Though their aim is to promote world peace and healthy living through their tour, things haven’t gone smoothly for retired 56 year old oil refinery workers Liu Yong Jia and Wang Xi Xian.

They were robbed of their life savings in Argentina, and then when their Argentinian visa’s expired they were refused entry by the Brazilian border patrol and gun-wielding Paraguayan police, eventually sneaking into Paraguay when no-one was looking. Liu also suffered broken ribs after being knocked over by a truck.

“After our retirement, we wanted to see the world and make new friends,” Liu told Channel News Asia online news. “There are nasty people,” Wang told the Straits Times newspaper. “But in general everyone has been warm to us.”

The pair left Guangzhou in southern China in March 1999 and have pedalled more than 30,000 km (18,600 miles) across Asia and various countries in Central and South America. They arrived in Singapore two weeks ago and leave soon for Australia before tackling New Zealand, North America and Europe. They aim to finish their world tour in less than five years.