TRAVELLERS: Christian Wulle and Yvonne Hafner, Zurich, Switzerland

[Editor’s note]: I first met Christian and Yvonne at the Pamir Lodge, in the small Tajik town of Khorog. They were both exhausted after a long bicycle ride from Dushanbe, some 520 km to the northwest. I got dizzy when they told me they were cycling from Switzerland and were going to New Zealand (cycling by land where available!). My first thought was that these people are totally crazy – and I still think so. Cycling through Central Asia and China is not child’s play! However, I take my hat off for them for what they have achieved! Wow, these travellers are totally incredibly amazing. After Khorog I bumped into them in the eastern Tajik town of Murghab. A few months later we met up in Bangkok where we enjoyed sumptuous Thai food while sharing our travel stories. Such an incredible couple!

This interview was conducted via email in late December 2014: 

Globerovers (GR): How many countries have you been to?

Christian Wulle (CW): It’s been many countries on past trips including the Americas, most European countries, northern Africa and some parts of Asia. On our recent bicycle tour, we crossed 22 countries from Europe to Asia and down to New Zealand.

Yvonne Hafner (YH): Our very first bike tour, by the way, went through beautiful Croatia, the second was in hilly Laos, the third in the extremely hot Morocco. After that we thought we are ready to cycle the world. 😉

GR: What are your top 5 most preferred countries for leisure travel?

CW: There might be a huge difference in the definition of “leisure travel” if you ask someone who prefers package tours or a touring cyclist. Countries that fit for both are Argentina, Thailand, Turkey, Italy, and the USA.

YH: Thailand, Italy, Greece, Croatia and hiking in Switzerland.

GR: Which is your most preferred country for travel and why?

CW and YH: Thailand with its immense diversity, friendly people, wonderful monasteries, and gorgeous food.

GR: Where do you wish you were right now?

CW: It doesn’t matter about a specific place or country, but it would be great to be on the road again – just travelling day by day somewhere off the beaten track.

YH: On my bike! 😉 One of the things that gets you addicted to bike travelling is the immense freedom.

GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones are at the top of your “must do” list?

CW: Nepal, Peru, Japan, Greenland, and Oman

YH: India, Japan, Peru, Ecuador, and South Africa

GR: If you could spend the rest of your life somewhere other than your current home country, which country would that be?

CW and YH: There are quite a few places where we could imagine living and working for a while: Bangkok, Buenos Aires, and Sydney. But probably not for the rest of our life – Switzerland is simply a perfect place to live and offers easy access to a vast number of nice regions that satisfy our outdoor and travel needs.

GR: In about 50 words, please tell us about the most incredible and memorable experience you have ever had while traveling?

CW and YH The most memorable experience is our latest trip: 22 countries, 18,000 km by bicycle: From Zurich, Switzerland to New Zealand. Few people would ever visit places like Turkmenistan, Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan for holiday – but it’s worth your while. Touching encounters with people and cultures you could never book from a travel brochure. True moments of closeness to nature that just blows your mind.

GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend the one most amazing destination for intrepid travellers, which place would that be, and why?

CW:  Spend a relaxing afternoon at the Wángyé temple in Zìgòng, Sichuan Province, China. Once you have chosen your tea, you’ll get infinite refills of hot water – perfect for staying a few hours while admiring the Fŭxī river and watching the locals playing cards. Also, visit the famous Cappadocia region near Kayseri, Turkey – in winter when there is snow. The impressive and unique scenery of pillar rocks will look even more magical with a white cap on top. If you’re into adventure journeys, head to Tajikistan and explore the wild and rugged mountains in the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan. It’s the home of the legendary Pamir Highway, part of the ancient Silk Road trade route. Despite of the name, don’t expect much more than a poor dirt and dust road, if at all. You’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views into neighboring Afghanistan, deep blue lakes and vistas of the majestic Transalai mountains.

YH: I have just this one recommendation: Pack your trekking backpack and head to the Dolomites, Italy. Pick one of the 10 official high routes (“Alte Vie”) and hike from hut to hut. Wonder at the ever changing views, steep trails and magic sunsets: Absolutely priceless!

GR: Which people by nationality or subgroup e.g. Greeks or the Tartars, would you say have been the most hospitable during your travels and why do you say so?

CW:  If you only hit the touristic hot spots all over the globe, you might get the feeling that there is not much hospitality out there. Instead, the locals try to abuse you as a walking ATM. As soon as you start traveling to less frequented places, you’ll get to know the true hospitability of the people. Especially in Muslim countries, we had a warm welcome most of the time. The poor peasants in the Central Asian mountains didn’t think twice about sharing their sparse bread with us. If it’s one nationality that was outstanding in terms of hospitability, it’s been Turkey. We even experienced their friendliness far away from their country when we’ve been invited by Turkish construction workers to tea, fresh fruits and sweets in the hot and dusty hills of western Tajikistan.

YH:  Just one place: Turkey! Countless invitations, countless offered teas, countless smiles and very helpful people. And this in a country I would have least expected it. Just avoid overly touristy places – there you’ll experience the opposite.

GR: How do you think traveling around the world for independent travellers has changed over the past 20 years?

