Pedalling across the world

Have you ever dreamed of going on an adventure - and been daring enough to make it come true? Well, an affable Japanese man is about to complete his dream of cycling around the world.

Daisuke Nakanishi, 39, recently made a second visit to Thailand before pedalling off to Burma on his peaceful quest to conquer the world by bicycle.

A dream come true

"When I was 17 years old I dreamed of travelling the world and contributing to peace by making friends across the globe. I wanted to see other nations, meet local people and experience different cultures," Daisuke told The Nation.

His budget for the journey was US$60,000 (Bt2 million), which he saved while working at a construction company for six years.

Daisuke set off on his cycling adventure on July 23, 1998, when he was only 28 years old. He had his sights on Anchorage, Alaska, which was his first destination. From there he cycled to South America, crossed over to Europe, headed through Africa before making it back to Asia.

So far he has cycled more than 146,000km, doing "around 100km a day" and visiting 125 countries on all continents.

He was so determined that nothing came in the way of realising his dream, not even lethal malaria, which he contracted in Kenya in 2001, or a mugging in Romania.

"I've fixed punctured tyres around 300 times and changed 78 tyres, 15 chains, five pedals, four seats and three wheels myself," he said.

"What I'm really proud of is learning about different people, interesting cultures and traditions in every part of the world, from France to Lithuania and South America, where I shared my experiences with students."

Daisuke had arrived for the first time in Thailand in 2001. It was the 53rd country on his list. He admired the nation's culture and historical places so much that he couldn't help but return this year.

On his way home

Thailand, he said, is also a centre from which he can proceed to neighbouring countries such as Burma, Laos and Vietnam.

Daisuke is now on his way back to his homeland, which he will reach in October after an 11year journey. But before that he will ride to China, Tibet and Mongolia. His last destination will be South Korea before he heads to Osaka.

"After the long journey, I plan to write a book featuring 11 years of my travelling experiences. I want to share my knowledge with Japanese students - and then find a new job," he added.