|
Borneoman & Trailing Spouse On 2 Wheels
5 Attachment(s)
Hi All,
This is my first time writing sharing our part of our story. My name is Zainal (difficult to pronounce, so just refer me as Z as in Zorro) from Malaysia and my wife is Celeste, a South African. We have been married since 1991 (didn’t realize it has been that long). We are starting our journey on 1 April 2014 (April Fool Day). Due to the difficulty to get permission to ride through Myanmar and the high cost to go through China (our wallet is not that thick), we have decided to air freight our bike, the ‘Black V’ (V stands for Kawasaki Versys) to Kathmandu, Nepal. We shall start our journey from there and ride through a few Middle Eastern countries, Europe and down to South Africa. The traveling is plan for 13 months, free and easy and no rushing, nothing is set, and we will just go with the flow. Why are we doing this trip? Simply because we want to meet people of diverse backgrounds, experience the different types of food, see different sceneries, experience the different kinds of weather and hear & understand (at least) the languages and the beliefs of people of the world. Most importantly we want to see for ourselves how people in different countries live their life because you can only learn so much from books. Who are we? We are in our very early 50s. Since we have the energy, still physically strong and our hair is not yet fully grey, this is the right time to do what we want to do. Celeste is an educator in the entertainment and arts and also very active in social work. I am just an average 9-5 Joe, heavily involved in the development of human resources. Career wise, we both deal and have passion for people and this traveling suit us nicely. The Black V is a 650 cc, year 2011 with 14,000 km on it. I am not a technical or mechanical savvy person so my ability to do heavy bike repair is almost ‘zero’ but it should not be an issue because we will pick up the know how along the way through ‘trial and error’. Why the Black V and not a Black GS or Tenere? Well, our reply is ‘why not?’. We know that any bike will do, even on a scooter. If you happen to see a Black V somewhere out there (riding or stranded), please give us a honk, a cup of coffee or even a place to stay (ha ha). The Black V is already in the airport warehouse just waiting to be ship to Kathmandu via Bangkok on Tuesday. It will arrive Kathmandu on Wednesday mid-day and we will pick it up from the airport on the same day or latest by Thursday. We will update our report as much as we could depend on wifi availability, so please feel free to follow our journey. Cheers, Zainal (Z as in Zorro) & Celeste |
Good luck and have fun. Eric
|
Looking forward to hearing about your travels!
|
Great, looking forward to your reports!! :clap::clap:
|
Glad to be connected. Wishing you both a pleasant and safe journey...:clap:
Take care. Ramesh & Kamala |
10 Attachment(s)
Hi All,
It has been quite a while since our last posting. We are now (5 Apr) in Kathmandu since 1 April. The weather is still quite cold despite winter already ended last month. Kathmandu is a very busy city with movements everywhere – cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, bicycles and people moving in all directions, left right, front back, top & below, just like an army of ants marching. The honking of cars, buses, lorries, motorcycles and even bicycles is another issue of concern, so you need to have ear plugs to keep you sane. You also need a face mask to keep the dust out of the nose and mouth. If you have mastered ‘tai-chi’ then you could move easier on the streets because you can manoeuvre your way in between motorcycles, cars, rickshaws and bicycles easily. Hmmmm, ear plugs face mask and tai-chi, yeah what a combination !!! Nepal people are very accommodating, helpful, humble and tolerant. We have a lot of respect for them. The majority are poor but despite the hardships they are facing in life, they are very hardworking and happy. There are many hotels in Kathmandu and the room rates are as low as USD15 per night with plenty of choices. Within the 5 days in Kathmandu, we have stayed in 3 different hotels because the 1st one is a bit expensive, the 2nd hotel exercise their own way of supplying electricity, water and internet for their hotel’s customers and the 3rd one so far seems okay as we did not encounter any issue and they give us free breakfast unlike the first 2 though this 3rd hotel is cheaper. Move to a 4th hotel…… we are not sure yet ! So if you have the time and you are a bit resourceful, you can get quite a good bargain for hotels in Kathmandu. The power supply in Nepal is under government control and will come on and off according to the time schedule. Hotels too are not exempted. Most hotels have generators to do their in-house power supply. So your time management capabilities must be good so that you can timely charge your phone, lap top, camera etc. Don’t worry after a few days in Kathmandu you will get used to it. Our bike, the Black V is arriving Kathmandu on Sunday, 6 April and we are taking it out from the airport on Monday, 7 April. Black V has given us some drama and almost did not make it to Kathmandu. It was supposed to arrive in Kathmandu on 2 April but it didn’t. The forwarding agent that we entrusted to send the bike suddenly decided to increase the price by 250% from the original price at the very last hour. After a few days of ding & dong and ping & pong with our lawyer posting a letter right to their office door, they eventually agreed to send the bike. However, all these ding dong ping pong has cost us some extra money which we did not plan for. So if anyone is planning to ship/airfreight out his bike from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia our advice is not to use this agent. You can contact us personally (zainal-b@hotmail.com) to check whether the agent you are engaging is the same one we had encountered. If you still decide to engage this agent, you should engage a lawyer as well, just in case. We are heading to Pokhara, about 215 km west of Kathmandu next Tuesday, 8 April or Wednesday, 9 April. We plan to do a short mountain hiking over there. Meanwhile Celeste (the Trailing Spouse) has found something to do in Kathmandu. She is giving dance lessons to students at a local college. I am yet to find anything to do (or should I), so while Celeste is busy with her students, I will continue to walk around the city with my ear plugs, face mask and further practise my tai-chi skills because we still have more than a week to go in Nepal. In terms of providing like/love rating levels for Kathmandu, our rating so far is 8/10. We love the people’s enthusiasm, hospitality, the weather, the good food the cheap hotels and of course, The Trailing Spouse is loving the shopping and I have to keep reminding her “panniers…not suitcase” otherwise I’ll have to get a side car just for the luggage. :scooter: Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse On 2 Wheels |
10 Attachment(s)
More pictures in Kathmandu Nepal to share.
Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse on 2 Wheels |
Thanks Bro for the update. Looking forward for more postings.
Take care. Regards. Rajen |
Have a safe trip and I'll follow along.
|
Hi All,
On 7 Apr 2014, being the last night in Kathmandu we had our dinner at Naglo, which is a well know restaurant. I had Thali chicken set and my Mrs ordered corn bread and dhal. To close the night, we ordered apple pie and hot lemon & ginger with honey. The dinner was just perfect to end our stay in Kathmandu. It was raining when we headed back to our hotel. Probably Kathmandu was crying because we are leaving. We left Kathmandu early the next day after breakfast, slightly before 8 am. The weather was still chilly. Pokhara is about 211 km away but we were informed that the journey would take about 5 hours because of the roads and traffic condition. Black V seemed excited to be in Kathmandu and it gave no trouble to start everything up in the morning. We stopped at a Castrol station to fill up. Petrol per litre is USD1.47 and I only topped up 10 litres only because I did not want to overweigh Black V. After topping up petrol, we headed straight to Highway 1 leading to Pokhara. The 'highway' is a 2 lane road, 1 yours and the other one belongs to the on-coming vehicles. but in actual fact in Nepal, your lane also belongs to the other vehicles. Quite frequently, you have to slow down or stop completely because the other vehicles - buses, trucks, mini vans, cars, motorcycles, tractors etc will come into your lane like you don't exist. So to ride safe, you have to take care of your own self because the on-coming vehicles don't bother about you. We rode slowly and sometimes very very slow. The road condition was 50% good, 25% bad and 25% extremely bad. A lot of pot holes, uneven surfaces and also road under repair. The road winds up and down and around the mountain with the cliff on one side and a ravine on the other. The weather was clear and we caught glimpses of the Annapurna range. Although the road was sometimes dangerous and daunting, the scenery was very beautiful and awesome. I can explain over here by describing them and showing photos but it would not be the same and it is something that you have to experience for yourself. The whole journey took us about 8 hours because we took it slow and easy. No hurry and no rushing, like we said before 'it is not the destination that matters but the journey'. We arrived in Pokhara at around 5 pm and went to Phewa Lake, a touristy spot just like Phuket. A lot of foreigners around and the place is quite a laid back place. Later we checked into ‘Arrival In Highland’ hotel near the lake with reasonable rates and breakfast included. The hotel owner conducted a small welcoming ceremony to welcome us into their hotel. Black V is parked in a secure place in the hotel compound. We did a 3 days 2 nights mountain trekking in Pokhara. Our visa will expire on 16 Apr so we will stay in Phokara till 15 Apr and after that we will proceed to India. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse on 2 Wheels [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2e80be98.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc76a7b8c.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1118c48a.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc21680f2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps00d98f00.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps19ba385e.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa6ed128d.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps66b5393d.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6f4984fd.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3a62104a.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7c6659da.jpg[/IMG] We did a 3 days 2 nights mountain tracking in Pokhara. [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps02b9ed66.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3edab9bd.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8886edf3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9584b331.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7c75058e.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psabaa075f.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psb359ed66.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psae5f8510.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psdab592c4.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps31c323e3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps024f4a48.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9acfe3bc.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa709f016.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps227bf9da.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb16a303.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa0988baf.jpg[/IMG] |
Awesome.......Take care.
