Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan became the latest destination of Kazakh traveler Sergey Bondarenko, who visited over 18 countries without a penny in his pocket.

Bondarenko visits Azerbaijan, also known as the Land of Fire, for the second time. First time, the traveler visited Azerbaijan two years ago for a short period of time.

This time, the traveler decided to stay longer and enjoy the country’s beauty and hospitality.

"You have a very hospitable people. Every day someone invited me to a nearby restaurant or bought me food, as well as offered a place for sleep. Your police officers also helped me a lot. I am very thankful for that. I am very grateful for what your people dif for me,” said Bondarenko talking to Day.Az.

The Kazakh traveler also shared his interesting and crazy travel adventures from around the world.

"I didn't have a visa so first of all I visited visa-free countries for Kazakhs. When I started the journey, I had no passport, only the ID card, which allowed me to visit Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. Then, my friend helped me to get a passport. Then I expanded the area and already visited 18 countries, among them Malaysia, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Turkey and others," said the Kazakh traveler.

Chine, a country full of culture and tradition, impressed the traveler a lot. "I really like China, and I'm really like to stay there. The only difficulty is Chinese language,” he said.

Remembering how it all began, Bondarenko spoke about desperate days when as a youngster he had found himself alone and without any means to live.

“I have faced a lot in my short life. I was 18 when I lost my family. My house was taken away and I was forced to live on the streets. And at that moment, I realized that it's right time to make my dream come true- to see the world,” he said.

Bondarenko says that he has never afraid of the unknown. "The uncertainty doesn't scare me. There are a lot of good people willing to lend a helping hand. I have never asked for money. People voluntarily help me,” he said.

Speaking about his future, the young adventurer said that he will continue this journey. "I understand what freedom is and its value. So when leaving the kilometers behind, you also leave behind bad memories and thoughts. A man can't know himself in the busy city. For example, when person drinks coffee, he does not know the price of this drink. But, now, I appreciate it all", he explained.

Now, Bondarenko is going to visit South America and stay there for a few years.

"I'm not going to spend the whole life traveling. One day, I will have a family and engage in something interesting. Also, I'm going to write the book about my adventures", said Bondarenko.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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