Game Over
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Dear friends,
I got to Istambul and that means my Eastern Trip is over. I crossed the Bosphorus from the Asian Side and now you can say I am back to Europe. It has been such a long and hard journey. What can I say? It has been horrible and beautiful, I met the worst and the best people, I felt really alone in the middle of nowhere and very happy with all kinds of new friends.
But Istambul is like a good prize. I have not enough words to express my emotions staying in Bizancio, Constantinopla and Istambul. This city is History it self, is two Worlds touching each other, it is three cities and is also a very special place to be. And is also chaotic, noisy and deeply Turkish. I feel at home here. I have had a good rest here but is time to keep moving.
Be well.
WELCOME TO GEORGIA
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Dear friends:
I am in Georgia. It was a surprise because in the Georgian Border at Lagodekhi no one shouted at me, no one asked for money and no one looked at my passport searching for any sort of fake, criminal signal or lack of validity. No visa needing for European Citizens and easy getting vehicles. And after the short procedure, they told me: Welcome Georgia. And I really appreciated what does it mean when just few km I stopped in at a small bar. There were 8 guys, big as castles. They invited me to join them for eating and drinking. All of them hated Russia. We were at the North of the Country and the Russian Invasion was really near in the time. The Russian troops are still in South Ossetia, where is forbidden to go for foreigners. These Minor Asia region is a puzzle. Armenian Troops, supported by Russia, are in Acerbaijan territory of Nagorno Karabagh, so the border is closed; is also closed the border between Armenia and Turkey. So you have to look properly the map to not going into the wrong place.
Georgia is very good. Poor country but green and wet. Very good watermelons here. Afer so long riding deserts, I am really happy riding forest mountains, bends and twisted roads. From the road, you can see the castles and monasteries on the hills. There are haundreds beside the rust and abandoned factorys. I also visited Gory, Stalin´s Birthplace. A mad nightmare to celebrate the most dangerous guy on Earth. He married two times and his two wifes died before. The last one killed herself, I can guess why. But nothing about purges and crimes is told in the museum. Even when Georgia has moved away all the communism staff which is still visible in Ukrain, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Finally I got the Black Sea shore side, which is more or less their California beach road but with no palm trees and no bikini models walking around, but is Ok, because it means I am arriving Turkey.
I am in Georgia. It was a surprise because in the Georgian Border at Lagodekhi no one shouted at me, no one asked for money and no one looked at my passport searching for any sort of fake, criminal signal or lack of validity. No visa needing for European Citizens and easy getting vehicles. And after the short procedure, they told me: Welcome Georgia. And I really appreciated what does it mean when just few km I stopped in at a small bar. There were 8 guys, big as castles. They invited me to join them for eating and drinking. All of them hated Russia. We were at the North of the Country and the Russian Invasion was really near in the time. The Russian troops are still in South Ossetia, where is forbidden to go for foreigners. These Minor Asia region is a puzzle. Armenian Troops, supported by Russia, are in Acerbaijan territory of Nagorno Karabagh, so the border is closed; is also closed the border between Armenia and Turkey. So you have to look properly the map to not going into the wrong place.
Georgia is very good. Poor country but green and wet. Very good watermelons here. Afer so long riding deserts, I am really happy riding forest mountains, bends and twisted roads. From the road, you can see the castles and monasteries on the hills. There are haundreds beside the rust and abandoned factorys. I also visited Gory, Stalin´s Birthplace. A mad nightmare to celebrate the most dangerous guy on Earth. He married two times and his two wifes died before. The last one killed herself, I can guess why. But nothing about purges and crimes is told in the museum. Even when Georgia has moved away all the communism staff which is still visible in Ukrain, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Finally I got the Black Sea shore side, which is more or less their California beach road but with no palm trees and no bikini models walking around, but is Ok, because it means I am arriving Turkey.
BAKU
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Etiquetas:
acerbaijan,
BAKU,
caucasus mountains,
gory
I am in Baku, at last. It took us 5 hours just in the customs. Inept officials, stupid protocols and too much paperwork. My friends left yesterday but I stayed to see Baku. Acerbaijan capital is a crazy city, the petrol money runs free on the streets and there is high consumption fever. The most expensive cars, the most exclusive shops, the highest skyscrapers just beside the old Muslim town. I met three Scotish guys last night. Baku is full of them, it´s called Little Aberdeen. They work in the petrol business and spend one month here working and drinking and one month off at home, drinking as well. We hit of and had good drinking night. But today I leave to Shaki, a little town on the Caucasus mountains and tomorrow go to Georgia, the small country in permanent cold (and sometimes hot) war against Russia. Georgia makes good wine and is the birthplace of that great killer called Joseph Stalin. I will visit his village, Gory, and his museum. It gonna be interesting.