|
Top of the world. Have good fun.bier
|
Hi All,
We left Pokhara very early morning on 15 April as our visa is expiring on April 16. Our destination was Sonauli (Pokhara – Tansen – Butwal – Sonauli), a border town between Nepal and India. The distance was about 200 km and we rode through high mountains, villages, next to ravines and rivers. There were not many vehicles using this road as they prefer to use a Pokhara – Mugling – Sonauli route which is easier though slightly further. Our riding was good and smooth. We reached Sonauli at about 2.45 pm. The carnet clearance with the Nepal’s Custom took about 20 mins and Indian’s Custom slightly shorter about 15 mins. There were many local touts around on both sides offering services to do the carnet clearance but we decided to do on our own. It cost us USD0.30 on the Nepal side and USD0.00 on the Indian side. Sonauli is a chaotic town, full of people, vehicles and animals moving in an unorganized manner. We are not sure whether these people and vehicles have proper documents to move in/out of the two countries. We did not stay long in Sonauli and rode further into India roads. Since time is getting late, we decided to stop and put a night at Nautanwa, a small town 12 km after the bother. It was a wrong decision and a wrong place to stop but unavoidable because the next sane town is Gorakhpur, about 95 km away. We don’t think we can make it to Gorakhpur before dark. The USD9 hotel per night in Nautanwa was managed by a 70+ year old man. It has common/shared bathroom with no hot water and no light (in the bathroom) as well. We went out to look for food/dinner and could not get a decent eating place. The town is full of dust, the traffic was a nightmare, people move from all corners, so we went back to our room and ate our spare/reserve food – oat and biscuit using our torch/camping light as the electricity has went off. Definitely not so good impression about India on Day 1. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse On 2 Wheels. http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd16050bf.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398191897 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4a8d19c4.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398191340 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps13e9c8a1.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398192389 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps67402165.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps722846e6.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398192596 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398193299 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398193041 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps63bf7dac.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3b3662a9.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps984a67cc.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398192188 |
Hi All,
On day 2 in India (16 April), we headed to Gorakphur, about 80 km from Nautanwa where we spent the night when we entered India from Nepal. We stayed for 2 nights in Gorakhpur with nothing much to do except walking around in the city. For us, Gorakhpur is not a city to visit. How was the traffic in India so far? Our answer is the same as the other travelers who have been riding in India - chaotic, havoc, dangerous, nerve wrecking and deafening. On 18 April we rode to Lucknow about 250 km away. The road wasn't that good in most areas and our average speed was 65 kph (definitely very slow). Petrol in India is USD1.39 per litre and the stations are everywhere. Lucknow city was better than Gorakhpur with good roads and transport systems. However, the driving behaviour and road manners of the drivers are still the same. We did some touristy activities mostly, visiting historical places. We spent 2 nights in Lucknow before leaving for Agra on early morning 20 April. Agra is about 365 km from Lucknow and the first km on the road we travelled was quite bad and after that just outside the city, the road became better. Our average speed was about 80 kph and arrived at our hotel – Taj Home Stay at around 3 pm. The hotel is managed by father (S. Sethi) and son (Tarun) and is located in a posh residential area and the atmosphere was quite homely. We had a very pleasant stay at this home stay. We spent 3 nights in Agra and the must see place in Agra is of course the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse On 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psebc293d1.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398276252 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd245f6e7.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0521e33a.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8e499a53.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd24b7684.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6c652d8.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps287eaf07.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3d2094e9.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1bc5f5f4.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398276625 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7688e726.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps52a913ef.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psef9de2ea.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps47562a78.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd98d5e95.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03bd24b9.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa01f2f88.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7ed95642.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pscc8aa505.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398275707 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps44b50ec9.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psb06ceaef.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2ea8d175.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4152fc43.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps757fbe4d.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7de546e1.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps807ebfe9.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9d599f6b.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398269692 |
Great views of your trip!:clap:
|
Hi All,
We stayed for 2 night in Lucknow, India and after that we rode to Agra about 335 km away. The first 50 km riding was a bit havoc, lots of potholes on the road, road works and worst of all, the undisciplined drivers. After that it was quite fine as the vehicles on the road became lesser and lesser and the road condition became better. One thing we noticed about Indian drivers was that every one is in a hurry and they will squeeze their way without thinking about the oncoming vehicles. Honking is considered normal in India, it is not a sign of rudeness but telling the others to give way. Even when there is a 5 km traffic jam, they will still honk and expect the 5,000 vehicles in front to give him way to pass through. The other thing that we are always asked by the locals whenever we stop during our rides is 'how much is the bike cost?' and 'how fast can the bike go?'. They will ask us in Tamil or Hindi, a language we are alien to but we can somehow understand because these questions are always asked. Agra is famous for its the Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the world. It is really a sight to behold and should not be missed. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse On 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398849523 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7c432b84.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398851045 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398850808 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398850461 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps906f3763.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7ff3671c.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8dbe8263.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6ae4bd06.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1398848819 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps306fd8c1.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psb521c038.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps768e068e.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps50eb7606.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps97bcd99b.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps01d211ff.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3b1962b7.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4009985d.jpg |
After Agra we rode to New Delhi on 23 April 2014 and we checked into Vista Inn Hotel which was recommended by the owner of the hotel in Agra. He co-owned the hotel and gave us quite an attractive rate of USD30 per night plus breakfast. We stayed in this hotel for 6 nights. The hotel location was good, with a very happening evening shopping bazaar nearby.
