The Analog GPS: Letters to the World

Jerry Kopack [00:00:02]:
Welcome to Bike Life, a podcast from the Warmshowers Foundation. Here we celebrate our global community of touring cyclists and hosts who make life on the road unforgettable. Through stories, insights, and shared experiences, we explore the connections that fuel every journey. Whether you're pedaling across countries or welcoming travelers into your home, you're part of a movement rooted in generosity and adventure. Discover more and join the community@warmshowers.org now let's hit the road together.

Jordi Möllering [00:00:40]:
Hey, everyone.

Jerry Kopack [00:00:41]:
This is Jerry Kopeck, the host of Bike Life, coming to you from the Rocky Mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado. Today, I'm joined by Jody Mullering, a Dutch cyclist on his way to Asia on a journey built around the human experience. He's carrying letters from person to person and letting those encounters shape where he goes next, thus creating a chain of connection that stretches far beyond the miles he's riding. Jordy, welcome to Bike Life.

Jordi Möllering [00:01:07]:
It's really nice to be here. Thanks for the invitation.

Jerry Kopack [00:01:10]:
Oh, man, this is a really cool story. Now, I know you said that this journey started with something very simple. What was that?

Jordi Möllering [00:01:19]:
It started actually with the fact that I'm an actor and I'm also a bicycle courier. And it just started with the thought of combining these two professions. So five years ago, I thought, how can I somehow bring art and cycling together? And that's when I came up with the idea of delivering letters and let it see where it would take me, like, to let fate decide where I would go and who I would meet and tell stories about it. So I did a test run in Europe, and I soon discovered that by doing this, by delivering letters and asking for a new letter when you deliver one, brings you to really unexpected people and places. So I thought, okay, I want to do this on a favorite skill, and here I am.

Jerry Kopack [00:02:13]:
No kidding, In Kazakhstan. You're in Kazakhstan?

Jordi Möllering [00:02:18]:
Yes, I am.

Jerry Kopack [00:02:19]:
Okay, so I. I definitely want to come back to that, but I want to. I want to back up. How did that initial connection happen? Like, how did someone find you to deliver this letter?

Jordi Möllering [00:02:29]:
To write a letter? Okay, so I started in 2021 with this test run. I did a performance, and right now, on the journey I'm on, I did exactly the same thing. So in six spots, I organized the performance. People came and watched it, I told my story, and at the end of the performance, I would ask one person or sometimes I'd already picked someone out of the audience to write a letter, and that would be my initial letter. That would start a chain of connection between here and the end of the world. So today, for example, I delivered a letter here in Anti Rao, Kazakhstan that originated in Open Belgium. That doesn't mean the letter came directly from Belgium, but it went through Germany first, then to Italy, then to Greece, etc. And that's how I ended up here eventually.

Jerry Kopack [00:03:28]:
That is incredible. I love stories like this that feel like that brings the world closer together. And so kind of talk more about this chain of connection because I imagine handing off a letter and then receiving a new one must feel pretty incredible. So like, is. Is there an experience that you felt like this idea really come to life?

Jordi Möllering [00:03:51]:
Yes. So actually when people receive a letter, it's. The reactions are very different. Different. So some people, for some people, it's really something magical. They can't believe it. They're like, what, you came here on the bike from, I don't know, how long did you cycle? Two months. What? And other people are just like, ah, okay.

Jordi Möllering [00:04:14]:
And now, now what do I have to do? Other people are really thankful. They're like, oh, thanks for doing this, for showing how we're all connected, because it's really important. In this time, I have also had some negative reactions by people that were too surprised by it because in the end, I do show up unannounced to someone's front door and not everyone likes it. But luckily it has been only a really, really small percentage of people that were not really receptive to the idea.

Jerry Kopack [00:04:49]:
So do, do people, do they expect you? Do they know that you're coming at some point? Does the person who wrote the letter tell them, like, hey, expect some guy on a bike sometime in the next two weeks to two months?

Jordi Möllering [00:05:02]:
No, I specifically asked them not to tell the other person. But some people don't, like, they do tell the person because they're afraid maybe they won't open or it will be too big of a surprise. But the best thing is when it's really a surprise when it comes out of nowhere, because that's the kind of magic that makes it theatrical. And that's of course, what I'm looking for as an artist, as an actor.

Jerry Kopack [00:05:32]:
Now, are you recording any of these things just for. Just for production value?

