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A few days before he leaves, nobody of the people around him has any idea that he’s about to go around the world with basically no money in his pocket. He doesn’t make a big fuss out of farewells, but just gives them the impression he’ll be back in a couple of days. Usually he has no big amounts of money on his account and even less with him. He believes in his path and that he’ll manage it, without really having the final destination set. The biggest treasure he has is the world, that’s opening up in front of his bicycle and his personal energy, where he is active and individual during his travels and not an instant backpacker you can find too many off today. Traveling is his lifestyle, it’s his life.
How did you start your travels, what was your motivation?
Boris: »I went to my first travel some 15 years ago, when I noticed very budget friendly train tickets and went to Sicily. It was then I realized that travelling is what I love and that there’s a huge portion of the world out there just waiting for me to discover it. On my first journey I discovered a part of myself, realized I really am a globe traveller. Ever since I started traveling regularly and all over the world.«
How did the ones close to you accept that, since you come from a family that is not really globetrotting?
Boris: »I never even asked them, since we see the issue completely differently. For me the point of life is to experience things, see and live the world as it is. I accept all the good and the bad that comes along. This is why I don’t tell my parents much about my travels and simply just go when I hear the call to start travelling. For me it’ a day just like any and I leave home the same as if I’d go to a cave or a mountain. It’s just that I don’t come back for much longer. But they got used to that. If it’s a week, month or longer I get in touch with them from time to time, so they wouldn’t worry too much. But usually that’s from some far off exotic country. I think they got used to my lifestyle, but I doubt they’ll ever understand it. Then again, there are good friends here, that live in a somewhat similar way, and they support me. I’m happy every time I see they follow my travelling ventures.«
Which are the destinations, that have specially slicked into your mind?
Boris: »Oooo, they’re many! I’ve travelled many countries, 78 to be exact. And each of them was special. Perhaps the most special would be Tibet, where lone travellers without a guide shouldn’t travel around. On the other hand, I cannot imagine anything but a free self-organized trip, so I insisted to go around Tibet cycling on my own. I entered Tibet three times and were thrown out on each occasion. Usually I was leaving the country in the company of the police. But the fourth time I made it and cycled across Tibet.«
Hi visited Tibet illegally, but there was no other way. He had to cleverly avoid the police and other control points, which are placed on hard to come by places along the way. He went under or over the road at times. There was a fine of 40€ and 5€ for transport in order to leave the country, but he didn’t care about that. He just wanted to enter the land. The police and military are not really mean to tourists, it’s just that when you see people with machineguns pointing at you, you don’t really feel comfortable.
Which interesting countries did you travel?
Boris: »I’ve traveled a lot around Asia and among more interesting countries would be Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China, Malaysia and many more. But I’ve also traveled to other interesting countries such as Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Tanzania, Botswana, Kenya, Zambia, Mali, SAR and more. I’ve also been to many European countries, but that seems so close I visit them several times.«
Do you usually travel by bicycle?
Boris: »Yes, I’ve travelled through most countries by bicycle, as a car is way too fast. OK, that’s a bit of a joke, but quite some truth as well. Simply, I have the time, so why should I use a car, if I can see more and pay less if I cycle? Sometimes I really did use a car, public transport or even walked or hitchhiked, but for me, bicycle is the most comfortable.«
On his travels Boris encounters different weather, from extreme heat (over 50 centigrade) to extreme cold. Despite the nature, each country he visits becomes something special. Some are more difficult to travel, while some even dangerous (mostly due to politics)… some are hard to get papers to and some are just plain huge and monotonous, that Boris spent months travelling without a noticeable change in the scenery. But he never really had any bad experience. It happened once, that a bulldozer ran over his bicycle, but he was able to get a new one. The things most vacationers would call bad experience (indigestion, a sleepless night, night frost, millions of insects, dangerous animals and more) is something Boris sees as an interesting feature of the travel and doesn’t consider such things to be something bad while travelling.
Since you love exploring caves, you must have visited many outside Slovenia.
Boris: »Sure! I mostly visit those in other parts of former Yugoslavia, but I’ve been to caves in Mexico, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Guatemala and France. I especially enjoy seeing how their speleologists work as the methods are different from country to country.«
But Boris is not only among those, who love exploring the underground and seeing people, where no one has been to before. He’s also a part of cave rescue team and years ago became an instructor and engineer of the cave rescue team of Slovenia.
And what about sleeping and nourishment?
