German Cyclist explores Garo Hills after travelling 13 Countries by cycle

Meet an incredible Cyclist from Germany who has journeyed across 13 Countries – all on his cycle.Now, he is exploring the beautiful landscape of Garo Hills.

Well, today we are here in the restaurant of brother John Sma here. Very glad to be here in your restaurant today. Nice to see you. So glad to have our brother Max from Germany. Right. Correct. Good. Good to meet you. Welcome to Garo Hills. The food here is namanto. Namua. Very tasty. Thank you. Yes sir. So the food is very good here. Right. I enjoy go hospitality. Okay. Uh I was fortunate to find one brother uh who was driving me from Boko to Turra. Okay. Uh and we found out that everyone knows LK Sangma. Okay. By the way, the name of the brother is Sakin from Boko, the one who helped you yesterday, right? Yes. Yes. Good. Good. Yeah. I’m so happy that you are here. And then Yeah. Mr. Rahul Sa from Dimapur called me some weeks back informing that all the way from Germany, he is here in Nagland and he will be also traveling to Megalyia. So in my place in our place there in Dimab. Well, I can say that was also my native place. So happy that. Mhm. You also visited those places. Yeah. So, how do you find this place? So, uh I have been visiting I have been in uh Megallaya traveling for 5 days because I was going from Umrango through Gantia Hills. Okay. Uh and uh back through Shillong and uh towards Guhati. The first night in in Guahhati, I could not sleep well because I was sleeping in my own sweat. It was so hot. I see. And here in Megallaya, the climate, the coolness is much more pleasant. That’s kind of some more days here. Yes. Yes. But now you are sending me back with bus again into the heat. You’re going and going back and I’m coming back again. Yeah. So, uh everything it seems to be a little bit crazy or mixed up but everything happens according to okay a higher plan. Okay. So, I will be going with bus to Agni. Okay. Then Aya Aya. Okay. In Ayia I will meet VIP Caro. Okay. He is world famous among go because he did all India by bicycle. Okay. So he wants to show me that city and also his home city his hometown district. Yes. Aya and then Kokraza to meet his family. Yeah. And to cycle together to girls again. So today I have uh unpacked my bicycle and uh put the minimum package in some bags because I don’t have to carry all my cooking stuff. I don’t have to carry all my books. I don’t have to carry all my laundry. Yeah. And uh I don’t need all the tools. So uh yeah I’m excited for this experience and I will meet uh even now already I have received so much kindness from go people and it will even expand. Yeah, if you explore go, you’ll find lot of uh other friends as well and you can enjoy the places, hospitality of go people here. Well, kindly let us know when did you leave your place and how far how many country have visited before reaching India? My I have one great aunt. She never married. She’s the only other Christian in my family. Okay. uh and uh she was as a nurse she was in Africa serving the Lord. Okay. And uh she always likes to eat when someone of the family has birthday. She likes to eat in a restaurant. So I could not leave before my birthday. So I had to wait. Uh okay. Also my twin brother, he has birthday. I have a little brother, older brother and same age. Okay. brother Yutwan uh twin brother. So one week after my birthday uh around April 2023 I started to uh now it’s like 2 years and 2 months that I’m traveling uh 14 months it took from Germany to India. Wow. I crossed 13 countries. Uh after Europe uh the Swiss canal in uh Turkey is considered the separation between Europe and Asia. Uh then I crossed Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India is the country number 13. Yeah. Now I’m in India since one year and still India doesn’t let me go. Mother India is very loving. Good. Good. And nice to hear that. Yes. I Okay. Uh how many states you have been v visiting in India since you are how from which side you enter India? There are different countings like Okay. Uh I recently I updated my counting and I say 12 because two states I have just I have not spent time there. I have not met people. Okay. Um so I have entered Punjab. Okay. Then uh yeah from Pakistan Vapora. Yes I know. Uh I have missed Golden Temple. Afterwards people tell me have you seen Golden Temple? Have you been there? No. No. And I did not know about this guru dara system that anytime if you have a long trouser uh you can go there and have a meal and even stay for the night. That is uh uh they give like a general hospitality for foreigners or travelers or poor people. Yes, that is very good system. Then after Punjab I was in Himachal Pradesh uh Daram port daram shala. Um then I returned again to Punjab because summer was stressing me and that friend offered me I could stay in his home for some time. So I thought okay why not have a little bit uh rest and air conditioner in Punjab. Yeah in Punjab. Then again I started towards Agra. So Hana and Di. Then uh the northern state uh UP. Okay. Yeah. Uttar Pradesh. Then uh Bihar, Jarant, Odisa and uh then I had one friend with relatives in Andhra Pradesh. Okay. But it was already summer coming. So I thought no I cannot go to the south. It will kill me. The heat will be too much. Yes. So I decided to go to Kolkata. Also I love books. So I was happy to go to college street find some books. Um [Music] even though I don’t take enough time for reading and carry them around most of the time. Of course. Uh Kolkata, West Bengal, uh best razagula comes