In the niche world of ‘cycling around the world’, and overland travel in general, legend tells of a boat from Singapore to Australia, which ferries travellers from one continent to the next. The thing is, beyond speculation or rumour, no-one knows anything about this boat, or anyone who took it. There is certainly no passenger […]
long distance cycling
The End of the Road – Reaching Singapore!
This morning I woke up and pointed my bike in the direction of Singapore. Just 70km to go. I allowed a goofy, big grin, that would startle anyone who saw it, and began to pedal. I was going to make it… I was actually going to make it! I smiled again, and then I laughed.Two years ago, […]
“I don’t even want to see another bike!” – Holiday in Thailand
Just like marathon runners might ‘hit the wall’, the same thing can happen to someone cycling around the world but rather than a physical wall, it is a mental one – indeed, most of the challenges cycling around the world are mental. By the time I entered Thailand I was tired of cycling; no matter […]
Culture Shock in Thailand: Where did the adventure go?!
For the third time of the trip I had a culture shock crossing into Thailand. The first was in Bosnia, where it became clear I was no longer in Western Europe. Heck, it didn’t even feel like Europe any more. The second was flying to India. India is India, nothing prepares you for that. But […]
Adventure and Misadventure in East Nepal
My time in Kathmandu was frustrating. I had been lucky to stay with some fun, easy-going guys for 10 days, and enjoyed the wealth of attractions the city boasts (7 UNESCO heritage sites), but my time was consumed by near-daily trips to embassies chasing up visas for India and Myanmar, instead of the intrepid hiking […]
Miracle in North India
There’s a theory called the six degrees of separation. If you took all your friends and acquaintances, and then all their friends and acquaintances, and then all their friends and acquaintances, and so on six times, you would know everyone in the whole world. That’s how tiny and connected our world is! Amazing huh? Well, […]
Cycling Southern India – Kanyakumari to Mumbai
I pedalled from mainland India’s southernmost point, Kanyakumari with no plan except to head north. Understandable, two weeks earlier I had been expecting to be in China by now. The past week I had contacted a handful of Indian friends and friends of friends asking where the most beautiful, ‘must-see’ places were. When they mentioned […]
It’s time for the Pamirs!
When I was in Bosnia last year, anticipating having to battle through Central Asia in winter, thereby taking the lowland routes, and missing out on the mountain routes made impassable by snow and cold, I had a chance encounter with two Germans cycling back from Singapore. They shared their stories and showed me pictures of Tajikistan’s Pamir […]
Cycling Western Kazakhstan: Headwinds, Heat and Camels!
I have left the Caspian and won’t see the sea again until Thailand next year. I am now nearing the end of my time cycling in Western Kazakhstan, just 100km from Uzbekistan, my next country. I’d told myself Kazakhstan would be easy, just 550km of nothing. But I’d massively underestimated how hard nothing can be. […]
Crossing the Caspian – The Journey
Susanna and I reached the port just after 5, both anxious we were cutting it a bit tight, with the ferries scheduled departure at 5/6. We shouldn’t have worried; in the end the boat didn’t leave until well after midnight.We had no idea what conditions on the boat would be like, where we would sleep, […]