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Downloaded from
YTS.MX

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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Now I understand why people
were asking if we're totally crazy.

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Cycling here in the winter.
I get it. I totally get it now.

5
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Fuckin'A...

6
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This is me.

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I'm playing around with
the slow-motion function of the camcorder

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which I will hand to these two guys
so they can film their journey.

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Keule and Otti.

10
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They're planning to go from Germany
all the way to southern Vietnam.

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By bicycle.
They'll be on the road for almost a year.

12
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Lotta crap...

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-That's my pillow!
-Pussy... I'll sleep on a rock.

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Please demonstrate.

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They've known each other for a while now.
Since high school.

16
00:02:03,292 --> 00:02:07,209
But they actually became friends
after that. On another bike tour.

17
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The year: 2008.

18
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The plan: cycling all over Europe.

19
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And us: four boys who just turned 19
and never really left home before.

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I think the idea emerged
during a bender...

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I was the last one to join the team.

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One night, we were playing cards
and after 5, 8, 20 beers

23
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I was asked if I was on board

24
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with going on a bike tour in a few months.

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You get out of school after 12 years
and you just want to be free.

26
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Do something on your own,
make new experiences.

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And not just go into that
cookie-cutter life cycle:

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School, degree, work, death.

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I just wanted to do something awesome.

30
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-ROCK'N'ROLL!!
-Keep cycling, dumb-ass...

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! was there, too. We wanted to do
a big round round-trip across Europe

32
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and visit as many countries as possible
without needing any visas.

33
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8,000 km (5,000 mi) - all by bicycle.

34
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Our project: ambitious.

35
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Our preparation: slightly lacking.

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For the first tour, I tried out my bike
once on a 15 km (10 mi) ride.

37
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My training consisted of 100 km (60 mi)
- spread over a couple of days.

38
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With no luggage.

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-Spread over how many days? 100?
-Two weeks...

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We just used simple run-off-the-mill bikes,

41
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which probably weren't made
for such a long trip.

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We made 5 km (3 mi) and Otti has another
breakdown. Somewhere on that wheel.

43
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You bring a lot of heavy stuff.
So much useless stuff that you don't need.

44
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I had two sleeping bags.

45
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-Too many shirts, too many pants.
-Throw it out!

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We just were in Konz
- south of Trier (still Germany).

47
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Sent useless stuff back home from there.

48
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For example: Money. Food. Sleeping bags.

49
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-Underpants.
-Our penises.

50
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Manuel - who planned the whole trip
- must be sent back, too.

51
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After four weeks his kneecap goes south.
He can't continue.

52
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We have to try and make it without him.

53
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If we had a road map

54
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then we might know where we actually are.

55
00:04:44,584 --> 00:04:47,501
And then we might know where
we could go to buy stuff.

56
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But we've been out here with no map for
days. We're basically somewhere in Spain.

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We had no clue what we were doing.

58
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But despite all difficulties:
quitting is not an option.

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We were pretty mouthy beforehand.
We said, "We go there

60
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and then back and such. And 8,000 km
(5,000 mi) - who cares? No problem!"

61
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If you're that arrogant,
you better deliver.

62
00:05:23,626 --> 00:05:29,334
So we go from country to country. Pitching
our tent in a different spot each day.

63
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We made it all the way to the Atlantic
on these goddamn bikes!

64
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For almost four months we live
that nomad life

65
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- facing all the challenges it brings.

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You start to notice: If there's a problem,
there's nothing you can do

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but try to solve it yourself.
And that it works more often than not

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is one of those things that you learn.

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Even with really basic equipment
and without knowing anything

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and without proper training
- only thinking, "We'll make it!"

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- We made it work!

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We were in the same year in school,
but didn't spend much time together.

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But through that trip we grew
a real friendship

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which persists to this day.
And if we're lucky even until after

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THIS tour.

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What's your plan? Your route?

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This time we want to leave the
European environment,

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so we're planning a route along the ancient
Silk Road network: Turkey, Iran...

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-Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan...
-All the way to China. And from there...

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-Thailand, Laos, Cambodia...
-To Vietnam.

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We don't want to fly or take a train
or a boat.

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We want to cycle to Vietnam,
without using any other vehicle.

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To reach Saigon, they want to cycle
15,000 km (over 9,000 mi).

84
00:07:06,959 --> 00:07:09,417
Almost twice as much as 10 years ago.

85
00:07:10,417 --> 00:07:13,917
Fuck maps, man. GPS!

86
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Never ride without a map again?

87
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Only if the batteries run out.

88
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-What is still missing?
-A cooker should arrive soon. What else?

89
00:07:24,334 --> 00:07:26,126
Oh, I'm still waiting for a bike.

90
00:07:26,126 --> 00:07:30,917
-Your bicycle's not here yet?
-Nah, but we still got a week.

91
00:07:30,917 --> 00:07:33,251
My bike's over there.

92
00:07:33,917 --> 00:07:41,001
-How many km did you go so far?
-A whopping 3 km more than last time.

93
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-18 km (11 mi).
-Enough...

94
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Do you think your lack of training
will be a problem?

95
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I hope it won't be. Let's not forget:
we're ten years older now.

96
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-You didn't break in your seat.
-That'll happen while we cycle.

97
00:07:56,626 --> 00:07:58,959
But I did grease it well.

98
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With your fat ass.

99
00:08:01,626 --> 00:08:05,167
You cunt...

100
00:08:05,376 --> 00:08:09,834
In what way is it a bigger challenge
when you do this for a whole year?

101
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-You're on the road longer.
-No shit.

102
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What about the winter?
That wasn't a problem last time.

103
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The thing is: No matter when you start,
there's always winter somewhere.

104
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They want to face that problem when
it arrives. There's also some visas

105
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that they can only get on the way.

106
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We'll see. What happens, happens...

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1st August 2018 - the start.

108
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Keule's bike has arrived on time.

109
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Each of the two carries about
25 kg (55 Ibs) of luggage.

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Head in the right direction!

111
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When starting in Heiligenstadit,
we are three.

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I'm joining the guys for the first
1,000 km (600 mi).

113
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-We didn't set out on the coolest of days.
-Nah!

114
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What did Otti say the temperature was?

115
00:09:20,084 --> 00:09:22,126
30°C (86°F) already.

116
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And over the course of the day it'll be

117
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35°C, 36°C... (95°F, 96°F)

118
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50°C! (120°F)

119
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Shit!

120
00:09:44,917 --> 00:09:49,667
The GPS is sending us up there.
Straight on, says the GPS.

121
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Gotta be kidding...

122
00:09:56,792 --> 00:10:01,709
We came up there...
Now we gotta go down here.

123
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That's bullshit...

124
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Up, down, up, down.
In this weather - shit!

125
00:10:12,834 --> 00:10:14,584
Pisses me off!

126
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I just want to share that
we made an important discovery.

127
00:10:19,584 --> 00:10:22,667
Which explains why we shit
on our GPS so much.

128
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It was set to "hiking".

129
00:10:27,834 --> 00:10:31,459
Hmmm, who went hiking using that thing?
Hmmm...

130
00:10:32,792 --> 00:10:37,834
We still had the GPS in hiking mode,
because Waldemar went hiking

131
00:10:37,834 --> 00:10:43,042
to do a test run. And none of us
even had the idea to switch modes.

132
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So we cycled on hiking trails
for the first few days.

133
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-We could have avoided some trouble.
-Definitely.

134
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We could have avoided a lot of trouble
if we had stayed home.

135
00:11:08,959 --> 00:11:12,084
We're already sweaty and exhausted.
Didn't even start yet.

136
00:11:12,417 --> 00:11:16,084
-We're so smart.
-It's 33°C (91°F) again.

137
00:11:16,459 --> 00:11:23,167
We're in the Thuringian Highlands,
stuck in some valley.

138
00:11:23,167 --> 00:11:27,917
With a river dam and a lake. That means
we have to climb out of the valley now.

139
00:11:27,917 --> 00:11:32,501
So we'll go up again. But I don't think
it'll be as tough as yesterday.

140
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-Me neither.
-Hopefully.

141
00:11:36,209 --> 00:11:38,084
Up there the road goes on.

142
00:11:55,209 --> 00:12:01,917
You need an upgrade for you bikes?
We saw you struggling.

143
00:12:02,251 --> 00:12:08,917
A lady gave us a product leaflet
for an e-bike upgrade.

144
00:12:09,292 --> 00:12:12,292
Batteries and electric engines
for our bikes.

145
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Nah...

146
00:12:17,126 --> 00:12:19,042
A 10% incline - did you see?

147
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10%?? I almost didn't push
the bike at all! Great!

148
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Day 6: the first border crossing.

149
00:12:31,959 --> 00:12:36,292
<i>It'll be a while until Otti and Keule
see Germany again.</i>

150
00:12:37,167 --> 00:12:39,459
Stretch your arm, you moron!

151
00:12:41,251 --> 00:12:43,751
Can you see the Vietnamese flag?

152
00:12:49,584 --> 00:12:53,209
Why doesn't Waldemar just take the pic...

153
00:13:02,001 --> 00:13:05,709
I have to say, it took me a while
to get back into it.

154
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You have to relearn a lot of things. And
the more time goes by the better we get.

155
00:13:10,709 --> 00:13:15,417
I can feel it. I'm not pushing my bike
on any mountain anymore.

156
00:13:16,042 --> 00:13:19,876
While there's three of us,
we sleep in a tent almost every night.

157
00:13:19,876 --> 00:13:21,334
Either off the trail...

158
00:13:22,292 --> 00:13:24,459
<i>...or on a camp site.</i>

159
00:13:24,459 --> 00:13:27,542
Will it absorb or will it stay like this?

160
00:13:28,417 --> 00:13:32,959
Always remember, kids: wear sunscreen!

161
00:13:33,834 --> 00:13:37,292
That's not exactly the most expensive one.

162
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The expensive one I lost
on a railroad crossing.

163
00:13:40,126 --> 00:13:45,084
It fell off my bike rack,
and I turn around to pick it up...

164
00:13:45,084 --> 00:13:47,417
A car already ran over it.

165
00:13:48,834 --> 00:13:51,834
Oh well. I guess it's that now.

166
00:13:53,084 --> 00:13:55,834
The sunscreen must go.

167
00:13:55,834 --> 00:14:00,126
And so do we: from Czechia to Austria.

168
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Crossing a border is always motivating.

169
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True that. Gives you a nice boost.

170
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Now the countries go in one swoop,
and then we got, like, ten years of Turkey.

171
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The longest would be China.

172
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-No doubt.
-If they let us in.

173
00:14:18,042 --> 00:14:21,917
If they let us in... that's the point.
Our visas are still uncertain.

174
00:14:22,251 --> 00:14:25,917
If the guys had gotten their
Chinese visas in Germany,

175
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they would've had to reach the border
in three months.

176
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Fairly stressful with a bike.

177
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Therefore they want to get visas
on the way.

178
00:14:35,876 --> 00:14:37,417
In the capital of Iran, Tehran.

179
00:14:37,626 --> 00:14:41,709
Once there,
their final route will be decided on.

180
00:14:41,709 --> 00:14:44,459
There's still 5,000 km (3,000 mi)
to go until then.

181
00:14:44,459 --> 00:14:47,376
Otti will have plenty of time
to break in his bike seat.

182
00:14:57,084 --> 00:15:01,251
When we stop riding in the evening,
I sometimes think,

183
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"One more hour would be awesome!"
But it gets dark, so that doesn't work.

184
00:15:05,376 --> 00:15:07,292
Just try to do a little bit more...

185
00:15:07,542 --> 00:15:10,042
So you're not already saying:

186
00:15:10,709 --> 00:15:14,292
You're sick of it? Cycling sucks?

187
00:15:14,292 --> 00:15:18,834
Of course cycling sucks!
But that doesn't mean we want to stop...

188
00:15:22,834 --> 00:15:24,167
Served with love...

189
00:15:24,167 --> 00:15:29,542
After 1,000 km (600 mi), we've reached
Hungary. I take the train back home.

190
00:15:29,542 --> 00:15:33,709
But I'll be back to visit the guys
- for the grand finale in South East Asia,

191
00:15:33,709 --> 00:15:37,417
and once in the middle.
We'll see where that will be.

192
00:15:37,584 --> 00:15:42,334
For now, Otti and Keule travel as a pair
- along the Danube cycling route.

193
00:15:42,542 --> 00:15:45,376
Filming is wholly on them now.

194
00:15:48,792 --> 00:15:53,959
Morning! At the Danube.

195
00:15:55,292 --> 00:15:59,376
When we wanted to buy groceries
for breakfast, all the shops were closed.

196
00:15:59,376 --> 00:16:04,917
So we bought these wonderful protein bars
and other crap at the gas station

197
00:16:04,917 --> 00:16:07,626
which will be our lovely breakfast today.

198
00:16:07,834 --> 00:16:12,251
-With mocha flavour. Coffee included.
-Two for one, exactly.

199
00:16:12,251 --> 00:16:15,209
And of course - for a real
athlete's breakfast...

200
00:16:18,417 --> 00:16:20,667
Yep, and a cig, of course!

201
00:16:21,959 --> 00:16:24,542
How much do you smoke now?

202
00:16:24,792 --> 00:16:27,876
Dude, Waldemar, you goddamn bastard!

203
00:16:27,876 --> 00:16:30,459
I'm sending them questions
over the net now.

204
00:16:30,459 --> 00:16:36,292
In the beginning I was so ambitious.
I thought I'd quit smoking for a while.

205
00:16:36,501 --> 00:16:39,042
Get away from that.
And that worked for 3 days,

206
00:16:39,042 --> 00:16:42,667
because Waldemar bought so many cigs.
All the time.

207
00:16:42,667 --> 00:16:44,876
And he smoked one after the other.

208
00:16:44,876 --> 00:16:49,501
Of course, we all started smoking. Keule
had quit completely when we started...

209
00:16:49,667 --> 00:16:53,084
So again, Waldemar: thank you a lot,

210
00:16:53,251 --> 00:16:54,334
you stupid asshole.

211
00:16:54,501 --> 00:16:59,292
Kidding! Waldemar will probably
edit all the curse words in.

212
00:17:01,959 --> 00:17:06,834
Day 23: The guys leave the Schengen Area
and enter Serbia.

213
00:17:07,709 --> 00:17:10,542
The first passport control on this trip,

214
00:17:10,751 --> 00:17:13,084
and the first country they've both
never been to.

215
00:17:17,792 --> 00:17:20,709
And here they have their first flat tire.

216
00:17:22,209 --> 00:17:25,376
I hoped we'd make 2,000 km (1,200 mi)
without a breakdown, but no!

