Some of the Indonesian fare sampled by Steve Fabes, who is cycling around
the world to raise funds for a medical NGO. (JG Photo/
Petty Elliott)
What to eat when you are cycling around the world?
A very simple question but perhaps more of a challenge when the budget to cover daily meals and sometimes accommodation as well is just $10 a day. But few people will see the world in such style and vivid color as Steve Fabes, who chose the humble bicycle as his mode of travel. Luckily time is free — he’s using six years of it for his journey. And no, he has not taken time off to go home on the way.
Fabes, a medical doctor, is as interested in food as the rest of us; perhaps more so as it is literally his fuel for continuing this incredible feat. He is a young British doctor who decided to make the adventure of a lifetime by cycling all six continents. He is five down, Asia being the final one before he heads back to Europe. In January 2010, Steve, then 29, set out from St.Thomas’ Hospital in London, and it will be two more years before he is back in England, sometime in 2016.
Adding Indonesia to the 47 countries he has viewed over his handlebars, Fabes visits remote communities around the world to see for himself the battle against diseases. Tropical medicine is something he is interested in and the trip has given him plenty to think about.
Fabes was in Jakarta early this week after cycling from Australia to East Timor, Flores, Labuan Bajo, Lombok, Bali, Java and Jakarta.
I saw his video documentary with remarkable shots of cycling, sleeping, eating and meeting people and surviving the vagaries of climate. Take a look for yourself on his website, cyclethe6.com, and you’ll admire the quiet determination and courage of this young doctor as he sets out to complete his journey.
I was privileged to chat with him during his visit and we shared some fuel: chicken sate, barbequed fish and rendang and some fermented cassava, coconut and palm sugar for dessert.
Fabes’ motives are remarkably straightforward. “I wanted an adventure, a new challenge, to learn about and experience the world in an intimate way. The intrinsic appeal of using a bicycle is that I can take off into more remote regions. It also breaks down barriers and brings me closer to local people and I love the slow transition.
“One place slowly merges with another as you watch the world pass slowly by your handlebars. The bicycle is simply one of the best mediums to explore a country in detail,” he said.
He put his career on hold and left family and friends in England, but it has all been for a noble cause.
“Through my journey I am raising funds for Merlin, a medical NGO which provides doctors, nurses and medicine around the world especially in areas which suffer from natural disasters,” Fabes said.
The physical challenge was never a problem; he has done long-distance cycling in South America and is used to cycling every day. When he started he weighed 80 kilosgrams; today, just 66.
The biggest challenge has been to manage the emotional and mental challenges, the loneliness, remoteness and fear from time to time as he camped on the side of the road. Time was also spent thinking about meals gone by.
“I miss curry dishes in England, so different from curry dishes in the rest of the world, especially India,” he said. “I also miss fish and chips and of course, Sunday roast with all the trimmings,” he smiles.
“It is important for me to find cheap but good local food. I don’t mind anything but it is important that I have enough carbohydrate in my diet — rice or pasta with tasty sauce, which I generally find all over the place. Sometimes I cook for myself having brought the equipment with me.”
A strict budget has been an important part of the process and the discipline to achieve this feat. But everyone deserves a break sometime. “In Argentina, I really wanted to try their famous steak. So I broke my budget rule and I enjoyed the best steak in my life,” he said.
“My accommodation mostly has been free, apart from camping outdoors I have slept in churches, police stations, schools or mosques. My best street meal so far was from Egypt, the ubiquitous koshari found on Egypt’s streets.
“Koshari is basically a mountain of rice, lentils, vermicelli, macaroni and chickpeas, all layered together with a spicy tomato sauce and caramelized onion. This dish is really for those who need tons of carb.
“The weirdest food so far was sweet donuts with bacon in Los Angeles, something I could not stomach. Ethiopian cuisine was very interesting, many vegetables and spicy meat dishes including wat , a thick stew, served with injera sourdough flatbread, eaten with your right hand. Ethiopian people are like Indonesian people, very friendly.”
Fabes went on: “It was nice to sample so many fruits especially in the tropics. I enjoyed avocado juice with a touch of chocolate in Labuan Bajo discovered by asking a street vendor to give me the same green drink as the boy who was sitting nearby. Having tried so many warungs in Indonesia, I like the local food.”
Was he never worried about personal security on this journey? Does he see the world differently? “Many people have told me, don’t go here, don’t go there, as it is dangerous place,” Fabes said. “But in reality I have found people everywhere to be kind and helpful. I have not had really serious problem during my journey so far,” although he had minor surgery for wear and tear on his knee.
He is remarkably well-balanced for someone who has seen and done so much witnessing the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful of the world.
“I see the world as a safe place, which I know is a big contrast to what we see and read in the media. I believe people have a good heart, basically.”
Good luck the rest of the way, Steve!
For more information about Steve’s incredible adventure, visit his website, cyclingthe6.com, where you can also make a donation for his journey and for the NGO Merlin.
The post Behind a Round-the-World Cycle Journey, A Tasty Discovery of Culinary Treasures appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.