hour. Surprising I didn’t struggle from the cold, I felt really warm inside the sleeping bag for the whole night and slept really well.
having tea before off to bed, I mean, off to my sleeping bag…
feeling warm early morning
Swedish forest under the blue sky
I spent a week staying with them. And within that one week, it has changed us from being a complete stranger to feeling close like a family. It is true that traveling can really change a person. They trusted me and let this stranger to live with their kids inside their house. It is surely because I came with my bicycle, traveling in the most humble way. And they have tasted that life too, living the life on the road. They know what I will go through in this journey, especially riding here in the northern Scandinavia on winter, they know that I might be facing many problems on the road, since they have experienced it along their over 15000km on the road from Europe to Asia. So far in my travel days, most of the danger didn’t come from the weather or wild animals, but people. I used to get beaten and robbed in Asia. I used to get cheated many times in places where I don’t understand the local language. But somehow, life is always balance. The one that helped me to come out with the solution is also the people. And people like Fredrik and Karen understand that. They were so helpful to me and their hospitality matches the people who live along the Silk Road. They made my travel days here in Sweden colourful and I don’t feel lonely here. I don’t even feel homesick when I meet these kind of people.
memories… some pics on their travel journey on a bike…
I find it very exotic and peaceful here…
After everything was prepared, I flew to Stockholm, Sweden. I bought the cheapest ticket to Stockholm via London. So I had to transit for 9 hours in London! I don’t want to spend so much, and things are expensive in the airport. So for the whole day, I only ate 3 sandwiches and chocolate milk. I was so bored and started counting sheep. Then it was another some 3 hours of flight and I arrived Arlanda Airport in Stockholm in the middle of the night. It was dark and cold outside. I was really tired but I couldn’t start my ride. The currency exchange counter was already closed, I had to wait till morning to change my money into Swedish Krona. There was only 1 shop that was open in the airport that time, which was 7Eleven. I was shocked to see the price of the sandwich here cost roughly around 30 ringgit our money. It was just a simple sandwich! So I starved the whole night and didn’t sleep. I could battle with the cold, but I didn’t want to ride in the dark in the middle of a night. So I seek refuge in the airport, waiting till sunrise. I was bored and hungry for the whole night. So I assembled my bicycle slowly.
outside Arlanda Airport
- my first view of Sweden! from the airport…
Around 6.30 am, I was too hungry and I finally bought 2 snickers which cost roughly 15 ringgit! I had to use my British pounds and the exchange rate was really bad so I was losing more money there. While I was assembling my bicycle outside the airport, I realized that I lost the screw that attaches the front tyre on my bicycle! Taking a bus/cab was not an option for me. I have only 2 options, taking the risk and ride or walk! My destination was Uppsala, some 40km away. So what I did, I just substitute the screw with a tape! Hehehe. I had no other choice but to put my trust on the tape and started to ride. This is not the first time I gamble anyway. I used to make a rope by myself using tall grass in Iceland and use it to hold my broken rear rack! It was still quite dark but the first light was already visible. It was my first time riding with spiked tyres! It was very risky. I was hungry, lack of sleep and had to ride for over 40km without the screw that attaches the front tyre with my bike! The first 3-4 kilometers was really scary, heavy traffic right from the airport, I don’t have lights (since I never want to ride in the dark) and I’m not used to ride with spike tyres. It was really slippery and falling down is not a good idea riding in the busy road. If I fall down I might get hit by cars! So I was really careful for the first few kilometres until I found small road that leads to Uppsala.
hehe. suka hati aku je pakai tape. ada berani? :p
- now i will put this orange cycle to the test! can it survive in the thick snow?
- finally, the small road towards Uppsala. quite and peaceful!
