YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea - At first, Saurab Dahal, a native of Nepal, had trouble traveling across South Korea from Inchon to Seoul on his bicycle as it is unlawful for bicycles to travel on the expressways of South Korea.
However, according to Dahal, he explained to South Korean officials that he was riding his bicycle across the world to gain worldwide awareness of education, a clean environment and peace.
“This is my 35 country,” said Dahal about South Korea while visiting Youngsan Garrison in the course of his travels.
Dahal has already biked across 34 other countries including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and China.
Dahal said he realized at a young age that peace, education and a clean environment were not ready available to him and may other people in his country.
So at age 13, Dahal decided to do something about it.
I started riding my bicycle around the world on Feb. 28, 2002, in Nepal when I was 13 and a half, said the now 23-year-old Dahal.
According to Dahal, he believes the environment would be cleaner if more people road bicycles instead of motorized vehicles.
Dahal also says that in 2002, he and the other citizens of Nepal suffered from political unrest and the fact that a child could only go to school if his family could afford to pay for school.
Dahal says he plans to continue spreading awareness of issues like peace and free education by riding his bicycle across more than 200 countries by the year 2020.
“Korea is very good,” said Dahal of his experiences in South Korea.
Dahal has received help from some of his Nepalese countrymen living in South Korea, an American Soldier stationed on Yongsan Garrison and even Korean citizens who have heard about his cause.
People residing in South Korea have given Dahal, food, money to survive, a place to clean his clothes and safe place to sleep during the nights.
Dahal also said Korean journalists have helped him spread awareness for his causes by providing media coverage.
Bimala Sherestha, who owns a Nepali and Indian Restaurant in South Korea, reached out to help her countryman. This is where Chief Warrant Officer John A. Rusinko of the U.S. Army met Dahal as he is friends with Sherestha.
“I understand the message of education,” said Rusinko. “I have a lot of Nepalese friends and it’s just one of those situations where he [Dahal] is cycling around the world with a message.
Rusinko said he visited Nepal and made quite a few Nepalese friends.
“It’s a good cause,” he said. “It’s not often you get young people out riding for a worthy cause who are willing to sacrifice.”
Dahal plans to write a book called “The World is Two Wheels” when his world bicycle tour is over. He can also be contacted and his travels tracked on Facebook.
Dahal spoke excitedly about the kindness he has experienced in South Korea. When he was told he could not ride his bicycle on the expressway, he explained to South Korean officials why he was riding his bike across Korea. He was then given a police escorts to travel from Inchon to Seoul.
Social Sharing