{"id":279945,"date":"2025-11-13T07:53:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T07:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/279945\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T07:53:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T07:53:18","slug":"german-couple-pedals-8000-km-to-busan-discovering-humanity-one-country-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/279945\/","title":{"rendered":"German couple pedals 8,000 km to Busan, discovering humanity one country at a time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philipp Springsguth and Maria West say traveling world taught them ‘just how connected everything really is’<\/p>\n

When Philipp Springsguth and Maria West set out from their home in Saxony, Germany, in March, they packed lightly but purposefully: five water bottles, two bikes, a tent and the conviction that they could do anything.<\/p>\n

Eight months and 8,000 kilometers later, the German couple arrived in Busan after cycling through 16 countries, passing through stunning landscapes, including arid plains of Kazakhstan, desert dunes of Afghanistan and bustling cities of China. Speaking to The Korea Herald shortly after their arrival, neither showed a trace of fatigue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will not be the same people moving forward,\u201d said Springsguth, 26, who left his job in Germany\u2019s chemical industry to travel the world. \u201cYou start to realize how small the world really is. South Korea, China, Afghanistan \u2014 they all feel far away when you live in Europe. You just don\u2019t realize just how connected everything really is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Philipp Philipp Springsguth and Maria West pose for a photo during their journey through Tajikistan. (Springsguth and West) <\/p>\n

Both in their late 20s, Springsguth and West met in 2019 through West\u2019s brother, also an avid cyclist.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was cycling a lot with my brother, always hanging out near my place,\u201d recalled West, 28, a baker. \u201cI thought he was cute. So, I took my chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

They soon discovered a shared dream of seeing the world and decided there was no better time. \u201cWe independently thought about doing this trip because we both like learning new cultures,\u201d said Springsguth. \u201cAnd we chose the bike because it allows us to better connect with people we meet across our trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

They spent 10 months saving and researching logistics, gear and routes, even practicing with a 250-kilometer ride through the Czech Republic. What began as a hobby evolved into an experiment in minimal living \u2014 to travel sustainably, rely on strangers and live only on what they could carry.<\/p>\n

\"Philipp Philipp Springsguth (front left) and Maria West (front right) pose for a photo with family and friends in Germany in March, before they set out on their bike world tour. (Springsguth and West) <\/p>\n

On March 23, Springsguth and West met family and friends at a local neighborhood bakery to say their goodbyes. They enjoyed a meal and rode together for a whole day.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Springsguth’s) grandfather downloaded Instagram just to see our journey,\u201d West said with a laugh. \u201cWe are not homesick, but we do miss our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across continents, one pedal at a time<\/p>\n

Their route traced rivers, deserts and ancient cities: across the Danube in Hungary, the Black Sea coast of Georgia and the Silk Road towns of Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n

They also had their fair share of challenges. Bumpy roads and sleeping on the floor became new norms. West was bitten twice by dogs in Central Asia, and struggled to locate a rabies vaccine. She had to cover up and wear long sleeves in the heat when traveling through predominantly Muslim countries.<\/p>\n

“The heat,” West answered briefly with a grin when asked about the most difficult part of their trip.<\/p>\n

In Afghanistan, they were invited into the home of locals after a long day of cycling. \u201cA local studying English saw that we were tired cycling in the streets and asked if we wanted to stay at his place,\u201d West said.<\/p>\n

\"Philipp Philipp Springsguth (second from right) and Maria West (right) pose for a photo with locals in Afghanistan. (Springsguth and West) <\/p>\n

At their home, she and Springsguth dined separately. He with the men, she with the women. \u201cIt was such a nice experience, because in day-to-day life in Afghanistan, you don\u2019t come into contact with many women,\u201d West said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t speak a word of English, so we had to speak with our hands and feet, but they were welcoming and it was very heartwarming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Springsguth said the journey across Central Asia \u201cwas most memorable because it was so different to our lives in Europe.\u201d He recalled meeting an Afghan driver who once worked for the government before the Taliban takeover and had been repatriated after trying to flee. \u201cHe told us he still wanted to leave in search for a better life, but felt lost,\u201d Springsguth added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were young, we always heard about what happened there. But being there in person, seeing the people, learning what they had to go through and had to witness, those are things that we are still processing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Philipp Philipp Springsguth disembarks from a ship at Incheon Port on Sept. 27, as he arrives in South Korea. (Springsguth and West) <\/p>\n

