Life and Leisure

On the road

By Diane Lavenstein (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-23 13:45

Peter Joergensen proves he is a chip off the old block on his solo journey halfway round the world. Provided to China Daily

Fuelled by childhood dreams and visions of seeing the world, a Danish biker embarked on a cross-continental adventure. Diane Lavenstein meets this young man on an epic journey.

As he was growing up, Peter Joergensen's father and brother would regale him with dinner table tales about solo journeys they had made between their home in Frobjerg on Funen in Denmark and Australia. In his eyes, their achievements were comparable with a

Homeric odyssey, in which they tested their mettle and saw what they were made of. He, too, hoped to make the journey someday.

Over the years, his dream gestated.

At the age of 16, Joergensen started working and began to save money to follow what had become a family tradition.

By the age of 21, he was a proficient motorcyclist with sufficient means and ample experience to embark on his own journey.

After he made his way through Mongolia, China Daily caught up with him in Beijing, which was not originally on his itinerary, but spontaneous detours are part of the pleasure of being on the road.

When he arrived in the capital, Joergensen had been on the road for just over a year. In that time, he clocked 18,000 kilometers on his Yamaha XT660Z Tenere, traveling across two continents and eight countries: Denmark, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

"I chose to travel alone not only because that was how my father and brother made the trip, but also because I would be more inclined to meet locals," he says.

Spending so many days in the saddle has given him plenty of time to reflect. Along the way, as his motorcycle ate up the miles, he decided to call his journey Dream Tour 2010.

"It's great to have dreams," he says, "but it is even better to live them."

Nonetheless, it has been a rocky road at times, a fate that often befalls adventurers.

"My lowest point so far was when I got lost in Mongolia and ended up stuck in mud in the middle of nowhere. I had a mobile phone with me, but there was no signal."

Drawing on the inner resources that had gotten him that far, he eventually managed to free his bike and move on.

"Some corrupt police officers also tried to get money out of me in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, but, fortunately, I managed to talk my way out of the situation by smiling like a great Dane."

His humor and geniality also opened doors for him, as people he met along the way frequently fed him and put him up for the night.

"It was very touching whenever I was asked to stay, because they didn't have much and they were willing to share it with me. I always offered to pay, but all they wanted in return was to have their pictures taken with my motorcycle."

At other times, he would pick up a bit of food and pitch a small tent by the side of the road.

The rigors of the road slowly took their toll and he lost nine kilograms by the time he decided to take a break in Beijing while it was in his "backyard".

To visit China, the intrepid traveler left his motorcycle in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, where he had new tires put on to see him through the remainder of his trip.

Although it is theoretically possible to bring a foreign-registered motorcycle into China, forward planning would have been required, with a lot of red tape and multiple permits.

During his stay in Beijing, Joergensen hit the tourist trail, taking in the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square. He visited Wangfujing, Houhai and Nanluogu xiang, and he also paid homage to the Great Wall at Shuiguan.

He was tempted by the bargains on offer at the Silk Market, where he purchased a new tent, some clothes and, he marveled, a size 48 pair of shoes.

He would like to return someday. "But next time, I would like to be able to bring my bike."

Joergensen has now returned to Mongolia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. He plans to swing by Russia, catch a ferry to Japan and then ship his bike to Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia - where he will finish his epic journey in the best family tradition.

Mongolian children jump at the opportunity to have their photo taken on Joergensen's motorcycle. Provided to China Daily