DAVE'S VIEWPOINT

Perspective of a motorcyclist – A travel diary

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Day 67 – 18/08/2019 – The first frontier of the European continent as I reach Istanbul, Turkey’s capital city. This massive metropolis consists of over 15 million inhabitants, and its history spans a timeline of the rise and fall of multiple empires. It was going to be impossible to see the best of the city in just one day, so I had to accept the fact that I will have to miss out on a lot of things. The best of Istanbul requires a pair of active legs, good walking shoes and a cup of tea between stops. Over two months of my time almost exclusively on the moto saddle and overall inadequate diet have meant that my leg muscles are now nothing more than twigs that struggle to walk around for hours so I refused to do too much walking. Unlike the majority of the pretty touristy villages within Istanbul, the colourful town of Balat remains fully open to traffic through its steep, narrow laneways. Overall, my experience in Turkey has been positive despite most of the time spent going from the west to the east of what is geographically a very large country. I’ve got to experience the charitable and very kind hearts of the people, had the opportunity to ride over some beautiful mountain roads and made it out alive despite the crazy drivers on the road. Four days are not close to enough to experience everything that a whole country can show, but it's still given me the opportunity to learn, understand and appreciate the ways of life that others lead. Certainly, a few days were enough to appreciate the good things for majority of countries that I’ve visited in this manner, including Turkey. Goodbye to Turkey as I reach the Bulgarian side of the border, in a country that I have previously visited last year as part of the Europe trip on the BMW R nine T Racer. The end of the journey across Eurasia is nigh. Give it a few more days and I will be able to start counting down the days to the final point of this trip with my fingers. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #turkey #istanbul #eurasia #overland
Day 66 – 17/08/2019 – Arrived over an hour after sunrise at Cappadocia. Air balloons adorned the skies of the landscape made up of rugged rock formations. I originally imagined that there’d be many more balloons, but I was probably too late for the morning peak. Slightly disappointed about not getting a crowded sky of balloons in the background of the mighty CRF, but the incredible natural scenery more than made up for it. A dry salt lake on the way to Ankara called Tuz Golu appeared on the side of the road. I wasn’t going to stop but I needed fuel at a servo across the road, though the massive crowds that were gathered on the surface of the lake made it seem enticing. After filling up the bike’s fuel tank, I was going to continue my journey, but winds were getting stronger and there were massive rain clouds ahead. There was a tourist centre in front of the lake, so I decided to stay there just in case the weather turned really bad, which it did minutes after parking my bike in front of the building. Crowds dispersed as storms arrived. I was starving, so I needed a feed but the only gosleme available was one with just cheese. Ugh. Better than nothing, I suppose. Once my order was ready for collection, the salt lake was completely void of people but the momentary rain had stopped. I had the whole lake to myself, so I took the food outside. The sight of such a vast open plain after storms, brightened by the reemerging sunlight that was gradually evolving to a soft sunset, somehow made the gosleme seem tastier. Unlike the destination of Cappadocia, Tuz Golu was unplanned and unexpected. I think Turkey has so much more to see as a traveller like in such instances, but unfortunately I have to spend as little time here as possible. Apart from Istanbul, I don’t plan to make any more stops. Tomorrow, to Istanbul and that will be it. But we’ll see how I make of my last day; I am at the mercy of Mother Nature and the impromptu offerings that I have eventually discovered that a road trip like this would bring. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #cappadocia #turkey #asia #europe #overland
Day 65 – 16/08/2019 – Riding across Anatolia, the majority portion of Turkish land that lies on the Asian continent. Didn’t get much sleep last night with good Wi-Fi in the hotel that enabled me to waste a lot of time on stupid YouTube videos, namely content from Isaac Butterfield (I need my weekly fix..), but I still woke up on time to make it for breakfast. What was supposed to be an 8-hour riding route had become an all-day and night journey. I felt drowsy very frequently on the way, so the equivalent of an hour of riding could only be done which necessitated an hour nap before continuing the cycle of constant breaks. At the very least, lunch on the way was worthwhile which consisted of testi kebabı, also known as pottery kebab because an individual clay pot is used to cook one portion before the contents are served on a dish. To complete the authentic Anatolian experience, this