I felt better and safer once I hit the small road. Every few minutes I will check the front tyre. It still sits nicely on my bike. What a magic! I started to get used to ride with the spike tyres. It’s not too bad. Once in a while I feel that I’m more like sliding rather than cycling. Riding 40km from the airport to Uppsala feels like forever in the snow. The spiked tyres are heavy and I’m not used to it. The sun was getting higher and the Swedish landscape started to show its beauty. This supposed to be the easiest ride for me in the Scandinavia, its only a short 40km and the road is still good in southern part of Sweden. But I was struggling, battling against hunger, thirst, not enough sleep and my bike was having a problem. I passed by a few small neighbourhood in between and once I saw a man, I asked for help, where I desperately need water but sadly he didn’t speak English. So I kept going. I was riding extremely slow, it was flat and no headwind, but the snow was thick! After some 20km of ride, I took a rest in a small bus stop. I was too thirsty and for the first time, the snow at the roadside looks very delicious to me! I was thinking to grab some snow and put it inside my mouth, let it melt by the heat of my body to turn to water before I swallow it! But it was too cold and things could get worst if I do that. I was desperate of water but there were no one around. So after some 5 minutes of short break, I continued north towards Uppsala, which was another 20km to go. I had to push myself, the longer I delay… the more I get hungry. I finally reached Uppsala around 9.30 in the morning and I felt completely spent.
Ice Spiker Pro by Schwalbe… works like a charm so far…
- taking a short rest
The first thing I had in mind when I reached Uppsala was to find money changer. I don’t have any Swedish krona with me so I couldnt get any food or drink. I only had some British pounds and Icelandic kronas. And finally, the front tyre went off! So I had to take off my bags, put it back in and assembled all my bags together again. After nearly half an hour of searching, I finally found a money changer, changed all of it into Swedish krona and bought myself a burger, fries and coke! Don’t ask me how much I spent for those! It’s extremely expensive here in Scandinavia! I really need to be careful on my spending here. After I feast the burger and the fries like a lion, I bought a Swedish simcard (again don’t ask me how much!!!) I called my Swedish friend, Jonas who was expecting me today. He was in a meeting in Stockholm and will be back only in the evening. So I waited in the city centre and roamed around.
clear gravel road for few km. but so foggy…
typical Swedish houses
When I went to a small supermarket near Jonas house, there was a woman with 2 kids kept looking at me and my fully loaded bike. She finally came to me asking me where I came from and about my trip. She was fascinated to meet me and she is actually a rider too! She used to cycle from her home in Sweden all the way to India and back with her husband back in 2001! She mentioned to me about the hospitality of the locals along the way was awesome. And she promised herself, that if she meets a cyclist here in Sweden, she will definitely host them! So I was lucky I guess! And what a coincidence, after I told her that I’m riding around the world and filming a documentary about my travel, she told me that she is a photographer! We had quite a lot in common then. She lives only 25km north of Uppsala. So after I leave Uppsala, I will definitely meet her again in her town. She told me that her husband would love to meet me too!
very early morning… really cold!
After hours of waiting, finally my friend Jonas came and met me in front of his house. I felt relieved and finally I could get some rest! It was good to meet this old friend of mine. We knew each other for 10 years now, from playing online game long time ago while I was still studying! He first came to Malaysia in 2004 to travel around the country and I let him to use my house as a base. Then he came again the following year with another 2 friends of his, again they stayed in my place. And the last time he visited me in Malaysia was a year ago, a few months before I left to Iceland. So we are no strangers. Now its me who will use his house as my base while I’m riding here in the Scandinavia. He also hosted his friend from Finland, Johanna who is here now visiting the country for 2 weeks. Johanna is Finnish but she speaks fluent Swedish. I was pleased to see my old picture hanging in the wall in his house together with his other traveling pictures around Southeast Asia. What a memory! It was a picture of me some 10 years ago! There is also another picture of Jonas with my whole family taken in front of my house 10 years ago hanging there on his wall. I guess he really loves Southeast Asia especially Malaysia. I even saw a picture of chicken tandoori with nan taken in a mamak shop in Sri Hartamas that we usually go.
thehehe. its me 10 years ago! I realized that the way i smile never change!
- awww what a nostalgia! my family 10 years ago! and i saw this picture here in Sweden, thousands of miles away from home!!!