Like most city we have been to, we did not take Black V out when we move around because it attracts a lot of attention. In general in India, when you stop your bike anywhere, there would be many people interested in the bike, curiously touching every part of the bike. Taking photos alongside the bike is normal and if we were to charge 20 sen per photo, we could have made quite a sum. Another thing we have learned about India is that never ask the same question to more than 1 person because you will definitely get different answers. Sometimes before you ask, they already gave you the answer. In Delhi, we visited mostly the big shopping complexes and bazaar. The weather is extremely hot. We moved around mostly in rickshaw or tuk-tuk for short distance destinations. For further ones, we took the Metro train and it was very convenience, super cheap, fast and reliable. I think they run the best train system which is similar to Singapore. Though there are a few interesting historical places in Delhi, we only went to one, The Red Fort and skipped the others due to the hot weather. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse On 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps32d25e31.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps56892618.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps91988ba7.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps81dbb08d.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pse31954b9.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd1f1e8ab.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps519e0fc2.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2a7f70ba.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbadd2ece.jpg On 29 April 2014 we left New Delhi for Rishikesh, a city about 230 km north east of Delhi. As usual the ride was slow and long due to the not so good road condition, hot weather, passing through many small towns and also the overly indiscipline road drivers and non-drivers. It took us about 6 hours to get to Rishikesh. What is so special about Rishikesh? This particular place is known as the Hindu spiritual city, yoga capital of the world and meditation centre. It is situated along the fast flowing Ganges River and is surrounded by mountains. What interest me about this place was the number of outdoor activities available in Rishikesh - white water rafting, beach / jungle camping, hiking, rock climbing, bungee jumping etc. Beach camping referring to camping on Ganges River banks. There were many foreigners around including those from Europe, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese mostly come to do / learn yoga professionally or simply do meditation. We stayed in a hotel not far from the Ganges River facing the beautiful mountain. It has a small balcony and windy all the time. Every morning, we will sit at the balcony together with the monkeys (there are a lot of them in this city). Since this place is a 'holy' city, everyone seemed to be nice to each other - the swami, the yogis, the Europeans, the Korean, Japanese, the locals, the cows and the monkeys too seemed to treat you nice. The animals do not bother you at all. The only thing that I could not stand was that this place served 100% 'vegetarian food'. We stayed for 6 nights in Rishikesh including a 2 days camping & doing white water rafting at the upper end of Ganges River. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse On 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc3f0f666.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0b5b18d6.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9d342004.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ac90151.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1dfa4e67.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c5dead6.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps20abd770.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps69ad3d75.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1e97aaad.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6f3d5ea2.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd15015f4.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps82c8733b.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4bab00ac.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4d104878.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psfcf4c661.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psb2f38594.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps515b91e1.jpg http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa38135f3.jpg |
Keep on posting and have a fantastic trip! Once you get into Europe we´ll need to convince you to see Germany, too and we´ll certainly have a bed for the two of you.
Cheers Chris |
Great thread - I will soon embark on more or less the same trip but the other way round. Will be interested to read up your next updates.