was washed down with şalgam suyu, an acidic fermented beverage made of fruits. By the end of the night, I was just too tired to even do the most basic of things. The clock was showing a few minutes until midnight, and my body was aching for a break. I stopped at the next fuel station ahead of me and looked for a suitable place to lay my head for the moment, but then figured that temperatures were dropping quickly. I needed an indoor area, or a place that wasn’t exposed to the mist that was developing outside. There was no choice but to use my tent, even if just a short nap is intended. The tent rods that hold up the roof of the tent had failed a few days ago, so a proper tent setup will have required a lot more effort than usual. I decided to tie the middle part of the tent top to the handlebar of the bike to create some sort of standing roof. I was going to continue the journey on the road after just a moment anyway; I only needed to rest my eyes for a bit. This nap turned into sleep for a wholesome 5 hours. Might have looked really uncomfortable to others, but it wasn’t a bad break; worked pretty well for me. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #trabzon #turkey #anatolia #asia #europe #overland
Day 64 – 15/08/2019 – Quick side note: I’ve had to cut out the caption due to IG’s limit. Sucks! See FB page for more … Anyway… Got stuck in traffic once I got to the coastal town of Trabzon. Apparently Trabzonspor won tonight’s football match against Sparta Prague, so everybody was in high spirits. The masses of ecstatic crowds further eroded any chance of flowing traffic conditions. Turkish drivers in the cities tend to use every space of the road when there’s a traffic jam. The Rotopax side luggage on my bike made lane filtering impossible in the Turkish gridlock. I noticed a bike in my side mirror whilst I waited in traffic. The rider gave me a nod before zooming away. I saw that the rider was waiting for me, gesturing if we should eat. I was damned hungry, so I nodded back in agreement even though I had no idea who he was, nor did I have a clue of where we were going. From then onwards, I followed his lead. Crowded footpaths and grassed areas were momentarily treated as though they were extra lanes, but that didn’t seem to matter for the Turkish traffic police who probably had more important issues than a couple of biker hoons. We arrived in an inner-city area of Trabzon where more football fans gathered to celebrate their victory. The guy asked me where I was staying for the night, so I told him that my initial plan was to make a 9-hour overnight trip to Cappadocia. After paying for my meal even though I refused to accept the very kind gesture, he insisted that he’d pay for a hotel room for the night. I thought he was nuts to be doing all this completely unconditionally, but then he probably thought I was even more crazy to even consider riding across the mountains in the dark for 800km. I really wasn’t expecting all this to happen, and I was hoping that I’d race across Turkey in as little time as possible, but such interactions have the power to change one’s heart. That’s bad news for me because I might end up spending much more time than planned; feeling very welcomed and already too comfortable in Turkey! #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #trabzon #turkey #europe #asia #overland
Day 63 – 14/08/2019 – The journey to Black Sea by night in Georgia. Today didn’t go the way I had planned. Just like yesterday, I woke up too late which had consumed much of the first half of the day. Can’t go through the day without food as well since I had almost nothing the previous day save for a few vending machine snacks. On the road from Tbilisi to Gori, I found a Wendy’s shop at a major highway stop, where they sold proper burgers. Making the most of the free Wi-Fi at the location, I ended up spending hours at the store without accounting for the time that was required to reach the western coastal area of Georgia. Before I realised, the clock zoomed past 4pm late into the afternoon. The ride was going to take me at least another 4 hours according to Google Maps. ETA information on Google Maps don’t translate very well in reality when travelling through foreign countries. Conditions can vary, and road closures aren’t always reflected in the suggested routes, as I had found previously in the middle of the city in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Likewise, a large chunk of the highway to the coast that was supposed to bypass the major urban area of Kutaisi was closed in Georgia, which meant that I had to ride through the busy streets that added more time to my journey. Sunset was approaching fast, and there was no sign of water up in the otherwise beautifully pink hue in the horizon ahead. Bugger. I really wanted a good sunset shot at the beach. By almost 11pm, I had finally made it to the campsite in Ureki that I should have arrived at before dinnertime. The coast was pitch black to the naked eye, so I thought there was nothing to see at night. It’s great that the camera is able to reveal much more than what the human eye can process, essentially turning night into day with the use of longer lens exposures. I no longer feel too bad about missing out on a sunset shot. Better luck tomorrow with that venture when I cross into Turkey. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #ureki #beach #georgia #blacksea #night #asia #overland
