Writing about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is not an easy task. I can tell you about what we saw, what we did, express a few opinions and quote published facts but unlike most other countries, as a visiting foreigner it’s almost impossible to get the full picture. My account of our trip …
China is by far the noisiest country we’ve travelled through. Market stalls all have loudspeakers that shout out repetitive messages that probably say things like “Tuuuuur-nips, get your Tuuuuur-nips” or “Shoes, shoes, shoes, I’ve got shoes, shoes, shoes”. Calculators talk, street sweepers play tunes, there’s not been a single day when we haven’t seen or …
We first encountered China last year from behind the fence that had been put up along the border with Tajikistan. That was several time zones ago now. Since then it’s been lurking at the edge of all our maps like a big red shadow, nudging up against Central Asia, looming over India and Nepal, then …
10th February to 21st February 2016 “Goooood mooooooorning Vietnam!“. Kirsty would surely never get bored with me starting each day like this? As we leave the border behind our legs are spinning like a turbine. The freewheel just won’t budge anymore so we can’t stop pedalling. I feather the brakes to keep things comfortable as …
“How many bikes have you used?” is a surprisingly common question when we tell people how far we’ve ridden. It never ceases to amaze us what the trusty steed has put up with over the last 18 months on some of the worst roads and with a hefty load of luggage on board, but it’s …
Reincarnation is a funny thing. One lifetime you’re a monk, the next you’re a 17 foot python. Is that an improvement or a step backwards? It’s possible to sit face to face with the 125 year old serpent/former holy man in a small monastery in Bago. We watched several worshippers offer money in return for …
We would like to wish all our family, friends and followers a very merry Christmas and hope you have a wonderful time wherever you may be. A lot of road has passed under our tyres since last Christmas and its been quite a year, but we can’t wait to see what 2016 brings! Tail winds …
Myanmar is no stranger to change. It’s name for one, (though many people still refer to it as Burma). It’s capital city has shifted around the country at least four times. It’s been controlled by the Mongols, The British, been an independent democratic nation and a military dictatorship. Now with the first ‘fully democratic’ elections …
India had conspired with our bodies to make sure our stay was a lot longer than originally planned. But even after a total of nearly three months in the country we’d barely begun to explore it properly. It’s so huge and so diverse that we could have spent three years here and still not done …
2nd November – 19th November 2015 A small party gathers outside the Elbrus Home Hotel to wave us off. The owner, Khem is joined by a couple of the other staff who have looked after us so well during our stay. Fellow British cyclists, Graham, Frances and Sarah are also keen to see the tandem …