CW:  More and more people can afford leisure traveling to far away destinations. Of course this has an impact on these places. Formerly hidden gems became popular with guidebook recommendations and eventually lost their pristine beauty. Compare today’s Ko Chang in Thailand or the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica to what it was 20 years ago. Simple wooden bungalows have been replaced by posh four and five star resorts and the deserted beaches have been plastered with restaurants.

YH: Traveling must have become far, far easier. Just imagine Marco Polo: Detailed bus schedules in guidebooks? Nope. Weather forecasts on your phone? Latest news on uprisings, health issues or other dangers and annoyances? Hints how to best change your travel money? Nada. I really wonder how Marco ever made it through the world! 😉

GR: Lets get a bit more personal. Do you have any “must take” items which you travel with that you think most travellers don’t have?

CW: I’m a Merino wool fanatic – these clothes have so many advantages that I wouldn’t travel without them anymore.

YH: An inflatable cushion!

GR: What is your favourite travel resource on the internet?

CW: The local Couchsurfing.com communities are very helpful if advice is needed, and often they’ve prepared useful information about their town or region. Most of the time, we’re using less known, but highly valuable sites – just ask fellow travelers with similar interests if they know these specialized resources. For example, if you travel through Central Asia, caravanistan.com will be your reliable companion.

YH: Booking platforms like Booking.com have proven to be very helpful and reliable. To know that there is a bed reserved for you for a decent price when you hit the next big city is just great. For all cyclists I recommend to search for blogs from fellow travellers – there is nothing more reliable to have information from someone who is merely 2 or 3 weeks (or a few hundred kilometers) ahead of you.

GR: Lets talk about food. Which one country that you visited has the best food in the world?

CW: Seriously? Do you think there is one country that deserves such a title? The best food guideline for an intrepid traveler: Just hit the local market and try whatever you desire. But of course, big and/or multiethnic countries often offer the most delicious food due to a wide range of varieties and the cultural diversity. Therefore we love Malaysia with its mixture of Indian, Chinese and Malay food, or China with its broad choice of different flavors.

YH: Maybe it was just the hassles of traveling in China by bicycle: But the food… it was just the best.

GR: Where was the best meal you have ever had during your travels? 

CW:  The night market in Kashgar, China was food paradise. Probably it wasn’t because of the food itself, but because we entered the city virtually famished after weeks of strenuous cycling through the Pamir mountains where there is rarely any food available.

YH: In a small restaurant in downtown Chengdu, China, we ordered plate after plate. Everything was so delicious! We ended up having to leave the restaurant in a hurry, our bellies were about to burst.

GR: And where was the worst food during your travels?

CW: You might not travel to Uzbekistan for foodie purpose. 90 percent of our fellow travelers got sick or even very sick there – because of food! Chances are high that you’ll get an upset stomach if you trust the local food too carelessly. Avoid anything that has been in contact with tap water. Even the sweet watermelons might have been contaminated – due to the practice of injecting water into the melon to make it heavier to sell.

YH: If you travel the Pamir Highway by bike and rely on the little stores on the way, you end up with Snickers chocolates for breakfast and squashy pasta for lunch and dinner. Plus a few half-rotten carrots and potatoes if you’re lucky.

GR: What is the strangest or weirdest place you have ever spent a night?

CW:  When we did a camel trekking in the White Desert in Egypt, we spent the nights in our sleeping bags, without a tent – a beautiful experience! But one night, a sandstorm arose. When we got up the next morning, we realized that our camp has literally been buried by sand.

YH: In Locarno, Switzerland. We arrived there after a multi-day trekking in the Alps. It turned out that it was the weekend of the famous Locarno film festival – and every single hotel room in the whole region was fully booked. We spent the night drinking wine until the last bar closed and slept a few hours in a little park. The first time I truly felt like a homeless person. And what did we learn? Always bring a tent. 😉

GR: Based on all your travel experiences, what is the best tip you can offer to new travellers?

CW:  Don’t be in a rush when traveling. If you are, you’ll miss the most interesting encounters. Being tranquil helps to cope with bureaucracy and corruption too. Pack light and small. It’s a safe bet that most travelers carry too many things along. Consider the tips from a master packer: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/how-to-pack-light-tips-from-a-master-packer

YH:  Most new travellers have big security concerns. My tip: Trust your gut instinct. If you don’t feel at ease with someone or something, leave. If you do, you will (mostly) be fine. Don’t trust everybody – but don’t mistrust everybody neither!

GR: What is the single best lesson you have learned about the world during your travels around the world?

CW and YH: The world is a friendly place. And the poorest people often are the most welcoming and generous ones.

GR: Do you have any strange, weird, or even bizarre travel rituals which you can share with us?

CW:  I’m in the habit of constantly checking my rear mirror when cycling. After traveling through many countries with right-hand traffic, I mounted my mirror on the left hand side of the handlebar when entering Thailand with its left-hand traffic. However, it took me some time to get used to look at the right side.

YH: When I was a little child, my goal was to kiss the earth in every country I got to. The fact that I have visited lots of countries already helps, that I don’t have to do this so often any more these days. 😉

GR: What is the main focus of your travels?

CW and YH: Yes, why do we travel? Because it opens your mind? Because you can try new food delicacies? Because you’re looking for a cultural immersion experience? Because you want to learn new languages? Because it is the only time in the year when you can really do what you want? All of the above – and more!