The love boat
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Etiquetas:
AKTAU,
BAKU,
BIKE,
bikers,
central asia,
kazakhstan,
MOTORBIKE
Dear friends.
We are in the ferry expecting arriving Baku by 2 pm. It had been just five days waiting. I meet Sam and Silvan in Aktau three days ago. That morning I was running along the beach and saw two dirty beggars sat on the walk side. When I approached, I realised it was them. We spent the night at my room and the following morning went into the port to ask about “parom” (ferry). It was expected to arrive by noon and leave by the evening . Great happiness. But that was Kazakhstan.
We are in the ferry expecting arriving Baku by 2 pm. It had been just five days waiting. I meet Sam and Silvan in Aktau three days ago. That morning I was running along the beach and saw two dirty beggars sat on the walk side. When I approached, I realised it was them. We spent the night at my room and the following morning went into the port to ask about “parom” (ferry). It was expected to arrive by noon and leave by the evening . Great happiness. But that was Kazakhstan.
Of course, the ferry left the evening, but in the following day. So we camped in the parking and we waited. When we bought the tikets started the research for the 1000 stamps they need to be good for travelling. Customs, police, veterinary, firemen… three stamps each one and different colours. The most difficult issue was finding the right guy for the right stamp. 40 degrees of heat and to many guys to look for.
Then, when the ferry arrived at morning, passport control. Like animals, one by one was checked and kept in a cowshed. Few hours passed till we went out. The ferry, Merkuri 1, looked crappy and rust, but beautiful in the sun. Perhaps we can go into, we desired. Too good to be true. We had to wait in the parking lot till they put off all the wagons kept in the ship´s hold. Few hours passed. Then, another control. The soldiers were going to check the luggage looking for drugs and guns and radioactive material and forbidden portraits of their sacred president having sex with a sheep. But they were not really interested but in getting some money. No way, friend, I told to them when they asked for “tengue” if I wanted not to be checked. I have time, said. So you should do your work. I opened my suitcases and menaced to spread all the staff on the floor. Davai, davai, they gave up.
What about the boat? Not the Love one. In the hold, no ropes and no help to tie the bikes. I did it my self with my own straps. Sweated like coming up from a Turkish Bath, I went into the reception. The four ugliest women in Earth were waiting in the front desk to give us the key and take our passports. No smiles at all. A customer is always a suspicious guy. Still in the Soviet Thinking Way. Of course, the cabin not was so dirty, hot and humid as you are imaging right now. No, it was much worse. I the lesson of my Central Asia Trip: expect always the worst and you will get it but even worse. Only because I am mad I find it funny.
Keep safe and do not travel ever to Central Asia.
Then, when the ferry arrived at morning, passport control. Like animals, one by one was checked and kept in a cowshed. Few hours passed till we went out. The ferry, Merkuri 1, looked crappy and rust, but beautiful in the sun. Perhaps we can go into, we desired. Too good to be true. We had to wait in the parking lot till they put off all the wagons kept in the ship´s hold. Few hours passed. Then, another control. The soldiers were going to check the luggage looking for drugs and guns and radioactive material and forbidden portraits of their sacred president having sex with a sheep. But they were not really interested but in getting some money. No way, friend, I told to them when they asked for “tengue” if I wanted not to be checked. I have time, said. So you should do your work. I opened my suitcases and menaced to spread all the staff on the floor. Davai, davai, they gave up.
What about the boat? Not the Love one. In the hold, no ropes and no help to tie the bikes. I did it my self with my own straps. Sweated like coming up from a Turkish Bath, I went into the reception. The four ugliest women in Earth were waiting in the front desk to give us the key and take our passports. No smiles at all. A customer is always a suspicious guy. Still in the Soviet Thinking Way. Of course, the cabin not was so dirty, hot and humid as you are imaging right now. No, it was much worse. I the lesson of my Central Asia Trip: expect always the worst and you will get it but even worse. Only because I am mad I find it funny.
Keep safe and do not travel ever to Central Asia.