217
00:17:26,084 --> 00:17:32,834
-These are the flat-less Schwalbe-tires...
-They're actually good tires.

218
00:17:32,834 --> 00:17:36,834
They're great! But I still don't know
what punctured it.

219
00:17:36,834 --> 00:17:40,292
Looked like a thorn or a dog's tooth.

220
00:17:40,917 --> 00:17:44,584
We pushed our bikes to a small workshop

221
00:17:44,584 --> 00:17:47,959
which was owned by the town's mayor.

222
00:17:47,959 --> 00:17:52,376
Good bikes! Trusty, for sure!

223
00:17:52,584 --> 00:17:56,001
We took the wheel out. He changed the tire.

224
00:17:56,001 --> 00:18:00,042
-Tobias was allowed to help.
-Yeah I was... with my own bike.

225
00:18:02,917 --> 00:18:08,501
So many people dropped by,
all were eager to help.

226
00:18:08,501 --> 00:18:11,501
They were really interested:
What are these guys doing?

227
00:18:11,667 --> 00:18:18,084
Even though Otti and Keule are by far
not the only cyclists on that route.

228
00:18:19,126 --> 00:18:24,709
Oh yeah, one more thing:
We met a French guy yesterday.

229
00:18:25,042 --> 00:18:28,084
-Bonjour, Monsieur!
-Bonjour!

230
00:18:28,751 --> 00:18:31,001
We found Mad Max on the road...

231
00:18:31,209 --> 00:18:35,792
He built his bike solely
from recycled materials.

232
00:18:35,959 --> 00:18:38,792
He said the bike was 30 Euros.

233
00:18:38,792 --> 00:18:43,126
All the stuff, it was all recycled.
But the coolest feature on his bike

234
00:18:43,126 --> 00:18:49,501
was a box which was mounted
in the back on the left side.

235
00:18:49,501 --> 00:18:53,001
And that was his kitchen / office.

236
00:18:54,292 --> 00:19:00,376
So this is my desk. I have a little
chair here, so I'm sitting, writing...

237
00:19:00,542 --> 00:19:02,334
That's so cool! Awesome!

238
00:19:02,334 --> 00:19:05,292
A few Serbs we met thought
he had chickens in there

239
00:19:05,292 --> 00:19:09,001
so he can have fresh eggs every day.

240
00:19:10,251 --> 00:19:14,209
Awesome guy. We cycled together
for a couple of kilometers.

241
00:19:20,209 --> 00:19:23,209
And after a while he stopped and said,

242
00:19:23,751 --> 00:19:26,334
"Wow, it's beautiful here!

243
00:19:26,334 --> 00:19:28,209
I'll just sleep here today.”

244
00:19:30,376 --> 00:19:34,459
It's pretty cool!
It's nice when you're not the only one.

245
00:19:34,459 --> 00:19:39,167
When there are people who understand

246
00:19:39,167 --> 00:19:40,834
why you do crazy stuff.

247
00:19:40,834 --> 00:19:43,209
Like cycling to Vietnam.

248
00:19:46,209 --> 00:19:49,917
Through the Iron Gates
they go from Serbia to Romania.

249
00:19:49,917 --> 00:19:52,626
2,000 km (1,200 mi) are behind them.

250
00:19:52,626 --> 00:19:56,917
13,000 km (8,000 mi) more to come -
during which Keule has to

251
00:19:56,917 --> 00:19:59,751
come to terms with the fact that Otti
is the polar opposite of an early bird.

252
00:20:00,917 --> 00:20:03,126
Tobias, nectarine?

253
00:20:03,292 --> 00:20:04,209
Not now.

254
00:20:04,626 --> 00:20:06,876
Tobias, cereal bar?

255
00:20:06,876 --> 00:20:08,542
Also no.

256
00:20:09,334 --> 00:20:10,626
Tobias, coffee?

257
00:20:10,626 --> 00:20:11,542
Yes, please.

258
00:20:12,084 --> 00:20:13,084
Then make one.

259
00:20:13,084 --> 00:20:14,584
Shit, fuck you!

260
00:20:15,459 --> 00:20:20,251
So we ended up in Romania,
and the South is Wallachia and that is...

261
00:20:20,417 --> 00:20:21,667
That's Wallachia.

262
00:20:26,751 --> 00:20:32,042
Nothing but fields left and right.
Sometimes a horse cart.

263
00:20:37,376 --> 00:20:43,167
You always have to dodge horse shit
on the road. It's kinda funny...

264
00:20:47,084 --> 00:20:48,584
There's nothing here.

265
00:20:49,792 --> 00:20:51,792
Except headwind, yeah...

266
00:20:52,751 --> 00:20:57,959
It's the second month, and touring
is turning into their daily life.

267
00:20:57,959 --> 00:21:02,167
What is - in one sentence -
your daily routine?

268
00:21:02,167 --> 00:21:03,959
In one sentence?

269
00:21:04,626 --> 00:21:06,834
We get up late.

270
00:21:09,251 --> 00:21:13,667
Cycle for 40-50 km (25-30 mi).

271
00:21:13,876 --> 00:21:17,001
Take a break and look for some food.

272
00:21:17,001 --> 00:21:21,584
Then cylce another 50 km (30 mi) or more...

273
00:21:21,584 --> 00:21:25,084
-Or less!
-... and then look for a place to sleep.

274
00:21:25,876 --> 00:21:28,917
Well, that wasn't exactly
one sentence, Waldemar.

275
00:21:28,917 --> 00:21:33,459
Here we go: We get up, we cycle,
we arrive, we sleep,

276
00:21:33,459 --> 00:21:37,501
we get up, we cycle, we arrive, we sleep.

277
00:21:39,584 --> 00:21:43,459
They hope to find more variety
- at least as far as scenery is concerned -

278
00:21:43,459 --> 00:21:49,334
in the hills of Bulgaria. Or Thrace,
as the region was called in ancient times.

279
00:21:53,292 --> 00:21:54,042
Good day!

280
00:21:54,709 --> 00:21:55,501
Good day!

281
00:22:15,792 --> 00:22:18,334
Thrace is cold, fuck me!

282
00:22:18,334 --> 00:22:21,167
That's why Spartacus was such a hard-ass.

283
00:22:21,334 --> 00:22:23,667
-But the landscape is nice.
-That's true.

284
00:22:23,667 --> 00:22:25,709
One has to admit - it's very Thracian.

285
00:22:26,126 --> 00:22:28,667
It all came to a Thracig ending...

286
00:22:30,459 --> 00:22:33,084
Well, Thrace! Where do you lead us?

287
00:22:38,209 --> 00:22:41,292
Thrace used to reach
all the way to the Bosporus.

288
00:22:41,501 --> 00:22:42,251
You don't say.

289
00:22:42,459 --> 00:22:44,959
So we stay with the Thracians.

290
00:22:45,834 --> 00:22:49,042
Til we go to Asia.

291
00:22:49,042 --> 00:22:52,876
Right, it's not far til we switch
continents for the first time.

292
00:22:53,084 --> 00:22:56,959
-Maybe 200 km (120 mi) left...
-Also switch continents for the last time.

293
00:22:56,959 --> 00:22:58,751
Why?

294
00:23:01,334 --> 00:23:06,376
We had a nice and smooth tour start,
with a continuous increase.

295
00:23:07,417 --> 00:23:11,792
And now we wait for the things to come.

296
00:23:12,084 --> 00:23:18,376
It's pretty interesting that
there's no real cultural shock

297
00:23:18,376 --> 00:23:27,917
because we travel so slowly. And so
the culture changes little by little.

298
00:23:33,084 --> 00:23:38,042
-Borders kinda overlap.
-It's interesting.

299
00:23:38,042 --> 00:23:42,542
It's not like you're suddenly
in Turkey or Vietnam or wherever.

300
00:23:42,542 --> 00:23:50,251
You always get a little closer
- things change in tiny steps.

301
00:23:50,251 --> 00:23:54,417
So you don't really realize it.
It's a fluent transition.

302
00:23:54,417 --> 00:23:58,334
And that's pretty interesting
to see and experience.

303
00:23:59,084 --> 00:24:02,584
-Istanbul!
-Obviously!

304
00:24:02,584 --> 00:24:06,417
Istanbul, the Gateway to the East.
Now the tour really starts!

305
00:24:06,667 --> 00:24:10,334
Motivation comes from the progress we make.

306
00:24:10,334 --> 00:24:15,292
That's cool. We don't want to stay
in one place. The only way now is forward.

307
00:24:29,626 --> 00:24:34,834
That's just awesome. Having your
morning coffee in front of the tent.

308
00:24:35,251 --> 00:24:40,459
It's no fun in those hotels. You sit
at the table, all fancy with your...

309
00:24:40,459 --> 00:24:43,709
-With your pants on.
-With your pants, exactly...

310
00:24:44,209 --> 00:24:47,001
But it has its advantages
to not sleep in a tent.

311
00:24:47,001 --> 00:24:52,584
It's September. The days get shorter.
The nights get colder.

312
00:24:52,584 --> 00:24:56,834
Otti and Keule frequent guest houses,
hostels, and hotels more often now.

313
00:24:56,834 --> 00:25:00,251
Those get more affordable
the further east they go.

314
00:25:00,251 --> 00:25:03,417
...some bum dropped his stuff here!

315
00:25:05,417 --> 00:25:09,667
The guys enjoy the luxury of real beds
with increasing frequency.

316
00:25:10,001 --> 00:25:16,001
I'd say we charter a private plane
tomorrow and fly straight to Vietnam.

317
00:25:16,001 --> 00:25:18,417
That's probably better.

318
00:25:21,334 --> 00:25:24,501
Instead of setting up their tent
in the hinterlands

319
00:25:24,501 --> 00:25:27,792
Otti and Keule spend more time
in towns and cities.

320
00:25:27,792 --> 00:25:31,084
Like Safranbolu, for example.

321
00:25:35,417 --> 00:25:40,209
I've seen that in a TV documentary.
It's UNESCO world heritage

322
00:25:40,209 --> 00:25:45,167
because it was an important hub
on the Silk Road.

323
00:25:45,626 --> 00:25:49,084
There are many medieval timbered houses -
Konaks.

324
00:25:49,084 --> 00:25:53,001
And also a caravanserai
from the 17th century.

325
00:25:58,084 --> 00:26:01,542
Thy guys take a day off
and pay the local barber a visit.

326
00:26:01,751 --> 00:26:04,084
Which is long overdue.

327
00:26:04,459 --> 00:26:05,167
Total?

328
00:26:21,042 --> 00:26:22,959
Do you want to drink tea?

329
00:26:28,542 --> 00:26:32,501
Hey! I almost look human again!

330
00:26:32,501 --> 00:26:33,709
If you think so...

331
00:26:56,501 --> 00:27:02,209
We startet out so well. We had only one
flat tire in the first 3,000 km (1,900 mi).

332
00:27:02,417 --> 00:27:03,459
That was in Serbia.

333
00:27:04,084 --> 00:27:08,584
The breakdowns have multiplied since then.

334
00:27:09,001 --> 00:27:12,209
No mayor here to change the tire.

335
00:27:12,209 --> 00:27:14,001
Day 60: Otti has a flat tire.

336
00:27:14,584 --> 00:27:19,167
Shit. It doesn't fit through the rim.
I bought the wrong valve.

337
00:27:19,167 --> 00:27:22,126
Can't just quickly change the tube.
Otti has to patch

338
00:27:22,126 --> 00:27:25,001
until he finds tubes with
a French valve somewhere.

339
00:27:25,001 --> 00:27:30,417
-Let's see how many there'll be in the end.
-Nothing but patches!

340
00:27:34,292 --> 00:27:35,709
Onwards!

341
00:27:39,042 --> 00:27:42,959
Day 62: Otti's chain rips.

342
00:27:43,459 --> 00:27:48,209
That sucks, man. Sucks ass.
I never changed a chain before.

343
00:27:48,209 --> 00:27:53,126
It's really the first time.
I've only watched a tutorial on YouTube...

344
00:27:54,126 --> 00:27:57,501
Shit. Hold that.

345
00:27:58,084 --> 00:28:03,334
It's 1 p.m. and we made... 4 km (2.5 mi).

346
00:28:03,584 --> 00:28:09,167
Day 67: Another flat for Otti.
These tires are supposedly flat-free.

347
00:28:09,167 --> 00:28:12,751
But they're pretty worn-out
from the heavy usage.

348
00:28:12,917 --> 00:28:19,834
The less tread there is
the easier it gets punctured

349
00:28:20,084 --> 00:28:24,459
by whatever's on the road. In Turkey,
there's so much glass on the roads.

350
00:28:24,667 --> 00:28:26,709
Found a diamond!

351
00:28:28,334 --> 00:28:30,751
Now you drop it there,
then ride right over it.

352
00:28:30,959 --> 00:28:35,626
Day 72: It's finally Keule's turn.
Twice in a row.

353
00:28:35,626 --> 00:28:41,501
The guys cycle to the Black Sea coast.
There's some bigger cities and bike shops.

354
00:28:41,501 --> 00:28:43,667
There, they hope to find some spares.

355
00:28:43,667 --> 00:28:50,667
This sucks, no doubt.
28 inch is not exactly popular here.

356
00:28:50,667 --> 00:28:54,709
These are the only ones we found.
Thy seem a little suspicious...

357
00:28:54,709 --> 00:28:59,126
Like they aren't too sturdy.
We think about getting one anyway.

358
00:28:59,126 --> 00:29:03,751
As a spare. Just in case anything breaks.

359
00:29:03,751 --> 00:29:07,167
Spare parts
might be hard to come by in Iran.

360
00:29:07,167 --> 00:29:12,167
I'll bring new tires and other parts
when [ meet the guys in three months.

361
00:29:12,167 --> 00:29:16,959
It's still unclear where that will be.
They still have no visas for China,

362
00:29:16,959 --> 00:29:21,042
but also Turkmenistan.
They want to get them in Tehran.

363
00:29:21,042 --> 00:29:24,084
So they have to leave the coast again.

364
00:29:24,084 --> 00:29:28,834
That means we gotta go into
the mountains next - towards Iran.

365
00:29:28,834 --> 00:29:35,459
And that includes a mountain pass
at about 2,500 m (8,200 ft).

366
00:29:35,959 --> 00:29:39,084
Starting from zero...

367
00:29:41,126 --> 00:29:43,001
-That'll be fun!
-Uh-huh...

368
00:29:45,459 --> 00:29:47,209
Let's go into the mountains!

369
00:30:04,084 --> 00:30:08,876
-Up the road here...
-Yeah, up there is the only hotel.

370
00:30:08,876 --> 00:30:15,417
Speaking from experience, it's booked out,
we gotta go back and find a hotel up there.