Have a safe trip and all the best. |
Pakistan
Hi All,
Some updates on our travel. After India, we crossed into Pakistan at Wagah border. In our initial plan, we only planned to stay for about a week in Pakistan, however we stayed for a month instead. We found Pakistan to be very interesting with many places to explore. Furthermore the people are very welcoming, kind and hospitable which made our stay in Pakistan a memorable one. Honestly, what we had experienced in Pakistan was not the same as what we saw and heard on the media. Though certain areas in Pakistan are considered 'not safe', we did not at all feel 'unsafe' throughout our stay in this country. The places we have traveled in Pakistan are as follows: a. Lahore from 9 May to 14 May b. Islamabad from 15 May to 16 May c. Karakoram Highway from 17 May to 26 May d. Rawalpindi from 27 May to 29 May e. Lahore again from 30 May to 31 May f. Traveling from Lahore to Bahawalpur, Shukkor and Quetta from 1 June to 6 June g. Travel from Quetta to Dalbandin and Pakistan/Iran border from 7 to 8 June h. We crossed into Iran at Mirjaveh on 8 June Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse on 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1403886256 We are officially in Pakistan http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps626c443e.jpg Meeting with members of Motorcycle Association of Pakistan (MAP) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9f7c3748.jpg Meeting with new friends, Mr Omar (3rd from right) and his group of friends http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6aa554c8.jpg Pakistani policewomen working (gossiping) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps23305b26.jpg Many choices of dry dates http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps60487231.jpg Political rally in Lahore http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0dbc763b.jpg Local dessert (very yummy) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4cc5670c.jpg Info about Lahore Fort http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd4015d1e.jpg Building around Badshahi Mosque http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd8844b6f.jpg The famous Badshahi Mosque in Lahore http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb95cc05.jpg The building in front of Badshahi Mosque http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb9eb817.jpg Borneoman at Badshahi Mosque (look at the size of the guard) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psf6b15da1.jpg Badshahi Mosque, Lahore http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7c4e36e4.jpg Entrance to Badshahi Mosque http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4e4f1ca6.jpg Trailing Spouse (Celeste) and the view of Badshahi Mosque taken from Lahore Fort http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps817c46b3.jpg Another view of Badshahi Mosque http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa622fd43.jpg Hello from Borneoman http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps085b5074.jpg Black V, Borneoman and local men http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pse97df28e.jpg A church in Ayubia, outside Islamabad http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps43733ca7.jpg Motorcycle is toll free http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps05d25c01.jpg Holiday resort Ayubia just outside Islamabad http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psea5e59ff.jpg Pakistan men http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9d914550.jpg Having tea outside passport office in Islamabad http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd31051db.jpg Local truck drivers http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9a20c8b4.jpg View of Black V http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps222ed16d.jpg Ride stop at a local town http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps920e9bdd.jpg Motorcycle parking in town http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b64608e.jpg New friends in Lahore http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psec857b03.jpg Our guest house in Islamabad http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps49e2fdb1.jpg Ride stop between Lahore and Islamabad |
Pakistan - Karakoram (KKH)
Hi All,
More photos in Pakistan, our rides to Karakoram Highway (KKH). It is a 'must do' thing for anyone who are exploring Pakistan. Beautiful scenery, challenging ride (any type of vehicle) and you would be meeting people full of kindness,warm and hospitable. Would we do Pakistan again? Definitely yes. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse on 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa33e6513.jpg Riding on KKH road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psf6835c64.jpg Good scenery and challenging road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pscecc0617.jpg KKH road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pseb6c96a9.jpg KKH road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps23336a53.jpg Sunset view http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps75b7f105.jpg View of the mountains http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8d89e36c.jpg Heading further north of Pakistan http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps44bd4106.jpg Nearer to Pakistan/China border http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7bc8efd1.jpg More mountain view http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps05bc3e86.jpg View from the road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2021820d.jpg Hardly meet any vehicle for miles http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9a102e40.jpg Once a while you meet the villages http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps88f6105e.jpg Stop at police check points to register your presence http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbf887660.jpg KKH roads http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6d798f2.jpg The local police would escort you in certain areas consider 'not safe' http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd0b99b90.jpg The Black V on a good road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1403899475 The Black V on a NO good road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psad42e1c6.jpg The road runs along the famous Indus River http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pse3e4411e.jpg Another police escort group http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1403895573 Following a different police escort vehicle http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9635f6cc.jpg Crossing small stream on the road. You find many along the long KKH road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6834d05c.jpg View from our hotel balcony in Karimabad, Hunza Valley http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psafdedfa9.jpg View from another angle of our hotel's room http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psef2a6fbb.jpg Borneoman with the local men in Hunza Valley http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps318f309c.jpg Celeste and the 'decorated truck' http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pseed4e44f.jpg Doing a 3 days mountain trekking to Fairy Meadows during KKH ride http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0741cfc3.jpg Taken in Fairy Meadows http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7c90614e.jpg (l to r) Our police escort, Borneoman, Ahsan - the Resort Owner and Celeste http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psdf66bdaf.jpg View of the chalets at Fairy Meadows at the back http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3f02839e.jpg More photos of the chalets in Fairy Meadows |
Quote:
Thank you for the kind offer but unfortunately Germany is not in our route in Europe. However we are keeping our option open because just got information that Celeste's (my wife) visa for Morocco has been rejected and mine approved. I do not know how the heck they expect us to travel together by giving visa to only 1 person. Cheers, Borneoman |
Quote:
I trust you will have no regret in choosing these countries. You will definitely enjoy your travel. When are you starting your journey? Cheers, Borneoman |
Hi bro u r great
:clap:HI BRO ,HAVE view all photo n note .
