Ayane Mctunde (2024)

16/11/2023

This is me, minutes before I left on my trip around the world exactly 6 years ago.
It’s weird and funny for me to see myself on this picture. I remember all the conflicting emotions I had in this moment.. I was excited, nervous, happy, sad, proud, confused, scared, relieved, sceptical, amused, enthusiastic and in doubt.. I looked forward to everything that was to come and at the same time I asked myself wtf I was doing..😂🙈
I had no idea what to expect, all I knew was that I was going to go east towards Asia.
I (the version of myself on this picture) didn’t know - I’d see so many beautiful places on our planet - I would meet so many great people in every single country - how much this journey would change me and the way I look at life, myself and our world - about the challenges and dangerous situations I would have to overcome - this trip would last nearly 3 years - I would love this lifestyle even more than I had imagined - what freedom and feeling alive really means - that my bike would break down so often - despite not possessing much I wouldn’t miss anything - I’d be so happy travelling alone for such a long time - that life has so much more to offer than to make and spend money -
LEAVING ON THIS TRIP WAS BY FAR THE BEST DECISION I TOOK IN MY LIFE☺️
and look at my very clean and new motorcycle gear😂

16/11/2023

I bought some fresh mangoes from Dario and his mother😀

16/11/2023

On this day, I spontaneously crossed the border to Costa Rica☺️

15/11/2023

After travelling around the world for 27 consecutive months, I arrived in New York City. The contrast between my travels and this city couldn’t be bigger and I’m still trying to process it all.

15/11/2023

I reached the northern coast of Colombia after riding my bike all the way from the most southern point of this continent, Ushuaia. It’s the 4th continent of my overall trip and it took me over a year to cross this one - about 8 months longer than I had originally “planned“. It’s impossible for me to put into words what it feels like to reach such a milestone of my journey. My mind is full of so many memories, experiences, encounters, landscapes, learnings... and even though I’ve been living my dream for almost two years now, I still sometimes can’t believe I am actually doing this.
This trip has changed me in many ways. It made me a stronger and more positive person.
I took this photo right after I had my worst crash in South America - flying over the handlebar and landing head first in the sand, in the middle of nowhere, alone. My head and arm hurt and I had sand everywhere, especially in my eyes. But I’m smiling. Why? Because I didn’t break any bones and because I was positive I’d find a solution to get through the sand.
There is absolutely no room for whining and complaining when travelling solo.

15/11/2023

Somewhere around Abbottabad with Pakistani police es**rt.

15/11/2023

After I went through the first road blockade I thought that would be it, but after that came about 20 more! they used stones, trees, trucks... luckily I was allowed to go past all of them. at every blockade lots of people gathered and at one of them I got to talk to these beautiful women♥️

15/11/2023

Happy me☺️
the last couple of days in Peru was amazing - a perfect mix of great riding, beautiful landscape and interesting cultural history and traditions😀 a bit exhausted so I stayed in Cusco for 2-3 days to relax and then I continued north🙂

15/11/2023

I don’t want to jinx it but 100% of my encounters with military or the police on the road in South America were positive☺️

15/11/2023

I was riding through pretty much uninhabited Chimborazo National Park when I all of a sudden saw these kids, standing by the roadside, waving at me. I stopped, got off the bike and within seconds the two boys, Alex and William, climbed onto my bike and started playing😊 the girls, Lorena and Tania, were a bit hesitant at first but after a few minutes they joined in☺️

15/11/2023

hola Ecuador🇪🇨✌️☺️
country #30

15/11/2023

I just wanted to take a picture with these beautiful women but then Teresa, Yveth, Maritza and I ended up spending some time together chatting about life and my journey while laughing so so much - it really made me very happy☺️

15/11/2023

For many years of my life, travelling around the world on a motorcycle was my absolute biggest wish. For most of this time however, it felt more like something I could never really achieve. There were too many reasons that spoke against it.. at least that’s what I thought then. Looking back, none of them are valid reasons and I can’t thank my younger self enough for taking the decision to go for it no matter what and for chasing my dream!!!😀 This is the best decision I ever made.
- Don’t dream your life, live your dreams -

Took this picture at the border between Nicaragua and Honduras😀

15/11/2023

While riding through one of the many small villages in South Sumatra, I heard very loud music all of a sudden and so stopped to find out what was going on... within seconds people came and asked for selfies 😛 I was then invited to join them inside the tent, there I was greeted by the hosts... and I then somehow ended up on the stage dancing.. at 9.30am 😝😂

15/11/2023

After six months and one day on the road, l crossed the line between northern and southern hemisphere 😀😀😀 Not every day of this journey was fun, but most days were -
'One day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted. Do it now.'