Jordi Möllering [00:05:40]:
I'm not making any video recordings because I think there are already so many. There's so many video content out there. So for me, this project is really about writing. So I'm writing about every encounter. And also it's nice to have an image. So I take a picture of the people that receive a letter.

Jerry Kopack [00:06:00]:
Yeah, I'm trying to Picture. If somebody showed up at my front door and says, hey, I have a letter from your friend 2000km away that I didn't expect, I think I'd be pretty astonished and think that that was about the coolest thing ever. So I can imagine people's surprise and just astonishment with that.

Jordi Möllering [00:06:22]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. As I said, the reactions have been mostly positive, but very different. Yeah, Everybody reacts to this in a different way.

Jerry Kopack [00:06:34]:
So I want to back up. Give me a quick recap of your tour so far. Did you. Did you ride out of your front door in the Netherlands?

Jordi Möllering [00:06:44]:
I did, yeah. The first of November on this worldwide tour I'm on right now. And before that, I cycled through my own home region, which is three countries, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, to deliver letters as well. So I started up small and then made it bigger.

Jerry Kopack [00:07:05]:
Because you were just enjoying the experience and the reaction so much. You said, let's take this thing on the road, so to speak. Right.

Jordi Möllering [00:07:13]:
Yeah. Well, it was. It was already planned, but. Okay. Exactly.

Jerry Kopack [00:07:17]:
Okay.

Jordi Möllering [00:07:18]:
It was. Yeah. My plan was to do it first in small, like do a test round, see how it works, and then take it to the world.

Jerry Kopack [00:07:26]:
Interesting. Now, you mentioned you're in Kazakhstan. How did you get there? What countries have you come through?

Jordi Möllering [00:07:34]:
So I started off at home in the Netherlands. I went through Belgium, Germany, then Poland. Then I had to go all the way back to central Germany and went even to France, to Strasbourg, and then I went back to Germany again to Munich. And then Austria, Italy, Slovenia, all of the former Yugoslavian countries along the coast, mostly Albania, Greece, Turkey, along the Black Sea coast, then through Georgia, over the Caucasus Mountains, through Russia, and now I'm in Kazakhstan. Sounds easy, but it wasn't really. I've encountered some problems all the way.

Jerry Kopack [00:08:14]:
Okay. I'm guessing if you were to plot all those routes on a map, it would look like you're kind of all over the place. Right. So it's not like a clear shot anywhere because you've just been. Your route is actually dictated by these letters.

Jordi Möllering [00:08:29]:
Yes, it is. There are, of course, some practical things that I need to take into consideration, like visas, like the duration of stay you can have in a certain country. For example, I'm in Kazakhstan now. I can stay only for 30 days. So I can't just zigzag around the country because. Yeah, it's just not possible.

Jerry Kopack [00:08:52]:
And Kazakhstan is huge.

Jordi Möllering [00:08:55]:
It is enormous. And the distances. It's. For me, it's so crazy being from Europe where there's a village every 2, 3 km like to be somewhere where the next village can be 80 kilometers away. It's. Wow, quite an experience.

Jerry Kopack [00:09:16]:
Yeah.

Jordi Möllering [00:09:17]:
I've never been scary sometimes, I bet,

Jerry Kopack [00:09:19]:
because you may not see people for a couple of days, depending on where you are in the country. I was. I've never been to Kazakhstan, but I've been to Kyrgyzstan. And I remember just coming over some mountain passes and not seeing anybody for three, four, five days. Pretty remote areas. I'm sure you probably have had similar experiences going through Kazakhstan.

Jordi Möllering [00:09:41]:
Yes, well, right now I am following the main road.

Jerry Kopack [00:09:43]:
Okay.

Jordi Möllering [00:09:44]:
So I do see cars all the time. But I think as I go more into central Kazakhstan, I'll take more remote routes and. Yeah, have this experience as well. Let's see how it goes.

Jerry Kopack [00:09:57]:
Now, do people just give you letters or do they send packages or boxes with things? So just an envelope?

Jordi Möllering [00:10:05]:
Yeah, just an envelope. People want to give me things. I took one package with some flyers for a Buddhist meditation group.

Jerry Kopack [00:10:13]:
Okay.

Jordi Möllering [00:10:14]:
From Italy to Slovenia. And I said, okay, because it's not so far away. I will take it. But of course, you don't want to carry that much weight on your bike.

Jerry Kopack [00:10:23]:
Yeah. I was just picturing maybe a distant uncle or aunt or grandparent would send maybe a stuffed animal to a child 2000km away. It just be kind of funny to see a stuffed animal strapped to your bike or something while you're traveling.