- hehehe tandoori. our favourite back home. i think its in safiz, desa hartamas…. kot…
After spending 4 months in Central Asia, I finally crossed back into the realm of Europe. I stopped a day in Istanbul to visit a friend of mine, Selma. She was also a traveller whom I met back in Urumqi some 3 years ago while I was riding in Asia. We had a good conversation, exchanging life stories with each other. She offered to take me around Istanbul for sightseeing but I was tired and hungry and decided to take a rest instead. Didn’t see much in Istanbul, I will really explore Turkey one day, of course with my trusty bicycle, so I don’t want to ruin it.
somewhere in Aksaray, Istanbul
Taksim Square, Istanbul
I then flew back to Scotland to get my bicycle in Glasgow. I spent a few more days in Glasgow preparing my next journey ahead. Outdoor stuffs are cheaper here in the UK compared to Malaysia or even in the Scandinavia, especially winter clothing. They have more choices here too. So I took the chance to get all the stuffs that I need here in Glasgow. I installed the best spiked winter tyres on my bike but it costs me a bomb! While staying in Glasgow, I got the chance to meet a few Malaysians, some already working here for years and some are students. I have a habit where I can progress really fast when making friends, they quickly became my close friends and I feel like theyre part of my family. They helped me a lot, especially Reena and Tom where I feel like theyre my own brother and sister. I also met another guy, Najeeb, a Malaysian studying here in Glasgow Uni. We knew each other only for a week but I became comfortable with him. Maybe because Im traveling alone, I can easily trust people and quickly feel comfortable with strangers. I spent the rest of my days here exploring Glasgow, since I don’t know when I’ll be back here.
hehe… highliner with a violin! :)
I spent the last 4 months taking a long break from traveling, back in Central Asia, a small beautiful country locked by ranges of mountains, Kyrgyzstan. I lived the normal life, thousands of kilometres away from my bicycle, but only a few inches away from my family. I left my bicycle and my other stuffs in Scotland, traveling light back to the realm of Asia. It feels good to be back to the loved ones. It took me a few days to get adjusted to my sleeping time after I travelled crossing 8 hours of time zone.
the view from my balcony, overlooking the typical neighbourhood in Bishkek with the majestic Tian Shan Mountains in the background
Even though it is not my homesoil in Malaysia, but being with my Kyrgyz family, it feels like home. I slept under a roof on a proper bed, get all my clothes washed every few days and ate proper food… I basically live in a comfort again. But there was a problem with that. After a while, I started to become so comfortable and started to become lazy! I started to take things lightly, took unnecessary rest and stopped taking care of my body. I stopped working out or doing any exercise. I became demotivated in almost everything. I felt that I attracted all the negative aura and I even started to feel that Im growing old. It took me quite a while to overcome this laziness.
me with a mountain man who has survived so many winters
hehe… badass in uniform!!
Being here in Kyrgyzstan for a few months, this time I had the chance to see much more of the life of the locals here during winter. For the second time, I witnessed the Eidul Adha celebration here, it was so massive! Thousands of Muslims gathered in the open in the middle of the city, standing side by side to perform the prayer. Whenever I perform a prayer in a mosque in Malaysia, I see mostly Malays and Indonesians praying side by side, with some Bangladeshi and Pakistani. But here in Bishkek, I saw so many varieties, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Uighurs, Tatars and many more praying in the vast open space. I then experienced the Kyrgyz way of celebrating Eidul Adha. Almost similar to us, they have family gathering in a long table where they have more food than they can consume.
Kyrgyz Muslim after performing Eidul Adha prayer
hehe… actually they cant finish even half of it… maybe its only the tradition to serve all the food in the house
I also had the chance to travel to some villages that I didn’t go 2 years ago when I was riding around this country. And here, I often experience the best hospitality from the Kyrgyz, the people of the mountain. Sometimes, I even felt uncomfortable because they’re too nice to me and I’m not used to it! I realize that these people are still stick to the ancient tradition of hospitality. From my observation, they serve the guests the best food in the house, the best seat and the best place to sleep. Their hospitality is far more superior to any of us. I then remember, I had almost the same experience even in Northern China, where I got the best treatment from the Chinese. I then began to think and came to a conclusion, that they became very hospitable because they live in part of the ancient Silk Road. They are used to meet travellers from all over the world. For centuries, travellers… merchants travelled from Xi’an, China all the way to Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) and vice versa to trade goods, mostly silk and spices. They travelled slowly with caravans and stopped at these places. So the Chinese & Uighurs in Xinjiang, and the Kyrgyz in the Tian Shan often hosted these caravans for many centuries. So being hospitable to travellers is in their blood. They are nomads themselves anyway, so they value travellers who are far away from their home. And they still keep this value until today in the 21st century…. and I felt so lucky to experience it.
