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Benni Kircher

Benni Kircher

Stay curious, keep pushing! Weiterlesen🇩🇪Steißlingen
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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride
      20 kilometers until home!!!
      It was splendid to meet you twice on my journey, Roman.Nothing is better than a German Döner!Frank & Jenny. Jenny, great job at decorating the Christmas tree!I was relieved when I received my bike box in Frankfurt the same way I handed it over in Tokyo.TrafficColdWindHeatRainThe people from the outdoor shop in Istanbul who instantly helped me with my broken tent pole.Ikromidin with his father and brother from Tajikistan who gave me shelter.Mohammed Ali from Turkey who allowed me to sleep in the prayer room when I was cold and soaked.Amir and his father from Iran who insisted that I would sleep in their house because of the wolves.Mohsen and his family from Iran who picked me up from the road as it was getting dark.

      Home sweet home

      9. Dezember 2024 in Deutschland ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

      I made it home. The conditions for cycling from Frankfurt to Steißlingen were everything else but pleasant. Who cares, I was chuffed to see again my friends Roman in Mannheim and Frank & Jenny in Stuttgart. There was so much we had to tell each other. All the fancy food we ate like Döner, Brezeln, Fleischkäse and Glühwein was a great reward for the hard work in the last months. 

The journey is over and my heart is filled with gratefulness. What remains are the memories. Some days were easy, some were not. Nature is unpredictable and beautiful in every sense - wind, rain, cold and heat made it both, demanding and encouraging. Reckless traffic, however, was the toughest challenge of all. With that being said, it made me leave my comfort zone from time to time. And yet, it was the greatest pleasure to test my physical and mental limits.
      Though this ride was not only about me. It was about the people, the lessons learned and our beautiful planet earth. Even in some poor regions, I experienced nothing but generosity, warmth and trustfulness. It will take some time, if ever, before I can grasp all the good things that happened to me. For now, I just hope that I was able to expose how good-natured our world can be.

      Finally, I can only repeat and express my special thanks to all the people out there who helped and encouraged me from the near and far. I appreciate your feedback and messages in the last 259 days very much. If there is still something you would like to share with me, I would be thrilled to hear from you.
      Stay curious and happy cycling!
      Happy to see you soon,
      Benni, Ben, Benji and whatever you called me on the road.      Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride

      Arigatō and sayonara Japan!

      6. Dezember 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

      Who would have thought that I would spend over one-third of my travel time in Japan. I had the privilege of visiting the most wonderful places on all four main islands. Cycling all over Japan was fairly easy compared to some other countries I have been to before. The infrastructure is well-developed, potable water is available pretty much everywhere for free, the cities and roads are clean and the traffic was in most cases considerate. It is certainly a little mecca for all enthusiastic cyclists out there.
      My time here is over and I can only bow to Japan and all the people who showed nothing but kindness and generosity. There are certainly a few exemplary manners that we could learn from the Japanese culture.
      Arigatō Nihon!      Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride
      Shibuya Crossing
      Everyone is in a rush.The silent moment right before the rush.Tsukiji Outer MarketTokyo Tower.View from the Government Building.

      Tokyo: Day 7 & 8

      4. Dezember 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      The last two days in Tokyo were fairly quiet compared to the previous ones. I visited sights such as the Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji Outer Market and the Shibuya Crossing. The latter mentioned was of particular interest for me. I wanted to view this spectacle from different angles. The Shibuya Crossing is known to be the busiest crossing in the world with roughly 2.4 million pedestrians crossing every single day. 2.4 million, that’s nuts! During rush hour, up to 3,000 people cross Shibuya at a time. I can guarantee you that there’s much going on around this place. No doubt, advertising comes at a high price.
      Spending more than one week in such a massive city with millions of people is overwhelming after a couple of days. And yet, I must say that the time I spent Tokyo was absolutely fantastic.      Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride
      Autumn has reached its peak in Tokyo.Never have I ever visited a Christmas market in a shirt. The temperatures are still very enjoyable.The glass floor.Mount Fuji

      Tokyo: Day 5 & 6

      2.–6. Dez. 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      It was time to leave David alone as he had to return to work on Monday. Thanks my friend for having me!
      So, I changed the location to a cute little hostel named Little Japan. My first priority there was to pack my bike and luggage as I want to enjoy my remaining days in Tokyo without any duties. I was lucky enough to find a suitable bike box in a nearby bike shop. The packing itself went quite smooth.
      My highlight on these two days was undoubtedly the Tokyo Skytree. With a total height of 634 metres, it is the tallest tower in the world. Two observation decks at a height of 350 metres and 450 metres allow stunning views over the city. I felt incredibly lucky to view Mount Fuji one last time at golden hour. Spending four hours up there was absolutely worth it!      Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride

      Tokyo: Day 1-4

      28. Nov.–2. Dez. 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      The past weekend together with David was a real stunner. During daytime, we just strolled around and visited a few districts. We treated ourselves to all kinds of delicious food and refreshing drinks. Especially the so-called izakayas (a typical Japanese pub with barbecue and drinks) were our first choice for dinner. The atmosphere was lively and we were mostly surrounded by Japanese. Of course, we could not simply end the evening afterwards. So, we went to a few real authentic Japanese karaoke bars. Oh, it was a hell of fun.Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride
      Arrival!!!
      Me & David.Yokohama pier.

