Windhoek
Russian adventurer Sergey Chikachev believes travelling the world by foot is the best way to discover cultures and traditional lifestyles.
He started off his round-the-world journey from Moscow on August 13, 2004. “I travel non-stop. I walk about 25-35 km in one day,” says Chikachev.
So far he has visited 107 countries including Mongolia, China, Laos, Thailand, West Malaysia (including Sarawak and Sabah provinces, known as as Borneo), Singapore, Indonesia (including the islands Batam, Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Bali, Lombok, Sulawesi, Maluku, Gesir, Kasiui, Gorong, Sanana, Banda and Ambon).
Other countries include Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Tibet, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Georgia, Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Mozambique and currently Namibia.
Chikachev arrived in Namibia on July 1 and passed through many villages and towns. From Windhoek he is planning to visit the south before he continues his journey to South America.
“During my travelling I prefer not to stay in hotels and guest houses, because when staying with local people at their homes I can learn much more and experience culture first-hand,” says Chikachev.
Chikachev says his main reason for hiking is to study modern life, culture, traditions, customs, lifestyle, history of people and tribes in different countries of the world.
“I want to establish friendships and brotherhood relations between different nations, cities and countries, for better understanding and development of such relations in culture, sport, education and business,” he states.
He further says he wants to experience human survival under extreme conditions. “For example, when I was walking through the savage Gobi Desert and ran out of water after three days I had to extract water with the help of the sun using a special method,” said Chikachev.
He says he’s passed through the 150 million-year-old jungle ‘Taman Negara, situated in the north-eastern part of west Malaysia, another extreme jungle on Sarawak Borneo in the direction Long Lama-Long Seridan-Batu Lawi-Bario, which entailed 18 days non-stop walking for more than 200 km.
Chekachev says during his travels he works on writing his book and compiling articles on his journey for some popular publications in Russia, for example ‘Arguments and Facts’ ( www.aif.ru) which is published in 62 countries with a circulation of nearly 3 million.
“I did freelance travel writing for them before. The people in my country regularly read my articles. The most important thing is that they read true and actual information about real life in different countries of the world.
“My expedition goes without any special funding. On my way in different countries I find work and earn money for my further travels.”
He says he is working on the idea to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo.
“I will probably start from Cape Town, South Africa or from Walvis Bay, Namibia. Now I’m trying to collect enough funds money to realize this project of crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone in three months, and establish bridge of friendship between Africa and America,” said Chikachev.
Chikachev’s travels will take three more years till 2017.