FOR one intrepid Greek couple, a romantic honeymoon does not involve luxury hotels, foreign resorts or candlelit dinners. Instead, Vassilis Mesitidis, 37, and his bride, Ariadni Prantzou, embarked on a marathon trip on a tandem bike to celebrate their wedding.

The couple arrived in Shanghai on Friday, after spending the past month or so cycling across southern China, starting from Hong Kong on March 15.

They plan to cover a distance of more than 7,000 kilometers in three and a half months - cycling through China, Japan and South Korea.

They said they were fascinated by the beautiful landscapes of southern Chinese cities during the trip and deeply touched by warm-hearted Chinese people who always lent a hand.

But the couple also said they were saddened by the tall chimneys belching smoke and heavy pollution they encountered shrouding parts of China.

And the couple were eager to learn about Eastern culture, but said they felt many Chinese people were adopting Western lifestyles.

"Vassilis had cycled between Olympia in Greece and Beijing to watch the Olympic Games in 2008 and spent four months in Beijing learning Chinese," said Prantzou in an interview with Shanghai Daily at the Consulate General of Greece in Shanghai on Friday.

"When I met him, he was already a fan of China, so when we talked about a cycling honeymoon trip, he insisted on China," she explained.

"Last year, we took 20 days cycling in Europe from Berlin in Germany to Vienna of Austria. It was not a long trip but we both liked it and that's why we decided to take this journey and call it a honeymoon trip," said Mesitidis.

"Our idea of travelling is not simply tourism, not just going from one place to another, taking photos, staying at hotels. We want to learn about the culture and meet people," he added.

So they spent their honeymoon in tents instead of luxury hotels, eating rice and noodles bought on the streets rather than having candlelit dinners.

And they've had to cycle more than 130 kilometers a day, instead of resting at a resort.

But the couple have found it romantic nonetheless.

In Hong Kong, they passed through picturesque fishing villages and camped by the seaside. The next day morning they rode up a steep hill and were rewarded with a view of a huge bronze seated Buddha statue.

Then the pair rode on small roads leading them to small mountain villages in Hezhou City, in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where villagers waved from the fields and some asking whether Prantzou's hair and skin color were natural.

Other highlights on the trip have included cycling up and down Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province and riding around the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Being together all day on a bicycle made for two brings its own special intimacy, say the couple.

"I guess we have a different view of romance compared to many people," said Mesitidis.

"Traveling on a tandem brings you closer to the other person. You are so close to your partner every day and get to know them so much better."

"You're spending every minute together - cycling, sleeping in a tent and facing difficulties together," he added.

"I've found it quite romantic as we're trying to manage something, making a big effort toward the same goal, which is not easy all the time," said Prantzou.

A downside of the trip was pollution, say the couple.

"We began to wonder why the sky was so gray all the time. Then we realized that near big cities, the sky always seems gray. Pollution is everywhere in Greece too, but not to that level," said Prantzou.

"We noticed many construction sites, old cars - especially trucks - on the roads, tall chimneys sending up black smoke and factories polluting nearby rivers," said Mesitidis.

"In 2008, when I first traveled in China from Xinjiang, there were not so many heavy industries there. But south China presented a totally different picture," he added.

In their blog, the couple wrote, "We are really looking forward to seeing blue sky once in a while."

Nothing but praise

While the couple were unimpressed by the pollution, they have nothing but praise for most Chinese people they met en route.

"Chinese people are very friendly. They've shown us great hospitality by offering food, drink and even free shelter. They laugh a lot and smile all the time and have so much dignity," said Prantzou.

"Whenever we stopped, we would have 20 people coming up to say hello and asking us what we are doing and what we thought about China," said Mesitidis.

Yet they have also noticed that in many Chinese cities people seem to be adopting Western values and lifestyle.

"Chinese people have thousands of years of traditions that they should not forget. We saw Chinese people eating fast food and other junk food, which is very strange for us," said Mesitidis.

Inevitably, on such an adventure, the intrepid couple have faced some difficulties along the way.

While most Chinese very friendly, they found the country's drivers took some time getting used to.

"Ariadne had a really hard time with drivers honking all the time, though it's part of their culture, politely warning you of their presence on the road," Mesitidis wrote on the blog.

Nerve-racking driving

"Cycling on Chinese roads is completely different than cycling in Europe. Chinese driving is nerve-racking and quite dangerous," the couple added on the blog.

"Drivers have a unique behavioral code which allows them to do anything, as long as they don't crash into one another. This may include driving on the opposite side of the road, not looking when entering moving traffic," the couple wrote on their journey blog.

"Thinking and often acting like them do keep us safe on the road," they joked.

Fatigue was another issue.

"Getting tired is one of the major difficulties we faced. Different people have different limits. So when you travel together as a couple, one person may get tired first. You have to learn how to compromise. That is very important," said Mesitidis.

"It's never easy as I'm stronger. I sometimes pushed her too much to make it. Then I have to compromise, telling myself to relax as we are here to enjoy the trip. If you don't know how to do it, you should be by yourself," he said.

Prantzou is a nurse and Mesitidis a psychiatrist. They met as co-workers at a hospital, discovered they had many things in common and fell in love.

Mesitidis said he first hit the road in 2004, inspired by a book by a French couple who cycled around the globe for 14 years.

"When I was a little kid, I dreamed of traveling around the world, but I thought it must require a lot of money. Then I saw that cycling doesn't need much money, but does require spirit," said Mesitidis.

He calls it "Greek spirit" - a longing to learn about the world, to go to unknown places, create links between people and cultures and understand and share the uniqueness of each.

Mesitidis said that a year after reading the book, he embarked on a 14-month solo cycling trip, covering 54,000 kilometers through 40 countries and four continents.

"That trip opened my eyes," he said.

Today, the couple continue their China adventure, heading off from Shanghai to Beijing.