RIDING THE MOON
Dear friends:
I am again in Kazakhstan waiting for the ferry to Baku. Nobody knows when it could sails. If I have to wait for a long, I will camp on the Caspian beach because hotels are not cheap here. Finally, I rode alone from Kungrad to Aktau, 800 km of a real desert between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. It took me just two days to ride it. No towns, nor fill stations. Nothing but dust. The road was really terrible: gravel, stones, sand, bumps… Back to the Moon. The Chinese bikes could not ride it. They will be destroyed, so I took petrol, left them behind and went forward having a lot of fun. I enjoy riding the worst roads. It is something special when you feel the only guy on Earth in the middle of nowhere.
But this is not the end of Silkside Story. Sam and Silvan have put the bikes in a train to arrive Aktau. Our trips are very different and each one of us has to do his own adventure. Hope to see them tomorrow, when the train arrives here. The city is Ok, restaurants, bar, people, beach and sun. We can have some fun trying local vodka and leaving the bikes having a rest. They really deserve it. My little fat will need new rear shock after this trip (she is craving for Ohlins) and a very good and deep bath. I will give her everything she needs in Instambul, where I hope be arriving by the end of july.
Keep safe.
I am again in Kazakhstan waiting for the ferry to Baku. Nobody knows when it could sails. If I have to wait for a long, I will camp on the Caspian beach because hotels are not cheap here. Finally, I rode alone from Kungrad to Aktau, 800 km of a real desert between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. It took me just two days to ride it. No towns, nor fill stations. Nothing but dust. The road was really terrible: gravel, stones, sand, bumps… Back to the Moon. The Chinese bikes could not ride it. They will be destroyed, so I took petrol, left them behind and went forward having a lot of fun. I enjoy riding the worst roads. It is something special when you feel the only guy on Earth in the middle of nowhere.
But this is not the end of Silkside Story. Sam and Silvan have put the bikes in a train to arrive Aktau. Our trips are very different and each one of us has to do his own adventure. Hope to see them tomorrow, when the train arrives here. The city is Ok, restaurants, bar, people, beach and sun. We can have some fun trying local vodka and leaving the bikes having a rest. They really deserve it. My little fat will need new rear shock after this trip (she is craving for Ohlins) and a very good and deep bath. I will give her everything she needs in Instambul, where I hope be arriving by the end of july.
Keep safe.
NUKUS
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After Bukhara, the desert starts again. About 500 km of almost nothing. Even my friends, the Uzbek Policemen, didn´t stop me as usual. Too much hot to move their arms. I met a group a British bikers. They were fifteen leaded by an experimented guide and they have also a 4X4 car with spares, tyres and tools. And they even have a mechanic guy travelling with them just in case they burn a small lamp. They ride with a big organization of bike travels and I guess they have paid a big amount of money to do their lifetime adventure. All of them were wearing the most expensive BMW equipment and riding the most prepared bikes. I felt like a little poor guy riding alone and wearing a sweated and dirty T Shirt. Same travel, very different experience.
Now I am in Nukus, capital of the semi independent Republic of Karalpalkastan. The Tashkent Hotel is like a war zone. Here I can imagine the Sarajevo Hilton in the worst days of the Bosnia Conflict. I felt like a guest in Hell. Everything is broken, rust and dirty. Empty bottles of vodka in the wardrobe. No running water and no toilet paper. I had shower using a bucket and a can. The lift works from time to time and my room is in ninth floor. I have very good view of a tin homes neighbourhood. I laugh so often here thinking this a God´s joke. But none of us can complaint at all. This morning I have been running along the channel. There are a lot of homes with no sanitary devices at all. People have bath in the stinky mud and also take water there for their domestic uses. Our western skin is too thin. Life in Third World is so hard and we should feel much happier than we usually do.
Keep Safe.
Now I am in Nukus, capital of the semi independent Republic of Karalpalkastan. The Tashkent Hotel is like a war zone. Here I can imagine the Sarajevo Hilton in the worst days of the Bosnia Conflict. I felt like a guest in Hell. Everything is broken, rust and dirty. Empty bottles of vodka in the wardrobe. No running water and no toilet paper. I had shower using a bucket and a can. The lift works from time to time and my room is in ninth floor. I have very good view of a tin homes neighbourhood. I laugh so often here thinking this a God´s joke. But none of us can complaint at all. This morning I have been running along the channel. There are a lot of homes with no sanitary devices at all. People have bath in the stinky mud and also take water there for their domestic uses. Our western skin is too thin. Life in Third World is so hard and we should feel much happier than we usually do.