Day 62 – 13/08/2019 – Today was meant to be a very simple and easy day: Visit Armenia for a few hours, and then return to Georgia to continue the journey to the west. Morning didn’t really go as planned, however, as I had slept late in the previous night and didn’t wake up to my alarm. Waking up bleary-eyed to the rustle of joggers and dog-walkers on their late-morning exercise routines, I looked rather out of place with my bike and tent in the middle of a park in Tbilisi that I thought was secluded enough to be out of sight of public. What might have looked alright at night can be a whole different story when daylight reveals everything else that darkness would conceal. Crossing over to the Armenian border, my bike refused to start up. Turning the key would light up the dashboard, but when the ignition button was pressed, the whole bike would shut down. I was thinking that surely the battery would had not gone flat in such a short time, especially as I had done the distance from the Georgian capital to the Armenian border with no obvious problems. Maybe the constantly heavy use of power had overloaded the stator, not helped by the plethora of wires that was installed for my various electronics. I sat in the customs parking area, thinking for probably half an hour and contemplating on the potential of ending my whole trip just right here. Once I started getting to work on the bike, opening the side fairing to reveal the battery and fuse compartment, troubleshooting was quick and brief. The battery harness had lost all its screws, presumably from all the crappy roads that have inflicted unforgiving levels of vibration and harshness to the bike. The battery was only supported by the two terminal points, one of which had loosened enough for the negative side to lose direct contact. Tightening the screw to secure the terminal did nothing, as the screw and backing nut had rounded its thread, probably from constant movements like the battery harness. For now, the loose battery screw is secured with a bandage. A literal band-aid for a band-aid solution. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #landscape #georgia #armenia #haghpat #asia
Day 61 – 12/08/2019 – Goodbye to Azerbaijan, and hello to Georgia! No, not the state in the great USA, but the country that sits between Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. Straddling the Caucasus Mountains and a variety of political differences, Georgia is like a neutral buffer within a contentious region. For the first time in months, I now travel briefly through a region that holds a strong Christian influence with its churches opposed to the mosques of Central Asia and temples of the South and South-East. Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi, is known for its many historical monuments and sites thanks to its huge historical background. But none interests me more than the Chronicle of Georgia, sometimes referred to as Georgia’s version of the Stonehenge. Built during Soviet governance in the mid 80s, it remains incomplete as money had run out for the project. Gotta love the monuments that the Soviets built in the past, that all possess an atmosphere that no other modern structure has. Especially eerie at night, where imposing virility and exaggerated artistry combines with the modern use of concrete over underlying steel frames and formwork which is visible in the incomplete sections of this monument in Tbilisi. They're probably not designed to last for over a generation without continuing maintenance. Bulgaria's UFO-shaped monument is one example of such architecture which is crumbling to bits by the year. I sincerely hope that I don’t find anything too interesting in Georgia, because that will mean more time spent in the country, which means that I risk not being able to finish my journey to Germany on time. Georgia, I’ve heard, is meant to be an amazing country to visit as a motorcyclist. But ain’t almost every other country on earth too? Please tell me other ways to discourage me from exploring any further.. Time is ticking, and I must keep on moving! #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #tbilisi #georgia #asia #overland