Jordi Möllering [00:10:39]:
Yeah, well, maybe something like that will happen, but not yet. I try to convince people to keep it simple and only a letter.

Jerry Kopack [00:10:48]:
Good. And so you're in Kazakhstan. Tell me where you're heading to next. Do you have a delivery in Kazakhstan?

Jordi Möllering [00:10:57]:
Yes, I have, actually. I'm waiting for. I delivered a letter to a high school today. It was sent by another high school, and I am waiting for them to decide where to send the letter to. Okay. And after that, my next letter is in Tashket, Uzbekistan. My route is going to go straight. Uzbekistan? Yes.

Jordi Möllering [00:11:18]:
And one border crossing is closed, so my route is going to go straight through the desert to. To the border with. With Uzbekistan, which is near Tashkent, the capital city.

Jerry Kopack [00:11:32]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm curious. So you've been through a lot of places. Was there a specific country that maybe you were looking forward to seeing?

Jordi Möllering [00:11:43]:
Oh, well, first of all, Turkey, because I had been there before, and I think it's a great country to cycle in and just great country in general. I went through Russia, and I had a mix of excitement to go there and also a little bit of fear because of the current situation in the world and because of the fact that the west and Russia are not exactly friends on the political level. And I'm really looking forward to seeing the area where I'm going into right now, where I'm in right now, because it's really unfamiliar for me and really something new. And before that, most of the country I visited I had been to before or yeah, I already had the idea. So it's really exciting to be here.

Jerry Kopack [00:12:36]:
Yeah. Because a lot of those countries you mentioned before were European countries, so closer to home, but now that you're getting further east, a lot more interesting and different cultures and. And you had mentioned Russia. And I'm so curious because myself being from the U.S. you make a point that things can be a little tense. How. How were you received by the people?

Jordi Möllering [00:13:00]:
Really, overwhelmingly generously received in terms of hospitality. Still really curious, really enthusiastic to see foreign visitor. So, yeah, it has been. It was really wonderful. It was really touching. It also really confirmed the mission that I have to show that we're all connected to each other and that if you look another person in the eye, then you will reach to some agreement together. And I've really seen that there and I was happy to see it gave me hope for the future, despite the situation that we're in right now with the war in the Middle east and everything. So, yeah, man, that.

Jerry Kopack [00:13:57]:
I think that that gives me goosebumps hearing you say that because I. I've traveled a fair bit too, through some places that were, I don't know, maybe a little bit more tense. And my experience is similar as yours. And it's just that when you get down to it, as you said, looking people in the eye, people are just people, right. They're kind, they're generous, they're curious, they all want a lot of the same things. So I'm really glad that you had the experience going through Russia.

Jordi Möllering [00:14:24]:
Yes, yes. Yeah. One in one village. Actually, the only negative experience I had was people that were actually sending me away for being a foreigner or they were like, yeah, foreigner, go away. Because I was supposed. I was. I had booked a room and I was looking for that room and I asked for help because I lost my Internet. Because you will see that a lot when going through Russia that you will have no GPS or your Internet connection will fail.

Jordi Möllering [00:15:02]:
So, yeah, I was panicking a little bit because I was in this little village, the only village in I don't know how many kilometers in the steppe. But then I went to this job and. And basically the whole village started to take care of Me they were all like, telling, yeah, this happened to him, and do you know someone? And in the end, the village took me in. Into the room of a lady who was abroad or who was in working in St. Petersburg, and so I could stay in her apartment. And like, they showed me the whole village. It was an old Prisheman's village in the history of. It was.

Jordi Möllering [00:15:39]:
Turned out to be very positive experience, although it started as a negative one.

Jerry Kopack [00:15:46]:
How was the. How was the language barrier there? Were we able to communicate pretty well?

Jordi Möllering [00:15:51]:
Oh, the language barrier is. Yeah. Pretty big. But I got used to it in Turkey because in Turkey most people speak only Turkish. Okay. So I got used to that feeling. And of course, carrying around a phone with a translator helps.

Jerry Kopack [00:16:06]:
Yeah.

Jordi Möllering [00:16:07]:
But yes, in Russia and also here in Kazakhstan, most people don't speak a word of English. So I have to learn some basic Russian words. My. But my Russian is still far from fluent.

Jerry Kopack [00:16:24]:
I was gonna.

Jordi Möllering [00:16:25]:
Helping me here in Kazakhstan because most people speak Russian here too.

Jerry Kopack [00:16:28]:
Okay. I was gonna ask how your Russian was.

