HU Travellers Meeting Germany Summer 2024

Joshua Steinberg, Wetzlos Weltwärts Mein Eigener Weg From Wetzlos (Germany) to Capetown by Motorcycle

At the age of 24, medical student Joshua Steinberg from East Hesse starts the engine of his faithful travel companion. Before him lie the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas, the sandy expanses of the Sahara, the great tropical forests of Central Africa, the animal-rich river deltas of Botswana, and the mountainous coasts of South Africa. Far away from the tourist routes, he helps injured and sick people as a freelance DRK helper, builds bridges between cultures, and makes new friends. The residents' often limited possessions, the admirable joie de vivre and the extraordinary hospitality of the Africans left an impressive and lasting mark on his eventful, seven-month, 32,800-kilometer journey to Cape Town. His adventure not only gives hope for greater tolerance and understanding, but also gives courage to overcome prejudices.

At four months old, JOSHUA STEINBERG travelled in the sidecar of his family's Moto Guzzi for the first time to see his grandma a few towns away. At eight, he sat solo on a motorcycle. Ever since, he has been riding extensively in spite of being chronically ill with cystic fibrosis and Type 1 diabetes. None of that stopped him from traveling and he shares this fact to motivate others to overcome their fears and to follow their dreams, even when the odds are against them. Joshua is committed to the German Red Cross with his father and they run the local DRK association to provide voluntary medical services and refugee assistance.

Frank Hahn Mehr Hubraum als Langeweile (More Displacement Than Boredom) [presented in German] / Mit 250 Kubik um die Welt (Around the world with 250 cubic metres).

My best friend and I traveled from Germany to Australia. During these travels, we had beautiful encounters, tough terrain to cover, and some bureaucracy to conquer. A buddy trip that's the best that can happen, with all the highs and lows. Sometimes it was super beautiful and sometimes the travels tested men and machine. It was traveling outside the comfort zone, but it showed how beautiful this world is and how helpful and nice the people everywhere are. We started together, crossing Europe, Türkiye, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Then it was South East Asia, seeing the nature of Vietnam, the old culture in Cambodia, old ruins in Thailand, and the modern cities and old colonial towns in Malaysia. Finally, there will be some stories about how Australia is one of the best countries to travel.

FRANK HAHN's first contact with traveling and camping was when he was a small boy and joined the Boy Scouts. Then in his 20s, he got to know his buddy and travel partner, Fabiano, who infected me with the idea to travel the world with a motorcycle. Soon after that, I got my license and a motorbike. Even COVID didn't stop us and, in 2022, we started our adventure.

Anne-Marie Wefing and Peter Giertzuch Riding Up and Down and East Europe to Southeast Asia on two CRF250L, 1 year, no flights. Through the Stans, along the Pamir and Karakoram Highways, and across Tibet.

We set off on our motorbike journey from Switzerland in spring 2023 to follow the Silk Road and go as far east until we'd hit the Ocean. Our plan was: go light, go slow, enjoy. Our reality was: go light, rush, stress about everything, bury your bike in the mud, camp in a hailstorm, burn in the desert sun, run out of gas, join a rally race, freeze above 5000 m, make tons of friends, and drink coconuts at the beach. We went from Europe through the Caucasus, the Stans, along the Pamir and the Karakoram Highways, through Nepal and across Tibet, and made it down to Southeast Asia. All the way, by land. And most of the time we had a fantastic time!

[Remember to check out Anne-Marie and Peter's workshop on PACKING LIGHT: LESS IS MORE! Workshop details in the Workshop and Educational Sessions section below.]

When ANNE-MARIE WEFING (Annmi) and PETER GIERTZUCH became a couple, Peter had to learn how to ride a motorbike and Annmi had to learn how to camp in the wild. Some years later, they embarked on their first long-term motorbike trip from Europe to Southeast Asia on two Honda CRF250L.

Anne-Marie Wefing and Peter Giertzuch Workshop on Packing Light: Less is More! Everyone complains their bike is overloaded. How can we resolve that? How can we find our way of reducing baggage?

After all, packing light comes down to the question: What do we need to take with us?, but that's hard to answer without a packing philosophy as a guideline. While going through the setup we chose for our trip from Europe to Southeast Asia on two CRF250L and showing some of the tweaks and tricks we used, I want to focus this workshop on our general thoughts and philosophy regarding packing to discuss with the group, share experiences, and enable everyone to develop their own philosophy.

More to come...

How about you? We're all here to learn, and there's LOTS to learn! We want to do more presentations and seminars - but we need volunteers to give them! Any topic you can contribute having to do with motorcycle travel, maintenance, planning etc, lasting 20 minutes or more, would be great. Please sign up here.