Day 60 – 11/08/2019 – Made an overnight trip to Qabala in the mid-northern area of Azerbaijan, where my friend’s family owns a holiday property. A region that forms the edge of the Caucasus Mountains, the mountain ranges separate the larger urban areas of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia. I was so well treated out here by my friend, feeding on good food, going up the mountains to enjoy the scenery using the cable car, riding in an old Lada taxi and staying overnight in accommodation, all free of cost. I definitely owe my mate a big one when we go back to Sydney. I probably haven’t had a day that was as carefree and wholesome as my brief time out here for quite a long time. A few hours of breakfast, another few for lunch, and then more so for dinner time. Is there any wonder why I don’t eat well during my travels; eating takes too much time! Just like for many of the regions that I travelled through in Asia, I was able to make the most of the Australian currency rate to my advantage. Either we in Australia are getting ripped off for everything, or that Asia is simply a cheap place to travel. Case in point: Getting a make-it-or-break-it Azerbaijani haircut at the local barbershop for the equivalent of AUD$4.50. The haircut was fine; didn’t necessitate me to wear a head cover for the rest of the trip. The burning question though is how do people make a decent living with prices like that? I’ve got to thank my mates in Azerbaijan, Javad and Suleyman, for making my time in Azerbaijan a totally enjoyable one. If it weren’t for them, I would have had no clue about this country, and their hospitality have ensured that I could make the most of the good aspects of Azerbaijan given the very little time that I had. In saying that, my clock is saying that it’s not short enough, because Europe is calling! #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #tbilisi #georgia #asia #overland
Day 59 – 10/08/2019 – Thought I had seen the worst of the customs and immigration process after going through with it on the Kazakh side of the Caspian sea, but I had yet to have experienced the whole thing until I had to deal with clearance in Alat, the port town that deals with all sea freight in the Baku area for Azerbaijan. With even more costs to pay up for road taxes and freight receival processes, there was again more multiple visits to various offices at the port. Once arrived at the port area of the bay at 4am, the ferry had to wait for its turn for the docking area which finally occurred at midday. After all paperwork and payments were completed, it was already past 3pm. Despite running out of time for the day, I still made the small detour to Golbustan mud volcano located close to the port at Alat. Flowing with bubbling mud, they are built up in layers to form mini volcano-like mounds as a result of the release of methane gas. Despite its name, the mud that flows out is lukewarm at best; I was expecting the substance to be hot, but I was left feeling very slightly disappointed. After all, they’re not literally volcanoes. By evening, I made it to the country’s capital, Baku. With the help of my good friend Javad who I met in Sydney from many years back, I got to also meet up with some fellow riders, one of which was on an 1199 which made me ultra happy because it reminded me of my previous road trips on my own Ducati. The sound, the ergonomics, even the smell, they all were familiar territory, but when I sat on it and started the engine, it took me back to the time when I saw my own bike at the Ducati dealership the moment before paying for the bike all in cash back in 2015; great times. Baku is a beautiful modern city. After spending much of my time in neglected village areas and capital cities in Central Asia that more resembled big towns than proper cities, it was great to be in an active metropolis that appeared really clean, well organised and buzzing with life. I wish I had more time to spend in the city, particularly as it was a Saturday night, but I really had to keep a move on towards Georgia. #honda #crf250 #rally #motorcycle #roadtrip
Day 58 – 09/08/2019 – I was extremely lucky yesterday as I had just arrived on time to take the ferry service across the Caspian. As opposed to the 4 days that a few of the travellers had to wait for a Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan service, I only had to wait a meagre 4 hrs. Although I felt glad that I spent as little time as planned for this part of Kazakhstan, I was also regretful that I couldn’t see more. Hopefully there’d be a next-time for a trip through this vast country in the future. Much of the time prior to boarding the ferry was spent processing our documents in preparation for the journey across the Caspian Sea. Entering the other side of the customs area after 7pm, the many back and forth movements between the ticketing and banking area of the passenger terminal was accompanied by excessive waiting times every time we had to complete a successive step to secure our ferry tickets and relevant costs. By midnight, we were permitted to proceed to the ferry where motorists went to transport their vehicles in the loading area. Passports were given the Kazakh exit stamp in the upper deck before we were guided to our cramped cabins equipped with bunk beds, some of which did not have any windows. The ship probably did not leave the port until after 6am the next morning. During the day, there aren’t many things to do if unprepared. No communication or internet, no entertainment and limited indoor communal areas mean that it was a good chance for me to catch up on sleep debt from the previous few nights without distractions. It was at least assuring to know that I was still en route to a destination while I laid in bed doing nothing else. Food provided by the ferry service was edible but repetitive. Lentil soup gets old to the taste buds real quick when its eaten for every meal of the journey, but there wasn’t much of an alternative when I didn’t pack any food with me and no option exists for foods apart from what is served during the scheduled times. Overall, can’t really complain too much; as long as I make it to the other side of the Caspian with the motorcycle to continue on with my overland journey, I am content. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adv
