8 INCROYABLE months on a bike!

Asia » China » Xinjiang
March 21st 2014

Published: April 21st 2014

I still can’t believe it’s over. It’s actually been a while now. After cycling from Gansu Province to Xinjiang, then on to the <em style="line-height: 1.428571429;">Stans , Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, I am back with Becky in Beijing, China. I have a good job (back to teaching) and surprisingly often enough the sky is amazingly blue over the city. Of course there ... Read Full Entry

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Jeremy Chiron

Jeremyaroundtheworld

I am a 36-year old language teacher, currently working in Beijing. I was born in France but China has been my home for many years. I taught French and English in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, for 6 years. I never thought I would stay in China for such a long time but it’s been an amazing experience! Professionally speaking, teaching Chinese students is extremely rewarding. They are so hard-working and eager to learn new things. And then China… there aren’t enough words to describe this intricate (hence fascinating) country. “China is not to be liked or disliked: i... full info

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to get from Bishkek to Tashkent, I could take the highway through Kazakhstan and avoid the mountains...

or go through the mountains and ascend for 3 days!!!! Great memory! It was so hard but so rewarding!

This is Kyrgyzstan!

From Bishkek to Talas, through the mountains

when i think of cycling in Kyrgyzstan, this is what I think of

steep roads. Always the same inauspicous road signs

I climbed for 3 days to get to this tunnel. When i got there the police told me I wasn't allowed to cycle through...

I begged and begged! They eventually stopped traffic and let me go through. I rode as fast as I could: 3km uphill in the dark. On the other side? Downhill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on my way to Talas, from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan

a cold night in the tent

in the morning my water bottles are all frozen!

peaceful place to camp

cold but beautiful Kyrgyzstan

I camped there. I quickly showered there after breaking the ice...

I stopped to take a picture for them all

and they invited me for lunch. The Mom was a widow and she wanted me to go back to her hometown to marry her... haha!

up the 2nd pass on my way to Talas in November

Cold and windy! It was so windy that I didn't even need to use the brakes on the downhill!

last night in Kyrgyzstan

tomorrow I will be in Kazakhstan again!

at a bus stop. Men always take this pose when they are being photographed.

Taraz, Kazakhstan

a brand new mosque

These guys stopped me over and gave me tons of fruit

Thanks a lot!

changing a spoke... again!

in Kazakhstan

Aie! Young Kazak racing me!

my road in Kazakhstan was a bit boring

This is southern Kazakhstan

peaceful

Muhammed the farmer

he was off to the fields early in the morning. I was packing my tent...

last night in Kazakhstan. I will cross the border into Uzbekistan tomorrow

flat tire in the field... Stupid of me!

I exchanged some money in Tashkent... And i became a millionaire!

1 dollar = 2000som...

21st April 2014

Home and Away
Bob Carlsen

I was so happy to hear that Becky wants to join you next time...
I thought it was going to be a choice between her and the road. Now you can "have your cake and eat it too." The TB community looks forward to your completion of the Silk Road and your blogs. Meanwhile blog about life in China with Becky...and the joys of teaching languages. And you might go back and tell about your life in the U.S. and Australia.

22nd April 2014

RENanDREW
Ren & Andrew

Fantastic summary!
Thanks for the lovely summary of your incredible bike trip, I especially loved reading about the encounters you had with local people. Even after just a month away, putting on work clothes and shoes seemed odd - so I can imagine how you felt going back to city and working life again. Hope you hear about your next adventures soon! :)

22nd April 2014

denidax
Deni, Dax and Ella

Congratulations! What I loved the most is how extremely happy you look on all your photos! Please, don't stop blogging after this. All the best

23rd April 2014

auspicious
Michelle Duer

How surreal! I loved these lines: "Yes, I had to cook my own food; I often didn’t have running water (rivers), and on a few nights it got very cold (my water bottles froze inside my tent on many occasions) but I didn’t owe anything to anyone. It was just me and the stars, the birds and I, the dunes and I, and the sound of water or the ice-cracking at night." -- such a liberating and self-aware journey!

23rd April 2014

taracloud
Tara Cloud

Freedom on the open road...
Great summary of a most amazing journey! I love the freedom that you got, stopping where ever you wanted and seeing things up close, better than in a bus or car. Fabulous encounters with the locals that touched my heart, too. I'm sure you and Becky will have some adventures in China, so I look forward to those. Bon voyage!

23rd April 2014

At Lake Karakol, south of Kashgar, on the way to Pakistan

Dancing Dave
David Hooper

I CAN DO ANYTHING
Fabulous adventure...fabulous achievement...how wonderful you could share it...with locals...with Becky...and with your TB friends in the ether. While memories may fade over time you have zillions of great photos to relive and revive your soul. But one thing that will remain with you I am sure...is the knowledge that you can do anything you set your mind to...yep...anything.

9th May 2014

ingnova
Ingrida

Thanks for sharing
This last log sums it up, how incredible it was. Amazed about organizing all gear for such grand trip and puzzled what part of Europe would be nice to cycle, may be Finland for me in the summer.. Welcome to the Baltics if you ever make to this part :) Sure, its nothing of significance of nature like isolated mountains and deserts of Asia. yes, better lets keep dreaming :)

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8 INCROYABLE months on a bike!

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