Raymond Lee had been traveling the world by bicycle for two years when COVID-19 erupted and he suddenly found himself stranded in the West African nation of Guinea.
After cycling through Europe and then across the Sahara, the 33-year-old South Korean was in Guinea, heading south, when the government shut the borders in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
“When I was in Guinea, this thing became really serious,” said Lee, a former flight attendant.
He was repeatedly turned away from hotels in the capital, Conakry, in what Lee described as a prejudiced reaction to the pandemic.
“They didn’t let me in because I am Asian,” he said by telephone, explaining that he was turned away from seven or eight hotels.
“It was pretty messed up,” he added. “I personally never experienced any racism in my entire life — this is the first time.”
Lee began asking around on the street for a place to stay — only to be swindled by a man who agreed to host him for US$55 per month, but who vanished with the money.
With nowhere to stay and living off savings, he found a room in an upmarket hotel that he could not afford for long.
After a plea on Facebook, somebody eventually put Lee in touch with a guesthouse that agreed to take him, and where he estimates he might have to stay for months.
Lee said that Conakry is full of good people and that far worse could have befallen him during his round-the-world odyssey.
“I wasn’t shocked,” Lee said.
“We expect so many unexpected things,” he added, referring to nomads such as himself who pedal around the world.
His predicament is preferable to a traffic accident or serious illness, he said, both of which are real possibilities when on the road.
Lee started his journey in New Zealand in March 2018 — where he started a YouTube video diary — before flying to Australia to work and save money, and then on to Europe.
“Bike traveling is the best way to travel the whole world,” he said, explaining that he could stop whenever and wherever he liked.
After struggling over mountains in Italy and Spain, Lee cycled into Morocco and then into the vast desert, where, despite harsh conditions, the cycling was smooth.
“In the middle of the desert it was nothing but endless horizon for days, weeks, months,” he said.
Lee is whiling away his days at his Conakry guesthouse, but when the restrictions are lifted, he plans to continue to Ivory Coast.
“I just want to go to as many countries as I can,” Lee said. “I’ve been traveling for two years and I don’t think that is enough.”
ROLLER COASTER: Shortly after winning the men’s 50m backstroke, Justin Ress was disqualified, but after accepting his loss, officials, in a rare move, overturned the call Canadian 15-year-old Summer McIntosh on Saturday won another gold medal and Italy pipped the US to the men’s 4x100m medley relay title on the last night of racing at the FINA World Championships. The US women clinched the country’s record 45th medal of the week by winning their 4x100m medley final. Regan Smith, Lilly King, Torri Huske and Claire Curzan were 0.47 seconds ahead of Australia and 1.23 ahead of Canada. “Yeah, I’m pretty tired,” Huske said after her sixth medal in a busy week. Canadian swimmers finished with 11 medals for their most successful worlds. Veteran Gregorio Paltrinieri also won a thrilling men’s
Tai Tzu-ying yesterday was Taiwan’s final hope at the Petronas Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, advancing to quarter-finals of the women’s singles with a decisive win over Kristin Kuuba of Estonia. The world No. 2 and second-seeded Tai crushed world No. 51 Kuuba 21-11, 21-9 in their second-round match, which lasted about 30 minutes, at the Super 750 tournament at the Axiata Arena. In the opener, Tai shot ahead 11-8 at the mid-game interval, with Kuuba starved after the break, scoring one point as the Taiwanese hit five consecutive winners to bound to 16-9. Kuuba rallied to gain two more points, but Tai
Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin on Saturday broke her own world record in the 400m hurdles at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. McLaughlin flashed a broad smile when her time was announced, then gave a thumbs-up. She crossed the finish line at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in 51.41 seconds, breaking her own record of 51.46 set last year at the Tokyo Games, where she won the gold medal. “I mean it’s Track Town USA, what do you expect?” she said afterward. “Every time I come here I can just feel something amazing is going to happen.” Asked how she was
Novak Djokovic on Monday became the first player to win 80 matches at all four Grand Slams as he made a successful start to his Wimbledon title defense, while teenage star Carlos Alcaraz battled over five sets to make the second round. Six-time champion and top seed Djokovic saw off South Korea’s Kwon Soo-woo 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, but the 20-time Grand Slam winner was made to work after falling a break down in the opening two sets against his 81st-ranked opponent. “Now we have got to 80 wins, let’s get to 100,” Djokovic said. Djokovic, 35, is attempting to win a
RSS