n wish to joint u .ha ha ..it is great experience 4 this type of trip .:scooter::scooter::scooter: TAKE GOOD CARE Do not FORGET to sent back KUEK RAYA ....... |
Quote:
We would be in Europe till October, probably we can meet in one of the country we are going to. Please pm me if you can make it. Cheers, |
Hi All,
We were in Iran from 8 June till 19 June 2014. In general we like Iran but not as much as we like Pakistan. This was probably because the scenery and general outlook of the country landscape is about the same as Pakistan, so not much to feel the 'wow' feeling. The people in Iran generally are very kind and warm especially those in the country side. The one in cities are mostly minding their own business. Not many people in Iran are able to communicate in English so conversation with them and them with us really was an issue. Their cities, towns, roads and even villages are very modern so life is really easy for the Iranians. We did not see or hear any issue about war or fighting, religious elements or political sentiments from the Iranians. So, if the media is telling that Iran is not safe and not peaceful, I would say it is all bull****. We have been to Iran, we traveled from big cities to small towns and did not see or hear any such things happening in Iran. For money availability in Iran for foreigners, everything is by cash. You are not able to withdraw money through ATM or use your credit cards. We had made quite a number of friends in Iran and quite a number of them had invited us to their homes. We will cherish their kindness and hope one day we will meet them again. The places that we had traveled in Iran are as follows: a. Zahedan b. Bam / Kerman c. Shiraz d. Isfahan e. Tehran f. Zanjan g. Tabriz Petrol in Iran is extremely cheap, for foreigners is about USD0.30 per liter. If not mistaken it is only USD0.10 per liter for Iranians. They use their card (I believed it is their petrol subsidy card) and if they have used up their limit they too have to pay higher than USD 0.10. There is not much choice of food in Iran. Their food are mostly dry and not much to our liking. However, they have many fruits - peaches, apples, grapes, plum, banana and they are very cheap. Overall, food and beverages in Iran are affordable so anyone traveling to Iran should not worry at all about the cost. As for accommodation, there are many average and budget hotels available all over Iran. Wild camping is another option and would be fun due to the beautiful landscape. Iran is not an internet friendly country. Though wifi is widely available in hotels and cafes but many websites are either blocked of restricted. How do we rate Iran in term of liking the country? We would give Iran a 7 out of 10. Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse on 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6b724f04.jpg The flag of Iran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3939116e.jpg Police escort at the Iran border assigned to take us to Zahedan City http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0864c29d.jpg On the way to Zahedan City. Police escort is in the front http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps43e35bef.jpg Half way the journey another police escort from a different district took over http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps114d07ea.jpg On the way to Kerman City (from Zahedan) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3794d70b.jpg Iran beautiful landscape http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0b5f7ffe.jpg Iran beautiful landscape and they also have good roads http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psfeaf53fb.jpg Salt Lake in Shiraz, Iran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd580aaaf.jpg On the way to Shiraz, Iran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc791974d.jpg Lunch at local restaurant, grilled chicken and roti http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pse5e00195.jpg From Shiraz to Esfahan, many more km to travel http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps503e4fce.jpg Hasht Behest means Eight Paradises in Isfahan, Iran. Built in 1669 http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc3324d97.jpg A fountain facing the palace. Not many buildings left to be seen http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pseae9a76d.jpg The famous Siose Bridge in Isfahan (the bridge with 33 arches) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps600ed8ce.jpg Many shop owners giving free drinks and cakes to whoever around http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3a9fae84.jpg Dinner in Tehran, typical Iranian food http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b5ee4bc.jpg Black V stopped at a small town mosque http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6e0a789f.jpg Traffic in Tehran, Iran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3794d70b.jpg Beautiful scenery http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps314b1cfc.jpg Iran landscape makes the traveling pleasant http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7e9e4c6c.jpg No problem traveling in Iran, good road, good scenery and wonderful people http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc643c6df.jpg Street signs in Tehran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps273e644d.jpg Another traffic condition in Tehran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psb320cacf.jpg A mosque in Tehran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psfd34697c.jpg Another mosque in Tehran http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps506290ad.jpg Signages found on Zanjan street http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps31f4fac7.jpg Met another overlander in Iran. He is from Spain crossed into Iran from Turkey. http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps08f4b385.jpg Our hotel in Zanjan. We parked the bike inside the hotel http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps44fa0228.jpg Nearing the border into Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps72000065.jpg Near Bazargan, Iran/Turkey border. In the front is Ararat Mountain |
Quote:
