Who are we?

We're Sonya Spry and Aaldrik Mulder and we have been on the road ever since we sold all our belongings back in 2006 and decided that the world was ours. Since then, we've cycled through 47 countries on 5 continents; climbed plenty of 4000-metre passes but also ended up below sealevel in our quest to discover more of out wonderful planet.

Below is a short introduction about the two of us: what we've done before; where we grew up; how we met; what our backgrounds are; plus a list of the books we've been reading while we are travelling around the world. Maybe even a brief insight into what keeps us on the road, but certainly almost everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask...

As of June 2011, we are trying to replenish our bank account and have decided to take a sabbatical from cycling for a year. Sonya is going to teach English at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while Aaldrik will improve his web design business from St. Catherine, Egypt. The idea is, to get back together again at the end of July 2012 and start making new plans for the 2012-2017 period.

Well, at least that was the plan... During one of Sonya's visits to the Sinai in August 2012 Ali wasn't feeling too good and visited the doctor. One thing led to another and before he knew it, he was in As Salam International Hospital in Cairo at the end of the month. After a grueling 6 days of terrible treatment there, he decided to see if he could get himself to Holland. This didn't work out quite as planned, so instead he ended up in more hospitals in Hurghada and Cairo.
By this time he was accompanied by Sonya, who left her job in Saudi Arabia to be with her very sick husband. Together they managed to fly to the Netherlands and Ali got hospitalised in the OLVG hospital in Amsterdam on the 11th of September. He was only discharged after three weeks in isolation and a huge number of tests.
Although we don't have a clue where this all heading, Ali does have to go back to hospital and probably needs to undergo an extensive operation. We'll keep you up-to-date...

Sonya Jane Spry (Son)

Born the 8th of May 1964 in Perth, Western Australia. First child born to John and Averil. Following and in order were my two sisters Lisa and P. School began at Wembley Downs Primary until I was 7 (Grade 4) and then we went on an amazing holiday. The whole family, for just over 6 months. From Perth by boat to Singapore, then on to England by plane followed with extensive travel in a mini throughout the United Kingdom. From here we left and travelled back to Oz via the Panama Canal on a cruise ship. I still managed to pass my school year, thank goodness, after having missed half of it. Began piano and guitar lessons. The following school year moved to a new suburb and school: Deanmore Primary, as my parents decided to build a house in the infamous area of Scarborough. We lived 5 minutes from the beach and that was where I grew up. Salt, sand, dunes and lots of glorious sun.

Went on to Scarborough Senior High where I was first introduced to performing and art. I had an idea that I really should be following this desire but the okay grades in the scientific and mathematical areas coupled with an inbred lure of 'getting a good job that paid well' was always a nagging thought. Consequently, I applied for the more sensible Bachelor of Science Degree in Food and Nutrition and was accepted. Spent the next 3 years at Curtain University studying. Interesting enough, but definitely not "my scene" and the day after I found out I had graduated, plans were made for the following chapter.

Against the wishes of many, I left Perth one fine sunny day, 20 years old, hitched by roadtrain to the top of Western Australia: had no money, no job and didn't really know what i would do.

Ended up spending over a year and a half living in Derby (same road in same road out and population around 3000), working in the pubs, singing in a country and western band, acting in the theatre group "Similar Chook" and discovering the extreme beauty and magic that outback Australia possesses. Especially that of The Kimberley. This area is by far the most amazing of all the special places Oz has to offer and anyone who's bothered to set foot here will tell you the same! Here I met Andrew and we planned our fame and fortune as rock and roll stars in our band - initially called Emergency Numbers and later changed to Wall Street Crashes. We moved to Kapunda in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, home to famous Ozzie cattle ranger Sir Sidney Kidman, to find the rest of the members. Actually lived for a short while in his beautiful house and after nearly two years the band was complete: drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and saxaphone, and we were ready to hit the big time in Melbourne, Victoria. Well the next 6 years were spent rockin' and rollin' round Melbourne and generally having the times of our lives. Left the band after realising that I wasn't fulfilling whatever it was I wanted to do. Despite vowing that I would never leave the music industry, and apart from playing in a grunge band in Adelaide for a while, I have never gone back.

