In a medical clinic this morning in Malacca, we got chatting to the receptionist, a cheerful lady in her 50s. She was a curious woman, far more interested in the rare sight of two tourists in her office than filling out forms.

Where were we from? Were we on holiday? Working? We let slip about the bicycles and instantly her mood went from curiosity to disbelief. “But you cycled… from Canada?”

We just smiled. For us, pedalling a few thousand kilometers seems normal – no more unique than the routine of making a coffee in the morning – and we’re always amused to see the wheels turn in the heads of people who aren’t bicycle tourists. They often can’t fathom travelling from the next nearest city by bike, let alone one or two continents away.

Despite this, and rather illogically, we are as fascinated as the receptionist by other people’s bike journeys. They always seem so much more exotic than our adventures.

One cyclist we’ve followed for a while is Peter Gostelow, drawn in by his stunning photographs and beautiful writing. We’ve swapped emails for the better part of a year, very nearly crossed paths in Syria and now we’ve learned that Peter’s launched his own website.

Take a look. Trust us, you’ll love it.