WEBVTT FILE
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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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Our eyelashes, eyebrows froze,
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headphones broke, cell phone died.
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We can't feel our hands anymore.
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It's just sick. In moments like these,
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you start to question
some of your life choices.
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This cold man here is me: Nono.
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And this is what I look like
without my mask on.
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And this hairy creature is me.
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Max.
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We met in college,
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are best friends
and have one thing in common:
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I hate it. I hate cycling.
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I'll never like cycling.
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First of all, our trip
really didn't change anything about that.
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And yet, these 15,000 kilometers
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on two wheels
were the best thing we've ever done.
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Because Biking Borders
is more than just a bicycle trip.
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During our semester abroad,
we got to teach at schools,
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in Guatemala, among other places.
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One in five children there
can't attend school.
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There is a lack of infrastructure
and financial resources.
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Since then, we've had a big dream.
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We want to build a school there.
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That's why we're launching a fundraiser
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together with an NGO
for sustainable education.
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We'll try to generate attention
through social media.
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Nowadays, the best way to do that is
by doing crazy things.
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Our challenge:
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a bike trip around the world.
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From Berlin to Beijing.
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Guatemala wasn't an option
because of all the water.
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And so Biking Borders is born,
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probably
the longest bicycle fundraiser "run" ever
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to build a school
on the other side of the world.
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Yes, and we'll bike from here to Beijing.
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Six months of planning are now over.
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To be honest, I don't even know
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what we've gotten ourselves into.
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Man, I've never cycled
more than 50 kilometers.
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I've been imagining this day
for six months,
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and now it's actually here.
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There's just all of this excitement,
anticipation, nervousness.
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Alright, bro, let's go!
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DAY 1 - 25 KM
CLOSE TO BERLIN
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Headwind and uphill. Nice.
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My butt is hurting already,
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I have to say.
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But I still don't quite realize
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that we're actually on our way
to China already.
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In the first two days,
we make it to Saxony-Anhalt.
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Beijing seems within reach.
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We're here in Wittenberg,
where we've reached 100 kilometers.
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Wittenberg!
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From the beginning, you can also follow
our journey on Instagram.
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Can I do it in Adidas slippers?
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-Can you push me?
-It's getting even steeper!
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Filming for the fundraiser
doesn't necessarily make us any faster.
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Come on, Nono. The last meters.
It's so hot!
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So incredibly hot!
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DAY 3 - 218 KM
SOMEWHERE IN SAXONY
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What should I film here?
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Well, bro, I'm not a filmmaker either,
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but I think
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that we must somehow convey
that it's not about cycling. You know?
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I think we just have to show
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that we're doing this shit here,
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camping in the middle of nowhere,
to build this school.
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I think we need to show that, you know?
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Sure, adventure is one part of it,
but we're doing it for another reason.
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Beijing, here we come!
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There's something outside the tent.
Definitely a big animal.
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And Max was just telling me
that there are wolves here.
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I didn't know that before.
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And now you can guess
which one of us has the ax.
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Yes, not me.
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Dude, that's a wolf, isn't it?
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I hope not…
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What are you looking at?
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Dude, if that's a wolf outside
and if it's about to howl, then…
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I'll shit my pants.
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What do we do, then? Tell me already!
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Go outside with the ax.
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-You got the pepper spray?
-Yes.
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There are the eyes in the back.
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Nono, three, two, one…
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It's running away.
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Okay, we're not joking.
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There was a wolf just two meters from us.
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My heart is still racing.
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Tomorrow we'll sleep at a campsite.
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Yeah, man!
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That was definitely an exciting night.
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Oh dear. Let's see what's in store for us.
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After five days,
we cross the Czech border.
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We bike 60 to 70 kilometers a day
and slowly get used to being outside,
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rain or shine.
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And yes, we even get used
to cycling a bit.
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Sometimes you'll even hear this:
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Cycling is nice.
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Especially when you have
these little feelings of success.
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Okay, Max… 30 meters…
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20 meters… 10 meters… 500!
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-Awesome!
-Cool!
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Cool! Nine days on the road,
500 kilometers,
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8,500 euros for the school.
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-Max, what do you say?
-Awesome!
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Simply awesome.
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Our parallel journey on social media
is also advancing.
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We make donation appeals…
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…get supporters on board…
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Biking Borders
is an account I'd like to support
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to draw attention to what they're doing.
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…and try to bring people along somehow.
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Our strategy seems to be working.
The community is growing every day.
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We already have over 200 donors
and almost 20% of the school's cost.
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Of course, this triumph
must be celebrated properly.
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Today we're having free apples.
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-A big one or a small one?
-A big one.
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Thank you.
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Since our student wallet isn't big enough,
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aside from professional fruit theft,
we're developing a nutritional strategy.
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Max and Nono's kitchen.
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What are we having, Max?
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Rice with sardines.
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And sugar.
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And perhaps a little peanut butter.
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Flabby bread.
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For champions.
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For lunch, bread with tomato paste.
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It's delicious.
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Honey
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with sardines
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and garlic salt.
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So, how does it taste?
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It's like honey made by fish.
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-Just bread and mustard?
-Yes.
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My grandma showed me this back then.
A family recipe.
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Will this provide enough energy?
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Yes. This has it all.
Proteins, omega-3 fatty acids,
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love.
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DAY 11 - 725 KM
OBORSKY RYBNIK, CZECH REPUBLIC
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I'd say the bed's made.
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Sleeping outside tonight. Are you happy?
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Well, yes.
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Do we have bug spray?
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Oh, that's low.
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No! That's disgusting.
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-I still have to wash my face.
-Go somewhere else.
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How many more nights outside
do you think we'll have
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before we get to Beijing?
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That's a silly question. I don't know.
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I agree.
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Alright, bro. Good night.
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Good morning, Max.
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Morning.
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So, how did you sleep outside?
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It's so cozy. Just look at that view.
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Yeah, man.
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After three weeks, we can finally feel it.
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The first whiff of the exotic.
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Austria!
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It feels as if we could conquer the world.
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And then this wildlife.
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And those mountains...
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Those damned mountains.
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We're going uphill again.
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We have to push
our bikes constantly in Austria.
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Nono is looking for his slippers.
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At least after 900 kilometers,
the bet is finally over.
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DAY 20 - 1,000 KM
STYRIA, AUSTRIA
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The first 1,000 are behind us.
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I can't believe it.
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Another 14 times that much
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and then we'll be in Beijing.
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REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
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Finally, not so many mountains.
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Finally going into the ocean.
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I don't believe it!
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Ocean!
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This is the reward
for every fucking mountain
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in Austria and Slovenia.
This is the reward for every mountain.
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DAY 37 - 1,820 KM
ISTRIA, CROATIA
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We've found a place to sleep,
and I'm starting to realize
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that today is October 9th.
