Want more adventure in your life? Hear real adventure travel stories and practical insights from people who explore the world in bold and meaningful ways by bike, on foot, and close to home.
Seek Travel Ride is an adventure travel podcast for anyone curious about travel and looking to bring more adventure into their everyday.
Host Bella Molloy chats with adventurers and everyday people about bicycle touring, cycle touring, bikepacking, long-distance cycling, and other human-powered adventures. You’ll also hear slow travel, cultural discovery and micro-adventure stories that show adventure can happen anywhere.
Expect travel stories, helpful advice and practical tips you can use to shape your own adventures, whether you’re dreaming of world travel, planning your first bike travel journey, or starting small with something close to home.
Remember it doesn't need to be epic to be an Adventure!
Hello, it's Bella, host of the show. Welcome to this week's mini episode. Today I'm excited to be featuring a previous guest of the show by the name of Arev. Arev is one half of the Amazing World bike touring couple. Her partner Matias is the other half, and I featured them really early on in the podcast day. So possibly, oh gosh, I would like to say about a year and a half ago. Anyway, Arev in this week's episode is going to be sharing one day of her trip, which took place while both she and Matthias were in Iran. Before we listen to Arev share that part of the story, I also just want to say a big thanks to all of you for listening to Seek Travel Ride. We recently just hit our hundredth episode milestone, and I couldn't do any of it without you. But if you enjoy the podcast, the best way to support me with the show is by sharing it with a friend who loves adventure. Your recommendation can really help inspire even more people to get out and explore the world on two wheels. So do me a huge favour, go into your podcast player app, find your favourite episode, click the share button, and share it with a friend who you think might be interested in listening to it as well. And let's see if we can continue to grow the Seek Travel Ride community. Okay, now it's time to listen to a Rev take us to one day of her trip in Iran.
SPEAKER_01
Hi Bella, hi everyone, I'm Are from Amazing World Bike Tour, and today I want to tell you about one particular day of our time in Iran that left a huge impression on me. It's a story that we couldn't tell in our YouTube series without endangering other people. So, to protect their identities, I will change some details and remain vague on purpose where it's necessary. So it was summer and we were cycling through the Iranian Central Plateau. It was hot, the landscape was burnt and barren, in large part desert. We generally woke up between 4 and 5 in the morning to cycle as far as possible before it got too hot. Between high noon and 4 pm, cycling was pretty much impossible, with temperatures reaching well over 40 degrees in the shade. So it was crucial for us to find a cool place for our extended lunch breaks. One of those days we arrived in a village before noon and were delighted to find a restaurant with a water cooler. So we let ourselves fall on the Persian carpet and relax. A man approached us and insisted on helping us to order. And he spoke surprisingly fluent English. In the middle of nowhere, far from any Western tourists, that felt a bit odd. Yeah, he said he studied natural sciences but now works in politics. Politics, Iran, then rang our alarm bells. This means he must be in line with the government, right? However, uh he was extremely polite, ordered lunch for us, and left. Soon after we treated with the delicious Persian meal, we napped for a while, and when the man came back, he insisted that we rest one night in his place. He said he lives with his wife, an Arabic teacher. They are two daughters and one son. So we were really intrigued by his persistence, and we were also physically exhausted, so we decided to accept his offer. As we entered the house, two teenage boys opened the door. He introduced them as a daughter and a son. Like what? I was confused, and I was trying to figure out what's going on. Was I lost in the translation? Where is the daughter? So it took me a little while to realize that the teenage boy in front of me was supposedly a girl. So stepping through that door, we entered one of the most complicated worlds. A transgender teenager growing up in a rural, remote desert village in the Islamic Republic of Iran. A father probably due to his science background understands that being transgender is not a choice. And at the same time, a mother that is a deeply devout conservative Muslim. And as the husband said, she is an Arabic teacher, and that means in Iran that she is teaching the Quran. So she's highly religious. So we spend the whole afternoon and evening with them. We even visited the grandparents who also live in the same village. Basically everyone knows everyone, and I couldn't help but think how fundamentally different the realities of the members of the same family can be. Naturally the kid denies his given female name and chose a male name for himself, let's say Ali. However, nobody calls him Ali, not even his dad. Because even though he understands, he doesn't want to upset the mother, which seemingly denies reality. And maybe she prays for her daughter to choose the right path. The kid is just a teenager having a difficult period and it will just pass. Meanwhile, the father is desperately trying to figure out some course of action that doesn't tear apart the whole family and keeps his kids safe at the same time. So in Iran, girls and boys go to separate schools. So Ali goes to the girls' school and has to wear a hijab. So under four eyes, he was very frank. Of course, he is very upset. Everyone keeps calling him with a girl's name and he leaves a farce, but it's not all that bad. He says he can see his girlfriend every day because he is considered a girl. They can hold hands, they can even hug, for now at least. He's a very bright kid and studies English in his free time, but he is preparing to leave his motherland. Later in the evening the father suggested that we all sleep together on the rooftop. We love the idea. And imagine for a moment, seven utterly different fates were watching the stars in the clear and endless desert sky together and dreaming. This experience gave me a lot to think about and definitely enriched my perspective towards freedom, privilege, as well as the complexity of the world and the societies we live in. During our time in Iran, we spent most nights in the homes of Iranian families. So at some point we decided not to film the vast majority of the encounters for their safety and to keep our experience authentic. So yeah, this was a nice chance to share this story with you. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02
Wow. Thank you so much, Arev, for sharing that truly incredible day of your trip there in Iran. My mind is boggling because I'm not sure how I would react in that situation. And like you said, at the end of that day, all of you there staring up at the stars on the same roof, yet with completely different perspectives and ideas about the world. Oh, my mind is absolutely boggling. I also would like to say a huge thank you to both you and Matthias for the respect that you showed to the amazingly hospitable Iranian people and the links that you went to to protect their story. Listeners, I absolutely love the content that both Arev and Matthias are sharing on their Amazing World Bike Tour. And you can definitely go and check out the visuals behind their experiences on their YouTube channel, which I have provided links to in the show notes. Thank you so much, Arev. Now, as many of you loyal fans know, I'm starting to ask a new question to my guests at the end of each show. And that question is the best thing about taking a bike adventure is. In celebrating my 100th episode Milestone, I did extend the opportunity to previous guests to give me their answers, and I'd like to share some of them with you now. The first one comes from guest Spencer McCulloch. Spencer's adventure took him all across the US. I think it was over 29,000 kilometers, and he was the first person to connect all of the national parks in the lower 48. This is Spencer's answer.
