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US couple visit Indonesia after traveling to 41 countries by motorcycle
Married couple Mike Mills and Shannon Mills are currently visiting Indonesia after having traveled to 41 countries by motorcycle since 2014.
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Married couple Mike Mills and Shannon Mills are currently visiting Indonesia after having traveled to 41 countries by motorcycle since 2014. (Suzuki Indonesia/File)
M
arried couple Mike Mills and Shannon Mills are currently visiting Indonesia after having traveled to 41 countries by motorcycle since 2014.
They arrived in Belawan, North Sumatra, in early April. The couple then continued to Banda Aceh and Weh Island before traveling south, driving along the shores of Sumatra toward Bandar Lampung and crossing the Sunda Strait to Tanjung Priok harbor.
Mike drives a 2009 Suzuki DR650 while Shannon drives a 1996 Suzuki DR650. They began the journey from their home in Seattle, Washington, United States, in September 2014, traveling to various regions in the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia. Among the countries they have visited include Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, France, Spain, Austria, Romania, Turkey, India and Thailand. In total, they have traveled approximately 81,859 kilometers.
The couple have a mission to promote humanity and friendliness. They want to prove that unlike what may be reported in the news, all people from all countries are equally kind, despite different cultural approaches. The Mills couple also wanted to conquer their own fears to prove that ordinary people can travel the world using their own money, Antara reported.
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"We can walk out of our door, drive the motorcycles and become Christopher Colombus, National Geographic and Sir Ernest Shackleton. Life is limited and precious. We couldn't accept the fact that we didn't make full use of our dreams when the chance appeared to us by itself," said Shannon.
When asked the reason why they decided to use their current vehicles, Mike said that it was because the type of motorcycle was durable. "They are strong, reliable and easy to take care of. If I can restart this journey, I will choose to use the same motorcycle," he said.
Following their visit to Jakarta, the couple plan to visit Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, to attend the first Horizons Unlimited Indonesia Travelers Meeting from May 18-22, an event held by Jeffrey Polnaja, the first Indonesian man who traveled the world by motorcycle over the course of seven years. Mike and Shannon are scheduled to attend the show as guest speakers, as well as screen a film about their journey in Latin America. After the meeting, they plan to return to Jakarta and continue their journey to Bali before traveling by sea to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (mas/asw)