Day 57 – 08/08/2019 – A brief welcome to Kazakhstan for myself, as I cross the border at midnight. With the intention to get to Aktau as soon as possible, I did away with a proper night’s rest, opting for a nap under a bus shelter as soon as I crossed over to the Kazakh side, which took me over 3 hours due to issues with my motorcycle registration paper. Apparently, the officers that I had to deal with had never had experience processing documents for foreign registered vehicles that weren’t from the Stans or Russia. Eventually, they somehow got all the required paperwork completed, and let me go on my merry way in the dark. By dawn, I reached the closest town in Beyneu, where I got ahold of that precious 95-octane unleaded petrol that was sorely missed in Uzbekistan. Not sure whether I’d see another servo that would offer good quality petrol until I get to Aktau, I filled up on that sweet thing in my main tank as well as the two Rotopax. My plan to get to Aktau as soon as possible was successful, making it to town by lunch. But I soon found out that there was no reason for me to visit as the ferry management company that used to sell tickets for services across the Caspian Sea no longer offer this service. Tickets are now obtained directly from the recently opened port at Kuryk which was a further 70km south of Aktau. Hurrying down to the new port, I made it to the customs area where there were a bunch of other travelers who had been waiting for a ferry to Azerbaijan for up to four days and counting. The great news for me was that there was a ferry arriving in the evening, so it seemed like I was just on time. That, until the official in charge of allocations initially refused to allow me a ticket to the night’s ferry service. I made a few phone calls, and an hour later, I was let in to the ticket office where there was an equally lengthy procedure just like last night at the border. As I type this, I am still waiting for an announcement for the boarding of the ferry, but there’s no guarantee as these services do not run on a set schedule. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #kazakhstan #overland
Day 56 – 07/08/2019 – I was getting cranky about many things today, even though they are all trivial in the face of a massive adventure like this (well, it’s massive for me anyway. I’m sure others have done much more in worse places). Too much heat from the previous day, strong winds that carried dust with it, winds that pushed over my bike causing racks and bars to bend, lack of petrol stations, too many people honking their horn, drivers that weave across their lanes and don’t seem to give much room as they overtake, the list goes on. The last thing I wanted was some random to interact with me. I wanted out of Uzbekistan as soon as possible. Then it happened. Some guy on the road, at first seemed like he was going to run me over on a real bad patch of road. He’s honking at me, yelling something in some local language that I don’t understand, gesturing me to pull over. I’ve seen how these locals drive on these roads. I stood no chance in escaping. Reluctantly, I stopped on a clear area away from the road and the man in the car got out, giving out a stop gesture with his open palm. For a few seconds, he rustles around in the other side of the car, then gets out. The man brings out a yellow melon, pulls out a pocket knife and began to cut it in pieces. Cutting the fruit with what seemed like a really sharp blade as he dissects the melon as though it was warm butter, he urges me to eat the fruit. I needed a moment as I had to change my frown into a more neutral facial expression as I accepted the offer. I was prepared act cold-blooded and leave as swiftly as possible, but I ended up eating probably three-quarters of the whole melon. I thought I was going to leave the western part of Uzbekistan in bad spirits, but it just took one random stranger to change the whole afternoon as I progressed through the Kazakh border, which was another slight nightmare itself. Despite the bad roads that descended to downright hazardous, it all didn’t seem to matter for at least that very moment. That melon was good. And so was Uzbekistan. You weren’t too bad after all. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #uzbekistan
