From Petrozavodsk to Karhumäki
It starts to twilight. I‘m in a hurry to look for a place to sleep. The clouds make it impossible for me to estimate when it is really dark. The sunset is taking a lot of time here. At least…
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Fighting against snow
“My friends never cycle in winter,” says a friendly guy who is staring at my bicycle. I just took a break in a petrol station outside of Saint Petersburg. “Vaude bags, you are from Europe I see.” He is a…
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Cycling movements
I’m standing in line. A red light is lightning in front of me. It is the customs check at the airport in Saint Petersburg. It looks different than I’m used to. I don’t see the customs officer. I look into…
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Kit list for adventure cycling in the Arctic Circle in winter
Here’s what I took with me on my winter cycle-tour to the Russian and Norwegian Arctic Circle. With this packing list I tried to be as self-sufficient as possible, which means that I brought camping gear, cookware, and other items…
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A winter cycle-tour to the Russian Arctic Circle
First of all, a thanks to everyone who sympathizes with this challenge. I have received a lot of reactions, and I really appreciate that. The reactions do vary, some don’t doubt that I’ll change into an ice cube and others…
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Exciting news and resolutions for 2018
In January of this year I announced my plans for a winter cycling journey to the Arctic Circle. Now, a year later, the plans are about to become reality. A Russian visa is stamped in my passport and a flight…
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Self sufficient living – how far can you go?
Isn’t it perfect life? Being complete self sufficient. In all areas. Growing your own food. No more walks to the supermarket. Not spending any money. No stress at work because of any dependency on your salary. Living in and from…
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Forget about the shower
A noise of cracking wood is shuttering the night. The noise is close-by. I wake up in my sleeping bag. What was that? A silence follows. Perhaps a deer, a fox or a falling branch? I’m hidden away deep into…
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“Make your life something special”
The rain is poring from the sky. Today is going a bit different than planned. I sit down with Daniel in a wooden abandoned hut in a natural park in the Netherlands called Veluwe. The plan for today included a bike…
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![Revisiting Iran [PHOTOS]](https://henkvandillen.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/35044959656_c3b7444188_o-200x150.jpg)
Revisiting Iran [PHOTOS]
For whoever followed my cycle journey from Rotterdam to Singapore knows how extremely enjoyable it was to cycle through Iran. From standing at the border with Armenia and not knowing what to expect I cycled into an emotional rollercoaster. My…
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