Lin on a bike

Some would call South Korean Songhak Lin, a madman. Because Lin, on June 14, kicked off a world tour on his bicycle and months later, he has crossed Hyderabad and on Tuesday he reached bustling Vijayawada via China, Nepal, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Vizag — an epic 6,000 kilometres so far. It took him six months to reach Vijayawada and he says it will take him another two years, before he can see his family again in South Korea.  

Lin, who was spotted in Vijayawada recently, explains the reason behind his journey on his specially-designed cycle. “It was my dream to go around the world on my bike. I am a businessman based in South Korea. For the last five years, I saved up enough to undertake this journey,” says Lin in broken English.

“Now I am heading towards Chennai and then to Sri Lanka as my visa for Sri Lanka expires soon. From Sri Lanka, I will reach Kanyakumari on ship and again start to ride through Cochin, Mumbai, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia and then to Europe, South America, North America and at last, Korea,” he says.

Lin is carrying an SLR camera, a tool kit to repair his bike, some clothes, a tent, water bottles, a mobile phone, a fixed torch etc. “I made some alterations to the bike so that the luggage could be carried. The luggage weighs over 40 kg and I weigh over 60 kg. I am riding at least 120 km a day,” he adds.

Speaking about his experiences in India, Lin says, “Some people treated me like a friend, others are scared looking at my hairstyle and appearance. I sleep on the roadside, eat whatever I get in little quantities; but I drink a lot of water. It’s hot in India but it is better than Korean climate.”Lin is not sponsored by any organisation or company and he has spent over $7,000 so far.