Day 55 – 06/08/2019 – Almost looks like I’m back in Australia, on the long stretch of Barrier Highway towards Broken Hill, except I’m still here out in Central Asia. Strangely enough, through the journey from Malaysia up to this point, this has been the most difficult part of the journey in the “-stans”, battling against lingering fatigue from the previous few days, and juggling between the tedious challenge of hydration through the incredible heat and the boring straight roads of Uzbekistan, intensified by the push to catch up with my original schedule that’s becoming more out of reach by the day. Although I haven’t been measuring ambient temperatures on the go, the many cyclists that I had bumped into on the way have reported road temperatures easily exceeding 50 degrees on the route between Bukhara and Nukus. Sounded rather exaggerated, until I went to experience it for myself. You know that it is bloody hot when the helmet feels cooler with the visor down and you feel your sweat evaporate under the raging heat. You’re left begging for any form of shade when you realise that you’re in the middle of a massive desert road with insane local drivers, and amenities are hundreds of kilometres away from each other. Speaking of amenities, the Uzbekistanis have an almost universal preference for LP gas over petrol outside of the big cities. As I went further towards the west, “benzin” stations (i.e. petrol in local words) were nowhere to be seen. Any stations that were available were just exclusively for gas. That would have been a problem for me, had I not filled up my two 7.5L Rotopax tanks before heading out of Bukhara. My plan for the night was to sleep out on an empty field simply because I feel much happier when I get to use my tent. That seemed like a good idea in the morning when conditions at Bukhara was pleasantly balmy at night. Once arrived over 800km away at my new destination past midnight in a place void of any buildings, windy conditions turned my tent into a makeshift sail that refused to stay still on the ground. It’s okay, sleep is for the weak anyway. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel
Day 54 – 05/08/2019 – Stuck in another Central Asian city for the day! This time in Bukhara, where there are many more mosques, fortresses and mausoleums; a city rich in history going back over two millenniums. The fortifications of Ark once protected its inhabitants during the siege of Genghis Khan until fighters eventually breached its walls. The walls were also subject to the conquests of the Soviets during the Russian Civil War. So much of what was ruined and rebuilt so many times throughout history have now become venues of mass tourism, and a particularly respected part of the Islamic world. I will now have to forcefully promise myself that Bukhara will be the last city that I will stay in for more than 24 hours, because time is ticking, but progress on the road is going at the slowest rate that I’ve ever covered as a motorcycle traveller. I look forward to getting to Azerbaijan within the next few days, pending the ferry schedule across the Caspian Sea that only runs on demand; i.e. only once the cargo area is full, the ship will depart the port. How I will take less than a month to reach Germany, I have no clear idea. When I reach Baku in Azerbaijan, I will still have a whole continent to ride across, with yet even more interesting sights to see. Although I had done the trip around Europe last year on the BMW R Nine T Racer, there were lots of places that I needed to bypass so that I could cover 20000km in just 7 weeks of a mixture of highways and tight mountain roads. There are two options that I could potentially take when I enter Europe. One is to stay on land and take the route through Serbia + Bosnia, seemingly a forgotten part of Europe when it comes to tourism but would offer a huge insight to a region that was ravaged by NATO forces in the 90s. The other is to take the culturally comfortable journey to Greece and then take the ferry across to Italy, just so that I can get some good pizzas in Naples which, by the way, sounds like a dream as I plough into my morning rice porridge in Bukhara while I type all this out. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #bukhara #uzbekistan #asia #overland
Day 53 – 04/08/2019 – Leaving Samarkand to get to Bukhara, the next major city towards the west of Uzbekistan. Fatigue had hit me hard over the few days out here in the country, requiring me to take a nap all throughout the day at a restaurant. The great thing about Central Asian restaurants is that many of them have the option for elevated floor seating, which also doubles as a daybed. Food on the table, tree shade from the harsh sunlight of midday to take a break away from the road. There are two distinct types of Central Asians: sober and drunk. When I am feeling introverted and yearning for some privacy, I’d say out loud in a very exaggerated accent, “I’m from ‘Straya, the land from Down Under. True Blue Aussie, mate” when they ask if I speak Russian. Usually the normal sober ones would leave me alone in a moment when they realise that it’s going to be near impossible to communicate with me, even if they knew English. The drunk ones, though, would repeat what they’re saying in their language, but even slower than the preceding utterances, probably thinking that would make it easier for me to understand. It’s likely the same way we in Australia treat non-English speaking people: Do youuu speak Englishhh? (very slowly) Evening