from West. West Bengal. Yeah. Even they offer it hot, warm. Yeah. What about uh Siki? I fell in love with Muri also there and puffed rice. Then Yeah. Then I went Diling Kalimong Sikkim. Okay. Uh one friend in Gangtok hosted me. Okay. He wrote to me on Instagram, if you come to Gangtok, you can can stay with me. Okay. And he has seen a post that a friend has posted. Then he got in touch with me because he felt inspired about cycle traveler like me. Yeah. Then uh I went again uh West Bengal, Assam. I adopted a street dog which was a little puppy with a big wound. So four weeks I took care of that dog. The wound was almost healed and I found a good family uh to him and give him uh to go village village in Assam. Yeah. Yeah. I was I’ve seen one video. Yeah. There was uh tinglan you were there in I think that time only you carried that puppy am I seen in Amy’s video. Yeah. I thought that you bought here and then no no some people were even suggesting I brought him from Germany but he’s not 2 years old. that experience. That’s nice. And traveling with animals is always complicated about the vaccination and papers and conditions. So from the beginning I thought told myself I will help this dog until he’s well and then I will keep him as long until I find a good place. Okay. And I was very glad to find a good place before I entered Nagland because I was constantly thinking if I go to a Sunday service to Nagland, I will always think is the dog still there? Is the dog still there when I come out of the service. So he’s in Tinglan in G village and he’s uh yeah it’s a perfect home that he found. They are blessed with that and that blessing also came through uh Amit Amit uh Amital Amit. Right. Right. Uh he and group of four other all India cyclists. Uh we were in Tingli Jan um hosted uh very generously and uh I I went to Nagaland but that was very short. Then I came back to Umrango. There was a beautiful waterfall uh like electrical plant uh what they have there. Yeah. Hypro something and ready the Gantia Hills. Gentia Hills. Yes. Yes. So well you have been traveling to so many states in India from right from the west right into the north now the northeast. So how is your experience in a very brief way? Uh did you enjoy did you face very tough situation somewhere else or you enjoyed a lot? Sometimes I’m struggling with the heat. Uh I always enjoy the food. Uh Indian food mostly. Yeah, Indian food. Mostly I uh I cook my own food but it happens also quite often that people invite me for milk tea or uh for food. If I have the option I always choose a lal chai lai because uh my stomach is not happy about too many spices, too many different spices. The bacteria in my stomach don’t want to work with it. I see. So um yeah uh what was my experience in India? It still continues. Yeah. Uh especially that is a worldwide experience. Especially when you are in need, especially when you have trouble then people are very helpful. Like uh one time my back tire blasted. So I had no option to replace it because if I put a new tube again, it will happen the same because the tire was already damaged. So I filled up that tire with grass so that I could be able to push my bicycle 40 kilometers to the next bigger city to re find replacement. But then a truck driver even before I started pushing my cycle stopped and asked me where I want to go and he took me to uh Siliguri. Uh then there at Deathlon I could replace my back tires. Okay. Okay. Um so yeah so I I don’t face many problems. That’s a provision from the Lord. Sometimes the Lord has been taking care of you. Yes. Amen. Providing God is good all the time. You right. Well, so happy we’ll be meeting again since we’ll be traveling to Assam tomorrow. Yes. Well, I hope very shortly will be back together with your team. We will come back with more cyclists. More cyclist. You will come up with a strong and brother John will join with you. Yes. And now my bicycle is not 90 kg. Now my bicycle maybe only 40 or maybe even less than 40k. Oh, maybe even less. So that is also a new experience for me to travel with less luggage. If I fall in love with it then I I don’t know then I should get rid of some books. Again you’re coming like you’ll be coming back to hills with your team. Yes. Three of you will come from Dasam I think and then one one of the guy brother Chaman will be here only joining you from here from here only so we’ll try to join you I’ll be waiting for you here in TRAA okay and when you are in need I can just help you here John is here many other friends also help I’ll try to arrange some programs uh with my writers group yes let’s see what will happen do you Yes. Today you had a very great experience I think with brother Ryan. H with brother Ryan. We went on a mountain. Good. Uh it was uh uh it was cloudy so there was not a big uh view but uh I really enjoyed the wind and the fresh clean air and uh uh to to see those lonely little mountain villages uh it it made me feel I like to have a life in peace. It seems very peaceful. Yes. Um yeah, still they have to do some hard work but uh uh for me to live off grid uh feels more like my nature. Well, you still in the west go hills district of Megallaya. So you have some more district like south west, south gau hills, north garsills, east go hills. It’s a lot of places to explore. So come again. Thank you. Nice meeting you. Thank you, brother John, for a very nice dinner. Thank you so much. Thanks for coming. Enjoy the dinner tonight. Yes. See you again. Thank you. Have a wonder. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yes. Thanks.