A pretty stupid jackass

Did you ever wonder what it takes to ride a motorbike around the world and actually even enjoy it? Sitting on top of a noisy vibrating bike on bumpy and dusty roads, mile after mile, day after day, month after month, year after year?

I would say it takes a pretty stupid jackass. That would be me.

I started out in this world as an underpaid logistical computer wizard. After ten years of building hi-tech solutions for a well known 'baby stuff mega shop-chain' I switched to a less prestigious but much more paying IT-solutions company. Five years more and I was wealthy and bored enough to do something really stupid, like ride my motorbike around the world.

Maarten's background

I was born in the Netherlands and until I started my journey around the world I had never really traveled. I had seen Europe, or at least a very large chunk of it, but mostly in a vacation sort of way.

One of my biggest passions is rock climbing.

I used to spend three to four nights a week in the climbing-gym, mostly depending on the condition of my fingers. In weekends we used to go to the Belgium Ardennes or France for some serious relaxation.

Unfortunately sitting on a motorbike for three years is not too good for your physical state. Right now I would not be able to climb a steep ladder.

For some reason I have always enjoyed the more 'different' sort of sports like motocross, scuba diving, canyoning, rafting, climbing, jeep-trial and pistol-shooting. Weird enough I also enjoy being artistic and creative and I don't like beer, bars or 'parties'.