Hoogkarspelse Joost (27) resumes cycling trip to Bali: “Great to be on the road again”

Within eight months, Joost hoped to reach the Indonesian island of Bali, when he got on his bike in Hoogkarspel in August. That soon proved unfeasible. Especially when he had to interrupt his trip for six months in Georgia.

He has slightly adjusted his objective: arriving on the island before the end of this year should really be possible, he thinks. With a sloppy 10,000 kilometers to go. He has missed cycling, he says. “It took some getting used to, but cycling and the freedom you experience is really nice. It’s great to be back on the road.”

Stranded in Georgia

Joost stranded in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, because he did not get his visa for Iran due to corona restrictions. He decided to make it a sabbatical. He was able to do some work for his old employer at a distance, in between he looked for adventure near the city. “I often went into the mountains and skied a lot.”

Still, he is happy to be able to cycle miles again. Last week he cycled into Armenia after traveling for a few days. He expects to enter Iran in a few days.

The first cycling days were immediately tough, Joost looks back. “Especially the first day was really tough. I cycled through the mountains, only up. That was quite a blow to my body. On the second day, I immediately had to take a day off. After that I noticed that on day three it was already much better.”

Joost immediately faced obstacles in those first few days. “After cycling 35 kilometers I dropped my phone. The crack in the screen was so big I had to buy a new one. I could cycle on to the next city without navigation, or cycle back to Tbilisi and buy a new one there. I chose the latter.”

setback

After 70 wasted kilometers, Joost faced the next setback: the route he wanted to cycle turned out to be completely snowed under. “Then I had to go back a bit”, he says, now laughing. “But then I was really good at it. It was another major setback, shortly after that broken phone.”

Still, he doesn’t mind taking a little longer on his journey. His original goal, to complete his journey in eight months, turned out to be unachievable anyway. “I’m trying to slow down a bit now, I want to see a bit more of the countries. I didn’t have much time for that in the first part of my journey.”

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Not without reason, Joost preferred to avoid the harsh winters in Asia. When he decided to stay in Georgia in October, that was no longer an obstacle. “I’m trying to enjoy it a little more now. I’ll keep my pace, but if I come across a nice area, I’m willing to detour for it.”

Moreover, the best countries are only coming now, according to Joost. “I know Europe by now.” In the coming months, he expects to arrive in Bali via Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Malaysia.

“The biggest challenge is just beginning,” he realizes. “Compared to these countries, Europe and Turkey were actually a piece of cake. Especially with all visa applications.”

In order to maintain some flexibility in his route, he always applies for visas for the next country if he has reached one country before. “A lot of hassle, but I like a bit of a challenge.”

NH Nieuws/WEFF spoke to Joost earlier, from Georgia. Text continues below the video.

For a long time, the slow visa application for Iran was the big barrier in Joost’s travel plan. Pakistan will be the next obstacle, Joost thinks. “I don’t find Iran that exciting anymore, now that my visa has been arranged. I’ve only heard great travel stories about it. Pakistan makes me sweat more.”

Border area with terrorists

“Applying for a visa is not that difficult there,” he continues. “But the border area where I arrive is a red zone, there are many terrorists there. If all goes well, I’ll get security from the country for the first few miles, until you get to a safe area. But I have to wait and see if and how that is arranged.”

If Joost achieves his plan, to reach Bali in December, he has been on the road for a little over a year and a half. With his thoughts already in Bali, he doesn’t have to think about returning to the Netherlands for the time being. “That will also take some getting used to.”