Meet Rene Ouellet

The 53-year-old is into the third year of his trip around the world—by bicycle! Having cycled some 40,000 kilometres, Rene reached the approximate halfway point of his trip in Finland.

He started his 2003 season on April 11 in Belgium, where he had spent the winter with a friend. Rene's destination was Nordkapp; he arrived there on May 25. From there he headed south into Sweden and Finland amidst the rain and snow!

Rene contacted me from the Canadian Embassy in Helsinki on June 17. He decided to take an extended break in Helsinki, get stocked up and repair his bike. I met with him the following week, and here is his story.

Background

"My hometown is so small that no one knows where it is, so I just say I am from Quebec," he claims. But really, Rene is from Matane, just east of Quebec City.

A few years ago Rene left his job, sold his car and lived modestly before heading out on what many would say is the adventure of a lifetime. He funds his trip by working at jobs wherever he can. He did, however, have a sponsor that he picked up in Panama, but the agreement unfortunately ended earlier this year when the company folded. So Rene said he would make do with what he has and take odd jobs where he can get them.

He said that you cannot really plan for a trip like this. Having a sense of adventure is a must, while at the same time it is important to be flexible.

Highlights

Rene has been on the road for three years. The last time he was home in Canada was in 2002; he was there for ten days. You have to wonder how he has made it this far?

Rene looks at his journey as a learning experience, everything from the food he eats to the jobs he takes to keep himself going to the next destination. For example, he took a job in Costa Rica and was paid 80 cents per hour! He said it was a good experience to see what it was like. In Nicaragua, $300-400 (U.S.) per year is considered a good salary. In Ethiopia, he was shocked when he heard that a housemaid makes just $20 (U.S.) per month.

During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, he had the good fortune of running into a Canadian man when he was in South Africa. The man invited him to his home and Rene watched the men's ice hockey final live. He was so excited and proud: it was a great moment to be a Canadian because the Canadians won the gold medal.

While in South Africa, he also took part in one of the world's biggest bike races, a 109-km trip with over 35,000 cyclists. He said that dehydration was a real problem. "Two people even died," he exclaimed. But the experience was fantastic because, prior to the race, a TV station interviewed him, which made him "famous" during the race. He said he would love to go back to South Africa and take part in that race with a group.

Rene has learned a lot about history and politics during his journey. He avoids tourist areas because he insists that the best place to learn is not in the middle of a tourist trap, but around someone's kitchen table.

Burning questions

Does his family worry? "Oh, sure they do," Rene says. "My mother is particularly worried about me, but she is just being a mother, right?" They maintain contact via e-mail. Rene also has an adult son, who worries a lot as well. He does his best to keep them posted on where he is and how he is doing, but he says that it is hard to find a computer in the middle of a desert! He may go a month or more without being able to communicate how he is doing, but he does his best.

Would he do it all again? "Yes, I would," he says, " but I would do it on a scooter and I would not go alone the next time." He maintains that being alone for most of his journey has not been a problem. "You can learn a lot about yourself when you are alone."

The toughest country? Ethiopia. He said that the kids begged a lot and they were very aggressive. "They threw rocks at me." He was attacked in Addis Ababa. He has a good attitude towards this experience and calls it part of the trip. "You have to have a strong mind to do a trip like this," he insists. "It is food for the mind."

Has he been injury-free the whole time? "No." He has had minor injuries and illnesses, but nothing that stops him from travelling. He said he got poison ivy in the U.S., and burned his hand in Tanzania; then there was the previously mentioned attack in Addis Ababa. "It is all part of the trip!" He says that he will probably not travel in Russia because it is too complicated. He will only go there as a last resort if he is not able to get through India and Pakistan, but he does not foresee a problem with this.

Language barriers? "Oh yes, sometimes, but it is not usually a problem. This is also a part of the trip." He said he spent so much time in Latin and South America that he learned Spanish and this has been a great asset for him. He said that being in Africa was quite easy because most people speak English or French. One of his goals, however, is to learn Chinese!

If he could return to a place, where would he go? "I would love to go back to the Atacama Desert [north of Santiago] in Chile."

On Finland

Rene took his first ever sauna in Oulu, when he was staying with a Canadian family. He said he never likes to impose on people and is quite content to stay in his tent in people's yards, as he did in Oulu. He says that many things for him are new and he enjoys this very much.

He said that Finland looks like Canada and that Finnish people are very shy; you have to ask or press for answers! On the road, however, Finns are "by the law". Rene feels that Finland is a safe and quiet country. (He hasn't seen Finnish hockey fans!)

Where is he now?

When Rene left Helsinki on June 25, he was headed for Iran and India via Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Turkey.

He said he couldn't be sure that he would travel through all of these countries on his way to Turkey, but that it was part of the plan. In mid-July I received an e-mail from him; he was in Slovakia already. He expected that once he got to Turkey, he would have to wait two to three weeks for his visa to Iran. He hopes to go through Pakistan, but if it is not possible, he hopes to take a boat from Iran to India. The last time I heard from him—in August—he was in Istanbul, Turkey. He said that Istanbul was nice, but "crazy by bike!"

His upcoming travel plans include Iran, India, Nepal, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. In his own estimate, he believes this could take between two and three years.

When it is all over, he plans to write a book. It is a shame, however, that no one has been able to follow Rene's journey from the beginning; for example, on the Internet. A lack of resources for such a thing has meant that a recorded history of his experiences appears only in his journal. Thankfully, he has a great memory—he says he can tell stories for hours. And after spending just a few short hours with him back in June, I believe him!

By Carmen Boudreau-Kiviaho