Globetrotting cyclist Mohamed Ashrafuz Zaman dropped by Al-Ahram Weekly, and the paper promptly put Gamal Nkrumah on his trail Mohamed Ashrafuz Zaman, secretary-general of Globetrotter Club International, has devoted his life to drug abuse prevention. His aim is to take his anti-drug campaign to the furthest reaches of the globe -- by bike. Zaman's accounts of his travels are enthralling, but his single-minded determination to campaign for prevention of drug abuse is simply mind- boggling. Zaman, who describes himself as a free spirit, is a 30-year-old Bangladesh-born photojournalist who was moved to take action when he discovered that the illicit use of narcotics among the youth is not just a Bangladeshi problem, but a global one. "Travel is knowledge, knowledge is power," Zaman says philosophically. He set out on a bicycle on 11 January 1997 to travel the world, and has never looked back. There are over 3,000 members in Bangladesh's Young Tourist Club (YTC), an organisation he heads. Though Zaman's travels have taken him to four continents, the beginning of his journey was anything but encouraging. That he has ventured so far and intends to take in many other vistas is testament to his extraordinary will. Laid low by a bout of measles contracted in India soon after embarking on his global journey, Zaman was determined to press on with his mission. A mere three months after he came down with the dreaded disease -- and against the advice of his doctors -- he was back on the road. From India, he wanted to carry on through Pakistan. However, Islamabad would not issue him a visa. Unperturbed, he flew over Pakistan to Iran and from there on to Turkey and Europe. "Travellers of Third World countries have to face mistrust and harassment while travellers of rich and developed countries get special treatment," lamented Zaman. Undaunted, he is determined to show that a "Third World globetrotter" can make his way around the world. To date, Zaman has visited 43 countries in six years. "To travel around the world is to learn something new about people with different cultural, linguistic, racial and religious backgrounds. To meet people, to respect people and to make friends with the people you meet helps in fostering a climate of peace among the peoples of the world," Zaman told Al-Ahram Weekly. Zaman believes people around the world are essentially the same. "We are all human and we share a great deal in common. I am especially concerned about the global problem of narcotics, which is devastating many lives and especially the youth." But it wasn't only Zaman's observations of social problems that inspired him to take up his quest, a number of books influenced him as well. Around the World with a Bike by Heinz Stucke, helped set the parameters of his journey, while an account of the travel experiences of two Indians -- Bimal Dev and Bimal Mukherjee -- helped drive home the point that citizens of a Third World country can go beyond merely dreaming of such a voyage. Around the World in 79 Days by Cam Lewis and Michael Levit and Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin galvanised Zaman to action. It takes more than dreams though, to embark on such an ambitious project. Stores of determination and support from generous sponsors -- most notably by France's Alliance Française, the Goethe Institute of Germany and the Iranian Cultural Centre -- were key to putting Zaman and his bike on the road. Zaman came to Egypt a week ago as part of a tour of the Middle East and Africa. From Egypt, he is off to Cyprus, and from there to Britain, Ireland and continental Europe. He intends to travel in Europe for two months before returning to Bangladesh. At the end of the year, Zaman will take to the road again, this time headed for the south Pacific. He plans to visit Australia and New Zealand and then sample some of the smaller and more remote Pacific islands like Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Tahiti, French Polynesia, before moving to south-east Asia. Africa and the Middle East have proven difficult terrain for Zaman. "Kenya wasn't safe," Zaman complains. "Bureaucratic procedures are very slow. Everything moves very slowly," he added. In spite of those obstacles, Zaman's African tour has given him much food for thought. He comes from a poor country himself, but in Africa he was constantly reminded of the continent's agricultural potential and mineral wealth and the irony that a majority of its people are desperately poor. "Ethiopia is very poor and people are begging everywhere. Africa is very big and rich in resources, but the people are very poor." On his wanderings Zaman has put contacts with officials second to those with average citizens. "We do not deal with governments, we only deal with people," he explains. But, Zaman is not opposed to soliciting official support to further his anti-drug campaign. "We met with the Ugandan sports minister, and in Sudan top officials were very approachable. That was not the case in some of the other countries we visited," he told the Weekly. Zaman says that he has had some memorable experiences in Africa. "The Sudanese people are very hospitable. Sudan is safe and the people are friendly. Everyone wanted to talk to us and we enjoy talking to people, that's how we get to know a