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It's my birthday tomorrow.
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That's kind of weird.
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Your family, girlfriend and friends
can't share this day with you.
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In moments like this, you do think,
"Wouldn't it be nice to see them all,
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to toast in some way, to hug and…?"
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Well, but… I do have Nono here.
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Shall we eat now?
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Yep!
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Morning!
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Thanks, brother.
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You bearded creature.
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And my gift is the view.
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Come!
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Good morning!
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In Croatia, the journey feels
a little bit like a vacation at the beach.
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We only cycle 50 km a day and hardly
ever take off our swimming trunks.
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We have found
the coolest camping spot ever.
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Unbelievably beautiful!
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It's just insane.
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So far, we've mostly been lucky
with the weather.
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But on the exposed coastal roads,
we contend with gusts of 100 km/h.
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We can't move forward at all.
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We can't cycle properly either
because we're being pulled right and left.
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So now we push our bikes a bit.
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We don't get much further that day.
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And we already have a feeling that
the fine weather will soon be over.
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After 46 days, we leave the EU.
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Welcome to the Balkans.
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We have now arrived in Bosnia
and have done almost 2,000 kilometers.
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So only 13,000 kilometers
to go to Beijing.
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The further east we go,
the more lively experiences we get.
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Not only the animals. The people also
become more curious and interested.
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Hi, I'm Max.
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How are you?
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Hi.
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15,000 to China. 15,000 kilometers.
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Would you maybe like some juice?
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Or beer?
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We're having cevapcici today!
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People invite us.
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Share their food
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and their lives with us.
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Great photo.
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Miro teaches us Bosnian dances.
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Toma shows us how to milk cows in Albania.
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And Ibrahim prepares us for Turkey.
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And often we understand each other
completely without words.
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We're leaving Albania soon.
We're still in the Balkans.
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And we're driving through
a really insane landscape.
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Mega desolate, but the people are
still super nice.
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The people really don't have much here,
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yet they share what they have with us
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and take us into their homes…
That is really an indescribable feeling.
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And the landscape doesn't remain
quite so desolate after all.
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DAY 62 - 2,865 KM
LAKE ORID, NORTH MACEDONIA
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We've already been through ten countries,
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but this is the first time we really pause
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and leave the bikes for a few days.
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So crazy. There's just nothing here.
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Nothing. Absolutely no-man's-land.
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But we can ride wherever we want.
That's always nice.
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DAY 71 - 3,119 KM
SOMEWHERE IN GREECE
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I don't want to get up.
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It's so cold.
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I don't want to.
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Within a few days, the temperature drops
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to freezing at night.
254
00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:51.160
It gets colder and colder. Day by day.
255
00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:56.560
And we just can't be bothered
to sleep in the tent today.
256
00:25:09.320 --> 00:25:10.960
In line with the weather,
257
00:25:11.040 --> 00:25:13.520
Greece also makes
a bit of a dreary impression.
258
00:25:17.280 --> 00:25:20.400
At least we don't always have
to sleep in our tent.
259
00:25:28.040 --> 00:25:31.520
Cycling gets more unpleasant every day.
260
00:25:31.600 --> 00:25:34.160
And our vacation at the beach
takes a new direction.
261
00:25:48.080 --> 00:25:48.880
So?
262
00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:52.000
It tastes bad,
but it makes you warm on the inside.
263
00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:55.520
Do you think it will get much colder?
264
00:25:55.600 --> 00:25:58.640
I think this is just a taste
of what it's really like
265
00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:00.800
when we drive through Turkey in winter.
266
00:26:06.520 --> 00:26:08.600
-I don't want to go outside.
-Neither do I.
267
00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:15.320
It's raining, it's windy, it's cold,
and it's so cozy inside.
268
00:26:16.080 --> 00:26:20.280
And it's supposed to rain today
and tomorrow and thunder the day after.
269
00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:23.640
So great cycling conditions.
270
00:26:24.560 --> 00:26:26.520
Let's hope for a tailwind.
271
00:26:27.040 --> 00:26:29.440
-For what?
-A tailwind.
272
00:26:29.520 --> 00:26:31.600
Yes, because we've had tailwinds so often.
273
00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:37.000
-I don't think there is such a thing.
-I think a tailwind is a lie.
274
00:26:37.080 --> 00:26:41.120
Yes, I agree. Just like climate change.
Doesn't exist either.
275
00:27:07.560 --> 00:27:10.680
It's raining, it's windy.
276
00:27:10.760 --> 00:27:14.200
It's about to get dark, and we still
don't have a place to sleep.
277
00:27:14.280 --> 00:27:18.200
This sucks. It's no fun.
278
00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:32.320
This is one of those moments
279
00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:36.800
when you question it all.
Completely soaked.
280
00:27:41.320 --> 00:27:43.960
And just when you think
it can't get any worse…
281
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:45.880
Man…
282
00:27:47.320 --> 00:27:51.440
Three thousand kilometers
and I have my first flat tire.
283
00:27:51.520 --> 00:27:53.640
I've never changed a tire in my life.
284
00:27:53.720 --> 00:27:55.680
Max has to show me that first.
285
00:27:55.760 --> 00:27:58.840 line:5%
What Nono apparently doesn't remember:
right before we left,
286
00:27:58.920 --> 00:28:02.600 line:5%
we went to the bike shop
and had everything explained to us.
287
00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:04.400
For four hours.
288
00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:07.280
I must have been… a bit inattentive.
289
00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:12.440
I don't believe it.
Who builds such a long fucking valve?
290
00:28:17.880 --> 00:28:20.920
After only one hour, Nono finally did it!
291
00:28:22.520 --> 00:28:25.680
And then the tire lasted… a whole day.
292
00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:35.240
I'm so fed up with this.
293
00:28:43.080 --> 00:28:46.320
Well, Nono, what are good friends for?
294
00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:50.240
Well, for a fair division of labor?
295
00:28:58.400 --> 00:29:02.240
Thank you, Max, for being
296
00:29:03.320 --> 00:29:05.440
my personal bike mechanic from now on.
297
00:29:29.280 --> 00:29:32.480
To mark the three-month anniversary,
we've prettied ourselves up.
298
00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:34.440
I think we look great!
299
00:29:47.800 --> 00:29:50.680
There! Welcome to Turkey, my friend.
300
00:29:58.040 --> 00:29:59.840
The last European border.
301
00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:01.240
-I'm so proud of us.
-Yeah.
302
00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:09.000
We reach Istanbul just before Christmas.
303
00:30:10.760 --> 00:30:14.200
DAY 100 - 3,586 KM
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
304
00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:25.760
It feels like we're
unbelievably far away from home.
305
00:30:30.120 --> 00:30:33.480
For the first time, we realize
how far we've traveled.
306
00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:40.840
Three and a half thousand kilometers,
that's how long a Tour de France is.
