BICYCLING

AROUND THE WORLD

by Paul Jeurissen

BICYCLING
AROUND THE WORLD

Photographs by Paul Jeurissen

Text by Grace Johnson

Bicycle Traveler

Publications

www.bicycletraveler.nl

Front cover: Looking out over the desert in Tajikistan.

Left: Rickshaws in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2

BICYCLING
AROUND THE WORLD

This book is dedicated to the many

cyclists we have met around the world.
Copyright 2015 Paul Jeurissen
All rights reserved.
You are free to share this photo eBook
in its original format. You may not
alter, sell, copy material from it, or use
it for commercial purposes.
For information on all Bicycle Traveler
publications visit our website at
www.bicycletraveler.nl.
Designed & edited by Grace Johnson
Special thanks to:
Amaya Williams www.worldbiking.info
Friedel Grant www.travellingtwo.com
Koga Bicycles www.koga.com

Right: Pushing up one of many steep inclines in the American Southwest.

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CONTENTS
Introduction

Photo Project

11

The Netherlands

12

Southern China

20

South East Asia

40

Indian Himalayas

58

India & Nepal

80

Pamir Highway

110

Bangladesh

134

Oman & Morocco

158

East Africa

174

The Americas

198

About

227

Left: Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh, India.

INTRODUCTION

Bicycling Around The World celebrates bike travel and

culture around the globe.
Come pedal with us through the icy Himalayas, the barren
Pamir highway, tropical East Africa and the chaos of Dhaka
in search of unique cycling images.
We also show you glimpses of bicycle culture via painted
rickshaws, overloaded cargo bikes and even two wheelers
piled high with cotton candy.
We are photographer Paul Jeurissen and his partner
Grace Johnson.
In 2010, we set off on a multi-year cycling tour covering
four continents. Wherever we go, we search out bike
culture, dramatic landscapes and remote places.
By the end of this book, we hope youll agree that the
world is best viewed from a bike saddle.

Right: A seat full of character in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

8

PHOTO PROJECT

In 2005 I said goodbye to expensive analogue film and

hello digital camera! With the possibility of unlimited
shots I could finally start taking pictures of a subject that
fascinated me: bicycle culture.
In Amsterdam I grew up surrounded by two wheelers.
They were just everyday objects that you used to go to
the shops or school. Later, when I started cycling through
other countries, I saw that they meant many different
things to different people and could be an interesting
photography theme.
I called my new photo project, Bicycling around the
world in search of inspiring cycle images. After trips
through South India, Morocco and the United States,
Grace and I set off in 2010 on a multi-year bike journey
to explore the world and international bicycle culture.

Left: Preparing a spicy curry on a kitchen bike in North India.

Following pages: Art you can pedal on in Amsterdam.
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The Netherlands

DAILY TRANSPORT

What is the fastest and easiest way to get around Amsterdam?

By bike! Who wants to get stuck behind Amsterdammers venting
their frustrations via their car horns, plus spend hours searching
for a non-existent parking spot...

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Above: New bikes for sale in Amsterdam.

Left: Bicycle parking in Leiden.

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THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Finally off to Asia with only our touring bicycles and panniers -- stuffed with way too much electronic gear. We
were both anxious - wondering what the coming years
would bring and, at the same time, were looking forward
to the new adventure.

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Southern China

Previous Pages: Crossing the Li river.

Above: Simmering pots help entice new customers.
Right: Snacks for sale in Jinghong.

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Above: A local shoe repair man mending Pauls sandal.

Left: Stopping to admire the view.
Following pages: Bicycle lane in Chengdu.

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CARGO BIKES

Chinese market women love them since they are relatively

light and easy to maneuver. The ladies use them not only to
transport goods but also as a product and restaurant stall
which they can set up on any street corner.

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TOUGH GOING

It only took one day of rain to turn the road

into a cyclists nightmare. The heavy, wet
clay stuck to the wheels and brake pads
bringing us to a halt. The mud was so thick
it even managed to snap Pauls derailleur!

Above: Posing for a self portrait.

Right: An original Chinese Flying Pigeon bicycle.

