Some bicycle travelers set off on an around the world bicycle tour in pursuit of a record, such as the UK's Vin Cox and his Guinness World Record achievement of 163 days, 6 hours and 58 minutes.
Then there's Heinz Stucke, the German who quit his job as a tool-and-die-maker in 1962 and left on a never-ending around the world bicycle journey that continues today.
In between those extremes is Volodia Sorokin of Bulgaria, left. The 58-year-old has been taking an on-and-off bicycle journey around the world for the past 16 years. In that time, he's traveled 40,000 miles, visiting 64 countries on five continents.
Alaska
Presently, Sorokin is finishing his 4,600-mile cross-country bicycle travels in the U.S. He started in Washington DC in October and rode his bicycle across the southern tier and up the Pacific Coast from southern California to Alaska.
The JuneauEmpire.com interviewed him recently after he completed a ferry ride from Bellingham, Washington, to Juneau. He said that he plans to take up part-time residence in Anchorage, splitting his time between there and Bulgaria, where his wife lives.
Sorokin took to his bicycle after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Although he was laid off as a videographer for Bulgarian national television, he was free to roam the world.
Unemployment
In an interview at his website, www.volodiasorokin.com, Sorokin says that he struggled with unemployment and one day sat down and wrote a list of all the things that interested him.
His first tour took him from Sofia to Australia and back home again, a 12,000 loop that took more than a year. He says he left with $350 in his pocket, and returned with $40.
Books, documentaries
He wrote a book when he returned — “To Australia for $1” then set off again visiting other countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.
He carries camera equipment on these journeys and has produced 16 documentaries, as well as other books.
The Juneau report says this trip will be his last long trek by bicycle, as he plans to settle down. But he is planning a trans-Canada tour by motorcycle.
Recent Comments