307
00:30:51.400 --> 00:30:54.800
We take our time to immerse ourselves
in the new culture,
308
00:30:55.480 --> 00:30:59.240
to repair the tent
and to get the bikes in shape.
309
00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:05.240 line:5%
Our fundraising goes into full swing
310
00:31:05.320 --> 00:31:06.800 line:5%
during the Christmas season.
311
00:31:09.440 --> 00:31:11.920
Support skyrockets
during the festive season.
312
00:31:13.120 --> 00:31:17.480 line:5%
We launch an initiative where
our sponsors double every donation.
313
00:31:25.880 --> 00:31:28.760 line:5%
Shortly before Christmas,
we've got half of the donations!
314
00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:37.680
And our present?
We don't spend Christmas alone.
315
00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:43.040
It took us three and a half months
to get here.
316
00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:49.000
It takes our girlfriends
three and a half hours by plane.
317
00:32:00.360 --> 00:32:03.720
-And then it's time for Max…
-To say goodbye.
318
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:06.560
Goodbye to faithful companions.
319
00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:11.440
For four years, you've been with me
through thick and thin.
320
00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:15.520
But now it's time
for me to say goodbye to you.
321
00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:23.520
What a stupid idea.
322
00:32:28.120 --> 00:32:30.960
Christmas Eve almost feels like home.
323
00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:43.600
After our two-week break,
it's even harder to say goodbye again.
324
00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:11.080 line:5%
DAY 126 - 4,330 KM
CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY
325
00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:17.000 line:5%
Just the two of us again.
326
00:33:18.840 --> 00:33:21.920
But soon, we get an unexpected companion.
327
00:33:29.360 --> 00:33:30.840
Just in time for the new year:
328
00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:33.680
the real winter.
329
00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:50.280
The landscape of Cappadocia
seems to us like a fantasy world.
330
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:39.840
And a few weeks ago, we complained
about a bit of wind and rain.
331
00:34:43.600 --> 00:34:46.800
Cappadocia in the tent.
332
00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:51.920
It's so cold.
Everything is frozen, really everything…
333
00:34:57.280 --> 00:34:59.640
-I hope it hasn't snowed much.
-It's so cold.
334
00:34:59.720 --> 00:35:01.640
Oh, minus 8…
335
00:35:06.360 --> 00:35:12.240
I've never slept outdoors
when it was this cold. I slept with
336
00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:15.360
the thick gloves on, the hat, the hood.
337
00:35:16.120 --> 00:35:18.640
And still, I woke up at night
because I was cold.
338
00:35:32.440 --> 00:35:34.000
No matter how well you plan,
339
00:35:34.080 --> 00:35:38.480
on a bike tour from Germany to China,
you'll end up in winter at some point.
340
00:35:42.360 --> 00:35:44.960
Many ski tourists come
to eastern Turkey in January,
341
00:35:45.200 --> 00:35:47.920
and this year also two cyclists.
342
00:35:49.680 --> 00:35:55.200
It's been snowing here all day.
We have 30 centimeters of fresh snow.
343
00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:59.120
The cycling… we slide all the time.
It's so difficult.
344
00:35:59.520 --> 00:36:01.080
Hello!
345
00:36:05.560 --> 00:36:08.760
But it's exactly because of situations
like these that it's fun.
346
00:36:10.280 --> 00:36:12.640
-Are you alright?
-Yeah.
347
00:36:14.640 --> 00:36:16.360
I don't think we have winter tires.
348
00:36:18.480 --> 00:36:20.520
Now I have a lot of snow in my shoe.
349
00:36:23.560 --> 00:36:28.360
I think when people told us
Turkey was impossible in winter,
350
00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:30.000
this is what they meant.
351
00:36:30.080 --> 00:36:34.400
If it keeps snowing like this,
we'll have to stop.
352
00:36:35.480 --> 00:36:36.600
We must go somewhere.
353
00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:39.560
Yes, that's true.
354
00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:04.920
What worries us a bit:
We are on the road to Eastern Anatolia,
355
00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:08.040
the coldest and highest region of Turkey.
356
00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:11.480
In a few days, we'll be going up
another 1,000 meters.
357
00:37:13.560 --> 00:37:16.880
No idea how we're going to get there
if we can't even make it here.
358
00:37:26.280 --> 00:37:31.080
But at the same time, these are exactly
the situations we can use for our project.
359
00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:51.840
Maybe the snow will get us
a bit more attention again.
360
00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:59.480
Cycling is no longer possible today,
though.
361
00:38:01.040 --> 00:38:05.240
Cooking, showering and, above all,
sleeping are so unpleasant in this snow
362
00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:08.080
that we don't want to spend
the night outside.
363
00:38:09.520 --> 00:38:11.320
We try to improvise.
364
00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:19.640
Sorry, question, do you speak English?
365
00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:40.400
-Bicicletta, Alemania…
-China.
366
00:38:40.520 --> 00:38:41.320
China?
367
00:38:42.520 --> 00:38:47.520
Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan.
368
00:38:56.640 --> 00:38:57.880
Thank you!
369
00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:02.440
Really, we had only wanted
to ask about a mosque.
370
00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:07.160
But Kadir invited us without hesitation
to spend the night in his tearoom.
371
00:39:15.720 --> 00:39:20.280
Now we're lying here in the middle
of a bar, on the floor.
372
00:39:20.360 --> 00:39:24.160
Welcome to hospitality in Turkey.
373
00:39:25.560 --> 00:39:28.720
Goodbye!
374
00:39:58.840 --> 00:40:03.200
Kadir forgives
our non-existent knowledge of Turkish
375
00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:06.280
and tells us
that he has lived in Austria before…
376
00:40:08.120 --> 00:40:11.960
Austria, Lindenhof 154.
377
00:40:15.920 --> 00:40:19.080
…and that his son
passed away a few months ago.
378
00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:26.280
We sense how happy he is about our visit.
379
00:40:28.760 --> 00:40:31.240
We stay in touch with him
even after the trip.
380
00:40:57.160 --> 00:41:02.760
The mountains of Eastern Anatolia
keep what the locals promised us:
381
00:41:04.240 --> 00:41:05.560
They're beautiful.
382
00:41:07.680 --> 00:41:08.880
And fucking cold.
383
00:41:21.880 --> 00:41:28.240
I'm wearing two pairs of ski socks
and the thick winter boots.
384
00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:32.840
My feet are just blocks of ice.
385
00:41:44.160 --> 00:41:46.200
For six weeks, we drive through the snow.
386
00:41:47.240 --> 00:41:51.720
Sometimes we only manage
30 km a day, encounter ice storms
387
00:41:51.920 --> 00:41:56.160
and at times, we forget
why we're even here.
388
00:42:01.280 --> 00:42:05.440
It's really the first time on this trip
that I don't feel like it anymore.