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WEAPON

The elderly fruit saleswoman was furious! A young girl

had taken over her market spot and refused to leave.
The old lady began whacking the girls legs with the
front wheel of her cargo bike and when that didnt do
the trick, she proceeded to ride the wheel back and forth
over her foot. Success finally came as the girl angrily got
up and moved away from the old womans place.

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CYCLING BLISS

In the karst region of Southern China we encountered

great food, fantastic weather, and amazing scenery.
It was almost too perfect.

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Above: Waking up from a midday nap.

Right: Balloon saleswoman in Jinghong.

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South East Asia

Previous pages: Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.

Above: Decorated rickshaw wheel in Penang, Malaysia.
Right: Chinese tourists take the grand tour of Penang.

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LIVING ROOM

This Thai chauffeur from Chiang Mai was very

proud of his trishaw, which he had decorated
with personal memorabilia.

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Above: Bicycling in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Above: Family transport in Siem Riep, Cambodia.

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Above: A colonial bike in Yangon, Myanmar.

Right: Waiting for customers in Yangon.

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BARBIE DOLLS

A must do in Malacca, Malaysia is to tour the town

in a decorated rickshaw. Of course the little girls
loved the Barbie doll decorations and earnestly tried
to convince their parents that this bike was the one
they should ride in.

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Above & left: At dusk Malaccas rickshaws turn their lights on.

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BUDDHA

Whats special about cycling in Thailand is

spotting enormous Buddhas in the distance. They
often appear to float above the tree line.

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COTTON CANDY

The cotton candy bike was a favorite amongst

kids playing at the riverside park in Vientiane,
Laos. They would all peer inside and plead
with their mothers to buy them one of the
pink and white concoctions.

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Indian Himalayas

Previous pages: Prayer flags flutter above the Indus River in Ladakh.
Above: The Maitre Buddha statue in Thiksey Monastery.

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Previous pages: Leaving Stakna Monastery behind us, we looked for a place to camp.
Above: Looking out over the Leh valley from the roof of Thiksey Monastery.

OXYGEN PLEASE!

Wheeze, gasp, wheeze... We sounded like two

asthmatic senior citizens as we pedaled and
pushed our bikes up yet another high altitude
pass. Sure the scenery was gorgeous, but we
also longed to be able to breathe.

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Previous pages: Nearing the summit of the Baralacha La.

Above: Cruising down the Nakee La Pass.
70

Above: Kyi Monastary in Spiti.

71

RIVER CROSSING

After so many crossings we became overconfident

and hurriedly ploughed through yet another fastmoving stream. Then Paul stepped on a smooth rock,
lost his footing and grip on his bike. His trusty steed
quickly sunk under the ice cold water but luckily he
was able to grab it before it crashed over the cliff.

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Above: Stopping to rest near Leh.

TENT WITH A VIEW

After dinner we asked a Tibetan where we could best

set up our tent. He pointed to an opening between
two hills and said, Camp in the valley behind, you will
be sheltered from the wind there. Upon reaching the
spot Paul looked around, smiled and declared that
tomorrow would be a rest day.

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Above: Heading down the Baralacha La pass.

India & Nepal

Previous pages: Taking a break in Fatehpur Sikri, India.

Above: A bicycle still life in the Shekawati region.
82

Above: Bicycle repair tree in Alwar, India.

Following pages: And Grace thought she carried too much on her bike...
83

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RECYCLING

In India, nothing of value goes to waste. This

Delhi cyclist transports used plastic bottles back
to recycling centers.

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Above: A Bollywood film star adorns the fender mud flap.

Right: Indian bicycles are never too decorated.

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BUMPER CARS

Indian roads are full of every form of transport

imaginable. Sometimes it felt like we were
inside a giant game of bumper cars, except
that here we tried to avoid crashing into other
rickshaws, carts and people.

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Above: The view from our favourite Agra restaurant.

92

Above: Cotton candy for sale in North India.

Following pages: A day at the beach isnt complete without some ice cream.
93

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SCHOOLGIRLS

Where are you from, where are you going?