Jordi Möllering [00:16:31]:
Yeah, yeah. Not that fluid.

Jerry Kopack [00:16:34]:
I. I had a similar experience going through rural parts of China up on the Tibetan plateau. And I'd been through a bunch of other countries, whether it was India or Nepal, and there was always a little pinches or smatherings of English along the way. But I know when I got up on the Tibetan plateau, there was not a single word of English and couldn't read anything, couldn't write anything, couldn't talk. But the translator on my phone did help, but it was. It was a pretty paralyzing feeling just to look at people and have no idea what they're saying. And what I'm saying. I'm guessing Russia and the rural places was probably quite similar.

Jordi Möllering [00:17:11]:
Yes, absolutely. It's. It makes you really vulnerable to. Yeah. To be in. In a situation where you cannot understand other people.

Jerry Kopack [00:17:22]:
Yeah, sure.

Jordi Möllering [00:17:23]:
But I think also that vulnerability of being a foreigner, of being a stranger is what makes traveling like this beautiful. It's also why I'm doing this project.

Jerry Kopack [00:17:31]:
Yeah.

Jordi Möllering [00:17:32]:
Because that's in the end, what. What brings you closer to people.

Jerry Kopack [00:17:37]:
So let's stay on that topic of your project. What. What is your end project goal?

Jordi Möllering [00:17:44]:
So because of a letter I got, I think it's going to be Singapore as the end of the world, the end of the cycle of world. Because I got a letter for Malaysia, for Kuala Lumpur. So then I thought, then Singapore is going to be it. Because that's where it ends as a cyclist. Because for me, it's really Important. I don't know why. To cycle every inch of this journey. To say that really every letter I have delivered is delivered by me.

Jordi Möllering [00:18:16]:
Not by a boat, not by a train or bus or anything. Just me. And I've managed to do it so far, so I'm really happy. I had to. Yeah. There were some adventurous parts to make it happen. Like crossing the Bosphorus Bridge by bicycle, which is not allowed in Istanbul.

Jerry Kopack [00:18:37]:
Okay, and why isn't that allowed? Is just a rule or is it because it's dangerous?

Jordi Möllering [00:18:43]:
It's a highway, okay. So it's only for cars and motors. And it actually has a sidewalk, but it's forbidden to cycle or walk on it because there were too many suicides on the bridge. But to be honest, that highway. So I just cycled across and nothing happened. Nobody. The police didn't stop me. Cars didn't do anything because actually there was some space.

Jordi Möllering [00:19:09]:
I think it's. The bridge is much safer than some tunnels I went through later that caused me some. Some trouble. I got hit by a car in a tunnel later on in Turkey along the Black Sea coast.

Jerry Kopack [00:19:22]:
Yeah. I was actually digging around on your Instagram page the other day and I saw you post a story about that. Why don't you share a little about that? Because it looked like it turned out pretty well.

Jordi Möllering [00:19:33]:
Yeah, in the end it did. Luckily. Yeah, it could have been worse. Yeah, I was in a tunnel and in the end of the Black Sea route, there are many of them and they're just. The roads in Turkey generally are very safe because there's a wide shoulder except for the tunnels. And then. Yeah, it's really like a prison because there might be trucks coming or something and there's nowhere to go. Like if they come too close, don't see you or whatever, then yeah, you're in big trouble.

Jordi Möllering [00:20:01]:
So in that tunnel, that happened first. So there was a truck and I was kept looking backwards. He wasn't moving, wasn't moving. And then he started honking. I was like, well, what do you want me to do? I can't go anywhere. And then at the last moment, he moved aside, luckily. But because of that, another car probably didn't see me because he was driving behind the truck and hit me. But it was only with a mirror and I could keep my balance.

Jordi Möllering [00:20:33]:
So in the end nothing happened. Just my. How do you call it? I lost the word in English. Like what you're steering with your handlebars. Handlebars exactly where bent. And that was it. Like there was no trouble. And after that it was a really strange experience because this man came out of his car and felt really guilty and started touching me everywhere, like touching my face and my hands to feel it if everything was still there, still working.

Jordi Möllering [00:21:13]:
So that was kind of a beautiful ending. But still it was. Yeah, I think these tunnels are really dangerous for cyclists, so I tried to avoid them after that. That didn't turn out very well either because I took a side road, like the old road beside the tunnel some 50 kilometers after that incident with the car and. But the Black Sea was really stormy that day and actually it was beautiful. I was watching the waves and then all of a sudden everything turned white and it was just a wave that stratted onto the road and it threw me against the rocks and then it dragged my bicycle with it because it was, you know how a retreating wave just takes with it bottles, plastic bottles or something. So I thought actually my bicycle moving like a plastic bottle towards a cliff, towards the edge. I was like, oh no, my whole life is there.

