The only one in the whole universe

June 2000

(About traveler and adventurer – Jedrek,  from  Poland)

ANDRZEJ  SOCHACKI (On-jay  So-hots-ki), Jedrek – supervagabond and photographer by
passion, a Masters degree in mechanics by profession, a native of Poland, born in Warsaw’s Targowek. U.S.A. citizen, lives in Phoenix, Arizona, over 50 years of age, asserts that traveling is in his genes, inherited from his grandpa, who rounded the globe in the time between the wars  (First WW  and Second WW) .
His new life started, when he arrived to New York City from Poland, and he realized his travel dreams. Then a few years before arriving in the United States,  Andrzej  Sochacki realized only one long journey around the communist countries in Europe on german motorcycle – “MZ-250”. (Route: Poland, Germany, Chechoslovakia, Hungary, Ygoslavia, Romania, Russia and Poland – 1969).
Andrzej  Sochacki is the first traveler in the world to circle the Earth six times by different means of transportation  (car, plane, sail boat, train and twice by  motorcycle). This well-known, eccentric world-traveler has spent more that ten years of his life traveling, covering over 350,00 km. He has visited over 133 countries on the five continents.
The fist time Andrzej started his conquest of the world was in 1977, driving solo in a Volkswagen “bug” by 35 countries, as a sort of goodwill ambassador for his native Poland. From New York, U.S.A., he first went to South America: then, he shipped his car over to Asia, and from there, drove to Europe. Next, Andrzej transported the car to Halifax – Canada, to finish his odyssey in New York, in 1979. Presently, the car in which Andrzej accomplished his around-the-world travel may be found in the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.
In order to fulfill his second journey, Andrzej bought an open around the world airplane ticket. This escapade, realizd, lasted about 18 weeks by 15 countries. He started from, and finished in, Los Angeles, U.S.A., in 1979. He went to Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia to India: then, he traveled through Asia to North Africa, Europe and to the United States of America.
Andrzej’s next vehicle of transportation, in the following third journey around the world 1992-94, was a 43ft long steel sail boat. He commemorated the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America by sailing the exact route Christopher Columbus took to find the “New World”. This voyage originated from Las Palmas at the Canary Islands through the Atlantic Ocean. Later, he sailed through the Pacific and Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, Africa, to finish at Las Palmas, Canary Islands.
In August of 1995, Andrzej returned to Warsaw, Poland, from his fourth journey, his “Journey of Peace”, around the world by train. He set out on that long trip from Warsaw, in July, 1994, when he bought a ticket and boarded a train bound for Moscow; and next, on the Trans-Syberian Railway to Irkuck and Vladivostock, then by China, Japan, U.S.A., Great Britain to Europa by train “Eurostar” under Eanglish Canal. This way, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII, after the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in August 1945. Andrzej’s suggestion: the best part of train travel is easy access to fellow travelers.
The fifth solo circumnavigation of the globe Andrzej executed by motorcycle Harley-Davidson, Sportster 883,1996, named “ADAM” is the name given to his bike at  a ceremony of the “Vagabond Center” of Andrzej  Sochacki, an international organization in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.  “ADAM” is a symbolic name. Per the bible, Adam is the name of first man. We are striving to make “Adam” the first bike to travel around the world many times with many different riders. So for “Adam” make two trips on the lend around the world, from West to East and from East to West.
Andrzej’s fifth trip started the 29th of May 1998 in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. and ended in
September, 1999 in Tokyo, Japan. During the 1 year, 3 months and 8 days he passed by 35 countries and 55,000 km. He dedicated this journey to his  kids (Joanna,7 and Cezar,3). He also celebrated the 95th anniversary of Harley-Davidson Co., the end of the second century, and his own 50th birthday. The purpose of his journey was to visit sacred places of different religions of the world . “I’m a motorized pilgrim during this trip” – he says. He visited over 60 different temples and places closer to God in the world.
When he oriented with price of the bike, about water-transport  via Pacific and his problem with being short on money for cargo-shipping, Andrzej desided make one more trip solo around the world on “Adam” from Tokyo to Los Angeles through Russia, Europe and North America. This way was much cheaper for him.
For his sixth journey around the world by bike, Andrzej started from Tokyo, Japan, 8th of September 1999. After more then seven months on the road, he reached on April 13, 2000 the pacific coast in Los Angeles by this same Harley – Sportster 883. This trip Andrzej dedicated to all bikers, and celebrated the beginning of the Third Century.
“The most important moment for a traveler is, of course, the start”, Andrzej says. It is not possible to make everything ready and button it up in the last moment. Good health and money are obviously essential factors, however, courage and foreign languages are more helpful. In addition to English and
Polish, Andrzej speaks Spanish and Russian. A traveler must not think, traveler must do it ! If he starts thinking, he would never go.
A higher level of education has helped him more logically observe the natural world. On the other hand, it prepared him to move freely in the world of engineering.
In Andrzej’s opinion, “not wealth, professional succes, nor high psychophsical condition nobilifies a man; on the contrary, the ability to share everything he possesses inside, with others, nobilitates him.”
Andrzej was a guest at White House in Washington, guest of crowned and state heads. Twice, he was granted an audience with pope John Paul II, with King of Tonga and the Dali Lama in India. He met during his travel with Polish people in 95 nations. He was robbed and had to run for his life several times. And, he struggled with illness, away from any human being, a number of times. He admits that, only thanks to the heavenly Father (a Guardian Angel), he was able to escape many helpless situations without harm. Good protection of God is better then the best sponsors. In my opinion, he says, “my personal achivement is a succes of all people, who help me realize those big, dangerous and long adventures. I travel in the white and red colors, only as a meek executor of the enterprice. I do not think of glory, I only dream about adventure.” As he put it, “I travel the world and I attain my boal”.
Andrzej  Sochacki on his base of world travel, established in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., in 1992, a club with  advice for all travelers – “THE  VAGABOND  CENTER” (registration  name The Fundation of the Vagabond Center), share with them big experience and he still remains an unorthodox  vagabond. Jedrek decided never to retire from traveling. “There is no question I have a fear of staying too long of traveling”, “Traveling is like therapy for me”, he says.  A victory over difficulty and dangerous traveling during his executed six journeys around the world would close the book very neatly on his traveling career.
He plans another solo ride to cross the continents again in the future, this time via automobile in one mounth. He plans to start and finish this trip in Poland on motor-car. I believe him and am wholeheartedly convinced thet he will do it, as before. Presently, he looks cooperation with somebody in this matter.
To our accomplished traveler whose life’s motto is: “The measure of life is the size of adventure”, we wish the fulfillment of his aims.

– Ewa Marciniak

P.S.  Ewa  Marciniak is “The Vagabond Center” – Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. correspondent stationed in Warsaw, Poland.
(translation by Adam  Glob)

To find more information about Andrzej Sochacki’s  traveling, please visit the following web sites:
www.targowek.waw.pl, www.motoforum.com.pl, www.bialyorzel.com, www.miedzynami.com

Contacts: