Some two or three months ago. Just going by my blurred memory, we were in the exhausting heat of Uzbekistan. On the roads where there was a high probability of getting an icecream, we’d often attract quite a bit of attention. Along with the beeping, there was this constant question of Otkuda ‘where are you from?’ in Russian. If my motivation was high my reply was always Anglia, if they didn’t respond to England. If I was too hot or run down, I will admit to not replying at all. But these request were in the hundreds. Coupled with that heat, it was driving me nuts. Of course each person we met, it was a new experience for them. Of course not for me, it could be 10am and I’d already been asked five times. I really wanted to get something out of this. Then it dawned on me that I could be from anywhere. It was mundane because I always said England. These requests would often come from a slowing car window. Once the question was answered, off they went. I never understood what they got out of it. At one point I convinced myself that all Uzbeks were on a mission to fill in a country wide database of all the differential nationalities visiting their country. Seeing as England gets a pretty big representation on the travel front I thought Id mess about with their database. For some weird reason I liked being from Bolivia. With what I deemed to be a thick Bolivian accent, I would shout back “BOLIVIA!” With one particular car I chose Uruguay, another favourite of mine. I had to repeat four times in my best accent. This group of old men looking at one another shrugging shoulders. I pointed south and said “America”

“Ah America da” And off they went. I almost felt offended that they didn’t know where my adopted country was. However the entertainment was short lived and even Bolivia became a mundane response. And with the border fast approaching I ended my last days in Uzbekistan as an Englishman.

 

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This was the last tunnel we cycled through in Tajikistan. Unfortunately I hit the side wall of the tunnel and flew over my handle bars. Luckily there wasn’t a car too close to finish me off. We try to avoid these dark tunnels of death from now on.

 

 

Like any new country, we entered Tajikistan with a bit of optimism, and by some fortune of fate the beeping was gone. The occasional Atkuda remained, but I could deal with it occasionally. We were here for the famed Pamir highway. One of the high motorable roads of the world, topping 4000m. I had feelings of excitement, but also apprehension. Especially after my achilles playing up. But this was a big part of our journey and one that so many cyclists have on their hit list. For good reason to. The road takes us on so many twists and turns, surprising me with so many different landscapes. I’ve seen plenty mountains, but there’s always a unique quirk from one to another. Although at times the road was tough, it didn’t disappoint.

 

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You could hear a pin drop in these places. Tajikistan was a camping heaven.

 

 

So what am I becoming numb to? I’m writing this in the most relaxed environment. We’re camped next to a crystal clear stream, alone in the foothills of the Kyrgyz himalayas. Smoking weed that we’ve found growing on the side of the road. But despite the joint, I’m certainly not numb right now, I feel alive and clear. However it hasn’t been so relaxed like this since leaving Tajikistan. Instead of taking in the experience, my mind only focuses on when I can next have a break. How many days can I just sit down and stare at a screen. The city of Osh was our first real break since Dushanbe, over a month on the move. Moving on from that week off the bike was a painful experience. I yearned for some more time in a bed, a kitchen, to make another cake. In short I was still tired and not ready for another sun baked day on the saddle.

 

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It must of been pushing 40 in this valley, the rocks just radiating the heat. We thought this was going to be a tarmac road, a little treat for our bums. Instead it was badly corrugated. We decided to stop early by the river running through the valley, unfortunately a group of biting fly’s had already set up camp.

 

 

Travel is something we need to enjoy, or at least be learning something from. I felt like I was becoming numb to it, and only learning that a lot of cycling without rest makes me tired. If I’m honest this was a lesson I didn’t want to be learning. But I am and I think we need a break. When I’m tired I overlook things, I fail to take in my surroundings, think of the bigger picture. Realising that being here means I’m not at a desk. Even though sometimes I wish I was. Because anything beats slaving up a gravel road in the heat. With a song stuck in my head that liked but now hate. But at the desk I dreamt of these moments, of being outside, loving the world you are born into, and collecting memories not money. Of course I still feel this way, and I do love being outside. I guess the dreams of the desk job was just the heat getting my head a bit.

 

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Stopping early. As long as there is food in our bags and we have enough until our next supply. We have a home. This is me having a good old scrub down.

 

 

Some how amongst all my feelings of tiredness I found the energy to read each night before sleeping. I downloaded a few different things in Osh and in that collection was a book by Carl Sagen ‘Billions and Billions’ I was first attracted by the book because it talked about the universe and its scale. I didn’t really know what the book’s context was, but it changed. It moved on to global warming, population, political views and many other subjects. Things that I hadn’t spent much time thinking about in a while, as I was too focused on self pity. Especially the effects of global warming, a term that seems unfashionable these days. In western europe I feel like the media doesn’t talk about the science, what is really causing it and what the effects might be. Instead the tired audience has heard enough, and has to deal with their own set of problems. We know the problem is there, but out of our control. That’s how I felt anyway. Also I think that there’s a strong belief that we have cleaned up and we are pushing towards renewables. That is a positive thing certainly, but from what I have seen outside of Europe this is not the global trend. The earth is warming but no one really knows what are going to be the true effects. Instead of shying away from the idea I want to know as much as I can.

 

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We are about to fly to Delhi, if there wasn’t the red tape in the way we would cycle. I’d be interested to know if my carbon footprint was higher for that flight than one of these 4×4 doing a round trip from Germany. Not that it really matters, we are all burning fuel in what ever we do. Just some more than others.