371
00:30:15,709 --> 00:30:20,084
The hotel we just went to
is a student dorm now.

372
00:30:20,084 --> 00:30:28,584
So we gotta go up that hill now...

373
00:30:32,667 --> 00:30:35,251
Let's go! Go!

374
00:30:38,584 --> 00:30:42,334
Turn right into [road name].

375
00:30:42,876 --> 00:30:50,001
And we were cracking jokes earlier...
The building still said "Hotel", but now

376
00:30:50,001 --> 00:30:53,292
it's the girl's dorm of the university.

377
00:30:53,292 --> 00:30:55,542
And they didn't wanna let us in.

378
00:31:03,334 --> 00:31:08,042
We came up the winding road from
down there, went over there,

379
00:31:08,042 --> 00:31:10,959
back there and up here.

380
00:31:19,459 --> 00:31:21,167
Cool shit.

381
00:31:25,084 --> 00:31:27,959
That makes all the efforts worth it.

382
00:31:27,959 --> 00:31:30,042
-Nope!
-Nah, not really.

383
00:31:30,792 --> 00:31:38,251
Well! It's twelve o'clock. Too late again.
And now we'll head up to the mountain pass.

384
00:31:38,626 --> 00:31:40,042
I don't wanna go!

385
00:31:40,251 --> 00:31:44,167
No way! But hey,
it's just 1,500 m (5,000 ft).

386
00:31:44,376 --> 00:31:48,792
Gotta climb 1,500 m (5,000 ft) in altitude,
uphill for 25 km (15 mi), pals!

387
00:31:49,542 --> 00:31:51,751
I don't wanna...

388
00:31:52,251 --> 00:31:53,501
Uaaarrghh...

389
00:31:53,501 --> 00:31:57,001
I hate cycling so much, dude...

390
00:32:00,001 --> 00:32:03,292
It's... tough...

391
00:32:04,959 --> 00:32:07,917
Crawling up here with walking pace...

392
00:32:21,251 --> 00:32:23,667
1,000 m (3,300 ft) to go.

393
00:32:30,542 --> 00:32:32,917
Have you ever been
that far up in your life?

394
00:32:32,917 --> 00:32:34,709
A thousand times.

395
00:32:36,709 --> 00:32:39,667
I think I've never been
at 2,500 m (8,000 ft) before.

396
00:32:39,834 --> 00:32:42,001
-You still aren't.
-Yeah...

397
00:32:56,626 --> 00:32:57,917
Shit...

398
00:33:00,584 --> 00:33:06,376
The air is getting thinner.
We're above the tree line.

399
00:33:07,376 --> 00:33:10,667
Just a couple more hundred meters...
in altitude.

400
00:33:11,042 --> 00:33:13,126
Shit...

401
00:33:27,417 --> 00:33:29,292
Almost there.

402
00:33:40,251 --> 00:33:44,376
Yo, yo. So, almost 2,500 m (8,000 ft)...

403
00:34:14,626 --> 00:34:19,501
After that we descended to 1,700 m
(5,600 ft). That was more pleasant.

404
00:34:20,459 --> 00:34:22,251
Descents are always better.

405
00:34:23,167 --> 00:34:27,751
Through the East Anatolian High Plains
they head towards Iran.

406
00:34:28,126 --> 00:34:32,792
A country that doesn't exactly have
a splendid reputation in western media.

407
00:34:37,876 --> 00:34:40,959
Right behind the border
they are greeted by donkeys...

408
00:34:41,251 --> 00:34:43,209
...and camels...

409
00:34:43,584 --> 00:34:45,584
...and truck drivers.

410
00:34:46,417 --> 00:34:48,459
Greeting is a popular thing to do here.

411
00:34:49,167 --> 00:34:51,626
And Otti greets the tarmac.

412
00:34:54,167 --> 00:34:57,751
-Dude, ouch!
-Show me!

413
00:34:59,834 --> 00:35:03,626
It's these damn grooves on the
side of the road. I ran right into one.

414
00:35:04,126 --> 00:35:06,751
Could've broken my bones
- you wouldn't have noticed.

415
00:35:06,751 --> 00:35:09,751
You'd have arrived in Qazvin
and I'd be over there...

416
00:35:09,751 --> 00:35:13,167
Well, if you'd lying there,
I would've noticed.

417
00:35:13,167 --> 00:35:14,584
I was lying there!

418
00:35:15,792 --> 00:35:20,001
Otti has already been to Iran once,
two years prior - by plane.

419
00:35:20,209 --> 00:35:22,626
For Keule, everything's totally new.

420
00:35:22,834 --> 00:35:25,834
Keule, what strikes you about Iran?

421
00:35:25,834 --> 00:35:28,584
The same thing that strikes every visitor.

422
00:35:28,584 --> 00:35:33,084
That people are extremely hospitable
and overall friendly.

423
00:35:33,876 --> 00:35:38,001
-China, then to Vietnam.
—Vietnam?

424
00:35:38,001 --> 00:35:41,667
So the openness of the people,
and the hospitality.

425
00:35:41,667 --> 00:35:43,876
We've been invited several times.

426
00:35:43,876 --> 00:35:46,292
Lunch, lodging, tea.

427
00:35:46,751 --> 00:35:49,292
They just give you fruits everywhere.

428
00:35:49,292 --> 00:35:52,001
Yesterday, we got two pomegranates.

429
00:35:52,001 --> 00:35:55,709
-Too bad I dropped mine.
- I forgot mine at the hotel.

430
00:35:56,917 --> 00:36:02,584
And while still eating their fruit
in the parking lot, they get invited again.

431
00:36:03,084 --> 00:36:06,876
Dude, you just sit in a parking lot
and a guy shows up with soup

432
00:36:06,876 --> 00:36:09,542
and just gives them to you.
That's off the hook!

433
00:36:18,376 --> 00:36:20,417
Thank you, thank you!

434
00:36:20,876 --> 00:36:27,292
He just made it clear that we're not
allowed to pay under any circumstances.

435
00:36:28,209 --> 00:36:30,834
-Or we'll get in trouble.
-We will.

436
00:36:31,251 --> 00:36:34,667
-Are you nuts!?
-Who's supposed to eat all this?

437
00:36:35,834 --> 00:36:40,584
One could easily take advantage
of this generosity. But cautiousness

438
00:36:40,584 --> 00:36:44,917
is appropriate since it's a cultural form
of civility called Taarof.

439
00:36:44,917 --> 00:36:46,667
Tell me about Taarof!

440
00:36:46,667 --> 00:36:49,251
Taarof, let's see...

441
00:36:49,876 --> 00:36:53,459
If you get offered something,
or make an offer yourself,

442
00:36:53,459 --> 00:36:57,042
it's expected that the offer
is declined first.

443
00:36:57,042 --> 00:37:00,042
Usually one, two, three times.

444
00:37:00,501 --> 00:37:05,251
Otti said that, sometimes,
it's like that even in the shops.

445
00:37:05,251 --> 00:37:08,126
You buy something and they say,
"Nah, we're good. Be my guest!"

446
00:37:08,126 --> 00:37:14,167
But, of course, you have to say, "Okay,
thanks - but of course I'm paying you."

447
00:37:14,167 --> 00:37:18,334
But he simply did not want our money.
And we asked him, like, five times.

448
00:37:18,959 --> 00:37:22,792
The guys reach Tehran, Iran's capital.

449
00:37:22,792 --> 00:37:26,709
Here, they'll try to handle
the remaining visas.

450
00:37:26,959 --> 00:37:32,084
Over 8.5 million people live here.
Including the suburbs, it's 15 million.

451
00:37:32,084 --> 00:37:36,626
They find accommodation in a hostel
- in a yurt in the inner yard.

452
00:37:36,626 --> 00:37:40,417
Like real nomads,
we have electricity in our yurt.

453
00:37:40,417 --> 00:37:42,834
-And WiFi!
-And air condition...

454
00:37:43,792 --> 00:37:48,042
What they don't have is alcohol.
It's illegal in Iran.

455
00:37:48,042 --> 00:37:50,209
This beer is non-alcoholic.

456
00:37:50,209 --> 00:37:51,251
Really good!

457
00:37:51,501 --> 00:37:55,001
They meet David - a German-speaking
Belgian.

458
00:37:55,001 --> 00:37:57,876
He's been traveling in Iran for two months.

459
00:37:57,876 --> 00:38:02,626
I'm always happy to meet Germans
so I can speak German for a bit.

460
00:38:02,626 --> 00:38:05,792
Or talk about German or Belgian topics.

461
00:38:06,751 --> 00:38:11,251
Otti and Keule's main topic are
all the appointments at the embassies.

462
00:38:11,459 --> 00:38:14,584
For China, they need a three-month-visa.

463
00:38:14,584 --> 00:38:20,167
Usually, that requires a detailed itinerary
with flight tickets and hotel bookings.

464
00:38:20,167 --> 00:38:24,501
Tricky if you're cycling and never know
where you'll be at the end of the day.

465
00:38:24,501 --> 00:38:27,584
But the Chinese embassy tells them

466
00:38:27,584 --> 00:38:32,251
that they only need a consular confirmation
from the German embassy.

467
00:38:32,251 --> 00:38:34,584
Then, it's supposedly super easy.

468
00:38:34,792 --> 00:38:37,584
Turkmenistan is a bit more complicated.

469
00:38:38,251 --> 00:38:43,459
We went to apply for visas, and there's
a hole in the wall with a step in front.

470
00:38:43,709 --> 00:38:49,459
You put your head through
So you can understand the nice gentleman.

471
00:38:49,751 --> 00:38:52,876
You write a letter by hand to the--

472
00:38:52,876 --> 00:38:57,667
To the president, to ask for
audience in his nice country.

473
00:38:57,876 --> 00:38:58,959
Sweet...

474
00:38:58,959 --> 00:39:02,084
That's dope! A handwritten letter...

475
00:39:02,376 --> 00:39:04,084
Does he read them all?

476
00:39:04,084 --> 00:39:07,459
-Well, if I was president, I'd do that.
-Sure, so much fan mail!

477
00:39:07,459 --> 00:39:08,334
Read them all.

478
00:39:08,334 --> 00:39:10,417
Answer them all...

479
00:39:11,459 --> 00:39:15,501
But actually getting a visa
seems to be a matter of luck.

480
00:39:15,667 --> 00:39:20,334
We heard from other people
that they were just denied without reason.

481
00:39:20,334 --> 00:39:24,917
Or they applied for visas
three or four times

482
00:39:24,917 --> 00:39:26,876
and just didn't get them.

483
00:39:27,126 --> 00:39:31,251
In the end, it's just a transit visa
which is valid for exactly five days.

484
00:39:31,501 --> 00:39:34,167
Processing time: up to ten days.

485
00:39:34,709 --> 00:39:43,001
We'll be here in Tehran for at least
one more week, waiting for our visas.

486
00:39:43,001 --> 00:39:46,042
But for now, we'll go see the city.

487
00:39:46,626 --> 00:39:50,626
They join a sightseeing tour
- with other people from the hostel.

488
00:39:50,834 --> 00:39:54,626
This one in yoghurt. It's mint!
Crush it and put it in yoghurt...

489
00:39:55,126 --> 00:39:57,251
They're being guided by Kuya.

490
00:39:58,584 --> 00:40:01,251
Brains and tongues.

491
00:40:05,042 --> 00:40:08,209
-You cannot take any video inside.
—Okay, sure.

492
00:40:09,334 --> 00:40:13,292
They visit places like
the former US embassy,

493
00:40:13,292 --> 00:40:19,042
the site of the famous hostage situation
after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

494
00:40:19,626 --> 00:40:25,209
And a museum dedicated to
the war with Iraq in the 1980s.

495
00:40:25,584 --> 00:40:30,001
Here, even the trash cans
have an ideological role to play.

496
00:40:31,167 --> 00:40:36,459
So, here, behind me, you can see
these cars, these exploded cars.

497
00:40:36,667 --> 00:40:41,167
They belonged to
Iranian nuclear scientists.

498
00:40:41,376 --> 00:40:45,001
They were assassinated by Mossad.

499
00:40:46,251 --> 00:40:52,834
Martyrs, they consider people who die
in the way for... in the way of God.

500
00:40:54,501 --> 00:40:57,001
[impossible to translate]

501
00:40:57,001 --> 00:41:00,376
[But it's a really clever joke, trust me.]

502
00:41:01,376 --> 00:41:04,251
Finally, they visit the Roof of Tehran -

503
00:41:04,459 --> 00:41:07,751
a lookout point in the mountains
north of the city.

504
00:41:08,251 --> 00:41:11,626
Bungee Jumping Tower!

505
00:41:13,251 --> 00:41:15,751
If you are willing to jump!

506
00:41:15,751 --> 00:41:17,917
You go first!

507
00:41:22,542 --> 00:41:28,917
There's much to see in Tehran. But mainly,
Otti and Keule are here to get visas.

508
00:41:29,126 --> 00:41:33,126
If that doesn't work out, they have to
rethink their route to Saigon:

509
00:41:33,334 --> 00:41:35,584
via Kazakhstan or India.

510
00:41:36,251 --> 00:41:42,084
But nothing happens. Especially the Turkmen
embassy takes its sweet time.

511
00:41:42,501 --> 00:41:46,709
We were supposed to go to the embassy
yesterday and ask about our visas.

512
00:41:47,376 --> 00:41:52,584
How far they are in the process.
Just to inquire once more.

513
00:41:53,626 --> 00:41:57,626
So we went back there yesterday.
And there was a sign,

514
00:41:57,626 --> 00:42:06,001
"Hello! We're closed until next Monday."
Almost a week.

515
00:42:06,917 --> 00:42:10,042
-Just like that. Out of nowhere.
-Because reasons.

516
00:42:10,417 --> 00:42:16,251
Turkmenistan is really eager to
welcome foreign travelers.

517
00:42:16,251 --> 00:42:19,376
Yeah. They got the hots for us.

518
00:42:19,959 --> 00:42:23,042
That process has been
dragging on for two weeks now.

519
00:42:23,459 --> 00:42:28,501
We're sitting in the hostel,
doing nothing. And every day we wait

520
00:42:28,501 --> 00:42:31,376
for those two to leave, but they just stay.

521
00:42:38,084 --> 00:42:42,334
You always have to get up late here.
Have breakfast and then do nothing.

522
00:42:46,417 --> 00:42:50,126
Then go to an embassy.
Turn in a paper or pick one up.

523
00:42:52,126 --> 00:42:55,334
Sometimes, the embassy is closed.
Really depends...

524
00:42:58,709 --> 00:43:04,209
These spinning tops are a lot like our
days here. It all goes round in circles.

