When two friends dream big, they can turn a hobby into a fascinating adventure.
Ukrainian bicycle enthusiasts, Oleksii Hryhorenko, 26, Vladyslav Omelchenko, 27, spent 72 days on the road, crossing the borders of three countries and riding for more than 3,500 kilometers.
Starting from Kharkiv in May, they went through Russia and Georgia to reach their final destination — Turkey. On July 20, they returned to Ukraine through the same countries.
They spent nights in tents and cycled around 100 kilometers a day. When it was too cold, too hot or there was nothing interesting to see. they took trains, buses or hitchhiked. Overall, they traveled a distance of 8,385 kilometers.
Although they both used mountain bikes — rugged, strong and reliable machines — Omelchenko said any bicycle could have made the trip. What’s more important is the will of the rider.
“You can always find a reason not to go,” he told the Kyiv Post. “If you really love adventures, take everything you have, and travel.”
Preparation
The friends started planning their trip in 2016. They saved up money to purchase the equipment they needed. They didn’t plan an exact route because they like discovering places unexpectedly.
“What makes it interesting is the secret of what lies ahead of you,” Omelchenko said.
They put a lot of thought into packing just what they needed. “The recipe is to pack, and then weed it all out three times,” Hryhorenko said.
The cyclists ended up taking cutlery, equipment for cooking food on a fire, two sets of clothes (for cold and hot weather) and two pairs of shoes. They also packed a tent, sleeping mats and sleeping bags, waterproof covers for them, and a speaker.
“It would have been much harder without music,” Hryhorenko said. They didn’t need to take much food or water, because “there are not many places on the planet with no people or stores.”
Highlights
The friends started from Kharkiv and went to Russia, hostile territory now for Ukraine.
“Politics is politics, but ordinary people remain people,” Hryhorenko said.
Once in Russia, they took a train across the country to the Russian-Georgian border. Hryhorenko said Russia was cold and not that interesting. They were eager to get to Georgia, which did not disappoint.
“It’s a country with amazing people and nature,” Hryhorenko said.
He loved the Caucasus Mountains, where snow lies on peaks even in July, and mountain rivers. He also praised Georgians as open and lively.
They then cycled to Turkey, to travel along its borders and sea coasts.
Omelchenko said that he loved the country a lot, especially the “insanely beautiful” Mediterranean Sea coast.
He also liked Cappadocia, a historical region in Central Anatolia famous for its Fairy Chimneys rock formations. He said it was “a beautiful place with a long history.”
One morning the travelers were woken up at 5 a. m. by a loud noise. When they jumped out of their tent, they saw a hot-air balloon taking off just a few meters away. They turned around and noticed around 30 more balloons.
“It’s what they do there — tourists go up in balloons to watch the sunrise over this wonderful place, Cappadocia,” Omelchenko said.
Trial
Apart from all the joys of the bicycle journey, the two friends also encountered some physical and psychological hardship too.
“It can be raining for two weeks, the wind blows in your face, you sleep in a tent, sometimes in wet clothes, and have to eat porridge,” Omelchenko said.
He said it was especially difficult during the first two weeks.
“It’s a time of acclimatization,” he said. “You can pull muscles, or get muscle pain.”
On top of being exhausted, the friends spent 72 days in each other’s company, which, according to Hryhorenko, also could be a challenge, but it wasn’t.
Omelchenko said that the key is to not judge and not try to change each other.
Despite all the difficulties, the cyclists said they always managed to think positively. They said everyone and everything they met were reflections of themselves.
“Oleksii and I are good people, and we met people who are even better, from whom we could learn something,” Omelchenko said.
Now the two are already thinking of their next journey – possibly to Mongolia.
“That is the East. There is something special there that is calling us,” Omelchenko said.