Keep Safe.
SILK SIDE STORY
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Dear Friends:
The Silk Road is full of crazy people. I met two new friends, Sam and Silvan. Two french guys who are trying to arrive Lyon from China, where they worked for a couple year, riding chinese junk bikes with sidecar. Every KM is a miracle. Their bikes break down daily. There is alway someone more crazy than you! We are heading together to Akatau, to take the ferry, so If I have to wait it won't be to bored. Visit their website, it is amazing.
http://www.wix.com/silkSideStory/juju
SAMARKAND
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Etiquetas:
bikers,
MOTORBIKE,
samarkand,
uzbekistan
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Dear friends:
I am in Bukharat, Uzbekistan. A very old and beautiful Muslim town. A lot of things happened in the last few days. First at all, I recovered my faith in God. Not as deep and suddenly as happened to Saint Paulus when he saw the light and fall down from his horse while trying to kill Christians, but in some way I could say I started to believe after 60.000 km around the World feeling I was being too lucky to be just by chance. But this is a very intimate experience and I am not going to tire you telling it. Just what I am gonna say is I visited the Catholic Cathedral in Tashkent (a good example of courage under soviet dictatorship) and my bike and me got blessed by the bishop. It is not a bad excuse riding 12.000 km from Spain just to get blessed in Central Asia.
Reaching Sarmakand was the point. After stopped five times in every check point by curious policemen, finally we could do the 300 km from Tashkent to Samarkand. When I saw the city lights in the late evening, I felt my trip had a real sense. I did not know it in advance but I had to go there and visit the 2500 years old Registan in front of the big Mosque. The Mosque is great as our beautiful Alhambra, but without the herds of turists walking around. Uzbekistan is an Islamic country but is not like others as Morocco, where you can not be alone just five minutes. In Samarkand I could seat by myself in the trees shadow and just seeing the old religious buildings and hearing the font music. I searched the ghost of the Spanish ambassador who came here in the Fifteenth Century. Then a non official guide approached to me. I asked him and he knew. He took me to a very small street named Ruiz Gonsalez de Klavixo. Ok, I got it. I am coming back home following more or less his way.
Bukharat. I think is even better than Samarkand. Smaller, with less grandiosity buildings, but here the mosques and mausoleums are located in the heart of the old town and the real people live among them. It is not decorate, is still real after 2500 years. It is a great experience riding the bike in very narrow streets trying to find a place to sleep. The sky is deep blue and the solitude is perfect. After the big hardness of Kazakhstan, this part of the trip is being so comfortable. Cheap hotels but friendly owners. Simple food but cold beer. Ok, it is easy to get fat here. I have to go. The Aral Desert is waiting again. I have to go back Kazakhstan and the way is horrible. No towns and no fill stations in more than 500 km. Just sand, tons of sand. Then the Caspian Sea, but the ferry has not fixed schedule so I could be waiting in Aktau for a long time. I will tell you anyway.
Keep safe
UZBEKISTAN
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Etiquetas:
kazajstan,
MOTORBIKE,
MOTORBIKES BIKES UKRAINE RIDING MOTO UCRANIA,
tashkent,
uzbekistan
Dear friends.
I could find new shoes for my Little Fat in Almaty. She is happy now with new oil, new oil filter and new air filter. I changed all by my own with a lot of tenderness. Then we left the ugly city. I got Uzbekistan and earnt an hour. I lost four going East. Now I am recovering them heading West. The border was hard to cross because is in the Afghan and Pakistan heroin way to Europe. It means the soldiers took away my luggage and checked it really deep seeking for drugs. Fortunately for my dignity, rubber gloves are expensive and they did not check even deeper. But Uzbeks are really friendly. Their way of wave me is by approaching the car to my bike and then, when they are really close, horn and shout as loud as they can while the driver smiles and show me both thumbs up. They are going to kill me of friendship.