525
00:43:07,042 --> 00:43:12,209
After almost three weeks in Tehran, the
Turkmen embassy finally makes a decision.

526
00:43:12,917 --> 00:43:14,334
We got our visas!

527
00:43:14,626 --> 00:43:16,042
Well, not yet.

528
00:43:16,042 --> 00:43:18,959
Yeah - but they confirmed it.

529
00:43:18,959 --> 00:43:21,959
We can pick them up tomorrow.
Same with the Chinese visas.

530
00:43:21,959 --> 00:43:26,917
All those other options we considered...

531
00:43:26,917 --> 00:43:31,251
What'll we do if we don't get those visas?
- That's all done now.

532
00:43:31,251 --> 00:43:34,251
They can stick to their original plan.

533
00:43:34,459 --> 00:43:38,126
According to their visas, they have to
enter Turkmenistan in 12 days

534
00:43:38,334 --> 00:43:39,667
and leave after 5 days.

535
00:43:39,876 --> 00:43:44,042
Meaning they have 17 days to conquer
1,500 km (900 mi).

536
00:43:44,251 --> 00:43:46,792
Mostly through the desert.

537
00:43:47,751 --> 00:43:51,417
What if one of you gets sick
and has to stay in bed for three days?

538
00:43:51,626 --> 00:43:52,792
It's a tight frame.

539
00:43:53,001 --> 00:43:56,334
Then we gotta write
another letter to the president.

540
00:43:56,501 --> 00:43:58,376
Do the bunny hop!

541
00:44:00,042 --> 00:44:05,167
I liked the stay in this hostel.
We had a really good time here.

542
00:44:05,167 --> 00:44:09,001
Even if it was three weeks, and our break
was a lot longer than planned.

543
00:44:09,001 --> 00:44:13,751
We'd love to stay here a little longer.
But tomorrow, we definitely have to go.

544
00:44:13,751 --> 00:44:16,917
Definitely. Still a long way to go.

545
00:44:17,709 --> 00:44:22,292
A long way to go through the desert
- about 1,500 km (900 mi).

546
00:44:26,501 --> 00:44:29,751
Lovely weather today! Yeah!

547
00:44:30,709 --> 00:44:36,084
The scenery is very lovely, too.
So diverse.

548
00:44:40,626 --> 00:44:45,542
This brainless pedaling through the desert
is just so goddamn pointless...

549
00:44:45,751 --> 00:44:48,501
Actually going somewhere
is the worst part of traveling,

550
00:44:48,709 --> 00:44:51,167
but we turned it into our main task.

551
00:44:51,376 --> 00:44:54,334
-Yeah, pretty dumb.
-Pretty dumb, indeed.

552
00:44:54,334 --> 00:44:58,334
So you see: We have a lotta fun...
Highly motivated...

553
00:45:03,251 --> 00:45:07,001
Oh well, that would have been too easy.

554
00:45:13,001 --> 00:45:18,001
No more tread. Waldemar,
hurry up, for real!

555
00:45:18,209 --> 00:45:20,792
I'll be visiting the guys in Kyrgyzstan,

556
00:45:21,001 --> 00:45:23,251
with new tires,
and Otti's girlfriend Luisa.

557
00:45:23,459 --> 00:45:27,126
But that's still four weeks and
2,000 km (1,200 mi) away.

558
00:45:27,334 --> 00:45:30,001
Until then, Otti and Keule
are on their own.

559
00:45:30,876 --> 00:45:33,792
The Kavir Desert is full
of old caravanserai.

560
00:45:33,792 --> 00:45:37,376
Ruins from the ancient times
of the Silk Road.

561
00:45:37,376 --> 00:45:41,376
But real towns or accommodations are rare.

562
00:45:42,334 --> 00:45:47,292
And so the guys lodge at a truck stop
- in the prayer room.

563
00:45:50,126 --> 00:45:52,417
Get up, bitch!

564
00:45:58,626 --> 00:46:02,459
And to avoid having to sleep
in the desert the following night,

565
00:46:02,459 --> 00:46:05,459
they try to set a new daily record.

566
00:46:06,417 --> 00:46:09,709
Well, my friend! 92 km (57 mi)!
Not even half...

567
00:46:09,709 --> 00:46:11,792
Shit...

568
00:46:20,876 --> 00:46:23,292
The sun is gone.

569
00:46:23,792 --> 00:46:26,417
But we still have 40 km (25 mi) to go.

570
00:46:37,167 --> 00:46:40,917
We pulled the longest stage ever!

571
00:46:40,917 --> 00:46:45,376
Well, the longest stage of my life
and also Matthias' life.

572
00:46:45,376 --> 00:46:51,167
We did, lo and behold, 213 km (132 mi)
today.

573
00:46:51,334 --> 00:46:53,042
That's exactly how I feel now...

574
00:46:53,042 --> 00:46:56,626
213 km (132 mi), dude! Come on! Yeah!

575
00:46:58,292 --> 00:47:01,042
The Turkmen border.

576
00:47:01,042 --> 00:47:05,126
Despite all the positive memories
the guys made in Iran

577
00:47:05,126 --> 00:47:08,376
- one thing was clearly missing there.

578
00:47:22,167 --> 00:47:23,667
Don't give a fuck.

579
00:47:24,417 --> 00:47:26,334
I'm losing my shit, dude!

580
00:47:26,334 --> 00:47:33,209
After six weeks - the first real beer
that doesn't taste like some malty fake!

581
00:47:35,001 --> 00:47:38,667
Hey, turn off the camera.
We don't wanna tape illegal activities.

582
00:47:38,667 --> 00:47:44,751
In Turkmenistan, smoking in public
is prohibited. Alcohol is not.

583
00:47:48,792 --> 00:47:53,167
The no-smoking-policy was started
by former president Saparmurat Niyazov,

584
00:47:53,167 --> 00:47:56,584
after he got seriously ill
from smoking too much.

585
00:47:56,584 --> 00:47:59,251
He also renamed the days and the months,

586
00:47:59,251 --> 00:48:03,626
after, for instance, his mother,
and a book he wrote.

587
00:48:04,251 --> 00:48:09,334
The current president Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedow reinstated the old names.

588
00:48:09,334 --> 00:48:14,667
But he made importing black cars illegal,
'cause he doesn't like the color, allegedly

589
00:48:15,001 --> 00:48:20,334
Very weird vibes here...
And all those pompous buildings.

590
00:48:20,334 --> 00:48:23,501
-No idea if they're actually in use.
-No idea.

591
00:48:23,501 --> 00:48:28,251
It's weird here.
You hardly see any people in the streets.

592
00:48:28,251 --> 00:48:32,834
These aren't small towns either.
But nobody's out.

593
00:48:35,709 --> 00:48:39,667
Sometimes, you meet a camel
that's walking down the road.

594
00:48:39,667 --> 00:48:45,709
They stroll around and enjoy themselves.
Don't care about you.

595
00:48:54,251 --> 00:48:58,459
What's that? "Welcome to Turkmenistan"?
Did we go in a circle?

596
00:48:59,959 --> 00:49:04,167
-Looks like some post-apocalyptic movie.
-So boring here.

597
00:49:04,376 --> 00:49:09,376
Imagine being on duty around here.

598
00:49:09,376 --> 00:49:14,459
Like the cops. There's guys posted,
right in the middle of the desert!

599
00:49:14,459 --> 00:49:17,459
There's nothing there!
Except that one police officer.

600
00:49:17,459 --> 00:49:21,376
-No car, no nothing and you think...
-Checking the trucks.

601
00:49:21,376 --> 00:49:25,876
...what if they forget to pick him up
in the evening? What then?

602
00:49:26,751 --> 00:49:30,792
After only five days, they have to
leave Turkmenistan again.

603
00:49:31,626 --> 00:49:34,292
We should turn off the camera now.

604
00:49:34,459 --> 00:49:37,917
Or the president will come running
and punch us in the face.

605
00:49:42,459 --> 00:49:47,584
The border guard asked
if we had any drugs, weapons or porn.

606
00:49:47,876 --> 00:49:51,251
We said no - truthfully.

607
00:49:52,459 --> 00:49:54,876
Now they probably think we're total losers.

608
00:49:57,417 --> 00:50:04,126
Otti and Keule cycle to Bukhara
- a city with 2,500 years of history.

609
00:50:05,917 --> 00:50:08,792
After several weeks in the desert,

610
00:50:09,001 --> 00:50:11,001
they finally take a day off
and stroll through town.

611
00:50:12,251 --> 00:50:16,542
And compared to Turkmenistan,
there's a lot more life on the streets.

612
00:50:17,292 --> 00:50:20,251
-The kids are brawling...
-Martial arts!

613
00:50:20,459 --> 00:50:23,959
That's the Uzbek wrestling league.

614
00:50:30,542 --> 00:50:33,459
They try the current line of
local dumplings.

615
00:50:33,709 --> 00:50:37,709
There are several Russian
and Central Asian varieties:

616
00:50:38,167 --> 00:50:40,126
Chebureki, fried.

617
00:50:40,376 --> 00:50:43,709
Samsas or Samosas, fried.

618
00:50:43,917 --> 00:50:45,917
Pelmeni, boiled.

619
00:50:46,084 --> 00:50:47,876
Manti, steamed.

620
00:50:48,042 --> 00:50:52,459
It's stuffed dumpling day! Delicious!

621
00:50:52,626 --> 00:50:54,501
Rich wintery food.

622
00:50:55,376 --> 00:50:57,251
The year is coming to an end.

623
00:50:57,251 --> 00:51:01,834
There's already signs in town
that wish a Happy New Year in Russian.

624
00:51:02,584 --> 00:51:07,584
Will be cold today.
Might rain, or even snow.

625
00:51:07,584 --> 00:51:15,917
Who would've thought? Uzbekistan - close
to Russia - during winter. Might get cold.

626
00:51:15,917 --> 00:51:19,126
-Big surprise!
-Yeah, very clever.

627
00:51:20,251 --> 00:51:21,751
The first snow.

628
00:51:22,126 --> 00:51:26,709
When starting in August, cycling breaks
were necessary to avoid a heat stroke.

629
00:51:26,709 --> 00:51:31,834
Now - in December - they guys
take breaks to not freeze to the core.

630
00:51:31,834 --> 00:51:35,251
This vodka was a gift from
the neighbouring table.

631
00:51:37,209 --> 00:51:44,376
They reach Samarkand.
It's 24th December 2018 - Christmas Eve.

632
00:51:46,501 --> 00:51:51,001
I think it's pretty. What do you think?

633
00:51:54,376 --> 00:51:58,251
We have no candles,
So we have to improvise.

634
00:51:59,126 --> 00:52:03,417
It's olive oil.
We're building a little oil lamp.

635
00:52:10,584 --> 00:52:15,792
They want to leave on Boxing Day
(Dec 26th). But something's missing.

636
00:52:16,584 --> 00:52:21,626
I just noticed that my spare tire
was stolen.

637
00:52:25,667 --> 00:52:27,626
At least not the bikes...

638
00:52:31,709 --> 00:52:33,834
He's looking right at it!

639
00:52:41,626 --> 00:52:44,501
Do I? Don't I? Anybody watching?

640
00:52:44,501 --> 00:52:46,417
Is there a camera?

641
00:52:48,126 --> 00:52:50,417
Jeez, what a cunt!

642
00:52:50,709 --> 00:52:54,792
Oh well, Christmas is coming up
and I still need a gift.

643
00:52:55,209 --> 00:52:56,917
That dirty dog!

644
00:52:59,542 --> 00:53:04,417
-How about that one?
-Good quality, no counterfeit.

645
00:53:05,126 --> 00:53:07,626
Last minute shopping!

646
00:53:10,667 --> 00:53:16,251
But no need to get riled up: they get a
delivery of new tires a few days later.

647
00:53:16,626 --> 00:53:20,417
Luisa and I arrive in Kyrgyzstan.

648
00:53:23,542 --> 00:53:27,876
We're getting company! It's 6 a.m.

649
00:53:30,709 --> 00:53:32,792
There's the luggage...

650
00:53:34,209 --> 00:53:36,042
There they are!

651
00:53:38,792 --> 00:53:42,376
-Hey, giga monk!
-Morning!

652
00:53:42,751 --> 00:53:45,709
-You bastards. It's so early...
-You want a coffee?

653
00:53:45,709 --> 00:53:48,709
Nah, we just drink beer and cigarettes.

654
00:53:53,792 --> 00:53:58,292
We'll be keeping them company
for about a week.

655
00:54:02,876 --> 00:54:08,251
-Whatisit?
-You sleep like a stork...

656
00:54:10,251 --> 00:54:16,001
Osh - Kyrgyzstan's second biggest city.
Here we celebrate New Year's Eve.

657
00:54:17,334 --> 00:54:20,834
Since we can't celebrate together...
only ten more minutes for us.

658
00:54:20,834 --> 00:54:25,084
We're here on Lenin Street.
The street with the biggest crowd.

659
00:54:25,084 --> 00:54:29,251
With the most Lenins.

660
00:54:36,417 --> 00:54:38,167
Uh-oh, careful!

661
00:54:41,251 --> 00:54:44,126
Oops! Happy New Year!

662
00:54:45,126 --> 00:54:49,917
Lenin shows us the way home.
"Your hotel is over there."

663
00:54:51,209 --> 00:54:52,876
Thank you, Lenin.

664
00:54:54,376 --> 00:54:57,709
Kyrgyzstan used to be part
of the Soviet Union.

665
00:54:57,959 --> 00:55:03,417
There, the gifts weren't given
on Christmas Eve but on New Year's.

666
00:55:04,376 --> 00:55:09,792
Alright, boys... Merry Christmas!
Tires for Tobias.

667
00:55:09,792 --> 00:55:13,751
-And tires for Matthias.
-Look how happy he is.

668
00:55:13,751 --> 00:55:15,959
That's enough til Vietnam.

669
00:55:15,959 --> 00:55:21,251
For Otti: a few tubes with
French valves that fit his rims.

670
00:55:21,251 --> 00:55:28,126
And spare parts for both, so they can
fix their bikes before the coming winter.

671
00:55:28,626 --> 00:55:33,251
New break pads, chains,
sprockets and cranks.

672
00:55:35,459 --> 00:55:38,292
And, finally, the new tires.

673
00:55:38,917 --> 00:55:41,501
Before and after...

674
00:55:43,042 --> 00:55:46,709
-One hell of a difference.
-Yeah.

675
00:55:48,876 --> 00:55:51,084
I see two patches right there.

676
00:55:51,417 --> 00:55:56,209
...five, six, seven...

677
00:55:56,792 --> 00:55:57,459
Seven.

678
00:55:57,626 --> 00:56:00,667
That one has seen quite a bit.

