Hey all!

It’s Hernán, I’m from Sabadell, near Barcelona and I’m 25 years old. I studied for some years abroad in France, Germany and Switzerland and a few months ago I came back home in order to prepare a one year long trip towards Asia. This idea was first brought up by my good friend Àlex, who also comes from Sabadell, several years ago: the idea was to undertake a journey towards the far east in order to get to know other cultures and ways of life and create bridges between them. I’ve always wanted to travel to the countries along the silk road, in particular Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan among others, but I hadn’t thought about doing it by bicycle, so when he mentioned it a new dimension was presented to me and I decided to go for it! The plan was to do it together starting beginning of 2023, but for a number of reasons it hasn’t been possible. Even so, I’d be very happy if Àlex could join me at some point during the journey or share a few kilometres together as we did in Switzerland for a few days. Regarding the journey, the only condition we’d agreed on was the fact that our mean of transportation would be our bicycle and our fuel would be our legs. And the plan remains the same for me. I intend to cycle as much as I can and I’d like to prove that the bike can perfectly be a valid mean of transportation for travelling, which allows to connect more with the people and the surroundings of the places you cycle through.

I’m passionate about languages, anthropology and music and I also love geography and gastronomy, so this project is a way of bringing all these worlds together in a single yet very complex personal project. I do it for me, but also for those who could be interested and always in an altruistic way. That’s why the idea of writing a blog came to my mind. On the one hand, I want to escape from the immediacy of social media, in particular Instagram, and having to share content on a daily basis. For the very same reasons, I also discarded YouTube. Added to the fact that it results in a lot of work and having to carry way more electronic devices that I don’t really need. On the other hand, I love to sit and write about how I feel, especially if I have enough time for it and don’t have many obligations. As a result, I decided that what made the most sense to me was to write a blog where I could express my experiences and emotions in a more detailed and structured way. In order to be able to share my reflections about what I live day by day without the rush and pressure of social media.

I also chose the blog because I’d like to continue to create bridges in other parts of the world such as America or even Africa, either by bicycle or by other means of transportation. But I consider it an open and lifetime project that we’ll see how it crystallizes. For the time being, I can’t wait to start this adventure and I must admit that having a reference point makes it easier when it comes to conceiving such a project. It’s true that nowadays anyone can watch a YouTube video or a Netflix film about someone travelling by bike (probably a german) and be motivated about it. But it’s also true that our realities are somewhat different and having a reference point, with whom you can identify more closely, helps even more when it comes to motivation. And that’s why the figure of Raimon was crucial in the beginning. He has wandered around the world and is a very approachable person who shares his experience in a disinterested way on his website bicicletaimanta.cat that I highly recommend. After that, other travellers have continued to inspire me in the same way and in the section Other Websites I explain it in more detail for those interested in having a few more references. Take the plunge to make the projects that inspire and motivate you a reality without fear. We only have one life and we have to enjoy it and make the most of it!

Nothing else, just to thank all those who have supported me and have taken an interest in the journey, in particular my parents, friends and Ari. Thanks for always being by my side and encouraging me to move forward!