The schoolgirls wanted to know everything
about us and why we were traveling on bicycles.

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Above: Passing the time in an Indian hotel room.

Left: Transporting cloth to the market.

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Above: A bicycle shop in Kathmandu, Nepal.

CLAUSTROPHOBIA

We stopped for some chai and biscuits but our

rest break was short lived. A crowd quickly
gathered and we became completely hemmed
in by the curious onlookers.

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Above: The best parking spaces in Agra are reserved for bicycles.
Right: Chicken transport in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Following pages: Cycling through a Southern Indian town.

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WEDDING BIKE

An Indian wedding procession is made up of the

groom riding a white horse (he usually looks a
bit shell-shocked) followed by dancing family
members, a brass band and at the very end the neon wedding bike.

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Pamir Highway

Previous pages: Cycling through the vast Pamir landscape.

Above: Camping near Sarey Tash, Kyrgyzstan.
Right: Curious Kyrgyz kids come to visit our tent.

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Above: Posing for a self portrait in Tajikistan.

Left: Heading off towards the mountains.

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Above: Looking out over lake Bulunkul.

Following pages: A lone outhouse near the Pamir highway.

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Above: Market salesman in Murgab, Tajikistan.

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Previous pages: A river crossing near the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

Above: Pedaling through the high arid desert.
Right: We felt insignificant in the immense landscape.

124

Above: Tajik boys pose with their iron horse.

Left: Sisters look after each other in Tajikistan.

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TOURING CYCLISTS

The highway is popular amongst long distance

cyclists and it was fun to stop and exchange
stories with them. Thanks (clockwise from above
left) Julian and Ellie, the smiling Japanese guy
and Marcel plus Alena.

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Above: Camping after a storm in Tajikistan.

Right: Heading down yet another high pass.
Following pages: Pausing for breath and to admire the view.

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Bangladesh

Previous pages: Rickshaw graveyard in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Above: Paul smiles for the camera.
Left: An early morning traffic jam.
Following pages: Rickshaw parking in Dhaka.

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GLAMOUR & GUNS

Birds, flowers, Mecca, automobiles and even airplanes

are popular themes painted on to rickshaw bodies. Our
favorite theme was Bollywood glamour and guns.

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Previous pages: Local traffic in the countryside.

Above: Dhaka rickshaws are piled full of passengers.
Left: A curious chauffeur.

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ELEPHANT

After placing a coin in the elephants trunk the

elephant blessed Grace by gently patting the top
of her head with his trunk.

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WINTER CHILL

In the cold, damp winter months the chauffeurs

wrap themselves in every blanket, scarf and tea
towel they can find.

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Above: How did they load it up in the first place?

Right: Too heavy to cycle.
Following pages: Main street in Mymensingh.

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MAGIC POTION

He started by shaking his stick of bells then he poured

various liquids into the cup. A bit more jingling and
mixing and the potion was ready. Magic!

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Above: Technicolor rickshaws in Dhaka.

Oman & Morocco

Previous pages: Cycling in Oman.

Above: We woke up covered in sand.
Left: Wild camping underneath a thorn tree in Oman.

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COFFEE SHOPS

Omani coffee shops were the highlight of a days

pedaling through the hot, barren desert. They
served Indian curries, chicken burgers and most
important - ice cold soft drinks!

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Above: A lone grocery store in Oman.

Left: We had excellent internet reception that evening.

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ASPHALT FURNACE

We always wondered what it would be like to ride

through the Sahara. Once there, all we could think
of was, Its so hot, its so hot... Why didnt we
carry more water?

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Above: A kasbah in Southern Morocco.

Right: Pedaling past yet another verdant oasis.

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MOROCCAN TEA

Forget dried out mass-manufactured tea bags. Fresh

mint tea was a taste revelation. When we combined
that with sitting on a cafe terrace watching local life,
we were sold on Morocco.

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Above: Djemma el Fna square in Marrakech.

Right: Bicycling through the Southern Moroccan desert.

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East Africa

Previous pages: Clowning for the camera in Malawi.