679
00:56:03,084 --> 00:56:06,751
Otti and Keule have two weeks left
to enter China.

680
00:56:07,001 --> 00:56:12,126
But they don't seem too thrilled
about heading out again.

681
00:56:16,501 --> 00:56:18,959
Too cold for this shit...

682
00:56:19,876 --> 00:56:27,459
We're only about 250 km (155 mi)
away from China.

683
00:56:27,834 --> 00:56:30,584
But there are still a couple
of mountains on the way.

684
00:56:31,292 --> 00:56:34,792
The border crossing is at an elevation
of about 3,000 m (10,000 ft).

685
00:56:35,334 --> 00:56:40,792
And before that, we got two passes
at 3,600 and 3,700 m (12,000 ft).

686
00:56:40,792 --> 00:56:43,251
And 2,400 m (7,900 ft).

687
00:56:43,501 --> 00:56:46,792
The highest mountains,
combined with the lowest temperatures...

688
00:56:47,334 --> 00:56:53,376
-What temperatures?
-In Erkeshtam, right at the border,

689
00:56:53,376 --> 00:56:56,251
it's between -20°C and -10°C
(-4 to 14°F) at the moment.

690
00:56:57,167 --> 00:57:01,334
Additional winter clothing is
best bought at the local bazaar:

691
00:57:01,334 --> 00:57:06,001
warmer jackets, long underwear,
socks, gloves...

692
00:57:06,292 --> 00:57:09,126
Camel hair kidney warmer?

693
00:57:09,126 --> 00:57:13,501
They also had dog hair, but we chose camel.

694
00:57:13,751 --> 00:57:16,626
We should be well equipped now.

695
00:57:16,626 --> 00:57:20,251
Before you go into these mountains...

696
00:57:20,501 --> 00:57:21,959
No kidding!

697
00:57:22,626 --> 00:57:24,084
There's the road.

698
00:57:29,334 --> 00:57:32,584
Dumplings once more today.

699
00:57:33,917 --> 00:57:41,251
Because tonight Luisa and I
will fly back home.

700
00:57:41,417 --> 00:57:44,334
I'll meet the guys again
in South East Asia.

701
00:57:44,334 --> 00:57:49,834
But before that, they have to muddle
through many cold kilometers (miles).

702
00:57:54,376 --> 00:57:57,501
The tires sound so new.

703
00:58:24,667 --> 00:58:26,542
It's so cold here...

704
00:58:28,626 --> 00:58:35,167
I gotta push for my bike a bit...
Because my toes have frozen numb.

705
00:58:35,167 --> 00:58:38,626
So I'm walking to get
the blood circulating.

706
00:58:38,917 --> 00:58:43,001
Matthias has disappeared.
I dunno where... Somewhere behind me.

707
00:58:45,417 --> 00:58:50,292
About six or seven kms (4 mi) ago...

708
00:58:55,292 --> 00:58:58,792
There was a sharp pain in my knee.

709
00:58:58,792 --> 00:59:01,501
It's pissing me off!

710
00:59:05,084 --> 00:59:08,334
And this fucking mountain just won't end...

711
00:59:25,459 --> 00:59:27,751
Hello?

712
00:59:28,917 --> 00:59:30,084
Is this the guesthouse?

713
00:59:30,251 --> 00:59:32,251
Yes, it's the guesthouse.

714
00:59:33,834 --> 00:59:35,709
Come in.

715
00:59:39,042 --> 00:59:41,751
That's ice...

716
00:59:44,959 --> 00:59:47,667
There's no way we could
have gone any longer today.

717
00:59:54,417 --> 00:59:59,001
It's simply too cold.
We need to think of a solution.

718
01:00:08,126 --> 01:00:10,376
It's deep winter.

719
01:00:11,959 --> 01:00:20,417
We're at 1,600 m (5,200 ft), and the next
pass is another 2,000 m (6,500 ft) higher.

720
01:00:20,709 --> 01:00:24,084
And my knee didn't get any better either.

721
01:00:26,251 --> 01:00:34,834
All things considered, it would be
hella stupid to cycle up there.

722
01:00:37,001 --> 01:00:41,251
Tobias would rather do it.
But that's okay - go ahead.

723
01:00:41,251 --> 01:00:45,251
I'm in a good shape. I have to say -
I feel fine.

724
01:00:45,251 --> 01:00:51,917
But it the end,
this tour's made up of both of us...

725
01:00:56,501 --> 01:01:01,417
We're a team. And one busted knee
is as bad as four busted knees.

726
01:01:02,209 --> 01:01:07,709
They decide to not cycle across
the coming mountain pass.

727
01:01:10,417 --> 01:01:14,417
These last couple of days...
a really bad patch for me.

728
01:01:14,417 --> 01:01:17,626
-Fiercely cold!
-Winter blues, it's all gray and wet.

729
01:01:17,876 --> 01:01:21,709
You really start to doubt the whole thing.

730
01:01:21,709 --> 01:01:26,251
-True.
-And, yeah... Why am I doing all this crap?

731
01:01:26,251 --> 01:01:30,251
Why am I killing myself on some
fucking mountain in Kyrgyzstan?

732
01:01:30,251 --> 01:01:35,209
But, well... We chose this.
We knew that winter would be tough.

733
01:01:43,126 --> 01:01:44,626
Let's go!

734
01:02:24,084 --> 01:02:28,792
Taldyk Pass - more than
3,600 m (12,000 ft) in altitude.

735
01:02:28,792 --> 01:02:32,751
Outside temperature: -20°C (-4°F).

736
01:02:48,542 --> 01:02:52,251
-Tourist!
-Are you crazy, dude?

737
01:02:53,126 --> 01:02:55,792
Brother is tired, tired!

738
01:02:56,209 --> 01:03:01,292
Holy shit, somebody's tough as nails, man.
Fuck!

739
01:03:01,292 --> 01:03:04,834
Tremendous respect to whomever does that.
Or survives that.

740
01:03:05,126 --> 01:03:10,042
But the three people in the world
who cycled this thing during winter...

741
01:03:10,042 --> 01:03:14,626
-They can go ahead and call us pussies.
-Uhm, yeah.

742
01:03:14,626 --> 01:03:16,751
We'll have to live with that.

743
01:03:18,417 --> 01:03:21,876
That must be the Pamir Mountains
back there. With Lenin Peak...

744
01:03:21,876 --> 01:03:26,042
Something mental is there
for sure - holy mother...

745
01:03:28,084 --> 01:03:34,292
The taxi takes them to Sary-Tash,
70 km (43 mi) shy from the Chinese border.

746
01:03:37,834 --> 01:03:39,876
-That's crazy...
-Alright, guys.

747
01:03:43,167 --> 01:03:46,292
We're wondering where the hell
we ended up here.

748
01:03:46,501 --> 01:03:47,209
And why.

749
01:03:47,417 --> 01:03:50,584
But the view out there is spectacular.

750
01:03:50,792 --> 01:03:55,334
Yeah. You can even enjoy it for
five minutes, because it's so cold.

751
01:03:56,334 --> 01:03:58,751
Now I understand why...

752
01:03:58,751 --> 01:04:02,334
Why people were asking
if we're totally crazy.

753
01:04:02,334 --> 01:04:07,001
Cycling here in the winter.
I get it. I totally get it now.

754
01:04:30,376 --> 01:04:32,751
Fuckin'A...

755
01:04:57,959 --> 01:05:00,501
Who would've thought
just a few months ago...

756
01:05:00,667 --> 01:05:03,917
When you plan this, you just shrug it off.

757
01:05:03,917 --> 01:05:08,167
Yeah, of course there's winter. But we'll
see about that. It'll all work out.

758
01:05:08,167 --> 01:05:13,501
-Suddenly, you're here, facing the facts.
-Nighttime temperature is -20°C (-4°F).

759
01:05:13,501 --> 01:05:19,501
Meaning it's 60°C (108°F) colder
than when we started.

760
01:05:23,542 --> 01:05:25,792
One week they wait in Sary-Tash

761
01:05:26,001 --> 01:05:28,917
because the road to China is snowed in
and needs to be plowed.

762
01:05:29,251 --> 01:05:33,042
Again there's no cycling
on this part of the route.

763
01:05:33,584 --> 01:05:39,209
Border, China? Can you tell him?

764
01:05:40,001 --> 01:05:43,459
-Bye, bye.
-Goodbye.

765
01:05:55,376 --> 01:06:02,584
The border to China - more precisely: the
province of Xinjiang. Home of the Uyghurs.

766
01:06:02,751 --> 01:06:06,042
This area is known for massive repressions

767
01:06:06,042 --> 01:06:10,792
by the Chinese government
against the Muslim minority.

768
01:06:11,084 --> 01:06:17,042
20 passport checks. We had to put
our bags through a scanner twice.

769
01:06:17,042 --> 01:06:21,959
We had to completely unpack
the first time around.

770
01:06:21,959 --> 01:06:27,959
All their video footage is being checked,
too. All the hard drives, memory cards,

771
01:06:27,959 --> 01:06:32,292
cameras, phones - to see if there's
any footage from within China.

772
01:06:32,292 --> 01:06:36,876
Additionally, Otti and Keule have to
install a surveillance app on their phones.

773
01:06:37,084 --> 01:06:42,709
Then, we were compelled to take a taxi
from the border station to here.

774
01:06:42,709 --> 01:06:46,042
That was about 140 km (about 90 mi).

775
01:06:46,042 --> 01:06:50,334
No cycling allowed on that road. Only in
Ulugqat do they get their passports back.

776
01:06:50,959 --> 01:06:54,959
With the official stamp
- after another thorough checking.

777
01:06:55,292 --> 01:06:59,167
But at least we made it to China.
Now it's time to make some progress

778
01:06:59,167 --> 01:07:01,584
on our bikes.

779
01:07:02,459 --> 01:07:07,167
It's still below zero (30°F) - but it's not
as cold as in the Kyrgyz mountains.

780
01:07:07,501 --> 01:07:12,667
Intended cycling distance for today: 80 km
(50 mi) towards the Taklamakan Desert.

781
01:07:12,667 --> 01:07:13,959
All the way to Kashgar.

782
01:07:16,751 --> 01:07:23,251
It was around -8°C (17°F) during the day.
But the cold wasn't even the bad part.

783
01:07:24,917 --> 01:07:30,001
After 10 km (6 mi) came the first
checkpoint. Open the bags, look inside...

784
01:07:30,209 --> 01:07:31,792
Completely empty them!

785
01:07:32,001 --> 01:07:34,251
We took everything out, they took pictures.

786
01:07:34,876 --> 01:07:40,584
Checked the phones, the camcorder...
And they said, with emphasis,

787
01:07:40,792 --> 01:07:47,709
"You didn't take any pictures
here in China, did you?"

788
01:07:47,709 --> 01:07:53,251
So... you can forget about filming here,
or taking photos.

789
01:07:53,251 --> 01:07:57,417
At least in this province.
But that was just the first stop.

790
01:07:58,626 --> 01:08:03,084
-After 20 km (12 mi)...
-We got stopped by motorbike cops.

791
01:08:03,084 --> 01:08:06,584
Checked the phones again,
and the pictures on those.

792
01:08:08,126 --> 01:08:12,001
Shortly after: next checkpoint. Into
the station, get our passports checked...

793
01:08:12,167 --> 01:08:14,167
Then we went on again.

794
01:08:16,751 --> 01:08:24,292
Then the next checkpoint wanted to stop us.
But they let us go.

795
01:08:24,292 --> 01:08:28,292
Maybe they heard that we had
just been checked five minutes ago.

796
01:08:29,751 --> 01:08:33,417
So we went for another 500 m (0.3 mi)
- and got stopped again.

797
01:08:33,709 --> 01:08:40,542
Two cops told us to load our bikes
on a truck,

798
01:08:40,542 --> 01:08:42,709
and they would take us to Kashgar.

799
01:08:43,251 --> 01:08:46,167
Once again, they aren't allowed
to go by themselves.

800
01:08:46,167 --> 01:08:48,792
Outside of Kashgar, they're dropped off

801
01:08:48,792 --> 01:08:50,584
and thoroughly checked.

802
01:08:50,792 --> 01:08:57,417
So, within 50 km (30 mi),
we've been stopped and checked six times.

803
01:09:04,376 --> 01:09:10,209
Down there in the hotel lobby, there's
cops with helmets, riot gear, body armor...

804
01:09:10,209 --> 01:09:13,542
Armed with sticks and all that crap.

805
01:09:13,542 --> 01:09:19,292
Every hotel, every shop, every market...
Fully equipped.

806
01:09:19,292 --> 01:09:23,042
-It sucks balls!
-You feel like a felon here, honestly.

807
01:09:23,042 --> 01:09:30,251
And we're just, well, tourists.
I'm not doing any harm over here.

808
01:09:32,376 --> 01:09:39,876
Supposedly, you're allowed to film outside.
If no police or military is in the frame.

809
01:09:40,209 --> 01:09:43,251
Problem is: they're everywhere!

810
01:09:43,709 --> 01:09:49,292
Best case: one has to delete the footage
upon the next inspection.

811
01:09:49,501 --> 01:09:55,542
Worst case:
one can get arrested for espionage.

812
01:09:56,167 --> 01:09:59,709
You just filmed the police station
back there.

813
01:09:59,876 --> 01:10:02,251
That'll be trouble... Oops.

814
01:10:02,501 --> 01:10:05,792
Once again, they're forced to compromise
on their ambition

815
01:10:06,001 --> 01:10:07,167
to go the whole way by bicycle.

816
01:10:07,376 --> 01:10:10,751
The price will be 3500 (Yuan).

817
01:10:11,626 --> 01:10:17,209
If you buy the day after tomorrow
the ticket will be 3.800 (Yuan).

818
01:10:17,584 --> 01:10:22,084
-Okay.
-So tomorrow. Works for me.

819
01:10:22,251 --> 01:10:32,251
This is not about shortening the route.
It's about using our time sensibly.

820
01:10:32,251 --> 01:10:34,751
By cycling somewhere else.

821
01:10:44,709 --> 01:10:50,334
That's always been the goal:
To cycle, go for many, many kilometers and

822
01:10:50,334 --> 01:10:52,876
and at some point, arrive in Saigon.

823
01:10:53,584 --> 01:10:58,751
And that has totally fallen from our view
in the last weeks.

824
01:10:58,751 --> 01:11:02,209
That's why something has gotta change.

825
01:11:04,209 --> 01:11:10,501
That's what's left of my luggage.
The rest is in the mail.

826
01:11:22,667 --> 01:11:27,376
The Tian Shan mountains, and below:
the Taklamakan desert.

827
01:11:28,501 --> 01:11:32,042
Otti and Keule will not cross it by bike.

