Yves Kino, a notable French YouTuber from France, has been travelling across continents, cycling his way from one country to another.
Kino started his journey in France, through Europe, and then the Middle East. His most recent achievement is arriving in Kenya, a distance of approximately 9,521 kilometres by road.
Kino cycles an electric bicycle that was modified to have three wheels. Since he is in transit full-time, he uses YouTube as a source of income, financing his journey by posting regular video updates of his escapades.
“I used to have properties but I sold everything…investments are all managed from far away,” Kino narrated in an interview.
Filming the videos during his stops consumes a lot of time, hence delaying his arrival in Kenya by two years. It would have taken him 6 months to arrive in Kenya if he had cycled continuously.
Before embarking on his cycling adventure, Kino used to work as an engineer in Paris fifteen years ago.
“I was bored. I didn’t like what I was doing…and I saw some people were travelling the world on a bicycle…I thought that looks cool,” Kino disclosed in an interview with Nakuru Today.
The allure of a travelling lifestyle saw the French native embark on his first journey with a normal two-wheeled bicycle. However, he could not continue due to the long distances involved.
His interest in long-distance cycling was reignited three years ago after he tried an electric bicycle purchased by his mother.
One of the sacrifices he made was not starting a family, as he is always on the road and far away from home.
“I’m single. It’s a bit complicated to have a family with this kind of nomadic lifestyle.”
He plans to settle down with a partner who can adapt to his routine and unconventional way of life.
Kino, despite the challenges, has a profound love for what he does. His interest in experiencing new cultures across the countries he visits further motivates him.
“The challenge is to be able to assess the situation and assess the safety of the places you go.” He says that while en route, he relies on the advice of locals to navigate safely. In order to communicate with locals, he tries to learn a few phrases.
“When you want to travel like this you will face problems…You have to be ready for it and just don’t let it make you scared and stop…keep going.”
Kino plans to head to South Africa after his stay in Kenya.