Jordi Möllering [00:22:18]:
Like my house, my tent, the bicycle itself, of course, all the letters. So it was. I was just an inch from losing everything, but in the last moment I could grab onto my bike and it didn't fall off. But yeah, I'm talking about all these things like my bike and the letters. But of course, the most important thing is that after the incident with the car and the truck and that wave, that my body was still working and myself, I'm still alive because both incidents could have ended much worse.

Jerry Kopack [00:22:51]:
What a crazy day.

Jordi Möllering [00:22:55]:
Yes. You went from luckily talking about Warmshowers.

Jerry Kopack [00:22:59]:
Yeah, yeah.

Jordi Möllering [00:23:00]:
I was received by a Warmshowers host that was in that region and he had a little same day next to the. That same day he had a little hut next to the road. And he's actually like a super Warmshowers host. Like I think he received every single cyclist that passes through that area. He talked to me about receiving 2,000 guests or something in total and he saved me. So it took me and I could warm up, get my bicycle fixed next morning, etc. So yeah, Warmshowers hospitality saved the day.

Jerry Kopack [00:23:42]:
I can, I can only imagine your mental state. So I'm trying to picture the interaction with you and this Warmshowers host. And he's probably asking like, hey, how has your day been? Like, well, let me tell you how my day was. I got hit by a car and then I got swept out into the Black Sea. So kind of a tough day.

Jordi Möllering [00:24:01]:
Yeah, yeah, definitely. And he was, yeah, he was being really a workshower host, like asking about my travels and my. But in my mind, I wasn't. I was totally shocked about everything what happened. So I didn't think I was a very good guest. But I also think he understood.

Jerry Kopack [00:24:19]:
I think given the fact of what you went through that day, I think you probably just need a little quiet space to sort of decompress. Right. And figure things out.

Jordi Möllering [00:24:27]:
Yes.

Jerry Kopack [00:24:30]:
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Jordi Möllering [00:25:09]:
The where the wave hit me, that was right next to the sea. So there was a tunnel.

Jerry Kopack [00:25:14]:
Yeah.

Jordi Möllering [00:25:15]:
And then the road next to it, right next to the sea and a little cliff, like going maybe 20, 30 meters down that. Luckily my bicycle and I didn't fall in.

Jerry Kopack [00:25:25]:
Did you. Did you see the waves getting bigger and like, oh, that's getting kind of close.

Jordi Möllering [00:25:31]:
Yes. I also saw rocks in the road. So I was still thinking, like, what? It can't be a sea, right? It can't be that the sea just drop caused all that. But yeah, then I got the answer by a wave.

Jerry Kopack [00:25:48]:
I'm not laughing, but I'm kind of laughing because that's such a remarkable story that, that both those things happened to you in the same day and you turned out with a great ending to that day with a terrific warm shower. So. So that's that. That makes me smile. Now, I know you've been on the road for a while, so you have had to cycle through winter. And I know cycling through winter is something that you enjoy, but most people don't. What draws you to it? And do you have any tips that make it more enjoyable or less terrible?

Jordi Möllering [00:26:18]:
Yeah, I don't know if I would say that I enjoy it. I really enjoy cycling through wintry landscapes because I love how it looks, but the cold and everything I think is challenging. I have trouble keeping my feet warm. Unfortunately, I don't have the golden tip for that yet, but if somebody else does, please let me know. Tips for cycling in winter I think just accepting that it's a different kind of weather, like you can also accept it in summer. That it's just really warm. It's going to be warm all day. You just have to accept it and do what's necessary to protect yourself.

Jordi Möllering [00:27:04]:
I think what I did, more than I would in normal weather or like warmer weather, is planning and looking for safe spots to go to. So when it was really cold, I would sleep somewhere inside and not sleep in a tent and also plan shorter days. I don't know if I have any other golden tips. Maybe that's it. Maybe something will occur to me later. I'll tell you.

Jerry Kopack [00:27:43]:
Have you seen those little bags or sachets that people use for hand warmers or foot warmers for. For skiing in the mountains? Have you ever. Have you ever used those?

Jordi Möllering [00:27:53]:
I haven't, but somebody tipped it to me as well in Italy, but I didn't. He actually offered me to take some and I didn't, just because I wanted to be polite, but maybe I should have.

