Roadtrip

CULTURES SAUVAGES #8 - THE FORGOTTEN WORLD HIGHWAY

CULTURES SAUVAGES #8 - THE FORGOTTEN WORLD HIGHWAY

The Forgotten World Highway (or SH43) is a 150km long road located in the North Island of New Zealand, between the town of Stratford, close to the Taranaki mountain and the village of Taumarunui, not far from the Tongariro National Park, the famous setting of the Mordor.
For my last road trip in New Zealand, I had to see this forgotten road with my own eyes. With my favourite partner of unlikely adventures and road trips rocked with lame songs, Florent, we rented a car to explore more of North Island before going back to France.

CYCLING TAIWAN'S EAST COAST : THE STORY OF AN UNLIKELY CYCLIST

CYCLING TAIWAN'S EAST COAST : THE STORY OF AN UNLIKELY CYCLIST

Moi, là-dedans, je m’amusais de plus en plus avec mon vélo Hello Kitty à Hualien, avec cette idée de tour de Taiwan qui me démangeait de plus en plus. Il faut avouer que ça me faisait flipper, de partir sur les routes à vélo comme ça pendant plusieurs semaines : j’ai même jamais fait de randonnée de plus de 4 jours ! Alors j’ai trouvé un compromis avec moi-même : j’allais pédaler la côte Est de Taiwan. De Taitung à Hualien.

GETTING READY FOR A CYCLING TRIP IN TAIWAN : TIPS FOR BEGINNERS FROM A NEWBIE CYCLIST

GETTING READY FOR A CYCLING TRIP IN TAIWAN : TIPS FOR BEGINNERS FROM A NEWBIE CYCLIST

When you decide to go on a bicycle travel trip, for a long period of time or not, you kind of face the same old fears that when you decided to go backpacking for the first time… ‘How do I pack my bag in a smart way’, ‘which itinerary should I follow’, ‘which gear should I buy’, ‘how could I avoid selling my kidneys to replenish my bank account’, and the same old ‘how do I stay alive while travelling the world?’ (yeah, I did ask myself that one more than once), in other words how to achieve your traveling goals, and in that case, on a bicycle…?

SAIGON EXPRESS

SAIGON EXPRESS

He’s taking me on his motorbike to show me the city. I’m getting kicked in the face by Ho Chi Minh City. When I first arrive in a new country, there’s always at least a little bit of cultural shock. I’m trying to grab the meaning, the direction, the movement of lives, of people. It’s not as much of a surprise because I read about Vietnam. I’ve seen so many pictures and movies.
But right now, on Alessio’s motorcycle, that’s a whole different story: I’m experimenting Vietnam through a complex range of sensations.