is when the otherwise hot and dry conditions of the day turn more pleasant for outdoor activities. Uzbekistanis love to decorate their buildings with LED installations to attract patronage by night. The lighting designs are usually very simple, generally to accentuate the shape of a building, and some with palm tree shapes to give the illusion of an oasis in a vast, empty and dark plot of land. If it wasn’t for the lighting, I would have missed out on seeing Malik Sardoba in the dark, located near Navoi, on the way to Bukhara. An old, dome-shaped, 13-metre-deep water reservoir built over 900 years ago, it was the king’s source of water back in the day. The dome is made of clay, mixed with sheep milk and camel fur to insulate the water from the intense desert heat. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #night #navoi #bukhara #uzbekistan #asia #overland
Day 52 – 03/08/2019 – Stayed at Samarkand for another night. My journey across Central Asia is going at a mighty slow pace, going over my one-night-per-city standard that I’ve usually practiced in the past. Heat and fatigue has played a part, no doubt, but I also think there is that slight allure of the different cultural experiences in Central Asia that’s so unlike that of the offerings back at home that has prevented me from riding through the region without exploring those aspects further. Spending a bit of time on learning up on local customs, I’ve wondered specifically why people of countries influenced by Russia, linguistically and culturally, would commonly pose for photos with blank facial expressions. Apparently, being too smiley in public is a sign of mental illness or inferior intellect. I feel a little idiotic now, as I would display, what I thought, a non-offensive smile in every interaction I’ve had in this part of the world. To make up for my social iniquity, I’ve taken photos of myself in the historic parts of Samarkand, the local way. When travelling in Uzbekistan, registration with a hotel or any other accepted accommodation is required at least every three days. The proof of registration is given in the form of a small paper slip that lists your details in relation to the overnight stay, and then stamped, and is then presented to border guards upon departure from Uzbekistan. Found a club by night where some dude offered an invitation for unconditional drinks on the house. A tap on the neck means, "vodka, vodka!" a drink that I wish I didn't have too much of. I've promised myself that I would not drink until the end of this journey but, just like in Osh, in Kyrgyzstan, I broke that vow. Central Asia is ruining me, but that's fine. The only loser here is time and peak health. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #samarkand #uzbekistan #registan #mosque #mausoleum #asia #overland
Day 51 - 02/08/2019 - Finally departed from Dushanbe, riding on Tajikistan's western mountainous roads before entering into the flat landscapes of Uzbek territory. There are many tunnels built into the main routes to reduce any disruption caused by landslides. Where the scenery opens up to the outdoors, a flowing road in good condition exists for an enjoyable and consistent ride, a significant contrast to the rugged Pamir region of the east of Tajikistan. Anzob Tunnel, which runs for 5km, used to be infamous for being dangerously dark without a proper driving surface that was littered with massive potholes. These days, it had been made safer thanks to the recent assistance of the Iranian government to complete the tunnel. It's still really dark, made worse by the lack of ventilation that I may as well had been breathing directly into a diesel exhaust pipe. It's saved me hours in travelling time to Uzbekistan, but whether I'd get lung cancer in the future because of this extremely sooty and smoggy tunnel is a question that remains unanswered. Arriving in Samarkand by afternoon, the border process between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was short and without any undue hassle, a contrast to my initial perception that there was a long process to greet me upon arrival. A short and swift farewell from the Tajik side, and a brief welcome without embellishment in the Uzbek side. Passport stamped, only a few baggage scanned, a quick inspection by the detection dog, and a moment for the motorcycle details to be recorded. Not too long until I left the border, I rode to Samarkand city centre, being waved at by all the kids on the side of the road. Much like Tajikistan without the mountains but a nicer urban area. Welcome to Uzbekistan. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #nature #landscape #anzob #tunnel #mountain #tajikistan #samarkand #uzbekistan #asia #overland
