For over the three months alone the sixty-year old Uzbek bicyclist traveled almost three thousand kilometers. The craftsman Akram Marufjonov from Marghilan, the town in southeast of Uzbekistan, has been traveling for forty years now, according to the Pravda Vostoka national newspaper.

Equipped with a small backpack and sleeping bag he has been to the cities of the Ferghana Valley, also known as the “golden valley”. Via the mountain pass of Kamchik has not once been to Tashkent, Termez, Samarkand, Bukhara and Karshi, the newspaper wrote.

At all times he has a bicycle with him – whether he may hit a road to the local market, to see his relatives, wedding parties, to the mosque and local chaikhana – Oriental teahouse.

Many automobilists know very well the traveling old man, who is known to accurately bicycling along the major highways – they respectfully salute him.

Three years ago Akram Marufjonov set a record – he has reached Berlin, while launching his voyage from his native town of Marghilan. The mission of the trip was to propagate a healthy lifestyle. The finish has been timed to official opening ceremony of the football Mundial. He wanted to have German national team’s goalkeeper Oliver Kahn’s autograph.

For over the three months he has experienced a range of difficulties. He used to spend the entire daylight on the road; addressed problems of housing or stay in various ways – stayed at hotels or private houses. Sometimes he just used to place a tent in the open air.

In Russia, Belarus and Germany the Uzbek traveler has always felt the support of good men. He has marked the Remembrance and Honors Day – traditionally marked on May 9 each year – in the city of Brest.

Marufjonov has also experienced some surprising and unexpected situations on the road. For example, when he went in to the Polish roadside café to have a dinner the unknown guy had stolen his bicycle, which had been left to stay outside. That has caused everyone’s indignation. After an hour or less, the local police had returned the bicycle to the traveler – safe and sound.

At first the goalkeeper of the German national football team and Bavaria of Munich Oliver Kahn did not believe and was surprised that the Uzbek fan came to him by traveling over so long distances by a simple bicycle.

The Uzbek traveler received the longed-for autograph and presented souvenirs to the famous German keeper. The old man became an honorable spectator of the Mundial. They still keep friendly ties. In 2008 Marufjonov was invited to the farewell match of Oliver Kahn.

That was the second long-distance travel of the Uzbek handicraftsman from the town of Marghilan. In 1995 he made a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy destination of Muslims throughout the globe.

Now he has been planning to go on a third tour. In the beginning of the next year he is going to hit the road to South Africa – the country, which will host the next football Mundial.

Ikboljon Soliev for the Information Agency “Jahon” in English

Print version | Send to friend | read 876 times