Azerbaijani cyclist loses fortune but gains the world

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - A true wanderer, Ramil Ziyadov has been on the road with his bicycle since 2014, when he decided to sell all his assets and travel the world.

"Since I was 10 years old, seeing the world was my dream," said Ziyadov, speaking to Anadolu Agency.

Ziyadov, who hails from Azerbaijan, said when he first saw a map at school, he was impressed and decided to visit the countries on it.

He later became a farmer, sold all his assets, hopped on his bike and started on his journey.

Before doing this, however, he spent a year thinking about it.

"It was a crazy decision," Ziyadov said, adding his family was concerned over the move.

"They even wanted to hospitalize me. They said I lost my mind.”

Ziyadov said he has traveled 60,000 kilometers (37,282 miles) with his bicycle.

"I have been to regions spanning from Spain to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to South America," he said, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Ziyadov said when his money runs out, he gets support from people close to him.

He said he also worked as a cook in some of the countries he visited in order to finance his journey.

"I spend around four dollars a day," Ziyadov said, adding he generally stays in his tent.

Asked about how he deals with language problems, Ziyadov said: "My knowledge of Russian is good. I also have some knowledge of English."

Among the places he has visited, Russia’s Lake Baikal impressed him the most.

"It was the place where I found peace. There is a different atmosphere," he said.

- Nature pays a visit

Ziyadov said when he was traveling in Russia's Siberia region, a bear approached his tent.

"I heard it sniffing my tent. I used stun grenades to scare it away," he said.

Also, while he was cycling in Kazakhstan, he suddenly spotted many camel spiders near the road.

"I cycled till the next morning because I could not erect the tent in that area."

In 2015, Ziyadov was detained for two days in Egypt after he took a photo with a Turkish flag near the pyramids.

"After leaving the area, a jeep started following me and they took me in. They did not wear uniforms but were civilian-dressed," he said.

He declined to talk more about the incident, saying it is something he just wants to forget.

In another incident, while he was cycling in Ecuador near a village, a group of children started running after him, shouting "Turka! Turka! [Turk! Turk!]."

"I burst into tears. It made me so proud. I stopped near a market and bought them many desserts, which we ate together," he said.

After Ankara, Ziyadov will cycle to Georgia, and from there back to Azerbaijan.

"After starting my journey in 2014, this will be the first time I will visit my home country," he said.

On spending his entire fortune to see the world, Ziyadov responded with a quote which he attributed to the famous 13th-century Sufi poet Rumi.

"I lost everything, but I found myself."