I normally start these blogs with a screenshot of my cycling route for the relevant dates. Not much point in that on this occasion – I’ve cycled about 100km during my first fortnight in this country thanks to Tajikistan pissing me about as much as possible. So, if you’re only interested in bicycle blogging – … More Uzbekistan Part 1: The Silk Road by Train (18/08/15-01/09/15)
After my thorough questioning by the Iranian border staff, I cycled over to Turkmenistan. They didn’t seem to care that (having now switched back to my UK passport), it looked like I’d just magically arrived at the border with not a single other stamp in my passport. They had many more important things to do… Like … More Turkmenistan: The Desert Dash (14/08/15-18/08/15)
I had my longest ‘civilisation-less’ stretch ahead of me from Sharhud. Nothing major, but more than 200km between towns. As usual the wind was pain in the back (or front, rather) and the heat scorching. I hate the lack of shade in the desert – it makes things really tough sometimes. Normally I like to … More Iran part 3: Shahrud to the Turkmenistan border (05/08/15-14/08/15)
I arrived in Tehran with only one thing on my mind – Turkmenistan visa! Essentially the missing piece of this jigsaw that would connect two sides of the world for me. There was only one feasible road to Central Asia and everything depended on it… But first I needed to find somewhere to stay. I … More Iran part 2: Tehran to Sharhud (28/07/15-04/07/15)
I woke up on my last day in Armenia exactly 6 months since I started this trip. Half a year! That’s a good while… Very soon this will be the longest I’ve ever been away from home. Time seems to move at a different pace on bicycle. It doesn’t feel like I’ve been away that … More Iran part 1: From the Armenian border to Tehran (16/07/15-26/07/15)
I cycled off from Yerevan in the burning sun. For a good while the road was nice and flat and there was only one mountain in sight – the two unmistakable peaks of Mount Ararat, the Armenian icon (that now lies 40km into Turkey). Just before the day’s climb started I stopped in a village … More Armenia part 2: Yerevan to the Iranian border (09/07/15-15/07/15)
The Armenian side of the border was a chaotic shambles, but within 5 minutes of cycling I was cycling in peace and quiet. In the evening sun everything looked golden – the fields a deep yellow and the mountain peaks different shades of blue as they faded in the distance. In one village not far … More Armenia part 1: From the Georgian border to Yerevan (03/07/15-08/07/15)
Turkey had been great, but enough was enough. I was excited about travelling somewhere new and the Caucasus seemed like a perfect place to detour while waiting for Ramadan to pass. The border official took an eternity looking at my passport, calling his boss over to check things but eventually I was let through – … More Georgia: Dodging cows, cars and thunder storms (21/06/15-02/07/15)
I left Samsun just after the election results had come in at the weekend. From what most people I’d spoken to had predicted the verdict was a pleasant suprise. Very few of the folks I’d stayed with were voting for the current party AKP, (choosing main left party or HDP) and so I was happy … More Turkey part 4: Samsun to the Georgian border (10/06/15-21/06/15)
I left Ankara with a clear target – to cycle approximately 450km to Samsun (where I always intended on passing) by Saturday, five days away. Then I could get the bus back to Ankara on Sunday, try for the second time to get my Uzbekistan visa on Monday and return the same day or Tuesday. … More Turkey part 3: Ankara to Samsun (02/06/15-09/06/15)
JKB's Bike Ride 