Sorry for the late reply... I thought I would get a notification that you'd answered my post, but I didn't. Thanks again for taking the time to post more pictures and info. It really is interesting and encouraging to read your experiences. Your pictures are great too... We start our journey from Portugal. We first had in mind to follow your route through Iran and Pakistan, but then ended up considering the Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan route. These countries sound really interesting too. However, we still are unsure as to what to do when we get to Kyrgyzstan! I read on a forum that it is possible to fly our bike, and ourselves, from Bishek to New Delhi. Can't get a confirmation about this unfortunately. Now that I read your posts I am wondering whether we should go the Iran/Pakistan way which would simplify things. Are you planning to visit Portugal? Send me a PM if you do (before the 7th of September). We can put you up and you can use my garage to do any maintenance on your bike. If you are in Spain you aren't far... |
Hi Moto 32,
I have no experience in those countries that you had planned to go to, so I am not able to share any advise how to go about it especially about flying out your bike from Bishek to Delhi. However through my personal experience, everything is 'doable'. For example when we failed to get our visa for Iran before we started our journey, we just planned to airfreight our bike from Pakistan to Turkey. Fortunately, when we were in Lahore, Pakistan, things took a change and we managed to get our Iran visa through a different party. So, it just made our travel easier. You are right about riding through Iran and Pakistan, it is simpler than avoiding them. Iran and Pakistan are beautiful countries and a 'must see'. Thank you for the offer house us in your place and definitely will contact you if we are able to make it. Cheers, Borneoman |
Good point, everything is indeed doable.. I'm sure we'll work quite a few things out as we go along.
Hopefully you can make it to Portugal. Please pm me if you do so that I get your message as early as possible. Have a happy and safe journey. |
Hi
I live in Barcelona, Spain, I can show you the city and we can meet there Contact at victorsashue@gmail.com |
It has been quite sometimes since my last ride report.
After Iran, we crossed into Turkey. The border procedures were quite easy and fast on the Iranian side but however it took about almost 3 hours for us to get our entry into Turkey sorted out since the official at the border seemed to be a bit confused about visa protocol. No issues with the bike and we only had to pay about USD15 for 1 month insurance to ride in Turkey. The insurance office was just near the custom office. No carnet de passage required to enter Turkey for the motorcycle. Once cleared at the border, we headed to the nearest town, Dogubayazit, about 25 km away. The roads in Turkey are good and road signs are very clearly written in Turkish and English so getting around was quite easy. We stayed for 2 nights in Dogubayazit before heading to Ezurum. We decided to ride the Northern part of Turkey, following the coastal road from Rize to Sinop. The petrol cost in Turkey was the most expensive we have encountered, about USD2.50 a litre. In Iran, it was USD0.30 a litre so it was a big amount to spend. We spent about a month in Turkey from 18 June till 17 July and the routes we travelled in Turkey are Dogubayazit – Erzurum – Rize – Trabzon – Samsun – Sinop – Ilgaz – Goreme – Ankara – Istanbul - Tekirdag. Below are some photos from Dogubayazit until the city of Rize. Cheers, http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psab11f042.jpg Turkish flag http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps87c54837.jpg Dogubayazit - the view of Ararat Mountain http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa22addb3.jpg Dogubayazit - horses seen from the main road leading to town http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd3977069.jpg Dogubayazit - Ishak Pasha Palace http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps01682214.jpg Dogubayazit - Ishak Pasha Palace http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3098e9f6.jpg Dogubayazit - another view of the palace from far http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psf3f52b53.jpg Dogubayazit - the Black V http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps02941dad.jpg Dogubayazit - the Black V http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1987cd48.jpg Dogubayazit - tombs near Ishak Pasha Palace http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psea51b168.jpg Dogubayazit - Tombs near Ishak Pasha Palace http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa26ede18.jpg Dogubayazit - view of the town and surrounding from the mountain http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd6834054.jpg Dogubayazit - Ishak Pasha Palace http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8e71b166.jpg On the way to Erzurum from Dogbayazit http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9a85804b.jpg Erzurum - landscape along the road to Erzurum http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psac3ebd8f.jpg Erzurum - another view of the landscape http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psf1e19ecb.jpg Erzurum - a mosque in the city http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7eb39873.jpg Erzurum - another view of the mosque http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps79fcd772.jpg Erzurum - statue by the town square http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7f70ac00.jpg Erzurum - modern bus http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps003f378b.jpg On the way from Erzurum to Rize. Taking a break http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps877f7f59.jpg Beautiful view along the way from Erzurum to Rize http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6d1b834e.jpg Another view along the way http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc038b78f.jpg Erzurum fruits market http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps80b842e3.jpg Borneoman on the road http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psb7fa9b6e.jpg Taking shelter from the rain on the way from Erzurum to Rize http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps11c791b3.jpg On the way from Erzurum to Rice - restaurant serving local food |
Quote:
Great, we will contact you when we are nearer to Barcelona. It is one of my favorite city. Cheers, |
More photos of our travel in Turkey.
