8 INCROYABLE months on a bike!


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Asia » China » Xinjiang
March 21st 2014
Published: April 21st 2014
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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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Can't help smiling when I see this picCan't help smiling when I see this pic
Can't help smiling when I see this pic

in the bus Otabek sang many songs. he called his wife and his Mom and wanted me to talk to them. Ha! he was happy to talk about football, cycling... What else could I talk about in my broken Russian?! he sings at weddings and birthdays and makes a living out of it. Good luck!
at a rest stop for a few hours at a rest stop for a few hours
at a rest stop for a few hours

buses aren't allowed to ride after 10pm in Uzbekistan. We we were asked to get off and wait... for hours... These young men (a band) invited me for food and drinks. It was fun! Uzbek hospitality is so amazing. I will never forget it.
last dinner in Tashkent before going back to China. last dinner in Tashkent before going back to China.
last dinner in Tashkent before going back to China.

Dear Dominique and Gulnara, thank you once more for your hospitality! I hope to see you again soon, in Uzbekistan, Belgium, France, or China...
Khiva kidKhiva kid
Khiva kid

Kids in Uzbekistan love photos!
making silk carpets in total silencemaking silk carpets in total silence
making silk carpets in total silence

in Khiva, where I decided to put an end to my trip to fly back to Becky.
The end of the road at Tashkent AirportThe end of the road at Tashkent Airport
The end of the road at Tashkent Airport

It's been amazing! I want more! I will be riding again very soon... To be continued... Jiang Xin, I am coming back.
but the road is calling...but the road is calling...
but the road is calling...

to be continued...



21st April 2014

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

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

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
lake Karakul

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
this summarizes Kyrgyzstan on a bike!

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

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

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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