SPEAKER_00
The best thing about taking a bike adventure for me is that it can never really be like late to anything. I'm never really stressed because the schedule is so loose because riding bikes is so fickle, you know, the wind, the rain, a mechanical. I'm not attached to my schedule the same way I am in a car or something like that. That's one of the most beautiful parts to me.
SPEAKER_02
Thank you so much, Spencer. I absolutely love that hot take of the best thing about bike adventures. No schedules. Because as you rightly said, the unexpected happens. You can't plan too rigidly, but that overwhelmingly can definitely be a positive. Thanks for sharing. Okay, next guest is Katrina Haste. Now, Katrina celebrated a birthday milestone by riding solo down the Great Divide mountain bike route. Let's listen to what Katrina has to say.
SPEAKER_04
Hi Bella, it's Katrina from Minnesota in the United States. In 2023, I rode the Great Divide mountain bike route and have a current focus on bikepacking tough black country mountain and desert routes. What I love most about travel by bike is knowingly putting myself in a place of vulnerability. When I shed my everyday layers of comfort and protection, I open up to discovering my own resourcefulness, to experiencing a crucial and profound connection with nature, and to accepting kindness from strangers.
SPEAKER_02
Katrina, I absolutely love this answer from you. And there's so many layers to it, isn't it? But it's through being vulnerable that we can learn so much about ourselves, show ourselves what we're capable of, connect deeply with our surroundings, be mindful in the moment, and as you say, accept kindness from a stranger as well. I absolutely love this answer. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. Alright, listeners, and our next guest feature is from Laura Willerton. Laura started her journey in Athens, rode all the way through Central Asia, and is currently in Sri Lanka. Let's hear what Laura has to say.
SPEAKER_03
Hi Bella, congratulations on your 100 episodes. That's a great achievement. It's Laura Willison here from Bicycle Touring from Athens to Asia. It was meant to be Alaska, but it's be continued. I'm currently living in Sri Lanka with my bicycle, and I've got some more trips in the planning stages. I've managed to inspire another woman to cycle, so we're covering lots of distance at the weekends for now. You want to know what the best thing about taking a bike adventure is? Well, I was chatting to another touring psychist recently, and I asked them this question. He said it's the feeling of being completely alone, and it made me realise I think the complete opposite. For me it's the people you meet along the way. Whenever I've been having a rough day or feeling like I'm struggling, I found there's always someone with a hot tea, a warm shower, or a friendly wave, and it's pushed me to keep going. I finished my trip at the tip of Borneo. I'd been recommended a cabana and camping spot, but when I got there, down this little hundred meter hill, they were fully booked. The panic they had of making me cycle back up this hundred metres meant they fed me, invited me to karaoke, and promised me a night sleeping in the laundry closet. Someone got on the phone to someone else in the village, and before I knew it, I'd been collected and given my own bed on my own private little island. I just think stories like this don't happen by any other type of transport. I'm looking forward to listening to more episodes. Bye for now from Sunny Sri Lanka.
SPEAKER_02
Thanks so much, Laura. I'm so keen to see where your next adventures take you. And I love your answer there. It's so true. If it's anything I've learnt from interviewing over a hundred guests, it's the kindness of strangers comes in over and over again, and you're really exposed to that through your vulnerability, the fact you stick out like a sore thumb, turning up to villages with your bike loaded up. It sparks off conversation and often leads to the most amazing hospitality. I love your answer there. Thank you for sharing it. Okay, listeners, as you know, I also always love to highlight my super fans who this week have bought me coffees. First up, a big heartfelt thank you to Walkabout Pack, who says, I love your podcast, it's inspirational, it's such a positive place to listen, and it's clear. Age and experience are no barrier to these bike adventures. I'm now planning my own adventure to bike with my dog. I've never done anything like this, but it's one pedal at a time and get to the goal. Lisa and George the Border Collie. Oh, thank you so much, Lisa and George. I'm super thrilled to hear that you're taking inspiration from the podcast, and my goodness, get in touch with me when you've taken that bike adventure. I haven't yet featured someone who's sort of gone dog bikepacking, and I'd love to do so. Thank you for supporting the show. Next up is Alicia Pratur. Now Alicia, I hope I haven't just butchered your surname there. But Alicia says, Your podcast is so inspiring. I love all of your guests and am so appreciative of all the adventurous women you interview. As a 55-year-old woman, I love this. Alicia, I love it too. And it's been an absolute pleasure to be able to interview so many women and bring their stories to light and expose them to so many people all around the world because I hope that it's people that you that are tuning in that are going to use it as fuel for your own adventures as well. Thanks for supporting the show. Now, if you too want to be legends like Lisa and George and Alicia, then please hit the link in the show notes. You can buy me a virtual coffee, show some appreciation for the podcast, but more importantly, also send me a message and let me know what you love about the show. Until the next episode, I'm Bella Malloy. Thanks for listening.
