Round the World 1999/2000 was a fantastic experience, one of a lifetime. Somehow it has not yet finished and I believe now that it will never be finished at all.

With my mountain bike I rode more than 10 000 km, many of these through some of the most remote areas of the planet including Tibet, Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego. On a sail boat I rounded the Cape Horn in the very south of South America, and I crossed the volatile Bass Strait between Tasmania and Australia mainland, the same as the famous regatta Sidney to Hobart. In the mountains of the northeast Turkey I camped with the curds, in China I went back in time and in New Zealand I did great trekking, scuba diving and sea kayaking. I landed in Istanbul just 24 hours after the big earthquake that hit this city in August 17th, 1999, and that killed more than 15 000 people. It was the first day of my voyage. In Macau I sheltered from a maximum scale typhoon. I cycled the Carretera Austral of Southern Chile in winter when terrible and unusual floods stroke this region. In Theeran, after one month out of 12 planned I got my bike stolen.

Mine was a journey of diversity. In one year I faced many situations and challenges but, nervertheless, I feel the hardest was the decision to take off.

And after all, I made good friends, met wonderful people, lived some of the finest landscapes of the Earth and learned a great deal about our World.

Supposely it would have been just one experience of a lifetime, something in between my physical education and sports teacher career. But it turned out to be a great change from this much appreciated career. Indeed it had a tremendous impact in my life.

HOW COME SUCH ADVENTURE?

From what I can remember or, have counscious of, two major events inspired this adventure.

When I was 12 years old my brother Jorge did himself a round the world voyage on a tall ship belonging to the portuguese navy. From the far-east he sent reports that made me dream of those lands ever since.

And when I was 17 I was an AFS exchange student for one year in Michigan, USA. I experienced the cultural shock of living in a different country with a family I did not know before and going to a school with a complete different system. But especially from the long lasting relationship with the Dimmers family I kept a strong joy to live in new worlds, to learn about different peoples and its cultures.

And I end up feeling the need of a new exchange year.

THE ROUTE

My cultural and geographical curiosity along with the love for outdoor adventure sports determined my itinerary.

I was very curious about the Muslim world and its people, of its influence in our daily living. I choose Turkey and Iran for their great history.

China was for its remoteness and for its ancient civilization.

The challenge of cycling at high altitude, the beauty and pureness of its landscape, the tolerant way of living of its people made me go to Tibet.

Some of the best world rafting and trekking and the nicest people ever kept me in Nepal.

My dreamed outdoor life style made me stop in Australia and New Zealand.

South America called me for its wilderness, for the incredible landscapes and again its remoteness.

And I never need a special reason to go back to the States. Meeting the american branch of my family, the Dimmers, is always enough, is always great anywhere, anytime, doing whatever.