After entering China, their original plan was to head toward Southeast Asia and end their Asian journey in Singapore. But a friend\u2019s recommendation convinced them to spontaneously add South Korea to the route \u2014 a decision that took them even farther from home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing I knew about Korea before this trip was Samsung,\u201d Springsguth said with a laugh. \u201cWe think Europe is advanced sometimes, but the infrastructure, especially the bicycle infrastructure in Korea, is so advanced.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they arrived in Incheon, they were stunned by what they saw. \u201cIt\u2019s heaven,\u201d West said, smiling. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know cycling would be such a big thing here.\u201d<\/p>\n

From riverside bike paths to free public toilets and late-night convenience stores, the couple called Korea\u2019s cycling system \u201cthe best we\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in the cities, there are roundabouts for bicycles! I\u2019ve never seen anything like that,\u201d Springsguth said.<\/p>\n

\"Philipp Philipp Springsguth approaches a roundabout for bikes along the Han River in Songpa-gu, Seoul. (Springsguth and West) <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I will remember the most when I leave South Korea are the people,\u201d said Springsguth. \u201cSouth Koreans are always so happy and energetic. Even the old people are always smiling and doing sports outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

West added, \u201cThey always greet us when we pass by on our bikes. They seem happy to see foreigners, especially bicycle travelers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple paused their journey for a reunion with West\u2019s visiting family, exploring Seoul, Sokcho in Gangwon Province and Busan together. \u201cIt was amazing to get a glimpse of Korea\u2019s rich history while doing a templestay program,\u201d West said. Her favorite city, she added, was Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. \u201cThe cities in Korea are very busy, but also quiet, sorted and have cute signs and lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Maria Maria West (left) and Philipp Springsguth (second from left) pose with Maria’s family during a templestay at Naesosa in Buan, North Jeolla Province. (Springsguth and West) <\/p>\n

The trip, they said, deepened their relationship, both with each other and with the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are both stubborn people. But we realized we make a great team,\u201d said West. \u201cPhilipp is more fit than I am. Sometimes I can only ride 70 kilometers and Philipp wants to go further. But we figured out a common ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also became more aware of their privilege. \u201cWe realized we were privileged to have the German passport, allowing us to travel to most places,\u201d said West.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been taking our home and our health for granted,\u201d added Springsguth. \u201cWhen I go back to Germany, I want to give to more people, maybe give our home as a space to bikers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to do something, just start,\u201d said West. \u201cOpportunities don\u2019t come knocking on your door saying, \u2018hey, the time is now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother key takeaway is that if you need help, just ask. People are more willing to help than you usually realize,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Springsguth nodded. \u201cGetting to know other cultures also lets us appreciate home,\u201d he said. \u201cI always wanted to leave Germany to experience the bigger world, but I realized I have been taking our home and our health for granted. But at the same time, I feel at home, wherever I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple will end their six-week stay in Korea and take the ferry from Busan to Fukuoka on Friday, continuing their journey along Japan\u2019s east coast. From there, they plan to cycle through Taiwan, mainland China, Southeast Asia and eventually across the Americas.<\/p>\n

For followers of their YouTube channel, their videos offer a quiet antidote to a world obsessed with speed. It acts as a reminder of endurance, empathy and the beauty of slowness.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about learning to understand other people,\u201d Maria said. \u201cSome in Germany don\u2019t really know about Korea or what is going on in other places of the world. But, I think we can now better understand the different people because we have gotten a glimpse of different countries and people, though we stay only for a few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

seungku99@heraldcorp.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Philipp Springsguth and Maria West say traveling world taught them ‘just how connected everything really is’ When Philipp…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":279946,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[10068,49,48,635,10069,10065,10064,10070,10066,10067,82,10063,10072,10073,10071],"class_list":["post-279945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-asia-news","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-k-pop","tag-koreaherald","tag-korean-news","tag-kpop","tag-south-korea-news","tag-south-korea-news-in-english","tag-sports","tag-the-korea-herald","tag-10072","tag-10073","tag-10071"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/279946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}