country," he explained of the outlook he shares with those accompanying him on his journey. Who have been the friendliest people? Zaman points to Iranians, Sudanese and South Koreans as being particularly warm. "Egyptians are welcoming, but in a different way. Some are friendly because of commercial reasons. They want to sell you something or do business with you, otherwise, they are merely curious." Zaman regrets that he doesn't often feel that he can talk to women in Islamic countries freely. "In Egypt, as in many other Muslim countries, I can't chat with girls. That's not very good, because it means that half of the population is out of bounds for me." Food and drink are always a grave concern for world travellers on a shoestring budget. Health concerns and especially gastric problems can be a terrible hazard in impoverished developing countries. Zaman is not adventurous as far as food is concerned, approaching his diet with considerable caution. "All ailments and ill-health starts with the tummy." His theory concurs with an Egyptian saying, Al-ma'ida beit al-daa, the stomach is the home of all illnesses. "We also like to sample the food of the different countries we visit, but we are careful what we eat," Zaman says. "We like the food in Egypt, but it is very fattening food -- lots of starch and carbohydrates," he complains, referring to popular dishes like kushari -- a mix of rice, pasta, lentils and chickpeas topped with fried onions and a garlicky and hot tomato sauce. But he was pleasantly surprised by the relative abundance of foodstuffs in the country. "Food in Egypt is plentiful and cheap," he said. Zaman is also careful about the water he drinks. In order to avoid dehydration, he drinks gallons of water when on the move. "In Africa and Asia I only drink bottled or boiled water. In Europe and North America I am less fussy about the water I drink." Learning about the habits and lifestyles of people around the world delights Zaman, who was fascinated by the fact that Cairenes do not go to bed early. "People stay up very late." He was surprised to see that during the hot summer months, downtown Cairo is at its most animated after midnight. Small wonder, then that he noticed "people go to work late. People get up late." Time and again, Zaman is reminded on his travels that countries are never quite the way they appear in the travel guides. "I had heard and read about Egypt since childhood. I read about the pyramids, the sphinx, Um Kalthoum, Naguib Mahfouz, belly-dancing." But actual life has been full of surprises, he says, mentioning the Egyptian boys who sell bread on bikes, cycling at breakneck speed in busy markets and braving the heavy traffic on the streets of Cairo. "They steer with one hand and hold the enormous wooden tray of bread with the other. I was amazed at how they balance the bread on their head and move with such effortless agility." Zaman travelled by boat to Egypt, entering the country from Wadi Halfa, Sudan. His first taste of Egypt was the Temple of Abu Simbel in the southern-most part of the country, Nubia. He then moved on to Aswan, Luxor and on to Cairo by train. "Public transport is very cheap relative to the other countries we've visited. Accommodation is also inexpensive. In Japan we paid $400 a week in accommodation. In sharp contrast, in Cairo we pay the equivalent one dollar a night in our hotel." Fundraising, working with youth organisations, giving lectures to young people who are drug users and raising awareness among young people about the dangers of drug abuse has been very rewarding for Zaman. Beyond spreading the word about a healthy lifestyle, Zaman puts considerable effort into keeping himself in tip top shape to be able to make the long cycling treks that have become his way of life. "To keep fit, I practice yoga and I drink plenty of water. When I go to bed, I sleep right away. I sleep like a log. The happiest people are those who can sleep right away. They don't think or read before they go to bed, they just drop off to sleep, that's healthy. That's healthiest." The God-fearing Zaman doesn't drink either. "I am a practicing Muslim, I don't touch alcohol. I don't take medicine either. I advise people not to take medicine," he says, although he concedes that he has never had a serious medical emergency. "Coughs, colds, fevers, exhaustion, but never something really serious." Zaman also has strong views about the values pervading societies around the world. "Young people I meet say that they want to be doctors, engineers, lawyers, pilots. Nobody wants to be a good and upright person. I wish more people just aspired to be good and upright people." Zaman is a photojournalist who values his photography as much as he does his writing. He says that he tries to capture the spirit of a country, or a place in a photograph. Using the medium of photography, he also tries to pass on the message that drugs ruin the lives of young people. "We only live once, I talk to students in schools and universities around the world and pass on my message that drugs are dangerous. I share my travel experiences as a writer and as a photographer. So many young lives throughout the world have been ruined by drugs ." Mohamed Ashrafuz Zaman would welcome comments from readers. His e-mail address is: [email protected]