15/11/2023

On my way to Pokhara beginning of this week, my bike started making unfamiliar sounds and later the engine stuttered and kept dying 😪 it looks like there's a problem with the engine/ transmission... so I got transportation organized to Kathmandu where the best mechanics in town will took a loot at it 🙂, but nothing was able to be done about it, I was not to ride through Myanmar but fly to Malaysia instead ☺️ After more than a month in Nepal.

15/11/2023

Fun ride through Old Delhi

15/11/2023

Crossed the border to Nepal and was very happy to finally be there! So many people told me I would love it there - and I did!
Stopped in Rajhena and had a little chat with these two girls who couldn't believe I was riding this bike solo😝...
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J'ai traversé la frontière du Népal et j'étais très heureux d'y être enfin ! Beaucoup de gens m’ont dit que j’adorerais y être – et c’est ce que j’ai fait !
Je me suis arrêté à Rajhena et j'ai eu une petite conversation avec ces deux filles qui n'arrivaient pas à croire que je conduisais ce vélo en solo😝

15/11/2023

I've always been curious to see what people's lives look like in other parts of our world, so right now, every single day is interesting to me and every day I gather new impressions that are shaping the way I see and look at our planet.

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J'ai toujours été curieux de voir à quoi ressemble la vie des gens dans d'autres parties de notre monde, alors en ce moment, chaque jour m'intéresse et chaque jour je recueille de nouvelles impressions qui façonnent la façon dont je vois et regarde notre planète.

15/11/2023

I am amazed by how fearlessly and skillfully these jingle truck drivers steer their vehicles - they even manage to fit two of these trucks next to each other on this road!
'To enjoy the rainbow, first enjoy the rain.' Paulo Coelho
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Je suis étonné de voir avec quelle intrépidité et habileté ces chauffeurs de camions jingle dirigent leurs véhicules - ils parviennent même à placer deux de ces camions l'un à côté de l'autre sur cette route !
"Pour profiter de l'arc-en-ciel, profitez d'abord de la pluie." Paulo Coelho

15/11/2023

most people said I was crazy to go to Iran and suggested me not to go - but I am glad I did! To me it is a beautiful country with the most hospitable, curious, open and trustworthy people. It was not a problem at all to travel as a female solo rider and I hope to come back some day to learn more about this country and also to properly thank everyone who helped me so much and made may stay unforgettable .

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la plupart des gens disaient que j'étais fou d'aller en Iran et me suggéraient de ne pas y aller - mais je suis content de l'avoir fait ! Pour moi, c'est un pays magnifique avec des gens très hospitaliers, curieux, ouverts et dignes de confiance. Ce n'était pas du tout un problème de voyager en tant que cavalière solo et j'espère revenir un jour pour en apprendre davantage sur ce pays et aussi pour remercier convenablement tous ceux qui m'ont tant aidé et qui peuvent rester inoubliables.

15/11/2023

I spent a beautiful morning learning more about Jameh Mosque in Isfahan.The little girl was waiting for her mother to finish her evening prayers at Naghsh-e Jahan Mosque in Isfahan, Iran.
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J'ai passé une belle matinée à en apprendre davantage sur la mosquée Jameh à Ispahan. La petite fille attendait que sa mère termine ses prières du soir à la mosquée Naghsh-e Jahan à Ispahan, en Iran.

15/11/2023

All these happy faces...😊after crossing the border to Azerbaijan, this was the first place I stopped to take a short.
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Tous ces visages heureux...😊après avoir traversé la frontière avec l'Azerbaïdjan, c'est le premier endroit où je me suis arrêté pour faire un petit tou

15/11/2023

Georgian military road - 500m from the Russian border
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Route militaire géorgienne - à 500 m de la frontière Russe

15/11/2023

After three days on the road, I slowly realized that the dream I've had for so long had now turned into reality 🙂 what a feeling... won't even try to explain what it's like.. definitely good though 😝
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Après trois jours de route, j'ai lentement réalisé que le rêve que j'avais depuis si longtemps était maintenant devenu réalité 🙂 quel sentiment... je n'essaierai même pas d'expliquer à quoi ça ressemble.. vraiment bien cependant 😝

15/11/2023

so, this is it. leaving now. saying goodbye was not easy but I am looking forward to this adventure..
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Alors c'est ça. je pars maintenant. dire au revoir n'a pas été facile mais j'attends avec impatience cette aventure.

Ayane Mctunde

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