This trip was a great experience for me, and must surely leave a big mark on my life. I learned some more things about motorcycling, and a lot about myself and life in general. My view of the world has also changed significantly.
Here are some more photographs that I didn't include in with the story.
Mountains in Turkey.
Kilometre marker in Kazakhstan.
Horse riding is a massive part of the tradition of the all the Central Asian peoples.
Kazakh steppe - In places completely flat and empty.
Some kind of sand vole? These things live all over Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
Photoing me...
...Photoing you.
Water is really important in Kazakhstan. In the intense 45degree heat, I found it very difficult to force myself to drink enough to be feel healthy.
Kazakh kids on an Ural. Seeing people like this with modern mobile phones demonstrates that this part of the world is far more complex than a simple 'poverty' story.
Posing with some Kazakh kids at a petrol stop. All the kids in the region wear similar clothes to this - Cheap mass produced imports from China.
Kazakh family out in the desert.
Remote and barren section of the Pamhir Highway in the North of Tajikistan.
Lake Karakul.
Horse festival at Murgab. Notice the Audi baseball cap - The same chinese clothing as in Kazakhstan.
Traditional Kyrgyz hats.
Fantastic setting for the festival, at 3600m altitude!
Pamhir Highway.
Bartang valley road.
Last of the great adventurers? Or a great big idiot from Nottingham, England?
Looking down towards Ishkashim, on the Afghanistan border.
Chinese roadmaking crew who helped us with a puncture repair.
'Buhanka' UAZ 4x4 minibus. Fantastic vehicle. Found all over the former Soviet Union, and still produced today looking pretty much the same.
Fantastic few days set around the Kyrgyz/Tajik border.
Kyrgyz girls in traditional dress at the Peak Lenin horse festival.
Eva making friends at the Peak Lenin basecamp.
Three local lads on an Izh.
Eva getting to grips with the DR350.
Great 'eerie' morning atmosphere at a camping spot in Russia.
The national treasure of Russia.
Camping on a hill overlooking a small village - Smoke from fires and Banya creating an evening haze.
Small Russian village in the Altaisky Krai.
Riverside camping spot, with lots of wood ready to make a fire.
Together in Mongolia.
No building site health+saftey laws in Mongolia. Part of a 'human chain' throwing bricks up to the top of a three story building!
Firewood for sale?
Good long straight road in Mongolia.
Izh riding local.
Camping spot in the Mongolian Altai.
Buddhist prayer flags outside Hovd.
Crows flying.
Beautiful lake.
Hilltop Buddhist rockpile.
Mongol bikers!
Riverside camping spot.
Mongol local fetching his wife home from work. I suspect that there is something fundamentally wrong with the western way of life, when this guy's everyday reality is only a mere distant sought-after dream for many here in the 'first world' nations.
Some kind of cemetary I believe.
Gate to a Buddhist monestary.
Off road riding in the hills outside UlanBataar, with Walter Colebatch.
Unrestricted off-piste riding in any direction - the offroad dream.
Siberian campfire and full moon.
'Novosibirsk 1062km' - We started to realise it would be a long hard struggle to ride all the way across Russia.
Another roaring fire, another full moon.
Naughty - Lost our lonely planet 'bible'.
Our travelling companion across Russia.
Drunkedd with a beautiful girl on the Trans-Siberian railway.
Morning map check inside the tent.
Braving the morning cold outside the tent, one final time.
I just spent about 4 days reading through all this (I like to read properly, not just skim) and all I can say is WOW, what a fantastic journey you've been on! I would love to do something similar later in life.
ReplyDeleteI would've loved to have a better more in-depth ending/summary to your trip: What happened between you and Eva? What you did when you got back and how you left etc...
Nevertheless - fantastic!
- Steven
What a fantastic trip! And well written with great photographs.
ReplyDeleteSurely you'll give us an update on the love story! Eva really is beautiful!
What a journey!!! I could not stop reading your adventure. You must tell us what happened between you and Eva??? How could you leave such a beautiful woman after sharing such an adventure??
ReplyDeleterespect for the Suzuki dr , never thought it would be possible on such a bike with all your gear and a beautiful passenger.
ReplyDeleteYour a brave guy indeed, Tell us your still in contact with eva.......
Much respect mate.....................
wow man this is fantastic! i ran across this googling motorcycle rentals in china and mongolia. i've biked throughout southeast asia but wide-open desolation like what you encountered is what i love...
ReplyDeleteexcellent blogging. i'm glad i stumbled across it.
VERY full marks to these people that are LIVING their lives !!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletenothing ventured nothing gained.
I enjoyed your ride report thanks
SYMON
very cool here is a Q how much did it all cost as just planning a trip, havnt got a destination in mind just going to see how far i get on a couple ov k, but doing it on a xtz750, loved the blog, nice to see you meet a nice girl, she looked as though she has a nice way about her, thanks for a lazzy saturday afternoon read , SDJ, cumbria
ReplyDeleteThank you! From Hungary.... Very nice blog! Continue?
ReplyDeleteExcellent trip and write-up. Most enjoyable....
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i can only imagine the moments you felt crippled with anxiety thinking about your next move,the next turn off,petrol stop,grub stop,flat tyre,oil leak,being lost or even a mugging,then topple that off with the burden of a beautiful women that is your responsibility,and if every second word comes out of your mouth is "are you ok to do another 100km" well we might have something in common:) looking back i dont know was i glad to leave her go to keep her alive from the road and elements (knowing i could never be chuby enough to keep her rattling in a tent at -10) or maybe i wasnt so glad!! maybe i wanted to live like that forever........guess its time to start the bike again,great story and well told friend.
ReplyDeleteRESPECT!
ReplyDeleteSimply brill.
ReplyDeleteRESPECT.. FANTASTÄ°C.
ReplyDeleteWhat an adventure.
ReplyDeletehats off to you for making this journey, brilliant blog, deserves to be a film!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the incredible read, really inspiring! Would love to hear an update about Eva and your next trip. Ride safe
ReplyDeleteGreat read,respect for what you did/done..Not all bike's have to be bmw..gsa's..
ReplyDeleteThanks for a entertaining read. Make me think of when I was young and used to just travel carefree.
ReplyDeleteJust happened onto your site while looking for info on riding Russia---90 minutes later! Read the entire thing. Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome read dude........but what happened with you and Eva???????????
ReplyDeleteTop story. Enjoyed it hugely. Many times have I sat stressed out and anxious by mt bike and thought"WTF am I doing here?" - and then another great adventure opens up. What a great trip, and very well written.
ReplyDelete