Time to reflect (Mini retrospective)

Well adventure motorbiking is certainly not like regular travelling or going on holiday. For a start you are the fastest thing on the road by a long long way, especially on very bad roads. This means that you cross whole countries in a single day without too much trouble. Processing what you have seen on your day’s adventure is what takes up most of the evening. Slowing down is harder than you would think as certain terrains forces you to go at certain speeds.

When you are on your bike, cities are best avoided as the crowds of people turn a simple stop into a crowd control exercise. However once the bike is safely out of sight and you have changed into regular traveller clothes you can then enjoy the city as a normally tourist would.

The next big difference is that the travelling is actually the least stressfull part of the trip, you have complete control of when you leave, which route you choose and how long it will take. Unlike the backpackers we have met; stuck in some outback town trying to get a bus / taxi to where we just came from.

People to thank so far…

Absolutely number one had got to be my other half Becki, not only did she let me go on this crazy adventure in the first place but when I blew my clutch in Romania; she got the new one sent over the next day. When Romanian customs kept the clutch for a few weeks she popped on a plane to Bucharest with another clutch in hand and saved the whole central asia part of the trip (as our visa dates where running out).

Next has to be Mihai Genoiu from the Honda garage in Bucharest for fitting the clutch in his own free time and for doing it just to help two desperate bikers.

And the lastly Andy and Elspeth Peterson in Almaty for taking in two very dirty and tired travellers into their home and family. After 5 days crossing the Kazak steppe, running out of water, petrol and local currency (with not a bank in sight), being turned away from hotel after hotel; hearing a scottish voice call out “All right lads, are you looking for a place to stay?” I literally thought he was our gaurdian angel.

Nothing is as expected

On this trip nothing is as expected, for example if you try and order specific food it will somehow be totally different (we prefer to go for luck dip most of the time as this seems to bring the best dishes out).

When the guide books or other travel blogs say the people are hostile, then the people will be the most friendly in the world. For example parts of Kyrgystan and Takijistan have some how got bad press and we experienced the total opposite. (Being waved at by an Afghan villager as I drove past was another example)

Border crossing that everyone says are a nightmare where totally fine or so friendly they wanted you to stay and have tea with them!!!