Things I experienced in 7 years of travelling the world … on a bike

From escaping death on a doomed yacht to having diarrhoea in the bushes in India, the man who travelled the world on his bicycle has some astounding stories to tell, writes Elizabeth Sleith

Late last month, Englishman Leigh Timmis cycled into his home town of Derby - after 69,000km and seven years in the saddle.

When he'd left on June 14 2010, his plan was to cycle the globe in two years to raise funds for a local charity.

But, as he told the BBC, as soon as he got out on the road he realised his challenges. "I didn't know how to do what I'd set out to do. I couldn't speak languages, I didn't know how to sleep wild," he said.

story_article_left1

"So I began meeting people - sharing evenings with them and meeting their families."

Instead of racing from country to country, he started to collect experiences, and when he ran out of money, he found work and kept going.

Travelling on a budget of £5 (about R87) a day, his daily routine entailed six hours of cycling, a basic diet of rice and vegetables, fresh air and "time for myself".

Every day, his mission was to find water and place to camp, then to head to the rural markets to try things and learn languages.

Timmis, who has now raised more than £10,000 for the children's charity, credits "cake, music, small steps and strangers" with keeping him going.

He shared some highlights of his trip with the Derby Telegraph, his local paper.

• HIS BEST MOMENT: Nepal

Timmis counts this as his "moment of enlightenment". After leaving Europe, crossing the Middle East and Central Asia and being arrested on the frozen Tibetan Plateau, he says he sat in the foothills of the Himalayas and pondered his achievements.

"I had ridden a bicycle from my home in grey, industrial England to the incense and prayer flags of Nepal's temples. It was huge.

"From that moment there was no doubt I could, and would, circumnavigate the world."

• WORST MOMENT: Southeast Asia

Sometimes loneliness got the better of him, particularly in countries where he couldn't speak the language. In Southeast Asia, in the peak of monsoon season, he said, "the cycle of negative thoughts drove me to insanity".

• MEMORABLE MOMENT: A life-saving decision

Timmis spent some time in New Zealand helping to repair a yacht, whose crew were next heading to Fiji. For weeks, he asked if he could sail with them when they went but they turned him down.

Then, the day before they sailed, he was invited along after all. By then, he had made other plans so he said no, promising to see them on their return.

But a few days after they left, the boat ran into a huge storm . They were never found.

Said Timmis: "I should have been on that boat. I will never look at the ocean in the same way again. Every decision, no matter how small, can change our lives forever."

full_story_image_hright1

• MOST FRIGHTENING: Tibet

The coldest temperature he encountered was -40°C, at 5,000m on the Tibetan Plateau.

"Physics change at this altitude," he says. "Elastic becomes solid, water becomes like super glue on bottle threads, breath freezes in beards and inside tents and wind bites."

It couldn't have helped either that he had broken into this prohibited area and was "living like a fugitive". He made it three weeks before he was caught and escorted to Nepal by the Chinese police.

• MOST INSPIRATIONAL: People

Having been given food and shelter by the poorest of the poor, he says: "The kindness of strangers I have experienced is a constant reminder of how incredible humanity is ."

• MOST STUPID THING: Being mugged by a ladyboy

In Singapore over Christmas, Timmis met a "ladyboy" at a party who let him try on her knee-high boots. "She held my can of beer as I strutted up and down the street in high heels. I returned and continued to drink. It was the last thing I remember."

He woke up the next day on his friend's sofa with no wallet, money, ID or credit cards.

• MOST SICK: India

In the month before monsoon season, the temperatures soared and he couldn't drink enough water. But he didn't fancy the crowds he attracted every time he stopped to filter water, so he just drank what he was given.

"I spent a lot of time in India with diarrhoea, running into bushes only to be followed by inquisitive children."

• FAVOURITE PLACE: Anywhere wild

Nature puts our worries into perspective, he says, and experiences that push our limits - such as enduring extremes of cold and altitude in Tibet or sailing through storms in the South Pacific - are often the most rewarding.

• NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE: The dog that wasn't a dog

Camping in the Yukon in Canada, he once hung some food in a tree close to his tent and ducked inside to escape the rain. Soon, he heard rustling.

Outside, he saw "an animal skulking beneath the food, bigger than a large dog but with different feet, a cat-like face and caramel colouring.

"I naively studied it from behind only a mosquito net as the animal crouched, watching me. After a couple of minutes it wandered off."

Later, he learnt it was a mountain lion.

"I thought lions lived in Africa. I had looked upon it as some beautiful dog. I believe the absence of fear helped me."

full_story_image_hleft2

• GREATEST LESSON: Human fragility

Cycling across the Outback, Timmis carried carefully calculated quantities of water. One day, he stopped to set up camp and realised he had lost a 10-llitre supply.

"My heart sank," he said. "I was alone in the desert with only the dregs in my bottles."

In desperation, he left the bike and ran back, scouring the road and realising how much we take for granted in the west.

"At that moment, nothing else mattered; my camera, my computer, my bike, my passport, all insignificant compared with a few litres of water." (He did find his water and so lived to tell the tale).

Timmis now plans to write a book and to give inspirational talks to encourage others to realise their dreams.