Returned to South Australia and lived in the capital, Adelaide, for a few years. Had my own dressmaking business along with working in restaurants. Decided it was time to seek inspiration away from the comfort of Australian shores. Went to the US to buy a mountain bike and camping gear for a cycle tour in Europe before taking up residency in London. Met Aaldrik in San Francisco in the Boomerang Bar and asked for his address in Holland. Landed in London and dumped the suitcase at a friends before embarking on the European tour. First port of call Amsterdam. Visited Aaldrik in Zevenaar. Went to my first Lowlands Concert (1994). Rest of the vacation ended quite quickly as the weather was NO FUN AT ALL! and money ran out quicker that I thought. After reaching Hamburg I returned to London. Time to get a job (easy), and a place to live (absolute nightmare). Began work with the American catering company ARAMARK. Got extremely lucky and met Dina through an advert in The Loot and moved into Willesden Green (NW2). Paid £50 per week for a room which was dirt cheap for London. Wrote to Aaldrik to return the wonderful hospitality he had shown in Holland. He visited that Christmas and well the rest of that saga, I'll leave up to your imagination except to say that most of 1995 whizzed by in a blur of airports, love, planes, long and late into the night telephone calls, romance and not to forget snooker. By September of that year Ali was living in London with me and in December we were married at the Westminster Register Office unde the watchful eye of a group of our closest friends. Life went on.

After a while the weather and the never ending drudge of working my butt off for little reward wore a bit thin and it was time to move on. It also seemed like a good idea to show Aaldrik what life in Australia was all about. Before arriving in Perth we took 3 months off to cycle from Bangkok to Singapore and although I didn't really know what had hit me at the time I am now a totally converted bike traveller. I have no inclination to do it any other way. So after a total relax in Asia we landed on my parents doorstep in Nov '96. Spent a few weeks getting the bearings and then the dreaded traintrip across the Nullabor to Adelaide. Spent a few months looking after a friends house and after alot of contemplation decided on taking a job in Cairns in Far North Queensland. Big undertaking . . . 4000km's with Bettie, the old Holden (1961 classic Australia Car, my closest friend besides Ali). Managed to catch up with friends along the way as well as waiting on repairs in several garages due to Bettie's untimely breakdowns. Finally made it and settled (well not really) for a year. I and I'm sure Ali agrees, certainly wouldn't have changed anything as the experience of living in such a paradise was incredibly special but the timing wasn't right for us and so after many plus and minus debates the decision was made to return to Europe. Here Ali would look for a job and I would have to tackle the first stumbling blocks of immigration . . . . learning a new language and then further study . . . . now I had a choice.

In 2004 I received my Fine Art degree at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (Art College) in Arnhem, The Netherlands. Alongside various art projects I also taught business English. And now? Well besides cycling through all sorts of wild and wonderful places, I'm writing and taking video that I hope will one day inspire you.

Aaldrik Harm Mulder (Ali)

Born: the 7th of September 1966, Claude Fonteijnestraat in Bolsward, the Netherlands. Primary school: from 1972 to 1978 De Blinker in Bolsward. High school: from 1978 to 1984 Jan Brugman College (renamed Marne College) in Bolsward.

Work: from 1985 to 1987 in a liquor factory (Sonnema Beerenburg) in Bolsward. Study: from 1987 to 1988 Journalism in Utrecht, lived briefly in Veenendaal, later Zevenaar. Work: from 1988 to 1989 as a mailman in Zevenaar, the Netherlands. From then to the end of 1992 as a store keeper, later assistant purchaser with Melles Griot in Zevenaar. Move to SnookerCentre Zevenaar and built up a succesful amusement centre.

Go on a holiday to the USA in 1994 and meet Sonya in San Francisco in the Boomerang Bar (now re-named to Milk Bar). Move in September 1995 to London, England to live with Son. Marry on December 23rd the same year. Work with several market research companies in Greater London, the longest at Research Europe in Acton. Decide to leave England and move Down Under, on our way there having a 3 months holiday in South East Asia. Cycle on our mountain bikes from Bangkok to Singapore and fall in love with Thailand.

Stay in Adelaide, South Australia, for three months before moving to Queensland. Move into a house with a pool in Machans Beach, Cairns. Work as a labourer / painter / tiler for about a year before deciding to go back to Europe. Have a further two-and-a-half months break in Thailand and Indonesia before returning to the Netherlands.

Stay with our friends in Zevenaar for several months before moving to Arnhem. Start work for Besam automatic doors in Ede as a sales person, at the end of 1998. Swap that, after about a year, for a bar job in SnookerCentre Zevenaar. Play snooker & pool, organise competitions and build websites. Check out our links page for our portfolio or visit our webdesign site: sonali.tk - justifiable web design

Love (not in any particular order): travel, food, snooker, pool, beer, cats, Son, sun, music, coffee, thinking, peanuts, shirts, Thailand, art, wine, vegetables, dreaming.

Countries visited so far (not just this trip):
The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Czech Republik, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Vatican City, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, FYR Macedonia, France, Monaco, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Burma (very briefly), Japan, South Korea, Canada, United States of America, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Still to come: All the other 136 (?) countries in the world...?

BOOKS WE'VE READ WHILE ON THE ROAD