Preparations for the trip

How it all began

Even as a boy, I was enthusiastic about geography books, movies about faraway countries and model airplanes. It was during this time that I met my friend Rolf. We discovered judo together and shared a fascination for Japan - later we also set off on our big trip together.

The years passed and my friend Rolf and I had gone our separate ways for a while. Until we ran into each other again by chance on a foggy fall day in a square in Biel. The warm welcome, the joy of seeing each other again - and I immediately say: "Do you remember how we used to fantasize about big trips when we were kids and young lads?"

I then simply said: "Now is the time. If you're still interested, we should sit down and see if we can get something going together - or if the desire is simply gone."

We met up again a few days later. The topic quickly became clear: Japan. "Well, how are we going to get there? Maybe with our own vehicle?" But I had already heard from friends that such long and far journeys by car or motorcycle are really complicated in some countries - especially because of the bureaucracy.

We then came to an agreement: First check the flight prices Switzerland-Japan. Don't forget: That was in the seventies. No internet, no online booking, no cell phone, no fax - none of that.

So I went into a travel agency and asked about the price. The guy quotes me a sum of a few thousand francs. I tell him honestly: "That's not possible for me." I wanted to get out again, I already had the door in my hand...

The man called out to me:

"Why don't you take the train?"

At first I thought he must be joking. He asked me to sit down again and explained to me about the Trans-Siberian Express. The price was suddenly within my budget. I met with Rolf, told him everything, and we agreed on an approximate departure date.

Then we got the visa for the Soviet Union. Back then, you had to specify exactly where you wanted to stop when you applied for a visa. You couldn't change anything on the way. After a few days, we got our visas from the Soviet embassy in Bern. There was no stamp in the passport, but a three-part Lea Flet. That way you couldn't prove to anyone that you had even been in the Soviet Union. The first part was torn off by the customs officer in Brest, the second on arrival in Moscow and the third on leaving in Nakhodka (Vladivostok was closed to foreigners at the time).

The travel agency employee who had prepared everything for us gave us a free book. It was called "TIM" and contained all the countries in the world with information on entry, visas, vaccinations and so on. A great gift!

Departure - date set

We gave up our apartment and job, sold our car, gave away some furniture and deregistered from the military. Once we knew which vaccinations were required for the various countries, we got vaccinated in Biel and at the Tropical Institute in Basel.

I said goodbye to my family and friends.

We boarded the train to Zurich in Biel-Bienne and changed there to Vienna. In Vienna we changed stations for the train that took us via Hungary and Poland to Warsaw and on to the border post in Brest (now Belarus). There a Soviet customs officer confiscated our reading material - Stern and Quick. Then we went on to Moscow. We were met at the station by an Intourist representative and taken to our hotel. The next day, a tour guide who spoke perfect German picked us up for a tour of the city. Only foreigners were accommodated in the Hotel Metropol.

I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all the people I have met on this journey in the many countries of the world who have been warm, friendly and loving. This journey would not have been the same without them.

Our equipment before we went on the trip

I had:

1 backpack with metal frame
1 sleeping bag
lots of underpants, shirts and sweaters
Sneakers
and from an American army outlet: heavy leather boots
an old bread sack from the army

I carried my Minolta camera and the slides in this bread sack. I don't think anyone thought I had my camera in the bread sack of all things. There was also my passport, vaccination card, a world map and a few small items. Plus the book "TIM" that the travel agency had given me.

The contents of my rucksack became less and less

My rucksack got smaller and thinner during the trip because I had packed far too much at the beginning. I swapped a lot of things along the way or simply gave them away.

Among them was: