Mark Gresser at the Wagah border. Photo: Express
ISLAMABAD: For Mark Gresser, Pakistan has been about biryani, fresh juices and Chaman ice-cream.
The 31-year-old Australian, who is currently visiting Pakistan as part of his world tour, has already covered a distance of 18,762 km and plans to travel through the Karakoram Highway to reach China.
Gresser left his highly-paid job just to fulfil his dream of travelling around the globe on a bicycle. He has recently reached Pakistan through the Wagha Border, and has come to Islamabad after exploring Lahore.
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So far he has cycled around 11 countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Singapore and Thailand among others.
“My aim is to travel the world on a bicycle and to make my dream a reality. I started my journey in April 2015 from Perth, Australia. Since then on an average I cycled 100km every day,” he said.
Gresser told The Express Tribune that his journey aims to create awareness among people about the importance of cycling which is an eco-friendly way for fun and fitness.
“Majority of the people across the globe prefer to travel by air or by bus though they can use a bicycle to travel around and by doing this can help save fuel and money, and stay healthy,” he said.
Gresser plans to explore the Northern Areas by travelling to China through the Karakoram Highway.
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“I have heard a lot about the picturesque Northern Areas and I want to spend some days there to explore the beauty of the area and explore its culture,” he said. About Karakoram, he said, “It is a famous highway and I cannot wait to explore it on bicycle and travel to China.
The Aussie globetrotter said his journey has been amazing and memorable. “I had spent nights in Buddha temples, under open skies in forests, on road. I have explored different cultures, traditions, have tasted variety of foods and tried to learn few common words from different languages.”
Gresser believes that it will take him more than seven years to complete his journey across the globe on bicycle.
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