Day 50 - 01/08/2019 - First day of August now, which officially marks one month remaining until I should reach Cologne in Germany as planned on my original schedule. One week off schedule as we speak, so I need to somehow fly across the continent towards Turkey. Previously I was attempting to get my Iranian visa renewed so that I can still visit the country, but at this stage I have fully given up on that endeavour. Initially very disappointed, but trade offs were required for my journey to have progressed the way it has up to this point in Tajikistan, a country that I did not even think of visiting until half way into this trip Staying another day in Dushanbe, I spent time sorting out the bike. It was no surprise that I had lost a few bolts, but what I didn't expect was a total fracture of one side of the luggage rack. Needing urgent welding work, I went in search of somebody who could help within the day because I really needed to leave the city by tomorrow evening, but that's not possible with an unstable frame. Nobody seemed to want to help, or were either on perpetual lunch break like the guys in the Iranian embassy. On top of this, I got locked into the hostel toilet for over an hour and had to be rescued by the hostel manage which wasted crucial time that I needed for other more important things to get sorted. The day was looking real bad, until I met a few fellows at a workshop in the southern fringe of the city who took out their whole afternoon to help me out while attempting to speak in our own languages supplemented with Google Translate and sign language. A day that could have ended on a really bad note turned out to be an awesome day thanks to these really keen helpful people. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #roadtrip #dualsport#motorcycle #adventure #travel #dushanbe #tajikistan #asia #overland
Day 49 - 31/07/2019 - A day in Tajikistan's capital city, Dushanbe. A population of under a million, a commemorative monument of ancient Tajik warrior Ismoili Somoni stands tall in the central square of the city. Now down to an altitude of 700 metres, the hot daytime conditions render my all-weather jacket useless with its inadequate ventilation. It's really got me craving an ice cendol from Malaysia. An iced chai tea would do very well too. For now, the 'American' pulped orange juice that's available in the convenience stores of Kyrgyz and Tajikistani cities have been keeping me going. Avoiding the heat meant putting a hold on the stuff that I was meant to do earlier in the morning, but didn't because I woke up late. I also spent too much time unsuccessfully trying to get Instagram and the camera working on my mobile after dropping it in a river which seemed to have caused various issues; such a waste of time when the world outside was waiting for me to explore. I eventually got out real late in the afternoon to reach the Iranian embassy in Dushanbe, but conflicting addresses and multiple major highway closures that caused me major detours and delays meant that I couldn't get there on time. Better luck tomorrow. I got to catch up again with @sebrdn the French guy on the Royal Enfield later in the evening after separating on our own way the previous day. Colourful lights decorate the main avenues and prominent structures of Dushanbe at night, turning a boiling hot environment by day into a balmy and pleasantly walkable outdoor museum and playground by evening. I hope to have everything sorted by tomorrow in Dushanbe before making an express journey to Caspian Sea. Loosened bolts are a constant issue across the rugged conditions, so I'll have to give the bike a check up while I have the chance in the comfort of Green House Hostel in Dushanbe, where overlanding cyclists love to congregate. Also an opportunity to wash all my clothes and let out to dry in the heat, though I know they'll get dirty in a day from all the dust that roadtripping brings. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #adventure #travel #roadtrip #motorcycle #dushanbe #tajikistan #asia #overland
Day 48 - 30/07/2019 - Returning to a world of +40°C days, leaving the cool and mild weather conditions that made the valleys and mountains of the Pamir a pleasant place to visit even though the road conditions were horrendous at times. Approaching Dushanbe, I will have to contend with deadly summer conditions across the vast flat plains through Uzbekistan until I get to Aktau in Kazakhstan to catch the ferry across the Caspian Sea. Speaking of terrible roads on the Pamir, although still pretty bad, it wasn't as horrible as I was expecting. My benchmark for a bad experience on unsealed roads is when I went across from Sydney to Alice Springs via the Innamincka Trail in South Australia on a stupidly overloaded Africa Twin. Getting stuck in deep sand, dropping the bike so many times over bulldust, and hundreds of kilometres without a sign of any other human, that was an experience that I didn't want to repeat without proper preparation. At least on the Pamir, villages and partially paved roads exist in intervals of every few hours of riding. I reckon my old rear tyre would have easily survived the trip across Tajikistan without having it changed at Osh in Kyrgyzstan. Either way, I think the combination of low expectations and a very suitable motorcycle for the job had ensured that my journey across the Pamir was without too much unnecessary fuss. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #nature #landscape #tajikistan #dushanbe #asia #pamir #overland
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