Updated on January 29th, 2007
In April 2007, I will start a bicycle ride from Japan to Mongolia. I will start by spending a month riding through Japan to see some places I never saw while I lived there in 2005-07. I will probably learn a lot about traveling by bicycle and work out any kinks before continuing to Korea.
After riding south to Fukuoka I will head to Korea via boat. I hope to figure out a way to get there by more interesting means than just a ferry... Wish me luck! Once I leave Japan my vacation will be over. My travels from then on will be part of a project related to development and/or children's issues. I have yet to decide on a project, but have many ideas (listed on the Project page).
I will work my way up through Korea by bicycle and hope to get a lot of good work done with the project I decide on. Then I'll be taking another boat over to Dalian, China, which I loved last time. The route up to Northern China should be interesting. This will lead me on a route to Mongolia through Beijing, or straight to the boarder (Gobi Desert?). I will continue the project during these travels through China.
Once through China, I will cross into Mongolia and head up to Ulan Bataar on a path through the Gobi Desert! Mongolia is the most beautiful country I've ever seen, and I am excited to get back and actually explore. Last time I was there, I stayed on the train and only saw it pass by my window. I will still be doing my project which may have morphed a little bit as I fine-tune it in Korea and China. I plan on returning to Beijing to fly out to my next destination in June/July, 2007. Where? To my next job with an NGO - possibly Europe.