Policemen are very friendly too. They are everywhere in Tashkent, the capital. Wages should be very cheap, because in Uzbekistan are millions of policemen. Or they have a really huge budget for security, or they earn a shit. Probably, both are right. They stop me every time and every street and every corner just to ask how many centimetres cubic, if it has carburator or injection, and “skolka” and “kuda”. (How much it cost and from where I am). But one said the most stupid thing I ever heard: motorcycles are not allowed in Tashkent. Bullshit, I thought he was trying to bribe me. But not at all, it was real. Read this
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav051605a.shtml
I could find new shoes for my Little Fat in Almaty. She is happy now with new oil, new oil filter and new air filter. I changed all by my own with a lot of tenderness. Then we left the ugly city. I got Uzbekistan and earnt an hour. I lost four going East. Now I am recovering them heading West. The border was hard to cross because is in the Afghan and Pakistan heroin way to Europe. It means the soldiers took away my luggage and checked it really deep seeking for drugs. Fortunately for my dignity, rubber gloves are expensive and they did not check even deeper. But Uzbeks are really friendly. Their way of wave me is by approaching the car to my bike and then, when they are really close, horn and shout as loud as they can while the driver smiles and show me both thumbs up. They are going to kill me of friendship.
Policemen are very friendly too. They are everywhere in Tashkent, the capital. Wages should be very cheap, because in Uzbekistan are millions of policemen. Or they have a really huge budget for security, or they earn a shit. Probably, both are right. They stop me every time and every street and every corner just to ask how many centimetres cubic, if it has carburator or injection, and “skolka” and “kuda”. (How much it cost and from where I am). But one said the most stupid thing I ever heard: motorcycles are not allowed in Tashkent. Bullshit, I thought he was trying to bribe me. But not at all, it was real. Read this
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav051605a.shtml
Basically says that motorcycles are banned in Tashkent because the president is afraid of assassination using a bike. Do you understand now what I meant when I told you about Central Asia Surrealism?
Keep safe and well. Life is too short to be angry.
Keep safe and well. Life is too short to be angry.
TRYING TO GET AWAY
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Dear friends.
Still in Almay, financial capital of Kazakhstan, probably the ugliest city in the World. Grey, smoky, hot and with millions of junk cars going fast just to the next traffic jam. 11.000 km away from home and no way out. China, what I wanted to reach (just a hundreds km) is forbidden for my motorcycle. As most of you know, mi first mind was to reach Mongolia, but that was only an excuse to leave Spain. I changed my mind while I was travelling East. As I had to go Almaty, very far south from the Mongolian way, to visit BDO Kazakhstan people, I decided to try visiting other countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Other reason to change my first decision was the way back to Spain. Who goes to Ulan Baator ships also the bike back by plane. Too much money. About 3000 euros. So I wanted to go back on my motorcycles. But getting visas are a real Kafka nightmare.
Uzbekistan visa seems to be gotten by Friday, but Turkmenistan is one of the most closed countries since the Wall fell. If I get visa (an uncertain business), I have to go every time accompanied by a local guide (probably an spy). It basically means paying double for everything. If not going through Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea, I have to cross again the Aral desert (once I was a sea, but soviets made an irrigation plan and the sea got dried) to get Aktau, also on the Caspian Sea. Both cities has ferry to Acerbaian (another visa to obtain), but the boat only goes when is full. So you could wait for one or two days, or one or two weeks. If meanwhile the visa expires, fuck you. More legal problems. And still paying the guide, of course. If everything goes well and I can get Baku, Acerbaian port, then I have to go to Georgia, recently in war against Russia, and from there, Turkey, which means home.
It seems to be a very long trip and a very good chance to learn Russian. Keep safe.
Still in Almay, financial capital of Kazakhstan, probably the ugliest city in the World. Grey, smoky, hot and with millions of junk cars going fast just to the next traffic jam. 11.000 km away from home and no way out. China, what I wanted to reach (just a hundreds km) is forbidden for my motorcycle. As most of you know, mi first mind was to reach Mongolia, but that was only an excuse to leave Spain. I changed my mind while I was travelling East. As I had to go Almaty, very far south from the Mongolian way, to visit BDO Kazakhstan people, I decided to try visiting other countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Other reason to change my first decision was the way back to Spain. Who goes to Ulan Baator ships also the bike back by plane. Too much money. About 3000 euros. So I wanted to go back on my motorcycles. But getting visas are a real Kafka nightmare.