Above: Banana transport in Uganda.
Right: Surprisingly enough the man could still push his overloaded bike.

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CHARCOAL BOYS

East African cooking is done on charcoal stoves

and the charcoal boys were busy day and night
transporting it to the local villages. Their bikes were
always overloaded yet they still managed to pedal
up some of the hills. They even helped Grace push
her bicycle up a few of the steeper inclines.

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Above: God and Rambo are popular themes for bicycle plates.
Right: Painting a taxis back plate in Malawi.

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RIBBON OF ROAD

The road lay over the sub-tropical landscape like a

brown ribbon, never changing. The only reason to
stop was for a chat and cold cokes in a local village.

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Above: Taking care not to get the dress dirty in Malawi.

Following pages: The traveling department store in Uganda.

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TOUR DE SCHOOL

Cycling during the rainy season with a leaky tent

meant that as soon as dusk approached, we were on
the lookout for a dry place to sleep. We often camped
in schools where we were always warmly welcomed
by the headmaster who gave us a classroom door key
and a tour of the school buildings.

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TAXI CHAUFFEURS

African taxi chauffeurs hang out together, smiling

at female passersby and listening to the radios
that are attached to their handlebars. They dont
always relax. They can pedal quickly when they need
to, even when when they are transporting a big
African mama on their back seat.

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Above: Fixing a flat tire in Zambia.

Following pages: The bicycle taxi speeds to his destination.

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FRESH FISH

They were for sale but werent always freshly

caught from Lake Malawi. A cyclist untied one
from his handlebars and started hitting a tree with
it. The fish was so stiff that it didnt bend an inch.

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The Americas

Previous pages: Heading across Uyunis salt lake.

Above: Freezing cold + washboard + sand = cycling the Bolivian Altiplano.
Left: Stopping to visit a local church.

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DESOLATE

We regularly came across cemeteries on the

Altiplano and it got us to wondering why anyone
would want to live there in the first place.

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Above & left: Locals enjoy a day out in Sucre, Bolivia.

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Previous pages: A cold night camping on Uyunis salt lake.

Above: Old beaters live on in Bolivia.

Above: We expected the stagecoach to arrive at any moment.

Above: Street art in Salta, Argentina.

Left: The road twisted and turned like a carnival ride.

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ROADSIDE SHRINE

Argentines offer childrens bikes at one of the many

Gauchito Gil roadside shrines to thank him for the
miracles he has performed and to ask for more.

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CANYON COUNTRY

The dirt road snaked through red rock canyons and

led us past huge rock formations reminding us just
how much we love cycling.

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Above: Camping by Lone Rock in Utah, U.S.A.

Above: Huge rocks had rolled down from the cliff face.
Right: Pedaling through the lunar landscape of the American Southwest.

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Above: Ranger in Zion National Park.

Right: The road skirted around innumerable canyon walls.

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THE END?

Like Argentinas Ruta 40, our bicycle photography project

is never ending. After 10 years it is still an exciting theme
and we decided to celebrate this milestone by bringing out
a photo book. We hope you have enjoyed looking at it.
- Paul Jeurissen & Grace Johnson

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ABOUT

PAUL JEURISSEN was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and grew up surrounded by bicycles. In 1981 he
pedaled across the U.S.A. During this trip he not only met
his future wife Grace Johnson, but also fell in love with
photographing the American landscapes, people and the
journey itself. Back in Amsterdam he began studying photography. Since then he has specialized in bicycle imagery and his pictures have been used around the globe in
cycling and travel publications.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS in this book and even more bike
culture and touring images are available from his website.
www.pauljeurissen.nl
info@pauljeurissen.nl
FOR INFORMATION about Bicycle Traveler publications
visit our website at www.bicycletraveler.nl.
SHARE THE LOVE OF BIKES. This photo eBook was
freely given and we encourage you to continue the gift of
giving. Why not send it on to a cycling friend?

Left: Paul & Grace cycling in the Indian Himalayas.

Back cover: Winnie the Pooh greets oncoming cyclists in Amsterdam.

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BICYCLING
AROUND THE WORLD
by Paul Jeurissen