828
01:11:33,584 --> 01:11:38,251
They relocate their route further east,
hoping for better weather

829
01:11:38,251 --> 01:11:41,167
and less problems with the police.

830
01:11:49,959 --> 01:11:52,126
They land in Xi'an.

831
01:11:53,584 --> 01:11:57,334
Until the bikes and the rest
of their equipment arrives by mail,

832
01:11:57,334 --> 01:12:00,209
they take some time to explore the city.

833
01:12:00,209 --> 01:12:04,084
Xi'an is the eastern endpoint
of the ancient Silk Road.

834
01:12:04,084 --> 01:12:07,626
Today it's mostly famous for
the Terracotta Army.

835
01:12:07,626 --> 01:12:12,792
Roughly 8,000 warriors made from clay
- burial objects for China's first emperor.

836
01:12:13,167 --> 01:12:17,834
For over 1,000 years Xi'an had been
the capital of the Chinese Empire.

837
01:12:20,917 --> 01:12:23,584
From here, Otti and Keule
want to get a fresh start.

838
01:12:23,917 --> 01:12:26,542
They want to go south
- into the province of Sichuan.

839
01:12:26,876 --> 01:12:30,876
It's said to have the most cliched
postcard version of China:

840
01:12:31,042 --> 01:12:36,167
Green, foggy mountains with pagodas,
huge Buddha statues, and pandas.

841
01:12:36,376 --> 01:12:38,834
It's supposed to be warmer there, too.

842
01:12:39,126 --> 01:12:44,376
Things are gonna get easier now.
A bit more bicycle-friendly.

843
01:12:44,584 --> 01:12:48,667
Now we can finally do what we set out
to do in the first place.

844
01:12:48,667 --> 01:12:50,126
Just cycling.

845
01:12:50,126 --> 01:12:53,709
Looking forward to it.
Really looking forward to it!

846
01:12:53,709 --> 01:12:59,251
Well, until the bikes arrive, we put 'em
back together and I gotta cycle again...

847
01:12:59,251 --> 01:13:00,501
But hey - fuck it, man!

848
01:13:01,959 --> 01:13:06,042
After two weeks, a few packages
arrive at the hostel.

849
01:13:07,876 --> 01:13:14,251
2,500 km (1,500 mi) to Vietnam
- to the border. Almost there.

850
01:13:14,834 --> 01:13:16,209
Let's go!

851
01:13:25,751 --> 01:13:31,167
We were heading towards the mountains.
It was pretty warm. The sun was shining.

852
01:13:31,167 --> 01:13:35,709
- It felt really good to ride again.
-It was fun!

853
01:13:35,709 --> 01:13:39,459
We were fully motivated again.
Until the police stopped us.

854
01:13:40,084 --> 01:13:43,209
We're supposed to follow them
to the station.

855
01:13:44,001 --> 01:13:46,709
Really missed those sirens!

856
01:13:47,209 --> 01:13:51,001
We managed to cycle for exactly
200 km (125 mi).

857
01:13:51,209 --> 01:13:54,584
Then, once again,
we got stopped by the police.

858
01:13:54,876 --> 01:14:00,292
They said the whole area is closed
for foreigners.

859
01:14:00,292 --> 01:14:03,376
You must go back to wherever you came from.

860
01:14:03,917 --> 01:14:06,709
The only other road to Sichuan
is still destroyed

861
01:14:06,917 --> 01:14:08,751
from an earthquake a few years ago.

862
01:14:08,959 --> 01:14:11,792
Which means: back to Xi'an.

863
01:14:11,959 --> 01:14:18,376
So we basically went 400 km (250 mi)
for nothing - to get nowhere.

864
01:14:18,376 --> 01:14:21,626
400 km (250 mi) for naught...

865
01:14:21,792 --> 01:14:24,917
Today we're gonna head out again,
try a completely new route.

866
01:14:24,917 --> 01:14:30,459
We won't go to Sichuan, but further east

867
01:14:30,459 --> 01:14:34,417
and then south, through Hubei Province.

868
01:14:34,417 --> 01:14:39,334
So no temple mounts, no pandas.
And it won't be warm either.

869
01:14:39,334 --> 01:14:42,917
Man, China is so goddamn frustrating...

870
01:14:47,084 --> 01:14:52,292
-A Fresh Start Part II.
-Let's go!

871
01:14:57,917 --> 01:15:00,792
Of course there's headwind today.

872
01:15:03,376 --> 01:15:08,584
It really doesn't get boring in China.
There's something new every day.

873
01:15:09,251 --> 01:15:11,376
Headwind.

874
01:15:11,709 --> 01:15:13,376
Sleet.

875
01:15:13,626 --> 01:15:15,376
Police.

876
01:15:15,792 --> 01:15:16,959
Lovely!

877
01:15:38,876 --> 01:15:40,709
I have no clue what happened.

878
01:15:41,001 --> 01:15:44,876
-I just heard a crackle.
-Yeah, me too. But the spokes didn't break.

879
01:15:48,084 --> 01:15:54,959
-Oh, shit!
-That's a broken axle.

880
01:15:55,167 --> 01:15:58,042
Why can't it just go smoothly...

881
01:15:58,459 --> 01:16:04,084
for the next 2,000 km (1,200 mi) or so?

882
01:16:25,542 --> 01:16:31,584
Well, this is the fragrant difference.
This kind of difference doesn't come.

883
01:16:31,959 --> 01:16:35,001
Now I can only...

884
01:16:37,459 --> 01:16:44,376
The app has translated it wrong.
I can't understand it.

885
01:16:52,209 --> 01:16:58,417
We went to the bike shop yesterday.
Now we have to wait for 3-4 days.

886
01:16:58,417 --> 01:17:01,834
For a new wheel hub.
And then we continue!

887
01:17:01,834 --> 01:17:04,876
Don't jinx it. Four days max and then:

888
01:17:04,876 --> 01:17:08,376
-"Oooh, we have trouble with shipping."
-Or it works for one day.

889
01:17:08,376 --> 01:17:11,709
And then something explodes
and it starts snowing again.

890
01:17:12,084 --> 01:17:16,584
It'll be snowing in Vietnam when we're
there. For the first time in 400 years.

891
01:17:18,792 --> 01:17:22,126
Dengzhou is considered a small town
by Chinese standards.

892
01:17:22,334 --> 01:17:24,751
Only 1.5 million residents.

893
01:17:25,126 --> 01:17:29,334
While the guys are stuck here, they
make some new friends in the bike shop.

894
01:17:29,709 --> 01:17:32,126
Here's our update.

895
01:17:32,584 --> 01:17:35,251
The guys' names are Ivan and Xiao Bo.

896
01:17:35,876 --> 01:17:39,417
Hello! My name is Li Xiao Bo.

897
01:17:39,959 --> 01:17:43,292
Of course they don't speak English,
and we don't speak Chinese.

898
01:17:43,292 --> 01:17:45,084
But Google speaks every language.

899
01:17:45,709 --> 01:17:48,167
We get along great, that's awesome.

900
01:17:48,459 --> 01:17:54,834
Looks like we'll be cycling together
for the next 40,000 km (25,000 mi).

901
01:17:55,917 --> 01:18:01,417
After four days, Otti's bike is fixed,
and they can start cycling south together.

902
01:18:01,417 --> 01:18:04,209
Ivan and Xiao are headed the same way.

903
01:18:06,001 --> 01:18:10,209
They're on spring break
- as far as the guys understood.

904
01:18:11,751 --> 01:18:16,042
When not using an app to translate,
they communicate with signs and gestures.

905
01:18:16,042 --> 01:18:20,584
And that works best when everybody
just uses their mother tongue.

906
01:18:22,542 --> 01:18:23,834
Shall I help you?

907
01:18:24,001 --> 01:18:25,417
Noo!

908
01:18:27,376 --> 01:18:31,709
As a group of four, they travel
in the Jianghan Plane, along Yangtze River.

909
01:18:31,917 --> 01:18:34,667
It's a region dominated by farming
and industry,

910
01:18:34,667 --> 01:18:37,709
and the landscape isn't exactly
printed on postcards.

911
01:18:37,709 --> 01:18:40,542
But having pleasant company
really lifts the mood.

912
01:18:40,542 --> 01:18:45,251
You get some variety.
There's a whole new momentum.

913
01:18:45,251 --> 01:18:48,084
The guys look for accommodation on the way.

914
01:18:48,084 --> 01:18:51,459
They take care of a lot of things.
We also like to cook together.

915
01:18:51,459 --> 01:18:53,709
Good thing to do for motivation!

916
01:18:54,209 --> 01:18:57,376
And sometimes, they even do it
for a live-stream audience.

917
01:18:58,876 --> 01:19:00,751
Very good!

918
01:19:00,751 --> 01:19:02,251
Thank you. I know!

919
01:19:02,709 --> 01:19:05,251
Bottoms up!

920
01:19:05,584 --> 01:19:09,376
And we help them by cycling ahead,
keeping them motivated

921
01:19:09,584 --> 01:19:12,917
and not taking too many breaks.

922
01:19:17,042 --> 01:19:21,417
It's 9 a.m. and I'm ready to go.

923
01:19:23,667 --> 01:19:28,042
None of the other dimwits even got up yet.

924
01:19:30,376 --> 01:19:36,001
It's always too late when we leave.
12 p.m. every day. That's so annoying.

925
01:19:36,792 --> 01:19:43,876
I can deal with just Otti. You get
used to it, somehow. But now we're four.

926
01:19:43,876 --> 01:19:46,584
That's all so... duuuh!

927
01:19:54,251 --> 01:19:56,709
Dudemeisters!

928
01:19:57,126 --> 01:20:00,417
Dude! I've been sitting and
waiting here since 9 a.m.

929
01:20:00,417 --> 01:20:02,209
Your own fault!

930
01:20:04,001 --> 01:20:07,334
Three of those dickweeds
who can't get a move on in the morning...

931
01:20:10,417 --> 01:20:13,167
I just follow the others.

932
01:20:13,167 --> 01:20:15,251
Follow me, you shitbag!

933
01:20:16,042 --> 01:20:19,459
Traveling as a group of four
means more compromises.

934
01:20:20,042 --> 01:20:23,834
Their Chinese visas are still valid
for another five weeks.

935
01:20:23,834 --> 01:20:27,917
More than enough time to reach
the Vietnamese border.

936
01:20:28,167 --> 01:20:32,042
If nothing interferes
- as it often did on this tour.

937
01:20:37,792 --> 01:20:40,001
Sorry, I don't understand you.

938
01:20:42,501 --> 01:20:46,751
Otti has a cold. And yet
they try to keep going.

939
01:20:46,751 --> 01:20:49,876
It's not great, but we have to
go on somehow. No way around it.

940
01:20:49,876 --> 01:20:55,584
I know it's dumb to not fully cure
myself first. Could be dangerous, but...

941
01:20:57,626 --> 01:20:59,501
It'll be fine, right?

942
01:21:08,292 --> 01:21:11,459
I suspect I have laryngitis.

943
01:21:11,459 --> 01:21:14,251
Congratulations!

944
01:21:14,542 --> 01:21:18,751
I read about it and the symptoms fit.

945
01:21:19,334 --> 01:21:22,167
Sure it's not cancer?

946
01:21:22,167 --> 01:21:23,709
...pisses me off!

947
01:21:24,334 --> 01:21:27,042
We've talked about the route.

948
01:21:27,042 --> 01:21:32,167
You two keep going, and we'll meet up
with you in Nanning or something.

949
01:21:34,042 --> 01:21:35,792
Or Guiilin.

950
01:21:43,876 --> 01:21:45,626
Yeah, exactly.

951
01:21:50,167 --> 01:21:52,251
Everything sucks. As always.

952
01:21:55,292 --> 01:21:59,501
-Tiger Balm?
-Just a little...

953
01:22:01,542 --> 01:22:04,084
I think that stuff can kill you.

954
01:22:06,501 --> 01:22:08,251
Whew, lad.

955
01:22:33,251 --> 01:22:35,709
We've been here for a week...

956
01:22:40,542 --> 01:22:42,167
It's clearly better.

957
01:22:43,626 --> 01:22:46,792
After a few days, they catch up to
Ivan and Xiao Bo.

958
01:22:47,001 --> 01:22:49,376
Together they cycle to Shaoshan,

959
01:22:49,584 --> 01:22:52,001
Mao Zedong's birth place.

960
01:22:56,376 --> 01:23:00,376
There's a lot of fan shops here.
Lots of attractions.

961
01:23:00,959 --> 01:23:05,042
The Mao Museum, the Mao Poetry Forest
is somewhere close, too.

962
01:23:05,251 --> 01:23:09,584
-Mao Square.
-Mao Street.

963
01:23:09,792 --> 01:23:14,251
Xiao Bo and Ivan want to stay
a little longer and have a look around.

964
01:23:14,251 --> 01:23:18,376
This is where they split up
- Otti and Keule need to keep going.

965
01:23:18,376 --> 01:23:20,459
Xiao Bo, it was nice riding with you guys.

966
01:23:20,626 --> 01:23:24,084
Their visas will expire soon.

967
01:23:25,959 --> 01:23:30,626
Without their Chinese buddies, the guys
have a harder time finding accommodation

968
01:23:30,626 --> 01:23:34,001
because not all hotels in China
are allowed to accept foreigners.

969
01:23:34,459 --> 01:23:38,167
-At least we got a place, huh?
-Yep!

970
01:23:39,751 --> 01:23:42,834
Getting food is turning
into a thing of chance, too

971
01:23:42,834 --> 01:23:45,126
because they can't read Chinese..

972
01:23:45,376 --> 01:23:47,667
That's some pretty good ribs.

973
01:23:47,667 --> 01:23:49,751
And some pretty good whatever-that-is...

974
01:23:50,376 --> 01:23:54,167
But even without Xiao Bo's video streams

975
01:23:54,167 --> 01:23:57,542
they manage to stay present
in the locals' social media.

976
01:23:57,876 --> 01:24:00,501
-Thank you!
-You're welcome!

977
01:24:02,126 --> 01:24:03,792
It's like this all day.

978
01:24:12,084 --> 01:24:14,459
If we got paid per selfie,

979
01:24:14,459 --> 01:24:18,251
that would make a lot of breakfast.

980
01:24:20,167 --> 01:24:22,459
Stressful...

981
01:24:23,334 --> 01:24:26,126
-Well, Matthias, it's your turn now.
-Yeah.

982
01:24:31,834 --> 01:24:36,251
Spring is coming - with all that entails.

983
01:24:37,167 --> 01:24:39,417
It's 32°C (90°F)!

984
01:24:41,126 --> 01:24:42,834
That's pleasant!

