October 1998
After our study it is time to buy some bikes and set off to explore world. Our first idea is to go to Indonesia, which is the most popular destination far away for Dutch people (it was a previous colony of the Netherlands). However, because of a civil war we skip this plan. Instead we decide to go for our first cycling holiday to Sri Lanka. A country in which bicycles are very common and used by the normal man for transportation. Over all it is a really cycle friendly country and more relaxed then the neighbour country India, as we heard from other travelers. Most tourists visit Sri Lanka with a rental car including chauffeur, through which a cyclist appears to be quite poor. In general, this means that the bike makes it is easier to get contact with the local people and gives a better impression of normal live.

March 1999
Things don't go in our live as we like; it is time to take a week off and get some 'rest'. We just want to go to a warm country and don't want to pay very much. So we go to a travel agency and book a trip to Tunisia. We plan the route, pack our stuff and set off for 10 days, Northern Africa. 

June 1999
A colleague asks us to come to here wedding in Truro, Canada. We don't have any plans yet, so why not. Only one disadvantage, Canada is known for her wild life in the north, and for the Rocky Mountains near the beautiful west coast. And we are heading now for the east coast, Nova Scotia. We decide to fly into Montreal and cycle through Main (United States) to Nova Scotia.

December 2000
After reading a book about Mali, we became immediately enthusiastic to head to Africa. But to see most of the interesting sides in Mali will take at least 2 to 3 months. When in "Op Pad" an article about Ghana was published, our next holiday country was defined. Ghana with tropical rain forest, savanna, dust roads and a beautiful back country. This holiday we will go to dark Africa.