 

 

We will take a break soon, to give us some time to rest and recover. Some time to think about life and our next destination. India. Which no doubt will re awaken all sorts of emotions. But I want to arrive with energy and a positive perspective so I can make the most out of the experience. I have learnt once again, that if I push myself, get over worked in whatever I am doing. I become numb to it. Life that is.

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As beautiful as it is, it’s hard to enjoy the view whilst slaving up these hills. I have to stop and make a conscious effort to take it in.

 

I wrote this around two weeks ago, like I said by a crystal clear stream enjoying natures herbs. Since then Mayu and I have really slowed our pace. It almost felt as though we are no longer travelling, but living on the side of the road. Cycling around 20km a day, much more relaxed. Still some days have been a bit grim, battling some serious thunderstorms in the night, holding the tent up from the inside as the wind tries to collapse it. Or spending the evening fully covered with clothing with our head nets on, cooking dinner. Whilst being dinner for all the insects around us. But in complete contrast to that we have had plenty of magical moments. Out of this world camp spots that left us spell bound throughout the evening. Always with the time and energy to enjoy them.

 

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A beautiful moment, one I could just keep staring at. But is that storm coming for us? The level head sets in and we push to get off this mountain to find a safe place camp and brace ourselves for the storm.

 

 

As I write we are still at over 3000m by a beautiful lake about 100km from Bishkek. We took the old Osh to Bishkek road that leads us over a pass of 3500m. The road was a grassy track, but avoids a long busy tunnel that we were advised hitch hike through. As its too dangerous to cycle. Seeing the traffic and the way people drive, that is good advise. But avoiding one danger, lead us to another. The ascent was a steady climb, and we could cycle most of the way. The descent however, down to the lake was a different story. There had been a heavy landslide, the mountain was literally crumbling. Sat by the lake now I can see the top of the pass and occasionally you hear the sound of rocks falling. In my eyes the road is not safe. By chance we met a guy from New Zealand as we were cycling up the main road before we took the turning for the old road. He said he went over the top as we had planned. He had big strong legs and lots of climbing gear strapped to his bike. He was mountaineering and planned on climbing a 7000m peak in the south of the country. He casually mentioned a landslide and that we would have to get off our bikes at one stage. However if we had to tackle this on the way up we almost certainly would have turned back. Hopefully to my untrained eye it is safer than it looked and certainly safer than cycling the tunnel.

 

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Our last days camping in Krygyzstan before we descend to low lands of the city.

 

 

All in all it was a nice way to end our adventures in central Asia, feeling rested and positive. Ready to hit the big city lights of Bishkek, Delhi and beyond.

 

One Response

  • Hi Elliot and Mayu,
    Wow…you two are still on the road!!! Very long trip and I can certainly understand how you’re feeling though I’ve never cycled across the world or really anywhere at length. When do you expect to be in Japan?

    I like that you’ve slowed your pace to 20 km a day especially when you’re becoming less that happy to be on the road. Even though I wasn’t away for a long time, I did long for some of the modern world. I craved ice cream and pizza and the first thing I did (even when I was in Kigali, Rwanda) was have an ice cream and pizza. They were the first things I wanted and GOT!!! haha. I longed to watch a tv show, to just sit and relax and have my own kitchen (just like you) and now that I have the tv again (even though it’s just briefly as I house and dog sit), I seldom watch it. It is super wonderful to have a kitchen, though I seldom cook. Not sure if you remember Den and my cooking style…it was almost non existent, haha.

    Anyway, I’m rambling on but wanted to say hello and say that the experiences you and Mayu are having now will be a part of you always. Even though it’s difficult, I feel that you wouldn’t change it for anything especially sitting behind a desk. To go back to that world will be one of the most difficult things for you to do (it’s where I am at right now…I simply can not). I’ve been home for three months now and still trying to ‘come back’ from being away. I don’t see myself being able to work a 9-5 job again and I still itch to be on the road again, seeing new places, meeting new people. Even though when I was out meeting new people and hearing the same thing over and over again, I just thought like…’f**k off’ and leave me alone!!! I know that’s horrible because it’s new for them. But you know…I miss that lifestyle very very much. I loved those children running out the the road saying, ‘How are you? I am fine (getting an answer before actually having a chance to answer back, haha). When I’m traveling, the only thing I miss from home is my daughter and nephew but certainly not the lifestyle…not really. We are bound to remember and enjoy the kind of life we are raised in but it doesn’t mean we it’s where we belong.

    Den is trying to come here to Canada this winter/early spring and as much as I love Den and want him to come here to see my beautiful country, I felt sadness when he ensured me he was coming here. Why? Because that meant I wouldn’t get back to Kenya for much longer than I had wanted. I realized that Den is/was not the only attraction there though he is a huge part of the attraction yet not all of it.

    Anyway, I’ve really rambled on. I hope that you two are able to refresh and enjoy the next leg of your trip. Is there a rush to get to your final destination? Maybe more often, you should actually take the opportunity to stay somewhere more modern and ‘educated’ (that’s a horrible word but I can’t think of a more appropriate word right now) so you can actually have a real conversation other than just ‘where are you from’. I think when you give yourself that luxury, you might end up appreciating where you are a bit more…maybe? Just my thoughts/experience that help appreciate where you are at.

    Okay, I best continue on and start on my exercise plan!! It’s normal to gain like 10-15 pounds after I return from where I love to be (which isn’t here) and I have definitely reached the limit..yikes, haha.

    Stay safe, take care and enjoy your day with a smile :)
    Penny

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