Uzbekistan visa seems to be gotten by Friday, but Turkmenistan is one of the most closed countries since the Wall fell. If I get visa (an uncertain business), I have to go every time accompanied by a local guide (probably an spy). It basically means paying double for everything. If not going through Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea, I have to cross again the Aral desert (once I was a sea, but soviets made an irrigation plan and the sea got dried) to get Aktau, also on the Caspian Sea. Both cities has ferry to Acerbaian (another visa to obtain), but the boat only goes when is full. So you could wait for one or two days, or one or two weeks. If meanwhile the visa expires, fuck you. More legal problems. And still paying the guide, of course. If everything goes well and I can get Baku, Acerbaian port, then I have to go to Georgia, recently in war against Russia, and from there, Turkey, which means home.
It seems to be a very long trip and a very good chance to learn Russian. Keep safe.
Turkistan
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Now in the East part of Kaz, in Turkistan, city of mosques and university. Things became more "normal" here·, in Kaz way, of course. The main road to Almati, the capital, is now a narrow length of bad asphalt, but it´s asphalt. Not so funny to ride as the Moon, but at least it let you go faster and safer. Yesterday, I was able to ride 700 km from sunrise to sunset. There are also petrol station with 93 oct gas every 300 km. What a luxury! People are still friendly, they stop me every town to shake hands, asking about my trip, my children, my religion, my motorbike, etc, etc, and taking photos. I should have been photographed about 1000 times. I love Kaz but I´m getting into another state of mind, is like to be dreaming or drunk of hilarious gas. Keep well.
Aral
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Dear friends:
Africa was a child´s play! Kazakhstan is much tougher. There is nothing but surrealism, camels and hot. I spent four days into the wild just to arrive Aral, still in the western part of the country. The most expensive commodity here, much more than caviar, is asphalt. You think you know what is surrealism just because seen few Salvador Dali art works? I´m gonna tell you what is surrealism. Surrealism is call road a line on a Kazkhstan map. It´s a bad joke. Maybe they were roads in Stalin time, but since 70 years of heavy traffic and no repairs at all, they are a big hole into another big hole. Is not off road riding, is just riding the Moon.
But people are nice. It´s a surviving issue. Being the land so tough, people should be good to let the humans live. Some are very good guys like two children I met. They helped me to give up weight from my bike (God bless her, the little fat is working perfect so far). They picked my Ipod and my torch when I was having supper in a stinky cafe. I hope they enjoy the punk rock as much as I do. Two new western stile degenerates. But bikers are always great. Alik, who rides an old Russian machine, helped me with food and place to stay. And that is the biggest gap with Africa. There people are friendly but always want something from you, here they give it for free. It´s incredible when people poorer than you offers what they have just for nothing.
Ok, folks, we will see how is going on. Keep safe.
Kazakhstan nternet conection as good as roads.
Africa was a child´s play! Kazakhstan is much tougher. There is nothing but surrealism, camels and hot. I spent four days into the wild just to arrive Aral, still in the western part of the country. The most expensive commodity here, much more than caviar, is asphalt. You think you know what is surrealism just because seen few Salvador Dali art works? I´m gonna tell you what is surrealism. Surrealism is call road a line on a Kazkhstan map. It´s a bad joke. Maybe they were roads in Stalin time, but since 70 years of heavy traffic and no repairs at all, they are a big hole into another big hole. Is not off road riding, is just riding the Moon.
But people are nice. It´s a surviving issue. Being the land so tough, people should be good to let the humans live. Some are very good guys like two children I met. They helped me to give up weight from my bike (God bless her, the little fat is working perfect so far). They picked my Ipod and my torch when I was having supper in a stinky cafe. I hope they enjoy the punk rock as much as I do. Two new western stile degenerates. But bikers are always great. Alik, who rides an old Russian machine, helped me with food and place to stay. And that is the biggest gap with Africa. There people are friendly but always want something from you, here they give it for free. It´s incredible when people poorer than you offers what they have just for nothing.
Ok, folks, we will see how is going on. Keep safe.
Kazakhstan nternet conection as good as roads.
WELCOME ASIA
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Finally, I got into Kazakhstan after spending few days in the Russian city of Astrakhan, on the Volga´s Delt, so I am in Asia right now. At last! It was not easy because I didn´t get good information when I was preparing the trip and the Kaz visa can´t be obtained at the border as I thought. Kaz guards wearing shiny stars and lots of medals and big big hats rejected me to the Russian border after few hour of friendly chat about why I wanted to go into Kazhastan without visa and why I hated kazhastan people and why I pretended to kill their honest President and where I hid all the drugs, guns and radioactive materials I was carrying into their healthy land. Once they knew even the name of my girlfriend and saw pictures of her lovely face, and once they asked why I was not married and have children, they put my ass on the No Man´s Land.
