Travel can be one of the most exciting
experiences in anyone’s life, but have you ever considered exploring a new, foreign
culture from the seat of your bike? For many travellers, cycling is a leisure
activity that barely lingers on the margins of a travel agenda. However, to
34-year-old architect, cyclist, and environmentalist Shaimaa al-Zayat, cycling
has become integral to her trips.
On September 24 2016, Zayat became the
first Egyptian woman to finish the longest route on the South Korean Four
Rivers cycling trail, a 633 km trail connecting Seoul and Busan. “The idea of
crossing an entire country [on a bicycle] is a thrill,” says Zayat. “But
thankfully, South Korea is a rather small country.”
Zayat’s trip, which lasted 14 days in total,
including six days on her bicycle, not only took her through South Korea’s
breath-taking and ever-changing nature, but also introduced her to an enigmatic
culture – a human encounter that
transcended language barriers to say the least.
Morphing Into a Travel Cyclist
In 2011, Zayat moved to the Netherlands for
her post-graduate studies. Psyched to be studying in a country that is
considered as one of the world’s cycling hubs, the first thing she did before
checking into her hostel was stop by the flea market to buy herself a bicycle.
“Every time I cycled, I discovered
something new. And when I say cycling, I don’t mean just running errands on the
bike or going to university, but rather cycling to different cities, and going
on cycling trips.”
Her newfound love for long-distance
cycling was further emblazoned with more meaning and value as she fervently
grew interest in environmentalism. “When people ask me why I ride the bike in
Egypt, I always reply that I really want to preserve the environment,”
she says. “It’s always a chance to bring people’s attention to many of Egypt’s
environmental issues, and also cycling as a clean alternative to other means of
transportation.”
Keen to commit to cycling as a sport, Zayat
instantly joined GBI (Global Biking Initiative) upon her return to Egypt. Through
this community of seasoned cyclists, she started pushing her cycling
boundaries, until the regular cycling workout routine started including many open
highway roads such as the Cairo-Alexandria and Cairo-Ain al-Sokhna roads.
For three years, Zayat remained sincere to
cycling until she got her first chance to travel on her bike outside Egypt. In
2015, she crossed the Alps from Italy to Germany, cycling an average of 745
km through the Stelvio Pass.
“After that trip, cycling was no longer a
fun activity that I did while I was on holiday. I no longer
wanted to rent a bike while I was away. I wanted my own bike with me, and I
wanted to see more countries by bike.”
And it was only a matter of time before she
embarked on her next cycling trip.
A Unique South Korean Experience
Fuelled with excitement to get back on the
road, Zayat spent months excavating the online cycling communities in
search for a cycling trail that would make her heart pound with excitement; and
she did.
“Basically, it’s an urban upgrading
project, similar to the stuff that I studied back in the Netherlands, which I
found very inspiring,” says Zayat. Shortly after the turn of the millennium,
South Korea introduced a network of bullet-trains that replaced the regular
railway. This project left the country with a network of unused railway tracks spanning
an average of 1700 km – all of which were turned into cycling trails as part of
the 2011 four major rivers restoration project.
“As I looked further into the project, I
found that they provide very detailed online maps for the cycling trails as
well as all sorts of needed information,” says Zayat. “All that was left for me was
to book my flight, ship my bike, and go.”
Fortunately for Zayat, she needn’t issue a
visa for South Korea, which made the travel preparations all the more smoother
to navigate.
Upon first contact with Seoul, Zayat was
mesmerized by the beauty of the city and its cycling trails. “Anyone who
doesn’t cycle there is doing a big, big mistake.”
During the first couple of days in Seoul,
the Egyptian cyclist took some time to meet many Korean cyclists she was
introduced to online. “They gave me a huge push, encouraging me for me being
the first Egyptian and Arab woman to take on this trail, let alone solo,” says
Zayat with renewed excitement. “Even for some Koreans, this was an amazing
adventure. What most of them do is cycle for 100 km outside the city, and return.
They do it for fun rather than with the intention of finishing the entire
cross-country trail.”
Besides the local hospitality and cheering,
more fun awaited Zayat on the start line. “At the starting point, they give you
a cycling passport which you stamp every time you pass one of the main
checkpoints on the trail. At the end, whether you finish the trail in six
days, or 20 days, you submit the passport, and the
government awards you a medal and a certificate for your achievement.”
With gears in check and spirits high, Zayat
took a deep breath, and set out on an adventure of a lifetime.
South Korea from the Saddle
“It’s an impressive experience to be
introduced to an entirely different culture from a bike,” says Zayat. “The
human interaction is totally different, unlike when you’re a regular tourist; maybe
people won’t even notice you, or show you any sentiment. But as a cyclist, I
really felt plenty of warmth from the people.”
Despite the interest many locals expressed in
Zayat’s trip, it was often quite a challenge to maintain a lengthy and deep
conversation due to the language barrier. Besides the difficulty this posed for
socializing, it was also problematic for everyday encounters.
“I noticed that the farther away from the capital
I was, the less people knew any English. I tried learning Korean, and to my
surprise I found out that the Korean alphabets are very easy to decipher because
they’re translated from English,” says Zayat. “To every letter in English,
there’s an equivalent in Korean. So it was very easy to put together letters
that make up basic words. Other than that, I mostly got by on sign language.”
Oftentimes though, the most heart-warming
human exchange happened beyond the mandates of verbal interaction. On the road,
Zayat saw human warmth in the form of water bottles that Buddhist monks filled
up every day after their morning prayers just for the cyclists. Other times, it
would manifest in a Korean cyclist who had planned a cycling trip to celebrate
his 75th birthday. “Although he couldn’t speak a lot of English, he
kept saying ‘Go forward. Finish the trail. Enjoy every minute because every
minute counts in your life.’”
As exciting as her social interactions were
on the road, Zayat spent most of her time on the trail alone.
One thing that left the Egyptian cyclist in
awe was the amount of effort exerted to make this new network of cycling trails
appealing to the local and international cycling communities. On the Seoul-Busan
trail, everything from lampposts to toilets, cafes, motels, and even museums
were cycling themed – a matter which, at the very least, made Zayat feel
welcomed on the road, made it feel like a temporary home.
Such welcoming spirit did not part Zayat until she reached the finish line in Busan. “As I walked into the ministry building
where I was to receive my medal, I was welcomed as though I had completed my
PhD,” says Zayat, commenting on how much the government was keen on celebrating those who completed the trail.
“As much as this trip was such a challenge…
I never question why I put myself through all of this effort and exhaustion,”
says Zayat. “I never regret that I had to reach my destination every day before
sundown, or that I had to cycle for more than 100 km on some days.”
Looking back on her trip, Zayat wishes it’ll
be an inspiration for everyone, especially women, to take their chances on solo adventure travel without panic or fear.
“Some women are even hesitant about traveling alone domestically,” says Zayat. “Don’t wait until you’re married, or until your friends have the time. Just be prepared and go with the flow, but most go ahead and explore. Don’t let yourself or anyone hold you back.”
*All photographs are courtesy of Shaimaa al-Zayat
