Korea-based cyclist releases first book, 'Unhinged in Ethiopia'
George Balarezo poses with his bicycle in Korea, Nov. 21, 2022. / Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
By Bereket Alemayehu
Born in the U.S., George Balarezo is an intrepid global citizen who has been living in South Korea for the last 15 years. It must be a fraternity spirit that linked us since the first day we met, about two years ago, near his apartment as it just so happened that we both live in the same neighborhood in Seoul, Noryangjin-dong.
George has this friendly face and innocent smile, which must has been nurtured through all of his “self-transformation and worldly experiences” as he described it. We chatted about bicycles and our enjoyment of cycling around Korean landscapes, as we both agreed that the best thing about living in Seoul is cycling around town. And then it turns out that he actually has accomplished some of the toughest solo bicycle tours in Korea, as well as my own home country of Ethiopia, plus Kenya, Pakistan, China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Bangladesh, Turkey, Russia and Siberia, since 2014.
The cover of George Balarezo's book, "Unhinged in Ethiopia: Two Thousand Kilometers of Hell and Heaven on a Bicycle." / Courtesy of George Balarezo
George published his first book, titled “
Unhinged in Ethiopia: Two Thousand Kilometers of Hell and Heaven on a Bicycle
,” last October. The 236-page book contains much of his experiences and personal reflections which keep readers in awe. Above all the simple narratives just create vivid mental images of the people, places and landscapes.
George calls Korea home, saying he fell in love with the country on day 1. First, he writes, it was the spicy vegetables, fermented in pepper and bean pastes, doused with garlic and ginger. Then it was the language. Next, it was his girlfriend: Her sweet personality and warm touch had his heart pounding every time they were together. “But mostly it was the teaching that I loved ― a job I would've done for free,” he said. “People in Korea show their true selves through actions rather than words. Gestures of kindness without expectations were a big reason I couldn't leave South Korea.”
So far, his new book has received over 150 reviews on Amazon. One reader wrote, “This was an exciting read! I felt like I was right there with George as he pedaled through remote villages, rocky roads and mountainous terrain. I laughed, learned and loved experiencing Ethiopia and its people through George's experiences. Unhinged in Ethiopia is a must read for travel lovers and anyone who wonders what's it like to push oneself beyond physical and cultural boundaries.”
As an Ethiopian, I was curious to know about his personal experiences and what were the challenges of bicycle touring in the Northern part of Africa's most mountainous country. Probably the fundamental question could be, as asked by one of his Korean students, “Why do you travel to hard places like Ethiopia?”
The simple answer he gives is, “Tour cycling became my new addiction. It's part of my global citizenship and life-skills education. The world is my teacher, and Ethiopia was my training ground for a month. Experiences become part of who I am.”
On his website,
, he writes, “Committed to lifelong learning, self-development and challenging my comfort zones, I have been feeding my new addiction of tour cycling in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa while residing in Seoul.”
Additionally, on his social media page, George said that he never expected to write a book until he returned home from Ethiopia and typed out a 200-page document detailing the hardships, lessons learned and friendships made.
Inspired by travel writing from the likes of Paul Theroux, Bill Bryson and Pico Ayer, he spends his downtime documenting his journeys and sharing them with others. His website is where he shares his bittersweet moments with others to shatter the unfair stereotypes that plague the world today. George truly hopes that through understanding and awareness, we can make the world a more peaceful place.
George, as an adventurer, shares on his personal blog his honest and straightforward opinions based on his own experiences, which challenge how we perceive and imagine some of the places in the world.
For example, about Pakistan, he writes, “If there is one word that sums up my experience in Pakistan, it would have to be 'hospitality.' Free meals and cups of tea on the street, offers of overnight stays in local homes, risking of lives for an adrenaline-seeking tourist and genuine concern for the well-being of a fellow global citizen.”
On his experiences in China, he writes, “It never ceases to amaze me that regardless of environment, I was able to sleep just about anywhere.”
George Balarezo shows off a copy of his book, "Unhinged in Ethiopia: Two Thousand Kilometers of Hell and Heaven on a Bicycle." / Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
In “Unhinged in Ethiopia,” George writes, “Every journey was a master course in global knowledge and self-discovery. Self-conquest became my joy and onerous tasks a privilege, a recreation.”
In the last chapter of the book, titled “Return,” George writes that, while bathing in ginseng-infused water at one of Seoul's popular bath houses, he reflected that so many similarities exist from one continent to the next, from massages to methods of stress relief to bathing with loved ones. “We are the same in our desire for healing, in showing and displaying affection, but we express it in different ways,” he said.
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Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also a co-founder for a social initiative called Hanokers and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency. Visit
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