389
00:42:05.520 --> 00:42:08.360
I just want nice weather, summer…
390
00:42:09.080 --> 00:42:11.480
Really, it just pisses me off.
391
00:42:11.560 --> 00:42:15.600
But we took a break
and looked at our cell phones.
392
00:42:15.680 --> 00:42:19.800
We got many messages from
people who've seen where we're going.
393
00:42:20.080 --> 00:42:24.640 line:5%
And that still gives you the motivation
to keep going.
394
00:42:39.440 --> 00:42:42.360
And: We finally make it
into the Turkish newspaper.
395
00:42:42.920 --> 00:42:45.520 line:5%
…and lots of other media
all over the world.
396
00:42:52.400 --> 00:42:58.200
The winter has driven the fundraiser
so much that the freezing was worth it.
397
00:43:04.360 --> 00:43:07.720
After four and a half months,
we reach the border to Iran.
398
00:43:09.560 --> 00:43:12.960
DAY 141 - 5,290 KM
DOGUBEYAZIT, TURKEY
399
00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:22.520
Many friends and relatives were wary
about us crossing through there.
400
00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:46.360
We're excited about the country,
the people, especially the differences,
401
00:43:46.440 --> 00:43:51.480
between what you imagine
and what it's like. We're so over winter.
402
00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:58.720
Iran, here we come!
403
00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:06.400
The first days in Iranian traffic
take some getting used to.
404
00:44:17.440 --> 00:44:19.440
It's just no fun.
405
00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:22.560
So little fun that we even switch
sides sometimes.
406
00:44:26.200 --> 00:44:28.600
It's a shame
when there's no room in the front.
407
00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:42.240
Ouch, that really hurt!
408
00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:48.760
But this is where Iran shows itself
from its most beautiful side.
409
00:45:05.680 --> 00:45:12.080
First he takes us 50 km in his truck,
and then Nemat invites us to his house
410
00:45:13.040 --> 00:45:15.560
for a traditional Persian dinner.
411
00:45:21.680 --> 00:45:24.760
His name is Ali.
412
00:45:26.640 --> 00:45:29.680
These are Max and Nono.
413
00:45:33.680 --> 00:45:36.800
-The Iranian team wears white jerseys.
-Iran, white.
414
00:45:39.400 --> 00:45:42.800
-Who are you supporting? Iran or Japan?
-Iran.
415
00:45:54.400 --> 00:45:57.800
We've experienced a lot of hospitality
on our trip.
416
00:45:57.880 --> 00:46:00.800
But Iran just takes it
to a whole new level.
417
00:46:00.880 --> 00:46:02.480
Goodbye!
418
00:46:02.840 --> 00:46:03.880
Hello!
419
00:46:04.000 --> 00:46:04.880
Hello!
420
00:46:08.800 --> 00:46:12.600
No matter where we go,
people greet us, stop us,
421
00:46:12.680 --> 00:46:14.720
share their food with us.
422
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:18.440
Thank you.
423
00:46:34.000 --> 00:46:37.280
What seems impossible to us in Germany
is quite normal here:
424
00:46:38.520 --> 00:46:41.800
Complete strangers invite us
to their homes.
425
00:46:43.360 --> 00:46:47.120
We hardly sleep in our tents.
We're given a place to sleep most nights.
426
00:46:49.480 --> 00:46:52.520
As Europeans, we are still
a rarity for the people here.
427
00:46:55.400 --> 00:46:58.400
The interest in us and our view
of the world is huge.
428
00:46:59.760 --> 00:47:01.960
The Iranians are
grateful for the opportunity
429
00:47:02.040 --> 00:47:04.080
to pass on some of their thinking,
430
00:47:04.160 --> 00:47:07.640
their culture and their language to us.
431
00:47:13.440 --> 00:47:19.520
On 21 March 2019,
we celebrate the Iranian New Year 1398.
432
00:47:21.280 --> 00:47:23.200
Sale no mobaarak.
433
00:47:23.280 --> 00:47:25.000
Sale no mobaarak.
434
00:47:30.680 --> 00:47:33.680
And all the people we meet here
are united by one thing:
435
00:47:35.080 --> 00:47:37.640
They want us to remember them well
436
00:47:37.720 --> 00:47:40.360
and to see Iran
from a different point of view
437
00:47:40.440 --> 00:47:41.720
than what our media shows.
438
00:47:56.880 --> 00:47:58.760
There's no other way to say it:
439
00:47:58.840 --> 00:48:00.800
We have fallen in love with Iran.
440
00:48:05.640 --> 00:48:06.960
We love the culture.
441
00:48:10.280 --> 00:48:11.520
We love the people.
442
00:48:12.280 --> 00:48:13.480
Hello!
443
00:48:16.600 --> 00:48:17.840
We love the food.
444
00:48:21.560 --> 00:48:24.280
Well… most of it anyway.
445
00:48:27.800 --> 00:48:28.800
Spicy?
446
00:48:30.480 --> 00:48:31.200
Oh, yes…
447
00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:32.920
Max, do you want a Magnam?
448
00:48:34.800 --> 00:48:38.400
It's strange that, of all places,
we feel safest here in Iran,
449
00:48:38.480 --> 00:48:39.840
the country
450
00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:43.680
we had the most reservations about.
451
00:48:59.880 --> 00:49:02.280
I don't think we've ever had
so much food on us.
452
00:49:10.600 --> 00:49:11.840
We have to turn left.
453
00:49:15.480 --> 00:49:21.160
Shortly after Yazd, about 650 kilometers
before Tehran, we enter no-man's-land.
454
00:49:21.600 --> 00:49:25.040
DAY 173 - 5,836 KM
NODOUSHAN, IRAN
455
00:49:33.800 --> 00:49:39.440
We're completely on our own.
We have to make do with what we've got.
456
00:49:39.520 --> 00:49:44.280
But it's awesome.
I think it's so awesome. I feel so free.
457
00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:28.360
Alone, in Iran, 50 km/h!
458
00:50:44.400 --> 00:50:47.480
And just when it couldn't get any better…
459
00:50:50.040 --> 00:50:54.560
We're in the middle of Iran,
exactly five months on the road.
460
00:50:54.640 --> 00:50:56.680
I'm looking at my cell phone
461
00:50:56.760 --> 00:51:01.800
and someone really just made
a huge donation and we built the school.
462
00:51:01.880 --> 00:51:07.080
We just really did it!
We built the school, after five months!
463
00:51:09.960 --> 00:51:11.680
I can't believe it.
464
00:51:31.760 --> 00:51:35.320
I'm only now realizing
that what we've been cycling for
465
00:51:35.400 --> 00:51:38.360
these past five months,
466
00:51:38.440 --> 00:51:43.640
is really happening -
that this school can be built.
467
00:51:44.600 --> 00:51:50.360
And I could just… I don't know… explode.
So much happiness!
468
00:51:55.200 --> 00:51:58.000
Out of nowhere,
someone donated 12,000 euros.
469
00:52:02.960 --> 00:52:05.200
And suddenly, there it is.
470
00:52:05.880 --> 00:52:07.040
This number.
471
00:52:07.960 --> 00:52:09.480 line:5%
50,000 euros.
472
00:52:12.080 --> 00:52:13.720 line:5%
We've reached our goal.
473
00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:39.480
And then you stop and think,
"Wait a minute.
474
00:52:40.040 --> 00:52:41.440
What is our goal?"
475
00:52:44.480 --> 00:52:45.400
The donations?
476
00:52:48.240 --> 00:52:49.160
The school?
477
00:52:51.920 --> 00:52:53.760
Or our own journey after all?
478
00:52:59.240 --> 00:53:02.360
We were not prepared for this scenario.
479
00:53:02.440 --> 00:53:05.920
That we would get so many donations
in such a short time…
480
00:53:07.360 --> 00:53:09.680
After all, we had said we'd go to Beijing.
481
00:53:14.440 --> 00:53:17.440
Should we go on now
to prove something to ourselves?
482
00:53:20.800 --> 00:53:22.400
We are kind of aimless.
483
00:53:27.760 --> 00:53:33.400 line:5%
And in the midst of this uncertainty,
Nono and his girlfriend break up.
484
00:53:37.600 --> 00:53:40.600
It's just too much of a distance
485
00:53:40.680 --> 00:53:43.480
and not seeing each other enough.
486
00:53:44.720 --> 00:53:46.640
And that's not going to stop.
487
00:53:56.440 --> 00:53:57.520
Come here, bro.
488
00:54:02.760 --> 00:54:05.360
I can't be bothered.
We still have three months to go.
489
00:54:06.880 --> 00:54:08.400
I wish it was over.
490
00:54:09.760 --> 00:54:13.840
Such a low point on this journey.
I don't feel like it anymore.
491
00:54:13.920 --> 00:54:15.960
This moment,
492
00:54:18.240 --> 00:54:21.640
when personal relationships suffer
because of what we're doing here,
493
00:54:22.600 --> 00:54:24.600
it takes so much momentum away.
494
00:54:29.160 --> 00:54:32.000
We're still in Tehran, and…
495
00:54:34.520 --> 00:54:39.600
Yesterday I looked up how much it costs
to fly back to Hamburg.
496
00:55:02.680 --> 00:55:07.200 line:5%
And then you see these comments
and news and donations.
497
00:55:09.440 --> 00:55:12.800 line:5%
And there are people behind them.
There are thousands of real people
498
00:55:12.880 --> 00:55:16.400 line:5%
behind us who believe in
what we are doing.
499
00:55:19.520 --> 00:55:23.320 line:5%
We realize that we're part
of something bigger than just a bike trip.
500
00:55:23.680 --> 00:55:26.840 line:5%
Something that you can't measure
in numbers of followers
501
00:55:26.920 --> 00:55:29.440 line:5%
or kilometers or donations.
502
00:55:33.320 --> 00:55:34.760 line:5%
We haven't arrived yet.
503
00:55:37.800 --> 00:55:41.640
We're not going home. We're going
to the embassy of our next destination:
504
00:55:42.600 --> 00:55:45.200
a closed-off, authoritarian state,
505
00:55:45.280 --> 00:55:48.240
with the strictest entry regulations
in Central Asia.
506
00:55:50.080 --> 00:55:52.200
We're writing to the government,
507
00:55:52.280 --> 00:55:54.120
explaining why we want to come here.
508
00:55:54.400 --> 00:55:56.360
Right. It has to say who we are,
509
00:55:56.440 --> 00:55:58.920
what we're doing,
why we want to enter the country
510
00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:01.360
and which country
we want to enter afterwards.
511
00:56:01.440 --> 00:56:03.200
We also have to predict exactly
512
00:56:03.280 --> 00:56:05.080
when we want to enter,
513
00:56:05.160 --> 00:56:07.720
and then we're only allowed to enter
on that day.
514
00:56:08.480 --> 00:56:10.200
That's a bit… Oh well.
515
00:56:13.480 --> 00:56:14.960
Hello, dear King…
516
00:56:16.720 --> 00:56:18.240
The next few days in Tehran
517
00:56:18.320 --> 00:56:19.480
are a visa marathon.
518
00:56:20.960 --> 00:56:23.360
We also have to extend our Iranian visa
519
00:56:23.440 --> 00:56:25.760
and go to the Chinese embassy four times
520
00:56:25.840 --> 00:56:27.440
due to missing documents
521
00:56:27.520 --> 00:56:30.000
to apply for our visa there.
522
00:56:34.040 --> 00:56:36.200
After four days,
we have everything together.
523
00:56:40.520 --> 00:56:43.960
But Biking Borders is not only supposed
to be a biking tour.
524
00:56:44.880 --> 00:56:48.280
While the construction work
for the school in Guatemala is starting,
525
00:56:48.360 --> 00:56:50.280 line:5%
we continue the fundraising campaign.
526
00:56:52.120 --> 00:56:55.440
We want to raise more awareness
for the issue of education.
527
00:56:57.960 --> 00:57:01.000 line:5%
And who says we won't get enough donations
528
00:57:01.080 --> 00:57:03.040
for a second school?
529
00:57:18.760 --> 00:57:20.240 line:5%
After our crisis of purpose
530
00:57:20.320 --> 00:57:22.680 line:5%
and three weeks of standstill in Tehran,
531
00:57:22.760 --> 00:57:25.160
it feels good to be heading back
towards Beijing.
532
00:57:31.480 --> 00:57:35.000
On the way to Turkmenistan,
we once again realize how much Iran
533
00:57:35.080 --> 00:57:39.120
with its stunning landscapes
and friendly people has grown on us.
534
00:57:41.800 --> 00:57:43.440
Goodbye.
535
00:58:04.760 --> 00:58:06.120
Goodbye.
536
00:58:06.360 --> 00:58:08.320
Goodbye.
537
00:58:09.880 --> 00:58:11.080
Ahead lies a country
538
00:58:11.160 --> 00:58:13.840
with only 7,000 tourists a year.
539
00:58:15.240 --> 00:58:17.320
We are two of them,
540
00:58:17.680 --> 00:58:19.760
and for the first time,
we're pressed for time.
541
00:58:21.520 --> 00:58:24.520
This is our last day in Iran,
and tomorrow we have
542
00:58:24.600 --> 00:58:28.280
what I think is the biggest challenge
of our whole trip:
543
00:58:28.800 --> 00:58:31.600
a five-day transit visa
through Turkmenistan.
544
00:58:32.400 --> 00:58:36.000
And in those five days, we have to cycle
almost 600 kilometers.