Boris: »Most people like to host a traveller, but there are those, who send you forth and won’t even let you set up the tent in their yard. I can’t blame them – I’m a complete stranger to them after all. Generally, I must say I had no trouble with people I visited. If they didn’t take me in, their neighbours, or somebody else, did. Usually most people allowed me to set up tent, but later invited me in anyway. Many a time I also got food and drink as well. But naturally there were time I set up a tent, or just unfolded my sleeping bag – especially far from settlements – and went to sleep. It happened also I was looking for cover in concrete pipes, ditches at the side of the road, or under bridges, for the weather could get quite bad. I’ve also slept in all sorts of religious objects, from mosques to cemeteries and for food and drink there’s usually no problem, you just mustn’t be choosy. It happened often, in remote places, I’ve ate just like the people living there – the same thing for the whole month.«
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Rarely did he sleep comfortly. He learned quickly, the best way was to ask if he could set a tent in their yard. More often than not, people then invited him in. They also shared their humble meals with him, among which the probably most unusual was the campa in Tibet – a sort of flour with butter tea (a mixture of tea and yak butter, and salty). If he didn’t get drinks, he almost never bought it, he just drank out of springs and lakes. Although there was sometimes a strange smell, like in Pakistan, in the water, showing it might not be really safe to drink.
Quite often he helped by working the things people had to do. He never though seeing the world is just the sights and watching people. Getting to know the world means, to him, to spend time with people, share their work and meals… and talk as much as possible. This is why he often did the choirs with the people he slept with. He said, what else would I do if I stayed with somebody for a few days? This usually happened in the underdeveloped world. Boris claims the people there are much more welcoming than in the developed rich countries.
You really appear in media, although you know you could sell your stories
Boris: »I’m well aware of it and I know what I’m missing out. But I’m just not a guy, who’d go and write something. I love sharing my experience with others, but I’m not good at selling stories of my travels. But each Euro would be welcome, so I love to give lectures about my travels. But maybe I’ll get better at it someday. It’s usually my friends that make sure people know about me than myself!«
And how did you get the idea to go travelling for a year and cycle over 22.000 kilometres?
Boris: "As always – I haven’t planned anything. I sat on my bile and kept going until there was nowhere left to go. Once I’ve reached the coastline of South Korea and once I’ve ended up in Singapore.
Boris didn’t plan his trip ahead. But he’s not too demanding and didn’t want the luggage to hold him back, so he just took the essentials: a small tent, sleeping bag and some clothes. Everything that he fitted on the back of his bike weight 10 kilos, and even most of that he threw away on the way back, not to weigh him down.
Across the world with so little luggage?
Boris: »I’ve met other people cycling while I was away. Average cyclist has 30 to 40 kilos, distributed along the bicycle. The most interesting was a couple from Germany, with 90 kilos of luggage, who travelled across Siberia. Personally, I think my luggage should be a problem, so I only take the most needed things with me. I also find along the way, I took something I don’t really need and usually give to some local poor person, or just leave at the side of the road.«
His simple habits and quick thinking allow him to get by with very little financial means and he did travel many of our world’s countries.
How much do you spend on your travels?
Boris: »As little as possible. I’ve spent 2000€ for my 9 month’s journey to Singapore. Actually, if you don’t care where to sleep and what to eat and are satisfied with the cheaper food, you can get by. Every time I leave Slovenia, I spend less than I would if I’d stay at home.«
Along the way Boris meets the most varied of people imaginable. Not only the people of the land, but also fellow travellers. What’s your experience with them?
Boris: »It’s true, I’ve met the most diverse group of travellers along the way, but usually I only hang out with those, who think like me. This meant we spent some kilometres riding together. I must say I’ve met quite a few people, who decided to go around the world cycling. And also many others, who just ride, with no clear goal set. Those are the ones I always got along with fine.«
And I’m sure, for the last question, the readers would like to know, what you do, when you’re at home?
Boris: »I work odd jobs to earn for my travels. With my life style a regular job is out of the question. I still have enough free time to stroll over mountains and caves. So I usually hang out with friends, who love to explore the underground and hills.«
»Traveling opens a whole new world of the world«, says Boris. »It opens your mind, you accept many more things you ever had and you become less demanding, more content and you stop getting angry about absurdities of life. It’s far less stressful – so life gets a new meaning. I’m happy I’m among those who got to know the world, as many people want to and should. Unfortunately, only a handful ever will.«
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