Man on final leg of 13-year trek

Jason Lewis' pedal-powered boat Moksha cost £26,000 to build

A man from Dorset is getting ready to start the final leg of a global trip that has taken 13 years.

Jason Lewis, 40, is preparing to pedal across the English Channel and then up the Thames to Greenwich Rowing Club in his 26ft wooden craft Moksha.

He reached the coast of Belgium after a 2,000 mile (3,219km) mountain bike ride through Europe from Istanbul, Turkey.

Depending on weather, he will leave from either Ostend in Belgium, or Calais, France, for the crossing.

The expedition has been my life, and it will be like getting a divorce from myself in a way Jason Lewis

"It will be like a huge portion of my life over," said Mr Lewis who is from Askerswell, Dorset.

"I am going to feel torn between saying goodbye to it, and at the same time I am looking forward to moving on to other things.

"The expedition has been my life, and it will be like getting a divorce from myself in a way.

"It is going to be very difficult saying goodbye and putting it to bed."

Mr Lewis started Expedition 360 at the Greenwich Meridian on a bike in July, 1994, aged 26.

His goal was to circle the globe using human power alone - using kayaks, mountain bikes, in-line skates and the pedal-powered boat Moksha.

He hoped his trip would encourage world citizenship between cultures and promote environmental responsibility.