985
01:24:45,626 --> 01:24:50,001
The days are getting longer,
and snow turns into rain.

986
01:24:57,251 --> 01:24:59,167
Does your chain also look this nice?

987
01:24:59,542 --> 01:25:01,126
Looks like shit.

988
01:25:06,167 --> 01:25:11,292
We really need to take
a whole day off for maintenance.

989
01:25:11,501 --> 01:25:18,001
To get rid of all the dirt,
tighten all the screws.

990
01:25:18,709 --> 01:25:21,001
I should change my brake pads.

991
01:25:21,251 --> 01:25:23,542
Those pads are still there from day 1.

992
01:25:23,542 --> 01:25:27,501
By now, they've done their job
for a tremendous amound of kilometers.

993
01:25:32,042 --> 01:25:35,917
-We did not manipulate the bike computer!
-Yes, we did.

994
01:25:35,917 --> 01:25:38,084
Yeah, by cycling.

995
01:25:44,167 --> 01:25:48,751
-Gonna have a mileage-celebrating beer!
-Yeah, definitely!

996
01:26:05,209 --> 01:26:07,667
Annoying shit.

997
01:26:08,584 --> 01:26:09,167
Squeal!

998
01:26:15,126 --> 01:26:17,834
Smells like shit here. Great.

999
01:26:24,334 --> 01:26:27,542
A 10,000 km (6,200 mi) beer!

1000
01:26:31,959 --> 01:26:32,959
Athletic!

1001
01:26:33,917 --> 01:26:38,376
In Nanning their bicycles
finally get the care they deserve.

1002
01:26:59,334 --> 01:27:02,876
Bikes are clean. Mine even got new shoes...

1003
01:27:03,292 --> 01:27:08,584
Meaning new break pads. On the left are
the old ones - after 10,000 km (6,000 mi).

1004
01:27:08,584 --> 01:27:12,917
On the right: the new ones.
Should be good enough to reach Saigon.

1005
01:27:13,084 --> 01:27:17,667
Just a few hundred kilometers to go
to the Vietnamese border.

1006
01:27:18,042 --> 01:27:20,292
Gonna be sweet. I'm excited!

1007
01:27:20,292 --> 01:27:24,084
I hope to find a pair of sun glasses today.
This is getting annoying.

1008
01:27:26,667 --> 01:27:29,042
Fucking sun - way too warm!

1009
01:27:31,626 --> 01:27:35,126
-Remember, back in winter? That was nice!
-It was...

1010
01:27:35,126 --> 01:27:38,084
-Nice and cool.
-It went dark at 4 p.m., you know?

1011
01:27:38,084 --> 01:27:42,417
Didn't have some stupid light
right in the fucking face all the time.

1012
01:27:42,417 --> 01:27:45,959
-Cool climate. Didn't sweat so much.
-Correct!

1013
01:27:45,959 --> 01:27:48,876
Didn't have to do laundry
three times a day.

1014
01:27:49,292 --> 01:27:54,334
One week in Sary-Tash, in our little room.
Didn't even need to shower.

1015
01:27:54,917 --> 01:27:57,709
We had no shower.

1016
01:27:59,084 --> 01:28:02,334
-Eight months on the road today.
-Really?

1017
01:28:02,709 --> 01:28:06,709
Anyway, it'll be our last stage in China
today.

1018
01:28:08,167 --> 01:28:09,792
Hopefully!

1019
01:28:13,751 --> 01:28:16,709
China really was
the hardest country for us.

1020
01:28:17,084 --> 01:28:21,251
Not the cycling part, but the...

1021
01:28:21,542 --> 01:28:24,751
-The circumstances.
-That lack of freedom.

1022
01:28:24,751 --> 01:28:26,667
So much has happened here.

1023
01:28:27,459 --> 01:28:30,959
So yeah, we're really excited!
That this huge chapter...

1024
01:28:30,959 --> 01:28:36,917
We've been traveling for eight months now,
and a third of that time we spent in China.

1025
01:28:36,917 --> 01:28:38,084
It's enough!

1026
01:28:43,376 --> 01:28:44,917
I love you!

1027
01:28:53,959 --> 01:28:55,584
Otti, look!

1028
01:28:56,251 --> 01:28:58,334
China...

1029
01:28:59,542 --> 01:29:02,167
Vietnam!

1030
01:29:05,292 --> 01:29:07,626
The final chapter of their tour begins.

1031
01:29:07,834 --> 01:29:11,334
Before they do a lap through
Laos, Thailand, Cambodia

1032
01:29:11,542 --> 01:29:13,084
and finish the tour in Saigon,

1033
01:29:13,292 --> 01:29:17,417
they ferry over to Cat Ba island
in the Ha Long Bay.

1034
01:29:26,209 --> 01:29:32,959
For a week they want to put their feet up.
No visas, breakdowns or sicknesses.

1035
01:29:32,959 --> 01:29:37,084
No forced break, just a short vacation.

1036
01:29:50,417 --> 01:29:54,292
Why does stupid shit like this
only happen to me?

1037
01:29:54,292 --> 01:29:56,501
This sucks!

1038
01:29:57,876 --> 01:29:59,792
What exactly?

1039
01:30:01,542 --> 01:30:06,042
We went to visit this cannon fort.

1040
01:30:06,209 --> 01:30:09,667
It's a scenic viewpoint here on the island.

1041
01:30:09,876 --> 01:30:16,209
And on one of those stairs,
I twisted my ankle. Badly.

1042
01:30:16,209 --> 01:30:19,459
A nice outward turn.

1043
01:30:22,709 --> 01:30:25,167
And now it's swollen...

1044
01:30:26,292 --> 01:30:28,084
That's a nice chunk, dude!

1045
01:30:28,084 --> 01:30:29,667
Disgusting!

1046
01:30:30,751 --> 01:30:34,834
When people twist their ankle
and hear a rip or a crackle...

1047
01:30:35,001 --> 01:30:37,751
That usually means your ligament is fucked.

1048
01:30:38,626 --> 01:30:42,501
-Don't you dare!
-The outer ligament, dude. That sucks, man.

1049
01:30:42,501 --> 01:30:45,209
It'd really suck ass if it it's that.

1050
01:30:46,584 --> 01:30:49,376
Because then, you can forget about cycling.

1051
01:30:50,459 --> 01:30:53,751
-Well, I can, anyway.
-I'll knock you out, guy!

1052
01:30:54,001 --> 01:30:57,584
Wouldn't hurt to see a doctor.

1053
01:30:58,251 --> 01:31:01,709
And that's what I'm doing to do.
With a motorbike, because...

1054
01:31:04,876 --> 01:31:06,959
Well, walking's not on the menu.

1055
01:31:07,542 --> 01:31:12,042
On a rented moped, Otti goes to
the only hospital on the island.

1056
01:31:12,792 --> 01:31:16,042
There was a doc.
He took a quick look and said,

1057
01:31:16,042 --> 01:31:21,626
"Put some ice on it,
put it up and don't move around.”

1058
01:31:21,626 --> 01:31:25,251
I don't believe it'll be enough.
But I have no choice.

1059
01:31:25,251 --> 01:31:27,626
He just sent me away like this.

1060
01:31:28,001 --> 01:31:29,876
Despite cooling and resting,

1061
01:31:30,084 --> 01:31:32,376
Otti still can't use his foot properly
after a few days.

1062
01:31:32,584 --> 01:31:37,501
Cycling is not an option right now.
And Saigon is so close already.

1063
01:31:37,709 --> 01:31:39,876
The guys have to think up a solution.

1064
01:31:40,417 --> 01:31:44,084
Might not look like it, but we're fucked.

1065
01:31:44,459 --> 01:31:45,792
Aren't we?

1066
01:31:47,626 --> 01:31:51,584
If you gotta complain on a beach like this,
then shit really hit the fan.

1067
01:31:51,751 --> 01:31:55,626
Their plan B:
Go the rest of the way on mopeds.

1068
01:31:57,376 --> 01:31:59,334
Called Waldemar yesterday.

1069
01:31:59,834 --> 01:32:03,126
He said that if we use mopeds now,
we would've used

1070
01:32:03,292 --> 01:32:09,251
every possible mode of transport,
contrary to our original plan.

1071
01:32:09,251 --> 01:32:11,792
And no bicycle.

1072
01:32:12,876 --> 01:32:15,417
Well, ok - we did use the bicycles.

1073
01:32:15,417 --> 01:32:18,167
Sometimes between the other things.

1074
01:32:18,334 --> 01:32:20,376
Cycling remains their plan A.

1075
01:32:20,376 --> 01:32:24,834
Otti gets some medical advice
from a friend in Germany.

1076
01:32:24,834 --> 01:32:31,042
Thank god for WhatsApp video calls.

1077
01:32:31,709 --> 01:32:38,626
She gave me some valuable tips
on how to proceed.

1078
01:32:39,417 --> 01:32:43,917
Of course, she can't say
if a ligament is sprained or ruptured.

1079
01:32:44,084 --> 01:32:46,584
Either way, the treatment
is about the same.

1080
01:32:46,834 --> 01:32:49,709
They had planned to put their feet up
for a week.

1081
01:32:49,917 --> 01:32:52,959
Instead, Otti has to keep them still
for 4-6 weeks.

1082
01:32:53,167 --> 01:32:55,084
That one foot, at least.

1083
01:32:59,126 --> 01:33:01,876
Only because he's too dumb to walk!

1084
01:33:03,917 --> 01:33:07,251
I'm a walking disaster area.

1085
01:33:07,251 --> 01:33:10,417
Gotta be honest here.
All the shit comes flying to me:

1086
01:33:10,417 --> 01:33:12,792
My bikes break, I get sick...

1087
01:33:12,792 --> 01:33:15,501
His bikes, plural...!

1088
01:33:21,459 --> 01:33:26,001
Nobody knows if Otti will be
able to cycle in 4 to 6 weeks.

1089
01:33:37,167 --> 01:33:41,126
He does his prescribed exercises
and hopes for the best.

1090
01:33:51,042 --> 01:33:53,334
Not sure if I'm doing this right, but...

1091
01:33:53,334 --> 01:33:57,251
I do notice some foot muscles.

1092
01:34:01,959 --> 01:34:05,584
Well trained from using Persian toilets.

1093
01:34:14,709 --> 01:34:19,376
After a one-month forced hiatus on Cat Ba,
they catch a ferry back to the mainland

1094
01:34:19,376 --> 01:34:22,042
to try out if cycling is possible again.

1095
01:34:22,042 --> 01:34:26,084
The moment of truth... Moments of truth!

1096
01:34:27,084 --> 01:34:30,209
A Fresh Start Part... no ideal

1097
01:34:30,959 --> 01:34:32,792
I stopped counting.

1098
01:34:32,792 --> 01:34:34,042
At least Part VII!

1099
01:34:36,209 --> 01:34:39,417
And so we started slowly just to see:

1100
01:34:39,417 --> 01:34:41,417
How much can I strain that foot?

1101
01:34:41,792 --> 01:34:45,501
Easy, slowly, with many breaks.

1102
01:34:45,751 --> 01:34:48,334
They also decide to change
their route again:

1103
01:34:48,334 --> 01:34:52,584
Instead of visiting Laos, Thailand
and Cambodia, they will stay in Vietnam.

1104
01:34:52,584 --> 01:34:55,292
Just in case Otti's foot gives out.

1105
01:34:55,626 --> 01:34:58,751
About 45 km (28 mi) today.

1106
01:34:58,959 --> 01:35:01,584
Tomorrow we'll crank it up a bit.

1107
01:35:01,584 --> 01:35:02,959
60, 70 km (~40 mi)

1108
01:35:03,209 --> 01:35:05,876
And soon Waldemar comes to visit.

1109
01:35:05,876 --> 01:35:09,834
He's coming in two weeks.
we'll meet him in Central Vietnam.

1110
01:35:09,834 --> 01:35:11,459
If my foot holds up.

1111
01:35:12,209 --> 01:35:15,001
It does indeed hold up.

1112
01:35:15,001 --> 01:35:17,376
That crippled foot does a bang-up job!

1113
01:35:18,417 --> 01:35:22,001
I'm on fire! 24 km/h (15 mp/h)
with headwinds.

1114
01:35:22,001 --> 01:35:25,751
I don't even cycle that fast
with a healthy foot!

1115
01:35:26,042 --> 01:35:30,292
I mostly feel it in my thighs.
Because we haven't cycled for so long.

1116
01:35:30,667 --> 01:35:33,001
Another factor is the heat.

1117
01:35:34,626 --> 01:35:40,292
-Bike computer displays 44°C (111°F).
-44 already?

1118
01:35:53,417 --> 01:35:56,209
-Heelloo!
-Hello!

1119
01:36:02,959 --> 01:36:04,001
Huh?

1120
01:36:04,876 --> 01:36:05,959
What?

1121
01:36:05,959 --> 01:36:07,209
<i>I'm sorry!!</i>

1122
01:36:09,667 --> 01:36:12,126
She asked if you wanna get your ass kicked.

1123
01:36:12,126 --> 01:36:13,876
Yeah, I get that.

1124
01:36:14,959 --> 01:36:19,084
Here in Vietnam, greeting becomes
a major part of their days again.

1125
01:36:24,584 --> 01:36:28,042
And finally they can ease up a little.

1126
01:36:35,542 --> 01:36:37,376
Can't reach so far...

1127
01:36:51,209 --> 01:36:53,792
You gotta film me opening it
in slow motion.

1128
01:36:53,792 --> 01:36:56,376
Wait, let me find the slo-mo mode first!

1129
01:37:15,417 --> 01:37:21,376
It's that kind of country where you
can take a three hour lunch break.

1130
01:37:21,376 --> 01:37:24,251
You can slack off without end,
it's awesome!

1131
01:37:24,417 --> 01:37:27,084
Just hang around, it's so pleasant.

1132
01:37:27,584 --> 01:37:31,042
The fan buzzing behind you.

1133
01:37:31,042 --> 01:37:34,667
Swirling that hot air around.

1134
01:37:34,667 --> 01:37:36,501
It's nice!

1135
01:37:36,501 --> 01:37:41,209
After all the bitching we did in China...

1136
01:37:43,626 --> 01:37:45,626
...it's okay for a change.

1137
01:37:47,001 --> 01:37:49,709
We could complain about the heat.

1138
01:37:53,126 --> 01:37:55,667
What else could we complain about?

1139
01:37:55,834 --> 01:37:57,001
The heat...

1140
01:37:57,001 --> 01:38:00,959
About people being so friendly
that you have to greet them all the time.

1141
01:38:00,959 --> 01:38:03,501
My arm hurts from all the helloing!

1142
01:38:03,501 --> 01:38:05,417
It's like Iran. Awful!

