A little more than a year after he graduated from Manchester
University, Cass Gilbert started a two-year bicycle journey from
Sydney Australia to London. Gilbert rode his bicycle more than
25,000 kilometers to increase awareness about AIDS and the people
who live with it.
His tour raised more than £23,000 for the British charity, Children
with AIDS. The charity aims to help children and families ‘affected
or infected with HIV or AIDS. TheRough Guides travel
guide series has published some of the more interesting passages
from Gilbert’s travel diary on its Web site.
Nearing the end of his journey, he writes, ‘I have learnt to love
the transition from one country to the next: the look of complete
disinterest feigned by border officials, watching my name
meticulously scribed in a strange new language and finally the
triumphant stamp in the passport that announces, I’m here!’
Most of the tour he rode alone, however, he had an occasional
riding partner. His brother, for example, joined him in Syria to
ride with him from Aleppo to Damascus. In Bangkok he stayed with
his mother in a hotel. Along the way he met various other touring
cyclists as well which he nicely organizes into a list at the end
of his article including statistics such as the number of
punctures, times he was hit by busses and possessions stolen. His
piece is a good resource for anyone thinking of doing a solo tour
across many continents.
–Sara V. Buckwitz
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