545
00:58:36.840 --> 00:58:40.720
I stepped away from Max for a little bit
because I didn't want him
546
00:58:40.800 --> 00:58:43.760
to hear my doubts
547
00:58:44.440 --> 00:58:47.560
about whether or not we can do it
548
00:58:47.840 --> 00:58:51.440
because throughout this trip,
we've only cycled 100 kilometers once,
549
00:58:51.520 --> 00:58:54.600
and now we're doing
over 100 kilometers every day.
550
00:58:56.080 --> 00:58:58.640
Yes, even after half a year on the bike,
551
00:58:58.720 --> 00:59:00.280
100 kilometers is a lot for us.
552
00:59:04.520 --> 00:59:07.600
If we overstay our stay in Turkmenistan,
553
00:59:07.680 --> 00:59:10.160
we could be fined
up to 1,000 dollars per day
554
00:59:10.400 --> 00:59:12.440
and, in the worst case, prison.
555
00:59:19.880 --> 00:59:25.280
Our tent is 2 meters
from the border crossing
556
00:59:25.360 --> 00:59:30.120
so we can cycle straight across
once it opens at 6 a.m.
557
00:59:32.960 --> 00:59:36.720
I must say, I am a bit tense.
Well, I know we can do this
558
00:59:37.440 --> 00:59:39.840
if everything goes smoothly, but…
559
00:59:41.320 --> 00:59:45.720
I'm a little bit nervous. I don't think
I'll be able to sleep well tonight.
560
00:59:46.960 --> 00:59:48.360
Nothing can go wrong.
561
01:00:00.480 --> 01:00:04.080
We don't know
if it's a good sign or a bad sign.
562
01:00:04.160 --> 01:00:07.400
But somehow, we're the only ones
who want to cross the border.
563
01:00:11.480 --> 01:00:13.920
-It's completely deserted.
-Completely.
564
01:00:15.680 --> 01:00:18.400
We wait for an hour.
Then we're frisked twice.
565
01:00:21.360 --> 01:00:23.240
We quickly turn the camera off again.
566
01:00:23.760 --> 01:00:26.880
Our video equipment seems suspicious
to the border guards.
567
01:00:30.600 --> 01:00:33.120
But in the end, we seem harmless enough,
568
01:00:33.200 --> 01:00:36.880
so after three hours,
we are allowed to leave Iran
569
01:00:37.160 --> 01:00:39.200
and enter into Turkmenistan.
570
01:00:41.800 --> 01:00:45.160 line:5%
DAY 205 - 7,512 KM
TURKMEN BORDER
571
01:00:49.200 --> 01:00:54.520
We're not allowed to move around freely.
Our route is predetermined by the state.
572
01:00:56.600 --> 01:01:00.920
Every 50 kilometers, we have to present
our passports at military checkpoints.
573
01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:04.120
We better not film there.
574
01:01:08.440 --> 01:01:13.960
There is no free internet access
in the country. But camels everywhere.
575
01:01:25.560 --> 01:01:27.800
Of course we're too slow.
576
01:01:29.560 --> 01:01:35.240
We've only gone 50 kilometers.
We've got headwind. It'll be dark soon.
577
01:01:35.320 --> 01:01:40.480
We will definitely not make
our daily target. It's already 4 p.m.
578
01:01:41.400 --> 01:01:43.520
I've got a terrible headache.
579
01:01:43.600 --> 01:01:48.240
We'll try to make up as many kilometers
as we can here
580
01:01:48.400 --> 01:01:50.360
and ride until dark.
581
01:02:01.240 --> 01:02:03.320
The end of the first day.
582
01:02:04.560 --> 01:02:09.360
Eighty kilometers completed after all,
and I have a feeling I'm getting sick.
583
01:02:09.440 --> 01:02:14.680
It can't be. I feel terrible.
Everything hurts.
584
01:02:15.880 --> 01:02:16.560
Everything.
585
01:02:19.520 --> 01:02:25.840
When I imagine lying at home in front of
the radiator in a bed,
586
01:02:25.920 --> 01:02:30.360
taking medication, drinking tea
and not going 100 kilometers tomorrow…
587
01:02:38.560 --> 01:02:40.320
I've come down with something.
588
01:02:41.800 --> 01:02:46.960
Severe stomach pain.
It just doesn't fit into this schedule.
589
01:02:49.480 --> 01:02:52.240
We had a very restless night last night.
590
01:02:52.320 --> 01:02:56.440
Nono kept waking up, all the time.
He had a fever, probably an upset stomach,
591
01:02:56.560 --> 01:03:00.440
and he already told me last night that
he'd have to go to the hospital today.
592
01:03:00.520 --> 01:03:03.320
That's so unlike him,
so he must be feeling really shitty.
593
01:03:08.160 --> 01:03:10.520
But the nearest hospital is in Mary,
594
01:03:10.640 --> 01:03:14.360
100 kilometers away
and off the approved route.
595
01:03:16.160 --> 01:03:19.240
But I just can't go any further.
596
01:03:51.280 --> 01:03:56.280 line:5%
For those 100 kilometers, we change cars
four times and it takes us nine hours
597
01:03:56.360 --> 01:03:58.400 line:5%
until we finally reach the hospital.
598
01:03:59.760 --> 01:04:02.680
The nurse speaks as much English
as we do Turkmen.
599
01:04:18.040 --> 01:04:22.040
In the next few minutes,
we lose control over the situation.
600
01:04:22.760 --> 01:04:26.480
Suddenly, three ladies enter
the room and want to help us communicate.
601
01:04:30.600 --> 01:04:34.720
And the man in the blue bathrobe?
No clue what he's doing.
602
01:04:34.800 --> 01:04:39.320
They give me some pills. What are they?
I don't know. Maybe they'll help.
603
01:04:39.800 --> 01:04:46.080
15 minutes later, two gentlemen join us.
Our passports. Government employees.
604
01:04:46.160 --> 01:04:50.640
Two Europeans in a Turkmen hospital -
off the route - logical…
605
01:04:56.440 --> 01:05:02.200
Nono should go to another hospital. Alone.
And a chaperone drives me to the hotel.
606
01:05:04.280 --> 01:05:10.560
I've been told I can't stay there.
I'm in this flophouse now, and yeah…
607
01:05:10.640 --> 01:05:13.400
I don't know what Nono is doing right now.
608
01:05:13.480 --> 01:05:16.760
I'm in hospital number two now.
609
01:05:17.160 --> 01:05:21.800
I don't know why, but here, too,
I'm having a nice chat with the staff.
610
01:05:33.240 --> 01:05:35.280
The result of the long day:
611
01:05:36.040 --> 01:05:41.080
An injection in the butt.
And because it was so nice, another one.
612
01:05:47.320 --> 01:05:49.800
One, two!