Jerry Kopack [00:28:03]:
And he was offering right now. I apologize. I want to go back because we had talked about sort of what your end goal was with this project. Do you see this. How do you see this laying out? Like, how do you know when it's finished? You had mentioned being in Southeast Asia as sort of your end of the world, but what does the end project look like for you? Is there a story? Is there a book? Is. I know you're an actor.

Jordi Möllering [00:28:29]:
Yeah. So I'm an actor. So obviously I would like to make a play out of it or. And. Or a book. Those are the two things I'm thinking about right now. But who knows? Because I've been working with visual artists that created mailboxes as well in the EU region before I started off. Actually, I'm sending letters to those mailboxes to tell my story, what's happening to me on the road.

Jordi Möllering [00:28:58]:
So I can also imagine something in that direction, like working together with visual artists to make a visual representation of the journey. Those are my thoughts at the moment. But, yeah, obviously right now I'm still in the middle of it, so I'm having ideas, but I think first I would have to end it and then sit down and think about it and come up with something good.

Jerry Kopack [00:29:24]:
But the great thing is, you know, being on the road, cycling solo is you just have all this time to think and brainstorm. Right. So you're probably coming up with all kinds of ideas.

Jordi Möllering [00:29:36]:
Yeah. When you're not busy, like, looking, like, being alert to the traffic. Somebody said that today actually, like, oh, you're in the desert, so you have a lot of time to reflect, like I'm looking Behind me every 30 seconds that there's not a truck coming at a high speed. Maybe to get a mirror. I really. I've never really needed one or felt that I needed one, but this is the first time I. I think I need one. But yeah, of course, you're right.

Jordi Möllering [00:30:12]:
There are also a lot of moments where you're cycling and you're getting a lot of ideas.

Jerry Kopack [00:30:17]:
Yeah. Yeah. Now, I know you had mentioned your end country. Do you have an end date when you think this is going to wrap up?

Jordi Möllering [00:30:26]:
My plan before I left was to make it to do it in a year max. So 1st of November would be maybe, but maybe I can get that before. I had a fantasy also cycling all the way back. I think that would be really epic. But yeah, I don't know if I'm up for it. So I've also been thinking, so what do I do when it ends? Because I don't want to fly back. Definitely. Yeah.

Jordi Möllering [00:30:57]:
So one of the ideas I've had is hitchhiking back.

Jerry Kopack [00:31:01]:
Okay.

Jordi Möllering [00:31:01]:
Because it's also a wonderful way of connecting and it would make me be more sustainable. Of course. And it's also another way to see things. So that's an option.

Jerry Kopack [00:31:17]:
If you hitchhiked, would you hitchhike back with your bicycle or would you donate or leave it someplace?

Jordi Möllering [00:31:23]:
Yeah, I think I'll probably leave it somewhere. Sell it, donate it, something like that.

Jerry Kopack [00:31:28]:
Okay.

Jordi Möllering [00:31:28]:
And I don't think I would go with the bike.

Jerry Kopack [00:31:33]:
Okay. Now you've traveled a lot of different places.

Jordi Möllering [00:31:36]:
My bike doesn't have a name, by the way.

Jerry Kopack [00:31:38]:
Say again?

Jordi Möllering [00:31:38]:
I've heard you. My bike doesn't have a name. I've heard you ask that questions in other episodes.

Jerry Kopack [00:31:46]:
I appreciate you picking up on that. So I won't ask you that question then. But I will ask you, why does your bike have a name? It feels like you guys have bonded together. You've seen so many things in so many places and it's almost been swept out to sea. And it just seems like it. It needs a name, doesn't it?

Jordi Möllering [00:32:05]:
Yeah. Actually, I was thinking about this because I think it's a really funny question. And then I thought about my answer to that and that. That I would say that bicycle is just a tool. And I don't really like cycling any that much anyway. That. That's not true. But, um.

Jordi Möllering [00:32:28]:
So it's not. I'm. I'm not a. I think many long distance cyclists are this. They're not necessarily only doing it because they Love the sports and the cycling itself, but more because of. Because it's a certain way of traveling and I'm that kind of person that's not really that much into the psychic sport, but for me it's more about the way of moving. But then I started feeling a little bit guilty and I thought, maybe I will wash my body tomorrow and take real good care of it. I don't know, maybe I will give it a name anyway.

Jerry Kopack [00:33:07]:
Okay, that's fair enough.

Jordi Möllering [00:33:10]:
Reflect on that.

