KOCHI: For Patrick Kaiser and Marko Xietewordt from Germany, travelling means more than just meeting new people. That was of course one of the reasons which prompted them to cross over 12,000 kms on cycles from their hometown to the capital city
One might think that being from the same country, both of them may have embarked on the trip together. However, the duo infact started off their journey as strangers. Patrick who hails from Stuttgart, in South West Germany and Marko from Munich met each other during the course of their Journey in Iran. Says Patrick, the more talkative among the two, "I was just having a cup of tea at a shop in Iran, when suddenly I spotted Marko. Once we found out that our route of journey matched, we decided to proceed together."
While Marko is here in an ordinary bicycle, Patrick, who has come for the second time to the city, has cycled all the way from his hometown in a Tandem Bicycle. The German ecologist has a reason for the same, as he feels that travelling is also about sharing.
Elaborates the bearded cyclist who takes pride in the number of new friends he have made, "I have taken this as a mission to spread the message of peace. Nowadays, there is much negativity happening around and as a result, people have a negative image regarding certain people, religion or country. There needs to be an inter-cultural dialogue between people and the best way to meet people from different places is to travel. ”
And it's not just the normal folks that he loves to take along. The experience is mostly reserved for the visually impaired, so that he can give them the feeling of ‘being empowered'.
While exploring the world on a cycle means sharing the idea of peace and love among people, says Marko who finds delight in exploring new places by himself. He adds that he also wants to promote the idea of eco-friendly travel, "I am basically a physiotherapist. Travelling is something which I have always loved."
While Marko will proceed back to Germany via Myanmar, Patrick will be in the capital city for a couple of months after which he too will follow suit.
When asked why they prefer a cycle, Patrick adds that it not only provides the body a much-needed workout, but also lets you be a direct part of your surroundings. " You can be a part of it, smell and feel everything happening around you. I like to take it nice and slow," he says. One of the visually impaired persons was Tiffany Brar, who accompanied Patrick on his cycle from Thiruvananthapuram to Neyyattinkara. She adds that the experience was energising and rejuvenating in itself.
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