horses are parked at the roadside instead of cars
this lady is preparing bread for the family. with the temperature fell as far as -25c in winter, you can actually put your food in the freezer to keep them warm! hehe…
nah hambik kau! bapak roti! Kyrgyz styyllleeee…. :)
When I went to the village, I was so amazed to experience the local life. It’s a big contrast. In Kuala Lumpur for example, it’s normal to see a 10 years old boy walking around holding an iPad and know how to use it well. But here in the village under the shadow of the Tian Shan mountains, it’s normal to see a 10 years old boy riding a horse and know how to control it well. Instead of holding a smartphone, the boy is holding the stick to beat the horse! It is fun to witness both worlds. I grew up in KL, and like any other people, I measure time by looking at the watch. The sun will always set between 7-7.30… and im so used to it. I know that when its 5pm, the sun will roughly set in 2 hours time. But here, these kids measure time by the distance of the sun to the horizon. While your hand is straight in front of you, put your fingers between the sun and the horizon. Each fingers represents roughly about 15 minutes. So if you can fit 4 fingers between the sun and the horizon, it means the sun will set in roughly 1 hour. I find it really interesting to learn about all these. One day I wish to learn how to navigate by seeing the pattern of the stars without using compass. Who knows one day, once I’m done travel all the land, I might wanna sail and travel the sea crossing the ocean, looking for the Fountain of Youth… :)
heavy traffic
having lunch… bon appetit!
I realized that so many things happened to me since I started my journey traveling on bicycle. I realized that I experienced more things in my 2 years traveling on bicycle compared to my nearly 30 years living my life in KL. Since these 2 years of my journey on bicycle, I gained more contacts and make more friends compared to my nearly 30 years living in KL. More than half my contacts inside my phone were found when I was traveling. I now have friends from all over the world, in all the continents. At this point, I can’t imagine my life if I never done the first trip crossing half of Asia on a bike solo! Probably working hard… shining the shoes of my boss to stay out of competition from the rest of my colleagues. Hehehe…
the morning light
its sooo fresh on winter!
Spending the winter here in Kyrgyzstan, I now know the reason why the people here, like any other people who live in the extreme cold climate… have cold characteristic. They look serious most of the time and I can say that, a little more aggressive than people who live in the hot climate. The winter here is quite harsh actually. Temperature can go down to -25c, even worst in the high mountains. Luckily here in Kyrgyzstan, the winter isn’t so long compared to Siberia or Alaska. It is true that our behaviour can be shaped by the environment, including the weather. But this climate is a good training for me. I shouldn’t complain about the cold, yet I see it as opportunity, to train my body to get used to it. I will soon ride in one of the most harsh and coldest place on earth… the Arctic Tundra! On top of that, I will be doing it in the middle of winter! From my research, the temperature dropped to the lowest point at -41celcius six days ago in the place that I’ll be riding soon. 2 years ago, I was so worried of altitude sickness when I was riding in the mountain ranges in the Lower Himalaya. Now, Im so worried about hypothermia, which is now my biggest enemy. Im more worried about strong Arctic wind, blizzards and extreme climate rather than wolves and polar bears. I don’t know how fast I can ride in the deep snow! I hope this Arctic wind will not be against me, but instead will be my ally and blow me forward! :) Finally now, my blog will be active again. Who knows, I can get internet connection in the Arctic Wasteland, so stay tuned :)
capturing all of it into my camera microchips
admiring the last light of the sun
Check out our new promo video “Dengan Basikal Aku Menjelajah” for the year 2012! This was filmed and edited by myself while exploring 2 countries (Iceland & Scotland) with a distance totaling more than 3000 km covered on a bicycle. This journey was not planned or staged. It’s a real journey, real life experiences with real emotions.
This documentary is presented in the Malay language as I can best express my emotions through my mother tongue. English subtitles are included so that everyone can understand and appreciate the journey.
Filming was carried out without any field crew/support team.
Thank you for watching and sharing our videos!
Filmed & Edited by Zahariz
Music – Silent Motion by Dan Phillipson
Diary Of A Traveller 