Jerry Kopack [00:33:11]:
So, no, no pressure. We'll. We'll get together, we'll do another interview towards the end of your trip and we'll hear more about your experiences. And maybe your bike will have a name by then. Who knows? Sure, no pressure. So you mentioned that you're. You're not really a cyclist. Is that right? So cycling isn't, I guess, a passion for you the way it is for other some bike tours.

Jordi Möllering [00:33:35]:
Yeah. It's weird too, because I'm also a bicycle courier as a side job.

Jerry Kopack [00:33:42]:
But it's a tool.

Jordi Möllering [00:33:42]:
Maybe there's also a tool. Yeah. I don't know.

Jerry Kopack [00:33:47]:
It's like a carpenter. Yeah, like a carpenter has a hammer and a saw. It's just part of the tools.

Jordi Möllering [00:33:55]:
Yes, I guess so. But as I said today, as I was reflecting on that, I was like, is. Is it really true or is it just something I convinced myself of? So I'm not sure. Yeah, but I'm not. I don't like going fast or something. I'm not into like getting really full gear and stuff for my bike. I just want things to work.

Jerry Kopack [00:34:17]:
Got it. Okay, so then I'm assuming there's been plenty of parts of this journey, just seeing the world at bicycle speed, as someone said to me that you really enjoyed. Right. So you are in the desert area. Do you like the desert? Do you like the mountains? Did you like riding along the coast and the sea? What was kind of your favorite landscape?

Jordi Möllering [00:34:40]:
My favorite landscape is definitely mountains. Okay. I really love the views. I like climbing. I don't like descents that much because I think it's scary. But yeah, they're also part of it. I like long, not so steep descent. That's nice when you have time to watch and enjoy the scenery.

Jerry Kopack [00:35:07]:
Yeah. Has there been. Has there been a favorite country or a favorite mountain pass that just really sticks with you?

Jordi Möllering [00:35:15]:
Yeah, I think the going over the Caucasus from Georgia into Russia, I think that's the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen for. Yeah, I've ever seen before. I really like the Alps as well. But I think it beats the Alps, really.

Jerry Kopack [00:35:35]:
What do you think is so special about the Caucasus?

Jordi Möllering [00:35:40]:
I don't know. It's just maybe because it was also winter and it had really snowed that much, so it was. Everything was white. I was just looking around me and there were peaks of all different shapes and. Yeah, I can't really explain it. I just really. I was really overwhelmed by the beauty of it.

Jerry Kopack [00:36:05]:
I know Georgia is. Is very high on my list, so talking to you just moves it even higher on my list of places that I want to go to.

Jordi Möllering [00:36:13]:
You'd mentioned the road is extremely dangerous, though. Good luck.

Jerry Kopack [00:36:18]:
What makes them dangerous? Just the. The traffic or the condition of the roads.

Jordi Möllering [00:36:22]:
Yeah, cars driving really fast. Condition of the road is also not that good.

Jerry Kopack [00:36:28]:
Okay.

Jordi Möllering [00:36:28]:
But the. The road that goes to Russia is a really dangerous road with lots of trucks and they're like. On the highest part, there was like, walls of snow next to the road.

Jerry Kopack [00:36:44]:
Yeah.

Jordi Möllering [00:36:46]:
There's also warnings of. How do you call it when a lot of snow comes down?

Jerry Kopack [00:36:50]:
Avalanche.

Jordi Möllering [00:36:52]:
Avalanche. Yeah, exactly. So, yeah, it's a dangerous road also, with some really scary tunnels. In one tunnel, I cycled in it, and then at a certain point, I couldn't see anything and I had my light on, so it was really scary. It felt like I was in cycling in outer space. Really disorienting, really. I can't explain how scary it was, but it was really scary. Luckily, after a couple of seconds, I started seeing some light and the panic was over.

Jordi Möllering [00:37:26]:
But. Yeah, so the road is dangerous, but the views are beautiful.

Jerry Kopack [00:37:29]:
I. I had a similar experience of a tunnel like that in India, and I went into it, it went through a mountain, and I didn't think the tunnel was going to be that long, so I didn't take out my light, either my front light or my. My tail light, for probably two or three minutes. And this kept getting darker and darker, and I kept expecting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Did. And so at that point, like, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face because it was pitch black. There was no lights in the tunnel. But if you've ever been to India, there's lots of honking that goes on.

