HongKong - LANXESS: Welcome to Hong Kong! You finally arrived after 17.000 Kilometers. How do you feel?

We feel extremely happy and excited to have completed our dream of cycling all the way to Hong Kong. Finally arriving and seeing our friends and family for the first time in nearly 9 months has been an exceptional feeling!

LANXESS: On your journey you have travelled across "exotic" countries like Usbekistan and Turkmenistan. Did you ever have situations where you had a bad experience?

Yes. Throughout Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan the quality of food was a problem. Food poisoning became such a regular occurrence we began a strict diet of bread and snickers, the only two types of food we knew would not make us sick! We must comment that the people we met along the way in these "exotic" countries were only kind, helpful, friendly and welcoming.

LANXESS: Can you put your trip into some figures?

In total it was 259 days of cycling, a total stretch of almost 16.000 kilometers, 43 punctures, 3 new tires, 1 new spoke and thousands of impressions.

LANXESS: On your journey you must have seen some pretty amazing things. Could you list your three highlights of your trip?

To experience the hospitality of both the Turkish and Iranian people was a major highlight of our trip. To experience such generosity and kindness beyond anything we thought possible from complete strangers was very humbling.

While cycling through the Taklimakan desert we felt privileged to be travelling through areas only seen by a select few. One camp side that stands out was when we made camp in a cluster of sand dunes and ate our dinner on top of a dune as the sun set across the desert scenery. This was a moment that reminded us why we set out by bike!

Cycling along the edge of the Pamir Mountains, some of which have peaks of over 7000m was a day to remember. We followed the mountain line for the whole day and we could not draw our eyes off these monsters soaring up into the sky and dripping with snow. The scenery was so dramatic that at times we mistook the peaks of these mountains for clouds. We ended the day with a 3736m pass before a long downhill stretch to the Chinese border.

LANXESS: Which were the weirdest places you stayed at and who where the most interesting people you met?

In the Iranian desert between Tehran and Mashhad we spent many nights camping underneath the motorway bridges. A strange place to be, but relatively sheltered from the wind and not visible from the road. These bridges were often quite cramped and also hot as the concrete radiates the heat from the day but one of the safer options.

Throughout the trip the reaction we have received from children has always been great fun. Particularly in the rural communities we would often be chased by 10-20 children running, laughing, shouting, and waving at us. This was always a great moral booster. We were also amazed in China to find that many of these children spoke a small bit of English which was quite refreshing and a surprise to have an eight year old translating for us!

LANXESS: Your bicycle tour served a purpose: Collecting money for "WaterAid". How much did you collect in the end and what is going to happen with the money?

We have raised 18,520pounds to date although our fundraising is still very much going on and we hope to reach our original goal of 20,000pounds within the next month. The money will fund projects in communities making sustainable means of providing creating safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education. WaterAid use local resources and local people to implement these systems to make this sustainable and financially efficient.

LANXESS: After such a journey it will be difficult to settle back into your "real" life, I can imagine. What are your plans for the future?

(Jon) After spending a few weeks back at home catching up with family and friends, I shall move to Austria and find work teaching English. After the work in the schools back in February I am keen to work again with children as I found the response very rewarding and having spent a year living in Innsbruck I have decided to return here to enjoy the mountain life.

(Micheil) At the moment I plan to come back to China in January, this time to Shanghai. My tutor from University has recently taken a job at a Shanghai University and kindly offered me a place working with her on a variety of sustainability projects. With the Mandarin I have been learning during the long hours on the bike I will have small a head start!