      Made it to Tokyo!!!

      28. Nov.–6. Dez. 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      248 days, 20030 kilometres and 176530 metres of total ascent later, I have arrived safe and sound in the heart of Tokyo. I was warmly welcomed by my friend David. The feeling is indescribable at the moment. My sincere gratitude goes out to all the people who supported me along my way.

      With over 37 million inhabitants, Tokyo is the most populous city in the world. I cannot wait to explore different corners of this megacity. But for now, I will just enjoy my arrival with good food and drinks together with David. Let’s see what the nightlife of Tokyo has to offer. More updates to come!

      PS: Here are just a few impressions of my last two days cycling along the coast to Tokyo.      Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride

      Four days at Megu‘s in Hiratsuka

      23.–27. Nov. 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      My last Warmshowers stay at Megu’s was truly a fabulous experience. From the moment I arrived, I relished his warm-hearted hospitality. Megu is a bicycle and motor bike mechanic. In his free time, he plays as a guitarist in a band. Together with his friends, we had a fun night with the most delicious home-cooked Japanese food that I have ever had. You must know that one of his friends is a talented sushi chef. We also visited a Japanese restaurant and some bars in the city of Hiratsuka. And I cycled around town, spent some time by the beach, cooked non-Japanese meals for us and just enjoyed doing nothing. It was the perfect preparation for the last two days on my bike to Tokyo.Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride
      I reached the very last mountain pass at 1200 metres of my trip. The view could not have been betterAwwwr frozen tent!

      Mount Fuji at its finest

      22. November 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ -2 °C

      With an altitude of 3776 metres, Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain and an iconic symbol. The first time I sighted this conically shaped mountain from far away, I had again one of those moments where I just shouted of joy.
      I spent the next two days cycling around Mount Fuji. Once again, the conditions were just magic. Thanks to the recent snowfall in higher altitudes, it’s peak was now covered with snow. Having the opportunity to view this mountain from different angles is just stunning. I mean, it is THE perfectly shaped mountain. So many times did I slow down just to look at it with great amazement.
      I could not resist to visit one of the most popular photo spots for sunset as well as for sunrise. For sunrise, I got up early at 4:30 am. It was one of the coldest nights on my trip and my tent was still frozen.
      And yeah what should I say? I don’t have words for this anymore. It was the last natural beauty on my trip that I wanted to see by all means. My gratitude is endless!      Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride
      This man approached me at 5:30am. He was so excited and gave me money for food. Well, I accepted...Waiting in a coin laundry for the rain to be over. Couldn't sit still for too long...Slowly cycling through a traditional Japanese town. Love it!

      This and that

      20. November 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy the last few days on my bike. Cycling through Iga, the Ninja City (there is ninja stuff all around the city and most likely a history behind that) and a few Japanese old towns was a great experience. Surprisingly, there was a cloudburst after three weeks without rain. The first few minutes cycling in rain are always a bit unpleasant. It‘s just a temporary state and not so bad with the right mental attitude. Two hours later, I was sitting in a warm supermarket with a hot ramen. Life is good!Weiterlesen

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    • Benni KircherReisenderA Curiosity Ride
      There was a Cyclo-cross event nearby. The Japanese love it!And it's tough!

      Cycling around Lake Biwa

      16. November 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      With 670 square kilometres, Lake Biwa is Japan‘s largest lake. Compared to Lake of Constance covering 539 square kilometres, Lake Biwa is slightly larger (Wikipedia). The region around Lake Biwa is densely populated with heavy traffic. However, the hilly northern part is fairly quiet and has almost no traffic. It’s been a while since I could enjoy such a smooth ride with some gentle climbs in quiet atmosphere.
      The weather conditions on the first day reminded me a little of those at the Lake of Constance - fog and moisture. The temperatures were still very enjoyable but it will change soon. Higher altitudes like the mountains in Hokkaido have their first snow. It is only a matter of time until the temperatures will drop here too. I think my timing is good to end the cycling season soon.

      That’s not all, I had the pleasure to stay with my Warmshowers Hosts Jacquelyn and Robert for one night. The two are originally from the US but moved to Japan long ago. They live in a Japanese-style house surrounded by rice fields.
      Together, we shared stories on our cycling trips and whatever there is to tell about life. Jacquelyn is still very active, a passionate cyclist and yoga teacher. Robert has quit his cycling career and is now responsible for the garden. He is also an excellent chef, you must know that his chicken is exquisite. What a lovely and inspiring couple the two are.      Weiterlesen

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