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Greetings from China! Finally I find a WiFi connection that works and I’m able to access my website but, as expected, all western s.media platforms are XXXXX, so won’t be able to post video for a while.
I made it into China without hassel and cycling west through Inner Mongolia (autonomous region of northern China). Just made a brief detour to Beijing for some sightseeing and source spare bike parts for the next remote section. Will update soon.
Congratulations Ben. Another chapter begins in your exciting journey. We are loving your blog entries and videos. We think of you often.
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Ben, noooo mejor dicho siempre dejándolo a uno sin palabras!!!
Llevaba mucho tiempo alejada de mi carrera la Ingeniería Ambiental, sin embargo hace unos meses inicie un recorrido conceptual por la sostenibilidad, que espero desemboque en un proyecto que genere cambios reales que permitan conservar el planeta en el que habitamos.
Tu experiencia me ha servido de marco para describir la cartografía de mi viaje, y a pesar que mis esfuerzos nunca serán comparables con los tuyos, me alegra sentir que tu viaje por el mundo sea parte de la inspiración para este proyecto en el que me estoy sumergiendo.
Con toda mi admiración y agradecimiento, te envío las mejores energías y te deseo toda la fortaleza que se eres capaz de generar para completar un proyecto de esta envergadura.
Un fuerte abrazo, Monica (Colombia)
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Mónica, gracias! Eso es lo mejor que pude oír. Tus palabras me dan fuerza en esta aventura. En la mayoría de los lugares que estoy viendo no existe ningun cuidado por el medio ambiente, en gran medida por la gran pobreza tanto economica como educativa. Te admiro por hacer frente al problema más grave y difícil de nuestro tiempo. Por favor, dime si hay algo que yo pueda hacer para ayudar.
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Ben, muchas gracias por tu respuesta. I would love to know what was your turning point towards a sustainable view of living. I would greatly appreaciate, Any books, ideas, references that were crucial on your path to the compromise with earth that you have now.
Thanks Ben, I am certain you are such a great example and I hope to be able to send you some more info on my project once it has a little bit more shape.
Kind of needing to practice my English jajajjaa next comment in Spanish. If you want some practice I have a tiny proposal 12 pages in Spanish that I have written so far.
Toda la energies para ti, un abrazo muy grande! Mónica
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Thanks Mónica! My journey is more a response that comes from within. Cities have always been kind of lonely places for me so I tend to find my inspiration in nature. Travelling the world leaves me pessimistic about the human impact on the planet. I recently read Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive, by Jared Diamond. The main contributing factor of societal collapse, as described in the book, is environmental degradation, such as deforestation and species extinction. The final case study describes Australia’s appalling environmental practices (only comparable to that of third world countries), destroying nonrenewable resources for little value, such as logging Tasmanian old growth forests and turning the tallest trees in the world outside California, into wood chip and selling to Japan for $7 / ton, from which paper is produced valued at $1000 / ton.
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Hey fellow Ben!
Nice to have made your acquaintance in Beijing, and to have sailed forth towards unsuccessful journeys in your company!
Looking forward to seeing more pictures of your ambitious adventure — cycling from Mexico to Yukon, REALLY!?
Godspeed to you!
Ben Malouf, New French Canadian Fan
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Hi, Benji, it was very nice coincidence meeting you in Beijing. I have to wish you good luck again. Being brave enough to conquer the difficulties most people can not imagine is one of the most precious part of your personality. I will try to be brave as you too.
Good luck!
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Hi ! Benji !
Have you found a nice place to spend the night ? Is there anybody to interrupt you ? Did you meet any more exctiing things on the way ? so many questions to ask — Hope everything goes well !
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Actually the camping is much better in this part of Inner Mongolia, mostly grasslands. The only visitors I get in the night are horses sniffing and snorting at my tent 🙂
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yeeeeeeh, post more videos, I love watching them and get double impressed both by the content and your ability to shoot and edit in style while surviving in surreal conditions! I just read you weren´t feeling well for a week or so, I really hope you´re better and able to enjoy the travels again 🙂
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Thanks Isa. I have new video to post but the powers that be won’t allow me access to YouTube, alas, can’t do anything about it till I leave. Was in a bad way last week but thankfully have bounced back.
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hi.Ben.I’m daisy.We met in a little town in Inner mogolia,remember?Hope to see you again,have a good trip!
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In Ulaanbaatar. Just got my visa extension and about to embark on a 2000 km trek across the north of Mongolia. Why do I have pick the hard route always?
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Thanks Ben .How are you doing ? Are you back on your way home ? Are you ok ?
It’s looooooooooooong time since you left here . We are all worrying about you. want to read your new experience ,Take care !
Kathy
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I asked some teachers who biked and had dinner with us together that day ,and asked some if they had taken pictures ,maybe some of them will send me some ,if so I can send them to you . It maybe makes your Inner Monglia trip more colorful .Hehehe—
So busy these days ,Good luck with you !
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ok, it´s now almost a month since we last heard from you. Give us some news! You must be on your 2000km treck across the north of Mongolia, but make yourself alive if you see this! I hope all is going well with you over there!
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I’m alive…Yay!! In the Russian Altai and getting chilly…brrrrr!!! Communications in Mongolia—impossible.
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Hi Ben, we met in Beijing when you were getting the spare parts.
I enjoyed heated discussions with you…
Good luck with your Odyssey and may you find your Penelope in the end! 🙂
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Thanks Jan, never got to that part of the wall you showed me but found a pretty good bit in the end.
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Hey Ben,
We met just outside UB. My friend and I were finishing off our tour, and I gave you my spare tire. Just wanted to say hello, let you know that I’ve been exploring your site, and that you’ve got another ardent follower thinking about you and wishing you the best. Your tweet suggests that Mongolia was difficult — tell me about it! Not the best roads, eh? And the food? Mongolia’s beauty lies in aspects other than the culinary. I hope Russia’s treating you a bit better, and I look forward to hearing about it. See you down the road,
Matt
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Hey Matt, thanks for the tire. It’s still going strong. glad you wrote as I lost your emails with the phrase book ben gave me after it was potholed off my bike. Those bloody roads (and the food) were awful, and the westerly headwind was a killer. I was cycling, walking and pushing 10 hrs every day and averaging 60 km. Fantastic scenery though! Now on a similarly arduous run to Moscow. Real roads of course but a much greater distance to travel.
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Earth Odyssey Expedition 
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