But the Russians did not want me into their lovely, safe and friendly country. My visa had expired the day I left Russia. So, suddenly, I was in the middle of nowhere. The Russian police boss tried to explain me, in Russian language, of course, my very rare and uncomfortable situation. No one wanted me in Central Asia. “Ok, tovarich”, I remember me saying to him, “so right now, I am your problem”. Then, he caught it. “Davai, davai (Ok, ok), trakatoko kakaleme toriche Astrakhan”. What it means: “Go to Astrakhan again and fuck any other civil servant, but not me”. Then, following day, Monday morning, I spent several hours visiting different kind of public departments and offices where no one spoke English. It was like a terror movie and me acting as the criminal and victim. But it was not a movie, it was real. Maybe they wanted de deport me, but where and how? No way out. But miracles happens, even no speaking the Tolstoy language, I managed my self to get the two visas in one day. The fact, guys, is that a biker is always a survivor.
Keep safe.
But the Russians did not want me into their lovely, safe and friendly country. My visa had expired the day I left Russia. So, suddenly, I was in the middle of nowhere. The Russian police boss tried to explain me, in Russian language, of course, my very rare and uncomfortable situation. No one wanted me in Central Asia. “Ok, tovarich”, I remember me saying to him, “so right now, I am your problem”. Then, he caught it. “Davai, davai (Ok, ok), trakatoko kakaleme toriche Astrakhan”. What it means: “Go to Astrakhan again and fuck any other civil servant, but not me”. Then, following day, Monday morning, I spent several hours visiting different kind of public departments and offices where no one spoke English. It was like a terror movie and me acting as the criminal and victim. But it was not a movie, it was real. Maybe they wanted de deport me, but where and how? No way out. But miracles happens, even no speaking the Tolstoy language, I managed my self to get the two visas in one day. The fact, guys, is that a biker is always a survivor.
Keep safe.
RUSSIAN NIGHTMARE
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Etiquetas:
BDO UKRANIA,
RUSSIAN POLICE POLICÍA RUSA CONDUCIR EN RUSIA DRIVING IN RUSSIA MOTORBIKE MOTOCICLETA MOTO
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Dirty mind guys, stop asking for the Ukranian girl´s phone number! Unfortunately, our romance lasted just five seconds. Just what I know is that she works as an auditor.
As you know, BDO Auditing firm is sponsoring my trip and as a part of my duties I have to visit their offices along my way in those exotic countries you will never imagine can be auditors working. But there are, even in Zimbabue. When I arrive, usually all the staff go out and take pictures of my bike as if it was an UFO and me a guy from Mars. One by one, they like to be photographed beside the bike. When I visited Dniopopetrovsk, it was the same business, but the girls wanted the picture with me. When that red hair girl took her place (you can see her in the big group), she grabbed my neck in the romantic way you saw. Five seconds later, I was riding east again. It´s sad to say, folks, but when you have to cross Ukraine (2000 km) in three days, there is no time for girls.
Anyway, I am in Russia right now. The border was a nightmare as I expected, but sometimes riding a bike helps. The policemen thought I was crazy when I told them from where I was and where I was heading. So they let me go in without too many questions. Just one hour of paperwork. A Güinnes Record. They are not bad guys, but it is a pity their job is so bad paid. In other case, they would not try to make money bribing drivers. I have never seen something similar. They are like vultures. They can smell you from hundred km away. The only good Russian police car is made of wood. I hope to arrive today Kazajstan. Russia stinks.
All the best.
Anyway, I am in Russia right now. The border was a nightmare as I expected, but sometimes riding a bike helps. The policemen thought I was crazy when I told them from where I was and where I was heading. So they let me go in without too many questions. Just one hour of paperwork. A Güinnes Record. They are not bad guys, but it is a pity their job is so bad paid. In other case, they would not try to make money bribing drivers. I have never seen something similar. They are like vultures. They can smell you from hundred km away. The only good Russian police car is made of wood. I hope to arrive today Kazajstan. Russia stinks.
All the best.