From Rize we traveled to Trabzon, Samsun, Sinop (all along the Black Sea) and Ilgaz. Ilgaz is a small town south of Sinop as we are on our way down to Goreme to visit Cappadokia. http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psfccd5c7f.jpg Riding on the road to Trabzon, Turkey (from Rize) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5d8e8226.jpg Local boat near the shore of the Black Sea http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps785ead73.jpg Total mileage covered from Malaysia till Trabzon - slightly above 12,000km http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbbbda34f.jpg The guys who did the motorbike servicing in Trabzon, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8b3c1e71.jpg Tasted the local food. We ordered a second fish after that. http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps08516882.jpg The famous Sumela Monastery situated south of Trabzon, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps26fe6395.jpg Inside Sumela Monastery http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb360278.jpg Inside Sumela Monastery http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd0edd1f3.jpg Inside Sumela Monastery http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psc9e5f829.jpg Inside Sumela Monastery http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps06b1d209.jpg Inside Sumela Monastery http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps30ea8b7c.jpg A mosque situated along the road leading to Samsun (from Trabzon) http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps44e67205.jpg A shopping street in Samsun, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps23495cd4.jpg A local market in Samsun, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psd4d15461.jpg A mosque in the shopping area in Samsun, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psdc595c90.jpg One of the shopping areas in Samsun, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0be462d5.jpg Dinner in Samsun, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa343c35a.jpg Riding to Sinop, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psbdb57d37.jpg One of the government buildings in Sinop, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4546b4e7.jpg With the local policeman in Sinop, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8ee7c880.jpg Camping in Sinop, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pscd2db698.jpg Met Stuart on his Vespa in Sinop, Turkey, traveling from London to New Zealand http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psf2e6fde2.jpg Sunrise in Sinop, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7ee0770d.jpg Sunrise, taken from inside the tent. http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8679aa0b.jpg Riding to Ilgaz, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8773efc2.jpg Captured this 'Fort' on the way riding towards Ilgaz, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1094c7f8.jpg View captured while riding to Ilgaz, Turkey http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5d31d040.jpg Wild camping up the mountain just before Ilgaz. Beautiful view and surrounding http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps59b72fa4.jpg Hardly any people around except for the dogs, donkeys, ducks & the birds and the bees http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa70da781.jpg Dinner prepared by Celeste, very 'yummy' |
After Ilgaz, we rode to Goreme where Cappadocia is situated.
Cheers, Borneoman & Trailing Spouse on 2 Wheels http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...pse252ef43.jpg Taking a short break upon reaching Cappadocia http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6c81d1ff.jpg A beautiful sight of Cappadocia http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa76cf8f8.jpg Our camping site in Goreme http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6cadd3e5.jpg Cappadocia http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psb1f34771.jpg Cappadocia - this is an old castle http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps108f07a1.jpg Cappadocia http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8358140b.jpg Local dishes http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psa48dd281.jpg Quite a number of the 'rock homes' were converted into hotel rooms http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psff991a48.jpg Cappadocia http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psfe1193d5.jpg Cappadocia http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5f63eda7.jpg Cappadocia http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psf6eb5200.jpg Visiting underground homes http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...psf51fac95.jpg The inside of the underground homes http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps38faa2c2.jpg Some sections of the underground homes are low http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6b031f3d.jpg Low and also narrow http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5b3389aa.jpg Hot air balloon rides are also available http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4584fd0b.jpg Hot air balloon rides are many around |
Quote:
|
Hi Borneoman. I am interestingly following your travels. Should you be passing Windhoek on your way to Cape Town I would like to meet up. bier
|
Quote:
Yes, Windhoek is in our plan, but still a long time to get there probably in March next year. We definitely will catch with you. Cheers, |
Hi
In what month will you arrive to Spain? __________________________________ Contact at victorsashue@gmail.com |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:24. |