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Last Updated: 6 Apr 2018 - 12:06:24 PM |
Vinny Bateman, 24 yr old native of Whitehall, Co. Westmeath will begin the journey of a lifetime in February 2006 when he leaves for China, on his bicycle. He hopes to encompass the Old Silk Road of Central Asia of Marco Polo fame to raise money for Concern and to undertake one of the most ambitious treks in Irish history. The trip will start in Ireland and finish in China taking in the different countries and cultures that lie in between them.
“The main aim of this venture is to follow the Silk Road that once spanned the great expanses of Central Asia where I hope to witness the many different cultures and landscapes, of some of the most ancient civilisations in the world. I also hope to gain an appreciation of the comforts and affluence that we have here, in the west. I also want to see if I can actually do it and to raise money for a worthwhile cause like Concern doing, something unique and exciting.”
The route he has chosen, goes as follows: Ireland to Cherbourg in France to Austria, Eastern Europe to Turkey into Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, into the Western province of Xingjing in China to the ancient capital of the Silk route, Xian and then onto Beijing. Covering an estimated 50-100km a day with rest days in between, the journey will hopefully take on average 8 to 10 months, at an estimated €5000 for living expenses for the entire journey.
“Everything I need, I will carry on my bike. I intend to camp or when possible, to stay with locals of the regions I intend to pass through, thus reducing the cost of accommodation. People often ask me why cycle, why the hardship?”. “The beauty of cycling is that you can meet people on a much more personal level, travelling at a pace that enables me to observe their cultures and attitudes a lot closer, thus obtaining the maximum benefits”
He has also set up a website (www.irishchinacycle.com) for anyone interested in this expedition and a journal which he will update along his journey, giving people a chance to follow him as he saunters along.
To raise money for CONCERN, a number of events are being organised, which will be publicized in due course. He also ran in the Dublin marathon in October.
HOW TO CONTACT US:
More information can be found in my website, www.irishchinacycle.com or to contact me at my email, uinnsinn@irishchinacycle.com or phone 086-3412643. This website will contain a diary of the journey, which I will regularly update, giving armchair travellers a chance to follow my adventure.
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