613
01:05:57.720 --> 01:06:00.080
I let them do anything to me.
614
01:06:04.480 --> 01:06:06.200
They must know what they're doing.
615
01:06:12.800 --> 01:06:16.520
Just a fever, stomachache, vomiting.
616
01:06:17.720 --> 01:06:23.160
Oh, man. I don't want to be
in this country anymore.
617
01:06:23.240 --> 01:06:30.240
The nicest people, so helpful, but now
all I associate with it is this infection.
618
01:06:31.680 --> 01:06:35.040
Somehow, we imagined it to be
a little different in Turkmenistan.
619
01:06:36.600 --> 01:06:39.520
In any case, no way we can cycle anymore.
620
01:06:41.280 --> 01:06:45.600
Not with two days to spare,
and certainly not with Nono.
621
01:06:49.800 --> 01:06:53.120
Truck driver Oraz takes us
almost 300 kilometers.
622
01:06:59.640 --> 01:07:03.760
Even if he doesn't manage to sell us
his really foul-smelling energy drink,
623
01:07:03.840 --> 01:07:06.000
we are grateful to him
for giving us a ride
624
01:07:06.080 --> 01:07:09.800
and for getting to know Turkmen people
outside of a hospital.
625
01:07:20.160 --> 01:07:21.960
Almost ten hours in the truck,
626
01:07:22.120 --> 01:07:26.000
and finally, we reach Turkmenabad
right on the Uzbek border.
627
01:07:30.880 --> 01:07:33.280
At least we make it in time.
628
01:07:36.760 --> 01:07:40.040
DAY 211 - 8,412 KM
TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN
629
01:07:41.240 --> 01:07:46.920 line:5%
In an international clinic in Uzbekistan,
I am diagnosed with severe gastritis.
630
01:07:47.920 --> 01:07:51.360
I get antibiotics, but this time
with an English translator.
631
01:07:57.120 --> 01:08:01.400
A few days of convalescence
in Tashkent, and I'm fit again.
632
01:08:02.680 --> 01:08:06.360
Finally back on the bike, I'm off
to the last country before China:
633
01:08:06.960 --> 01:08:07.880
Kyrgyzstan.
634
01:08:22.319 --> 01:08:25.399
"A Kyrgyz's wings are his horse,"
they say here.
635
01:08:28.720 --> 01:08:32.439
No matter their age, in this country,
anyone can ride a horse.
636
01:08:43.439 --> 01:08:46.120
We'd also like to switch to a horse
every now and then.
637
01:08:47.000 --> 01:08:50.160
But even if we don't look
quite as graceful on our bikes,
638
01:08:50.240 --> 01:08:52.080
we still feel exhilarated.
639
01:08:58.279 --> 01:09:02.960
It's indescribable how beautiful
it is here. I'm really amazed.
640
01:09:12.960 --> 01:09:17.640
We're in nature from morning till night,
avoid big cities or main roads
641
01:09:17.720 --> 01:09:21.240
and sometimes feel a bit like
we're in an Indiana Jones movie.
642
01:09:38.080 --> 01:09:39.240
The last meters.
643
01:10:06.160 --> 01:10:09.560
DAY 218 - 8,921 KM
ISSYK KUL, KYRGYZSTAN
644
01:10:16.200 --> 01:10:19.840
It got dark last night, and we showed up
in front of this house and…
645
01:10:20.400 --> 01:10:24.040
without knowing who we are,
what we do, where we come from,
646
01:10:24.120 --> 01:10:26.600
they invited us in,
sat us down at the table.
647
01:10:27.240 --> 01:10:29.280
We were given tea and food.
648
01:10:30.600 --> 01:10:34.320
It is unbelievable how warmhearted
and open the people are.
649
01:10:34.400 --> 01:10:37.280
I could never imagine doing
something like this in Germany.
650
01:10:38.000 --> 01:10:41.880
But it's moments like this
that really make me
651
01:10:41.960 --> 01:10:44.840
want to rethink
this attitude I have at home.
652
01:10:47.400 --> 01:10:50.640
People here really live
in pretty simple conditions,
653
01:10:50.880 --> 01:10:52.600
mostly off agriculture,
654
01:10:52.880 --> 01:10:55.240
and quite often without running water.
655
01:11:03.040 --> 01:11:07.280
The little boy who lives here
has never ridden a bike in his life.
656
01:11:07.880 --> 01:11:11.440
I've just told him he's about to go
for a ride. He's very excited.
657
01:12:15.400 --> 01:12:18.600
-Da…
-Da?
658
01:12:22.720 --> 01:12:26.280
I don't think "Da" is his name.
659
01:12:32.280 --> 01:12:36.080
Two months ago,
we were thinking about flying home.
660
01:12:37.720 --> 01:12:39.920
It's a good thing we didn't.
661
01:12:45.000 --> 01:12:46.400
We're sitting here
662
01:12:46.480 --> 01:12:52.480
in Kyrgyzstan in the Steppe in front
of a yurt. We rode our bikes here,
663
01:12:52.960 --> 01:12:57.200
are close to 10,000 kilometers,
we're almost in China.
664
01:12:57.280 --> 01:13:00.960
It's so crazy what has happened
665
01:13:01.680 --> 01:13:05.600
in the last seven months.
666
01:13:05.680 --> 01:13:08.560
It feels like we've been on the road
for several years,
667
01:13:08.640 --> 01:13:12.640
and I'm so incredibly grateful
668
01:13:12.720 --> 01:13:17.440
for what can happen
in such a relatively short time.
669
01:13:22.760 --> 01:13:27.840
That we get to do this here
and experience this here is unbelievable,
670
01:13:27.920 --> 01:13:31.360
unique, and I will never forget it.
671
01:13:31.440 --> 01:13:32.680
I am so grateful.
672
01:13:51.440 --> 01:13:55.640
DAY 229 - 11,450 KM
TRAIN STATION URUMQUI, CHINA
673
01:14:07.800 --> 01:14:09.160
Absolutely surreal.
674
01:14:09.240 --> 01:14:15.800
It's just another world.
It's so modern unlike the other countries.
675
01:14:15.880 --> 01:14:20.560
Turkmenistan… I can't even put
the differences into words.
676
01:14:21.960 --> 01:14:26.760
Three days ago, we crossed
into China, into the Xinjiang province.
677
01:14:28.320 --> 01:14:32.160
For the last three days,
I've felt like a constant suspect.
678
01:14:32.240 --> 01:14:34.520
We were checked six or seven times a day.
679
01:14:34.600 --> 01:14:37.960
We had to empty our bags every time.
680
01:14:38.520 --> 01:14:43.320
We were questioned, had to sign things,
had no idea what was going on and…
681
01:14:43.400 --> 01:14:47.560
It's really so stressful, so exhausting.
682
01:14:49.440 --> 01:14:53.000
In the autonomous Xinjiang province,
there is total surveillance.
