In 2009, Hiramo Jimbo started his journey to see the world. Four years later, the cyclist has managed to travel to over 50 countries and has cycled 60 000km.
Having worked as a travel agent once before, Jimbo said he was curious as to what lay beyond Japan’s borders.
“When I started my journey, I wanted to see the world with my own eyes and experience all the different types of cultures.”
“I thought it would take me just over four years to travel the world but I still have a long way to go before I can say I have seen the world,” said Jimbo.
The globe-trotting cyclist said he never imagined the trip would test him as much mentally as it would physically.
“The physical challenges during the trip have not been as difficult to overcome when compared to the mental challenges,” he explained.
“A person’s will is tested when he arrives in Mali during the hottest month – I found myself praying for the night not to come because it was so hot I could not sleep.”
He added, “However, meeting people like the Hornes, who have welcomed me into their homes and provided me with a place to stay, has made the trip worth it.”
A lot has changed for the 34-year-old since he last left Japan.
“I had a fiancée in Japan. She said she would wait for me, but when I got to Ghana two years ago she told me she could no longer wait because her heart could no longer take the pain of not having me there,” said Jimbo.
Struggling to communicate his feelings in English, Jimbo changed the topic, produced his small laptop and shared photos he took in all the countries he’d been to.
“My biggest challenge has been the language barrier. I have had to learn how to speak different languages as I travelled to different countries,” said Jimbo.
“French and Arabic have been the most difficult languages to learn while the African languages have been fairly easy.”
