Entering China and onwards to Kashgar!
Having escaped the border crossing, I found my way to the expressway which indicated 110 km’s to Kashgar. I couldn’t wait. With the only things on my mind being a big modern city and all the comforts that went with it, I cycled on with much gusto and energy. Being down to such a relatively […]
Sary-Tash to China. Help! I need somebody. Help!
Becoming a little stuck in Sary-Tash, Kyrgyzstan. How on earth do I cycle to China? I woke up the following morning to a village covered in a fresh, thick layer of snow and a road that seemed impassable. Both Brecht and the other guy wanted to leave straightaway and head to Bishkek, the capital some […]
Murghab to Sary Tash, Kyrgyzstan
Currently in Longnan, China. This is very late but up until now I have been thoroughly disconnected from the wider world due to the compromising firewall that prevails here. Thankfully, I now seem to have found a way around it. This post was written some time ago as I was leaving Kashgar behind. I have […]
Khorog to Murghab. Cycling on the roof of the world!
After three days in Khorog, and with Grant and Sasha both departing too, I felt it was time to tackle my next challenge of the trip. I had 700 km’s of hard, cold mountains ahead of me. It was the final push to China and it would no doubt be the hardest part of the […]
Khorog. Table tennis, cheap vodka, Afghan hash and lazy days
Arriving in Khorog, I felt like a broken man. I had just been through, what I believe to have been ten of the toughest, most brutal days of my life. If I was now asked if I was glad I had done it, then the answer would be an unshakable yes, no doubt. Would I […]
Dushanbe to Khorog – part 2. It’s only a grenades from from Afghanistan
When I woke in the morning, the temperature was -5 but I was feeling rather toasty inside the tent and it put me in a confident mood for the journey ahead. Continuing on my way – cycle touring Tajikistan The descent was a white knuckle ride through a spectacular gorge where the road clung to […]
Dushanbe to Khorog – part 1. 3252 metres never felt so high
It was intimidating to say the very least – setting off from the hostel in Dushanbe. Thoughts of 4500 metre passes, freezing temperatures, snow, wind and rain had occupied my mind for some time previously. Now I finally found myself cycling off to into the unknown, hoping that everything would be all right; that I […]
Entering Tajikistan. I survived the madness of Uzbekistan!
I arrived at the border at ten and saw the familiar outline of a touring cyclist by the side of the road. He was a Malaysian guy whom was about to start his journey through Uzbekistan. I wished him good luck and we exchanged words of advice. I was soon having my camera ‘investigated’ at […]
Bukhara to Tajikistan. Otkuda, otkuda, otkuda!? Get me out of here!
From Bukhara, the first 20 km’s east were actually kind of fun. The road wasn’t too bad, the wind wasn’t hindering me much and the car horns weren’t too strenuous. That all changed however when the last of the small towns disappeared. The highway once again became a patchwork of rubble, the wind increased and […]
Bukhara. An unforgettable place
I enjoyed a couple of very relaxed days in Bukhara and it felt great to get off the bike. The hotel that I found as I wandered the streets in the evening of the day I’d like to forget turned out to be one of my better decisions. I was treated to, once again, exceptionally […]