683
01:14:53.080 --> 01:14:56.840
Even in restaurants or supermarkets,
our passports are checked.
684
01:14:58.960 --> 01:15:01.040
There is virtually no freedom of movement.
685
01:15:02.560 --> 01:15:05.720
We therefore decide
to cross the region by train.
686
01:15:16.720 --> 01:15:20.360
-Are you really drinking that?
-I'm hungry.
687
01:15:23.560 --> 01:15:26.560
It feels weird
being cooped up for 30 hours.
688
01:15:27.800 --> 01:15:31.960
Who'd have thought we'd be so happy
to be back on the bike?
689
01:15:35.480 --> 01:15:36.920
Now we're off to Beijing.
690
01:16:14.440 --> 01:16:18.960
The wings of a Chinese man
apparently are his electric scooter.
691
01:16:23.280 --> 01:16:26.280
Merge somehow and go with the flow.
692
01:16:38.000 --> 01:16:43.520
Where one city ends, the next begins.
Goodbye, nature.
693
01:16:45.040 --> 01:16:49.800
But the streets are full of life -
basically a free cultural program.
694
01:17:07.680 --> 01:17:09.760
The way he does it is so crazy.
695
01:17:11.040 --> 01:17:13.120
Can I have a go?
696
01:17:20.400 --> 01:17:23.240
I don't think you're qualified for this.
697
01:18:16.160 --> 01:18:18.720
In no other country
have we seen so blatantly
698
01:18:18.840 --> 01:18:20.920
how tradition meets modernity.
699
01:18:23.680 --> 01:18:27.840
China is somehow, in every respect,
a complete cultural sensory overload.
700
01:18:34.800 --> 01:18:36.920
After nine months, we got used to spending
701
01:18:37.000 --> 01:18:38.760
every day in the saddle.
702
01:18:38.840 --> 01:18:41.840
Nevertheless, we are just happy
703
01:18:42.720 --> 01:18:44.200
when it finally arrives:
704
01:18:46.120 --> 01:18:47.880
The last day on the bike.
705
01:18:49.680 --> 01:18:50.600
The last day!
706
01:18:50.680 --> 01:18:51.680
The last one!
707
01:18:52.480 --> 01:18:55.920 line:5%
DAY 246 - 15,239 KM
CLOSE TO BEIJING
708
01:19:02.200 --> 01:19:03.160
Sixty-two to go.
709
01:19:05.120 --> 01:19:06.920
-Crazy.
-So crazy!
710
01:19:21.200 --> 01:19:22.560
Exactly 10 kilometers left.
711
01:19:26.120 --> 01:19:28.080
In your head, you have to go through
712
01:19:30.320 --> 01:19:34.320
everything that's happened
up to this very moment.
713
01:19:34.880 --> 01:19:36.040
I've just done that.
714
01:20:23.440 --> 01:20:24.920
They're all greeting us.
715
01:20:40.640 --> 01:20:46.200
TIANANMEN SQUARE, BEIJING
716
01:21:05.840 --> 01:21:09.640
After 246 days, we arrive in Beijing.
717
01:21:11.960 --> 01:21:15.120
We did not go the whole 15,000 km by bike,
718
01:21:15.800 --> 01:21:17.240
but we don't care.
719
01:21:18.680 --> 01:21:23.400
We were, are and will remain,
two not particularly ambitious cyclists.
720
01:21:25.240 --> 01:21:27.920
Our bike tour ends in Beijing.
721
01:21:30.800 --> 01:21:32.160
But as I said,
722
01:21:34.280 --> 01:21:36.600
Beijing was never the destination.
723
01:21:50.000 --> 01:21:53.560 line:5%
30 HOURS LATER
724
01:21:53.640 --> 01:21:55.720 line:5%
While we were still on the bike,
725
01:21:55.840 --> 01:22:00.520
a more important journey began
on the other side of the globe.
726
01:22:08.160 --> 01:22:10.160
PARAJE XOLJOC SCHOOL
727
01:22:11.040 --> 01:22:15.120
It is only in Paraje Xoljoc, a village
in Guatemala, that we understand
728
01:22:15.200 --> 01:22:18.800
what our idea has turned into
in the last nine months.
729
01:23:04.520 --> 01:23:08.240
Let's hear it for the third graders!
730
01:23:26.880 --> 01:23:28.520
Welcome to the school.
731
01:23:29.240 --> 01:23:32.320
My name is Vaillan Antonio Ritanopez.
732
01:23:32.600 --> 01:23:35.440
I'm here to speak for our primary school.
733
01:23:37.120 --> 01:23:38.400
Thank you, Nono.
734
01:23:39.120 --> 01:23:40.360
Thank you, Max.
735
01:23:41.760 --> 01:23:43.360
For our school.
736
01:24:00.160 --> 01:24:02.120
137 children
737
01:24:02.320 --> 01:24:06.040
can now attend a proper elementary school
thanks to the donation money
738
01:24:06.120 --> 01:24:10.720
and now enjoy the education
that we often take for granted.
739
01:24:28.240 --> 01:24:29.960
In Guatemala, it is the custom
740
01:24:30.040 --> 01:24:34.040
for the children to hide their dreams
for the future at the construction site.
741
01:24:34.840 --> 01:24:38.800
Their goals are, so to speak,
the foundation for the new school.
742
01:24:41.080 --> 01:24:45.040
The question is, wasn't that
exactly our goal in the end?
743
01:24:45.880 --> 01:24:48.440
I believe that a goal is never about
744
01:24:48.520 --> 01:24:53.040
something definitive like Beijing
or a fundraising amount.
745
01:24:54.240 --> 01:24:58.120
It's just a step that paves the way
for the next step…
746
01:24:59.080 --> 01:25:02.200
for you or for someone else.
747
01:25:03.240 --> 01:25:05.360
And the path on which you take those steps
748
01:25:06.000 --> 01:25:07.320
is best walked
749
01:25:07.760 --> 01:25:08.800
together.
750
01:25:14.040 --> 01:25:19.280
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE
THE BUILDING OF THE SCHOOL POSSIBLE
751
01:25:20.080 --> 01:25:23.000
AFTER THE TRIP, WE REACHED
100,000 EUROS IN DONATIONS
752
01:25:23.080 --> 01:25:26.280
IN THE MEANTIME, A SECOND SCHOOL
HAS BEEN BUILT IN GUATEMALA
753
01:25:26.400 --> 01:25:32.440
PENCILS OF PROMISE WILL SUPPORT
BOTH SCHOOLS FOR TEN YEARS
754
01:25:32.520 --> 01:25:38.360
THE DONATION PAGE IS STILL RUNNING
AT BIKINGBORDERS.COM
755
01:29:07.320 --> 01:29:10.320
Subtitle translation by: Evelyn Towne