Oman has been on my radar for some time – ever since I was cycling in the Middle East, back in 2015. As I rode across Iran that summer, it started to seem more and more likely that I wouldn’t be able to get a visa for Turkmenistan. It’s a country that has always had … More Oman: The Jebel Shams Circle (22/02/19-27-02/19)
December had arrived in the desert, bringing with it a crescendo in the temperature. I loaded 25L of water onto my bicycle and wobbled onto the dirt Oodnadatta track both nervous and excited about the lonely stretch ahead. Occasionally a few trees would cluster around a dried up creek but aside from those respites there … More Australia Part 4: The Oodnadatta Track (Marla to Marree 01/12/16-09/12/16)
When people ask me how far I cycle a day out here I usually shrug and say “around 100km but it depends on so much – the terrain, road condition and wind”. I don’t think people ever take the wind part seriously when I say that. Let me explain how much I am ‘at mercy’ … More Australia Part 2: Summer in The Red Centre (Tenant Creek to Kings Canyon 08/11/16-19/11/16)
One of the things I dislike the most about South East Asia is not being able to wild camp anywhere. There’s either too much jungle to squeeze a tent in, or people have cleared the land to farm or build a house. I miss stealth camping a lot, so when I saw a track leading … More Indonesia Part 3: Mountaintop Traffic Jams (Merak to Yogyakarta 15/08/16-23/08/16)
I left the Americans’ farm and began my last push to the border. I’d given myself two half days but that was all I felt I could afford. I hadn’t had a day off since Shangri-La but progress was slow in the mountains and time was ticking. I feel like I’ve been under time pressure … More China Part 8: The Escape (Lincang to Vietnam 26/02/16-09/03/16)
One year on the bicycle. Blimey. Where do I begin? I normally start these blogs with a picture of the route being discussed in the post, so I’ll do the same here. Below is the line I’ve cycled over the last 12 months. Would you like some stats? Distance: 19,326km Countries visited: 27 Days cycled: … More One Year On The Bicycle: A Retrospect (16/01/15-16/01/16)
This blog begins by closing the cliffhanger I left the last one on. I returned to the PSB office in Jiayuguan to find my visa extension ready to go. I was annoyed I’d lost another day waiting for it but thrilled to find it was indeed 30 days commencing from collection date. Before giving it … More China Part 3: Tasting Tibet (Jiayuguan to Langmusi 04/12/15-18/12/15)
China is a world of opposites. The culture, the landscapes, the people… everything. Even while I’m cycling through the desert, snow-capped mountains loom over me. The friendliest people are right next to the most unhelpful in the world. The Han-Chinese natter on their new smartphones while the local Uighur people drive rusty old carts past … More China Part 2: Escaping the Gobi desert at The Great Wall (Turpan to Jiayuguan 18/11/15-04/12/15)
I was finally given my Kazakhstan exit stamp and I cycled over to China along with Bertrand the Frenchman and the Aussies Sarah & Scott (who I’d cycled across Kazakhstan with). The no-man’s-land was a pointless 7km that snaked around in a strange loop before dropping us back just a stone’s throw from where we’d started. On … More China Part 1: Welcome to the Middle Kingdom (Kazakh border to Turpan 06/11/15-17/11/15)
From Kyrgyztan’s capital Bishkek it was only a 25km ride to the border. I met up with the Frenchman Bertrand (who I’d cycled with in Tajikistan) and we headed over to Kazakhstan together. The border was a total shambles. I’ve come to expect nothing less from Central Asia’s border crossings, but the last couple I’ve … More Kazakhstan: Searching for Borat (26/10/15-05/11/15)
JKB's Bike Ride 