Jerry Kopack [00:38:01]:
And the honking isn't to be rude. It's just to say that, hey, I'm here and hey, I'm coming. And so I started hearing these buses honk behind me. And to your point, in your tunnel experience, there wasn't much of a lane on the side, and they just Came zooming by me and it just scared the life out of me. And so finally I was like, okay, this tunnel is going to go a lot longer than I initially expected. So I'm. I'm going to be safe here. I'm going to pull out some headlights and tail lights.

Jerry Kopack [00:38:27]:
And it lasted for probably a good three or four kilometers, it felt like, because I was in there for a while and once I came and once I came out the other side, of course, I was just blinded because it was full sun. And people look at me like, what are you doing in this tunnel, man? And I didn't realize that there was a lesser. An old road, as you said, that went around the tunnel that I should have taken. I totally missed the turn. So. Dum dum dum. The experiences we learned from. Right, but you lived.

Jordi Möllering [00:38:57]:
You're here.

Jerry Kopack [00:38:57]:
Nobody clipped me. So thankfully, that's. I don't know why I got caught on tunnels and crazy stories, but I guess we have a lot in common, so I wanted to share that with you. Now I wanna. I wanna wrap this up with some good stuff here. So when you think about this journey, the letters you deliver, the people, the experiences and all the kilometers, what lessons or perspectives do you hope to bring home with you by the time you're done?

Jordi Möllering [00:39:28]:
Oh, that's a big question. Yeah. It's maybe a little bit of a cliche, but it's what we talked about when we talked about Russia, that in the end, most people are willing to help you and you should be willing to help most people. Maybe that's. That's important lesson. Yeah, that's the first thing that comes to mind.

Jerry Kopack [00:40:02]:
Yeah, that's again, back to what we said. People are just people. Right. They're kind, they're generous. And I like what you said. They want to help.

Jordi Möllering [00:40:12]:
Yes. I also think, especially when I think about my own home region in Europe, I think we're really very private, which can have a lot of positive aspects. It can also mean respect for someone else, like to respect everyone's privacy. But what I really learned, especially by traveling through countries like Turkey, but also here in Kazakhstan, I saw it a lot. There's. Yeah, that willingness to go. Go to someone and ask, do you need. Do you need anything? That's a really common question.

Jordi Möllering [00:40:51]:
Like, okay, hello, how are you? What are you doing? Wow. Okay. Interesting. Do you need anything? I think that's something in the west that we could ask other people more and not see it as something. When somebody else needs something, that person is failing. But normal, right? To help each other and to make someone else's road a little bit easier. So that's also the warm shower spirit, I guess. So everybody should go on Warmshowers, other hospitality networks.

Jordi Möllering [00:41:27]:
Yeah. I think it should be more normal to be hospitable to welcome a stranger or to help a stranger.

Jerry Kopack [00:41:35]:
I love that. It should be more normal to be hospitable. That is. That is perfect. I love that. Jordy, I want to. Thanks for hanging out with me today. How can our listeners follow your journey and just keep up with what you're up to on the road?

Jordi Möllering [00:41:52]:
So there's a website, it's sixletters.com six with the number six. And there's also an Instagram that's six letters.com again with the number six and dot com written out. So D O T C O N. I love it.

Jerry Kopack [00:42:08]:
And we will have links to that in our show notes so people can follow along and, I don't know, maybe drop a letter and have you deliver. That sounds. This has been such a fun conversation, man. So thank you for taking the time on your journey.

Jordi Möllering [00:42:21]:
I've enjoyed it very much as well. Thank you.

Jerry Kopack [00:42:24]:
And I'm very serious. I know that you said you're halfway or so through this. Please reach out back to me. I want to have you back on. Let's talk about the rest of your journey and how it wraps up because I think it's going to be fantastic.

Jordi Möllering [00:42:38]:
I would love to.

Jerry Kopack [00:42:39]:
All right. I want to thank everyone out there for listening to my conversation today with Jordy Moellering. Stories like these hopefully will help you set off on your own bicycle adventure and maybe make the world feel a little bit smaller. One pedal stroke at a time. Until then, keep the wheels rolling. And the story's coming. Thanks for joining us on Bike Life. I'm Jerry Kopach and I hope you enjoyed today's episode as much as we enjoyed sharing it with you.

Jerry Kopack [00:43:05]:
Please leave us a rating and review or just tell your friends. This helps us reach more cyclists and hosts around the world to learn more or become part of this amazing community. Visit us@warmshowers.org or follow us on Instagram at warmshowersoreg. If you'd like to be be a guest on the show or have a question you'd like us to explore, email us@podcastarmshowers.org.