1143
01:38:05,417 --> 01:38:06,917
It's so bad!

1144
01:38:06,917 --> 01:38:09,876
Everybody greets you.
Everybody is nice to you.

1145
01:38:09,876 --> 01:38:11,626
I can't deal with that shit.

1146
01:38:11,626 --> 01:38:15,792
The worst part is you don't actually
have a reason to complain at all.

1147
01:38:16,209 --> 01:38:18,626
Yeah, that sucks hard!

1148
01:38:19,542 --> 01:38:20,876
Man, man, man...

1149
01:38:30,084 --> 01:38:31,876
To the suffering!

1150
01:38:35,376 --> 01:38:37,417
Soon, I'll be visiting the guys,

1151
01:38:37,626 --> 01:38:39,667
so we can do the final stretch
of their tour together.

1152
01:38:39,876 --> 01:38:42,626
Before that,
they have to clear one last obstacle.

1153
01:38:42,917 --> 01:38:47,292
In the middle of Vietnam, north of Da Nang,
there's this mountain crest.

1154
01:38:47,292 --> 01:38:49,751
It goes all the way to the sea.

1155
01:38:49,751 --> 01:38:55,417
It's called Ocean Cloud Pass.
Because it's so high.

1156
01:38:55,417 --> 01:38:59,459
At 400 m (1,300 ft) or something.
So, it's nothing we haven't done before.

1157
01:39:00,084 --> 01:39:04,542
But that's also the last mountain pass -
if you want to call it that -

1158
01:39:04,751 --> 01:39:05,584
on the whole tour.

1159
01:39:11,126 --> 01:39:15,501
It was already 40°C (104°F) earlier.
Not a single cloud to be seen today.

1160
01:39:15,501 --> 01:39:17,917
We still have to climb that mountain.

1161
01:39:20,376 --> 01:39:22,001
Urgh, I don't want anymore.

1162
01:39:28,626 --> 01:39:30,834
The pass is up there.

1163
01:39:31,876 --> 01:39:36,876
Just a few thousand kilometers more.
A few hundred liters of water.

1164
01:39:46,459 --> 01:39:51,084
Not even 1,000 km (600 mi)
left until Saigon.

1165
01:39:55,167 --> 01:39:56,917
Triple digits.

1166
01:39:57,667 --> 01:40:00,792
First thought is,
"Pretty good! No more cycling!"

1167
01:40:00,792 --> 01:40:03,042
But you still have 1,000 km (600 mi)
to go.

1168
01:40:03,042 --> 01:40:07,084
Yeah, but 1,000 km - that's nothing.
You don't even think about it.

1169
01:40:07,084 --> 01:40:12,751
But you don't necessarily think
about the nearing end of the tour.

1170
01:40:12,751 --> 01:40:17,584
If you follow that train of thought
it's getting kinda weird again.

1171
01:40:17,584 --> 01:40:22,417
You've been doing this
for ten months. It's natural to you.

1172
01:40:22,417 --> 01:40:30,334
You go out in the morning,
pack your bike and head out on the road.

1173
01:40:30,334 --> 01:40:34,501
You got a system for all kinds of things.
It's become second nature.

1174
01:40:34,709 --> 01:40:38,001
But once you're in Saigon, you won't
have to do any of it anymore.

1175
01:40:38,209 --> 01:40:40,209
And you think: huh, that's weird...

1176
01:40:47,584 --> 01:40:49,459
It's nice here!

1177
01:40:52,334 --> 01:40:58,709
The clouds are coming over the mountain.
Up from the other side.

1178
01:40:59,542 --> 01:41:02,209
Back there the sun goes down.

1179
01:41:22,792 --> 01:41:27,251
Down there is Da Nang.

1180
01:41:27,709 --> 01:41:30,417
With Waldemar in it.

1181
01:41:47,792 --> 01:41:50,876
Yeah, I'm back.

1182
01:41:51,709 --> 01:41:53,751
I landed in Da Nang the day before.

1183
01:41:53,959 --> 01:41:56,917
While the guys struggled to climb
the Ocean Cloud Pass,

1184
01:41:57,126 --> 01:41:58,626
I got myself a used bicycle

1185
01:41:58,834 --> 01:42:02,376
to tag along for the last
1,000 km (600 mi) to Saigon.

1186
01:42:03,459 --> 01:42:07,167
I arrived here, and stepped out
of my hostel yesterday morning.

1187
01:42:07,167 --> 01:42:11,959
And I ran right into this wall of heat.
In Germany it's 7°C (45°F) at the moment.

1188
01:42:12,126 --> 01:42:15,501
What the hell am I doing to myself?

1189
01:42:15,501 --> 01:42:21,209
Cycling with these guys at 40°C (104°F)
and 200% humidity...

1190
01:42:21,667 --> 01:42:25,501
So you're not worried that I might
just crash and slow you down...

1191
01:42:25,501 --> 01:42:28,876
-You can worry yourself.
-Nah, nonsense. You'll be fine!

1192
01:42:31,876 --> 01:42:37,417
But we soon realize that my new bike
might be a little too small.

1193
01:42:37,417 --> 01:42:39,959
How's it going on your frog-bike?

1194
01:42:44,876 --> 01:42:48,334
After only 20 km (12 mi)
I'm completely pooped.

1195
01:42:51,126 --> 01:42:54,084
On this bike there's just no tagging along.

1196
01:42:54,542 --> 01:42:59,667
Waldemar's old bike... Waldemar's new bike.

1197
01:43:00,251 --> 01:43:04,042
I had that for one day now.
Cycled for a single day.

1198
01:43:04,042 --> 01:43:08,209
And sold it the next day
to get another one.

1199
01:43:08,209 --> 01:43:11,542
Bigger and better. So I won't
hold the guys back anymore.

1200
01:43:19,376 --> 01:43:20,751
What's up?

1201
01:43:21,209 --> 01:43:22,917
I got a flat in the front.

1202
01:43:23,334 --> 01:43:26,626
-Gimme the tube.
-Gimme the tire.

1203
01:43:29,376 --> 01:43:32,001
Is it losing air again?

1204
01:43:33,376 --> 01:43:35,292
I'd say it is.

1205
01:43:35,709 --> 01:43:38,459
Congrats! Two for one.

1206
01:43:39,542 --> 01:43:42,126
On the next day I get number three.

1207
01:43:42,834 --> 01:43:45,667
-Flat?
-Yeah. In the back now.

1208
01:43:45,667 --> 01:43:50,042
Me holding them back doesn't seem
to be a problem for Otti and Keule.

1209
01:43:50,042 --> 01:43:54,334
They simply use the opportunity
to prolong the beer breaks.

1210
01:43:54,834 --> 01:43:58,751
-Nose picking girl in the back.
-What the heck are you doing?

1211
01:44:00,751 --> 01:44:05,167
Just a few kilometers later,
they get another opportunity.

1212
01:44:14,584 --> 01:44:18,084
At least I don't hold them back
by being too slow.

1213
01:44:18,334 --> 01:44:23,126
I have less luggage and the heat
equalizes any advantage in training.

1214
01:44:25,959 --> 01:44:29,584
Just loaded up by bags...

1215
01:44:29,584 --> 01:44:33,084
Walked two steps, over there and back.

1216
01:44:33,084 --> 01:44:35,834
The air's pretty humid, too.

1217
01:44:37,126 --> 01:44:40,959
Sweat won't cool you down,
as it doesn't vaporize.

1218
01:44:40,959 --> 01:44:50,876
The weather we've had on this tour
has always been a bit extreme for cycling.

1219
01:44:50,876 --> 01:44:56,834
We started in record-breaking summer heat
at 40°C (104°F). Was dry, though.

1220
01:44:57,251 --> 01:45:00,542
Then it was moderate for a while.
Which was pretty nice.

1221
01:45:00,542 --> 01:45:03,626
Up until Turkmenistan.
Then came the winter.

1222
01:45:04,626 --> 01:45:11,542
And then we had a really short transition,
and now we're here, again at 40°C (104°F).

1223
01:45:13,251 --> 01:45:17,459
We still make good progress,
cycling up to 100 km (60 mi) per day.

1224
01:45:18,251 --> 01:45:19,876
With enough cooling breaks...

1225
01:45:23,292 --> 01:45:25,376
...smoking breaks...

1226
01:45:26,417 --> 01:45:28,209
...and lunch breaks.

1227
01:45:37,876 --> 01:45:40,792
But a full day off is necessary
nonetheless.

1228
01:45:40,792 --> 01:45:45,459
We go to the small town of Ca Na,
around 300 km (186 mi) short of Saigon.

1229
01:46:05,167 --> 01:46:09,126
Okra - is that a cactus or something?
I really don't know that stuff.

1230
01:46:09,292 --> 01:46:13,084
I don't know how it grows. I only know
that it tastes great when grilled.

1231
01:46:14,959 --> 01:46:20,167
How long did carry along the wok
before you used it for the first time?

1232
01:46:21,334 --> 01:46:27,417
I've been carrying it since day one, used
it on Cat Ba Island for the first time.

1233
01:46:29,376 --> 01:46:34,167
We thought we'd be cooking outdoors
more often.

1234
01:46:36,667 --> 01:46:41,251
But at some point, it just wasn't
necessary anymore,

1235
01:46:41,251 --> 01:46:44,959
because the locals could do it
much better and cheaper.

1236
01:46:50,459 --> 01:46:54,251
The two of them have been on the road
together for nearly ten months.

1237
01:47:15,501 --> 01:47:19,334
There's only four days left until Saigon.

1238
01:47:21,751 --> 01:47:26,167
-Are you looking forward to the end?
-It's still weird.

1239
01:47:27,376 --> 01:47:29,792
For ten months now...

1240
01:47:29,792 --> 01:47:35,584
...you've been cycling.
And you really become an expert at that.

1241
01:47:35,584 --> 01:47:38,959
Meaning, you learn to evaluate
all kinds of stuff.

1242
01:47:39,126 --> 01:47:43,167
You know: How far can I go
in any particular weather?

1243
01:47:43,667 --> 01:47:45,709
What exactly do I have to put on?

1244
01:47:45,709 --> 01:47:48,376
How should I behave
in what kind of traffic?

1245
01:47:49,084 --> 01:47:53,459
You can even hear if trucks or busses
get too close, and you know:

1246
01:47:53,459 --> 01:47:56,834
How do I avoid them?
Into the ditch - yes or no?

1247
01:47:57,042 --> 01:47:59,126
All kinds of stuff...

1248
01:47:59,334 --> 01:48:04,709
You learn how to communicate
with as few words as possible,

1249
01:48:04,917 --> 01:48:07,042
or even hand signs.

1250
01:48:07,251 --> 01:48:13,001
And now you arrive in Saigon
and the whole tour is over.

1251
01:48:13,001 --> 01:48:16,792
And you don't need any of those
skills anymore. Really none of them.

1252
01:48:16,792 --> 01:48:20,167
Unless you start another tour.

1253
01:48:20,376 --> 01:48:23,751
But all the stuff you learned during
the last ten months,

1254
01:48:23,959 --> 01:48:25,334
all the skills you honed...

1255
01:48:25,542 --> 01:48:32,292
You don't need that anymore.
And that feels weird.

1256
01:48:34,251 --> 01:48:37,501
It's day 304.

1257
01:48:49,209 --> 01:48:50,709
It's not far.

1258
01:48:51,126 --> 01:48:55,917
Otti and Keule chose the historic Main
Postal Office as their final destination.

1259
01:48:55,917 --> 01:48:58,584
Right in Saigon's center.

1260
01:48:58,876 --> 01:49:04,042
On 31st May 2019, after exactly 10 months,

1261
01:49:04,584 --> 01:49:06,209
the end.

1262
01:49:24,334 --> 01:49:27,501
Now you can finally remove that ugly flag.

1263
01:49:33,251 --> 01:49:35,417
Total kilometers?

1264
01:49:36,292 --> 01:49:39,001
Thirteen thousand and seven.
(8,082.2 mi)

1265
01:49:40,626 --> 01:49:43,542
How many countries did we visit?

1266
01:49:43,542 --> 01:49:45,751
47,487

1267
01:49:47,917 --> 01:49:50,292
You're such a fucking liar!

1268
01:49:50,292 --> 01:49:53,209
11 or 12. I didn't count.

1269
01:49:53,917 --> 01:49:55,751
Must be more.

1270
01:49:58,751 --> 01:50:04,751
Wait... Germany, Czech Republic,
Austria, Slovakia, Hungary...

1271
01:50:07,834 --> 01:50:09,667
What came after that?

1272
01:50:13,917 --> 01:50:18,834
Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey,
Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan...

1273
01:50:19,001 --> 01:50:21,417
Uzbekistan was number 12, I think.

1274
01:50:21,876 --> 01:50:24,292
Yeah, 15 countries then.

1275
01:50:24,501 --> 01:50:27,751
It's like the article
we talked about yesterday...

1276
01:50:27,959 --> 01:50:31,626
13,000 km (8,000 mi)!
Twelve and a half countries!

1277
01:50:31,834 --> 01:50:33,084
Bam, bam, bam! All those facts.

1278
01:50:33,292 --> 01:50:37,251
And we don't even know
how many countries we've been in...

1279
01:50:41,417 --> 01:50:47,834
We finally made it, but...
In your head, you're still...

1280
01:50:48,001 --> 01:50:52,209
In your head you pack your bike tomorrow
and just keep going.

1281
01:50:52,209 --> 01:50:55,376
We have to process all of this first.

1282
01:50:55,876 --> 01:51:01,167
What's your gut feeling now?
Will you ever ride a bike again?

1283
01:51:02,167 --> 01:51:05,501
Maybe when we're home,
to the bakery or something...

1284
01:51:13,917 --> 01:51:17,126
Did you find yourselves on your journey?

1285
01:51:17,126 --> 01:51:21,376
Yeah, I didn't even know where I was.
Turns out I was here the whole time.

1286
01:51:22,042 --> 01:51:22,792
Crazy.

1287
01:51:23,001 --> 01:51:25,126
You got another question for us?

1288
01:51:25,126 --> 01:51:29,167
One more asshole question:
Why did you even do this whole thing?

1289
01:51:29,959 --> 01:51:31,209
Pisses me off!

1290
01:51:32,417 --> 01:51:34,751
I hate cycling so much!

1291
01:51:34,751 --> 01:51:38,542
We don't wanna cycle again. Cycling sucks.

1292
01:51:38,542 --> 01:51:40,334
Of course cycling sucks.

1293
01:51:41,042 --> 01:51:43,626
But that doesn't mean we want to stop now.

1294
01:51:44,209 --> 01:51:46,792
You just wanna do something cool.