LOVE AND MONEY IN UKRAINE
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Etiquetas:
MOTOCICLETAS,
MOTORBIKES UCRANIA UKRAINE
Dear friends,
I´m still in Ukrain, about 70 km from Russia. In Mariupol, a beautiful turistic city beside the Black Sea. From my room, I can see the great factory chimneys coughing smoke to the grey sky. Who needs a blue one? Just the lazy western middle class who likes to swim in clean water; they are always fighting against socialism. You must know the Black Sea is not a sea, it is a lake. How do I know? Because on a real sea do not live mosquitos, and here they are even worse than in Africa. What can I say about food? If you like pickled gherkins and cow tongue you are in the right place. I did not like them but now I changed my mind. You can not find anything more delicious when you finish a daily 600km trip jumping from bump to bump.
But the best is people. As you know, a bike traveller is a dirty rude and ugly guy. But for an estrange reason I can not understand, good boys and bad girls always want to be with him. I have met very good friends on the road, like the Highway Police. They stop me at every city to ask how I am, where I come from, where I go, how much I want to give to them. It seems to be a national customary do not let the travellers go until they give them a big amount of money. What a nice guys! I took a picture of one of them despite of they do not like being in a photo. Maybe they are too shy. Fortunately the girls are not. At least, someone smiles in Ukrania. A lot of them are thin and beautiful and they usually want to go to Spain with me because they are generous and I look like needing a good ukranian wife who cooks cow tongue every dinner.
I told you, Ukrain is a paradise. I will feel so sorry far away.
I´m still in Ukrain, about 70 km from Russia. In Mariupol, a beautiful turistic city beside the Black Sea. From my room, I can see the great factory chimneys coughing smoke to the grey sky. Who needs a blue one? Just the lazy western middle class who likes to swim in clean water; they are always fighting against socialism. You must know the Black Sea is not a sea, it is a lake. How do I know? Because on a real sea do not live mosquitos, and here they are even worse than in Africa. What can I say about food? If you like pickled gherkins and cow tongue you are in the right place. I did not like them but now I changed my mind. You can not find anything more delicious when you finish a daily 600km trip jumping from bump to bump.
But the best is people. As you know, a bike traveller is a dirty rude and ugly guy. But for an estrange reason I can not understand, good boys and bad girls always want to be with him. I have met very good friends on the road, like the Highway Police. They stop me at every city to ask how I am, where I come from, where I go, how much I want to give to them. It seems to be a national customary do not let the travellers go until they give them a big amount of money. What a nice guys! I took a picture of one of them despite of they do not like being in a photo. Maybe they are too shy. Fortunately the girls are not. At least, someone smiles in Ukrania. A lot of them are thin and beautiful and they usually want to go to Spain with me because they are generous and I look like needing a good ukranian wife who cooks cow tongue every dinner.
I told you, Ukrain is a paradise. I will feel so sorry far away.
WILD EAST
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Etiquetas:
MOTORBIKES BIKES UKRAINE RIDING MOTO UCRANIA
Dear friends:
Here we go again! Going East! I am already 3500 km away from home, in Ukraine, a great unknown country full of unhappy people. Here smiles are very expensive, but not petrol. People look like being angry all the time but maybe the right reason is to much home made vodka to drink at night and too less vegetal fibre to eat for breakfast. Landscapes are really beautiful. Roads are terrible, roads marks are a labyrinth and trucks go as the Devil was sitting at the wheel. A real biker paradise! What can I get in Russia? I am sure only about one thing: a nightmare paperwork crossing the border. Just getting the visa in Madrid was about to get me into a nervous crisis.
But let me tell you how and why I am here. When I arrived home after my African trip, I had domestic affairs. My wife was a little bit annoyed, and she got into a temper when I told her I wanted also going to ride Alaska. “I know you need some kind of adventure”, she said, “and to feel young and free loving other bikes like that old African bitch. I understand you are not a sitting man. You are like a child who always changes his mind. But If you think I´m gonna stay quiet at the garage while you ride America, you really do not know me. I am patient, but it is time to ride me for a good trip. It´s been so long since you get me into the wild last time”.
Oh, friends, what can I say? She was right. Alaska could wait. Summer is long enough. She was being so patient. I had some unimportant infidelities with other bikes but I am loyal to her. We have known each other for long time. So I realised it was time to ride her to the end of the World.
So here we are, riding to the East. Only God and mechanics failures know when and where we are going to stop. Just in case, I took the rear bearing of the final drive although I don´t really expect Kazahstan fixer could rebuilt it. But God loves the crazy.
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