Today we offer up an interview with Tulku who travels around the world by BIKE. This is a first for us so please enjoy this insightful inter-view. You can find their info on facebook or on their crowdfund page.Please offer up a short blurb about who you are? Age? Who else is in your family? I am Tulku - almost 8 years old west highland white terrier. I live and travel together with my humans Kira and Sven. My latest adventure is 25.000 kilometers by bicycle from the southermost point of South America to the northermost point of North America. Last year I became blind and had 3 surgeries in Colombia to fix my legs, but that didn't stop me from loving traveling and exploring new things!
Tell us a little bit about where you have traveled with your family. Have you traveled internationally? Within the US?
I started traveling from the first day I met Kira, my human. At first, we were traveling in my home country Lithuania. On my first birthday, I took my first international trip and haven't stopped traveling ever since. I traveled more than 100.000 kilometers in Europe, Asia, South America and now North America. 2 years ago Sven joined us and I started my latest adventure: taking a front row seat while my humans cycle from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina to Alaska, USA. Cycling touring is not the only way I've traveled. I also tried hitchhiking, buses, trains, planes, boats, ferrys, cars. You name it - I've tried that!
What is your favorite place to travel? Do you like hiking the mountains? Running on the beach?
Yes! All of that! My two favourites are snow and mountains. Running on the snowy mountain top is the best! Besides that I love sand. I found that deserts are the best sand pits one can find. I love beaches too, but I'm not keen on open water. Despite that, when my humans took me to a week long trip on the sailing boat where we crossed open water for days, I had a blast! My seasick humans could not keep up with me exploring the boat. I like big cities too, all those different smells keep my nose busy. I especially loved chasing pigeons in Venice, Italy through the crowds of tourists and meeting cows in Mumbai, India. Cow in the city center, how cool is that? When you're traveling do you camp? Stay at hotels? Rent houses?
Yes, all of that and even more: camping, hammocking, couchsurfing, warmshowering, being invited to private homes of random strangers. Also: hotels, hostels, motels, love hotels, police stations, fire stations. Oh, I even stayed in a five stars hotel once! It had a llama in it's private garden. Yet mostly it's either camping or cheap zero starts hotels. I don't care much, my home is where Kira is and my bed is always Sven's pillow. Fancy and fluffy or skimpy and rag-like, as long as I can pull some of Sven's hair overnight - I'm happy!
Do you have a hard time finding good quality food and water on the road?
In some countries - yes. My humans usually buy 3 kg bag of dog food "Proplan" and carry it on their bikes for me. So nice of them! And yet in some places it's not enough and I end up eating human food until good quality dog food can be foung again. I love human food! My favourites are fruit and vegetables. Sadly for me, good dog food is available in most of the places we visit. It's easier with water, I drink same water that my humans drink. Lately I have a problem with water though: we cycle in hot blazing sun for hours and all the water gets warm. Yuck, I'm not drinking that! I'd rather drink some cold coconut water. Have you had any problems with other dogs, either playing at dog parks, or street dogs when traveling?
I'm not very fond to other dogs. I am a perfect guard dog and take my duties very seriously. Stray dogs notice that and don't even dare to look at me when I'm sitting in my basket high up on the front wheel. And yet I was bitten by two different dogs on two different occasions and had a total of 3 additional holes in my body. It was a pain in the ass, literally! What don't you like about traveling? A different bed? Strange water?
For me traveling is very natural. I started traveling on my first birthday and haven't stopped ever since. I don't know any other - non traveling - way of life. I don't like being left behind, even if it's for a second!
Thanks Tulku and happy tails!
Aspen & Porter